Food Facebook By Chinta Mani Rauth

Mustard Fish Curry

2013-02-12T00:24:00.001-08:00

Ingredients :

3-4 pieces Fish Rohu/katla
1/4 cup Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
2 slited Green chillies
2 Whole Green chillies
1 tsp Red Chili Powder
2 tbsp Mustard oil
Salt to taste

Method :

1.Wash the fish pieces and marinate with salt and turmeric powder for 10-15 minutes.
2.Grind the mustard seeds with whole green chillies into a fine paste using water.
3.Heat the 1 tbsp oil pan, add the marinated fish pieces and lightly fry on both sides until lightly browned.
4.Drain oil and set aside the pieces on a plate.
5.In the remaining oil, add the onion seeds and saute till fragrant.
6.Add the ground paste and saute for a 5 Minutes.
7.Add a cup of water, turmeric powder and salt, stir.
8.Add the fish and top up with remaining 1 tbsp of mustard oil and slit green chillies.
9.Cover cook until done garnish with fresh coriander leaves serve hot with boiled rice.

10 Pear Salad Recipes

2012-10-08T03:32:00.003-07:00

Boston and Bresaola

Ingredients

Pears

Boston lettuce

Avocado

Bresaola or prosciutto

Vinaigrette.

Preparation

Roughly chop 1 head Boston lettuce and put it on a plate. Top with 2 thinly sliced pears, 1 peeled, pitted and quartered avocado and 1/2 pound thinly sliced bresaola or prosciutto. Drizzle with dressing. Dressing variation: Use sherry vinegar.

Romaine and Stilton

Ingredients

Pears
Romaine lettuce

Stilton

Walnuts

Vinaigrette.

Preparation

Tear 1 head romaine lettuce into pieces and put in a bowl; add 2 roughly chopped pears. Crumble 1/4 pound Stilton on top, dress and toss. Optional: Add 3/4 cup toasted, chopped walnuts. Dressing variation: Skip the vinegar and mustard; add 1/4 cup chopped tarragon and 3 tablespoons lemon juice.

Spinach and Apples

Ingredients

Pears

Apples

Spinach

Raisins

Vinaigrette.

Preparation

Thinly slice 2 unripe pears and 2 crisp apples; put on a bed of 4 cups fresh spinach. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup raisins and drizzle with dressing. Dressing variation: Add 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary and 1 tablespoon honey.

Iceberg and Onion

Ingredients

Pears

Onions

Iceberg lettuce

Feta

Butter or oil

Bacon (optional).

Preparation

Caramelize 2 thinly sliced onions in butter or oil. Cut 1 head iceberg lettuce into 4 sections. Cut 2 pears into eighths and divide among the lettuce; add 1 ounce crumbled feta to each; add onions and dressing. Optional: Crumbled bacon. Dressing variation: Use balsamic vinegar.

Salsa

Ingredients

Pears

Red onion

Serrano chili

Cilantro

Mint

Vinaigrette.

Preparation

Chop 4 unripe pears and 1 red onion; seed and mince 1 Serrano chili. Combine in bowl with 1/4 cup each chopped cilantro and mint. Add dressing and stir. Dressing variation: Skip vinegar and mustard; reduce oil to 1/2 cup, add 1/4 cup lime juice and a pinch of sugar.

Jicama

Ingredients

Pears

Jicama

Mixed herbs

Vinaigrette.

Preparation

Halve 3 unripe pears. Peel and quarter 1 jicama; use a mandoline to thinly slice pears and jicama and put in a bowl. Toss with 2 tablespoons chopped mixed herbs and dressing. Dressing variation: Skip the vinegar and mustard. Reduce oil to 1/2 cup, add 3 tablespoons lime juice and 1 tablespoon minced Chile.

Fennel

Ingredients

Pears

Fennel bulbs

Parmesan

Lemon juice

Parsley

Vinaigrette.

Preparation

Trim and quarter 2 fennel bulbs; cut 2 unripe pears in half. Use a mandoline to thinly slice everything; put in a large bowl. Toss with dressing and add shaved Parmesan. Dressing variation: Skip the vinegar and mustard. Reduce oil to 1/2 cup; add 3 tablespoons lemon juice and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley.

Endive and Goat Cheese

Ingredients

Pears

Shallots

Belgian endives

Goat cheese

Vinaigrette.

Preparation

Sauté́ 2 or 3 chopped shallots in butter until soft. Tear 4 heads Belgian endive into pieces and arrange on a large plate; top with 3 thinly sliced pears, drained shallots and 4 ounces goat cheese. Dressing variation: Use red-wine vinegar.

Relish

Ingredients

Pears

Green onions

Cashews

Crystallized ginger

Dried cranberries

Vinaigrette.

Preparation

Dice 4 unripe pears; chop 2 whole green onions and 1/4 cup cashews; put in a bowl. Add 3 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger and 1/4 cup dried cranberries. Dress and stir; let marinate 20 minutes. Dressing variation: Skip the mustard. Use sherry vinegar and add 1 tablespoon orange juice and a pinch of cinnamon, allspice and cloves.

Arugula and Orange

Ingredients

Pears

Orange

Arugula

Green olives

Fresh mint

Vinaigrette.

Preparation

Peel 1 small, juicy orange and divide into sections. Roughly chop 2 pears into chunks and arrange on a bed of 4 cups arugula. Add 1/4 cup pitted green olives and the orange sections. Top with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint and dressing. Dressing variation: Skip the mustard. Use red-wine vinegar and add 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon cumin and a pinch of coriander.

CHINTA MANI

How to Take Care of Your Face (Females)

2012-09-27T04:52:00.000-07:00

The first thing you should do when caring for your face is to get into a routine of cleansing it. Twice a day with your optimal product will fight many of the most common skin problems and leave your face feeling healthy and looking great. Blemishes on your face can be combated by either the use of a product or an organic solution. Deciding which to use really depends on your skin type and acne severity. More sensitive skin may need a gentler product, while less sensitive skin may require a harsher product to see results. Clearasil and Proactive are popular choices for use on acne, though there are countless to choose from at your local drugstore. For those who prefer an organic method, lemon juice, dandelion sap, honey, and other materials have proven to work as well.
Take care of facial hair. This ensures a fine facial structure and clean look. Keep your eyebrow lines neat, upper lip hair and chin hair groomed. To trim eyebrows, meet with a professional who can wax or pluck your eyebrows. They really do the best job, and will make sure that you don't take too much off, as this can lead to problems in the future. If you want to do it yourself, take a wash cloth soaked in hot water and press it onto the area where you are about to remove the hair. Then remove the few stray hairs with tweezers. Do this every night before bed for best results.
Moisturize. If you have dry skin, you especially need to make sure that your face is getting the moisture it needs. Use a gentle moisturizer to keep your skin feeling soft and glowing.
Make sure to drink lots of water. Your body needs plenty of hydration during the day to keep removing wastes and oils from your face. You should probably drink eight glasses of water a day.
Don't touch your face. Many people have bad habits of messing with acne or leaning their face on their hands. Your hands have oils on them that will clog pores, increasing blemishes. No matter how tempting it might be, don't pop pimples or interfere with anything facial- though it may seem like it will make it better, it actually makes it much worse and instead of dealing with a two day pimple you now have a two week long project. A tip here is changing your pillow case often- the oils linger on the fabric, getting on your face during the night.
Take care of your lips. Use a lip hydrator often and make sure to moisturize your lips. A simple way to do this is to rub a sugar-and-water solution on them and then moisturize, as the sugar removes dead cells and rejuvenates the lips. Keep a stick of lip moisturizer on you at all times and use throughout the day. Be careful not to use too much Chapstick though. Your lips can literally get addicted to the chemicals that prevent/heal chapped lips; they will stop making that chemical themselves, and it's a painful addiction to break!
Protect your face from the sun by using sunblock every day. Ultraviolet rays will damage your skin over time and it's essential that you protect your face from harmful radiation. Use a good sunscreen or makeup with sunscreen in it, even a little, before going out, and you will have fresh, healthy skin. Another way to protect yourself is to wear clothing that will cover you, like a hat.

Chicken-Parmesan Pasta

2012-09-18T05:11:00.004-07:00

Chicken Parm has never been so tasty or so happy. This better-for-you version is all nestled up with its best friend: a side of spaghetti and red sauce

what you need

small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.)

egg whites, lightly beaten

cup dry Italian-style bread crumbs

cups spaghetti sauce, divided

1-1/2

cups KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1/4

cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

tsp. dried oregano leaves

oz. spaghetti, cooked, drained

make it

HEAT oven to 400ºF.

DIP chicken in egg whites, then in bread crumbs, turning to evenly coat both sides of each breast. Place in 13x9-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray.

BAKE 20 to 25 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF). Top with 2 cups sauce, cheeses and oregano. Bake 5 min. or until mozzarella is melted. Meanwhile, heat remaining sauce.

TOSS spaghetti with sauce; place on plate. Top with chicken.

kraft kitchens tips

SERVING SUGGESTION

Serve with a mixed green salad tossed with KRAFT Lite House Italian Dressing.

Chicken Parmesan Recipe

2012-09-18T05:07:00.001-07:00

This recipe calls for my Basic Tomato Sauce and shows why it is an essential part of my cooking. As you will see, Basic Tomato Sauce is great as a base for numerous pasta sauces, but it is also an essential ingredient to my Chicken Parmesan recipe.

The traditional method for making this dish is to coat the chicken with grated Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs, hence the name. But most of us make a different version that could be called "Chicken Mozzarella" where the chicken is coated with bread crumbs, topped with Mozzarella cheese and a basic tomato sauce, then finished with some grated Parmesan cheese.

Both cheeses are delicious but completely different in texture and taste. Parmesan is a hard, dry cheese made from cow’s milk and has a rich, sharp flavor. There are Parmesan cheeses made all over the world but the best is Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Although more expensive, this granular textured cheese whose processing method hasn't changed in the last 700 years is usually aged for 2 years. Two reasons why Parmigiano-Reggiano has better taste and consistency than other parmesans; (1) the flavor of the milk comes from cows on strictly controlled diets, and (2) the strict production codes dating back centuries.

Mozzarella (maht-suh-REHL-lah) is a soft white cheese with a mild flavor typically made from cow’s milk. It came from southern Italy where it was originally made from buffalo milk. If you are lucky enough to find real buffalo mozzarella in your local market, try it. Although expensive, it’s like eating ice cream compared to frozen yogurt.

Simplest way to make cake in Microwave

2012-09-18T01:44:00.002-07:00

Easy Microwave Chocolate Cake
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch salt
Spray a medium microwave-safe bowl with non-stick spray and set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and milk; blend together. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt; blend into the mixture until smooth. Pour into greased bowl.
Cover and cook in the microwave on high for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, or until cake springs back when touched. Since all microwaves cook differently, adjust the cooking time to accommodate your machine. To serve, let the cake cool five minutes, then cover the bowl with a plate and turn both bowl and plate upside down so the cake falls onto the plate.

Top 10 List: Favorite Cake Recipes

2012-09-18T00:06:00.002-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I decided to put together a series of posts highlighting my favorite recipes from some categories where I have dozens to choose from. I started the series with my favorite cookies, and last week asked fans on Facebook to choose between cakes and ice cream for the next installment. The overwhelming majority asked for favorite cake recipes, so here they are!

Now, full disclosure is in order here. Believe it or not, I am not a huge cake fan. Cake in the traditional sense of what you think of when you think of birthday cake – the fluffy white, yellow and chocolate cake with frosting. There are just tons of other desserts I’d much rather eat. I do have a favorite white cake recipe and a kick-butt favorite chocolate cake recipe (both of which are included below), but the rest are variations of cheesecakes and other non-traditional cakes and tortes that have stolen my heart (and taste buds). Enjoy browsing!

1. Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake – The most popular cake recipe on this site and for all kinds of good reasons: Oreo crust, creamy cheesecake, chunks of brownies, chocolate ganache. This particular recipe holds a special place in my heart; I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

2. Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting – I absolutely adore carrot cake, and this is by far one of the two best I have ever had. Delicious!

3. Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte – This is definitely in the top 3 of my list. An Oreo crust (again), a peanut butter mousse with chopped peanuts and chocolate chips, all topped with a chocolate ganache and chopped peanuts. Totally adore this recipe.

4. Fig and Almond Cheesecake – Inspired by a dessert that we enjoyed at the top of the CN Tower in Toronto, this cheesecake has a crust with finely ground almonds, a layer of delicious figs and is topped with an amaretto creme anglaise. A seriously amazing dessert.

5. Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake – The best chocolate cake I have ever made. Period. My go-to.

6. Hidden Berry Cream Cheese Torte – Can you tell I love cheesecakes?? This one has a wonderful shortbread-style crust, a layer of fruit jam and is topped with a wonderfully creamy cheesecake. I need to make this again soon.

7. New York-Style Crumb Cake – Crumb cake is an essential component in any baker’s arsenal. This one is amazing. Love all those crumbs!

8. Perfect Party Cake – This is my go-to white cake recipe, and I adjust the flavors based on the occasion. Wonderfully light and moist, perfect for spring and summer parties, showers, etc. Literally, the perfect party cake.

9. Russian Grandmothers’ Apple Pie-Cake – I love apple pie. I love nontraditional cakes. I love that this recipe combines them both. A pile of apples stacked high between cake-like crust layers. Really unique and absolutely delicious.

10. Tiramisu – Tiramisu really needs no introduction. It is fabulous beyond words. And once you make it from scratch at home you’ll scoff at the ones in most restaurants (except for the ones that make it homemade – those are fabulous too!).

How to Make Simple Chow Mein Noodles

2012-09-17T23:27:00.001-07:00

Chow mein - the classic Chinese comfort dish. Here is a standard way of preparing noodles for chow mein. Parboiled noodles are browned on one side, then turned over and cooked on the other side. This makes the noodles browned and crunchy on the outside and tender inside. Noodles cooked this way are also called "both sides browned" and "twice browned" noodles.

Here's what you'll need to cook the chow mein noodles:

1/2 pound fresh egg noodles
2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, or as needed
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 12-inch skillet with a non-stick coating

Preparing the Noodles

Cook the noodles according to the directions on the package. If no directions are available, cook the noodles in 8 cups of boiling water until they are cooked “al dente” - tender, but with a bit of resistance in the middle. Use a wooden spoon, or cooking chopsticks to separate the noodles while they are cooking.

Drain and Toss With Sesame Oil

Remove the noodles with a slotted spoon and place in a colander. Rinse the noodles twice in cold water and drain thoroughly each time.
Toss the noodles in 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil.

Oil the Frying Pan

In a 12-inch non-stick skillet with a non-stick coating, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil on medium-high heat. Tilt the pan and move it around so that the oil coats the bottom.

Cook the Noodles

When the oil is hot, use a spatula to push the noodles into the pan.
Cook the noodles until they golden brown on the bottom (about 5 minutes). Press down on the noodles with a spatula during cooking - this helps form them into a nest shape and makes sure they cook evenly.

Remove the Noodles From the Pan

Turn the noodle cake out on a plate. I find the easiest way is to flip the noodles frittata-style: place a plate over the noodles and then invert the pan so that the noodles fall onto the plate, browned side on top.

Oil the Pan and Add the Noodles

Add a small amount of oil, 1/2 tablespoon or as much as is needed to lightly coat the bottom of the pan.

Slide the noodles back into the pan.

Brown the Other Side of the Noodles

Cook until they are golden brown on the bottom (usually about 4 – 5 minutes). Again, press down lightly on the noodles during cooking.

Note: I find the exact cooking time varies depending on the type and even the brand of noodle that you are using. If, after browning both sides. the noodles aren’t quite as crisp as you like, you can fry either side for a bit longer (you shouldn't need to add extra oil to the pan).

You're Done!

Slide the noodles out of the pan onto a plate.

How To Make Pizza At Home

2012-09-17T12:08:00.001-07:00

What to do when your 8-year old nephew comes to visit? Make pizza, of course! Well, not of course, actually. I didn't think of it until we exhausted Sorry, Monopoly, and gin rummy. But it did turn out to be a brilliant idea as dad had just received a baking stone for Christmas, and my nephew Austin loves pizza. I told him if he helped me make it and didn't make too many faces I would put him on my website and he would be famous. That seemed to get his attention. He thought the dough was "slimy and gross" but he loved picking his own toppings, and the finished product was "awesome".

The following method I patched together from recipes in both Joy of Cooking and Cook's Illustrated's The Best Recipe. I made two batches of dough, four pizzas in all, with varied toppings. Next time I'll be a bit more patient with stretching out the dough so I can get it even thinner. Look to the end of this post for some excellent links about pizza from other food bloggers.

Homemade Pizza Recipe

Prep time: 2 hours
Cook time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Pizza Dough: Makes enough dough for two 10-12 inch pizzas

1 1/2 cups warm water (105°F-115°F)
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) of active dry yeast (check the expiration date on the package)
3 1/2 cups bread flour (can use all-purpose but bread flour will give you a crisper crust)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Pizza Ingredients

Olive oil
Cornmeal (to slide the pizza onto the pizza stone)

Tomato sauce (purée)
Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, shredded
Feta cheese
Mushrooms, thinly sliced
Bell peppers, stems and seeds removed, thinly sliced
Italian sausage, cooked ahead
Chopped fresh basil
Pesto
Pepperoni, thinly sliced
Onions, thinly sliced
Sliced ham

Special equipment needed

A pizza stone, highly recommended if you want your pizza dough to be crusty
A pizza peel or a flat baking sheet
A pizza wheel for cutting the pizza, not required, but easier to deal with than a knife

METHOD

Making the Pizza Dough

1 In the large bowl of a heavy duty electric mixer (such as a Kitchen Aid), add the warm water. Sprinkle on the yeast and let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is dissolved. Stir to dissolve completely if needed at the end of 5 minutes.

2 Attach a mixing paddle to the mixer. Mix in the olive oil, flour, salt and sugar on low speed for about a minute. Remove the mixing paddle and replace with a dough hook. Knead using the mixer and dough hook, on low to medium speed, until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If you don't have a mixer, you can mix and knead by hand. If the dough seems a little too wet, sprinkle on a bit more flour.

3 Place ball of dough in a bowl that has been coated lightly with olive oil. Turn the dough around in the bowl so that it gets coated with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm place (75-85°F) until it doubles in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours (or several hours longer, a longer rise will improve the flavor). If you don't have a warm spot in the house you can heat the oven to 150 degrees, and then turn off the oven. Let the oven cool till it is just a little warm, then place the bowl of dough in this warmed oven to rise.

At this point, if you want to make ahead, you can freeze the dough in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Preparing the Pizzas

1 Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour.

2 Remove the plastic cover from the dough and punch the dough down so it deflates a bit. Divide the dough in half. Form two round balls of dough. Place each in its own bowl, cover with plastic and let sit for 10 minutes.

3 Prepare your desired toppings. Note that you are not going to want to load up each pizza with a lot of toppings as the crust will end up not crisp that way. About a third a cup each of tomato sauce and cheese would be sufficient for one pizza. One to two mushrooms thinly sliced will cover a pizza.

4 Working one ball of dough at a time, take one ball of dough and flatten it with your hands on a slightly floured work surface. Starting at the center and working outwards, use your fingertips to press the dough to 1/2-inch thick. Turn and stretch the dough until it will not stretch further. Let the dough relax 5 minutes and then continue to stretch it until it reaches the desired diameter - 10 to 12 inches. Use your palm to flatten the edge of the dough where it is thicker. You can pinch the very edges if you want to form a lip.

5 Brush the top of the dough with olive oil (to prevent it from getting soggy from the toppings). Use your finger tips to press down and make dents along the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. Let rest another 5 minutes.

Repeat with the second ball of dough.

6 Lightly sprinkle your pizza peel (or flat baking sheet) with corn meal. Transfer one prepared flattened dough to the pizza peel. If the dough has lost its shape in the transfer, lightly shape it to the desired dimensions.

7 Spoon on the tomato sauce, sprinkle with cheese, and place your desired toppings on the pizza.

8 Sprinkle some cornmeal on the baking stone in the oven (watch your hands, the oven is hot!). Gently shake the peel to see if the dough will easily slide, if not, gently lift up the edges of the pizza and add a bit more cornmeal. Slide the pizza off of the peel and on to the baking stone in the oven. Bake pizza one at a time until the crust is browned and the cheese is golden, about 10-15 minutes. If you want, toward the end of the cooking time you can sprinkle on a little more cheese.