Dining with the Maharajas

I recently received a review copy of a very interesting new book, Dining with the Maharajas: A Thousand Years of Culinary Tradition. Written by Neha Prasad and with photographs by Ashima Narain, this book delves into the rich culinary history of India, specifically the cuisine and feasts that were prepared by royal Indian kitchens. Each chapter profiles a different royal family (of Indian states such as Udaipur and Jammu and Kashmir, amongst others) and explores not only the history of their family's royal banquets but their style of entertaining today, too.

Although it seems that many of these royal families still live quite well today, there was a time not so very long ago when maharajas and their families lived most extravagantly.  The book's introduction includes a quotation from the late Dowager Maharani of Gwalior Vijayaraje Scindia that sums up this extraordinary lifestyle quite nicely: "It was a fantasy world, Byzantine in its splendour with more in common with the French kings of the grand Siecle than with the world of today. Who after all can count his servants in thousands, or the tigers in their hunting preserves in their hundreds, maintain half a dozen enormous palaces and a dozen or so hunting lodges or country houses, give sit-down dinners for a hundred and fifty guests on special family plates that had been used for the banquets in honour of at least three British monarchs and one Czar?"  A fantasy world, indeed, but one which has provided the author with a wealth of anecdotes pertaining to the maharajas' lavish way with food.

Not only is it fascinating to learn of these families' culinary traditions, but it's also interesting to see the way in which they live today.  There are numerous photos (quite beautiful, I might add) that show their magnificent palaces, the antiques and relics with which they live, and the style in which they entertain today.  Although there is still emphasis on a well-set table (much of the china and table accoutrement are stunning), their entertaining seems to be far more relaxed than that of their ancestors.  The bonus to each chapter are recipes that are enjoyed by current members of these royal families.  As much as I love Indian food, I don't cook it at home because many of the ingredients are hard to find in my area, something which might dissuade me from attempting many of the book's recipes.  However, if you enjoy cooking Indian food at home, then I think you'll be very tempted to prepare some of these delicious looking dishes in your kitchen.

And I must say that this is one of the prettiest books that I've seen in a while.  The book, completely covered in purple velvet, is a tri-fold book that, when open, boasts end papers that depict an antique Indian textile.  And not to worry about getting the velvet cover dirty in the kitchen should you attempt one of the dishes as the book contains a soft-cover kitchen copy of recipes. Very clever.

The book includes a charming replica of a fill-in invitation as well as a soft-cover book of recipes.

Esra Jah and Shekyar Jah of the royal family of Hyderabad, sitting at their famous dining table which can seat up to 101 people. Tsar Nicholas II, King George V, and Franz Ferdinand all dined at this table.

The Jammu and Kashmir royal monogram.

Guchchi Pualo (Mushroom rice)

Maharaja Gaj Singh II at the Umaid Bhawan Palace.

Kundan Kaliya (Rich lamb curry with wholemilk fudge balls)


Book photos from Dining with the Maharajas: Thousand Years of Culinary Tradition by Neha Prasad, Ashima Narain photographer.

Chuck Williams and His Earthquake Shack

A week ago today, Williams-Sonoma founder Chuck Williams celebrated his 97th birthday.  Could an enthusiasm for good food and hard work be the secret to his longevity?

You might remember that I posted a few 1970s-era photos of Williams' San Francisco kitchen a few months ago.  (Click here to read that post.)  After that post was published, a reader, Robert Ruiz, very kindly emailed me a 1989 Architectural Digest article which featured this very same home.  I am showing the AD article photos here.

According to the article, Mr. Williams bought his "earthquake shack" in the early 1960s.  In the wake of the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the city built and situated small clapboard dwellings in Golden Gate Park for those left homeless by the disaster (twenty thousand people, in fact.)  A year later, with the city's residential district mostly rebuilt, the city offered to give those cabins to those who were living in them on the condition that they move them to permanent, residential sites.  Williams' shack was moved by horse and buggy to its current location on Nob Hill, near the intersection of Sacramento and Leavenworth. 

When Williams bought the shack, it was little more than four rooms with an outside bath.  No surprise that he embarked on a renovation, one that appears to have modernized his home without losing any of its historical charm.  Part of the renovation entailed going down into the ground into a primitive storage cellar, a space that eventually became Williams' small but efficient kitchen and dining room.

What you'll see in these photos is an abundance of country antiques, many of which Williams picked up during his European travels.  There are oak gate-leg tables, Luneville plates, faience, cooking accoutrements, and books.  What a delectable combination!  The article also mentions Williams' preferred style of entertaining.  Just as he exclaimed in the 1972 article about which I previously wrote, Williams kept the size of his dinners and lunches to around four to six guests.  In good weather, cocktails, after dinner coffee, and weekend lunches were (and perhaps still are?) held on the terrace just off of his kitchen and dining room.

On another note, Robert also mentioned that the recently published biography on Williams, Merchant of Sonoma: Pioneer of the American Kitchen, is an interesting read.  The book not only includes some of Williams' favorite recipes, but it also features pages devoted to some of the now-essential cooking equipment that Williams helped to popularize, including the Kitchen Aid mixer, Le Creuset cookware, and the Apilco cow creamer.

Sounds like hearty belated birthday greetings are in order.  A happy belated birthday, Mr. Williams!

The dining room that is located on the ground floor.

A sitting area on the ground floor where guests relaxed.

An oak dresser holds Luneville ceramics.

Two views of the kitchen. When this article was written (1989), the range was over thirty years old. Williams said that he was devoted to it and knew its quirks quite well.

An exterior view of the clapboard earthquake shack.

All photos from Architectural Digest, 1989, John Vaughan photographer.

Alex Hitz and His Beverly Hills Kitchen

One of the upcoming Fall book releases about which I am most excited is Alex Hitz's My Beverly Hills Kitchen: Classic Southern Cooking with a French Twist. Alex, a native Atlantan whose main residence is now in Beverly Hills, is known far and wide for his dapper, classic, and elegant style of entertaining. An inveterate party giver, Alex frequently hosts buffet suppers and seated dinners for guests hailing from far and wide, just one of the reasons why Hitz's reputation has spread beyond this country's borders. And it's for this reason that I contacted him in hopes of learning more about his book and his style of entertaining. Alex was kind enough to chat with me by phone and explain to me exactly what goes on in that Beverly Hills kitchen of his.

One of the accolades that I've heard from those who have attended his dinners is that the food is always delicious. Actually, delicious is a word that may not cut it. Perhaps divinely decadent or soul-satisfyingly good is a more apt description. What makes Hitz's food unique is that his Southern roots are always evident in his menus. Hitz grew up in Atlanta eating classic Southern dishes mixed with fine French cooking thanks to his late mother, also a noted hostess. It was this early exposure to good food both at home and during trips abroad that educated Hitz's palate and taught him that French and Southern food is "a winning combination." But good food alone does not define gracious entertaining. Hitz learned how to throw a party by watching his mother and step-father (the late, prominent symphony and chorale conductor Robert Shaw) host their Saturday luncheons with guests who included Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copeland, Leontyne Price, and Bobby Short. Frankly, I can't think of a better entertaining education than this.

But going back to the food. Alex's background includes training at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris as well as owning a popular Atlanta restaurant. All of this inspired him to try his hand at reinventing Southern food, giving it "a heritage that may never have been." Alex notes that Southern food has long been stigmatized thanks to the use of inferior ingredients. He set out to create updated Southern dishes that use fresh ingredients (though Alex notes that he isn't afraid to use canned tomatoes) and that eliminate the shortcuts that became such a part of Southern cooking, most notably the use of premade products like Old Bay, Mrs. Dash, Jiffy Mix, and Accent. Alex's style of cooking pays attention to strict standards and adherence to detail, something that is a hallmark of classic French cuisine.

Alex frequently serves his Southern food with a French twist at most of his parties, something that has helped to define his style of entertaining as "relaxed elegance." Few people set a more beautiful buffet or dining table than Alex, tables that are frequently set with Francis I sterling flatware (passed down from his late mother), beautiful sterling serving pieces and candelabra, classic linen, and traditional china. But in order to create a sense of balance, Alex will then serve something casual like Chicken Pot Pie, Fried Chicken, Stewed Tomatoes, and Caramel Cake. It's this mix of high and low that allows the party to feel both special and comfortable at the same time.

Below, you can see a few photos of a dinner that Alex recently hosted for some visiting English royalty. The table is set quite beautifully, and at first glance one might think that the menu would have been formal too. However, that was not the case. The first course was Pecan Crusted Salmon with Sauce Gribiche, the main course included Chicken Pot Pie and Spinach Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, and dessert was Peggy's Apricot Mousse, a recipe garnered from Alex's cousin Peggy Foreman. And you know what? The visiting English royalty and everyone else loved every bite of it!

Take a look below for a few photos from the dinner. You'll also find a recipe for Alex's Tortilla Soup, one that does not appear in his upcoming book.

(My Beverly Hills Kitchen: Classic Southern Cooking with a French Twist will be available for sale starting in October. For more information on Alex, click here.)



Alex's china is Royal Crown Derby, pattern no. 383, Kings Pattern. The flatware is Francis I.



The candelabra are Faberge, made for the court of Alexander III, c. 1890. The tapers were purchased at an ecclesiastical supply house.


Alex likes to use sterling beakers as water glasses. The beautiful arrangement of pink, orange, and gold flowers was created by David Jones.

Tortilla Soup

yield 4 ½ quarts

2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion diced
5 cloves minced garlic
1 medium jalapeno pepper diced, seedless
2 lbs shredded cooked chicken breasts (all white)
4 cups frozen corn
1 tsp dried oregano
1 cup fresh cilantro
2 tsp cumin
1/8 cup very strong coffee
4 tbs chopped green onions
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp chili powder
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 quarts rich chicken stock
28 oz canned diced tomatoes, drained
1 tbs tomato paste
16 oz canned all natural low sodium tomato sauce

sauté onion, garlic, pepper in oil until soft, approximately two minutes. Add all other ingredients except chicken and simmer for 20 minutes. Reduce by one quarter. Add chicken.

After 3-4 minutes, remove chicken and vegetables.

In another pan make a roux out of
4 tbs flour and
2 tbs PLUS 2 TSP butter
cook thoroughly, but not much, and add to liquid then return chicken and vegetables to liquid
Garnish with fried tortilla strips, avocado, mild shredded cheddar, and green onions

Someone's in the Kitchen with Craig Claiborne

I just finished reading the new biography on Craig Claiborne, The Man Who Changed the Way We Eat: Craig Claiborne and the American Food Renaissance. The book is certainly an unvarnished look at Claiborne's rather turbulent life, but the sections of the book that I found most interesting were those that focused on Claiborne's passion for food and cooking. And really, that's what I want to remember most about him.

The book's author wrote that upon Claiborne's first retirement from The New York Times, the food critic set out to write and publish his own Craig Claiborne Journal. That endeavor, however, was put on the back burner after Claiborne met an accomplished Chinese cook living in New York, Mrs. Virginia Lee. Claiborne was so taken with Mrs. Lee that not only did he take Chinese cookery classes from her, he also coauthored The Chinese Cookbook with her. In fact, the book is still considered to be one of the definitive works on Chinese cooking.

Funny enough, just a few days ago I happened to find an article on Claiborne and Lee in a 1971 issue of House & Garden. Talk about fortuitous timing. The article shows Claiborne and Lee in the kitchen (could it be Claiborne's kitchen in East Hampton?) preparing a seven dish Chinese luncheon for ten guests. Lee noted that "The advantage of a Chinese meal is that so much can be prepared in advance and refrigerated, then just brought to room temperature before cooking quickly in a Chinese wok." The menu included Aromatic Spiced Beef, Chinese Chicken with Nuts, Snow Peas and Straw Mushrooms, Steamed Flounder, Lettuce Packages, Smoked Duck, and Best Fried Rice. Sounds like quite a feast, and a delicious one at that. And after looking at the article's photos, I think that one can really see the camaraderie between Claiborne and Lee.

While I've never considered cooking a Chinese meal at home before, I have to say that after reading both the Claiborne biography as well as this House & Garden article, I am now inspired to try my hand at it. Not all seven dishes, mind you, but perhaps just one. No need to bite off more than I can chew.

All photos from House & Garden, July 1971.

Kitchen Wisdom from James Beard

One of my favorite vintage cookbooks is James Beard's Menus for Entertaining. I love Mr. Beard's no-nonsense advice on entertaining, including this admonition about the cocktail party, what Beard considered to be an "inferior form of entertaining":

"By all means have your house looking its best, use your best crystal and china, and have the food impeccably turned out, but don't be chi-chi. The results may be silly."

While many of Beard's recipes have aged quite nicely, others seem more like relics. Case in point- Lihamurekepiiras, otherwise known as Swedish Pâté en Croute. What doesn't seem dated, though, is Beard's kitchen wisdom. I found a few tips of his that I think many of you cooks might appreciate. While some seem a little obvious, others are really rather clever. Call me clueless, but I had no idea that cooking curry in oil for a few minutes helps to develop the flavor. Did you?




"Chopping blocks are always kept clean with a pastry scraper and damp cloth, or after preparing fish, rubbed with a half lemon, then rinsed."






In Beard's kitchen, "Vegetables and pasta are kept on the floor in large earthenware crocks, eggs at room temperature in a wire basket, oils in splendid cologne bottles with ground glass stopped. A French marmite holds spoons and ladles; and a pewter beer mug, pastry brushes."





"Mr. Beard puts 6 to 8 vanilla beans to steep in a small bottle of cognac- the result, vanilla flavoring with a beautiful aroma, superior taste."





"Black Italian or Greek olives are pitted quickly, simply by squeezing them."





"Curry powder, even if it is to be used in a salad or other cold dish or sauce, is first cooked in a little butter or oil over very low heat for about 2 minutes to develop the flavor."




"The bottom of a cooked pastry shell for quiche is glazed with egg yolk and baked 2 minutes more to keep the pastry from becoming soggy later."





"If raisins and currants are called for, Mr. Beard plumps them up first with a drop of Madeira. 'Much better than adding water,' he says."

Tips from House & Garden, April 1970.

Harrods Cookery Book

I love Harrods Food Halls. A stroll amongst the counters and shelves filled with meats, cheeses, confections, and other delectables certainly can cause one to fall victim to the "eyes bigger than your stomach" syndrome. And the food isn't the only draw. I remember back in 1990 when a friend and I were there, we saw this very tall, big, mustachioed man walking quickly past us. It was Tom Selleck! The older British women standing near me were apoplectic. And well, okay, I admit that I might have been in a dither too.

Anyway, a friend recently gave me a 1985 copy of Harrods Cookery Book. I haven't had time to test any of the recipes, but I'm anxious to do so. There are so many dishes that look perfect for entertaining. But it's not only the recipes that are enticing. The photos are as well. So, to whet your appetite, take a look below.

PS- Click here to visit Harrods' website to see a few fashion illustrations from the store's archives.



Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding




Veal Meatballs with Caper and Cream Sauce




Smoked Salmon Pate with Melba Toast




Raised Game Pie




Tomato Water-Ice with a Julienne of Smoked Salmon




Summer Terrine




Port Wine Jelly with Frosted Grapes




Fruits Dipped in Fondant




A Garden Party table set with Vanilla Souffles with Pistachio Nuts, Celebration Trifle, and Strawberry Tart with Praline Cream.