Confused Spice: by Mathis Bailey Recipe by Sarah Dugdale.
Confession time!
I’ve not read this book as yet.
It’s sitting on my bedside table waiting for me to start.
So, no egg rating this month, but what I have done is put together some information about the book and the author from the WWW, mostly Amazon.
About the author, Mathias Bailey:
Mathis was born and raised in Detroit Michigan. He moved to Toronto and completed his education in Broadcast Journalism. When he visited India in 2006, he instantly fell in love with the culture, the heat and the sweet mangoes. He considers India one of his favourite places in the world to visit. When he isn't traveling or writing, he reads and make videos for his YouTube Channel MattsBooks&Bites where he reviews books and food.
Mathis Bailey is the author of Confused Spice, which is his first LGBT novel.
The story idea came to him when he took a Creative Writing program in Toronto. He initially joined the course to improve his writing skills to do freelance work for Gulf News. He told his spouse about the story idea and was encouraged to write it, and so he did.
Author Mathias Bailey
About the book.
This tale revolves around twenty-nine-year old Pierre Jackson, who dreams of becoming a renowned pâtissier and chef.
He moves from Detroit to Toronto with his handsome fiancé, DeAndre Harris, who has just landed a prestigious job at a major news station in the city.
Everything seems to be perfect...until a secret comes to light that throws their relationship for a loop.
With everything falling apart, Vijay Khakwani, a gorgeous Indo-Canadian man, moves into Pierre's apartment.
When Pierre's messy apron catches his eye, Pierre is propositioned to teach him how to cook, and their neighbourly acquaintance gets tantalisingly close.
Meanwhile, Vijay is also battling the odds in his life.
He's constantly in between jobs and running into trouble with the law.
His mother, a powerful attorney and Toronto socialite, is tired of rescuing her son and just wants him to take some responsibility.
She orchestrates an arranged marriage for Vijay, thinking it will cure him of his reckless habits and put him back on the straight and narrow.
In a last-ditch effort to change his life around, Vijay immerses himself into Eastern spirituality.
As he goes through his spiritual journey, it forces him to confront the dark secrets in his family's past.
As Pierre teaches Vijay the art of cooking in their intimate sessions, Vijay shows Pierre the beauty of Buddhism.
What will become of the two?
Confused Spice: by Mathis Bailey
Let’s talk food!
Here’s a little bit about Chef Sarah Dugdale which I’ve taken from a few sources, so I hope she forgives me if some of it is out of date!
Sarah Dugdale, MasterChef 2019 Contestant impressed food critics and judges alike during her time on the programme.
Since then, Sarah has had success with her pop-up restaurants and has a booming Facebook page ‘Let’s Get the nation Cooking’ where she encourages and celebrates food and cooking from scratch.
Born in Lytham St Annes and coming from a large family of 12 children, Sarah’s mother was the initial inspiration for her passion for food, making sure she made proper home cooked meals for the whole family.
Sarah says: “My Mum was a wonderful, kind lovely person, a great home cook and she taught all of us children to cook.”
Sarah has three children and wanted to raise them in a similar environment where food was at the core of the family unit.
"I wanted to feed my children with food made from scratch as that's how I was raised.
These days, everything moves so fast. Not everybody makes time to cook meals properly.
The kitchen is really the hub of the house and I think people should take the time to sit around the table and talk." Says Sarah.
Good ingredients are important to Sarah!
Sarah says: “First, I enjoy eating good food, so it’s got to taste good.
Secondly, food can be good for our health, so that’s important.
And thirdly, we must consider the environmental impact – how land is farmed and how that affects the environment too.
Using local suppliers is important.”
Which is why when asked for a tip, Sarah’s number one tip is to choose fresh, good produce.
When asked what her cooking style is, Sarah says she doesn’t have a style, but “..it’s all about the ingredients to use, so whether I’m cooking a fine dining menu, Asian/Indian or simply a Sunday lunch, doing it all well is what matters.”
Sarah has accomplished many things in her life.
In her early career she trained as a nurse, then worked for the pharmaceutical industry before building a children’s nursery so that she could be at home with her own three children.
Why did Sarah want to apply to MasterChef?
She says: “Now that my children are I their 20s, I feel it’s time to do something different.
I’ve always been passionate about cooking and now it’s time to do something for myself.”
“I have enjoyed cooking from an early age and when I met my partner in 2005, I realised how much he enjoyed the food that I prepared for him. He praised my talent and encouraged me to enter MasterChef.”
For MasterChef, Sarah drew on inspiration from her Lancashire coastal heritage making tasty dishes such as Scallops with Lancashire Smoked Bacon and Leek Black Pudding, diced Crispy Chorizo, Rocket Salad, Roquito Pepper Pearls and an Avocado Puree.
I could eat that right now!
Find out more about Sarah and follow her in her social media pages: Instagram, Twitter, and her popular Facebook group page, ‘Let’s Get the nation Cooking’.
Sarah has gifted Foodie Book Club this recipe straight from her Facebook page ‘Let’s Get the nation Cooking’
Sarah Dugdale
Fillet of Beef Madras by Sarah Dugdale
“This is my recipe for fillet of beef madras, this is a southern Indian curry and is traditionally made with beef, it can be made in advance ( I think the flavours come together more when made the day before ) You can use a less expensive cut of meat but I’ve used this for dinner parties my claim to fame is I have cooked this for chef Paul Heathcote.” Sarah
I served it with plain rice.
This recipe serves 4 to 6
Fillet of Beef Madras
Ingredients
4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
One large onion finely sliced
3 to 4 cloves
4 green Cardamon pods
Two whole star anise
4 fresh green chilies chopped
Two red chilies chopped
One red pepper , sliced
3 tablespoons of madras masala paste
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1lb of lean beef cubed ( I used fillet of beef )
4 tablespoons of tamarind paste
300 mls of beef stock
Fresh coriander
Season
Salt and pepper
Sugar to taste
Method
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions until golden brown.
Lower the heat add all the spice ingredients and fry for a further 2 to 3 minutes
Add the beef, peppers and stock to the pan and mix well cover and cook on a low heat until the beef is tender. (cook for longer if using a less expensive cut of beef)
Remove the lid from the pan and cook uncovered on a high heat for the last few minutes to reduce any excess liquid.
Fold in the tamarind juice
Salt and sugar. Reheat the dish and serve hot, garnish with fresh chopped coriander
Fillet of Beef Madras served with rice.
