[Ericandblueboy]

Chef Seth, can I persuade you to prepare a crab masala with a whole dungeness crab (or perhaps you can suggest another crab if dungeness isn't the best tasting iin your opinion)? I can go to either Spice Xing or Passage to India. While I'm at it, I might as well ask if you'll prepare a chili crab. Anyone else interested? Maybe we can organize a crab tasting outing if chef Seth agrees to prepare the crab(s).

[Sudhir Seth]

Ericandblueboy, on Jun 5 2009, 09:46 AM, said:

Chef Seth, can I persuade you to prepare a crab masala with a whole dungeness crab (or perhaps you can suggest another crab if dungeness isn't the best tasting iin your opinion)? I can go to either Spice Xing or Passage to India. While I'm at it, I might as well ask if you'll prepare a chili crab. Anyone else interested? Maybe we can organize a crab tasting outing if chef Seth agrees to prepare the crab(s).

You would not have to persuade hard though, crabs are my weakness too. In spite of being slightly allergic (a tingling sensation around the lips) I just love to eat them.
What and how do you want them done? Do most people in your circle prefer only the meat or would you like the whole crabs in a curry. Right now I am buying Jumbo Lump unpasteurized in cans which comes closest to the fresh thing. Let me know and we can work towards it. We have done Crab Masala with the same Jumbo lump but I do not personally like it. I prefer the whole crabs shells and claws cracked and then dropped in a Kokum sour, spiced coconut and curry leaf flavored gravy. This can be had with steamed Basmati. My favorite vegetable with this is Bitter Gourd cooked with onions and Fenugreek seeds(it is BITTER).

Sudhir

[Ericandblueboy]

Sudhir Seth, on Jun 5 2009, 05:16 PM, said:

What and how do you want them done? Do most people in your circle prefer only the meat or would you like the whole crabs in a curry. Right now I am buying Jumbo Lump unpasteurized in cans which comes closest to the fresh thing. Let me know and we can work towards it. We have done Crab Masala with the same Jumbo lump but I do not personally like it. I prefer the whole crabs shells and claws cracked and then dropped in a Kokum sour, spiced coconut and curry leaf flavored gravy. This can be had with steamed Basmati. My favorite vegetable with this is Bitter Gourd cooked with onions and Fenugreek seeds(it is BITTER).

I would very much prefer them cooked in the shell so that you have to get your fingers dirty eating. Crabs taste better with effort, I think. I also like bitter gourd (the green warty-looking stuff also used in Chinse cooking?). I'll see about rounding some folks up for this feast - worst case scenario I drag my unsuspecting wife and mother-in-law (guaranteed to never have thought about eating curry crab in shell). I guess I'll just e-mail you with respect to a time and date with plenty of advance notice?

[Sudhir Seth]

Ericandblueboy, on Jun 5 2009, 05:28 PM, said:

I would very much prefer them cooked in the shell so that you have to get your fingers dirty eating. Crabs taste better with effort, I think. I also like bitter gourd (the green warty-looking stuff also used in Chinse cooking?). I'll see about rounding some folks up for this feast - worst case scenario I drag my unsuspecting wife and mother-in-law (guaranteed to never have thought about eating crab curry in shell). I guess I'll just e-mail you with respect to a time and date with plenty of advance notice?

Guess I will have to wait to eat crabs till such time.
Cheers and have a great weekend.
Sudhir

[DanielK]

I'd be in for a crab feast.

Treat them gently, please. One reason I almost never order crab/lobster in Chinese restaurants is that they always overcook them!

[Ericandblueboy]

that's what I'm talkin' 'bout!

[DonRocks]

If someone wants to set up a Passage To India crab dinner (Monica? Want to do a cookbook signing?), let's roll.

[Scott Johnston]

I (we) would be in for both...crabs and books, Please sign mine AFTER you have the crab

[DanielK]

Hold on to your hats, folks.

Chef Sudhir Seth (Chef/Owner of Passage to India and Spice Xing) and Monica Bhide (author of the recent MODERN SPICE) are collaborating on a blowout Crab dinner at Spice Xing in Rockville on Sunday, July 12th.

Starting at 5pm, Monica will discuss and sign her book, while we sip on POMEGRANATE DELIGHT, page 68 in your textbook.

We'll sit at 6pm, and enjoy the following crab-focused dishes from the kitchen of Chef Seth:

CRAB TIKKI
Pan sizzled Crab Cakes (page 84)
Flavored with fresh herbs and served with fresh mustard Coleslaw

POLLACHI CRAB MASALA
Crab sautéed in a masala of fennel, cinnamon, pepper and poppy seeds in the style of coastal Kerala cuisine
Served with seared onion & potatoes, and naan

CRAB GASSI MANGALOREAN
Crab cooked in gravy with curry leaf, coconut milk and freshly roasted spices
Served with basmati rice and sautéed Okra

And, just in case you're not stuffed to the gills, move on to a little dessert:

SHREEKHAND
Flavored & honey sweetened yogurt with fresh strawberries, kiwi and mango

Not only is this at the ridiculously low price of $60, tax and tip included, THIS INCLUDES A COPY OF THE BOOK which normally sells for $25!!! Counting backwards, that means you're basically getting a crab dinner and an alcoholic beverage for $28 plus tax and tip. This is a STEAL.

Note: if multiple people from the same household are attending, it's only $45 for each additional diner if you only want one copy of the book.

Payment terms still TBD - we may have you call the restaurant ahead of time with a credit card number. In the meantime, just post here or PM me to get on the list. No maximum seating at the moment, but if it proves as popular as I guess, we may have to put one in place, so RSVP early, as seats will be reserved in order of request.

[catharine]

Count my +1 and me in! This looks awesome, Daniel. Thanks for organizing.

[DanielK]

Don't let the lack of responses in the topic fool you, people - there are already 10 people signed up for this event via PM, less than 12 hours after it was announced, a month before the event. Keep those RSVPs coming!

[DonRocks]

Count me in!

[TheMatt]

I don't really like crab...yet I really like Chef Seth's food. Hmm...this is mighty tempting.

[synaesthesia]

Quick question. What type of crab? Dungeonness, blue?

[goodeats]

TheMatt, on Jun 18 2009, 11:33 AM, said:

I don't really like crab...yet I really like Chef Seth's food. Hmm...this is mighty tempting.

What do you like TheMatt? These posts are quite common from you on events... Focus on the good - meeting Monica Bhide! With bonus of fine cooking from Chef Seth!! I'm looking forward to it.

[TheMatt]

goodeats, on Jun 18 2009, 02:15 PM, said:

What do you like TheMatt? These posts are quite common from you on events... Focus on the good - meeting Monica Bhide! With bonus of fine cooking from Chef Seth!! I'm looking forward to it.

I'm sorry.

I like a lot of food, but shellfish is one of the few things I don't like. Start with a familial trait of being (deathly) allergic to shellfish and then add in the fact that that allergy develops late in life. Then the fact that most shellfish tastes like, well, texture+sauce to me (e.g., lobster in butter tastes like butter with a bit of texture).

But I do keep trying every now and again and hope people will tolerate me.

[goodeats]

TheMatt, on Jun 18 2009, 02:19 PM, said:

I like a lot of food, but shellfish is one of the few things I don't like. Start with a familial trait of being (deathly) allergic to shellfish and then add in the fact that that allergy develops late in life. Then the fact that most shellfish tastes like, well, texture+sauce to me (e.g., lobster in butter tastes like butter with a bit of texture).

Allergies and likes are different. Allergies = food doesn't like you. That feeling I am too familar with. Thanks for clarifying!!

[brettashley01]

This sound delicious, however I do have a couple questions:
1) Is this metro-accessible?
2) What sort of oil is involved in the cooking (I'm allergic to soy, and "vegetable oil" is most often soybean-based, as is "blended" olive oil)?

[MC Horoscope]

My wife and I would like to attend this special dinner. That's 2 from the same household, 1 book. Looking forward to it!

[DanielK]

brettashley01, on Jun 18 2009, 08:15 PM, said:

This sound delicious, however I do have a couple questions:
1) Is this metro-accessible?
2) What sort of oil is involved in the cooking (I'm allergic to soy, and "vegetable oil" is most often soybean-based, as is "blended" olive oil)?

Chef Seth will have to answer the allergy questions, but Spice Xing is just 2-3 blocks from the Rockville Metro.

And, everyone else, keep those RSVPs coming. I have most of them in PM, which is why it seems quiet here, but Chef says that we can go as high as 60! (we're already into the 20s...)

[Sudhir Seth]

DanielK, on Jun 18 2009, 09:42 PM, said:

Chef Seth will have to answer the allergy questions, but Spice Xing is just 2-3 blocks from the Rockville Metro.

And, everyone else, keep those RSVPs coming. I have most of them in PM, which is why it seems quiet here, but Chef says that we can go as high as 60! (we're already into the 20s...)

For the last seven years I changed to Soy oil for all my cooking since peanut and other allergies mushroomed. Now I have seen increasingly a lot of SOY allergies.

Ashley- You have attended the DR.com dinners previously at Passage and could you kindly jog my memory as to, what did we serve you. We can definitely do something for your dinner though it might not be all the same dishes.
Synaesthesia- We are using the fresh Blue crabs, Dungeness comes frozen and the fresh ones are very expensive. Crab Tikki (cakes) app. is with pasteurized Jumbo lump.
TheMatt-Your allergies can be more easily solved, in the samesauces would you like us to cook some kind of fish, chicken or lamb.

[catharine]

Sudhir Seth, on Jun 19 2009, 10:07 AM, said:

For the last seven years I changed to Soy oil for all my cooking since peanut and other allergies mushroomed. Now I have seen increasingly a lot of SOY allergies.

Ashley- You have attended the DR.com dinners previously at Passage and could you kindly jog my memory as to, what did we serve you. We can definitely do something for your dinner though it might not be all the same dishes.
Synaesthesia- We are using the fresh Blue crabs, Dungeness comes frozen and the fresh ones are very expensive. Crab Tikki (cakes) app. is with pasteurized Jumbo lump.
TheMatt-Your allergies can be more easily solved, in the samesauces would you like us to cook some kind of fish, chicken or lamb.

I just wanted to say how impressed I am with how accommodating, flexible and responsive you are, Chef. This will be the third DR dinner of yours I've attended. You are such an asset to this community. Thank you!

I cannot wait for this event!

[diningindc.wordpress]

DanielK, on Jun 17 2009, 10:12 PM, said:

Hold on to your hats, folks.

Chef Sudhir Seth (Chef/Owner of Passage to India and Spice Xing) and Monica Bhide (author of the recent MODERN SPICE) are collaborating on a blowout Crab dinner at Spice Xing in Rockville on Sunday, July 12th.

Starting at 5pm, Monica will discuss and sign her book, while we sip on POMEGRANATE DELIGHT, page 68 in your textbook.

We'll sit at 6pm, and enjoy the following crab-focused dishes from the kitchen of Chef Seth:

CRAB TIKKI
Pan sizzled Crab Cakes (page 84)
Flavored with fresh herbs and served with fresh mustard Coleslaw

POLLACHI CRAB MASALA
Crab sautéed in a masala of fennel, cinnamon, pepper and poppy seeds in the style of coastal Kerala cuisine
Served with seared onion & potatoes, and naan

CRAB GASSI MANGALOREAN
Crab cooked in gravy with curry leaf, coconut milk and freshly roasted spices
Served with basmati rice and sautéed Okra

And, just in case you're not stuffed to the gills, move on to a little dessert:

SHREEKHAND
Flavored & honey sweetened yogurt with fresh strawberries, kiwi and mango


Not only is this at the ridiculously low price of $60, tax and tip included, THIS INCLUDES A COPY OF THE BOOK which normally sells for $25!!! Counting backwards, that means you're basically getting a crab dinner and an alcoholic beverage for $28 plus tax and tip. This is a STEAL.

Note: if multiple people from the same household are attending, it's only $45 for each additional diner if you only want one copy of the book.

Payment terms still TBD - we may have you call the restaurant ahead of time with a credit card number. In the meantime, just post here or PM me to get on the list. No maximum seating at the moment, but if it proves as popular as I guess, we may have to put one in place, so RSVP early, as seats will be reserved in order of request.

This Sounds great! It will be an event not to be missed!

[Monica Bhide]

Thanks so much to everyone who is helping so much with this event. i am so very thrilled to be a part of this. I hope to see a number of you there and I promise not to bore you too much before getting to the good part - Chef Sudhir's food!!!!

[Ilaine]

Sign me in for me plus one. Thanks.

[brettashley01]

Sudhir Seth, on Jun 19 2009, 10:07 AM, said:

For the last seven years I changed to Soy oil for all my cooking since peanut and other allergies mushroomed. Now I have seen increasingly a lot of SOY allergies.

Ashley- You have attended the DR.com dinners previously at Passage and could you kindly jog my memory as to, what did we serve you. We can definitely do something for your dinner though it might not be all the same dishes.
Synaesthesia- We are using the fresh Blue crabs, Dungeness comes frozen and the fresh ones are very expensive. Crab Tikki (cakes) app. is with pasteurized Jumbo lump.
TheMatt-Your allergies can be more easily solved, in the samesauces would you like us to cook some kind of fish, chicken or lamb.

Thank you so much for your response! I actually have never been to a DR.com dinner, only the picnics. I certainly wouldn't want to put you and your kitchen to any trouble!

[monavano]

Please count Mr. MV and me in. This sounds so wonderful; people, food and book!

[StorageLady]

I PM'ed you - but didn't get a response ...so just want to make sure you have us included - it's Don & Janis and 1 book...Thanks!

[DanielK]

For all those that sent a PM, yes, I have your name, I just didn't send each person a response. I will post the whole list here in a few days.

[mdt]

Put me on the list please.

[Ilaine]

Please add me and my +1 (same household) to the list. We only need one book.

Thank you.

[DanielK]

Here's the preliminary list so far. There were a few "maybe" replies, so those are at the bottom.

Let me know if I missed anyone or otherwise screwed up the list. Headcount stands at 37 39!

KMango +1
synaesthesia
squidsdc +1
crackers +1
goodeats
ALB
Barbara +1
slarochelle
Lauman +1
catharine +1
StephenB +1
hillvalley +1
DanielK +1
DonRocks
MC Horoscope +1
Ilaine +1
StorageLady +1
monavano +1
fstewart6 +1
mdt
JeffC +1
diningindc.wordpress (?)
TheMatt (?)
brettashley01 (?)

[JeffC]

Add me and my +1. Chef Seth, because of my wife's issues with seafood, can we take you up on your offer to substitute chicken for crab? Me, I love crab.

Can't wait!

[dlebby]

Wouldn't miss it! +2 with one book.

[Monica Bhide]

Friends –

Top Chef’s Padma Lakshmi picked my book Modern Spice as one of her “BEST.BOOKS.EVER” for Newsweek -- http://www.newsweek.com/id/204052

[JeffC]

A conflict has come up, so please remove me and +1.....with great regret. But Monica, we're still going to buy your book!

[DanielK]

Here's the current list (headcount 38-41). There were a few "maybe" replies, so those are at the bottom. The limit is 60, so still plenty of room for more!

KMango +1
squidsdc +1
crackers +1
goodeats
ALB
Barbara +1
slarochelle
Lauman +1
catharine +1
StephenB +1
hillvalley +1
DanielK +1
DonRocks
MC Horoscope +1
Ilaine +1
StorageLady +1
monavano +1
fstewart6 +1
mdt
reverbbrad +1
dlebby +2
diningindc.wordpress (?)
TheMatt (?)
brettashley01 (?)

[hillvalley]

Any idea of how you are going to deal with payment?

[DanielK]

hillvalley, on 01 July 2009 - 04:12 PM, said:

Any idea of how you are going to deal with payment?

Good point - I forgot to revisit that here in the topic.

We are NOT going to do advance payment. I am still working with Sudhir - I suggested that we make this a cash-only event, so the last 30 minutes is not spent running 25 credit cards at the same time through the machine. Final word on that will come soon.

[DanielK]

What's new: terms of payment.

We will not have prepayment, but you WILL have to pay (cash, please) for the dinner and book when you first arrive at the restaurant. [Remember, $60 for first person with book, $45 for each additional person without book]. Any drinks you order in the bar during the signing/social hour you can settle then, and each table (not each person, each table) will have one check for any additional drinks ordered during dinner.

Here's the current list (current headcount 36). The limit is 60, so still plenty of room for more! The deadline to add yourself to the list is 5pm on Thursday; that is also the deadline for cancelling! Chef is ordering crab based on the headcount, and books are being ordered, so please don't even think of cancelling over the weekend. If you are unable to attend, and are unable to find someone to take your spot, you will be held financially responsible for your seat, whether it's a lost sitter, flat tire, or swine flu.

KMango +1
crackers +1
goodeats
ALB
Barbara +1
slarochelle
catharine +1
StephenB +1
hillvalley +1
DanielK +2
DonRocks
MC Horoscope +1
Ilaine +1
StorageLady +1
monavano +1
fstewart6 +1
mdt
reverbbrad +1
dlebby +2
diningindc.wordpress
Skipper10

[Skipper10]

DanielK, on 06 July 2009 - 09:41 PM, said:

What's new: terms of payment.

We will not have prepayment, but you WILL have to pay (cash, please) for the dinner and book when you first arrive at the restaurant. [Remember, $60 for first person with book, $45 for each additional person without book]. Any drinks you order in the bar during the signing/social hour you can settle then, and each table (not each person, each table) will have one check for any additional drinks ordered during dinner.

Here's the current list (current headcount 38). The limit is 60, so still plenty of room for more! The deadline to add yourself to the list is 5pm on Thursday; that is also the deadline for cancelling! Chef is ordering crab based on the headcount, and books are being ordered, so please don't even think of cancelling over the weekend. If you are unable to attend, and are unable to find someone to take your spot, you will be held financially responsible for your seat, whether it's a lost sitter, flat tire, or swine flu.

KMango +1
squidsdc +1
crackers +1
goodeats
ALB
Barbara +1
slarochelle
catharine +1
StephenB +1
hillvalley +1
DanielK +2
DonRocks
MC Horoscope +1
Ilaine +1
StorageLady +1
monavano +1
fstewart6 +1
mdt
reverbbrad +1
dlebby +2
diningindc.wordpress

Please add me to the list. Thank You. Skipper

[mdt]

The event has made the Post! Click

[DanielK]

mdt, on 08 July 2009 - 11:11 AM, said:

The event has made the Post! Click

That's awesome! Rockville Town Square also advertised it on their website and facebook page.

[RaisaB]

I guess I should start reading through all posts more often, I found out about this thru Washington City Paper! Please put me down for 2. I may have one more but I will not know until Saturday, so if there is room great, if not tant pis pour moi!

[DanielK]

RaisaB, on 09 July 2009 - 11:05 PM, said:

I guess I should start reading through all posts more often, I found out about this thru Washington City Paper! Please put me down for 2. I may have one more but I will not know until Saturday, so if there is room great, if not tant pis pour moi!

I gotcha down for 2.

[DanielK]

FYI, for the attendees of Sunday's dinner - there is a Chevy Chase ATM adjacent to the restaurant, if you need last minute cash for the event.

See everyone at 5pm or so on Sunday!

[DanielK]

We can take a couple more, so if you want in last minute, PM me ASAP.

[DonRocks]

Daniel, book signing and discussion starts at 5 PM, right?

See everyone there!

[DanielK]

DonRocks, on 12 July 2009 - 02:06 PM, said:

Daniel, book signing and discussion starts at 5 PM, right?

See everyone there!

Yes, book signing, discussion, as well as social time (and the special cocktail) are from 5p-6p, and we'll be seated at 6p for dinner.

[DanielK]

P.S. Final attendance at the event is 40 people. Awesome!