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Summer is at its peak here in this otherwise 'mild weather' city. This year the temperature has crossed 40C which was something unheard of till a few years ago.So naturally everyone is looking for ways to keep cool, literally and otherwise!! The most refreshing desserts to beat the heat are Sorbets and granitas .These simple and easy desserts are made with fruit and sugar. Pa
The secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside- Mark Twain This time it has been a long break from blogging .With so much happening at one time my favourite activity had to take a back seat. Anyway life is back on track . Its summer break and one is at its creative best, coming up with activities to keep the kids busy and occupied or else they do s
Rhubarb and Almond Cake Ruth from Makey-Cakey was our March 2013 Daring Bakers’ challenge host. She encouraged us all to get experimental in the kitchen and sneak some hidden veggies into our baking, with surprising and delicious results!! Now this is an interesting challenge, to use veggies in baking,these not only add nutritional value but also add mois
Life is great,cheese makes it better... Cheesecake is everyone's weakness in the family.The little devils called calories are present in a large number in each slice,it sort of holds me back from making it often.But after coming across this versatile Quark Cheese I feel less guilty.It is great to make cheesecake pies and fillings.I can promise I will be using it more often!!
Life is about choices.... Sarah from All Our Fingers in the Pie was our February 2013 Daring Bakers' host and she challenges us to use our creativity in making our own Crisp Flat breads and Crackers! There is absolutely no dearth of ideas when it comes to crisp flat breads and crackers. There are so many options even in Indian cuisine. I went absolutely crazy
Pull apart breads have been very special for me and my daughter.These have been part of our weekend routine for a while now,when we both enjoy this coffee-cake with our morning cuppa and indulge in our little girlie talks. She loves helping in stacking the bread and with such diligence!!It wont be long before she starts making it by herself !!! I came across this lemon flavored br
Some like it hot, some like it cold; I like it chocolate!!! This is to wish all a very happy Valentines Day!! So here comes a cool dessert for everyone.Its literally cool as its whipped on ice and figuratively cool because its instant and can be served immediately !!! Since 70% bittersweet chocolate is used the mousse is very intense in flavor which I just love i
My latest obsession are these traditional Dutch cookies called Stroopwafels!! Stroopwafels or syrup waffle are very thin and crispy with caramel cinnamon filling.These are mostly eaten with morning coffee or tea.The cookie is kept on top of the coffee cup and the hot steam softens the filling and it oozes out!!! !Slurp slurp!!!!!! These cookies are made
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” - Helen Keller Francijn of Koken in de Brouwerij was our January 2013 Daring Bakers’ Hostess and she challenged us to make the traditional Dutch pastry, Gevulde Speculaas from scratch! That includes making our own spice mix, almond paste and dough! Delicious! Little history about the Speculaas and sp
A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy? -Albert Einstein Every year I await my most favorite season of the year -Winter. During this season I like,besides many other things, all the fruits available and they are in abundance!!!I love the range of colors of fruits that nature displays at this time of the year from juicy red ap
Happy New Year to you all !! Hope this year brings Peace in the world. Also hoping for a Delicious year ahead!!! Caramel popcorn has been on my to-do list since a long time. Everybody in the family likes to gorge on this especially while watching movies. The caramel popcorn which is available simply lacks caramel taste and flavor, its only color and maybe a few ke
The December 2012 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by the talented Marcellina of Marcellina in Cucina. Marcellina challenged us to create our own custom Panettone, a traditional Italian holiday bread!!! I have always been fascinated by Italian food .Its as rich and varied as Indian food and every region has a distinct characteristic just like in India. I have eagerly and exc
Seasons Greetings to All!! Christmas is back !! Bells ringing, carols & festive music, Santa's wishlist & gifts galore, mouth watering treats ... ooooh don't we just love this time of the year :-) So many goodies so little time !! Desire to create them makes me a pretty decent juggler !! Check this bread out !! Easy to make and a versatile d
We bloggers have decided to stay away from our blogs in remembrance of those innocent 26 people massacred in Connecticut.
Suddenly life is in the fast lane,with so much happening work wise ,travel,family visiting etc. Not that I am complaining,but have got so used to a slower pace!!. So this fast pace also meant eating out frequently,indulging in sweets and desserts etc.But now its time to make amends before Christmas festivities begin and I am back on the same track!! A smal
Well this post was meant to be put before Diwali,but was unable to do so. A very Happy and Prosperous Diwali to all!!! Diwali is an Indian festival of lights and the beginning of New Year and is celebrated by lighting diyas and lamps, fireworks and rangolis. Rangoli is an Indian art form where designs are made on the floor with powder colors and flower petals and is consi
How certain food stuff bring back memories!! Jams and jam making is one such thing that gets me very nostalgic and I have some very fond memories of my childhood. My mum has been very fond of making jams and jellies.All through winters we would watch her preparing and making a huge variety of jams and jellies- apple jam,guava jelly ,
The Festive Season has started!! The celebrations start with Navratri followed by Dusherra and Diwali.These nine days of Navratri are most awaited and is one of the most vibrant festivals of India.People put in every effort to make the festival as grand as possible!! Im continuing with my new found love with filo sheets!These are so versatile and so damn easy and now that the festivit
This chicken loaf is most in demand at home over the weekends and the family knows I love baking this one! The loaf has a nice brown crust with chicken and cheese filling.While its served warm,it can be a great evening snack or an accompaniment at dinner. I have been baking this loaf since a long time and it was pulled out of a magazine some years so u
""...After all.....All you need is love.But a little chocolate now and then doesnt hurt"" What better way to indulge someone than making some dark chocolatey cupcakes with even more indulgent ganache as topping?? After a long spell of exams ,it was time to indulge my daughter with these superlative cup cakes! These are dark and chocolatey with a moist crumb and a l
One look is enough to get an inspiration!This cake was just that! It inspired me enough to go around looking for strawberries at this time of the year.And I was successful!! This cake is a simple sponge cake with gooey strawberries and icing sugar on top. Inspiration came from here and here . Ingredients 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 1/2 cups
Candy making has always been close to my heart.Though its not a rocket science but I felt some sense of achievement when I first made Pate de Fruits and hard candies. I first came across Sriracha lolipops here and was quited inspired to try it out because one,I like sweet and chilli combination and two,this flavor was in a candy! These hard candies are sweet with a sligh
I have developed a re-liking for puffs!It started with a veg puff with potato filling which are rather common at most coffee shops and bakeries! It reminded me of good old college days when a veg puff or a samosa with a cup of coffee would be a favorite in college cafeteria with all the friends!! Ham n Cheese puffs are easy and can be made in minutes to snack upon!The cov
These bite sized health bars are a great 'perk me up' bars! Love to snack on them when Im on the go! I thought of these bars once when I was out in the wholesale market and looked for something to nibble on which was not loaded with those little devils called calories!! I couldnt find anything beyond potato chips and such like oily unhealthy snacks! These bars h
Muffins are classic!!A lovely way to start your day. Hugely popular with my friends!! These muffins are slightly different than regular muffins. I add roasted slivered almonds and brown sugar which give a lovely crunch and flavor. Slight adaptation from my favorite book Ingredients 360g plain flour 370g caster sugar
Kutch is a district in the Indian state of Gujarat - a salty marshland with no vegetation situated in the Gulf of Kutch ,leading to Arabian Sea.Since people lead a nomadic type of life,food found here is simple and rustic . Kutchi Dabeli is a spicy-sweet and crunchy street food.A potato mixture is stuffed within slices of bread or pav as its locally called.Pomegranate pearls, sw
Many people find baking a bread as therapeutic and it may be so but I have always thought that it is time consuming,not that I dont enjoy baking one but I have to prep myself for it.I guess I am a bit lazy! But certainly not with this bread!!! Many would say that its not a conventional kind of bread with yeast and kneading etc .This is a quick bread and it is so damn easy that by the
I think chocolate is one such thing which is multi - purpose,its a comfort food for almost everyone,use it as a bribe,use it to please someone,to cheer up that someone special and whole lot of other reasons!!! This cake was of course to cheer up someone,to brighten up his day but also an opportunity to bake for Magazine Monday which I have been wanting to do so for alon
Continuing with summer desserts its time for Kesar Pista Kulfi . Apparently King Akbar mentions the Kulfi in his 16th century journals thus you find Kulfi and Falooda combination is deep rooted in North India's culture especially Old Delhi. Having spent most part of my childhood in Delhi ,kulfi has a very special place and brings back some lovely memories!! K
I consider Grasshopper Pie to be a very stylish Summer Dessert!Not because it comes from Nigella's repertoire !Its the beautiful mint color which looks quite refreshing and which definitely caught my attention !The mint liqueur adds some character to this lovely lovely dessert and of course there is a good measure of chocolate in it!!!!! One dessert which I will surely recommend
Potato Leeks and Mushroom Flan A flan is sponge base with a sweet or savory topping.But here the sponge base is soft and moist made with mashed potatoes! Its a simple and elegant dish ! A must try !! I got many many compliments!! Minimally adapted from Sikandalicious Cuisine by Atul Sikand.A fabulous group of Indian foodies!! Potato Leeks and Mushroom Flan
White Chocolate Berry Popsicles These popsicles were made on a special request from the kids before their schools re-opened!Its again a simple and easy dessert. The only difficult part is getting berries at this time of the year !I wish India could grow raspberrry as well, love its color and flavor!So I had to use but frozen berries.
We are having an extended Summer season, no rains,so am continuing with summery and fruity desserts!By the way ,did I ever mention that this city becomes beautiful in rainy season?Im totally and completely in love with this weather !!! Most likable thing about SFY is that those little devils called calories are less in number therefore one fee
White Chocolate Sorbet This Summer my hot favorite desserts have been Sorbet ,Sherbet and Frozen Yoghurt with mangoes and bananas and of course juice popsicles !!!! Sorbets are less rich and creamy which means less calories (little devils!!!) This recipe is minimally adapted and has been taken from here . 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) whole milk 2/3 cup (160 ml) water 1 tablespoon
This is a special dedication to my mom and for all mommies for Mother's Day!!! Vanilla cupcakes are my mom's most favorite and something that cheers her up instantly and something which she enjoys with her evening cup of tea! These cupcakes are moist and quite versatile -any sort of icing goes with it ,be it vanilla or chocolate butter cream or fudge icing or cream cheese or j
We are well into summers and its vacation time !!!! To beat the heat its time for some ice creams, sorbets,sherbets and popsicles !!Have just discovered that some popsicles can be made with vegetable and fruit juices with a dash of booze which I will be posting soon!!! "This is not sorbet it is sherbet"had to explain nth time to my friend!The difference is that the
A very Happy Easter to all my friends!!! Festivals and goodies go along together. So eggciting bit for the kids at Easter is of course Easter eggs and buns,color the eggs and gorge on the buns !!!! I went one step ahead and made these cute nests to go with the eggs!! Easter Buns Adapted from here Makes 16 small buns FOR THE DOUGH: 150ml milk 50g butte
If you like health food then Oatmeal Crackers are definitely for you!Though I prefer calling them cookies! These are low in sugar and fat and made with cereals oats and rye or millet.See perfectly low cal !!!! And these turned out to be super crunchy ! Minimally adapted from here 1 cup / 85 g rolled oats 1 1/4 cups / 300 ml whole milk, heated just to boiling
Some food stuff becomes part of your life without your realising it.This lovely bread is an example .One weekend I made this not sure how it would turn out to be (I had stumbled upon this fantastic site and immensley enjoyed Joy's witty writing and her lovely pictures) though the aroma while being baked was a good indication of what was coming, and it was simply killing me and my da
Thandai is a milk based drink which is traditionally associated with festivals like Mahashivratri when its prepared as an offering to Lord Shiva and on Holi-a festival of colors.This chilled drink is made of nuts and seeds, is refreshing and quite healthy!!! . Thandai Serves 4-5 1 litre Milk 1Cup Sugar 40g Almonds,can be blanched 50g Pistachios 30g Melon Seeds,can
