Taste Junction

Some days can only be celebrated with chocolate - Chocolate Fudge cake with ganache

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:43:00 +0000

“If there's no chocolate in Heaven, I'm not going.”

I'm sure a world without chocolate is no fun, its a world where fairy tales are not read, where Santa Claus doesn't visit, its a world where raindrops are not welcome...so its a not a world where I want to be. After all a life without chocolate would be so sweet less...so blah! And yes while we all need some spice in life, its a alice of a yummy chocolate cake that we celebrate life with!

Though I'm a chocoholic in capital letter, yet I don't really have a sweet tooth. Quite an oxymoron, right? Strange but true..in fact its my son, who's inherited the sweet tooth. And I'm forever fighting hard to make him switch to the savory side. But then only if parenthood was that easy...sigh. In fact, he would have his way he would eat through his life with a jar of nutella...which surely is not what any mommy wants.

What's in your picnic basket - Egg Mustard Mayo Wrap

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 15:40:00 +0000

As I try to type this, I draw a blank...after all before I even get to wish you guys "Happy New Year", we are already 3 days into it. Is time flying so past or am I living in some trance..Yes last I remember sharing with you all about the arrival of my baby gal. And now in another week she would be all of six months. Time surely flies!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR - "Go ahead and make it memorable and tasty"

In this last few months, I'm guilty of disappearing more than I met you all over here. Guilty of not sharing some tasty treats with you all, of not wishing you on the festive occasions, of not visiting your blogs and of so much more. But then I trust you all to understand the life of a mom of a newborn. Add a hyper kid in the picture and you have the perfect recipe of a forever busy mom....lol

A time when you learn the value of unhindered sleep, a time when you learn what a quick shower or power nap really means. A time when you really get to know the word multitasking, a time when you eat while feeding the baby or watch movies with 100 breaks....I can simply go on and on...but then it all becomes so trivial when you see a face so innocent, a smile so precious and an expression so priceless..that you just want the time to stand still...alas life betrays and that moment goes and your baby grows. So I'm trying to live every moment of my baby's life to the fullest...

Kuch meetha ho jaye - Choco Chips and Walnut Blondies

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 10:18:00 +0000

The true joy of a sweet moment calls for sharing, the happiness of it can only be relished when shared with all your loved ones. So however delayed this post may be, but it surely is a heartfelt one. To invite each one of you to be part of my moment of joy, the start of another beautiful journey.

Yes, it was the lovely addition of a baby girl, to complete my family :). My little princess entered the world on 10th of July and we aptly named her - VANYA, meaning "gift of god". Now you all know the reason for my absence from the blog and the social network for all this while. The little on along with older sibling - Aarul were enough to keep me busy night and day.

Gourmet Seven - Test of patience with Gulnar Seekh Kabab

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 20:25:00 +0000

In recent times, all my plans have been put to rest. And even if I try to awaken them, they change their color and forms, so suddenly that I fail to recognize them. Yes its one of those phases of life, which has made blogging a luxury, photography an indulgence and creating something new a rare occasion...well you will soon now why!

The most recent plan that was altered was this trial for the Gourmet Seven group's kabab based theme. I wanted to attempt making "dahi kabab" but alas that requires a little more patience than I had, so yes another plan that needed alteration. What sounded simple like getting a great texture of curd, was well not all that easy in the heat of Bahrain...but then there's always a next time time. Till then I remembered my unposted recipe of a great veg kabab, picked from Nita Mehta's cookbook. So here's that version of kabab with masoor dal, which really tastes meaty and yummy. The name "gulnar' in fact refers to its "melt in your mouth" texture which it surely is.

Gourmet Seven - Spinach & Corn Quiche

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 10:59:00 +0000

Another month, another theme, another interesting recipe to share. Yes its the time the Gourmet Seven members come together to create and blog their version of a gourmet theme. And for this month it was the time to try our hands at pies and tarts.

Though I had attempted quite a few tarts before, yet it was one of my favorite dish that I had not shared here, which is quiche. So this was just the perfect chance for me to attempt another recipe of quiche and to share with you all. Quiche is a variant of the tart itself with a golden crust and a nice savory filling, but the difference lies in the custard that tops it, that makes it creamy and rich at the same time.

One cake two ways - Chocolate Mud Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Thu, 17 May 2012 06:29:00 +0000

I realized how much I was missing baking when I grabbed the first opportunity I got with open arms. So when a dear friend - Anita Menon, invited us over for a pre-b'day dinner, I knew I wanted to bake a cake. But then the day being a weekend with other pre planned things thrown in, the time to actually get near the oven didn't happen well 2-3 hours before we had to go. So I knew I was taking a real close chance to bake something new and that too which required an hour of baking. But then these challenges only make life more fun, at least it thrills the baker in me!

Guest Post for Tika of Cemplang Cemplung - Rajma Masala

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Sat, 12 May 2012 08:15:00 +0000

Thanks to blogging, I've been fortunate enough to interact and know bloggers from different spheres, cultures and geographies of the world. And one such lovely blogger I'm so glad to know is Tika of Cemplang Cemplung. Can't recollect exactly how our paths crossed in the online world, but I can say for sure that her amazingly captured food shots were definitely the starting point for it all. Her desire to learn, improvise and master food photography has been inspiring and one can see the results in her blog journey itself.

So when she asked me to do a guest post for her blog, the reply was nothing else than an assured confirmation. The post became even more exciting when she asked to share something traditional from my region, which is North India. This opened a great range of dishes for me to share, but since this post would be shared with people from regions of the world, I wanted to keep it simple as well. And at the same time I knew I wanted to share a popular recipe than a dish from the times of regal age, which rarely enters our modern kitchen. So keeping up to the spirit of my blog's essence – modern Indian kitchen, I chose the quintessential north Indian dish/curry – Rajma Masala.

Gourmet Seven - English Breakfast Delight: Bagels

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Wed, 09 May 2012 09:28:00 +0000

The moment I read the caption "Gourmet Seven" at Radhika's blog 2-3 months back, I was intrigued. It seemed like a foodie adventure trip and I was right when I saw the posts that the talented seven bloggers blogged on a pre decided theme every month.

But somehow I couldn't join them earlier. Luckily this month I could step in to fill a vacant spot. So here's my first post as pert of the "Gourmet Seven". Well if you are still wondering what its all about, then let me explain. Every month a group of seven bloggers choose a theme and post a recipe on that theme at the beginning of the month for a week. And this month's theme is none other than English breakfasts. Yes the well famed and highly regraded spread of English delights that find their presence on the breakfast table.

Beat the heat with raspberry cooler

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Thu, 03 May 2012 09:39:00 +0000

Only a few weeks back I was soaking the cool breeze and long walks, knowing all too well that this would soon be in the past. And yes rightly so, the coolness of the weather has suddenly transformed to blazing sunshine and soaring temperatures. Yes the summers are here. I know for many places its been there for a while too long. But in Bahrain its just started to stay indoors and to devise ways to beat the heat.

Blog Hop Wednesdays: Crusty Garlic Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:51:00 +0000

Some flavors are shy..they take their own sweet time to mingle with your tastebuds. While others are flirtatious, they tease your senses, but never really become yours. And then there are few rare breed which become yours forever from the moment you savor them for the first time. Garlic Bread for me belonged to this rare category. Ever since I tasted it at Pizza Hut in India, about 10-12 years back, when the pizza chain came to India, I remember having taken to this new flavor with full fervor. And years later, I never miss having a bite of it, whenever we visit any pizzeria.

Pain of shifting eased with hazelnut brownies

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 09:21:00 +0000

By now, I could easily add "pack-move-unpack" as part of my skill set in my resume. After all, for last 12-13 years, I have shifted house almost every year or maybe even more. Sometimes across country, across cities and sometimes even across the colony. So creating a new home in a vacant apartment is one challenge I'm quite pro at.

Thankfully this time we shifted within Bahrain itself and that too within 5-6 kms. So the whole process was little less gigantic. But unfortunately that doesn't take away the pain of shifting. With empty cartons staring helplessly of what heavy misfortune they would be laden with, one is always left with bewilderment of how I ever managed to gather so many unnecessary and unused stuff. And then with a heavy heart, some of the clutter is discarded to create a lighter heart, but not necessarily a lighter box!

Book Review: Food Photography: From snapshots to great shots

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:34:00 +0000

Every step, every gesture leads us in a direction. Sometimes planned, sometimes unplanned. Sometimes we know we are heading, while on rest of the occasions we have yet to discover the outcome.

When I started this blog, it was more of an outcome of an abundance of time. A junction in life when I was the word photography was as alien in my life as flying. Yes I could fly, when the pilot was in the cockpit and similarly I could take pictures, when the camera was in the auto mode. Nothing more, nothing less. But then when I started posting my pics and at the same time the beautiful clicks of others, I was truly ashamed. I knew with a DSLR in hand, I could surely do better than that. (Yes all my pics are from DSLR - however good or bad and that proves, that having a good camera can never make you take good pictures).

So, slowly I started to learn. To read the camera manual, websites and tutorials. And tried to practice. Thankfully the result started showing a difference. In my quest to learn, you could very well imagine my happiness, when I got a great resource to learn and practice my food photography. Yes, I'm referring to the amazing book "Food Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots" by Nicole S. Young that I got for a review few months back. And though I could have written this review so much before, yet I wanted to read it from cover to cover before I shared it with you all. So if you too want your pictures to look tantalizing and drool worthy, read further about this book.

Making weekend special with Dum Aloo

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:28:00 +0000

Thank God its Friday! When I first became aware of this food chain I wondered why not Thank God it's Sunday. After all Sunday is the big day of the week, which we can't get enough. But then I explained myself that it got to be the fact that the fun is more in the anticipation than the realization. And come Friday we are all deep in the planning of the weekend. Incidentally at that point I hadn't realised the significance of Friday in the Middle Eastern countries. Where Friday is the Sunday. Where Thank God it's Friday is about the best day of the week, about the actual event and not just the anticipation. Yes its the official weekend out here.

So naturally his day has earned a renewed respect and importance in my life. I'm constantly waiting for it to appear in my week, to get a cosier family time. And of course an extended meal time. No wonder weekend meals are so looked forward to. A tradition imbibed since my childhood, by my mom. Though I got to admit that I'm guilt of not acknowledging enough the extra effort the homemaker has to entail to make the leisure days of the family so much special. I do appreciate it so much more now, when now its my turn to keep the wheel turning of this family tradition.

A treat called Tiramisu

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 14:43:00 +0000

The lady in brown whispered tantalizingly, "Pick me up". The man could not believe his ears. After all its not everyday that he gets to thank his lucky stars...But then he coudn't get his nervousness come in the way of his charismatic fate. His mind had already taken him to a cool beach with sea waves dancing in his ears. With a renewed confidence in his gait, he walked closer. And closer.

But then he heard his name from somewhere far..the sound was disturbing to his blissful state. but then how could he not respond to his wife's voice, sweetly calling out him. He tried to regain his composure and to clean the imagery away from his suspicious wife. Before he could question her on her sudden arrival in her dreams, he saw the lovely glass being offered to him, by his wife. And then he heard those words again - "Pick me up...its your favourite Tiramisu".

Potatoes in creamy coriander buttermilk gravy

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 09:43:00 +0000

A wise person said, "Learning to unlearn is the toughest".Or was that wisdom my own!! Thankfully for a food blogger, this unlearning has lot of fun and taste as well. Yes truly, though coming across unknown dishes and cuisines have their own charm, yet the true fun lies in changing the mundane to anew. To create a fresh flavour from the done to death dish. And to recreate a new combination. All within the routine recipes. And helping me in this endeavour is one person, is one Mr. Iyer I should be thankful to!

(This is not coriander used in recipe, but an indicative prep pic)

During my last trip to India, one of the few things that rated high on the to-get priority list was the cookbook - 660 curries by Raghavan Iyer. Now for those not familiar with the book, its actually an of Indian cooking. From vegetable curries, to lentil curries, to seafood, to p encliopedia oultry to egg to rice, it has curries in all forms. In simple words 660 curries to fit all the occasions, moods, timeline, preferences to availability of ingredients.

Buttery Vanilla pound Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 06:30:00 +0000

Kids and their magic world. They live in a world where everything is possible. For them, "My daddy is always strongest" and "My momma is a magician". But then who's complaining. After all its the most beautiful feeling in the world to be looked upto, to be seen so perfect in the eyes of a child. And if only for that feeling, I would love to better myself. To live upto my child's ideal image.

And if that ideal image pertains to cooking, then it surely becomes a lot easier. So when every now and then, my son flips through a beautiful food shot (mostly to do with sweets and cakes), he would lovingly ask m, "Aap mere liye banayengi?" (Will you make it for me?). Now who has the heart to say no :)

Fasting and feasting with sago

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0000

If the word 'fast' makes you run miles away. If the idea of being away from food for the whole day. gives you panic attacks; then surely you got to read further. Since I too was like you, years back.

Until the food lover in me tasted the amazing "vrat ka khana". And please don't translate it to 'fast food' as in junk food, but the special dishes prepared specially for the fasts. Surely this blessing comes in a disguise.

Forever popular: Black Forest Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:19:00 +0000

Another cake post? You must be wondering what's happening. Well nothing much, except for the fact that this time of the year holds many special occasions in my family. So while we celebrate our anniversary on 28th Jan, only a few days later - 9th Feb, happens to be my husband's b'day. And we all know what a special day 14th Feb is. So yes, its quite a sweet time of the year indeed. And I'm more than happy to try out different cake varieties and add them to my learnings as a home baker. So after the red velvet cake, here's the black forest cake!

Red Velvet Cake for a special day

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:28:00 +0000

"Marriage is like fine wine. As it ages, it gets better." - Unknown.

5 years back, I said "I do". 5 years back this day, I vowed to make this relationship the most beautiful ever. I became a bride and a wife.

Half a decade later, its still as alive as yesterday. And as we take this journey together, the emotions become more cemented, more meaningful. Yes last week, we celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. Nothing grand, nothing loud. But a well spent day of just 3 of us. And a cake. A red velvet cake as a mark of love.

Choco Vanilla cupcake to please all

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:33:00 +0000

I think the world can be easily divided into two clear cut groups. The vanilla lover and the chocolate lover. See how easy to classify someone. But what to do when the wife is a chocolate lover, husband is on the vanilla side and the kid wants some strawberries too. Simple you blend it all in a single cupcake!

Healthy breakfast - Bulgur Upma

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:51:00 +0000

I was always told, half knowledge is dangerous. Yes it always proved true, when I tried solving my algebra equations without knowing the formulas. It even proved true in the kitchen, when I thought "kali dal" simply black lentil. And was left wondering why it didn't taste even one bit similar to the restaurant one, when I made it with "kali masoor dal". Well that was pre blogging and googling days. So I think I can pardon myself for such foolishness.

But how do I forgive myself for buying a pack of bulgur, thinking it to be Indian "dalia" and trying to cook it for as long....Now all of you who are much familiar with the ease of cooking with bulgur would be smiling ear to ear, reading this. Specially when every packet at least comes with a basic label of what it is. Right?

Crunchy Snacks - Mullu Murukku: Guest Post by Vardhini

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 07:14:00 +0000

When I started blogging, my main temptation was to learn to bake and to discover new cuisines. And I felt so silly when I realised that I don't really need to go very far for that, since I have yet to learn so much about the myriad Indian cuisine itself.

If there's one word to describe the food landscape of India, probably its the rainbow. Yet even that's very inept since it limits the color and vibrancy of regional cuisines of India to just 7. And our culturally rich country is far more colorful and varied than that...Hopefully some day I would know many more colors and shades.

And in this quest to learn and to share, I have made some great friends in the blogging world. Incidentally many of them belong to the Southern coast of India, hence always intriguing me with their vast of preparations. Thanks to them, I'm little more aware now. And one such dear friend of mine is Vardhini from Zesty Palette, whom I've been interacted since almost the time we started bogging. She's not just a very passionate blogger (with consistent posts, great step-by-step pics) but also dedicated to healthy eating. But then I think to treat me and the readers with that occasional indulgence, she's sharing a popular and traditional south Indian snack.

Graham Crackers to munch on

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:11:00 +0000

Sometimes what we find not so good in a child, sadly is reminiscent of our own behaviour. Yes I never realized that my own habit of being a muncher could lead me to trouble. That too through the next generation!

Well the whole deal is that my three year old like many other kids is a fussy eater and added to that he's more of a muncher than a proper eater. And I have no one to blame but myself, who's big time into small bites myself. So here I'm wondering most of the daytime on what next to give to him. And one of the thing that he can simply not o without are biscuits or cookies. So here I'm making another batch of cookies to keep the jar full, for yes you guessed it right..munching.

Makar Sankranti Special - Til ke laddoo

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:57:00 +0000

When the little girl (which was me ages ago) was asked to dress up for any festival or perform a ritual for it, she used to get very impatient with all these processes. And then with a mix of innocence and defiance she would ask her mom, the rationale for so many festivals. She even rationalised it that it must be surely because of lack of activities on the part of our ancestors, who devised so many of them. After all it was pre- TV, internet and computer games era. And then she would feel very proud of her intelligent reasoning, until her mom deflated her false pride.

Dish it Out - Cheese & tomatoes Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Taste Junction) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:39:00 +0000

Like many of you out there, I too am a big fan of Masterchef series. Both Australia and our own Indian version. Loved the intriguing challenges, invention tests and above all Mystery Box. Yes so many times, I have caught myself wondering what dish I would have created if given the same set of ingredients as the participants. Quite a nice creativity test actually.

And that's the reason I like the "Dish it out" series of Vardhini, which gives two random ingredients for you to cook from. Well, I can't say that its as tough like Mystery Box, but it surely is fun to see the outcome. So here's the roundup of "Dish it out - Cheese and Tomatoes" event.