History of Italian and Indian cuisine as told by Mugi

[justme]

I spent most of my time in the Himalayan region. Food was bland, if you could get it; rice, dahl, chopped onion, a roadside chapati, roti on a pan over an open flame. Food was more for subsistence, survival. I am sure it was my fault, because even in Delhi and other big cities, I stayed in far less than five star hotels and ate on the fly, off the streets, suffering Delhi-Belly.

But, in Uttar Pradesh, along the Ganga, I experienced urivaled joy feasting on those insanely sweet, short, fat, creamy, warmed by the sun bananas off the cart, sharing them with a gang of monkeys who were quite friendly and well-behaved with me.

In New York, Flushing, the Ganapati Temple, that small dosa store has some good simple fare and Hillside Dosa Hutt on Hillside Avenue in Glen Oaks, nice taste.

Sorry, I cannot talk regional about Indian food. Many times I ate simply in people's homes, almost picnic-style, on the floor, over a blanket. It was always good enough, basic food, but always hearty, nutritional and vegetarian.

Makes sense. India is a fairly poor country, so if you were eating “with the people” you were getting seriously compromised food. While 5 stars offered amazing food (Bukhara is not overrated), the sweet spot was in the middle: places that could afford reasonable ingredients and training, but we’re still feeding Indians that expected a bit more. “India” is a bit of a misconception anyways. There wasn’t anything recognizable as such prior to the rajput, so even talking about “regions” is a bit reductive. Ugh, now I’m missing Calcutta milk sweets. Much better experience than Sonagachi.

I envy your experience in the mountains. I never got north of Dehradun.

 

[mugi]

Makes sense. India is a fairly poor country, so if you were eating “with the people” you were getting seriously compromised food. While 5 stars offered amazing food (Bukhara is not overrated), the sweet spot was in the middle: places that could afford reasonable ingredients and training, but we’re still feeding Indians that expected a bit more. “India” is a bit of a misconception anyways. There wasn’t anything recognizable as such prior to the rajput, so even talking about “regions” is a bit reductive. Ugh, now I’m missing Calcutta milk sweets. Much better experience than Sonagachi.

I envy your experience in the mountains. I never got north of Dehradun.

The Dehradun hills are beautiful. Up in Gangotri and Gomukh, at least my route, food was sparse. I had some biscuits in my knapsack. And the fresh melting glaciers gave me very delicious highly mineralized and alkaline water to drink. But, I never was hungry. Somehow, the air filled your belly, although it was thin and made you dizzy and winded for a day until you acclimated. Naked sadhus and holymen baffled your belief system and defied reality. You could see a yeti, if lucky. (very powerful)

 

[TheRicker]

Is this thread about Italian food or indian "food".

 

[mugi]

Is this thread about Italian food or indian "food".

@TheRicker, you are 100% correct.

Besides both beginning with the letter "I," they have almost nothing in common (Italian and Indian food) except that I heard it said that one of the most common new foods in India is pizza, as it resembles Indian bread (naan) with paneer, (Indian cheese) along with the heavy use of oil, garlic, tomatoes, saltiness. (all ingredients and tastes common to both cultures) And, Pizza Hut and Domino's are popping up all over India, by the hundreds, as we speak.

A great Indian/Italian hybrid pizza treat in our area is "Singas Famous Pizza." They opened in Elmhurst back in 1967. Back in the 80's, there was one on Main Street Flushing, just up south from the main library on the east side. A truly novelty pizza with an oily more pastry crust, that even for the "Calabrese," was acceptable, because it was not trying to imposter a true Italian pie, but paying homage to "the boot" with an Indian flair. (Maybe also vaguely like a French pastry style)

Singas Pizza is such a unique experience. They are truly tasty and the ambience of eating in and watching families sitting across from each other on cheap plastic tables and chairs, in a simplistic setting, intensely enjoying the delicious lightness and flavorful, not so filling pizza, and discussing family matters, ever so leisurely and happily, is unforgetable. To this day, when I can gather friends and family together, and it is time to eat, I will suggest "How about Singas?" It is never met with serious opposition. It is always a well-considered option when you want to enjoy a fun pizza experience from another country.

I remember way back in another forgotten thread somebody asking about good Indian food, and @justme seems to be a wealth of information on the topic. Surely he could lead us to some of his favorite Indian restaurants from the Jackson Heights 74th Street, 73rd Street, 37th Avenue, and surrounding Queens area up through Long Island.

Maybe that kind sir, @billyS, finds himself once again in a generous, benevolent mood, he could expunge all of these "Indian food" references from the "Italiano" section and give us the new "Indian Cuisine" section, or some other caption to the thread that the gentleman finds more appropriate. (I can only hope and pray)

And "Scout's Honor," I will best try to restrain myself, and not send the "Indian Cuisine" section off into "My Favorite Turkish Foods," or another great cuisine.

 

[billyS]

Maybe that kind sir, @billyS, finds himself once again in a generous, benevolent mood, he could expunge all of these "Indian food" references from the "Italiano" section and give us the new "Indian Cuisine" section, or some other caption to the thread that the gentleman finds more appropriate. (I can only hope and pray)

No I have a better idea.
Since this thread is already the bastard son of about unrelated thread that @mugi already took off topic I'm just going to change the title to make it seem this also fits

 

[TheRicker]

@TheRicker, you are 100% correct.

Besides both beginning with the letter "I," they have almost nothing in common (Italian and Indian food) except that I heard it said that one of the most common new foods in India is pizza, as it resembles Indian bread (naan) with paneer, (Indian cheese) along with the heavy use of oil, garlic, tomatoes, saltiness. (all ingredients and tastes common to both cultures) And, Pizza Hut and Domino's are popping up all over India, by the hundreds, as we speak.

A great Indian/Italian hybrid pizza treat in our area is "Singas Famous Pizza." They opened in Elmhurst back in 1967. Back in the 80's, there was one on Main Street Flushing, just up south from the main library on the east side. A truly novelty pizza with an oily more pastry crust, that even for the "Calabrese," was acceptable, because it was not trying to imposter a true Italian pie, but paying homage to "the boot" with an Indian flair. (Maybe also vaguely like a French pastry style)

Singas Pizza is such a unique experience. They are truly tasty and the ambience of eating in and watching families sitting across from each other on cheap plastic tables and chairs, in a simplistic setting, intensely enjoying the delicious lightness and flavorful, not so filling pizza, and discussing family matters, ever so leisurely and happily, is unforgetable. To this day, when I can gather friends and family together, and it is time to eat, I will suggest "How about Singas?" It is never met with serious opposition. It is always a well-considered option when you want to enjoy a fun pizza experience from another country.

I remember way back in another forgotten thread somebody asking about good Indian food, and @justme seems to be a wealth of information on the topic. Surely he could lead us to some of his favorite Indian restaurants from the Jackson Heights 74th Street, 73rd Street, 37th Avenue, and surrounding Queens area up through Long Island.

Maybe that kind sir, @billyS, finds himself once again in a generous, benevolent mood, he could expunge all of these "Indian food" references from the "Italiano" section and give us the new "Indian Cuisine" section, or some other caption to the thread that the gentleman finds more appropriate. (I can only hope and pray)

And "Scout's Honor," I will best try to restrain myself, and not send the "Indian Cuisine" section off into "My Favorite Turkish Foods," or another great cuisine.

You waste your words on me, my friend. I have learned not to read your posts beyond the first paragraph. They go way to off topic for me.

 

[mugi]

You waste your words on me, my friend. I have learned not to read your posts beyond the first paragraph. They go way to off topic for me.

In all sincerity, thank you for expressing your opinion. I read through many posts. Some I find really great and some are not my style, but I persevere. And, sometimes I just read them cursory because they don't strike a chord in me.

I am a human being, like you, and all others here, and I share my exeriences. I don't know who is reading it; maybe nobody, and I wasted my time.

But, I just try to be as truthful as possible and feel like it is in some way a public service to share what I know and others do not know. In the same way, I come here to read what others know and I do not know. I learn a lot.

Granted, my style could be considered "odd and out of place," but I can't help that. I would be a poor imitation if I were to try and copy and adopt the style that is more acceptable on this board.

In this instance, at the end of a dialogue that was on point about Italian food, I merely included a brief statement about Indian food. No harm done really. Not a violation. I made a brief comparison. That comment was responded to by a gentleman with more knowledge than myself about Indian food and I found out that we both visited a rather remote part of India, so we conversed a bit about that, and the thread became not merely Italian, but Italian and Indian.

No great harm. You cannot open a new thread with every nuance of change in direction. It is a conversation. One thing leads to another. It was a food thread. I didn't suddenly start discussing food in the middle of a dedicated AMP location thread.

 

[tonyd123wtb]

In all sincerity, thank you for expressing your opinion. I read through many posts. Some I find really great and some are not my style, but I persevere. And, sometimes I just read them cursory because they don't strike a chord in me.

I am a human being, like you, and all others here, and I share my exeriences. I don't know who is reading it; maybe nobody, and I wasted my time.

But, I just try to be as truthful as possible and feel like it is in some way a public service to share what I know and others do not know. In the same way, I come here to read what others know and I do not know. I learn a lot.

Granted, my style could be considered "odd and out of place," but I can't help that. I would be a poor imitation if I were to try and copy and adopt the style that is more acceptable on this board.

In this instance, at the end of a dialogue that was on point about Italian food, I merely included a brief statement about Indian food. No harm done really. Not a violation. I made a brief comparison. That comment was responded to by a gentleman with more knowledge than myself about Indian food and I found out that we both visited a rather remote part of India, so we conversed a bit about that, and the thread became not merely Italian, but Italian and Indian.

No great harm. You cannot open a new thread with every nuance of change in direction. It is a conversation. One thing leads to another. It was a food thread. I didn't suddenly start discussing food in the middle of a dedicated AMP location thread.

I don’t think he was talking about the Indian food tangent.

U sound like a philosophy professor who takes too long to get to the point. No offense everyone’s free to do what they want but at the same time not everyone has the time or patience to read something that lengthy.
Just my opinion and once again I don’t mean this with any disrespect.

 

[mugi]

I don’t think he was talking about the Indian food tangent.

U sound like a philosophy professor who takes too long to get to the point. No offense everyone’s free to do what they want but at the same time not everyone has the time or patience to read something that lengthy.
Just my opinion and once again I don’t mean this with any disrespect.

well taken. I will withdraw for a while.

 

[Bricktop]

well taken. I will withdraw for a while.

I think you have lived a full life and share some strange things I probably would otherwise not be aware of. I think you could be the Dos Equis guy. Stay thirsty my friend

 

[The Exiled]

I think you have lived a full life and share some strange things I probably would otherwise not be aware of. I think you could be the Dos Equis guy. Stay thirsty my friend

Excuse me

 

[Bricktop]

Excuse me

I’m sooty I always thought you were Charleston Heston.

 

[TheRicker]

In all sincerity, thank you for expressing your opinion. I read through many posts. Some I find really great and some are not my style, but I persevere. And, sometimes I just read them cursory because they don't strike a chord in me.

I am a human being, like you, and all others here, and I share my exeriences. I don't know who is reading it; maybe nobody, and I wasted my time.

But, I just try to be as truthful as possible and feel like it is in some way a public service to share what I know and others do not know. In the same way, I come here to read what others know and I do not know. I learn a lot.

Granted, my style could be considered "odd and out of place," but I can't help that. I would be a poor imitation if I were to try and copy and adopt the style that is more acceptable on this board.

In this instance, at the end of a dialogue that was on point about Italian food, I merely included a brief statement about Indian food. No harm done really. Not a violation. I made a brief comparison. That comment was responded to by a gentleman with more knowledge than myself about Indian food and I found out that we both visited a rather remote part of India, so we conversed a bit about that, and the thread became not merely Italian, but Italian and Indian.

No great harm. You cannot open a new thread with every nuance of change in direction. It is a conversation. One thing leads to another. It was a food thread. I didn't suddenly start discussing food in the middle of a dedicated AMP location thread.

It's almost as if you didn't read my last post!.

 

[NINE-LIVES]

well taken. I will withdraw for a while.

As much as I would like to read all your posts all the way through, I don't. I just skip them, I do feel like I am missing out on some informative info, but I cant. I applaud you for proper spacing and punctuation.

Maybe you can provide us with the "Cliff's Notes" version of your experiences going forward, as opposed to withdrawing?

 

[justme]

Mugi, if you’re prone to loquacious off-topic rambling then you are, in many ways, a true spiritual successor to some of the best members This site has had.

But does anyone know where to get Greek in Jersey?

 

[mugi]

As much as I would like to read all your posts all the way through, I don't. I just skip them, I do feel like I am missing out on some informative info, but I cant. I applaud you for proper spacing and punctuation.

Maybe you can provide us with the "Cliff's Notes" version of your experiences going forward, as opposed to withdrawing?

Much appreciated. I am still around and love the troops. Maybe take a few steps back. I am sure that I have already far exceeded my allotted time, and appreciate your indulgences.

At this age, it would be a monumental task to change my personality. "People don't change; they reveal who they really are."

Keep up the good work, boys. Keep out of harm's way.