Monthly Digest- Apr '18

I spent half of April travelling through the lush plains of Morocco (you can still catch the trip on my Instagram Stories!) and so the recipes took a bit of a back seat. That in no way means I’ve been slowing down- did you see my recent feature in Munchies? I was overwhelmed by the amount of support I received after that article was published and it’s definitely spurred me on to get this cookbook proposal finished.

Behind The Scenes
I’ve spent some time reflecting on the content on Golden Tiffin and realised that it’s veering too far away from what I want it to be- a beacon of all things Bengali! Even though I love travelling and sharing stories from my adventures, I also want to hold onto what is most important to my vision for the brand. It’s also taken away from the relaxing aspect of travel. I definitely don’t want to become somebody who is too busy drafting posts to soak in my surroundings! As a result, I’ll be sharing less about what I get up to in the places I visit and sticking to just adding travels to my Instagram Highlights instead.

In regards to the cookbook, I have managed to research how to create a proposal and created a concentrated version of what I want it to be about, with sample recipes included. The only thing left to work on is the design of the proposal and creating what I call the “one pager” which outlines why I think this cookbook is the one. Once I do that, the nerve racking bit is reaching out to print publishers. I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t scared. The last time my writing had been judged was three years ago when I’d completed my Masters. This is slightly different too; someone is going to weighing in on my personal journey, not my critical one.

Binge Watching
Ugly Delicious is a marvellous watch! As someone who comes from a culture where the emphasis is not placed on the appearance of food but the flavours and ingredients, I can totally relate to some of the guests’ sentiments of having two cuisines: the one appropriated for strangers and the unapologetically authentic version we keep for the hardcore natives of the culture.

Recipe On Repeat
If you know me, then you know I’m a fan of anything mashed and spiced. Bhortas, achars, chutneys, whatever you want to call it, I will probably have it. Summer is always when Bengalis get creative with the mixes of bhortas. This bhorta is inspired by the kala jam, a sharp but sweet fruit that is native to Bangladesh. I didn’t manage to find fresh or frozen kala jam in London so used blackberries instead! You can find the recipe here.

Wish List 

It always seems like my wish list is never ending! Despite having at least twenty balti dishes in different metals, I feel that my collection wouldn’t be complete without a set of these golden dishes too. 

Cookbook Love
I’ve been scouring the internet for cookbooks that solely focus on Bengali cooking. If you know of any, please comment some recommendations! I wanted to see how the writing style might differ between books and blogs. While I wouldn’t say that the recipes in the Bong Mom’s Cookbook are anything unfamiliar to me (not necessarily a bad thing), I really enjoyed the storytelling and historical narrative in each section. It’s definitely introduced the idea of being more personal in the cookbook than I am on here.