Product Review, Vinod Cookware

I don’t care much for brands, what really matters to me is its utility and its promise to keep me contended while using these products. I may pick up utensils from most weird places just because they look artistic or different. Every foreign trip I have made, I have always brought back cookware for myself and also as giveaway gifts. My kitchen is stocked with various pots and pans of different shapes and sizes from different countries, you could say, kitchen shopping is my favorite pass time.

So when I got invite from my food bloggers community FBAI to check out range of Vinod cookware, I was naturally curious.

Invitation was for Sunday morning, a lunch at ‘Out of Blue’ and then some gyan on the brand.

So how is this different from other brands and why should I buy this brand?

Personally, I am not a steel-loving person, so I was not actually attracted to the display of utensils placed at one corner of the restaurant.

But when the talk started, I began to pay attention.

I was attracted to this Tuscany pot that has been made with the aspect of cooking and serving from same pot. My mind drifted to the moments when I like making Khichidi and serving it directly at the dining table. No headache of washing too many dishes.

This is the pan I have been looking for since many days, its flat base large pan, perfect for making Spanish Paella. Gosh! They were heavy to hold. This Black Pearl pan aids in burn free cooking and is also nonstick. I didn’t know they were available in Mumbai. Now I know where to get them from.

One by one, the dishes made their rounds on our table. I was impressed. The cookware looked promising. The label said it all

It was informative session that ended with interesting quiz, and my fellow bloggers were quite intelligent and answered most of the answers on the spur of the moment.

On my way out, there was a take-away gift for every guest. It was too heavy for me to bring back home with me but they promised to courier it to me, and after one week it arrived…..3 piece combo set with 5 years guarantee.

I am thrilled….

Thank you FBAI for introducing me to Vinod_Cookware. Now that we get quality goods in our own home town, there is no need to carry heavy stuff back home. Goodbye to kitchen shopping in foreign markets.

I went for pressure cooker shopping, the storekeeper recommended Vinod Cookware and said it was better than other brands.

“As a store salesman, aren’t you supposed to sell all brands? What is so different about this brand?” I asked him

He smiled and went on to explain to me the special features of this brand that I had learnt just recently.

Some of the other writers who reviewed this cookware

Grubzone..The Gourmet Voyager

Nandini Reviews 

Read more about Vinod_cookware at their site. You could buy these cookware at most supermarkets in India and also on online stores..or maybe you visit Vinod's website at

http://www.vinodcookware.com/

This is a sponsored post.

Online Food Service- InstaKhaana

Tiffin service in Mumbai gets more interesting each day.

 On the days when I am too lazy, I order meals from the women who work from home. I have tried many tiffin services but its something I cannot continue to have all days, seven days a week. I bore easily and somehow I prefer my own cooking. But I have tried many dhabba services and forwarded their contact to my friends too. Parsi cuisine, Gujarati cuisine, then there are Goan, some western too. The latest one I tried was from a Sindhi lady in Bandra who delivered food suitable to my taste buds. A full meal with lentils, two vegetables, a cup of boiled rice and four chappatis, all this for mere Rs150. But after two weeks I was bored again and back to my own cooking of simple lunch of just one dish(veg or non-veg) and two chappattis and evening meal of just soup and sandwiches.

But for those who have no time to cook, tiffin service is the best option. There is yet another one in the block, this time online delivery service.

This one is called ‘InstaKhaana’ I was asked to review their services and their food.

The food arrived in a cute delivery car that attracted my neighbors too.

The food was neatly packed in plastic containers with a plastic packet of spoon fork, salt and pepper (like they do in airlines) Two boxes arrived in pretty cloth bags.

Pan fried fish with garlic sauce was melt in the mouth, boneless fish, a pure delight. It is perfect for light diners and it paired well with garlic bread.

Corn rice with butter vegetables and lentil cutlets is suitable for heavy meal. The long grain, corn rice was cooked to perfection. I am not too fond of sweetness in the food, hence didn’t like butter vegetables although the stew was good with assorted exotic vegetables (broccoli, carrots and cottage cheese, etc.).

However, I didn’t like the corn salad at all. It tasted stale. I am not sure that it’s fresh. It tasted awful.

Instakhaana claims to have different menu seven days a week, freshly cooked and delivered in 20 minutes. Each day’s menu consists of two vegetarian and two non-vegetarian dishes to pick from. In addition to this, there is an option of adding a salad, a soft beverage like a cold pressed juice, or a dessert to complete a meal. They have their presence in BKC, lower Parel, Worli and Mahalaxmi. The next locations on the anvil are Bandra, Powai and Lokhandwala. They aspire to deliver to at least 20 areas in Mumbai over the next three months

This is online delivery service, where one can select the dish and order online.

The price is quite reasonable as compared to other restaurants in our area (Most of these scrumptious meals are priced between Rs80 and Rs170. InstaKhaana also has a deal of the day offer where any one vegetarian dish and one non vegetarian dish from the menu are priced at just Rs49 and Rs69 respectively)

and the food is quite healthy and non greasy.

You can visit their site for more information at http://instakhaana.com/

Assam Tea Party

When friends come home to spend a day, most of the time is spent chatting and eating. This Holi festival, when my friends came home for lunch, we had karaoke afternoon. This is a fun activity, much better than board games or poker. Believe me! We let our hair loose and sang songs like there was no tomorrow. Who cares if there is talent or not? The words flash on the screen with background music and all we have to do is read the words in musical tone. Some of us were reading in poetry form and that was the fun part because most of the songs are popular for their lyrics. This is one group activity where the singer is so engrossed in singing that they don’t care if friends laugh when they sing off tune. It was the afternoon of pure fun and laughter.

The hours ticked quickly and soon it was teatime.

A box of ‘assam1860’ had arrived by courier some days ago, there were about one dozen tea pouches and a small sachet with a zip lock of loose tea leaves (fine round pebbles, black and smooth). I was asked to give my feedback.

What is the fun of trying out a new brand of tea all alone? I found an opportunity to try this brand that afternoon with my group of friends.

Here is what assam1860 has to say about this:

Assam1860 is the single origin and unblended tea sourced from a family-owned tea estate of James Warren in the South Bank of Assam. All leaves are carefully handpicked, lightly cut and allowed to ferment before being dried. Unlike other teas, this tea reaches the market almost as soon as it is plucked, so it remains fresh and juicy.

Normally, when I make tea, I also add ginger and cardamom, but this time, we decided to taste the tea in its unblended form. I just added milk and sugar. Friends loved it. It is robust, flavored, refreshing, strong, it has good aroma. We didn’t miss the regular spices, it had rich taste of its own.

Some of my friends tried the tea pouches

“The teabags need not be kept in the hot cup of water too long, dip it and remove it, because it is quite strong’ said my friend who tried the tea pouch “It is not a green tea, mind you, its black.” It is different in the sense that most of the teas available in market are multi-origins.

If you are a tea person and like to taste the different brands do try this one too, you might adopt it.

This product was sent to me complimentary from assam1860. I have shared an honest and unbiased account of my experience.

Follow them at

Facebook.com/assam1860

Instagram: assam1860

Twitter: assam1860

Google+ assam1860 

Red Chutney on My Plate

This week on my trip to supermarket, I was very attracted to brightly colored red chilies.

Chutney is on my mind!!

Chutney seems like a bright idea because it pairs appropriately with all kinds of snacks. The tricky part is chopping.

Have to be very careful during chopping, accidents can happen. For example, you might rub your eye after chopping (if this happen, rush to the sink and wash thoroughly with cold water and then use ice pack to cool the eyes)..Your fingertips may also burn (use cold cream, okay?)

Next, plan what ingredients would you use to make your chutney unique. Each time I make, it turns out differently. (I am creative, you see) I cannot recreate the same taste again.

So, this time I used:

100gms red chilies

6-7 garlic pods

1small red capsicum (roasted over open flame)

1tsp red chili powder

1tsp salt

1tsp sugar

1tbsp vinegar

Put it in the food processor and grind it to rough paste.

Transfer the paste into a glass jar and add 1/2cup olive oil

Are you ready to eat? WAIT!

Now wait a minute. It is not ready yet. You have to let it rest for one full week.

Close the lid airtight and cover it with sling film - A new product in Indian market. Ekdum new!! Check out Asahi Kasei India.

Asahi Kasei India cling film is more manageable than other wraps, because it is thicker and firm and it does not does get squashed easily. Moreover, the box has a saw-like blade on its rim that makes it easier to cut out the film easily. I am using this for covering most of my foodstuff and fruits that are stored in the fridge.

I found this to be perfect choice to cover my bottle of chili chutney. My bottle will be kept on my dining table for week till it is ready to consume.

Later, I will invite you for Hi tea perhaps