Tasty Palettes

1-in-3 Cold Soups - Cucumber Almond Soup

2008-07-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

“Cold soup is a very tricky thing and it is the rare hostess who can carry it off. More often than not the dinner guest is left with the impression that had he only come in a little earlier he could have gotten it while it was still hot.” - Fran LebowitzSavory, sweet, tart or hot, soups have something to offer everyone. Cold soups especially, seem to offer relief from this heat, even if temporary

Summer In A Bowl – Vegetable Salad With Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette

2008-07-17T23:36:00.000-07:00

If I have to name the favourite recipe of the year (so far, that is), then this would be it. I can’t remember how many times I have made this, but I still can’t get enough of this vegetable salad. Regardless of whether served as a side, or on its own, it tastes just great.It all started when I resolved that I was not venturous enough with respect to mustards. In the past, I slowly (read it ‘very

Lavender Chocolate Pots de Crème

2008-07-15T00:36:00.002-07:00

Ever since I saw this post at Susan’s blog, it got stuck to my head. Luscious, decadent, and chocolaty; the only way to get this custard off my head was to try making it at least once. Having all the ingredients on hand didn’t help either. I succumbed to temptation and treated myself with this fabulous dessert.Lavender blossoms were lost in the dark corners of my pantry for a few months now.

Corn Pancakes With Gazpacho Salsa

2008-07-11T18:39:00.001-07:00

Starting the day on a savoury note...Corn Pancakes (serves 2)IngredientsAll purpose flour or maida - ¾ cup Cornmeal – ¾ cup Corn kernels – from 2 ears, about 1½ cups Low fat milk – 1 cup Baking powder – 1 tsp Salt – ½ tsp Cilantro – ¼ cup, finely chopped Olive oilMethodSift flour, baking powder and salt together. Add cornmeal, corn kernels and stir in milk and cilantro until just combined. Add

AFAM – Coconut: Roundup

2008-07-08T20:16:00.001-07:00

Here it is, the roundup of AFAM – Coconut. I knew this fruit is quite popular, but your response was truly overwhelming. Soon after I announced the theme, coconut-y creations from around the world started pouring in, not limited by cuisine or course, just what I was expecting. We have a total of 105 entries, with 2 or even 3 entries from some bloggers. I thank each one of you for your support and

Another Year, Another Candle

2008-07-05T16:06:00.000-07:00

I can have my cake and eat it too. Heck, its my birthday!

Stand-Out And Live Strong

2008-07-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

My entry to Click - Yellow for Bri. Thank you all for your generosity and kindness.

Coconut Tofu Wraps

2008-06-30T01:30:00.000-07:00

The only Indian sandwich/wrap recipe I have known so far, is cooked, mashed potato with peas and spices. It makes a tasty and filling sandwich, but I was yearning for something different. Taking inspiration from a cookbook that I was perusing in the library, I put together a wrap that was quite a medley of flavours.By now, you would have noticed my strong affinity towards greens. I make sure to

Cashew - Coconut Croquettes

2008-06-25T00:39:00.000-07:00

Its time to talk about another one of my favourite cookbooks. Well, its more than a cookbook, a culinary travelogue – Mangoes and Curry Leaves, by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. The book take us through the Great Indian Subcontinent – India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The greatest success of this book is, in my opinion, the authors somehow manage to magically transport us to

Jamaican Jerk Seasoned Tempeh Sandwich

2008-06-20T00:22:00.001-07:00

Looking back at my recipes, I realized I haven’t written about yet another soy product that pops into my kitchen now and then – Tempeh. Originating from Indonesia, tempeh is prepared by fermenting soybeans with a starter. More about it here and here.For a vegan product, it may look strange. Its distinct nutty taste and grainy texture may require some getting used to. The first time I tasted

Freshly Ground Wheat Berry Flatbread – Gehun Phulka

2008-06-16T22:36:00.001-07:00

Good cookbooks meant glossy pages and eye-candy photos to me, in my earlier days of cooking. Lets admit, good pictures do make our heads turn. But, after a while, my infatuation over looks wore off. I took time to go through a book thoroughly, even if it contains just pages of recipes and techniques, before accepting or ignoring it.One such unassuming, no-pictures cookbook I came across was Lord

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

2008-06-12T00:50:00.000-07:00

“You know, I made this strawberry crisp, and was such a hit in my house”, I said, in one of my telecons with L. “Send me the recipe. Better yet, post it in your blog with some pictures”, she said. “Oh, sure“.And that was almost 3 months back. She even gently reminded me a couple of times. Finally, I got around posting it only today. Don’t I make this often? I do. More often than I would want to.

Lentil Fattoush Salad

2008-06-08T23:48:00.002-07:00

I don’t believe in diets, but I do believe in portion control. In other words, eating the right amount of carbs and proteins keeps me on track without cravings or starvation. I have learnt to indulge responsibly and still maintain a healthy weight.For some of us, gaining weight is a vicious circle. We eat neglectfully, get depressed at what the scale shows, binge, gain more wait, and thus the

Announcing AFAM - June '08

2008-06-04T14:16:00.002-07:00

A Fruit A Month, the monthly event that puts spotlight on a fruit comes to Tasty Palettes. Started by Maheswari of Beyond The Usual, this event has been going on for quite sometime now. Which also means, many of the fruits we enjoy on a daily basis have already received their deserved attention. While I was searching for a fruit that was easily available, I had to think outside the box. There are

Bloggers For Bri

2008-06-03T17:27:00.000-07:00

If you have been active in the blogging community these past days, its hard not to notice how all of us have come together for a noble cause. Click, the peer-judged food photography challenge, dons ‘Yellow’ this month. This is a special edition, as Jai and Bee are organizing a fundraiser to help Bri’s fight against breast cancer.Brianna Brownlow, who blogs at Figs With Bri, is battling against

The Drunken Vadai a.k.a Sambar Vadai

2008-05-29T23:10:00.001-07:00

How many times has sambar been mentioned in this blog? One too many. And there will be more. I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I say sambar is iconic to Tamil Nadu. Sambar is as Tamilian as marinara is Italian. Breakfast, lunch or dinner, this lentil gravy somehow finds its place on the table. Starting your day with idli, dosa, pongal or upma with a side of steaming hot sambar, is enough boot to get

Japanese Udon - Tofu Soup

2008-05-27T21:50:00.000-07:00

When I am down with cold or fever, I generally resort to a set of recipes that clears my nose. These recipes are easy on stomach, but not light on flavour; meant to kick start our system with a spicy jolt. Like spicy tomato soup/rasam, Pepper-cumin-garlic rasam, and now miso soup.My love for miso is not new. Mellow, but salty, miso makes a great soup. The broth is infused with spicy ginger and

Melon Salad With Mint And Buddha’s Hand

2008-05-26T23:08:00.002-07:00

After being stripped off all its zest for cupcakes and crème brûlée, I was left with a ‘naked’ Buddha’s Hand. As light and refreshing it was, I made a simple summer salad by combining it with mint and melon. Its an ageless combination, but in this salad, the lemon pieces can be bitten into, rather than tasting faintly in the background.Talking about background and props, this melon salad is

Buddha’s Hand Crème Brûlée

2008-05-21T23:06:00.002-07:00

After I was thoroughly impressed with the citrus-y floral notes of Buddha’s Hand, I cannot shake the idea of using it in a custard, off my head. It was going to be either a flan, a brûlée, or a pudding. I was itching to use the new blow-torch I had recently bought. And, crème brûlée was the clear winner. Here is ‘2’ of 1-in-3 – Buddha’s Hand Citron.IngredientsEgg yolks – 4 Sugar – 1 tsp + 3 tbsp

1-in-3 – Buddha’s Hand Citron

2008-05-19T23:56:00.001-07:00

From octopus to orange, squash to Star Wars, I had more fun than you all did, coming up with names for that strange-looking-thingy I posted yesterday. Isn’t Imaginaaaation fun?As you many of you have guessed, it is indeed a citrus; Buddha’s Hand Citron, to be exact. Believed to have originated from India, this citrus got its name for its ‘fingers’. The fruit has no juice or pulp, just peel and

What Could This Be?

2008-05-18T23:14:00.000-07:00

Almond Pâté

2008-05-14T23:11:00.002-07:00

Pâté is a spreadable mixture of chopped or ground meat, fat and seasonings, often served with toasts as a starter. It may be cooked in a pastry (Pâté en croûte), or in a mold (Pâté en terrine). But there is no meat in my pâté, but ground almonds. Sounds fabulous? What else do you expect from Tassajara?We were head-over-heels in love with this spread, to say the least. G, who loves everything

Simply Okra

2008-05-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

Whenever I find small tender okra (or lady’s finger, as it is called in India), I make this dish. I first tasted this in my aunt’s house over a decade ago. Being an ardent okra lover, I fell in love at the very first bite. When we came back, I, along with my mom tried it with equally delicious results. But over the next few years it was lost from our kitchen. When I started cooking on my own,

Udon – Miso Bowl

2008-05-06T23:08:00.001-07:00

Have you ever yearned to visit a place for months together and suddenly realized that you can actually make to it in a matter of hours? That precisely explains my sudden disappearance this past week. I am hoping to share this experience with you when time permits.Coming to today’s recipe, this is yet another restaurant-inspired meal. I have this bad habit of recreating meals that I enjoy in any

Eggs En Cocotte

2008-04-29T20:19:00.001-07:00

That’s a fancy name for eggs baked in a cup or ramekin. Easy as 1,2,3, the eggs are baked with cream, salt and pepper and served with buttered toasts.After a visit to the farmer’s market, I always come home with farm-fresh eggs with bright coloured yolks and freshly baked bread. So eggs and toast is our standard weekend brunch. Some days the eggs are scrambled, other days they are baked or