Oblique Rays

My first guest post!!

2012-01-26T11:30:00.000+05:30

Ive written my first guest post, and it's about the two things I love, coffee and cream cheese!

There is this wonderful lady called Jenny, who has a really mouth watering blog "Savour the Senses" and she has put up my recipe here: http://savourthesensesblog.com/featured-foodie-friday-oblique-rays/

Also do spend some time on her blog and check out all the other mouth watering recipes she's put up....!!

Where am I?

2012-01-08T01:21:00.000+05:30

And why havent I posted anything in a while?

Mainly 'coz I am now employed, after a year's break and working in a totally new field.

I'm finding it hard to juggle work and the things I really like to do, like bake, blog and work out....
I am running through the weeks at super fast speed trying to finish off my work, and I did manage to bake a raisin cake, but in general, my time sense has really gone awry.

In order to make my life more organized I now have 3 different calendar diaries, and in effect, if I'm really true to myself, I just bought 'em damn diaries coz they are sleek, and make me look important. It has had no effect on my time management at all......

But that's not the point, the point is that I'm suddenly facing a lot of changes, grappling with some new things in life, and trying to let go of some old ones....I know I'll eventually fall in step with the routine, but right now, I'm loving the uncertainty :)
And I really hope I can post and bake more regularly, because that's what keeps me sane!!

In one moment

2011-11-20T13:56:00.001+05:30

Eternity; that moment before the storm;
Of anticipation, dread, and change

That single hesitation before the arrow leaves the bow
and that last thought that flickers in the eye, before it hits the heart

a Lifetime; That moment before the earth shatters into half;
of peace and acceptance and fate

That one in drawn breath before the world sets on fire
and that last hope of life, before it turns to dust

An entire life lived in one single moment.

Crash 'nd Burn - Epic Kitchen Disasters....

2011-11-19T10:15:00.001+05:30

*Photo from here. Let me know if I'm violating any copyrights, and I'll take it off.

Anyone who's given me a patient sympathetic ear in the last few months, knows that my oven isn't exactly in the best of health. It blows a fuse after maybe half an hour , and then after every five minutes or so. In the throe of it's tantrums, it's also managed to blow the microwave oven, with constant voltage fluctuations.

So I try to stay away from the oven, it's been ages since I've baked anything, and with a sigh that would make a martyr proud, I longingly stare at all the beautiful things that the world around me is baking, and go into a dream world where there are no bratty ovens and no circuit trips.

But yesterday was different, my Hulk-esque bug for baking finally took over, and I decided to make cookies that I had bookmarked since almost 3 months. So, I mixed the flour, cocoa, baking soda and sugar , shut down all other electrical equipment and nervously started preheating the oven. Added the butter...rolled out half the cookie dough, scrounged around for a small round bottle lid and cut cookies. Put 'em on my blue cookie sheet, and shoved 'em in, breathed a sigh of relief, so far so good. Then a little more confident, I started playing around with the other half of the dough, adding chocolate chips, rolling, re rolling.....and then that ominous burning smell! I was so happy that the oven still hadn't given up, that I forgot to check the cookies, and the first batch was burnt to cinder!!! So much for the oven not shutting down on it's own!!

It's always depressing to have a failure on hands, especially when you're already dreaming of the finished product. Like the candy basket I promised my niece, but gave up after 5 batches of failed sugar syrup, and one batch of botched caramels. I've had my share of using dead yeast granules, making rock hard muffins that could be used as instruments of pain, dhoklas with so much baking soda that the tongue starts boiling, and of course; the worst; wrong estimation of quantities that sometimes lead to me feeling like a possessed machine that spews cupcakes after cupcakes after cupcakes, and drowning everything including people in a sea of food. Once I've even managed to cook so less that everyone had to end up eating a can of baked beans and bread!

But if you can survive the disaster and still want to venture into the kitchen, then that's what happy food endings are made of! So have you ever had an epic kitchen disaster? Do tell me all about it!!!

Of tortillas and wraps....

2011-11-12T18:20:00.001+05:30

Most of my decisions on food start off with a random ingredient that I spot during grocery shopping trips. So recently when I found a can of re-fried beans, I started imagining spicy and tangy, and I just had to pick it up.
Initially I wanted to make Enchiladas, but then common sense returned, when I realized that I had never made tortillas before and that if the tortillas got messed up, I'd be left with chilli sauce and a can full of fried beans.

So I made wraps instead!

The best part about the wraps is of course the Tortillas. These are flour tortillas, soft and delicate, and look really pretty! I think I see Enchiladas on the horizon soon!!

The recipe is from here with slight quantity changes in the oil and baking powder. It is also adapted for 6 tortillas instead of 8.

Flour Tortillas Recipe: (for 6 tortillas)

1.5 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
3 teaspoons of oil
1/2 cup warm milk

Mix the dry ingredients, and then slowly add the milk to make a soft dough ball. Don't over knead. Rest for half an hr. Divide and roll into 6 balls and rest again for 10-15 minutes. Roll out with light pressure on a floured surface until it becomes thin and slightly transparent. On a heavy pan, roast on each side till lightly spotted.

To make wraps:

Sautee chopped onions and tomatoes and a finely diced clove of garlic over olive oil. Add the tin of re-fried beans (next time I plan on trying to make these at home). Add a bit of salt for taste and a 2-3 tsp of water and heat until the sauteed onions and tomatoes are properly mixed and lumps are gone.

Pile up the tortilla with fried beans, fresh salsa (chopped tomatoes, onion and cilantro, tossed with a bit of salt), some chopped salad, grated cheddar cheese and crumbled tortilla chips.

You can add a bit of heat with a chunky spicy red chilli preserve.

Roll up and bite in!!!

Stuffed Indian Bread with Cauliflower (Gobi Parantha)

2011-11-12T13:08:00.001+05:30

Paranthas are extremely versatile and filling food, and transforms boring veggies into delicious breads.
All you need is some pickle, or a bit of yoghurt, or even tomato ketchup. Ofcourse a hot finger burning Parantha doesnt even need that, as long as you have a nice spoonful(or 2-3) of white butter to go along with it.

I love making paranthas, they are easy, and can be stuffed and rolled in different ways. The rule of thumb I use for any parantha is the same, the softness of the dough should be the same as the softness of the filling. A too liquidy or soft filling, and it won't spread to the edges, and will make rolling out sticky and messy. A harder filling, and it will tear through the dough. Also if you are adding raw ingredients to the stuffing like onions and garlic, they should be very finely chopped.

Gobi Paranthas require the stuffing to be cooked till the cauliflower becomes soft and dry.

Recipe For the stuffing:

2-2.5 cups of very finely diced cauliflower(you can also grate it, or lightly pulse it through a food processor)

1/2 -1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Salt and turmeric for taste

2-3 teaspoons of oil

1/2 teaspoon of finely chopped green chillies OR read chilli powder

Slightly crackle cumin seeds on heated oil in a pan.

Add the cauliflower and sautee. Add turmeric, salt, chilli powder/chopped chillies and garam masala and sautee till soft and cooked. Let cool.

For the dough:

2-3 cups of flour

water

teaspoon of oil

Make a soft pliable dough. Break the dough into small balls of equal size (roughly equivalent to a tablespoon of dough)

For making the Parantha:

Slightly roll out a ball into a circle.

Add the filling in the center.

Cover with another rolled out dough ball, of the same size. Slightly press the sides and remove air.

Now lightly tap this stuffed circle with the roller all over to slowly spread the stuffing. Once it becomes flat, roll out lightly to make a thin Parantha.

On a non stick pan, cook on each side. Then turn over and add Ghee/butter on each side and cook for a minute on each side.

Enjoy with Curd, Raita, or mixed spicy pickle!

Adrift

2011-10-25T11:40:00.001+05:30

I want to stop, but I know I never will

I want to pull back, but I keep trudging still

I'm petrified and alone, my mind overwhelmed
I want to float awhile, but I'm sinking myself in.

Lollipops(Hard Candy)

2011-10-21T15:49:00.002+05:30

I am making hard candy for the first time ever. I am never comfortable around boiling sugar, and I have frankly no clue about all the different stages sugar goes through. But this time around I decided to make a candy basket for my cute li'l niece.

There are a lot of recipes out there, mostly using corn syrup. But it's not easily available here, so I used honey instead, and a dash of lemon.

Just when I thought I had a candy thermometer, it turned out that the maximum temperature it reads is a 110 deg C, while I need somewhere around 160. So I had to use the old method, where you drop a bit of the boiling sugar in cold water and see if it becomes brittle.

The recipe is from here : http://makethingsforkids.blogspot.com/2011/08/make-yummy-old-fashion-lollipops.html , I just added a twist of lime to it for flavor.

The following is a great resource if you don't have a candy thermometer: http://candy.about.com/od/candybasics/ss/candytempsbs.htm

I found some plastic thing with rounds in it, I cut off the edges of three of the circles and used it as a lollipop mould

Others drying on greased butter paper, without a mould

I don't have a picture of the finished candy yet, as they are still drying out(fingers crossed, they'll turn out ok). You will get to see the candy basket soon!!

*Update: I totally messed up the caramels I was planning to add to the basket....To top it, I pulled a few lollipops before they could set(impatient me), so now all I have is 3 good ones.....and no time to make more....so bye bye home made candy basket...it's not your time yet !!! But I will make another attempt quite soon!!

Snapshots from Saurashtra...In the pursuit of food

2011-10-19T15:04:00.000+05:30

We had Kathiyawadi food (Saurashtra is also called as Kathiyawad) at Amidhara Resort at Gir.

A typical Kathiyawadi Thali looks like this

Bharwanu Ringana(Stuffed Green Aubergines)

Tomato Sev Bhaaji

Baajre ke roti ( Flat Millet bread)

This is served with fresh white butter and fresh Jaggery, that is made from Sugar cane juice and tastes heavenly)

Ras waale Aloo(Potato curry)

Moong Khichdi (Rice cooked with soaked Green gram) served with Ghee(clarified butter)

Gujurati food at Dwaraka(at hotel Damji)

Other foods in the region

Saurashtra is dotted with shops that sell fresh snacks, like Chivda, Samosas, Patty, Pedhas and chikkis. It is also famous for a large variety of ice-creams in vivid flavors like Rajbhog. It's worth taking just a culinary trip to Saurashtra for their different savoury and sweet foods.

Snapshots from Saurashtra...Part 2(Porbander, Dwaraka and Rajkot)

2011-10-18T14:31:00.000+05:30

Porbander....dotted with shops, all closed (on Sundays)

The town square, with Mahatma Gandhi at the center..

His birth place

Beautiful three storeyed house

The temple at Dwaraka

Heading to Bet Dwaraka....the boats are packed!!

Hardly any space to move...

Watson Museum - Rajkot

Colorful wares at Rajkot Market

*Special Mentions and Comments

The Sarovar Portico hotel is currently the best place to stay at, in Rajkot. The staff is courteous and helpful. It's more than value for money and is worth staying for just their breakfast spread which has over 60 delectable items, including gujurati, north indian, south indian and continental food.

Do eat the "Paatis"(patty) at any good local "chiwda wala" - These are small fresh kachori type finger snacks stuffed with potato.

The crystal collection at Watson Museum is extensive and beautiful.

*Avoid

Definitely AVOID staying at Dwaraka Residency in Dwaraka. The staff is rude, the rooms are quite small and unclean and most probably you'll pay for one type of room and get totally another room. They also knock on the doors at midnight hours asking if there are any cups in the room.

Beware of the priests at Dwarka, who will try to guide you and extort money..the best way is to firmly and politely decline their help. Go to Dwaraka only if you want to see the temple, there is nothing else there worth seeing. I went with the hope of seeing some excavated ruins, but most of them are underwater and unaccessible.

Snapshots from Saurashtra...Part 1 (Junagadh, Gir and Veraval)

2011-10-16T10:55:00.001+05:30

A Vav(deep well) at Junagadh fort. It's one of the earliest known Vavs and is cut from a single rock.

A Bavdi...(smaller well)

We spotted a Neel Gai at Gir quietly grazing. (Asian Antelope) It looks like a cross between a cow and a deer.

And lions, lazing around in the sun..

Really lazing...and yawning...

Black bucks in a herd at a distance..

A Boat being built at Veraval..

Veraval is a fishing town, and small modified bikes transport fresh fish to various fisheries and markets

The road is spotted with Windmills silently and majestically harnessing Wind energy(Most of them are Suzlon mills)

*Special Mentions

The Amidhara Resort at Gir is beautiful. It's not too fancy and is quite simple, but there is a lot to do there, and is extremely clean. It has basket ball courts, a well equipped gym, pool and also indoor sports. The staff at Amidhara is warm, friendly, and will force feed you till you almost burst. (Watch out for the post on Kathiyawadi food)

If you have enough time, visit the Girnar mountain. It is a long climb, around 7000 steps or so. We only saw the base of the mountain and came back because we were short of time.

*Avoid
AVOID taking a guide at Junagadh. He will most probably talk extremely loudly and give you all sorts of wrong information.There are enough signs and information in the fort itself to explore it for yourself.

Power...

2011-09-27T01:09:00.003+05:30

Embrace the power you are born with....

Power is liberation....Liberation is happiness
Power is instinctive...let it guide...

Power is a positive force...it changes and shifts things

Power is change....Power to change the world

Power is only destructive if you think you own it....

The chocolate experiment....part deux

2011-09-22T16:45:00.000+05:30

It's not valentine's day yet....but why wait for it?

Pink Hearts are always in...

In fact, Pink chocolate is ALWAYS in...especially when it tastes deliciously of rum!!

Alu wadis ( Colocasia rolls)

2011-09-17T13:28:00.000+05:30

Alu wadis are prevalent in both Gujurati as well as Maharashtrian cuisine.However there are some differences in the stuffing and the way we eat it.

While Gujuratis eat them steamed with oil tadka, we normally shallow/deep fry them after steaming.

My mom got huge Alu(Colocasia) leaves, for making this snack, which is a favorite with us. Though it might work with any leaves,the use of these leaves is ideal, because they are thicker and stronger than other leafy vegetables, and can stand stacking, folding, rolling and steaming with sturdiness and character.

I don't have the recipe in exact quantities because I was just clicking pictures while my mom made them, but I will list out the ingredients and you can just play it along by taste(or you can get the recipe off any Indian food blog)

The roll filling is mainly made of Gram flour to which we add a bit of rice flour(for crispness), salt, paprika, asafoetida, turmeric, jaggery and tamarind pulp and water, to make a spreadable paste. It should taste sweet and sour, with a little heat.

Spread this on the leaves and make a roll as shown.

Cover with paste( the under side of the leaf)

Place another smaller leaf in an opposite direction on top

And another(so each roll has 3 leaves)....opposite to the earlier leaf,cover with the paste and fold the edges aligned at the center as shown:

Now roll tightly from the bottom to top, and tie with a string..

Steam for 10 minutes....

Refrigerate it over night, cut the string, and slice the roll as and when required for frying/shallow frying...

Gnocchi

2011-09-13T16:52:00.000+05:30

The first time I saw someone make Gnocchi was in the Australian Master Chef competition. That's the time I realized it didn't look too intimidating, but never got around to making it. One of the reasons maybe that it requires egg, and though I use egg in desserts, I hate using egg in my main course, especially in pasta.
I know, totally weird.

I always thought that gnocchi becomes airy and light because of egg, so an eggless version was out of the question. Until recently, I stumbled here. Chef Joey Camapanaro maintains that Gnocchi without egg turns out lighter due to the high starch content in flour.

So I tried his method. It's an easy to follow recipe.

Some of my hits & misses -
1. If you don't have a food mill, or if like me you are bored to use one since they are messy to clean up, mash the potatoes with the tines of a fork until all the lumps are soft and the mixture looks silky and airy.

2. Add only as much flour as to absorb the stickiness. The lesser the flour, the more flavorful the Gnocchi. Add a bit of salt in the dough.

3. I forgot to make ridges in the gnocchi, so the sauce didn't stick much. Making ridges in the gnocchi is recommended.

4. Remove the gnocchi 15 secs after it floats to the surface. I let the first batch swim for a minute or so, and they became hard. The rest of the batches I removed almost immediately, and dumped them in cold water to stop cooking, and they turned out to be soft and beautiful.

You can use these gnocchi with any sauce.

I used the following:

Saute thinly diced onion and garlic on olive oil until brown. Add medium diced tomatoes and saute until soft. Mash a bit with the back of a spoon, add salt, pepper and a half a tsp of sugar. Add black olives and basil.

Toss the boiled gnocchi in the sauce and serve with grated cheese.

The Chocolate Experiment

2011-09-07T00:53:00.000+05:30

My oven is most probably on its last lap. It's become unsafe to use it any more, so I have to take a break from baking. So I did the one thing that I always wanted to do, work with chocolate and see how it responds...

Now I do make chocolates at home, for gifting purposes. But I've never really tried soft centers and truffles.
So this time my focus was to reach a truffle that I would be satisfied with, as till now the only truffles I've wholeheartedly liked are the Lindt ones.

I used two different recipes, for the center.

The first one was a mixture of cream, cocoa and chocolate center...it solidified quite quickly in the refrigerator overnight, and I could make nice little balls , that I refroze. I then dipped these in melted chocolate. Since the balls were already frozen, the chocolate covering immediately solidified.

The next recipe uses a center made with whipping egg whites and adding a reduced cream and chocolate mixture and rum. I thought this will become lighter, but it ended up becoming sticky and melted at soon as it was exposed to room temperature. So I made chocolates with liquid centres instead.

For this, I refrigerated the chocolate tray, and gave a first layer of chocolate that solidified immediately.

Yep, I'm messy when it comes to chocolate...

Freeze this for 5 min, fill it with the liquid mixture, freeze again, and cover it with a layer of chocolate again. Freeze one last time, and you get nice shiny chocolate cubes. I was lazy and didn't scrape the top layer of chocolate, which is why I've got haphazard edges at the bottom ...

Though both tasted pretty good (the egg white one was smoother, and might make a really good dip), the round truffles with cocoa centers tasted better the next day, and the centers were really soft.
If I have to make truffles again, I'll definitely use the first recipe...

Modaks...

2011-09-02T10:55:00.000+05:30

Every year on Ganesha Chaturthi, I hover around my mom, like a little kid, trying to sneak spoonfuls of sweetened coconut filling, while she efficiently makes the most artisitic modaks that I have ever tasted in my life. For the uninitiated, modak is a sweet that the lord Ganesha loves, and is made of steamed rice flour with a sweet coconut filling.

It's tricky to make, needs nimble fingers and years of practice. My mom has been making these since she was maybe just 10 years old, and reminisces a bit painfully of a time when people used to be hearty eaters, and would easily eat them in dozens at the least.

With all that experience, she makes a mean modak. What do I do? I meddle and take pictures with sticky hands and steam and sugar covered cellphones.

So here's how it went down....in pictures....

A plateful of modaks, waiting to be steamed :)

There you go...steamed, pretty and oh so yummy, all for you....!! (Sorry for the fuzzy quality, there was steam on my lens after a totally useless attempt to catch the steam on camera)

Maharashtrian Food: Most people do not know about Maharashtrian food, and those who do, think that our food is made up of Zunka Bhakar and Wadapav, and coconut fish curry. However after years of seeing my mom make the most varied variety of complicated and delectable dishes, I strongly feel that I need to do my bit, however small, of getting a few of the dishes across to my readers. In this endeavor, I promise to introduce you to all the typical fare that requires more than just curry masala and coconut milk.

Two little lovers

2011-08-29T18:49:00.000+05:30

Two little lovers sat on a wrought iron gate

He sang of her beauty

She sang about his strength

Two little lovers flew away to their nest
But one song of passion
Lingered on the moonlit fence

Almond cake with orange caramel...

2011-08-14T10:43:00.000+05:30

I'm having oven troubles....it's really depressing. Our oven has been in this world for almost 30 years, and in oven years, I'm sure that's very very old. It trips the fuse after every 10-15 minutes, and my heart stops because an oven that suddenly gives up, can do nasty things to a cake gently wanting to rise up and stay there...

Thankfully, today, despite of all the oven troubles and a hovering nagging depressing thought that I might not be able to bake for quite some time now, my cake persevered

I took the recipe for the orange caramel from "Cakes and Bakes" cookbook from the Food Lovers series, while the cake is something I threw together, because I didn't have poppy seeds, and in any case they are prohibitively expensive here. I also think that almond and orange is a combination that is not exploited enough.

Recipe:

For the caramel oranges:
1-2 Oranges
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
25 gm butter

For the almond cake:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup almond meal
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder(Actually I used 1 tsp baking powder, due to a miscalculation. I guess a rounded 1/2 tsp will make the cake moister, but I haven't tried it out)
Zest of one orange(optional, this cake is very high on orange, so can be skipped)

Preheat the oven to 175 deg C
grease a 9" round tin

Thinly slice the oranges.

To make the caramel, put the water and sugar in a saucepan and heat until brown and caramelized, immediately remove from heat and add butter. Pour it into the pan and press the orange slices on to the base and sides, overlapping slightly.

Also please ignore the fact that I am using a roti dabba as a baking tin...I will buy a proper tin, someday.

I made a small mistake here, I should have overlapped the oranges over the bottom edges, but was too lazy to cut another orange. Due to this, the caramel shows as a dark sticky blob on some parts not covered by orange. Not good in the appearance department, but it tastes great.

To make the cake batter,

Beat butter and sugar until mixed and light. Add one egg at a time and beat till incorporated. Add the vanilla,
almond meal, orange zest and mix. Add the milk and mix. Add the flour and baking powder and beat till incorporated. If the batter is too thick add a teaspoon or 2 of milk.

Pour into the cake tin.

Bake at 175 deg C. It takes half an hr to 45 minutes. My crust browned quickly while the cake was still under cooked so I covered the cake with a lid to stop the top of the cake from burning. Also the first time I inserted a toothpick it looked clean but was sticky to the touch, so make sure to touch it and see. If it's sticky the cake is not done.

The cake is done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let it cool, then upturn it on a serving plate. Preferably a pretty one, and not the closest steel plate you lay your hands on, like me.

Caramelized walnuts

2011-08-11T14:39:00.000+05:30

My mom has, for some mom-ly reason unknown to me, hoarded walnuts. She also suddenly decided that the stock needs to deplete a bit, before all of them go bad. I always thought walnuts have a shelf life longer than the dinosaurs, but then we know it didn't workout too well for them.
Anyway, cutting a long story short, these nuts are now my responsibility, considering I insisted I deal with them.

The first of a few nutty recipes to come, and the simplest one yet, Caramelized Walnuts. I've always wanted to make these since I tasted them at my sister's place (read ate the whole bag). I love the caramelly-salty-nutty combination, and I added a small twist which makes them much more delightful than the store bought ones.

You will need:
1 cup of walnuts
1/4th cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1-2 teaspoons of rose water(This can be skipped, or substituted by another flavor. Coffee might taste really nice)

Add walnuts, sugar and rose water and toss in the pan. Put the mix on medium flame, continuously stirring and coating the walnuts until the sugar first melts and then turns into caramel.

Add the salt and keep tossing and stirring till walnuts become a rich golden brown color. Immediately remove from the heat and spread on a very lightly greased plate. Total cooking time is about 2-3 minutes.

Espresso cookies...

2011-07-29T16:14:00.000+05:30

I made cookies with white chocolate and coffee. "joy the baker " made these, and I just had to try these(Click highlighted link for recipe).

The only thing I would change in these almost perfect cookies is I'll use powdered sugar next time.

Please make these, you won't regret it.

Sweet Imitations...

2011-07-18T01:00:00.000+05:30

Its' Sunday. Sin day. When Im at my laziest best.

Also when I get incoherent random urges, to eat Italian food.

So I made pasta...a very healthy wheat pasta with veggies and grilled aubergines.

I then went ahead and dealt a knockout punch to all the nutrition, with a stupendously calorific tiramisu imitation.

I used rum instead of marsala wine, sponge cake instead of ladyfinger cookies, didnt bother to brew espresso, but just swilled coffee granules with rum and cold water and dipped the cut up cake in it.

Also since I try to avoid eggs in recipes where I can, no raw egg white.

Yeah, I can be pretttty lazy and Im sure the Italians out there are not going to be pleased....but I put that thing together in 15 minutes, so time saved is a Sunday enjoyed.

Please pretend you didn't see the cocoa all over the rim...

Yep, we ate almost all of it....

The only problem is I wasnt following a recipe, so I can give only guesstimates for anyone wanting to replicate it

Procedure(serves 2-3)

Mix around a teaspoon and a half of coffee, 1 -2 tsps of rum(according to taste) and a tsp of water
Cut the sponge into medium sized pieces, and dip them in the coffee-rum mixture, and make a layer at the bottom of your serving bowl

Whip 4 tbsps of cream cheese till soft. Add icing sugar(around 4 tbsps?) and vanilla and around a 100-150 ml of cream. Whip the hell out of it until the mixture forms peaks.

Cover sponge with a layer of the cream mixture, then another layer of sponge, and then cream mixture again. Dust top surface with cocoa.

Tip: I had to make the cream mixture for the 2nd layer too as I fell short after the 1st layer. My quantities are what I think I might have used, so even if those are a bit off mark, remember that the cream cheese and cream quantities are kept equal. So if you use 3 tbsp cheese, use 3 tbsp cream

Chill for atleast an hour before serving....

Hope y'all had a relaxing, aimless weekend!!!

When it rains...

2011-07-09T13:51:00.000+05:30

....it's absolutely essential to do two things

Go for a long run in the rain....it's exhilarating...

(Make sure you run carefully, slipping is NOT fun, and make sure you wear a windcheater to keep the torso warm so that you dont end up getting pneumonia)

Throw together a hot apple crumble...

Recipe for hot apple crumble...

*I have literally thrown things together while making the apple crumble, so you might have to vary the quantities a bit to get the flavor that suits your taste, especially with the lemon juice and spices. The following recipe is what I estimate the measures will be.

Ingredients(servings: 6)

For the crumble topping -
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
a tbsp or 2 of cornflour
2 tbsps powdered sugar

Crumble both flours, sugar and butter with your fingers like making a shortcrust pastry until it forms a grainy mixture, do not knead. Refrigerate till the apples are prepared
* you can also substitute a part of the flour with oats or ground almond to add more texture and crispiness..

3 Medium sized Apples
1-2 tsps juice of a lemon
1/2 tsp very finely sliced ginger(just for sake of a flavor experiment)
1/4th cup sugar(I used demerera)/ honey
Any spices you like with apple( I used cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg)
1-2 tsp butter

Powder the sugar along with the spices
Peel, core, and cut the apples into medium sized pieces, and immediately toss them with the lime juice and ginger to keep them from turning brown
In a baking/glass dish or an oven proof glass jar, put the cut apples in 3 layers and cover with 1/3rd of sugar for every layer

Layer of apple covered with sugar

Cover the last layer with 1-2 tsps of butter and then the crumble mixture
Bake at 175- 180 deg C, until the top mixture is golden brown. Insert a skewer to check that the apples are soft and done.

hot, crisp and fragrant...

Serve hot, with vanilla icecream

A bit o' spice and everything nice...

2011-07-04T12:54:00.000+05:30

Making a cake for my dad is tough. He doesnot like gimmicky cakes, frosting or other frills. He likes his cake straight out of the oven, or if not, then the cake should have a rustic character and flavor that makes up for not being warm.
He also likes his coffee, which doesnot seem relevant at this point, but trust me, it is...

After a lot of thought, I decided to make a rum n' raisin cake. Now the next hurdle I faced was finding a good recipe which didnot use buttermilk, or too many eggs, or applesauce. I've realised that buttermilk lends a certain shiny bubble dry texture to the cake, which I was sure my dad wouldn't really like.

So I finally decided to stop wasting time, and made my own recipe, going along with whatever felt right while making it.

It turned out really well, moist, full of flavor and my Dad went for a second helping, which means he loved it!!!!

Now, while I was throwing ingredients together, my mom decided we'd have an unconventional cake cutting, and offer small cups of freshly brewed coffee infused with saffron and nutmeg!!! That combination was stupendous!!!

Rum n' Raisin Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup raisins/sultanas
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp rum
1/2 cup butter
1 tbsp allspice
1 teaspoon cinammon powder
3-4 ground cloves
1/2 cup powdered demerera or white sugar
1 tbsp cocoa
1.5 tsp baking powder
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tbsp of milk (only if required)
3 eggs

Soak the raisins in rum overnight.

Add water to it and heat it for a minute. Now add the butter to this so that it melts. Add the cocoa to this and mix.

Separate the egg yolks and the whites. Whisk the egg yolks with the powdered sugar, allspice, cinnamon and clove powder until light. Add this and the vanilla to the raisin-butter mixture and mix lightly.

To this add sieved flour+baking powder and fold until mixed. If the mixture is too stiff , add a little milk.

Now whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. Fold this slowly and lightly with the raisin mixture.

Pour this in a 8 inch greased springform pan, and bake at 175 C till a skewer inserted in it comes out clean. (If the crust forms much before the cake is baked, try increasing the temperature to 185 C for 5-10 minutes and then bake at a lower temperature with a lid.)

Lightly brush the cooled cake with honey or rum or cover with powdered sugar.
I created a basic (albeit childish)paper cut out stencil. I lightly brushed one side of the stencil with oil and placed it on the cake, oil side up. Then I covered it with powdered sugar through a sieve, and removed the stencil. The oil on the stencil catches the excess sugar.

For the coffee:
Put 3 tsp of coffee, 9-10 strands of saffron and 1/4th tsp of nutmeg powder in the filter of the coffee machine, and brew about 4 normal cups. Serve black in espresso cups.

And then there was cake.....

2011-06-30T01:05:00.000+05:30

I had the most fabulous b'day this year...it including me time, gifts from M.A.C, pampering, time with my mom and sis, good food.....and ofcourse, cake.
I was barred from baking anything for myself. And nothing seemed to be happening till the day before, of my bday.
I kept dropping hints, noone took them, or so I thought....

On the actual day, my mom got up really early, and turned out this special thing for me...

IT's a cherry cake, she'd put in real cherries in it. Have I ever mentioned that my mom is an excellent baker....I have a long way to go before I reach her instinctive baking...
The taste is incomparable, she's put in ingredients without measuring, so I unfortunately dont have the recipe :(
But it was one happy birthday :D

I havent been able to capture it quite right, but the cake was slightly pink with surprisingly juicy cherries, and pink buttercream.
Did I say I had an awesome b'day?