Being Married to a South Indian has many advantages and disadvantages of its own. While I got a chance to look at a different aspects of cooking and also learnt a number of new dishes which I never knew existed (I will be publishing these tasty recipes in some time here), there are some other things that I wished was done differently.

One big challenge that I face is the language barrier. My husband is more of a North Indian though he was born a South Indian, because of being educated and having worked in most of North India. But the fun is when it comes to communicating with the natives at my in-laws. More often that not I sit there dumb-faced when most of the conversation happens, trusting that I am not the topic of the discussion. Off late, though I have started to understand a little bit of Malayalam and believe I can even win a contract now.

After about an year of marriage, I was on a visit to Kerala. My husband was busy with his relatives as usual and I had some time to explore Kerala (that will be a macro term, because my idea was to explore the place where we were). Unaware of the disaster that was awaiting, I promised my husband I will be back in a couple of hours and set out of a nice walk along the rural sights of my native.

The beauty of Kerala is such that you are bound to get lost. It was green all around as if there was no other color in the spectrum. I enjoyed every minute of that walk. After about an hour and a half of walk, I decided it was time to go back. The next minute was the longest minute in my life. I turned and was surprised to see three roads converging onto the point I was standing. I was absolutely sure this was not there before because I walked only one road.

The next minute I got my confidence back and walked up to an elderly standing on the road side showcasing his six-packs he had earned out of hard work, wearing that traditional lungi with extreme prints and a beedi between his fingers. I opened my mouth and was surprised that I could speak only 2 languages – Hindi and English. Malayalam will just not come out.

My question (obviously in Hindi), “How do I go to…..?” and then I realized I do not know the name of the place we were staying. I could still have managed to enquire citing some landmarks but that was too much for the old man to understand.

I could see the ending seconds in the Hindi movies of the 80s reading , “The End” flashing before my eyes.

I am done, finished. I did to everything to myself believe it.

Then I realized that I am in the 21st century, with all the technology at my disposal. More so the biggest thing in time today – my mobile phone.

(I had always thought that my husband was something I cannot do without but then that minute told me that it was actually the mobile phone that I couldn’t do without and my husband came only the second.)

I dialed my husband’s number only to get a message, “The number you have dialed is out of coverage area”. That is what happens if you are on different networks.I wished we had the same network, but alas…

I am a blogger, an internet marketer. How could I just let it go without trying? I am supposed to be internet savvy and yes, I was.

I pulled my blackberry out, hit a few buttons, opened the navigator and fed in a few details. I was searching for the nearest temple, because I knew I am not far from my house and that there was a well known temple near my house.

The navigator gave me 4 options each at around 3 kms apart. The next 3.5 hours I walked to each of these temples because I did not have to vocabulary to explain to an auto rickshaw driver as to where I wanted to go.

Unfortunately for me, the temple I was looking for was the 3rd one. Finally I reached home after about 5 1/2 hours only to see my husband whiling his time away with his first wife – his computer, unaware that he almost lost his real wife.

As soon as he saw me, his first dialogue was, ” Yaar, make me some pakodas” and I knew that it is time that I concentrated on cooking and recipes.

That day I learnt a lesson that “The Internet is more helpful than your Husband”.

This is a post in my Miscellaneous Ramblings category as part of the “http://www.vodafone.in/fun” Contest at Indiblogger.

For a change I thought I will review a very handy book that I have been referring to for some time in this Paleo recipe Book review. Paleo Recipes are said to be one of the healthiest recipes because of the nutritional value that these recipes carry. Before we look at how nutritional this diet plan is and do a complete review of one the best Paleo recipe book available today, let us look at what this recipe is all about.

This is what the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_diet had to say about Paleo Recipes -

The paleolithic diet (abbreviated paleo diet or paleodiet), also popularly referred to as the caveman diet, Stone Age diet and hunter-gatherer diet, is a modern nutritional plan based on the presumed ancient diet of wild plants and animals that various hominid species habitually consumed during the Paleolithic era—a period of about 2.5 million years duration that ended around 10,000 years ago with the development of agriculture. In common usage, such terms as the “Paleolithic diet” also refer to the actual ancestral human diet.

That should give you a fair idea of what a Paleo Diet is. Though it is not a weight loss plan, it can help you in being healthy and fit and not accumulate unnecessary fat. This diet along with a little exercise should do the trick for you if you are planning to reduce weight.

Paleo Recipe Book Review – The Book

The Paleo recipe book is a one of its kind e-book available today.

• The recipes are 100% Paleo approved.
• More than 370 recipes, categorized into 18 different food categories.
• Includes cooking guides, charts and references for a better understanding.
• Includes a wide variety of food categories like desserts, snacks, main courses etc.
• Comes with 4 bonus book, each of which complement the main e-book.

The bonus e-books include a meal plan, an additional recipe book and a handy guide on herbs and spices. The book has a decent representation of the recipes in the form of beautiful photographs as well.

The Paleo Recipe Book Review – My Opinion

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the book and the information contained in the book. The recipe book was not just a collection of recipes. But it also had some excellent guidance on cooking and some other cooking tips as well. So if you are somebody who gets over-whelmed with the idea of cooking, then this is the guide you should follow.

The information in the guide was neatly laid out in an easy to understand form. The charts and references come in handy when you feel the need for additional information. The flow of information also followed a smooth transition so you did not feel lost in the middle of the book.

Beautiful pictures of the recipes complemented the overall book and I was actually in love with the book.

Conclusion – Is it worth it?

The Paleo Recipe book is priced at $27.00. At that price it was a steal of a deal. You cannot get so much of information and so many recipes together in one book for that price.

If you are looking for a healthy diet plan that helps you stay fit and healthy, then the Paleo recipe is the way to go and we would certainly recommend this book after our Paleo recipe book review.

You can check out the book and place your orders here.

Ingredients:-

• Soft bread fresh-6 slices
• Butter softened-1 tbsp
• Garlic crushed-2 flakes
• Crushed red chilli-1/2 tsp.
• Salt to taste
• Grated cheese-1 tbsp.

Method:-

1. Roll the bread flat with the help of a rolling pin.
2. Mix the salt, chilli, garlic in the butter.
3. Apply on all slices equally.
4. Roll one slice tightly from end to end.
5. Brush all over with a bit of butter.
6. Coat the roll with grated cheese by rolling in it.
7. Repeat for all slices. Cover rolls with a moist cloth.
8. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
9. Bake in a hot oven for 10-15 minutes or till golden brown and crisp.
10. Serve hot with ketchup.

Ingredients :-

• Doodhi (lauki)-1 kg
• Milk-1 1/2 litre
• Sugar-400-500 gm
• Elaichi powder (cardomon)
• Saffron few flakes
• Ghee-1 tbsp

Method:-

1. Peel and grate Doodhi.
2. Put milk and doodhi in a heavy saucepan. Boil till thick, stirring occassionally. Once it starts thickening, stir continuously.
3. Add sugar and cook further till thickens.
4. Add ghee, elaichi, saffron and color.
5. Stir on low heat till the mixture collects in a soft ball or, the ghee oozes out.
6. Serve hot, decorated with a chopped almond or pista.

Image Courtesy http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8nhebWlzoaM/0.jpg

Ingredients:-

• Pizza base 12″
• Tomato blanch & puree – 6
• Garlic minced-  2tsp
• Mozzarella cheese grated-  1cup
• Onion minced -  1/2
• Pepper sliced- 1/2 each
• Corn boiled- 1/4 cup
• Salt- to taste
• Baby corn blenched sliced- 3
• Onion sliced- 1
• Pizza seasoning – 3tsp
• Pepper powder- 1 tsp
• Butter-  4tbsp

Method:-

1. Heat butter in a pan, add garlic,onion and tomato. Cook well.
2. Add seasoning, salt and pepper .
3. Brush the pizza base with a little bit of butter and spread the tomato filling .
4. Put a layer of vegetable and some grated cheese and grill in a preheated oven at 180 degree for about 20-22 minutes.
5. Grill till the top layer of cheese is melted to a golden brown.
6. Slice and serve after dressing it with a little more seasoning  , if you want you can also add chilli flakes.

Cooking dinner can be a constant worry for some people, and it can also be major cause of stress!  The majority of modern working individuals are constantly multi-tasking.   Always being on the go is now the norm.

Further, you can see a lot of successful career-oriented individuals who have to juggle a demanding career along with the kids’ school activities, spending quality time with the family, and they’re also stuck with the responsibility of preparing dinner!

Good thing that you don’t have to be a gourmet chef in order to prepare a decent meal. There are many http://www.foodonthetable.com/easy-dinner-tips that are readily available on the internet.

One question you should ask yourself is how do we cook meals that are healthy and taste good without spending a lot of time in the kitchen? Here are a number of great ways to set up fast and simple meals that the entire family can enjoy.

Are you one of those people who doesn’t feel like cooking a delicious meal after a stressful day at work? Why not stop by your local supermarket or high-end grocery store?  You can find pre made meals that are delicious and hassle-free. Craving for some chicken salad, rotisserie chickens, or some pasta salad?

The grocery store should be able to prepare this for you.  You can also go check out their salad station or bar in case you are in the mood for some healthy greens.  There are also pre-made salads that can you can serve again as a side with a rotisserie chicken. For dessert, serve up some ice cream with sliced fruit on the side. With grocery stores, all you have to do is follow the aisles, purchase, and serve. Easy and hassle-free!

Setting up a family dinner can be as easy as one-two-three when you have the right gadgets in your kitchen.  They make the task of getting your dinner done in no time.  Here are several kitchen tools and appliances that may make your task a lot easier and hassle-free.

Who doesn’t own a crock pot? No question about it.  Every household should have a crock pot or two.  You can make use of this for your slow-cooker stews.  This is very convenient because all you have to do is store the stew then serve it as leftovers even days later.  If you feel like you are running out of fresh ideas, try checking out Food Networks’ http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/slow-cooker-pork-with-noodles-recipe/index.html, http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/slow-cooker-texas-chili-recipe/index.html, and various http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/slow-cooker-pork-stew-recipe/index.html.

This amazing kitchen tool may not perform as quickly as a Panini grill does, but preparing stir-fried dishes has its advantages.  What else?  Own a wok!  A stir-fried meal can be prepared ahead and even in bulk.  You can then store it and keep it for days!

There are a few “rules” to using the wok. For example, cook your ingredients ahead of time and only use oils that can be heated to a high temperature (like peanut oil, corn oil, or soybean oil). Always cook your meat or poultry first, followed by the faster cooking vegetables and stir vigorously! All you need to make a nutrient-rich http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/chicken-and-broccoli-stir-fry-recipe/index.html is some chicken, scallions, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, and broccoli. Once cooked together, these ingredients can be served of some jasmine rice or noodles.

Ingredients:-

• Maida-1/2 kg
• Sugar-750 gm
• Water-2 cups
• Milk-1/2 ltr
• Coconut grated-1 cup
• Bananas-6 (optional)
• Dry fruits-25gm
• Fennel seeds (Saunf) – 2 tsp
• Green cardamom powder – 1 tsp
• Oil to fryMethod:-
  1).Take maida in a bowl and mix milk in it by adding little by little. Mix mashed banana
  also if you like.
  2. Add fennel seeds and 1/2 tsp cardamom powder, and leave the batter aside to rest.
  3. Now to make sugar syrup, take sugar and water in a large vessel and bring it to boil,
  stirring continuously.
  4. Remove from heat and add rest of the cardamom powder and saffron, if desired. Set aside.
  5. Heat oil in a kadai and pour 1 small ladle of the batter, for frying.
  6. Fry the pua on both sides till golden brown.
  7. Take out the fried pua from oil and transfer to the sugar syrup immediately. Finish frying
  the rest of the puas in the same way.
  8. Take out syrup soaked puas or “Ras puas” from the sugar syrup, and serve hot.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sudip_lenz/

Ingredients:-

For malai

• Milk- 4 Measuring cup
• Lemon juice dissolved in water- 2 tbsp lemon juice dissolved in 1 tbsp of water
• Sugar- 1 1/2 cup
• Water- 4 cups
• Cardamom powder- 1/4 tsp

For ras

1. First keep the 3 cups of milk for ras to boil until it reamins 1 3/4 cup.
2. Bring 4 cups of milk to boil in another pan . Now to curdle the milk add lemon juice to it stirring continously.
3. Then drain it in muslin cloth or handkerchief.
4. Hold it covered with cloth in the running water.Drain the excess water by pressing the cloth.
5. Ensure that there is no water remaining.
6. In a pressure cooker take 3 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar.
7. Take the chenna out of the cloth in a dish , mash it and make around 15 small size of balls out of it.
8. Toss that balls in the pressure cooker and bring two whistle.
9. In the mean time see the milk for ras may be ready.
10. Add the sugar for ras to it and add cardomon, pista, almond and safforn to it.Let it cool aside
11. As the pressure cooker is warm now open it take out the balls of chenna with the spoon in a dish and let the water drain by pressing it little and let it cook.
12. When the milk is cool add chenna balls to it and garnish with almonds,saffron and pistachios.
13. Refrigerate it.
14. Now it is ready to serve.

Note: While putting chenna balls in the pressure cooker do not put one on the other. Put number of pieces depending on the size of the pressure
cooker .

Photograph courtesy by http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/

Chef Kathy (an award winning chef) shares 25 of her favorite pork tenderloin recipe. Each recipe is photographed for presentation purposes and promises to make you “justly” famous!

All of the ingredients for these recipes can be found at any decent super market, and if you can cut with a knife, stir with a spoon, turn on an oven and read a recipe – YOU CAN DO THIS!

But why pork tenderloin?

In Chef Kathy’s own words:

• With no bone and very little fat, there’s no waste in pork tenderloin!
• Pork Tenderloin is one of the quickest-cooking cuts of meat. You can grill tenderloin over direct heat in less than 10 minutes!
• Cooking pork tenderloin lends itself to varied methods and presentations. You can slice it into thick medallions and fan it on a plate. You can cut it before cooking and skewer it for kebabs. You can even use it in a stir-fry!
• It works equally well as a weeknight entree or an elegant dinner-party centerpiece. Stuffed pork tenderloin is particularly impressive!
• Pork tenderloin can be served hot or room temperature, making it perfect for potluck, picnics or a buffet. You can also pre-slice it and offer various dipping sauces!

And, pork tenderloin makes great leftovers for sandwiches!

http://tastofind.gourmet150.hop.clickbank.net/

Ingredients:-

• Almonds soaked overnight-1 1/2 cup
• Hot milk-3 cups
• Ghee-250 gm
• Sugar-1/2 to 1/3 cup

Method:-

1. Peel the almonds, wash and grind it to a fine paste.
2. Heat ghee in a heavy pan.
3. Add almond paste and cook on first high then slow flame, stirring continuosly.
4. When it turns  light brown and aromatic , pour hot milk and stir.
5. As the mixture tends to splatter use a long-handled spatula.
6. When the mixture thickens, add the sugar and cook, stirring continously and gently till ghee begins to separate.
7. Decorate with chopped nuts and serve hot.