Mousetrap - 92

Second helping
A month ago, this column did an edition devoted to food sites. Space constraints meant that I could only put a few sites in. So I promised more in the next week. And that next week happened to be only the second since this column began where I didn’t send one in on time. And what with one thing or another, that promise slipped my mind. But not my little database. So, here you go. Some more mouth-watering sites. (If you have a favourite I’ve missed, do send it in.) This week’s set: sites that specialise in Indian cooking.

Home-cooked
thecookscottage
There are many, many food blogs around, so it’s difficult to make picks to recommend to you. I like this one for the mix (and with food, it’s all about the mix, innit?) of recipes, chatter, commentary, world view, and some nice writing. The blog seems to be on a bit of a hiatus at the moment, so go wake the site owner up, will ya?

Home-cooked 2
Mahanandi
As I said, many, many food blogs around, and I’m going to have to repeat the subhead. Sue me. And I’m going to get really lazy and give you a review by the friend who recommended the site to me, Megha Murthy (no mean cook herself). She says ‘Mahanandi gives me a chance to revisit recipes that I would otherwise have to ask Mom about. Plus I like how warm and friendly Indira is and how that translates into making her recipes more approachable. She instantly gives you the “I can try this!” feeling. And of course, her pictures! Gawd! She can make one perspire for a raw dondakaaya!’

Hotchpotch
My Dhaba
Last month, I wrote about a very cool idea called the Feed A Hungry Child Campaign which asked for donations of heirloom recipes for a cookbook. Well the recipes have been pouring in, apparently, and this blog links to all those donated recipes at the sites of the donors. Ignore the garish design and go slurp over the pictures.

The old chef
bawarchi
Mm. There was a time, when the web was still young, when a list of Indian cooking sites would probably have started with this name. The old bawarchi.com was subsequently bought by Sify (during the dotcom boom, if memory serves me right), so typing in that URL takes you to this site now. It’s a genoowine portal type thingy, some interesting sections, like some decent features and tips, and user-contributed recipes, counter-balanced by a godawful Celeb Talk section, clunky design and painful pop-unders and the like. Still, for old times’ sake..

Reader suggestions welcome, and will be acknowledged. Go to http://o3.indiatimes.com/mousetrap for past columns, and to comment, or mail inthemousetrap@indiatimes.com. The writer blogs at http://zigzackly.blogspot.com.

Published in the Times of India, Mumbai edition, 4th March, 2007.

Tags: The Times of India, Mousetrap