I was excited to be a part of RHYTHM & SOUL: A Celebrity Chef Tasting Event at downtown's chic eatery, The Loft at Tribeca Grill-Drew Nieporent's and Rober De Niro's legendary restaurant.

This event was hosted by my fellow "Chopped" Judge Aar�n Sanchez and his wife If� S�nchez Mora who is an accomplished musician herself.

The evening consisted of tastings, cocktails, music, and prizes. All proceeds benefitted Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls, a non-profit music and mentoring program that empowers girls and women through music education, volunteerism, and activities that foster self-respect, leadership skills, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. Read more ...[ ]

Picture the swankiest room in the Ganssevort , Park ave, NYC. Adorned with a gorgeous black chandelier, sweeping staircase, airy balcony overlooking the bustling Park Ave and the daunting met life building.

Now add an event designer, who designed the wedding for the Princess of Qatar, amazing wines, probably the world's best rum and a elite of elite of NYC (and some from Nashville) attending this soiree...

So no pressure, what do I make for this setting and for this elite group of foodies, who have probably eaten at the best places around the world. The initial was plan to make about 5-6 dishes, and me being me ended up making about 16 dishes. The idea was to make to make this small "wow" bites. From appetizers to desserts. These dishes needed to be the perfect balance of hot and cold, sweet and spicy, tart and bitter, delicious and delicious. Read more ...[ ]

We as "Chopped" judges don't often get the opportunity to be together on one platform. But on the enchanting date of 10-11-12, the New York City Wine and Food Festival gave us the amazing opportunity to all be under one roof.

Our table's bill of fare for the evening consisted of "M Slider" (M standing for Malai-not Maneet for those of you who thought that was what M stood for). These are cumin-coriander spiced chicken sliders, sesame seed onion relish and pickled jicama.

With a complex collection of sweet, spicy and savory flavors our burgers were a hit with the crowd. A constant line of more than ten people waiting to taste our creation kept me and my two amazing and talented assistants, Katie and Shikha on our toes as we grilled, assembled, plated and danced our way through the evening. Amanda Freitag on the table behind me was dancing and having so much fun it became so infectious that I just had to jump in and dance with her! Read more ...[ ]

The great mystery of Blogging-I have always been so afraid of blogging-but then there is always so much for me to talk about, so why not put it down on paper?

So, here is to my first blog. I am excited about this new adventure and am looking forward for hearing from all of you about what you think. This is about my journey leading up to today.

1976 in the northern state of Punjab, I was born to an extremely progressive family, who despite the crazed frenzy of having a son, loved having two daughters (my elder sis and me). They brought us up as extremely independent and strong confident women, for which I am extremely grateful.

We grew up in a small town in eastern India called Ranchi. My dad, an Engineer and my mom, a teacher, would tell us that the best gift that they can give us is a good education and that's exactly what we got. Read more ...[ ]

If a few years back someone would have said "Chef you will be cooking Kung Pao Chicken in the middle of Times Square", I would have thought that this person has gone completely bonkers.

Well that's exactly what I did on September 27th, 2012. NTD Television (New Tang Dynasty) serves more than 100 million potential viewers in China and around the world. Founded by Chinese Americans, and rooted in traditional Chinese culture, NTD serves as a unique bridge between the East and the West.

The pressure was on. Cooking for such an accomplished panel of judges and against a very daunting group of Chef's gave me some interesting dreams/nightmares when my daughter finally let me sleep. I was dreaming about Kung Pao Chicken for many nights before the competition-listing the different steps in my mind. Read more ...[ ]

It was a perfect 74-degree day for our drive to the Hamptons for the year's marquee, James Beard House's "Chef's and Champagne". I have been attending C&C for over four years but this year was different. Why you ask? Well there are two reasons. The first I already mentioned, a perfect 74 degrees.

Not only is the Chef's and Champagne an event to enjoy but it is an event with a cause. There are auction items offered and the proceeds benefit the James Beard Foundation, whose mission is to celebrate, nurture and preserve America's diverse culinary heritage and future. As my contribution, I decided to offer "Host your own Chopped-inspired dinner party with celebrity chef and Chopped Judge Maneet Chauhan. This exclusive dinner for four people will be a night to remember. Read more ...[ ]