Happy Birthday, Modern Spice!

 April is one year since the release of Modern Spice and what a journey it has been! I am so honored and so grateful to all those who read the book and cooked from it. It has been one amazing year! In order to celebrate this year, I am giving away FIVE signed copies of Modern Spice. All you have to do is leave a comment! You can get the book for yourself or someone else so even if you have a copy, do enter!! And one person will get a spicy surprise along with the book!  I will select five people at random from the list. The giveaway ends on Friday April 2nd at 4:00 pm. 

 Modern Spice: A recap from 2009 - 

 I have to admit to bouncing up and down quite a few times when Google alerted me to the news that AOL had picked Modern Spice as one of the Best Cookbooks of 2009.  What an honor.. I am so thrilled!

In June, Top Chef's Padma Lakshmi picked Modern Spice as one of her – BEST.BOOKS.EVER for Newsweek and recently Health magazine included it in their top 100 best list. 

"Monica Bhide…invites you along for a tasty ride in her forthcoming book, Modern Spice….Bhide offers a modern interpretation of Indian flavors and cooking techniques. The result is something cooks need– new ways of thinking about common ingredients.– J.M. Hirsch, Associated Press

The author offers a refreshing look at the diverse and changing cuisine of India, with a new perspective that will be embraced by Indian food lovers everywhere. From Publishers Weekly

“This warm and inviting book combines the author's personal experiences with streamlined recipes for Indian cooking… The range of recipes in this book is great. In fact, it's hard to choose what to make… The recipes are easy to follow and do not disappoint. I'm looking forward to trying out many more of her recipes.”—Oregonian

“Monica Bhide deserves every hectare of the acres of copy she will undoubtedly amass for her out-today cookbook, ‘Modern Spice,’ which really does make Indian flavors accessible enough for everyday cooking.”—Regina Schrambling, Epicurious.com

Remarkably thoughtful. Fine Cooking magazine

"… is a must-have for spice lovers everywhere” Chile Pepper magazine

Modern Spice is one of my favorite cookbooks of 2009…. Food & Wine blog, Emily Kaiser

A revolutionary approach to Indian cooking. Mark Knoblauch From Booklist

I just finished a review of Monica Bhide's "Modern Spice." 2 words: Buy it. Smart recipe
s,
eloquent writing, clear directions. Chicago Tribune – Bill Daley

“True, this is a cookbook, and a very fine one, but if you just read the recipes you will miss so much. Monica’s life has taken her from India to Bahrain and then to America. Modern Spice is a book made richer by family anecdotes, stories of laughter and tears. It’s a warm-hearted page-turner with lovely recipes. Modern Spice should become a classic of contemporary Indian cuisine. It’s not a compromise, it’s fresh and inviting." – The Mostly Food Journal.

“I’m now addicted to chickpea crepes, and it’s all Monica Bhide’s fault. What began as an innocent, unassuming kitchen adventure seems to have morphed into a gastronomic disorder — a full-on addiction that may require an intervention” Meatless Monday’s Kim O’Donnel

“What I like so much about Modern Spice is the way Monica has turned a contemporary eye toward the Indian pantry and developed a collection of recipes that are mindful of tradition, but not afraid to build on it or break with it. What I'm saying is, if you're looking for a book full of traditional Indian standards, there are other books to buy – great ones. If you're looking for ways to integrate many of the alluring flavors and ingredients of India into your daily cooking, this book is packed with ideas for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.” Heidi Swanson, 101 cookbooks.

"This is not brown food to lift the roof of your mouth. It's colorful, light, multi-facetted in flavor and extremely easy to execute." eatWashington, Julia Watson

"….Yet it’s so much more than a cookbook—it’s more of a journey through author Monica Bhide’s heart and soul—one that leaves the mouth watering and heart aching for a taste of what she has so eloquently detailed. With the rich essays tucked in-between the recipes, this book is so much more than page-after-page of delectable food (although it is that also, for sure). It is a heart-felt excursion through Monica’s family food memories that have taken her from growing up and living in the Middle East (after being born in New Delhi) to being an adult book author and food writer residing in Washington, D.C. " Christine Gable, CDkitchen

"For food writer , the quickest route to Delhi is through your belly. Her new cookbook, Modern Spice, reconciles the zesty essence of Indian cuisine with the DC challenge we all have: no time to cook." DC Modern Luxury

.. And don’t look for another take on tandoori chicken and mango lassi; Bhide’s recipes also represent a new style of Indian food. Houston Chronicle

"Last night I dreamt of Chaat Masala. Really. And yet, its not quite as odd as it seems. You see, I've spent the better part of this weekend devouring Monica Bhide's wonderful new cookbook – Modern Spice. I'm reading it cover to cover and enjoying every blessed word. Modern Spice has been making its way around more than a few blogs this past week and the attention is well-deserved. Its charming, informative and altogether delicious." Beacheats Blog

A Spicy read – Arrive magazine

On the Ginger honey marinade – "Yesterday I made the simplest, most miraculous marinade, one that fits perfectly into my Parents Need to Eat, Too cooking. It came together in under five minutes—the only step that took any time at all was grating the ginger (I made a double batch, which meant two full tablespoons; I used my Microplane grater). Sweet, spicy, piquant, and absolutely irresistible, I could see using this on any number of things" Wordstoeatby Blog

"The next time you crave the flavors that only can be satisfied with Indian cuisine, instead of heading to a restaurant, head to your own kitchen and take Monica with you. There is no reason to think any cuisine is outside of your reach or beyond the capacity of your city kitchen." The City Cook

"Bhide is pioneering a new kind of Indian cuisine, taking traditional ingredients and techniques and translating them into the modern kitchen" SeriousEats

"….…and just published is her third cookbook, Modern Spice which is fun, innovative and imbued with her unique voice. In it she shares not only her creative recipes but also her very personal food essays. For those of us who have little time and still crave delicious, spicy food, her off-the-beaten-track recipes will come as a real time saver. The prep time is short and the instructions are user-friendly but the dishes pack a powerful punch by way of spices and herbs.” Indian Express

"Throughout the pages, Monica also includes touching personal essays. An editor recently told me, "Food stories aren't just about food; at heart, they're about people." So true. In Modern Spice, Monica nails that concept. My favorite essay of hers was a story she wrote about shelling peas with her son, Jai. " Lime.com