Weave a Thousand Flavors

What will you do with 50 Bucks from The Fairy Hobmother? And A Stinkin' Room mate = Fabulous Yorkshire Puddings

Don't you deserve a visit from The Fairy Hobmother?

One who not only visits but  rewards you a USD 50.00 Amazon gift ard just for saying hello right here in the comments section?

Sigh! I wish all of life's quandaries were this simple. Never the less with all this talk of economic doom, gloom and people running around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to make sense of this financial cesspit, its nice to know there are simpler things in life that can put a smile on ones face.

So when the fairy Hobmother from   appliancesonline in the UK paid me a visit and not only gifted me this very thoughtful 50 dollar gift card but actually offered to share the love with my followers, who was I to say no?

So go on, leave a thought or two and you might be the next person the fairy hobmother might visit.

That being said, we must now return to the topic at hand - that being stinkin' room mates. I am of the opinion that hellish room mates are an important rite of passage I think - a reminder that have left the sanctuary of our parents and now very much on our own (for most part) in the big bad world. The older we get, these colorful characters fade into distant memories only to leap forward by some odd event or in my case a particular sort of food.

I was in my twenties, alone in Singapore and I was at the brink of my many firsts.  My other room mate and I decided that we really ought to sublet the vacant third bedroom to generate some extra income to pay rent and of course we wanted a girl, non-smoker, professional and an expat like ourselves.

Our advertisement was answered by Kathy - a pofessional woman of English-Korean heritage who on the surface fit the bill perfectly. And so it was with great relish that we welcomed the first occupant to the the third bedroom. Now, you  all know what they say about first impressions....

Anyway, into the first month while we were still in the 'honeymoon phase' Kathy announced that she would invite over some of her friends to have dinner with us and make a classic English dinner. She made lovely salmon cakes, minted peas, roasted potatoes and Yorkshire puddings.

It's a good thing that all this loveliness unfolded in the first month - because you see Kathy didn't last with us long enough to see her third! After putting up with a shattered toilet seat, stripped wall paper from her bedroom (need I remind you it all belonged to the apartment owner) flooding the kitchen with 6 inches of water because she forgot to turn off the tap, we were done! 

We packed her off and all that she's left me with is this story and her Mum's recipe for Yorkshire puddings. So here we go but before I do, don't forget to leave me a thought or two!

Autumnal Pumpkin & Cranberry Drop Scones with Pumpkin, Spice & Maple Butter

It's the weirdest thing. As soon as autumn falls on my lap and temperatures begin to drop, I find the pressure begin to mount to do something, anything with pumpkin. I think it's an almost unhealthy obsession and best dealt with and got out of the way -  promptly.

This feeling also coincides with the time thoughts of the Thanksgiving feast menu begin churning in my head. It's a cacophony in there, I promise and can't be helped. Happens every time. And yes, I know it's only October. Like I said, can't be helped.

But I have another motive for fixing these scones - I wanted to experiment  around with a topping for these that would be delicious on other desserts as well. And by jove, we've got it!

The Pumpkin, spice and maple butter on this thing is to die for. Not to mention the melt-in-the mouth scones do a darn good job holding their own.

Don't let my cooky motives and inspiration for these lovely seasonal scones stop you for feasting on these yourself.

Go on then!

Orecchiette Pasta with Italian Sausage & Rapini-Pistachio Pesto

 

When was the last time you met a bunch of broccoli-rabe a.k.a rapini? If introductions were previously made but you suffer being unable to place its name or worse having forgotten its face, its time to make those introductions again.

People, meet broccoli-rabe also known as rapini.

Photo courtesy Mariquita Farm.

Broccoli rabe is in the same genus as broccoli, its a Brassica, it's flavor however is more akin to  turnip & mustard greens.  It is not, however, the same thing as broccolini or baby broccoli, which are much sweeter.

If you have been ignoring this lustrous green leafy vegetable with spiky green leaves & clusters of yellow flowers because you've heard or having tasted it, dislike the slightly bitter flavor that is characteristic of this vegetable, then I am sorry to say friend that the fault lies with the cook. Yup, that's right, blame it on the cook! Because, done right this vegetable is Nature's gift to us gastronauts.

In this dish, we blanch it is boiling water till just tender and still a bright green and then turn it into a silky pesto loaded with the flavor of fresh garlic, aged parmesan and nutty-sweet pistachios. And if this weren't enough we smooth its ruffled feathers with creamy mascarpone. All this is only improved with the flavors of Italian sausage and pasta with which its tossed.

If this description wasn't enough and you are one of those healthful-living-geeks then let this be your mind changer. The big news with broccoli rabe is its cancer-preventing potential. Also it is rich in antioxidant-rich vitamins A and C, both of which fight off dangerous free radicals that can cause damage to your body's cells not to mention potassium, fiber, and calcium.

Now there's a good reason to re-accquaint yourself with this lovely. I rest my case.

 

In Honor ~ Steve Jobs

Photo source, Digital Media

1955-2011

~

"[Y]ou can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something -- your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

June, 2005

~

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything -- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. ... Stay hungry. Stay foolish."

June 2005
~

Sicilian Style Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Capers & Roasted Red Peppers

It's incredible what we retain in passing conversations. At no point growing up did my Mum and Grandma ever sit me down and say "Don't boil your cauliflower" and yet here I am with that understanding as clear as a bell that cauliflower and water and not necessarily the best of friends.

It's just that cauliflower gains nothing from boiling or the addition of water and in fact loses its nutrients in the process. Enter, roasting.

Now here is a cooking method I love - the cauliflower with just a touch of olive oil, salt and pepper, comes alive and releases its natural sweetness making this an oh so delicious vegetable.

So when I came across this Sicilian recipe, I fell in love with the fresh ingredients minus the boiling and then decided to tweak it some. Now did you really think I was going to follow a recipe to the T? Since when has that ever happened!

So here are my tweaks, out with boiling the caulis and in with roasting, out with vinegar and in with fresh lemon juice and zest. And since using black olives would be poor form to traditional oil cured olives which I had none off,  I decided to use golden raisins instead.  Also, I thought the roasted red peppers though not traditional add that wonderful (and much needed) burst of color.

And there you are - Sicilian Cauliflower Salad, only better!

My 7 Links Project

It's a wonderful thing to be thought of kindly. So when three of my favorite bloggers Steve at "Oui, Chef" and Heguiberto & Steven at weirdcombinations passed the torch over to me as part of the "My 7 Links Project", it was time to get working.

Because the way it works is that a blogger goes back through their archives and chooses 7 posts, or "links" from their past that satisfy the following criteria:

1. Most beautiful post
2. Most popular post
3. Most controversial post
4. Most helpful post
5. Most "surprisingly successful" post
6. Most neglected post
7. and finally....the post that makes them most proud

The blogger then chooses 5 other bloggers to do the same, and so on, and so on.

What's the big idea?

It has been described as a way of “uniting bloggers (from all sectors) in a joint endeavor to share lessons learned and create a bank of long but not forgotten blog posts that deserve to see the light of day again”.

Looking into my blogging past is a lot like looking back to my twenties - I do it with some joy, a lot of cringing and a great deal of "what I was thinking"?

Mostly because until I started scanning my past posts, I never realised how much I have learned these past 2 years blogging. There have been far too many 'nails-on-the -chalkboard' moments for me as I went through the blurry pics & numerous writings, and often sat back gobsmacked at what can only be described as 'my verbal vomit'.

But just like my twenties, I survived and am better for it.

So here goes, My 7 Links ~

1) My most beautiful post - Nothing to do with my photography skills here! Have you had that feeling where you know that your creativity right at that particular moment is like the energizer bunny beating the drum and what you're doing right at that moment, is you at your very best? This is what this recipe means to me! It represents the very best of me.

It also is helps that is impossible to beat in its deliciousness!

Roast Pork Tenderloin Blinis with Chipotle Mayonnaise & Pear salsa

2) My most popular post - I don't know what it is about ice cream that always makes it a hit! And I have to say that never in my close to 2 years of blogging has a post received more attention than this one - Mango, Saffron and Pistachio Ice cream which came as a complete surprise to me because does the world really need another mango ice cream recipe? Evidently it does!

Mango, Saffron & Pistachio Ice cream

3) My most controversial post - This one is no contest! Ready the title - 'nuf said!

12 Things To Know About 'Indian' Food Before You Seek It, Cook It & Eat It

4) My most helpful post - Undoubtedly, I have never made a recipe with more attention to detail than the 'Child meets Grausman' Boeuf Bourguignon post. If there ever was a recipe that I would beat my chest from the highest rooftop about because I can claim in no uncertain terms that the recipe will yield exceptional results, it's this one.

'Child meets Grausman' Boeuf Bourguignon

5) My post which was surprisingly successful - Hands down the winner in this category was raw fish! What??? That's what I thought too! Never in a million years would I have guessed that my creative spin on traditional ceviche would have been welcomed with open arms and then some. And as much as we love this recipe in our family and is a constant when like-minded company is over, I never thought that it would gain accolades in spades. If you haven't already, you should give it a try.

Fennel & Tangerine Salad with Asian Style Salmon Ceviche

6) My post that didn't get much attention - The early months were painful. I was bursting with all the delicious eats I wanted to share and there was no one out there listening (except for my mother). I was a fount of enthusiasm in a place that only time could overcome. And so many of what I think of my 'culinary gems' hit the pavement. And so for this link, I had to turn to the one recipe that I consider one of my 'best' and all but forgotten, no - more like didn't know it existed, but in the depths of my heart and the archives of the blog.

Brazilian style Pork tenderloin, Marinated in Feijoada Spices & Roasted with an Orange-Serrano Chile Glaze

7) The post I am most proud of is also one that I have worked the absolute hardest on. I still remember the two days before the dinner party that is posted here, I was up in the wee hours of the morning working on these recipes that are from traditional 14th century Mughlai cuisine from India and so unforgettable. By far one of the finest and most memorable feasts I have ever put together.

Foodbuzz 24:24:24 ~ Revive a 14th Century Tradition from Mughal India, Dum Pukth Chicken Biryani

So there you have it, my 7 Link trip down my culinary past.

And now comes the time for me to pass the torch onwards. Its wonderful to have so many incredibly talented foodie friends to share with you all so here goes ~

Susan at The Spice Garden

Angela at adesinamedia.com/kitchen/

Katie at Cozy Delicious

Bonnie at Sweet Life

Pierre at Little Hungry Heart

My many thanks again to Steve, Heguiberto and Steven for thinking of me and placing me in a list of hugely talented fellow bloggers. I can't wait to read all the 7 links!

Chow!

Devaki

About Thyme! - Chicken Breasts with Mushrooms in a Thyme-Dijon Cream

As you know, the trip to the farmers market couple of days ago had me purchasing a large bunch of a lofty herb - thyme. Why am I giving thyme such an exalted status you ask? Well, one needs only hold a sprig of thyme and gently pull the tender leaves from stems to be awash with this amazing fragrant aroma - a trace of clove & pepper and one knows beyond a shadow of doubt that great things are to be expected from this herb.

Thyme has the ability to take a lowly chicken breast (which I intend to fix today - no offense chicken but you get the point) and render it with flavor befitting fine company.

Now add some mushrooms, Dijon mustard and sour cream and you have a dinner fit for Royalty (or at least some very picky kids)

I have a confession to make  - chicken breasts are not my favorite meat. Well, think about it, most times you cook a chicken breast you get a dried out tail – you know the point section of the breast at and the thick part at the top is still all pink on the inside.  Thankfully, I have learnt the hard way, and many food disaster tantrums later, that there are ways to get perfectly moist chicken breasts –   

• Marinating the breasts with some rub or a marinade (in today's recipe some Whatever Whenever dry rub ) and some oil.

• Uniform heat which brings me to my old trusted cast iron pan. Let’s put it this way - you could go out and buy a heavy bottomed pan for $150 bucks ; or just use grandma’s cast iron pan. Well, if it’s good enough for grandma it’s good enough for me (I’ve always wanted to say that)

• Butterfly the chicken breasts so you get a thinner cut of meat that cooks quickly and does not dry out

I am going to do all of the above.

Back to those chicken breasts -  You want to begin by placing washed defrosted chicken breasts on a cutting board. Place a hand firmly over the breast. Hold a sharp knife – not serrated, a chef’s knife - perpendicular to the meat at the thickest portion and start slicing. Stop before you cut all the way through so when you open up each breast you have a butterfly –hence the process of butter - flying the chicken breasts. Get it?  Repeat until all chicken is cut this way.

Why is there no photo of this you ask?…..well, can you say learning curve? I am still getting a handle on when to shoot and when to let go...smiles...

Back to the chicken, people!  

So now we place our cut meat in a large baking dish. Stay away from metal. Glass will do nicely. Put some of our awesome Whatever Whenever dry rub on and drizzle olive oil on the chicken. Rub all over. 

 

Garlic - Don’t you just love garlic? Lay the garlic cloves flat on a clean cutting board. Place the flat blade of your knife over the garlic cloves and hit down hard.

This will separate the clove from its skin. Discard the skin and chop up the garlic.  

Mushrooms - The mushrooms need simply be wiped with a damp cloth and are ready to slice. Soaking in water will lead to absorption and that is not a good for optimum flavor.  

Thyme - Once that’s out of the way get about 2 tbs of thyme leaves by pulling leaves from the stem

Heat the cast iron pan or a heavy bottomed pan on the stove till it gets  angry hot.  

Add olive oil heat till fuming and add the butter. Quickly before the butter burns, place the chicken breasts in the pan in a single layer.

Cook's Note - I cook chicken the same way I cook a tuna steak – I watch for the color to change from pink to opaque cream half way to the thickness of the breast and then turn it over.

This way, my chicken always remains moist and has a lovely golden brown color.   Once all the chicken is cooked, remove in a platter.

To the same pan, add some more olive oil if needed. Now add the garlic sauté till you have that wonderful aroma fill the air and the garlic takes on that nice lightly browned color.  

Add the finely chopped red onion and continue to sauté. Once the onion is soft, add the sliced mushrooms. Stir.

Cook's Note - Hold back the urge to add some more butter, oil or liquid. I know the mushrooms look dry but give it a few minutes that they will release copious amounts of stored water and get all soft and limp. That is when you’re ready for the next step.

Now add the sour cream & Dijon mustard. Stir till well mixed. Do not add any water at this point. Add the thyme, taste and adjust salt and pepper.  

Return all the chicken to the pan along with au jus in platter and ¼ cup water. The chicken can overlap and be in a pile - no matter. Spoon the sauce as best you can all over the chicken. Lower the flame to low. Cover with a tight lid and let it cook for about 5 minutes.

Cook's note – Feel free to try variations such as deglazing the pan with some white wine or substituting the sour cream with heavy cream. 

Arrange chicken on the serving platter with sauce on top. Garnish with thyme sprigs and serve.

I served this to my family with steamed broccoli and a simple fresh salad. My 3 year old lets out a ‘oohhh..’ when it arrives at the table which is awesome considering the only other thing he says when I bring dinner to the table is ‘that gross’!

Once everyone is served and I take my first bite, my first thought is – delicate flavor, smooth finish. I like the slight tartness from the sour cream, the heady scent of thyme and the hint of a sweet finish as it coats the back of my throat. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did. 

Now if only we  had a bottle of chilled Brancott Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough Paretai 2008 (New Zealand) Maybe a trip to the bottle shop is in order!

Recipe for

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH MUSHROOMS IN A THYME-DIJON CREAM

Serves 4-6

Preparation time  - 20 minutes (can be done in advance)

Cooking time - 40 minutes

Shopping list

6 Chicken breasts, skinless and boneless

6 cups Fresh Mushrooms                                        

3/4 cup Sour cream

2 tbs Dijon Mustard

1/2 medium Red Onion

6 Garlic cloves

2 tbs Thyme leaves

2 tbs Whatever Whenever dry rub

2 tbs Olive oil – for marinating 

3-4 tbs Olive oil – for sautéing

3-4 tbs Butter – for sautéing

1/4 tsp Sugar

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 cup Water                             

Preparation

Chicken breasts - Butterfly the chicken, marinate in glass dish with the rub and 2 tbs olive oil. Rub the rub all over the chicken and leave aside for at least an hour. More the merrier.

Fresh Mushrooms – Wipe with damp cloth and slice. I use both caps and stems

Red onion – Peel and finely chop

Garlic cloves – Peel and chop

Thyme – Gather leaves by pulling sprig through fingers.

Cooking Method

Heat the cast iron pan or a heavy bottomed pan on the stove on medium high heat till it is angry hot.

Add 3 tbs  olive oil first till fuming. Add 3 tbs butter and before it browns immediately, add the marinated chicken in a single layer and cook on each side till it is golden brown.

Do not keep flipping the breasts. Watch for the color on one side to change from pink to opaque cream half way to the thickness of the breast and then turn it over. Cook chicken in batches if necessary. Remove chicken to a platter and set aside.

In the same pan, add a tbs of olive oil and butter (if pan is dry and it is needed) and add the garlic. Saute till it turns a nice golden color.

Add the finely chopped red onion and continue to sauté. Once the onion is soft, add the sliced mushrooms & stir.

Do not add any more butter, oil or liquid. Continue sautéing mushrooms release stored water and turns soft and limp.

Now lower heat to medium and add the sour cream, Dijon mustard, salt and sugar. Stir till well mixed.

Return the chicken to the pan and spoon the sauce as best you can all over the chicken. Add thyme leaves, crushing between fingers to release the oils and aroma.

Add the water and lower flame to lowest setting. Cover with a tight lid and cook for 5 minutes.

Taste and adjust seasoning.

Remove to the platter and garnish with thyme sprigs. Serve immediately with side of vegetables, potatoes or crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Recipe for

Whatever Whenever' Dry Rub

Shopping list

• 1 ½ tbs Paprika
  
• 2  tbs Brown sugar
  
• 1  tbs Garlic powder
  
• 1/2  tbs Black pepper
  
• 1  tbs Onion powder
  
• 1  tbs Thyme leaves
  
• 1  tbs Oregano leaves
• 1/2  tbs Cayenne Pepper
  
• 1/4 tbs Turmeric 
  
• 1/2 tbs cumin powder
• 1-1/2 tbs salt
  

Preparation
Place all ingredients, one by one, in a screw top glass jar or any plastic container with tight lid. Close lid tightly and shake for 30 seconds vigorously to combine all above ingredients in a thoroughly dry airtight container.

Store in a dry and cool place.

Do you have a favorite Chicken recipe you would like to share with us? If so please let us know about it in the comments.We would love to hear from you!

Not quite Vichyssoise - A Cream of Leek, Fennel & Potato soup

 
If we were to serve  today's soup - Cream of leek, fennel & potato soup cold, then it  would be apt to call it Vichyssoise. But as it stands, since Vichyssoise literally translates  from French to 'the cold cream soup from Vichy', so that would not do at all. 

I adore bisque's & cream soups and would devour them every other day in the winter if it was not for the fact that they all have cream and that is not very good at all for my hips or my thighs or  my belly - well, you get the drift.

So I was particularly excited to make this soup today since leeks are in season of course but also because I stumbled upon a Vichyssoise recipe in the Australian Women's Weekly that uses only 1/4 cup of cream. So I took the  recipe and tinkered with it - a little more leeks, a little less potatoes , a little more fennel & voila - we have dinner!

The results are heartily satisfying so be quick & try this while those leeks are still in season. 

 

The main ingredients in this soup are fresh fennel, leeks, garlic cloves,  & potatoes. In addition add some cream and chopped chives, some chopped fronds of fennel (the leafy bits that look like dill), employ the services of a blender and you're nearly there.

Prepare the ingredients before you begin at the stove -

Leeks -  Cut the leeks at the point where the leaves turn dark green & discard the leaves. Slice the leeks in half, cut & discard root tip and roughly chop.

Potatoes - Peel, wash and dice.

Fennel - Separate bulb from leaves. Discard all but 4-5 sprigs of fennel fronds. Halve the bulb and slice.

Garlic - Peel cloves and slice.

Chives - Chop with kitchen shears to make 1/4 cup

Fennel fronds - Chop to make 1/2 tbs

 

On medium heat, in a heavy bottomed saute pan, melt butter. As soon as it melts, add the leeks, fennel & garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes till the leeks soften.

 

Add the potatoes and saute for approx 5 minutes till the leeks begin to slightly brown.

 

Add the chicken stock. Since I was out of stock I added water with 1/2 tbs chicken bouillon powder.

Bring to a simmer - this may take as long as 10-15 minutes. Cover with a lid keeping the heat on medium all this while. Simmer for 30 minutes. Take off heat.

  

Spoon the solids into a blender with a glass jar.

Cook's Note - If you are using one with a plastic jar wait till the soup cools or the jar may crack due to heat.

Sieve the solids the bottom of the pan into the blender making sure you have all of the leeks etc and set the stock aside.  Blend for 4-5 seconds until a thick smooth puree is formed.

 

Return back to the pan on medium heat and add the stock. Stir till well blended. Add the chopped chives, chopped fennel fronds, salt & cream. Stir till well blended. Do not bring to boil, just heat the soup.

Taste & adjust salt.

Plate in individual soup bowls or in a large soup tureen. Serve warm with slices of artisan French or Italian bread and soft butter.

The creamy texture of the soup with the hint of garlic & onion flavors was quite lovely. Fortunately it was lapped up by the kids as well & they merrily dunked their bread in the soup. I was too busy trying not to make  slurpy noises as I lapped up my soup!

Though it was such a simple meal it was just what was needed to warm us on this cold winters night.

 

Recipe for

CREAM OF LEEK, FENNEL & POTATO SOUP

Serves 4

Preparation time - 10 minutes

Cooking time -  approx 25 minutes

Shopping list -

 

3 large leeks

1 fresh fennel

 2 medium potatoes

2 garlic cloves

fresh chives (enough to make 1/4 cup, chopped)

6 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 tbs butter

3/4 tsp salt

Preparation-

Leeks -  Cut the leeks at the point where the leaves turn dark green & discard the leaves. Slice the leeks in half, cut & discard root tip and roughly chop.

Potatoes - Peel and dice

Fennel bulb - Separate bulb from leaves. Discard all but 4-5 sprigs of fennel fronds. Halve the bulb and slice.

Garlic - Peel and slice

Chives - Chop with kitchen shears to make 1/4 cup

Fennel fronds - Chop to make 1/2 tbs

  

Cooking method -

On medium heat, in a heavy bottomed saute pan, melt butter. As soon as it melts, add the leeks, fennel & garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes till the leeks soften.

Add the potatoes and saute for approx 5 minutes till the leeks begin to slightly brown.

Add the chicken stock.

Bring to a simmer - this may take as long as 10-15 minutes. Cover with a lid keeping the heat on medium all this while. Simmer for 30 minutes. Take off heat.

Spoon the solids into a blender with a glass jar.

Sieve the solids the bottom of the pan into the blender making sure you have all of the leeks etc and set the stock aside.  Blend for 4-5 seconds until a thick smooth puree is formed.

Return back to the pan on medium heat and add the stock. Stir till well blended. Add the chopped chives, chopped fennel fronds, salt & cream. Stir till well blended. Do not bring to boil, just heat the soup.

Taste & adjust salt.

 

 

Enjoy!

 

Dover Sole Roll-ups with Roasted Vegetables, drizzled with a Chive Butter

When I think of Dover Sole fish fillets, I naturally think of two things - When is it going to be on sale? And Sole Meunier, that marvelous French classic with nutty brown butter, lemon juice and parsley. Just the thought of it makes me drool.

So when Dover Sole fillets were on sale this week at my local fishmonger, I decided to promptly buy 2 packets of 1.5 lbs each. One is reserved for the Sole Meunier of course but the other - Well, I am donning my 'Creative Chef Apron' & with a basic concept in mind, off I go.

You see Sole fillets are very thin and delicate. So in my mind, they are ideal for roll-ups. At the same time, I want to incorporate vegetables in some manner and where there is delicate fish, there must be wine, fresh herbs & butter.

Back in the 70's the French classic Hollandaise sauce, went somewhat out of fashion and was replaced by the classier, tangy, Buerre Blanc sauce - which is a reduction of vinegar (and may have wine added to it) to which butter is slowly added, and the vinegar breaks down the milk solids in this fantastic way to create a smooth, flavorful & a gourmet's dream sauce.

  The way I figure it, the success of this dish lies on a couple of factors-

- cook the vegetables just right, crispy - tender

- make a magnificent Chives butter {Beurre Blanc} sauce

- Cook the fish just right

As long as I don't mess-up any of these 3 steps, I think we'll end up with a raving success! Don't you?

Letting Go of Summer in Gasps ~ Raspberry, Almond & Buttermilk Cake

While most of you have seamlessly moved into the realm of crock pots and stews, I am still sorely clutching at the last remnants of summer with every gasping breath.

I have in my freezer a batch of summer raspberries that I froze a few weeks ago with the clear intent of baking into a cake for Mr. Hubbies office coffee break. It is a known fact that everyone is tightening their belt in these uncertain economic times and if there was proof of the icing being stripped away from the proverbial wheedling cake, it is Mr. Hubbies monthly contribution to the five dollar office coffee pool. And Mr. Hubby is no coffee drinker.

Others in our acquaintance have complained that long gone are the gourmet coffees with a selection of no less than twenty varieties and the poor souls have to now make do with just one! Slowly the Friday bagels that once provided the much needed morning sustenance has also been slowly easing out the front door only to disappear completely this year.

And so once in a while, I send in a baked treat to go along with the coffee and the tea that is now made desktop with Mr. Hubbies whistling electric kettle. An apparatus , from what I understand that is often the butt of office jokes along with the Mr. Hubbies tea drinking ways.

Once again, pragmatism is at the helm of the choice of cake - one that will withstand the crushing metro ride on the morning commute. And therefore a dense tea cake minus the fru-fru frosting seemed best. That and the fact that none of Mr. Hubbies colleagues seem to be the fru-fru cupcake types.

The idea of raspberries with buttermilk appeals to me at so many levels. For one thing, buttermilk adds an acidity to the batter and a zing of flavor that I think will pair quite nicely with the raspberries. I am also substituting some of my all-purpose flour with finely ground almonds (almond meal) to add more nutrition and flavor.

Quite a nice way to bid summer adieu, don't you think?

 

CHICAGO In Bite Size Pieces ~ Part 1 : 10 Tips for Riding the Rails & Welcome Aboard The Capitol Limited

Like most great cities in the world, Chicago is like an Elephant. It's best eaten one bite at a time. So over the next few weeks please bear with me as between the karis and biscuits I post exciting details of this trip to Chicago which I hope will help you plan your next vacation to this phenomenal city.

Here's the first snapshot.

For whatever reason for most of my life my idea of transportation has been somewhat limited to air and road. Travel by rail was a knowledge that resided as a faint flicker in the distance. I knew it existed but our paths rarely crossed.

I am not referring to the hustle and bustle of the daily commute on the Metro or some sort of Mass Rapid Transit but rather the kind of travel where you choose to ride the train for a long journey v/s filling up the gas tank or googling for airtix on cheapo-whatsit.com

So when the thought of vacationing in Chicago with our dear friend SM was the books for this years family vacation, I came across an the article on the 52 most scenic railroad routes in the US. And lo and behold, The Capitol Limited between Washington Union Station and Chicago Union Station was on the list. Furthermore, I thought it would be a delightful experience as a family vacation where the vacation begins at the point of embarkation rather than at the destination as is so often the case.

We kept this a secret from the boys since they had never ridden the train before.

The Capitol Limited runs daily leaving Washington Union at 4.10 pm and pulling into Chicago Union the next morning at 8.45 am.

Following the historic B&O line through the Potomac Valley, past historic Harpers Ferry and the Allegheny Mountains into Pittsburgh, it then crosses into Ohio heading north to Cleveland, and then across Ohio and Indiana into the center of Chicago.You'll find all the details you need at amtrak.com

On the day of our departure we decided to arrive at Washington Union few hours earlier. This so we could spend time walking around this amazing building with its beautiful Classical Architecture, trendy boutiques and lively cafes.

Washington Union Station - Great Hall

Washington Union Station - Overlooking the cafe

Washington Union Station - Overlooking the beautiful staircases, boutique shopping and food court below

I of course couldn't wait to sink my teeth into one of the flaky croissants and coffee at au bon pain.

The train is a double decker and uniformed attendants who reminded me very much of the conductor in the The Polar Express we were guided all the way from the gates to our compartment.

Very clever the way they segregate passengers based on their destination and everyone in our carriage was getting off directly at Chicago.

Once we climbed the narrow flight of stairs in the train to our seats, Steve our Attendant laid down the 'rules of the train'. These are his words. I remember them fairly accurately because I found his delivery quite amusing -

- Every one in this carriage is travelling to Chicago and not getting off anywhere en route. Yes?

- No smoking. There will be no second warning. If you are caught smoking, the train will be stopped and you will be riding the Greyhound to your destination.

- Lights out at 10.00pm. If you wish to use your blackberries, I-phones or laptops (without headphones) or talk loudly to your fellow passengers you will do so in the Observation Car.

- I will return for your dinner reservations or feel free to use the Cafe car.

- If you need anything else, please contact me.

Speaking of seats, I was thoroughly impressed with the comfortable large reclining seats where we had at least 5 ft leg room and this is in coach! I couldn't believe how comfortable the seats were especially with the tilt-up-leg-rest. And so began our journey on the Capitol Limited, our first rail experience here in the US.

But the real highlight of the train was this -

In the daylight hours, Sightseer Lounge is the very best way to spend the day and enjoy watching the spectacular scenery roll past. With comfortable seating, it is an excellent place for kids to hang out as well. Connected to the Cafe car, we enjoyed an evening glass of wine while watching the sunset.

Dinner in the Dining Car, with its white cloth covered tables and red carnations in vases was inviting. The menu however is limited with 1 roast chicken, 1 fish, 1 pork and 1 'special' selection. The rolls were fresh, the sides unflattering. Noteworthy however is that the cost of USD 14 + change, per entree also includes a drink and coffee at the end of the meal.

On the return journey we bypassed dinner on the train by picking up a bagful of Thai takeaway on the way to the station. Best decision ever.

Breakfast is served starting 6.00am and was quite good - steer away from the omelet and stay with the more traditional offering such as scrambled eggs, oatmeal and French toast. Coffee is included in the price and all in all quite reasonably priced at about USD 25 for all of us.

The train winds along many rivers making for a wonderfully scenic route.

As we pulled into Chicago downtown and caught our first glimpses of the city, as I was gushing to Mr. Hubby about how fun this journey has been, the ever practical Mr. Hubby said "and the best part, no baggage fees".

As for me, I'm already planning our next train journey but I'll keep this one to myself lest Mr. Hubby remind me once again that he has only so many days of vacation in a year. Sigh.

~10 tips to make a fun trip riding the rails all the more fun~

1. Bring blankets and pillows on-board! It's freezing at night.
2. Dress warm, long sleeves and comfortable.
3. Ladies, forget the high heels - I learned this the hard way - 10 trips to the loo in the bottom tier and my knees were singing.
4. Bring snacks
5. Bring games, books and a portable DVD player. Here's an excellent opportunity to catch up on films.
6. Bring airline sized alcohol bottles and make your own mixed drinks for cocktail hour- at 6 bucks a pop from the cafe car those add up pretty quick
7. Bring on-board take away for the evening meal - delicious and beats the bland grub
8. Pack toiletries and plenty of wet ones if travelling with kids. It's amazing how many accidents the kids get into especially when you have only one change of clothes.
9. Pack a spare change of clothes especially for the little ones - refer to #8
10. Amtrak will check-in your baggage up to 24 hours before you ride the train for free! So save your money and don't store your luggage at the luggage room. It cost us 30 bucks for 2 hours worth - ugh!

 

In a Jiffy, Shrimp Creole

 
I must begin this post with an apology to all fellow foodies from the state of Louisiana and Mississippi who at first sight are likely to shudder at the sight of the words Shrimp creole & jiffy, in the same sentence. As many of you may know, Shrimp Creole is a staple from Louisiana, southern USA.

It's the land of crawfish etouffee, jambalaya, incredibly, sweet tea hot muggy weather and bayous. Anyone who knows anything about these parts knows two things, words like quick & jiffy do not figure in the vocabulary down here. Here, slow & easy rules.

If you know not of  which I speak, 3 things are in order:

1) Read  Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells or if you really are in a hurry (get the irony?)

2) Rent the movie Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood (though in my humble opinion it does not do justice to the book)

3) Or road trip?

The origins of this dish are steeped in Louisiana Creole influences which owes its roots to French & Spanish heritage.

The dish consists of cooked shrimp  in a mixture of pureed, whole or diced tomatoes, onion, celery and bell pepper, spiced with hot pepper sauce, and served over steamed or boiled white rice.

Here's the kicker, traditional methods deem that we do not use roux (flour) in the thickening process like so freely done for jambalaya & gumbo. In fact, the sauce is to be slowly thickened to proper consistency.

In view of this being a weeknight dinner,  I have thrown tradition to the wind and used the roux. Hence, refer para (1) of said apology. That said, here goes ~

An Itsy Bitsy Bit of News & 'Captain America' Tarts for the Kid in You {a.k.a Raspberry Crush Tartlets}

I am back from vacation and that means I now need a vacation just to get over the fatigue of this one! You know what I mean - from unloading the suitcases to piles of dirty laundry that need rescuing not to mention meals that must be made for hungry mouths, how is it that coming back from vacation is the exact 360 degree opposite of being on one? You go from doing nothing to doing everything in a single day!

My day has been made all the more exciting by the fact that the boys go back to school tommorrow. Yah! That'll teach me to better plan next time and not return the day before they begin school.

All said and done - Wow! Chicago ~ more on that later.

Returning home, what was lovely inspite of the loads of laundry et cetra et cetra was returning to two bits of good news. Remember those Baked Wonton Cups with Queso, Southwestern Chicken Salad & Cranberry Guacamole  I posted back in May? How nice that I'm not the only one who thought that these were fabulous - Tyson foods has chosen this as their winning recipe as part of the Foodbuzz Taste Maker's Challenge and as result, I get to attend an all expenses paid trip to Foodbuzz Food Bloggers Conference 2011 in San Francisco this November. Now isn't that the kinda news to come home to?

But wait that's not all - my dear friend Angela Gunder has been featuring food blogger interviews on her wonderful website and today she has featured moi. You'll find that here.

Needless to say, I returned to many reasons for a sweet treat and got right down to it especially as load # 1 was being churned in water and detergent.

My 9 year old son peeked over the counter-top as these goodies made an exit out of the oven 30 minutes later.

"Wow, Mom they look good"! "Why'd you put the star on top'?

"No reason, I just thought they'd look cute"

"Well actually they look like Captain America's shield"

"You know what, I think you're right - they do don't they?"

"Infact you should blog these and call them Captain America tarts"

And so what moments ago may have been presented as simple raspberry crush tarts now appear before you as much more endearing Captain America tartlets.

All this because fall is here. And is making its presence known far sooner than I am prepared to welcome it. As a result,  I am gearing up for the loss of berries making a weekly appearence in our home kitchen and doing my level best to squeeze in as many berry recipes as I can while these beauties still grace the aisles.

These raspberry crush tarts which take just a handful of ingredients to throw together are easy to love. How can you resist fresh raspberries and jam, filling a buttery flaky tart shell? The jam does a wonderful job cutting through the tartness of the raspberries without a cloyingly sweet, end result.

Sounds to good to be true? Well, why complicate that which is best left simple?

I'm Hanging Up my Apron

Just this week as I spend my time in reckless disregard for my waistline and dedicated to appeasing the Architect, the Gourmet and the Glutton within.

In short ~ It's vacation time.

Back before you know it ~

Chow!

{ Murgh Ke Koftay } Punjabi Style Chicken Meatballs in Buttermilk Gravy

Growing up, koftas was one of my favorite foods of choice. Which kid doesn't like meatballs? And almost all cultures have their own particular culinary expression of spectacularly flavored balls of meat.

Mum would usually make hers with ground mutton or goat meat with the distinct flavor of peppercorns in every bite. Having left India, finding excellent quality spring goat meat, which by the way is far more superior to lamb since it has neither the toughness nor the pungent odor, was quite hard to find. Don't get me wrong, I love spring lamb when cooked right but spring goat is in a league entirely its own!

And so I turned to the meat of which there was plenty i.e. chicken. Interestingly enough this posed yet  another problem  - It is nearly impossible to create chicken meatballs i.e. koftas that are succulent and moist that don't turn into tough rubbery balls of meat.

The answer to this lies in the addition of ground pork. You don't need a lot, just half the quantity of the ground chicken you are using but the results are fantastic! Moist succulent and flavorful spheres of chook heaven.

Now I may have convinced you to add the pork but my own Mum is proving to be a  rather tough customer. Its been years and every time we have a conversation about chicken koftas & I add my two cents worth about adding the ground pork, I can hear her less than enthusiastic unhaa...unhaa..transmitted across the sound waves. Noncommittal followed by a swift change of topic!

OK, I need to look at it from Mum's point of view. Most traditional Indian families in India don't set out to buy pork on a regular basis if at all. They tolerate it if it is served in restaurants or when traveling abroad but to seek it out goes against their grain. The exception to this rule are the Goan Christian inhabitants who favor pork more than any other meat.

But here in the great void of the world wide web, I have this to say to Mum - Since she & Dad tolerate pork in all those wonderful creations served up just for them at China Garden & Ling's Pavilion (their favorite restaurants by far) surely she can go to the market and buy a 1/2 lb of ground pork when she does end up making Chicken koftas a la her daughter.

Surely the shop that sells those cocktail sausages at Pali Naka will have little bags of it ready to go without your having to see big pig heads on a stake at the abattoir.

The figurative ball or should I say 'kofta' as they say is now in Mum's court!

Got Cake? Bread, Grape & Rosemary Tea Cake

Flour + Eggs + Sugar  = Cake

Bread + Eggs + Herbs = Cake!

If you are reading this and wondering if my mother dropped me on my head when I was little, let me just say that my Mother was an excellent Mum and did no such thing! 

Quirky as I may be, the responsibility of such a splendid attribute rests  solely on my shoulders & mine alone.

Anyway, back to the point, many of my cookbooks live in old packing boxes in the storage area. It isn't because I don't love them so I treat them as orphans - far from it! We simply have no room and were I too bring all my cookbooks in the home to live with us, I'd basically have to move into the car with Mr. Hubby, 2 kids and our enormous Golden Retriever Sydney! Mr. Hubby has allergies & Sydney (our Golden) occasionally farts so that simply won't do!

So to assuage myself, I once in a while drag the boxes indoors and spend a few days sighing & reading & sifting through all those wonderful olden golden recipes. For the longest time, I had misplaced the itty bitty book by Nika Hazelton on Regional Italian cooking which  I had purchased from a street vendor in Mumbai when I was about yay high. So when I found it at the bottom of the box wedged under my coffee table pasta book & Fannie Farmer's Cookbook, I yanked it out with such flourish, that I fell flat on my behind. Anyway, now that we've found each other again, I haven't been able to put it down since. (Needless to say, it now sits on my kitchen counter top)

Anyway, its late in the evening and as I am perusing its picture-less pages, I come across a recipe for a Bread cake and I read it again because the bloody thing has no flour - it's made with stale breadcrumbs!  And I'm thinking, good old Nika's gone batty - anyway I have such respect for her and we've known each other for such a long time that I decided that I simply must  take a chance and fix this cake.

The cake is an old world recipe that hails from Lake Como, in Lombardy, Italy and its as rustic as they come. I call it rustic because it reminds me of the old tea cakes from growing up - they were always very dense and incredibly flavorful with none of that fru fru stuff in it. So don't expect this to be a light and fluffy cake , it isn't, its not meant to be!

You know what it reminded me of - a semolina tea cake that I fix which is also very rustic.

'Ropa Vieja' - 'Old clothes' meat on a whim : Slow cooked Shredded Cuban flank Steak in Sofrito Sauce

 
 
There are some days, when no force on earth is going to get me out of my jammies to go grocery shopping and on such days raiding the pantry and the freezer will just have to do.

This afternoon, I open my freezer to find one measly packet of a lb and a half of flank steak. My refrigerator looks like it has been hit by famine and a further rummage through the pantry reveals a similar condition - some black beans and an assortment of other lentils. 

The combination of the 2 ingredients - steak and beans, gets me thinking of South American cuisine and I rush to pull out my Mark Miller cookbook which has my go-to recipe for his fabulous Black Bean Soup but I have yet to figure out what to do with the flank steak. 

I recall a lovely lunch I had several years ago in this hole-in-the wall, mom and pop, Cuban diner the name of which eludes me but it was in Richmond, Virginia. I remember turning into a shopping center and stopping at the only place still open for a late lunch.

And what a lunch it was! I had ordered  Ropa Vieja (for the first time ever) which means 'Old Clothes' referring to the shredded beef. This was served with black beans, rice and fried bananas. I absolutely adored the flavors of the meat with the onions, tomatoes, cumin and bell peppers. 

Fortunately, the nice elderly Cuban couple behind the counter had given me a brief run through the recipe and though mine may not be a 100%  authentic rendition, I am pretty confident I can pull off a pretty decent Ropa Vieja nevertheless. (Undoubtedly, I shall be taking artistic liberties as I progress..smile...)

How wonderful to fix a dish of this at home! It would be perfect for large gatherings and pot lucks but be sure to set aside a couple of hours to let meat slow cook.

Traditionally, the recipe is made with leftover meat but nowadays flank steak is a common place since it has a natural proclivity to being shredded and all. Also instead of just using green bell peppers as is traditional, I am also using red bell peppers because of the nice play of color and added natural sweetness.

 There are essentially 2 steps to cooking this dish - first, the meat by itself is stewed to a point where it can be shredded,  blind folded with one hand tied to the back and the meat is then simmered in a traditional tomato based sauce known as sofrito for its ultimate flavor. Let's get started - 

Weekend Breakfast : Orange, Banana & Ricotta Pancakes

 
Today it's pancakes to the rescue! 

I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off all morning and have about 45 minutes before I have to run out the door again. As much as I  love using seasonal fruits and vegetables as much as possible and we seem to be suffering an overload of oranges in the fruit bowl.

I also have 2 rather sorry looking bananas that beg rescue. I love it when my bananas begin to look battered and bruised because for me its a sign to get baking or in this case, fix pancakes. I have no real recipe in hand and I'm in such a hurry that I have no time to pull out cookbooks - so I'm on my own. Whew!

Now normally, I'd start pancakes with flour etc etc but on days like this, its Bisquick to the rescue. So here's the plan, measure out some Bisquick, add milk, egg, orange rind, mashed bananas & chopped oranges. To this add sugar, give it a whirl & off to the griddle.

On the griddle, I'm going to drop spoonfuls of yummilicious Ricotta cheese and I think we're onto something - don't you?

Dangerously Good ~ Cantina Carnitas, Soft Tacos & Pico De Gallo

When it comes to some eats I suffer from a predilection of culinary snobbery. For those of us who lived or have for any length of time lived it those states of the US that abut the Mexican border, we've had the opportunity to taste some seriously good Mexican grub.

Not the kind that is regularly dished out to the unsuspecting folk in other parts of the world but the kind available in little cantinas, barrios and little abuela-owned hole-in-the-wall places. You know the kind that is just an ordinary eatery in places like Nogales from where you can see Mexican sprawl in your line of sight.

So you will forgive me when I don't jump up and down in glee when you suggest we go for 'Mexican' in let's say - Maine. I mean no offense but I wouldn't dream of getting lobster rolls in Arizona - so there, we're even!

Now before I offer you the recipe for some of the very best Carintas you will ever chow down, let me explain something. There is no true and blue recipe for Carnitas - it's a recipe that has evolved naturally with each family adding their own special twist. I know families who marinate theirs in orange juice, many in beer, some loaded with hot serrano chiles and some who barely spice theirs at all.

But one thing remains the same in all these recipes is the method of cooking the pork that renders it so tender and then finished to a beautiful mahogany brown. I have known many families to cook their pork and then fry it up in lard which is actually  the traditional way.

My Carnitas has evolved over our time spent in the Southwest. And I won't tweak it, change it or mess with it for all the Dos Equis in the world. The pork is spiced, marinated in beer overnight and then slow cooked for about 6 hours. Once shredded, I add no additional fat and saute it in its own juices till the meat is a rich mahogany brown.

The meat is served over griddle warmed corn tortillas with a touch of ghee  (oh yes! clarified butter has been used traditonally for a very long time) - double layers of corn tortillas to soak up the juices of course!

Finally topped with Pico De Gallo - what makes mine dangerously good? In additon to the usual ingredients of tomatoes, onions, cilantro and jalapenos, the trio of -lime, beer, & sugar work their magic and takes this Pico De Gallo to a whole other level. 

Pork butt is the meat of choice which by the way has nothing to do with piggy bottom. It's rather the upper portion of the shoulder.

Enough talk - it's time to put the Carnitas where the mouth is!

A Twinkle in Mr. Hubby's Eyes ~ Mango, Saffron & Pistachio Ice cream

Mr. Hubby is not what you call a foodie. He enjoys good food but without the swooning, gasping, cussing & all such over the top reactions (unlike someone else we all know).

In fact, there are a few food related things that bring a twinkle in Mr. Hubby's eyes.

As I walked through the door this morning after my water aerobics class, there were stars in Mr. Hubby's eyes and of all things because of a telephone conversation with my Mum.

Curiouser & curiouser! He excitedly continued that he had heard from Mum that Fed Ex would now overnight a case of Alphonso mangoes to the US for 50 bucks + the cost of mangoes. Hmm...let's see - between the kid's swimming lessons & diving lessons another 150 bucks? I think not!

But at that moment I had what can only be described as a aha! moment. With Mr. Hubby's birthday around the corner, I was determined to make his favorite mango based dessert - ice cream.

But not with any mangoes - they must be Alphonsos or not at all. Alphonso mangoes are known as the King of Mangoes in India and rightfully so.

Local to the state of Maharashtra in India, these beauties are unparalleled in flavor, color and sweetness, it is devoured in gluttonous quantities during the summer months all over India.

Fact is, like the finest caviar, once you've tasted an Alphonso - every other falls short and you are left with the taste of bitter disappointment every time you eat any other mango. The variety grown in Devgad in Maharashtra is supposed to be the best. It's also the most expensive amongst the sub-breeds of Alphonso.

Did you know?

Of the 1,365 varieties of mangoes available around the world, 1,000 varieties can be found in India & India is believed to contribute 50 per cent of the total mango production in the world.

Moving on, since we've already settled on the matter & spending 150 bucks was out of the question, I decided to do the next best thing. Jump into the car and traipse to the Indian/Pakistani grocery store for a large can of Alphonso Mango pulp. When all else fails and fresh Alphonsos are not an option, the canned version does quite nicely.

Now, you know I am not a fan of canned anything so it is very big deal for me to pitch anything canned to you - so when I tell you that pulp of Alphonso mangoes available only at Indian-Pakistani grocery stores is a must for this ice cream then well, you'll better believe it!

To elevate this ice cream to yet another level, I have decided to revert back to its traditional age old accompaniments - saffron & pistachios. Just writing this makes my mouth water. I can't wait to see Mr. Hubby's eyes on his birthday when I surprise him with this!

Restaurant Style, Navratan Korma - An Indian Style Medley of Vegetables & Spices in a Rich & creamy Gravy

 
I was brought up in a way of thinking that home cooked is best and have seen both my parents and grand parents continue family culinary traditions with determination and pride.

It is my ongoing effort to continue this legacy.

And though we enjoyed our fair share of restaurant food it was always punctuated with conversations where my parents would often comment on how this "style of rich cooking" is alright once in a while but should never become a norm of everyday home cooking in the best interests of ones health.

And so it is that this philosophy of home cooking with honest ingredients with a purity and simplicity at its heart, has been hammered into my head like a peg in a hole.

On the flip side, this pride has also led to the belief that if you're going to fix something at home it must be the best or don't bother and hence there are some things I don't attempt to fix at home - sushi and dim sum for me fall in this category because I fear that the results will be mediocre at best.

Fortunately, Navratan Korma does not fall in this category. This medley of vegetables and spices in a rich creamy sauce is delightful party or occasional delight. Fantastic when it makes an appearance now and then at our dinner table, it is consumed with as much gusto as a soon to disappear wicked treat!

 It also happens to be a dish I have received numerous email requests for - so here it is, Navratan Korma, restaurant style at home!

 

Book Review & Bouillabaisse Americaine for the Home Kitchen : FRENCH CLASSICS MADE EASY by Richard Grausman

 

It was a decade ago that I sat in front of Prof. Jon Lang in his class People & Urban Space as a student of Graduate Studies at UNSW and through the course he has said a great many things - all of which important and one of which for me, most memorable.

"The role of a critic, is not to judge a body of work by what he (the critic) wishes the work to be but rather what the author, the creator wanted the body of work to be  and if he has in fact achieved it, his goal, his dream"   - Prof. Jon Lang

 Richard Grausman, before being the first US representative of Cordon Bleu to the US,     before being a celebrated author, before being the founder of C-CAP, is first and foremost a teacher.

And that my friends makes all the difference in the world. 

As most of you know I have been cooking since I was 9  so more than most  I understand what it is like to have to be on your own and muddle through a recipe - hoping and praying for the best. Worst of all, after all that effort, the results may  either  be mediocre or an all out flop! There are a few TV celebrity chefs I admire, who are great cooks but can't write a book. Why? Because they can't teach.

With this book, no more.

French Classics Made Easy is a distillation of Richard Grausman's knowledge, a knowledge that can only be gained through time and true grit experience. If there is a trick to a technique, he shares it, if there is a step that is out dated, he omits it, if there is a method to cut time, he uses it. This isn't a book that was written so it may adorn a book shelf. Here is a book that is meant for the serious amateur - a cook like you and me who wants to create the Classics with that signature French flair without the redundant information from a long lost era.

I came to learn of Richard Grausman through his first book, At Home with the French Classics' - long before he knew of me, long before his comment on my boeuf bourguignon, during my early days of blogging that knocked the breath out of my chest and certainly long before his publisher asked me to do this book review.

Just like Richard Grausman, let me cut to the chase. If you are going to buy a book on French Cooking and you are not Cordon Bleu, Pepin, Escoffier or Alain Ducasse trained, then buy this and here's why -

• Richard Grausman writes simply and with excruciating detail which guarantees that you cannot fail in the kitchen. 
  

• He presents a tutorial on French cooking in an easy-to-follow manner that takes all the mystery out of French cooking.

• What separates his books from the pack is that Grausman's recipes don't require you to search far and wide for some exotic ingredient and he has taken great pains to ensure that virtually everything you will ever need is available at your local supermarket. For example, his brown stock made from easy-to-find beef bones rather than the more traditional and exotic veal bones.
  

• Along with the recipes,  he presents personal anecdotes & sketches of his cooking techniques which means more satisfying  'aha moments' than brain addled  confusion.
•  If it were possible to write a book on French Cooking for the times, for every household, on every budget and be able to do so without diluting the essence of the traditional cuisine and to do so with respect, then French Classics Made Easy would be that book.
  

And if you are still unconvinced to run out out and pick up a copy and gift it to your friends and family, then this might just do it for you! It is said, "The proof of the pudding is in the eating" and what better way to put French Classics Made Easy to test than with technique ridden, adapted for the modern home kitchen, Bouillabaisse Americaine?

For most people , the very name has them scurrying past the dish on the menu for the fear of having to actually pronounce the word. Those who show courage, save themselves the embarrassment (in front of the stiff upper lipped waiter in the starched white apron) by pointing, using their index finger and saying "I'll have that, please" all the while carefully avoiding the waiter's eyes for the fear of seeing condescension.

I was one of those people - the pointer. Then one day, I grew up and decided life was to short to not make a fool of myself as long as I learned in the bargain so I said to the waiter, "I want to eat this (still pointing) but how do I pronounce it?" There - problem solved!

Bouillabaisse (pronounced bui-aa-besse) has most cooks running for the hills. Imagine cooking a dish where not only can you not pronounce the name of the dish, neither can you pronounce the name of half the fish in the dish nor do you have any idea what the heck those fish are!

Needless to day, for most of us in the real world, Bouillabaisse, takes a back seat.

But thanks to Richard Grausman with his modern adaptation, using ingredients readily available in our neighbourhood supermarket gives us a Bouillabaisse that though makes no claim to being the 100% authentic Marseilles recipe (because unless yours has sea urchin & scorpion fish in it, it's not), comes quite close to the original and in itself makes for one sensational soup!

I think of Bouillabaisse as a tale of 2 soups - It consists of the soupe de poisson (fish soup) which forms the base to the Bouillabaisse. To call the soupe de poisson a fish stock would tantamount to what the stepmother did to Cinderella. And so  without further ado I give you Richard Grausman's Bouillabaisse Americaine.

A Cake of Three Milks - Tres Leches Cake from Latin America

Also known as Pastel Tres Leches or Pan Tres Leches in Spanish, this cake consists of a sponge cake which is then soaked in three milks - evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream. Thus the name, the Cake of Three Milks. The texture of the cake is not soggy even though it is soaked overnight in milk.

My years in India, Australia and Singapore, I was completely oblivious of the existence of this cake and pretty much most foods from Latin America. Needless to say, two decades ago, latin foods had not yet reached the far corners of the world on Main street. This is almost impossible to comprehend in today's world, a world shrunk to the size of a peanut sometimes it seems.

So my first introduction to spoonfuls of this heavenly cake took place about five years ago at potluck at my son's martial arts dojo and as I heard the Sensei go into vivid detail about how she spent all this time fixing it and soaking it and what have you, I remember walking away with not only the delicious flavor but a heavy dose of apprehension and overwhelmingness that pretty much translated to "Yah, like I'm ever going to make that!"

Safely, said that was the last time any thought was given to Tres leches for a long long time. And then, Alton Brown happened to the food Network and his recipe changed everything. First of all, in his quirky laid back way, he took all the ouchie away from the whole process and as I heard him talk about it all I heard was - "Make a cake, soak it in milk, whip up the cream, smear the cake and voila - done"

And I thought, now this I can do!

So thank you Alton Brown for this wonderful recipe. I have made two additions (what did you expect?) and quite honestly I won't have it any other way - adding ground cinnamon and nutmeg and reducing the amount of suagr used in the topping. In my book, Tres leches just went from great to fantabulous!

So though I'm not done looking for the next frontier in tres leches, here's step one on that ladder!

Chilled Pea & Mint Soup with Goat Cheese & Crushed Pink Peppercorns

I never forget a great meal & great service or a terrible meal & terrible service. It's a blessing and a curse.

It should therefore come as no surprise that somewhere in the far recesses of my mind, locked away is the memory of  a wonderful Pea & mint soup that I had eaten several years ago in a French Bistro  in Alexandria, Virginia.

Le Gaulois on King Street will always be one of my favorite French restaurants. Alas! The the deep recession of 2009 took it's toll and the restaurant forever closed it's doors. It seems just like yesterday that we'd call at about 7.00pm (after work) on a weeknight)  and let them know we're hitting the road and we'd be there in about 2-1/2 hours - seating by 10.00pm, right next to Chef's table.

Good times, these!

Among other things like their Lobster with Almonds, I adored their pea and mint soup but have never made it at home. Lately, however I have been haunted by it's flavor and though I have been dodging its making with one excuse or the other, 6 weeks later there's nothing left to be done but fix it.

I did however want to give a bit of a summery twist. 

This took form of not only chilling it but adding to it 2 of my very favorite ingredients - fresh goat cheese and pink peppercorns.

Do not do these lovelies the dishonor of comparing them to their harsher more pungent brothers.  

These have a delicate fragrance and a sweet, spicy flavor akin to mild citrus and sweet berries.

Their lovely rose hue add not only a wonderful dash of color but just a sprinkle of these crushed, elevate the flavor of a dish tremendously.

Where can you find these? At a specialty spice store on online stores  like Penzey's spices or Marx foods. I have also seen these at gourmet kitchen stores. and though a wee bit pricey, a little goes a long way.

There are many ways to unnecessarily complicate this soup - Chef's add everything from cream, celery to potatoes. In my humble opinion, none of that is required. The simplicity of the ingredients are enough for a wonderful burst of flavor.

 

Eat An Oxymoron! Summery Light, Asian Herb-Rolled Beef

 
There are those who proclaim that English is 'poor' language compared to the 'old' languages. One cannot deny that somethings are indeed lost in translation to English from the 'old texts'.

However, it is also a vastly entertaining language. For example, hamburger has no ham and pineapple has no pine. Two goose is geese but 2 mouse are not meese? Then there are my personal favorites such as bombay duck which is no duck but a fish!

And then there are words that leave one bamboozled such as oxymoron - a word that one couldn't possibly hazard a guess to it's meaning if you didn't already know the meaning to begin with.   

Speaking of oxymoron, which is a figure of speech with a contradictory meaning, describes today's dish completely.

One wouldn't usually equate, summer, light and refreshing with a hunk of beef and yet this Asian flavored beef, roasted to perfection, slathered with sweet Asian Thai Chilli sauce and then rolled in a bed of freshly chopped herbs, does all that and more.

Mind you, I am in a frolicky frame of mind because I decided to inaugurate my new, revered Mauviel, Cuprinox Copper and Stainless steel Roasting Pan with this recipe. When Mr. Hubby saw my teeny tiny cut of meat in the enormous pan, he couldn't stop laughing!

 

Really? Now you my dearies would never do that, would you? I mean do you really expect me to wait till Thanksgiving and Christmas to pull out this lovely?

 

 

This Cuprinox Style, Mauviel copper and stainless steel pan, with stainless steel handles riveted in place, 2 ply thickness is a dream to uniform cook with. Easily transitioning between stove top and oven, I can't wait to do my turkey and holiday goose in it but this summer, it's beef! 

If you haven't already, I highly recommend you put this on your top 10, Santa list and if Santa isn't inclined to get you one, start working on your spouse. After all the holidays are a mere 6 months away!

 

Strawberry Madness and Miles & Miles of Smiles ~

Summer bring me to smiles ~ miles and miles of smiles

 Fire flies

Don't you look at fire flies and just want to smile? I do.

They are to me a representation of  Nature's whimsy. A flying insect whose butt lights up!

How can you not smile?

This weekend after hours on end of lazing in the pool and flipping burgers and sinking my teeth into fresh corn, those yummy berry parcels and nectar-like morsels of mango, I have yet another reason to be grateful & to smile ~

My first article appeared in

Fairfax Woman Magazine & South Maryland Woman Magazine.

Here is the link, please spare a moment for a peek & a read.

The E-Magazine in splendid glory is here

 
 
I was also delighted by the wonderful recipes that fellow bloggers submitted for Strawberry Battle for the month of June. Your search for delicious strawberry recipes ends here! See for your self ~

 Cozy Delicious ~ Strawberry Rhubarb Sundowner 

 

Taste of Beirut ~ Bocconcinis with Strawberry Salad

 

Sweetlife ~ Strawberry & Avocado Salsa

 
 

Now this is the part I hate. Yup, it's my 'kumbaya', 'Aquarius' gene running rampant again but choosing a winner for me is like pulling teeth. (I can almost hear my father growling and Bill Gates will probably never hire me) But I wish we lived in a world where there are no winners and no losers. Alas! That is not to be. Having said so I can almost hear that idiom about wishes and flying beggars whizzing around in my head.

So before we get down to it, I want to thank each and every one of my delightful blogger friends for submitting your recipes. Look at what a wonderful parade of strawberry recipes we now have to choose from this summer.

But instead of the just 1 winner, I have decided to choose 3!

So for sheer ingenuity and originality, Winner # 1 of the June, Strawberry Battle is ~

The Good Soup  ~ Kim Boyce's Strawberry and Rye Crumble Bars

 

For  sheer yumminess for an eternal Classic, Winner # 2 of the June, Strawberry Battle is ~

  The Spice Garden ~ Strawberry & Rhubarb Tart

  

For taking a traditional classic and turning it into a Fusion delight, Winner # 3 of the June, Strawberry Battle is ~

  Saffron Streaks ~ Strawberry Steamed Sandesh

  

CONGRATULATIONS!

PLEASE do email me your mailing addresses so I can dispatch your goodies to you.

As for me? Looks like I have a load of strawberry baking ahead of me!

XOXOXO

 

 

4th Of July ~ Red, White & Beautiful : Berryful Parcels in Buttery Coconut Pastry with Ricotta, Lemon & Coconut Cream

  

As a cook I am grateful that either by the hand of fate, the intent of the founding fathers or simply a roll of dice on histories game board that Independence Day in the US falls in July.

As is norm for this celebration, all desserts that grace the 4th of July BBQ table in some form or the other replicate the red, white and blue colors of the US flag in edible representation. Can you imagine, celebrating Independence Day in the dead of winter? What possible seasonal fruits (and vegetables) would we use? I for one draw a blank at korean purple yams and orange sweet potatoes! Hardly, the colors of the hour.

Case and point, as a cook I for one am glad the  holiday falls smack, dab in the middle of summer where there is a plethora of summer produce namely berries. What a no-brainer that is.

And yet, instead of the creamy concoctions I love the thought and bite of berries nestled in the butterest, flakiest of crusts, melting-in-the-mouth with each savoring bite, only to be outdone by the flavor of sweet summer berries, simply un-messed with and topped with a flavor-blasting lemony, coconutty ricotta topping.

 
Take into account, that even if the thought of dealing with pie crust makes you want to back into a corner, these very forgiving, frayed, dough tatters will bring out the 'Thor' in each one of your shrinking hearts. And after a single bite, you won't just have to take my word that these little morsels create red, white and beautiful fireworks entirely on their own! 

 

Quick & Easy Summer Watermelon & Honeydew Melon Salad

 
 
I love watermelons. Actually I love melons - period!

And as the summer temperatures continue to rise, these delicious globes find their way more and more frequently to our table. However once in a while, its nice to find a way to dress it up a bit.

So when friends were popping in for a quick bite I decided to do a good ole' melon salad dressed up like prom queen - elegant & pretty. And how better to do that than with herbs, mint & honey?

Make this part of your summer potlucks will ya!

 

Mediterranean Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Apricots, Sweet Potatoes & Polish Sausage

 

I sometimes keep secrets from my husband.

Not the kind that involves stupidity like going out for lunch with a high school crush and not telling him because that would tantamount to taking a very long walk on a very short pier!

But the kind where I don't always tell him what I am fixing for dinner even when he asks especially when it is something special I have been planning for sometime. Well, so much for secrets because sometimes even the most well intentioned ones can come back to bite you in the ass.

Look at my day for instance, we decided to take the boys to see Gulliver Travels which was a lot of Jack Black, fun. Little did I know that between the three of them they were going to get two mega bucket refills on the popcorn.

So what do you think happened? Come dinner time, here I am fixing what I think is a lovely dinner and I end up with my little one pushing food around his plate, my older barely finishing what's on his and Mr. Hubby not asking for seconds! You hear me, no seconds!

Niether was dinner accompanied by the usual flattery, ovation and flourish!

See what I mean? Bite me in the ass!

Well, boys with full bellies aside, this is a lovely dish with beautiful flavors and shouldn't be missed. Unless you too have a belly full of popcorn ofcourse!

 

Kicked Up Chicken Teriyaki Drumsticks

 
This right here is rocket science.....nawt!

But it one of those things that qualifies as 'Pillars of my Kitchen'.

What I mean by that is : if I used the last sprinkle of my truffle salt , I probably won't pull the car out of the driveway in my jammies in the wee hours, haul my kids in their jammies into the back, forget the make-up and make it at neck breaking speed to the nearest store to get that last bottle of truffle salt.

No, ma'am.

But if I run out of everything that's needed to make this week's batch of my kicked up Teriyaki sauce, I probably would. So just remember the next time you run into someone at the store who looks like she just rolled out of bed and the ghouls are chasing her, that's probably me!

Now here's why, whether it's chicken breasts, wings,  thighs or drumsticks (the size of them reminds you that they want to grow up to be turkey legs) like I've got today, this homemade teriyaki sauce works oh so well that I don't recall the last time I picked up a bottle of Kikko......infact, kikko who?

And since it takes all of five minutes to put together as long as you're not suffering from carpal tunnel and can wield a whisk, I say what's stopping you? So go on, get you some drumsticks....naow.

 

'A Strawberry Battle' Kick off with Summery Strawberry Crumble Cake

  
With mercury rising to a hot 94 deg today, summer is finally here! Aah..... welcome to long days filled with pool splashes, canon balling, barbecues, fire flies, mosquito bites and sveltering heat!

 

But for the folks down under, summer brings the promise of these and along with it all yet another joy, especially for us cooks. Farmer's markets, fresh produce which for me especially translates into days of  stocking up on summer berries.

I have no doubt that by the time autumn rolls in, you will have had enough of me and my berriful recipes. Every week I find yet another excuse to incorporate black, blue or straw - berries into a dessert or cake so much so that my kids have stopped asking what they can have for snack. They know well enough they'll either be chowing down a bowl of the fruit or digging into some berry-concoction or the other.

And yet, you know me to be of discriminating tastes and of the plethora of recipes that grace our seasonal kitchen, I have my favorites - kinda like the 'bill of rights' of my culinary world.

I am embarrassed to say that this crumble cake right here is one I disguise in oh so many ways and sneak it back into our weekly rotation. I am waiting for the days when my kids finally wise up to the fact that their Mum is actually baking the same cake over and over again, disguised under a blanket of crumble, sometimes without and always switching the seasonal fruit around.

So when Ananda at A Pinch of Love whose culinary skills when it comes to cakes and desserts far out weighs mine and the magic she wields with the camera  leaves me panting, announced me as the winner of her Zucchini contest, I was surprised and delighted! Yippee!!! And then she asked me to host a contest of my own!

 

I had little choice but to turn to my love of summer fruit and announce the secret ingredient for the June 2011 contest to be, the ruby of summer berries -strawberries!

Strawberry time will be held throughout the month of June on Weave A Thousand Flavors. Entry. Submissions begin on June 6 - June 30, 2011, 11:59pm PST and I will announce the winner who may choose to host the next month’s edition of this contest on July 1st, 2011. We are all too busy with our lives for me to make this compulsory. Open to anyone, anywhere in the world.

 So please submit your fave strawberry recipes at Linky Tools - Click here to enter your blogpost link. 

 

 

 

• Only one entry per person & please link back to this post on your blog.
• The entry does not have to be a new post and may be an archived post.

 

 

 

 And what may you win? 

 

My favorite, gourmet 'secret ingredient' for your pantry!

Thank You!

I for one can't wait to see what you kitchen divas come up once you don on your culinary thinking caps and bring out the creative 'strawberry side' of you, here is my favorite strawberry recipe to inspire you to kick up those creative juices.

Humble as it may be but I bet you anything, you too will be trying to sneak this back on weekly rotation and potlucks more often than not!

 

'A whole lotta less' Spinach & Ricotta Spanakopita Pie

I am not often fond of words such as 'challenging' because when used in reference to things such as exercise for example, they denote a greater level of commitment that I am usually willing to give.

However, when the same word is used in reference to out of town guests with food restrictions, the word 'challenging' is one I welcome because it means putting on my creative hat and finding a way to make the meal a memorable one for all at the dinner table.

The guests we had to dinner early last week were about as challenging as one could get for a cook such as me who thrives on carnivorous meals. Not only were my guests devout vegetarians they also did not eat onions, garlic, eggs or any root vegetables.

I know what you're thinking "What on earth do these people really eat?" You will be surprised to know that these sect of Indians from Gujarat are known as Jains and have been so for about 3000 years and they also eat some of the most delicious foods. I should know - my grand mother is one.

So the easiest thing I could have done was to pull out my Nani's recipes and we could have had a wonderful traditional Gujarati dinner. But no! I decided I wanted to do a dinner with dishes from around the world all adapted to Jain cooking.

Fortunately, providence was on my side because when I came across Kat's recipe for spanakopita on her wonderful blog Food Advokat, I was quick to shoot her a couple of emails asking if I could substitute this for that - all to make the dish completely Jain friendly.

After that I went on my very own tweaking spree. The result a delicious egg-free, onion free spinach & ricotta spanakopita! See for yourself -

In Remembrance & Friendship! French 75 Cocktails & Casablanca

 
 
French 75 ~ It goes down like a dream and is one gem that deserves a new following.

The moment is perfect to bring back the French 75 which in my humble opinion is  the very best kind of drink ~ delicious and classic and unfortunately, forgotten.

As we kick off this Memorial day weekend with my BFF who has flown in from Sydney, we forego our traditional kick-off-the-evening- with- 'Cosmos' and sip down a very classy and refreshing French 75.

I explain that since she is here in the US on this very important holiday, Memorial Day, it seemed fitting to search for a drink that is steeped in history, class and flavor. With the fizz of champagne coupled with the refreshing tartness of lime and the kick of gin, do you wonder my search led me to the door steps of the French 75 and my feet pretty much stayed there!

As the story goes, the French 75 became popular and received it's name when it was created by Harry MacElhone for returning WWI fighter pilots. It is named after an artillery gun called the French 75 which, like the drink, was known for it's kick.

This drink can also be made with cognac in place of gin and there is some question as to which version is the real French 75, but gin is the more common now. To add another twist, if the same drink is made with vodka instead of the gin, it is a French 76.

It has even been featured in Casablanca with Humphrey Bogart downing one of these. A delicious drink, with lots of tradition behind it, and a good toast to Veteran's everywhere. How can you resist?

All you need is -

1 oz gin
1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp powdered sugar

Ice cubes
Champagne

Pour the lime juice, gin, powdered sugar along with the ice cubes in a  cocktail shaker.

Shake well. Strain into a chilled Champagne fluter.

Carefully top up with Champagne.

Enjoy!

Gelatin-free Strawberry & Lemon Panna Cotta with Strawberry Compote

 
Long before it was fashionable, I was brought up on the notion that gelatin was evil.

Made from boiled tendons, skin and other un-mentionable pig parts, it wasn't exactly a revered member of our household pantry and therefore rarely made an appearance.

Growing up on alternate medicine and home remedies and being the grand child of a stout orthodox Jain which for my Nani, naturally translated into being a devout vegetarian, this translated into home made ice creams and desserts using subsitute thickening agents such as corn-starch or simply reducing milk and cream to a point where it lumps and turns into the creamiest richest dessert base. 

I would often see my Ma and Nani hand churn fresh fruit ice creams in the summer and empty it into large metal containers to chill in the freezer. And so for most part my childhood was devoid of gelatin.

It was only when I moved to Singapore that I learned about the Asian substitute to this ingredient, namely Agar-Agar. This, derived from a sea weed and used extensively in Asian desserts including those yummy pudding we so like to grab off the dim-sum cart at weekend brunches at the restaurant.

I was delighted when my friend and fellow blogger Joumana from Taste of Beirut dedicated a whole post to the benefits of Agar Agar - you will find this excellent article here and even has exciting facts about how it is used for weight loss. Imagine that!

In America and I suspect much of the Western world gelatin is in so many processed foods and I try to stay away from this as much as possible. However, it is inevitable that that we all partake a fair bit of the stuff whether we like it or not.

Where to purchase Agar Agar?

I strongly recommend you purchase only powdered Agar Agar which is easily available (usually Telephone brand) in Asian (Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese & Japanese stores)

If you go to a specialty gourmet food stores and buy this, 9 times out of 10 you'll find Agar-Agar flakes, not the powder and this stuff requires boiling and cooking and in my opinion sets funny at times - because it is not completely homogeneous. So save yourself a lot of grief and spare me your cussin' and buy the powdered stuff, people!

This wonderful panna cotta with cream & fresh strawberries makes a wonderfully smooth and light summery dessert.

I use Agar-Agar for my puddings and panna cottas which in itself comes with one distinct advantage - it chills and sets much much quicker than gelatin. Oh and none of the 'rubber bullet' panna cotta with this one!

And if eating some tasteless sea weed grosses you out, maybe I should leave you with the thought of boiled pig parts!

 

Baked Wonton Cups with Queso, Southwestern Chicken Salad & Cranberry Guacamole

 
Be grateful I don't know where you live or else I'd be knocking on your door insisting you fix these!

It all started when I received a free sample of Tyson, Grilled & Ready Southwestern Chicken Breast strips as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker's program. I have been tossing several ideas in my head for weeks now just because of the versatile nature of the product.

What can you not do with ready and grilled chicken breast strips? And in so far that there are a million options, there is room for a dizzying amount of confusion. I began with the thought for pies leading to fajitas, crostatas en route to pizzas only to begin with a blossom of an idea &  land right here on the foot steps of,  Baked Wonton Cups with Southwestern Chicken Salad & Cranberry Guacamole Topping.

Why this and no other you ask?

It seemed silly really to begin with a product that could be used in a jiffy, at a moment's notice only to turn it into some culinary saga that would take forever in sweat equity to bring to the table. Kinda nullifies the whole point of picking up these Tyson, Grilled & Ready chicken breasts at the supermarket to begin with, non?

This brings home another important point that instead of poking and prodding and brooding as we so often like to do with an idea, sometime it's best to leave a thought in the subconscious long enough so it can shave off the excess, leaving you with the most appropriate and all together satisfying solution.

This solution dearies is far from mundane I assure you. The crisp oven baked wonton cups, lined with queso fresco cheese, filled to the brim with a dazzling chicken, southwestern black bean & corn salad only to reach a taste crescendo, when topped with a sweet and tart cranberry guacamole is sure to put a spring in your step especially, when quite unknown to those around you've pulled it off in less than 30 minutes!

I say bring on that pitcher of margharita and we'll all have something to sing and dance about!

 

An Epicurean Voyage to Sicily : Oct 9 -17, 2011

  8 Nights, 9 Days : East Coastal & Baroque Sicily

Registrations are now closed.

 Questions?

 Email :  weavethousandflavors@gmail.com

Let the Good Times Roll with New Orleans Jambalaya

 New Orleans! Its food is as colorful as its music and its people.

And though, the cuisine characterized by bold and spicy flavors has a variety of dishes that can fill a large book, when it comes to rice dishes, the Jambalaya is Chief. Not to be confused with the widely marketed boxed versions, to compare these with the traditional Jambalaya would be akin to granting  Spam, gourmet status. 

Rumor has it that the dish was born late one night when a traveler arrived at a New Orleans Inn long after dinner had been served. According to the story, the inn’s cook, named Jean, was told to “balayez,” or “throw something together” to feed the man. The results were delicious and the name  evolved over time  to “Jambalaya.”

The Jambalaya in its concept is a variety of meats such as chicken, ham and spicy sausage of course (such as Andouille or Louisiana spicy sausage) with or without shrimp, sauteed with 'the trinity' - onions, green bell pepper and celery, all in equal quantity & then cooked with tomatoes, spices in a broth to which is finally added the rice.

What is wonderful about this dish is that like so many old world foods it is a result of guesstimates and each family and cook has added their own little twist making it entirely their own. Mine too has evolved over a decade, adapted from various cookbooks, cooks & hearsay - starting off with everything from canned tomatoes to shellfish infused chicken stock, it is finally this version that is a kitchen staple.

Perfectly balanced in it's spice and heat, delicious and always turning out just as good whether you fix it once a year or once a month, this recipe is one I stand by time and time again. Though I cook mine in the oven and this deviates from tradition, it is the one way to ensure perfectly flavored rice bypassing the excess liquid-mushy rice issue.

It is also a feast that is  looked forward to with great anticipation in our home and we 'prepare' for it by eating a large breakfast and fruit juice for lunch so that when the Jambalaya makes an appearance for the evening meal, it is to a table of ravenous appetites and rumbling tummies!

Exciting News! Join Me On An Epicurean Voyage to Sicily, October 2011

 
 
 

Spring in a Bite ~ Fruit & Nut Palooza Zucchini Cake

 
 

If yours is like our household, very soon you'll have zooks coming out of your ears.

And not just any teeny weeny itsy bitsy zooks but gargantuan ones that your neighbors have been growing, or your friend Shelley has growing in her yard or maybe you have them growing in yours!

And don't get me wrong, I love zucchinis as much as the next person so much so that I even have a nickname for them, zooks but just how many zooks can you eat and in just how many ways?

Fortunately, here's one you'll never get tired of and just like me you'll fix it again and again for your own family and for everyone elses.

What's awesome is that it also feeds  the devious mom gene because this cake is loaded and I mean loaded with the good stuff, lots of shredded zooks, golden raisins, dried cranberries, pecans and wait for it....very-little-flour. And when you bite into a slice, not in a million years will you believe this to be true. 

So here's a healthful cake that we can all get in a tizzy about!

PS - I am also submitting this recipe to the beautiful & picturesque  A Pinch Of Love where dear Ananda is having a Zucchini celebration!

 

 

Baked Prawns On a Bed of Tomato & Marsala Chutney

 
Chutney!

Just the term conjures up a spicy, sweet and tangy  assortment of ingredients like dry fruits, mango or tomatoes and is a lovely way to dress up the most mundane of ingredients.

Not that I am saying that prawns are mundane. Far from it! So here is what's called a win-win. 

It's also what I like to call organic cooking, at its best. You know when you begin with a handful of ingredients and go from there. I didn't really set out to make a chutney - I just wanted a delish base for the prawns.

And then I started pulling things out of the pantry, the last of the pine nuts, some dried cranberries, some Marsala and the list goes on. It was only when it arrived at the table that we realised - it's chutney alright!

Who knew that chutney and prawns would be the new Brad & Angelina of the culinary world - you know, sizzling hot minus all the kids! 

We can all use some sizzle now and then, non?

 

An Easter Delight ~ Pull-Apart Hot Cross Buns with Apricot Glaze

 
Did you grow up on the Nursery Rhyme? I did!

Hot-cross Buns!

Hot-cross Buns!

One a penny, two a penny, 

Hot-cross Buns!

Hot-cross Buns!

If ye have no daughters,

Give them to your sons

I can't help it!

Every year that I bake these I have the words jingling in my head. And it's nice to associate warm and fuzzy memories with food especially when the memory come wrapped up in a nice frolicky tune.

This made all the more made special  when the food itself happens to be loaves of spiced bread crusted with delicious dry fruits such as dried cranberries and golden raisins all nestled in a hint of sweetness. These are traditionally eaten at Easter with the cross on top representing the crucification of Christ.

But did you also know that there are all kinds of superstitions surrounding hot cross buns?

According to English folklore, the buns baked and served on Good Friday will not spoil or become mouldy during the subsequent year. Another encourages keeping such a bun for medicinal purposes.

 Sharing a hot cross bun with another is supposed to ensure friendship throughout the coming year, particularly if "Half for you and half for me, Between us two shall goodwill be" is said at the time.

True or not, what a sweet thought! So make some this week and I hope you share it with your loved ones for a year of goodwill that will be! 

PS - I am submitting these to Sweet at Sugar Cookies for the Sweets for a Saturday, parade. How nice of Lisa to invite me! Thank You.

Lacey Chicken Kababs

 

Lacey kababs that is kababs rolled in egg are very popular with the Parsi community in India. The Parsis are India's largest Zoroastrian community - ancient Persians. The influence of Arabic led to a drop in the 'p' sound in the Persian language, changing "Parsi" to "Farsi" (the name by which the language is now known).

This peace loving genteel community are so much a part of India's secular fabric and are interwoven like colorful strands in a rich dari (rug).

Affectionately known by other communities as Paarsi baawaas they represent an entrepreneurial spirit, an overwhelming love for the Queen of England (so much so that most of them will stand up and salute at the television when the Queen shows, affectionately calling her "my Raani'), a love for western classical music and unique foods including their fish that is sweet and tangy.

These lacey cutlets traditionally made with ground goat (mutton) are just as delicious made with leftover chicken. The term 'lacey' because of the 'lace' that forms when the kababs are dipped in breadcrumbs and then in egg rather than the traditional method the other way around - egg first followed by breadcrumbs.

The result is a light airy coating that I love and makes a nice change to the crispy breadcrumb coating that we're all so used to.

Give it a go and what better way jazz up leftover cooked chicken? 

English Breakfast Tea, Date & Walnut Cake

There are days I crave afternoon tea or traditional English cream tea like a fish craves water!

There is nothing quite like a table set out with a lovely white table cloth, accented with a vase of wild flowers for that splash of color, pots of jam & clotted cream, warm scones straight out of the oven, mini cucumber bread and butter sandwiches & of course a nice cake.

A cake not overly frosted but rather something between a cake and a bread, wonderful when sliced and devoured with a slathering of softened butter and washed down with cups of strong tea or rather coffee here in the US.

I am a fan of traditional cakes the kind that is rich and dense - nothing fluffly or fake about it but the type reminiscent of our grandma's kitchen. Intensely flavored and honest in its ingredients. And when it comes to honest ingredients, its difficult to beat a traditional date and walnut cake because the name says it all. Now to this add a strong brew of English tea & it not only fulfills but exceeds everything I love about a cake for Afternoon tea.

I know you'll agree when you take your first bite!

 

Cherry Blossoms in Bloom, Washington D.C ~ Cherry, Pistachio & Rose Water Macaroons In Celebration

Washington Monument 

Just this week, the cherry blossom trees are in full bloom in Washington D.C. and there is no better place to enjoy them in all their glory than at the Tidal Basin in the heart of the Nation's Capital.

 

The Tidal Basin

 
The Jefferson Memorial thru a curtain of blooms

Each year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, DC. The words on a plaque near one tree states, " in the spirit of friendship and goodwill between Japan and the United States were these first trees planted".

 

Snow or blossoms?

The morning off, my day began with my rather pushy mother instincts in place trying to get my kids into the shower. Fortunately the incentive of travelling on the Metro was enough for this ritual to occur without the customary wailing.  

The mother in me was in a bout of frenzy trying to get my brats out the door. The blogger in me was more than well prepared.

You see, I have been planning for this week for at least a fortnight.

What a beautiful event to commemorate and I knew it had to be at the heart of the event - at the Tidal Basin in the crush of thousands of people and it was here that I wanted to photograph this post.

Just how to translate this into food was the pressing question of the hour. And so a parade of culinary delights all celebrating cherries such as corn cakes with cherry compotes, panna cotta, duck breast with cherry and port sauce....the list goes on, was considered and rejected.

Why? For one simple logistic and one basic concept.

The treat must travel on the Metro well and must represent the beauty of the blooms.

And so after much debate the humble macaroon became the recipient of far more exotic ingredients and in my humble opinion turned itself into a treat worthy of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

The fact that these macaroons are delicious is not the surprising element here.

What is, is that as Mr. Hubby and I ran among the trees with a bowl of macaroons photographing on the grass, on branches and among the blooms, people began to stop and ask us what we were up to and encouraged our silly antics with lovely words, "what a creative idea and how wonderful the macaroons look" and some of the them even began scouting for best photo spots for us - urging us towards a tree whorl, or one branch or one spot.

  
 And soon I realised that these little delights had just like the beautiful cherry blossom trees achieved something wonderful - for a moment, strangers as we may be, we too were joined in that spirit of friendship and goodwill.

 

Garden Mini-Meatloaves with Dijon-Tomato Tangy Topping

 

Aren't I a devious one? I take what should be a meat and more meat dish and turn it into a veritable kitchen garden all the while sitting on the dinner table with a slightly knowing smile as my little ones ooh and aah over this meat loaf!

Yay for devious moms!

This is one of those other American dishes that I had never even heard of before landing on American shores. And like most I began with the cream of mushroom soup rendition with loads of grease leaking from its edges.

Delightful as it was to taste it did two things - my Mom who was visiting that time locked her self into her bedroom claiming she wasn't hungry that evening leading to a showdown the next morning (yes, the meatloaf caused a domestic dispute) and secondly it went against my "GOOD FOOD" motto - you know, the no canned, no preservatives and no artificial flavors please, thank you very much, motto.

And so began the hunt for good meatloaf. The journey that involved reading just about everyone elses recipes, endless magazine clippings and the back of every breadcrumb box I could lay hands on, finally rests here.

And it is here to stay.

Because this does everything I think a good meatloaf should do - packs great flavor, is light & refreshing to eat, non-greasy and believe it or not, low fat as meatloaves go.

The addition of shredded up vegetables does wonders to keep the meatloaf moist but also adds that light, refreshing taste that we have come to love.

And when I think of all that good nuitrition that we're gobbling up while loving every mouthful, I say, "What's not to love"?

 

Thai Style Pineapple & Cucumber Salad

Nothing beckons like the combination on fresh pineapple and cucumber with roasted peanuts and fresh herbs. Perfect for any weather but just as spring has made an appearance and just the throught of sweltering 100 deg temperatures, round the corner are enough to get me sweating, now.

But for the moment, I'm determined to enjoy this wonderful if not erratic spring weather  and settle in the inviting comfort of this  delicious, refreshing flavor explosive salad.

 Imagine this as a side to freshly grilled fish like the Asian style salmon or even chicken...sigh....

Asian Grilled Salmon with Fried Basil & Ginger Oil

 

I am always tickled when I find fresh Atlantic salmon at the market at a great price. There is something about the gleaming orange flesh that beckons me in a way none other does.

And as far as I am concerned, if you are going to put salmon on the grill,  it's hard to beat the combination of soy sauce, honey and brown sugar. It's the way the fish glazes over and turns that rich golden brown with crusty edges, the slight hint of sweetness that complements the salmon so very well that keeps me coming back for more. Needless to say, grilled salmon is on our dinner monthly rotation.

But today, I wanted more and that came about by toying with the idea of a flavored oil with fresh aromatic ingredients like ginger, garlic and basil. One version or the other of this exists in cuisines all over the world - extensively in Asia of course and certainly in Spain.

So its fun to reinterpret some of these age old techniques in our home cooking. But it isn't just the fish and the oil I'm excited about, it's the trio with the Thai Style Pineapple & Cucumber Salad on the side (post coming up)

The flavors work so well together that to break this combination up would be denying yourself a truly memorable meal.

Don't take my word for it, try it and see for yourself!

 

Go Green! Go Nuts! Pistachio Tea Biscuits

 
This week being St. Patrick's day is a celebration of things green and considering that pistachios are the only green nuts that I know of and goes wonderfully with tea, it seems the perfect week for some delicious Pistachio Tea Biscuits.

There is honest food and then there is honest food.

This right here is what a pistachio biscuit would be if it was on truth serum! Yah - it doesn't get more honest than this.

This isn't one of those pseudo green color filled things that hopes to be a pistachio biscuit. It is one to its very core. To the very heart of its 4 ingredients. Right there should say it all - an airy flaky biscuit with 4 ingredients none of which are butter, oil or shortening.

Whaaatttt???? (Dear Steve - this one's for you :)

This darling biscuit performs nothing short of a miracle. By using the goodness of whipped egg whites it manages to fulfill our innermost biscuit fantasies and then leaves us panting.

How lucky I was to come across it in a 2005 issue of Australian Womens Weekly. A time tested recipe that makes and will continue to make an appearance on our kitchen table at tea time (or coffee time) for a long long time.

A keeper - if you like honest pistachios, that is!

 

A Heartier St Patrick's Day ~ Irish Soda Bread, Lamb Stew & Apple Barley Parfaits

You'd be hard pressed to find someone here in the US at least of our generation, whose fond memories of St Patty's day does not include flowing green beer - especially the folks in Chicago and Savannah would more than agree, I'm sure!

But this year leave a boozy St Patty's day behind for a heartier fare.

The one thing that I love about Irish food is at the heart of food is terroir. The flavors so earthy, the ingredients so simple, you can almost taste the earth and the stories that gave birth to these soul warming foods.

And so it is that these dishes don't grace our dinner table on St Patty's day alone, they grace our table all year round because when it comes to good food, these eats are hard to beat!

Who can resist the scent and flavor of thick slices of soda bread slathered thick with butter and served with pots of jam?

 

Irish Soda Bread

Or the wonderful flavor of lamb, potatoes and other root vegetables cooked in a herb scented broth with mounds of silver barley?

 

Stobhach Gaelach, Old Irish Stew, Modern Makeover!

And finish off with in a modern parfait of sun kissed apples, earthy barley and fresh whipped cream?

 

Farmhouse Apple & Barley Parfaits

Here's a spread to warm one's heart, don't you think? And remember - everyone's Irish on St Patrick's day! Sláinte!

~

There are 4 things you must never do: lie, steal, cheat, or drink.
But if you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you love.
If you must steal, steal away from bad company.
If you must cheat, cheat death.
And if you must drink, drink in the moments that take your breath away

~

Brianne Kelly Darragh 

 

Memories of Childhood & Kheema - Spiced Indian Style Ground Goat Meat (Mutton) or Lamb with Peas

 
 
Is it odd that some of my fondest childhood memories are nestled in a plateful of spicy ground meat with hot bread rather than some sweet confection?

Perhaps.

Growing up my weekends would punctuated by late weekend brunches with Mum's Kheema and while Mum was busy preparing the kheema, Dad and I would get into out little jonquil colored Italian Fiat and drive down to our favorite pao-wala (bread man) who worked out of a little tin shack on the side of the street and pick up hot slabs of bread loaves (paos) sold by the dozen at which point these are known as ladis. Very Mumbai, this.

Oh yes! Those were amazing times and these memories will forever warm my soul. As Mum brought the Kheema to the dinner table here in the US, we served it with hot oven baked Naan. I hope you remember my recent post on Homemade Naan. What a delight to have these come straight out of our oven and Dad says it rivals some of the finest he has eaten growing up. Now there's a compliment if there ever was one!

Any way not to my surprise, the conversation at  the dinner table drifted back to those wonderful slabs of hot paos so common in Mumbai. Of all the things from back home, pao is on my top ten list. Turns out, unlike bread here in the US that does so well in the freezer and therefore keeps for extended periods of time, pao turns into soggy loafs once you take them out of the freezer. So the question that comes to my mind is, what do they put in the bread here that makes it freezer friendly?

Hmmm....should we plead the fifth on this one ?

For now, I think we'll just have to stick with hot homemade Naan's, shamelessly slathered with butter along with Mum's delicious kheema with whole spices and herbs.

The kheema is traditionally ground goat meat found at Pakistani halal stores here in the US (use lamb if you must) of fine quality and is stewed with onions and spices and it then sauteed till it is nearly dry and the ghee simmers to the surface. So aromatic is dish and yet utterly simple that it has been a staple for generations - my grandfather, my Dad, myself and now my kids! You know something is special when it stands the test of time and turns into a family tradition.

So what is your favorite food related childhood memory?