Turmeric n spice

Tomato Fettuccine and Cherry Tomato Starters

2013-05-22T14:09:00.000-05:00

This week has been really busy, I have a pile of things that I need to complete and unless I get super human powers overnight, there is no way it will get done. I have some 8 posts in the draft and I have not had time to sit down and pen the write-ups, it is my dream to have some publish ready post in the draft for busy hectic weeks. It is not going to be a reality any time soon.

Let me ignore the mile long to-do list for now, am excited to share this recipe with you guys, yesterday I got some fresh organic tomatoes from Wholesum Harvest and I was super excited to photograph these beauties and to use them. Tomatoes indeed make my world go round, it's just the perfect subject for photography, they are bright, they take light so well... you cannot go wrong with it. Since, the time I had seen Deeba's ( from Passionate about Baking) home-grown tomatoes in the LFP ( Learn Food Photography) community my heart was set on capturing these cuties. Some of these pictures are inspired by Deeba, Thanks Deeba ! Also, thanks to Wholesome Harvest for giving me the opportunity to use these organic produce. I got two varieties cherry and tomato on the vine (tov) which is their signature tomato. No guesses on why it is there signature tomato. It is from their brand new greenhouse in Amado, Arizona. These tomatoes are fresh, juicy and full of flavor, and organic. Enjoyed cooking and eating!

I made ~~two~~ three recipes from them. With the cherry I made a cute cheery, mozzarella and basil starter. I had seen these a while ago on Pinterest.

The second one is a fettucini made from a dried tomato pesto and fresh tov.

The third one, is a simple salad with tomatoes, basil and a vinaigrette of balsamic, curry powder, brown sugar and olive oil. Unfortunately, I do not have pictures as I ate the salad up, it was so tasty and tempting ( sheepishly). It started with one bite and before I knew it... I wanted to take some shots today, but too many things going on, so I will take some pictures as soon as I can and update it on the post.

Cherry Tomato Starters

fresh cherry tomatoes
fresh basil leaves
fresh mozzarella
extra virgin olive oil
red pepper corn/ or black
sea salt to taste

In the extra virgin olive oil add the salt and freshly ground pepper. The red pepper corn, is very mild, acidic and a hint of sweetness, ya it does have a hint of sweetness. I just loved it paired with mozzarella and cherry.

Cut the cherry tomato to in half, and cut the mozzarella to size, preferably with a tiny cookie cutter. After you have cut all the cheese, drizzle olive oil on it.

Assemble the tomato, it is an amazing bite size treat and great for parties, make sure you don't assemble way before serving as it does have the tendency to leave water. To de-seed or not is totally a personal choice. So cute right ! gobble! gobble!

Tomato Fettuccine

fettuccine : cooked according to packet instruction ( for 2 servings)
garlic : 4-5 cloves
olive oil : 2 tbsp
sun dried tomato pesto: 2-3 tbsp recipe here
fresh basil for garnish
fresh tomatoes (tov) : 2-3
parmesan for garnish

In a pan, add olive oil, let it heat add the crushed garlic and the pesto and a bit of the water from the cooked fettuccine. Toss in the the cooked fettuccine, mix, add fresh basil and chunks of tomatoes. Close for 3-5 min. Garnish with parmesan. I tossed the fettuccine after I added the cheese to show off the nice bright colors.

This was a long post... I did have to share just one more thing, but maybe in my next. Until then hugs :)

Saffron Infused Apple Chai

2013-05-15T14:38:00.003-05:00

If you check the archives of my blog, I must have said some zillion times " I love summer " Well, I really do, I love sunshine and even as the temperatures rise to unbelievable heights, I never complain, ahem! well not as much as I complain about the sub zeros. Summer is all about ice-cold beverages and the supply in plenty. I have tried so many variations of ice-tea that I can write a book or start a blog - "just chai" as the caption. Well, not a bad idea. I can ask my brother-in law to co-author it with me as he is very well-informed about the history and geography of tea. Intact he makes his tea with a stopwatch, no kidding. Precision during brewing. We all have our obsessions, don't we? This particular crop of tea was gifted to me by him and it is white champagne tea, first flush, from Darjeeling. It's got a mild aroma, a very delicate flavor and infuses very well with saffron. It looks gorgeous right. Well the red strands are saffron. You are going to love this simple infusion

soak the saffron in warm water, so you get a nice rich color

brew the tea for about 2-4 min

strain, add the saffron water, finely chopped apples and honey or sugar

refrigerate

serve chilled.

Kaju Katli / Cashew Bars

2013-05-11T22:38:00.002-05:00

I have been very privileged to have a mother who is one of the most amazing women. A perfect blend of tradition beliefs and modern outlook. I have so many memories from my childhood that I can only thank my mother for... She has made those memories so special. My friends would almost always hang out in my houseand there was a constant supply of snacks, meals and desserts. We always shared our secrets, our teen crushes, gossip with her. She has always been there, guiding me just enough, never been a ' helicopter' parent, but always had her eyes on me. Am not so sure if I will ever be as skilled a mother as she is. Among the many roles I play, I have to admit being a mother is the most fullfilling role. I got my mother's day gift and I loved it... 'finally teen' cleaned my car for me, I thought it was so cute. She even sprayed some room freshener in there and it does smell so good. Happy Mother's Day to all the aunts, sisters, girl friends, grandmas and moms and everyone else to loves to mother :)

This recipe is so easy that you will kick yourself for not having tried it before, I did kick myself ;) Thanks to show me the curry for the recipe.

Powdered Cashews – 1.5 cups (150gms)
Powdered Sugar/confectioner's sugar – 1 cup (110gms)
Instant Non-Fat Dry Milk (Milk Powder) – 1/2 cup (60gms)
Cardamom Powder – 1/8 tsp
Water – 2 tbsp

Bring the water to boil in a double broiler. Add the Powdered Sugar and Milk Powder in the top pan.Stir continuously for 2-3 minutes till the Sugar and Milk Powder are warm all the way through.

Pour the Cashew Powder in a mixing bowl, mix in the warm sugar, milk powder and cardamom powder. Now add the 2 tbsp of warm Water. Start Kneading, add more water if needed. Knead till it forms a dough and the cashew starts letting go some oil. Do not over kneed at it will make it hard to roll the dough.

Grease hands with ghee and the rolling pin for easier rolling. Roll out the dough to the desired thickness on to a wax paper to avoid sticking. Cut the rolled-out dough into desired shapes (traditionally cut into diamond shapes). Add varak for a traditional grand look. I added varak partially since I ran out of varak to cover all the kaju katlis.

Allow to set at room temperature for 1-2 hours or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Sambhar Spice Blend

2013-05-07T12:15:00.001-05:00

A good masala blend is always the key to a great curry. The aromas, taste of the curry are from the spices and if that is not blended in a good proportion, it almost always messes up the taste of the curry. I love to create my spice blends and am really proud (sometimes over the top) of the creation. Some of the recipes have been passed down to me either from my mother or from my mother-in-law, sometimes I incorporate both of their recipes and some times it is my own. The recipes from Southern Indian are usually traditional recipes (in my family), some of them are heirloom and are in the family for generations. I am fortunate to be part of a family where food has a big role to play. My mother and mother-in-law have stories about recipes, ingredients, dishes and great cooks in their family... stories about meals three decades ago, still remembered and talked about . Who said food is just a meal for today... it is a memory and an experience that can live on in your mind and can even be passed on. I really hope am able to create magic on a plate that will be remembered in three decades, that is something !

To my friends who are not from India, a little introduction about sambhar masala. Every curry has its own spice blend. Sambhar is a curry made from lentil, coconut or/and vegetables. This is a spice blend for that curry. It is usually enjoyed with a hot cup of steaming rice and a dollop of ghee. It can also be enjoyed with dosa ( a lentil crêpe) or idli (rice pan cakes). The taste is spicy, tangy, balanced with a hint of sweetness. You just have to taste it and before you know it you will be enjoying multiple servings as a broth. Don't you just love the colors.

Spice blend
1 tbsp cumin/jeera
1/2 tsp peppercorn/kala mirch
5-6 red chilli (whole)/ laal mirch
4 tbsp coriander seed/dhaniya beej
1 tbsp gram lentil/chana daal
1/4 tbsp cinnamon stick (broken)/dalchini
1/2 tsp fenugreek seed/methi beej ( optional)
1/4 tsp asafetida

1 tsp oil

handful of dry coconut powder or fresh coconut

Roast the above ingredients in oil (except the coconut), till you can smell the aroma. Wait for it to cool. Add the dry coconut powder and dry grind OR add the fresh coconut and make a paste.

As simple as this... you can make a small amount for just once or make in a large quantity and store for up to 3 months. If you make the wet paste, you might want to use it up in a week, or make the dry paste without coconut and add the coconut to the dry powder and make a wet paste, whenever you want to use it. I will be posting sambhar on the blog soon, for now the spice blend.

Spicy Garlic Oil

2013-05-03T08:29:00.000-05:00

Spice is a tool, a powerhouse of flavors. You can mix and match, using your tools to create the flavors you want on your canvas, with no rules (I love the sound of that.) A small teaspoon can go a long way. Every time that I add masalas (spice blend) to my vegetables, I feel like I am breathing life into the dish.

Bland flavorless food is like watching a boring movie on a dull, rainy day. I have had the opportunity to to taste some pretty bland food and it left me with a rather dull empty feeling. Spicy is sometimes misunderstood as a synonym for 'hot'; however, spicy simply means flavored with spice. Spicy does not always mean it is sharp and/or hot. Cinnamon is not sharp, but it is a spice... Then there is fennel, which is sweet in flavor. It might be intimidating for some to embrace these flavors, it is indeed an acquired taste. If you are sniffing cumin for the first time, don't stick your nose into a bag of cumin, you might just faint (OK! that's a bad joke) But seriously, it does have a strong aroma, most spices do. But remember that you are not going to add a cup of cumin or any other spice, into your dish. It's going to be just 1/2 tsp or even 1/4th tsp. It provides flavor and mixes in with the other main ingredients to give a subtle flavor. A better way could be to rub the spice between your finger and thumb and sniff the aroma. I think spiced oils are a good way to start, as you can add a bit of the spiced oil onto your dish and try it. Also, I love customizing my ~~dinner~~ meals to my own taste buds, hence I love food that has a lot of movement and creativity; where you can add the dips, chutneys and oils, mix them...and every bite of the food is unique. That is food nirvana for me. And most importantly, oils love flavor.

This particular spicy oil is a mix of red chili, garlic and a bit of garam masala. The oil I have used is a blend of olive and sesame. Sesame is pretty strong, the olive oil dilutes the flavor of the sesame and adds it's own sweet nutty taste. Why oils?? Well, it's the same reason why fried food is one of the best tasting foods. It's because fat devolves flavor (flavor solvents). I know you're probably falling asleep here, but there is serious science behind why fried food is more flavorful. So, don't blame yourself for gawking over french fries rather than apples. (no offense to apples here). Just one advice, don't drink it like a beverage... use a teaspoon.

My other favorite is olive oil with fennel seeds... coming soon on the blog.

Take a bottle of your choice, fill it with oil 3/4 way up.
oil ratio 2:1 - 2 portion of olive to one portion of sesame.
3-4 garlic clove, crushed, sliced or chopped finely.
1/2 tsp red paprika powder
1 tbsp crushed paprika
1/4 tsp garam masala - recipe here

Mix, wait for a couple of hours and the magic has already begun... the longer it is soaked the more flavor is incorporated in the oil, stays good for 3 months. Make sure you do NOT use a wet spoon, the oil can have a nasty smell when mixed with water.

Drizzle some oil on a piece of mozzarella or paneer, on a slice of sourdough. Enjoy the flavors.

Mini Cocktail Samosa

2013-04-30T17:24:00.000-05:00

Nostalgia, a sure sign of aging? You will not see a 13 year old getting nostalgic about her toddler years....or do you ? Well at least my teen does not ? Maybe I just have an old soul, cos seriously who you calling old ?? Ok correction here, Finally Teen says she does get nostalgic about her toddler years...so am glad we got the age thing behind us !! 'Finally teen' got back from school and guess what she way playing 'Simon and Garfunkel' "bridge over trouble waters". I was trying to read but I ended up closing my eyes soaking in the song and we must have played it for over an hour.....sometimes there is so much power in silence, yes we did play "sounds of silence" too and that moment was precious for me...!! A moment to step back and document in my ~~mind~~ heart...for in a couple of decades, I shall look back and think of this evening and cherish it in my mind and nothing can bring it back to life other than my own memory of it. How I wish I can lock this moment of time and throw away the keys. Well, there are days when I truly anticipate the future with excitement and then there are those moments like today, when I want to lock in to the beauty of NOW. Well, hope I did not push you guys into a sea of tears cos 'Finally Teen' thinks this is a whee bit depressing. Well, I think not, so I shall post this and have you decide. Throw in your opinion and we are both ( Finally Teen and me) curious to know :))

Assuming that I did throw you off a bit, here are some cute cute bite size samosas that might cheer you up. I don't need to add, it will go very well with some chilled beer, a wonderful sunset and some great music in the background.....and yes ! so easy to put together that you will have plenty of time to enjoy.

Btw, my samosa are not the perfect shape..am an apprentice at samosa making. Maybe it does have something to do with the word patience. Am sure yours will be perfect and if you want to leave a link of samosa recipe from your blog, pl leave a link here in the comments - I would love to better my craft.

Finally the days of shorts n sunshine, fireflies n flip-flops, bbq and beer and picnics n parties ! After weeks of cold, wet days...finally some bright sunshine and real spring temperatures...Any plans for spring/summer ? Well, I have some exciting stories/news to share....you will just have to wait :)

Shell : ready wonton wrappers

Filling

2 medium boiled, pealed and mashed ( not soggy) potatoes
1/2 cup home made paneer link here
1/3 cup cooked peas

Spice blend
1 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp spicy paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
salt to taste

Oil to deep fry

Mix the potatoes and paneer with the spice blend, keep aside. Take the wonton wrapper, fold it into half cut a semi- circular shape, the ready wonton wrappers are usually square in shape. Discard the edges. Shape it into a funnel, add 1 tbsp of the mix, seal the edges with water, press to firm the seal. Ok ! I am so sure, I had taken pictures of the whole folding cutting process....I just can't find it :( Am going to post with out the pictures and when I find it, I will just repost the same with the additional pictures.

Yeah ! finally found the pictures and they are below .....

After you have filled all the samosas, keep aside. Heat oil in a deep pan or use a fryer and deep fry these cuties till golden brown. Serve hot !!

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

2013-04-24T16:06:00.002-05:00

Absolutely love Pinterest and can spend a lifetime there... being a visual person, I always get inspired from beautiful photography, art and inspirational quotes. I was pinning on Pinterest and my eye caught some beautiful inspirational words....

"The privilege of a lifetime, is being who you are" - unknown.

" You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world and there is still going to be somebody who hates peaches. " - Dita Von Ceese

It triggered a series of thoughts....and I always like to pen my emotions...here is an excerpt from my diary....

It's amazing how I have evolved in the last few years. Done things I thought I would never do because I am not that young or just the fear of negative response from people around me. I don't live on validation.... Ok! a whee bit of a people pleaser. It's not as bad as it sounds- I like to see people happy, ok! Dad was strong-minded and a very straight forward man - but on the social aspect I was trained (subconsciously) by mother - great with people management. Somehow she always knows what to say and say it in a way that the message is well received and she's successful in communicating her pleasure or displeasure. She's a charmer and knows how to use her words well. I guess, I did not inherit that quality and am a bit like dad (all the training from mom, did not do much). Also, married to a man who uses his words wisely but diplomacy is not in his vocabulary. ( lol! makes me laugh at the things he says sometimes) He's a great life coach and always tells me to live my life as an exclamation not an explanation. Can't thank you enough for this ! In this journey, I have realized that there are some people who have pushed me and I have made stronger bonds with them - ( they even do prop shopping for me and gift me things they buy for themselves ). I would not like to talk about the nay sayers, their existence does not bother me - they exist in their world and me in mine and these two world don't meet. Even thou, it is important to keep people around us happy but not at the cost of your own self. You really can't live your life trying to please everyone....! As dad would say "....have a dream, follow it, don't trample anyone for your dreams but don't get trampled either....."

Not everything I write in this space is related to what's cooking....but it is almost always followed by a recipe or at least a photograph of food . :) Today, am sharing an all time favorite pesto recipe. It is a very versatile chutney and you can whip so many variations and each one absolutely delish. You guys are going to love this!

Couple of handful of sun dried tomatoes
1 medium fresh tomato
small bunch of basil leaves
2 tbsp good quality capers
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4-5 garlic pods
1/4 cup ready to use marinara sauce (preferably home made)
1/2 tsp brown sugar

spice blend

2-3 tbsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp crushed pepper
salt to taste

Spin them in a processor, till it is a grainy consistency...you do not want it to be too smooth. You could add anchovies or pine nuts or some other spice blends, there can be a lot of variations.

Use to top crackers and melted cheese, in bruschetta or just good old grilled cheese sandwich with fresh tomatoes and basil. I find it a very versatile pesto, even for pasta.

In the picture above, added the pesto to italian bread, topped with some fresh tomatoes, onions, home made paneer and basil...in the oven for 10-12 min... !

Vada Pav

2013-04-17T14:56:00.000-05:00

Dark clouds were moving quickly...darkening the little day light that we had. As the thunder roared and the rain poured, I stood by the patio door ...looking outside at the drenched chair, yearning for an evening under the bright summer skies, with fireflies and stars....shining ever so bright. My eyes fell on the little droplets that were trickling down...almost slipping away to the floor ....I saw the reflection of the dull evening light on the drops.....each of them almost lit up against the dark, dull backdrop....!! This moment was so beautiful.....am always thinking of the next step, the next thing on my list....am living in tomorrow....! This moment, really made me think ....made me stop, take a deep breath. I don't know how long I stood there...it felt energized and relaxed...!

I had to take some shots of the beautiful evening. It has been an exciting fortnight. Me and my camera have been inseparable, literally! Everyday I am learning something new and just when I think I have created a beautiful work of art...I wait for a day and go back and revisit my photograph and I can see the flaw or the shortcoming in it, definitely developing an eye for detail.

Neel's 30 days food photography challenge has been FUN. It's fun to work and interact with people who share the same passion. It's amazing how none of us have seen each other and we come from different parts of the globe and we bond so well... Thanks Neel, for making this happen, and yes we do get homework...every day! But, it's not like school ...this kind of homework am willing to do 365 days not just 30. Am sure all my friends at the challenge will agree with me. If you want to explore LFP - here is the link for google plus. Am sharing today our lesson about lighting. Shooting with different light helped me learn about the relationship between textures and light and mood and light. The pix below is the same subject with different lighting. You can see, how lighting changes the mood, texture and meaning of the food.

On a beautifully nippy evening like this day...my palette was yearning for a spicy, deep fried meal...my brain did a quick scan of all the possibilities and.... before I knew it, I was cooking the potatoes and chopping the onions. Bitting into the crispy, spicy, juicy vada-pav with the pitter-patter of rain outside, a moment to live for. I guess you don't need a whole lot to enjoy the finer moments of life...!

For the filling

4-5 big potatoes boiled, pealed and mashed
1 medium onion finely chopped
2-3 green chilies
6-8 garlic cloves
handful of cilantro finely chopped
1 tbsp kasturi methi

Spice blend

1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp asafetida
salt to taste

Mix all the above ingredients and keep aside.

For the batter

1/4 cup besan/gram flour
2 tbsp rice flour
pinch of baking soda

spice blend

salt
paprika powder
all of the above to taste

Mix the batter in water, till it is a little runnier than cake batter consistency.

In a pan, heat oil to fry or use a deep fryer. make bite size balls from the potato mix and coat them in the batter by dunking then in it. Release in the hot oil slowly and watch them transform into absolutely deliciousness.

Slit a dinner roll/bun in the middle, add the vada-pav powder. I did not make the powder, but used the store bought ones....trust me it is really good and worth the drive to the Indian grocery store. If you want add some nice spicy chutney - recipe here. I like mine just with the dry powder and ....what are you waiting for dig into it :)

Before I forget, thanks to all of you who voted for me for Wholesome Harvest photography contest, so excited to win that and here is the picture again :))) thxs guys !!

Phyllo savory pastry

2013-04-11T11:46:00.000-05:00

I had written up a post yesterday, all I had to do was upload the pictures and hit publish...but...if only things are as predictable. Hmmm.... Last night before going to bed, I was reading about feedburner and mail subscriptions etc... somehow I ended up reading about other bloggers ranting about the demise of google reader. Ya! I know we have been reading a lot on that. Well, I ended up checking my subscribers.... and :( ! It's really my turn to rant now.... I am aware that my 341 is probably a trickle in the big picture....and life does go on, but ....!! Well, for the record I did have nightmares about the 341 people knocking on my front door asking me for an explanation ....and me, hiding behind my wicker chair. There was no logical ending to the dream....in the morning I woke up repeating 341 multiple times in my head ! A cup of coffee and I was a happy camper !

Now, am not going to reinvent the wheel, not that am capable off. Before, I pour and entangle myself into endless tech website ...and end up with more nightmares. If anyone of you know what to do, or if you are doing/done a blog post on this, please leave me a link. Any advice is welcome, pl don't tell me to read up on it ! And if you are one of the 341 - we need to fix this, I really need some inputs..plzz!

Phew! with that out of my way, am glad to be back to something I understand and love doing .....Since some of you have asked me to post the recipe after reading this post. Here it is ......the pastry is absolutely delicious and we loved it....hmm! am not sure if my other half got to taste it :( ! I planned a very small batch and we kind of, did a lot of tasting to perfect it ;) The pictures are a bit blah! It was just one of those days when my creative juices were sucked by the black hole.

I had a small argument will finally teen, I thought Parmesan pairs very well in this dish...however, finally teen prefers feta and ricotta, reminding her of the traditional spanakopita pastry. So, it's absolutely your call and your taste buds that you are answerable too. And btw, finally teen was asking me if anyone has asked about her....have not mentioned her on the blog in a while! ;) She has gotten over the British ascent and her 'thing' for now is operas and classical music ...endless hours of it...it's truly endless. My evenings are spent, watching the IPL ( cricket) with my other half or listening to soprano ...so if am baking more than my usual, you know where that is coming from.

phyllo sheets cut into 4 by 4 square ( about 4-5 sheets)
4 tbsp butter melted
1 egg beaten

1 cup asparagus finely chopped
2 cups fresh spinach coarsely chopped

1/2 cup or more of grated cheese of your choice

spice blend
1/2 tsp paprika
salt to taste

preheat oven to 350

In a pan sauté the asparagus in butter, add the spinach, salt and paprika - sauté till all the water is evaporated and the spinach is cooked. Keep aside. Add the feta, if that is the cheese you are going with. If you want a gooey mix, make some roux and mix it with the spinach.

For the roux - roast 1 tbsp all purpose in 1 tbsp butter till it is a little golden add milk or water and let it thicken, add the spinach mix to this - this is optional.

Make sure you have thawed the pastry sheets, it's rather delicate.

Remove one sheet at a time and brush it with butter followed by egg. Lay the sheets one on top of the other till you have about 5-6 sheets.

Delicately lifted the 4X4 buttered sheets and place it in a cup cake mold, ( no need to grease the pan) pressing it down to take shape. ...I wish i had pictures at this point....my camera was out of charge and ...! moving on...

Bake till it is 3/4 done this will take about 7-10 min. Remove, add the spinach mix, top it with cheese bake for another 3- 4 min.

I had to add grated cheese for the pictures, serve warm !

Update and some eye candy !

2013-04-06T20:22:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting to share/post for a couple of days now but have been a bit busy with a little this and a little that. Before I knew it, it was 11 pm. And you don't want me doing a post at 11 after a long day.... I am worse than an intoxicated zombie. I enrolled the food photography challenge hosted by Neel from 'Learn Food Photography' and am absolutely enjoying it. It's so much fun to learn in a group and share each other's progress. Am so glad I joined google plus... (that is where the challenge is hosted). I wonder what took me so long to be part of all the fun on google plus. Believe it or not I just joined last month. There is a wealth of information there.

Then I went through the whole debate and research on moving my blog to Wordpress, highly recommended by a lot of you but am not willing to give up on my google friend connect followers :(
Sadly they don't let you export that now. So that sent me into a black hole for a few days. Any ideas, recommendations or help is always welcome.

Finally I got a reply button in my comments section, my template is so old that it's almost from the stone age so... had to do an html thing... thankfully my tech savy nephew was there to ~~help me thru it~~ do it for me.

And last but not least, I did a photograph session with one of my artist friend, she wanted all of her sketches/painting photographed for her upcoming exhibition.

Today, I really was not in the mood to share a recipe. I really wanted to share with you guys my learning from the photography challenge and also some other photographs. We have been talking about dof, framing, moods, camera angle.... So, here are a few. Some will be elaborated in future posts with recipes and some just random shots. Let me know what you think. Hope you are having a fab weekend!

Masala Bun / Spicy dinner rolls

2013-04-02T13:15:00.000-05:00

It has been a week, for some reason I feel its been a long time since I did a post. Last week, was the week of spring break (for finally teen), so we were doing a little exploring both inside the kitchen and outside. March was a hectic month, so the break was really a welcome change. It's not been easy to go back to routine...I miss having finally teen home for the day and definitely miss sleeping in. The weather ~~got a~~ is getting a little warmed up ( is it ?) and I can resume my late morning walks, something I really miss during the long months of hibernation. It's amazing that last year at this time we had cherry blossom blooms and the trees were beginning to get visibly green...right now I see no signs of any blooms or green, my tulips have not even sprouted. Finally teen was going thru my blog and she showed me pictures of blooms from last year. Here is this post, and coincidently the recipe is very similar too. I think I should go out and capture the cherry blossom tree....and get myself a cup of coffee. I am going to be right back.... Am back with some coffee, an apple and armed with evidence on my camera.....and here it is. The middle picture in the top row is this year ( right now) and the rest are all from last year (April 3rd). Hmmm! I really need to complain someplace for the inconsistency :( in weather patterns....well, it's nature and a lot like life it is full of surprises. Sometimes good and sometimes things that we just have to deal with. Am glad am dealing with some soft and spicy masala buns or dinner rolls....

Don't these look gorgeous, they are perfect with a cup of coffee and it was not really an apple but half masala bun that I have here. Hey ! it's all about real time and it does not get more real then this :))

So I stuffed these cuties with two different stuffings, one a paneer-potato with garam masala, with a hint of garlic and the other with a potato-onion subji prepared in a south Indian style. When I asked finally teen and my other half there preference, they said both were very different and it's hard to pick. I personally loved the paneer one and even thou we could not reach a consensus on which was better, we all agreed it was an awesome recipe here to stay.

Filling 1

7 oz - paneer crumbled

1 - mashed potatoes

1/4 tsp - turmeric

1 tsp - garam masala

1 tsp - red chili powder

1 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp garlic paste

1 tbsp cilantro finely chopped

salt - to taste

Mix all the ingredients together and keep aside.

Filling 2

1 small onion

1 mashed potato

2 green chili

1/2 tsp ginger finely chopped

1 tsp oil

1/4 tsp mustard

1/4 tsp chana daal (bengal gram)

1/4 tsp urad daal (split black gram)

juice of half lime

salt to taste

pinch of turmeric

1 tbsp cilantro finely chopped

Heat oil, add mustard, let it splatter, add chana daal and urad daal, followed by onion, green chili and gainer. Sauté till the onion is transparent, add the mashed potatoes, along with salt, cilantro and lime juice. Mix and keep aside

For the bread

1 cup -warm water

1 1/2 tsp - rapid rise yeast

1 tsp - sugar

1 1/2 tsp - salt

1/3 cup - olive oil

3 cups - all purpose flour

1 egg white for egg-wash ( optional)

Mix all the ingredients for the filling and keep aside.
Measure 1 cup of water at room temperature and heat it in the microwave for 30 sec, add rapid rise yeast, salt, sugar and oil and mix well, till the yeast is dissolved.
In a separate bowl mix the all purpose flour with the yeast mixture (a little at a time) till you have an elastic soft dough, use extra all purpose flour if the dough is too wet. Kneed for about 5-6 min.

Take a small ball of the dough roll it into a circular shape, add the filling in the center and seal the edges. Cover it with wet muslin cloth. Repeat till all the dough has been utilized.

Lightly oil a bread pan and place bun on it, seam side down. cover with a damp cloth. Preheat oven to warm setting or 150 F. Turn it off and keep bun in the oven and allow the dough to rise for about an hour. After that,( optional) give the buns an eggwash, for a glazed look. Add 1tsp water to the eggwhite, whisk and brush over the buns.
Preheat the oven for 450 degree F ( 232 C) and then reduce it to 425 degree F (218 C) . Bake the bread for about 25-30 min till the crust is nice and brown.
Place on the cooling rack for about 30 min.
The amount of stuffing is a personal choice, I love to have a good quantity of stuffing. Serve warm with some butter and it could almost pass as a meal or a mid morning snack in my case ;)

Mishti Doi- a Bengali delicacy

2013-03-25T14:35:00.001-05:00

This year I wanted to make something different for Holi... the festival of colors. A very good friend of mine gifted me this kulad set (small earthenware cups), she carried this from India, in her handbag ...since they are breakable. I know, she's amazing... and just too sweet.

I was almost startled with the ease with which I churned out this bengali delicacy. I was pretty certain I had missed a major step and was subconsciously thinking of way to rework the recipe so the doi does not see itself going down the garbage disposal. The next morning, I rushed to see if the doi had set and was nice and firm...and I could not help myself, tasting a spoonful. I must add that my other half thought I was ~~a bit~~ crazy to taste mishti doi at 6 am... even before my morning cup of coffee (and morning coffee is sacrosanct for me), my repeated plea to have him taste it at 6 am being ignored. I hate being ignored, so I threatened to eat it up myself... still no reaction. Well, I did not eat it all up...and the other half loved it... two thumbs up! Most times I like my food to have its own identity and ask my family if it tasted different, but this time I was obsessive and I did NOT want it to taste different:
"Is it like misti doi? Is it how misti doi tastes? Did you know it was mishti doi?"
the response: "YES, simi I know it is misti doi and it tastes awesome." :)))) hehe!

Well, not everything is rocket science and just because it is simple, it does not meant it is not exotic. Happy Holi !!

3 cups whole milk or half n half
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup plus a couple of tbs jaggery ( if you like it sweeter, add more)
1/4 cup kafir fullfat yogurt or homemade yogurt.

saffron strands for garnish (optional)

Pour the milk and cream into a pan and heat over a low flame....for about an hour or more, till the milk is reduced to around 1/2 to 3/4th of its original volume. Add the jaggery and bring to a boil.

Take a piece of cheese cloth, pour the yogurt and tie it, so the excess water from the yogurt is drained, this should take about a couple of hours.

By the time the thick milk will cool to about lukewarm temperature, add the thick yogurt and whisk well.

Now pour into individual containers, cover and let it set, preferably overnight, or at least 5-6 hours.

Refrigerate, served chilled, garnished with saffron strands.

Baked spinach curry

2013-03-19T12:04:00.000-05:00

I love greens and if you tell me to eat them everyday - I certainly can ! As a matter of fact, I love all veggies and was never really a picky eater...I need my food to look good and yes taste good (duh!). Am glad I don't have picky eaters at home, but very critical people ( raising an eyebrow) by very I mean very....!! They ( I mean both of you two people, who read my blog and live with me - yes BOTH ) critical only in the context of food. The bright side, when something is super delicious, they shower me with compliments that could last for weeks and it get's embarrassing when we are outside and even after repeated pleas to dial in down ...they don't ! I know it's cute but a bit embarrassing when we are out. Yesterday, when I baked them the spinach n eggs, they loved it - just makes me so happy. I was a bit skeptical at first ...as finally teen said "I love it, am not sure dad will" but looks like this baked dish is here to stay in my household, hope you guys enjoy it as much as we did and they are going to rave about it for days or even weeks :)

You can never go wrong with, spinach, tomatoes, eggs and parmesan.

1 big bunch of spinach roughly chopped
handful of cherry tomatoes, split
3-4 eggs
3 tbsp olive oil
2 green/ red fresh chillies split
parmesan cheese ( optional)
1 leek stem finely chopped
1/2 - 1 tsp corn starch

Spice blend
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp crushed smoked paprika
salt to taste

Pre heat oven for 350.

In a sauce pan heat 1 tbsp oil, add cumin let it sizzle, add finely chopped leek and if you are out of leek just add onions but make sure you do not over cook the onions, add the green chillies.

Add salt and just roast for 2 min, add the tomatoes and turn off heat and close.

Blanch the spinach : cook in microwave for 5-6 min, strain and dunk it in ice cold water. ( helps maintain the nice green color)

Add the spinach to the leek n tomatoes, toss, add salt if needed, heat for a bit 2-3 min and if it is watery just add a/2 - 1 tsp of corn starch ( mixed in water) stir. Add the paprika powder.

Serve it in individual bowls, grate parmesan 9 optional), break an egg on the spinach. bake for 10-12 min or till egg is half boiled. ( baked full boiled eggs taste dry and rubbery, so I don't recommend that )

If you do not want the egg or cheese, just bake it for 6 min. Serve with some warm garlic bread.

Spicy pickled veggies

2013-03-15T12:38:00.001-05:00

Pickle making is a fancy fair in India. I remember when my mother would see the first crop of raw mangoes hit the street veggie vendors, she would plan elaborately. Spotless green mangoes, washed and wiped clean, cut with the cleanest of knives with precision and then bottled into big mustard and cream pickle jar and during the process, we were told to stay away from the kitchen and keep our filthy hands to ourselves for fear of soiling the 'batch' of pickle. The mouth of the jar always tied with a cloth and the lid would go on it, it would be kept in a warm draft free area of the kitchen. God forbid, a batch was ever spoilt, the blame would almost always be on me...I was often seen lurking in the kitchen, in the late afternoons and when I did not have any business in there, so there was no one else to point fingers at. I don't think I have ever dug my finger into the pickle jar ...hmm maybe just once or twice ;)

Most of the oil based pickles do not need refrigeration and takes anywhere form a month to three to mature, some of the brine based pickles are long-term too and does not need refrigeration. However the instant pickles like this one only needs 24 hours to ferment and needs refrigeration after 24 hours and can last only for a couple of months.

Picking has gone through an evolution with time....apparently we have traded off good old fashion taste and natural pickling resulting in healthy micro nutrients in the pickles to a longer shelf life and pickles that have more preservatives than nutrients. Traditionally instant pickles like this one was fermented in basic whey (tie kefir yogurt in a cheesecloth, the water from the yogurt is whey) or just salt with some acid like lemon or vinegar ( acid often helps in preventing spoilage) thus, resulting in better taste and full of micro nutrients but a very short shelf life and of-course a need for refrigeration. However, most of the pickles that we buy has been pasteurized for longer shelf life.

It's hard for me to stop myself from sharing all the nerd facts about fermentation...from all the books I have read ....did you not notice the halo around me!!

This recipe is given to me by my sister - Thanks Ditu !

2 cups finely chopped veggies of your choice ( if you want the bright color pick beet)
my pick

1/2 beet
2 onion
small piece ginger
1 carrots
1 cucumber
1-2 jalapeño

1 cup vinegar or lemon juice, I used vinegar.
2 - tbsp sugar
3- 4 tsp salt (1/2 tsp for every quart of vegetable to be fermented)

The reason I say 3-4 tsp salt, sometimes with vinegar the brine can become a bit too salty, so taste before you add. Remember that there is some amount of brine that will be drawn from the vegetables too.

Warm the vinegar a bit, add the salt and sugar, let it cool completely. Add the shredded Vegetables. Keep in airtight container for about 24 hours. Good to use the next day, refrigerate immediately.

Don't you just love the colors...! It's spicy tangy and a whee bit sweet...perfect for sandwich or a roll or just as a snack on a cracker too...ya ! we are crazy :)) Btw, you get this color only after 24 hours and the color does get richer over time.

This is how the colors look before fermentation.

Well, about the rest of the story ...!! A couple of week back, I went to attend the International home and Housewares show- Chicago, had a LOT of fun and saw some awesome products and met some interesting people. Am glad....nothing there was for retail sale...reason : the pictures are self explanatory....I wanted ALL of this !!

Imagine.....these will make such cute props !! I think there is so no doubt that I am becoming a prop junkie and am loving it. Have a wonderful weekend! Chao for now !

Creative writing n some crunchy Jalapeño

2013-03-11T08:38:00.000-05:00

In the last 2 weeks I have received a few emails about my writing style (good stuff). Hmmm! do I even have a style ? Am not sure, most times its rambling, sometimes ranting. Secretly I was very happy, and read the mails many times. Almost felt I had won the Oscars ! But the fact is, I don't know how to write prose...I did write poems when I was in high school and one day I might even share one of them, i.e if I get brave. For sometime, I thought, no one reads what I write, they just ogle at the pictures and read the recipe...well am glad I am wrong.

This whole conversation about writing, led me to start reading a bit about writing and all the talk about 'having a voice' specially in an age where there is so much noise and chatter. Like you, I want to be heard and I don't want my voice lost or engulfed in the noise. Nothing like being differentiated for quality of your content.

That led me to think, is it all about the right brain being more imaginative ... " Is writing an art that you can nurture or is it an acquired skill ?"

So I asked some of my blogger/non-blogger friends what they thought about writing and specifically creative writing. Here is what some of them had to say .... oh! before that, my thoughts " you are born with the talent and can nurture it to some extent"

Monica Bhide "Hey.. tough question. I teach people the technical side of writing and I think this helps them write better. But at the heart of it, writing is an art. And I don't think that can be taught. It comes from somewhere instead. It is the reason why you gravitate towards the writing of one writer versus another.
The technical skills can be taught and so perhaps you can teach someone to write but I don't think you can teach someone to be a writer.. if that makes sense. The art comes from within."

Dawn Legier - "Such a great question, Simi. I had to think about it for awhile. In my (uneducated) opinion, it depends on the type of writing. For creative writing, I would lean more toward art and natural ability that can be nurtured and improved; while I think technical writing (instructions, procedure manuals, etc.) can be taught. Does that make sense?"

Bart Luczak - "In my opinion it's an inborn thing, of course you can acquire and learn how to write better with time, but for talented individuals it comes sort of naturally...well dunno just my humble opinion..."

Marc Hurwitz - "Good question: I believe that writing is both--much like music, you can get better at it with practice, but the really good writers have that certain innate gift, in my opinion.
Thanks for getting in touch about this!"

Sudha Rao - "Interesting question. ... When it comes to being creative, narrative and descriptive writing.. It's something one has it in their blood but can learn from different channels to hone the skill and improve the art of writing. The rest yes... You can acquire ... (it)"

Nivedita Sharma - "I guess it is a gift but you can hone and nurture it"

My findings - creative art (writing) needs a seed and you are born with it and unless you nurture it, it does not go anywhere. Grammar is a big put off for many readers and thankfully I have grammar police at home and some of us do need to buy Wren and Martin. But...the catch, you might have the perfect grammar but boring content, no one is going to read it. Well seems obvious but apparently not ! Never over use your adjectives or your adverbs ....hmmm I think I have been guilty of using hmm over using ! Be conversational and don't have 8-10 posts in a week....it is a turn off, (I did not know that). My thoughts now "you are born with it, but you hone most of it " If a few hours can give me this much insight and learning, imagine if I put some effort. Just be yourself, write with your heart not your head. And yes this is not the time for the philosophical question " who am I ?"I do hope this post will help some of us ( me included) get out of our shell and write/share more. For those of you blessed with the gift of the gab ( in this case the gift of the pen), do share with us some tips and secrets :)

Am tempted to post this without a recipe, but then I don't want you to tell me that I invited you over and had nothing more to offer than "words" So here is some baked jalapeño and tomatoes and don't, just don't forget to let me know your thoughts....not about the jalapeño ( I know it's good) ...about your thoughts on writing, For some reason if you do not want to share it on the blog, email me - turmeric53@gmail.com.

Thanks to all of you who responded to my question and took the effort in communicating your thoughts.

5-6 tomatoes de seeded and halved
5-6 jalapeño de seeded and halved

1 1/2 cup of panko (bread crumbs)
a small piece of home made crumbled paneer
2 tbsp of finely chopped cilantro
2 tbsp of mint - coriander/cilantro chutney
1/4 tsp finely chopped garlic

spice blend
pinch turmeric
1/4 tsp garam masala or chaat masala (scroll down to see recipe of chaat masala)
salt to taste

2 tbsp olive oil
some pepper jack cheese or monterey jack cheese (optional)

Mix panko with paneer, cilantro, chutney, garlic and the spice blend. Keep aside.

preheat over to 300 F

Brush the de seeded tomatoes and jalapeño with oil. Fill them with the panko masala. Cover with a piece of cheese, I just covered the jalapeño not the tomatoes. It is optional.

Bake for 8-10 min, remove the tomatoes and bake the jalapeño for 5 more min.

Serve hot, with you favorite cocktail or just garam chai ( hot indian tea)

Note : jalapeños are hot...make sure to wash your hands after you de seed them

Not everyone is born to write best sellers but we are all born to express ourselves ....if we can talk, we can write...!!

Everyday tomato soup

2013-03-05T17:25:00.002-06:00

I had a complete different post in mind today and I had written it up, all I had to do was put some pictures and the recipe....but wait ....! We are expecting 10-12 inches of snow....school is off and we are snowed in. So...naturally it calls for a warm hearty n all time favorite tomato soup in a picture story ! Well spring might be around the corner, somewhere but here........

Warning - photo heavy post

The recipe for this soup is inspired from here

2-3 large tomatoes cubed
1 large red onion cubed
2 sticks of celery finely chopped
2-3 garlic pods
2 cloves
rock salt to taste
freshly ground pepper
4-5 basil leaves finely chopped
1/2 stick of leek finely chopped
2 slice of white bread

Pre heat oven to 400 F.

In a cast iron skillet, add the celery, tomatoes, red onions and coat them in olive oil . Add salt and freshly ground pepper. Red onions adds a sweetness to the soup.

In a seprate pan add the finely chopped leek and coat some olive oil add a dash of salt and freshly ground pepper.

Place them in the oven, remove leek after 8-10 min or when it is roasted. leave the tomatoes, onion and celery for 5 more min, add garlic and roast for 5 more min ( total 18-20 min) or till it is roasted.

Blend everything except the leak with 3/4 slice of white bread. It will be a nice creamy mixture. Transfer to sauce pan, add the roasted leek and finely cut basil leaves and crushed cloves bring to a boil.

Usually I like to bake croutons, but since it was cold n snowy, a little indulgence :)) I chopped and deep fried them and seasoned them with salt, pepper, paprika and dried basil leaves. am telling you it was worth it and yes I did fry them in ghee (clarified butter) :))

When you drink this soup you will love the flavor and crunch of the croutons and the leek does add a bit of texture to the soup, if you do not like this, you can always blend the leek with the tomatoes, onion and celery.

Thanks to a very good friend for gifting me this beautiful handmade soup bowl.

Inspiration from the blogging community - Jerry Deutsch

2013-03-01T18:21:00.001-06:00

A couple of months back, Bart Luczak of K&L food blog started a food photo critique club, a gathering of like minded people who love to share their passion for food photography and a great place to learn. Some of the members are professional photographers and some of them chefs - most of them masters in their own field. I am so glad to be part of it as I have learned a lot and it is a lot of fun. Jerry is a professional still life and product photographer specializing in food photography. He is part of the food photography club and I have learned some valuable lessons and gotten some great tips from him. Jerry has a very keen eye, and trust me, there is not a teeny tiny shadow that he will miss. I think he is the tech wiz as far as photography is concerned and he knows the science behind the art. I think some of us (and that totally includes me) are driving him nuts with our endless questions. Hope we don't drive you away! Thanks Jerry and thanks to all of you at the photo club for the critique, feedback and encouragement.

My first lesson was: there is always one hero and that is your subject - food! Am never going to forget that lesson. There is so much to learn from him that I thought it would be great to have him over at TnS. Welcome Jerry, hope you enjoy your stay as much as we enjoy having you over. For his complete portfolio you can visit him here or on his blog : photography by Jerry .

What inspired you to food photography? Where did you study photography or are you self-taught?

I am neither self-taught nor did I get a photography education in college. I was trained as an assistant/apprentice. (Now they call them interns.) I did take classes online and attend seminars.

I was first exposed to photography in high school (a long time ago) and fell in love with it. It gave me an opportunity to be artistic even though I couldn’t draw, paint or sculpt. Photography was my hobby through high school and college. One day we had a speaker at our photo club at college – a wedding photographer from a local studio. He told us about becoming a photographer’s assistant and I jumped at the opportunity. I did that for over two years and finally went out on my own as a wedding and bar mitzvah photographer. During that time, I had graduated from college started a career as a chemist and switched to become a science teacher.

As a teacher, I had the summers off and saw an opportunity to become a summer assistant for a commercial still life photographer in New York City. I did that for two summers for one photographer and for a third summer at a different studio. This last summer was for a food photographer. I fell in love with it.

What in your opinion is a great food photograph? In other words what elements do you look for in a food photograph?

The last thing I look at is the food. I am a photographer, not a foodie. I look at composition and light. I am judging to see if the image could stand on its own, regardless of the subject. Now, that being said, great food makes for great food photos. But, you don’t always get great food to shoot. My job is to use the tools of light, composition, angle of view, point of view, background and depth of field to make whatever is placed in front of me look as good as it can look. Making the food look great is why I have a food stylist. My stylist is my muse. They provide my inspiration.

What inspires you before a photo shoot? Do you spend a lot of time on props?

I don’t use many props. I like coming in close on my subject. I have two rules of photography. Rule 1: after taking a picture, take it again closer. Rule 2: go back to Rule 1.

When I do use props, my stylist and I would spend a lot of time getting its position perfect. I look for the way the edges of things intersect. The food stylist is in charge of moving the food, and we would both move the props. I shoot tethered and find it much easier to look at the image on the computer screen rather than through the viewfinder or back of the camera. I like shooting at small f/stops to get lots of DOF and you really can’t see that through the lens…I don’t like using the DOF Preview button. Boy this is so different than the old days when I was assisting. We would shoot Polaroid’s and then shoot film – leaving the set untouched until the film came back a few hours later. Digital really spoiled me (in a good way.)

What is your favorite photography gear?

Mirrors. OK, maybe not but, mirrors are what make my life easier when shooting food. I use a Canon 5D Mark II and the 100mm f/2.8L Macro lens most of the time. I love that lens.

A little bit about lighting in photography and the equipment you use.

I only use studio strobes. I have the same inexpensive strobes that I started with 3 years ago. I have 5 strobes in total but most of the time I use two. I use a soft box in the front and try to get specular highlights using a grid spot from the side/back.

Photography is part art and part science, in your opinion what is the single most important aspect of photography, that makes the image speak to the audience?

It’s all about the light. Good lighting is the most important aspect of good food photography…it’s what makes the food jump off the page. Of course, good composition is also crucial…using the frame, leading lines, balance etc. are all very important.

The discussion of photography as art or science is very important to me. I am more of the scientist than the artist. Actually, I think of myself more as a technician. I am less about the concept and creativity; I am more about the lighting, composition, execution and problem solving. I feel that as a food photographer, my job is to make someone else’s vision come to life.

What is your favorite food photography that you have ever taken and why?

I have several favorite images. One is of sliced tomato with honey being drizzled on them. Another is of a fruit tart. Both of these have wonderful composition, similar points of view but totally different lighting. My third favorite is of chocolates. Unfortunately, I cannot share that image because of my agreement with the client. Close behind I have several images of muffins. I love these because of either the texture or the sexy drizzle. I really like something I had done recently, a concept thought up by my stylist-pork on cabinet knobs. I like this one because it forced me out of my comfort zone…something that is really good to do.

What is your advise to emerging food photographers?

I have a hard time with this question because I still consider myself an emerging food photographer. I started food photography after I had retired from teaching. I’ve only been doing it for three years and there is still so much more to learn. I’ll give it my best shot.

Like you become a doctor before you become a specialist, be a photographer before you become a food photographer. Not necessarily a professional photographer, but, know your basics of photography first. Composition should be second nature.

Find yourself a great team. Whether its assistants or stylists or anyone who will help you create your images. The more eyes on the image, the better it is.

Shoot tethered. Know what the image looks like on the big screen.

Look at your light. See how the light is shaping your image. Don’t just see if the food is right. Specular highlights and shadows are what make light special.

The light, composition, point of view, the placement of objects in the frame and the other aspects that make a great image are your responsibility. It’s like going to a beautiful location and taking a picture. It’s not the location that makes the photo beautiful, it’s the light, point of view, choice of lens and exposure, and composition that make a great image stand out above everyone else’s.

And most importantly, know what the hero of the image is. Are the other elements in the image supporting your hero or distracting from it. Remember, it’s all about the hero and everything else is there to direct us to it.

Oh, one more thing that nobody would ever tell you. Join a camera club that has monthly competitions. While the rules of a camera club are different than what you will use in food photography, it will get you to be much more careful about composition and lighting. Remember, camera club judging is unique, often to be ignored. But, use it to learn the basics.

Very berry homemade yogurt with granola

2013-02-27T09:06:00.000-06:00

I have options... to write about my blog endeavor, or about the rich homemade yogurt with fresh berries and homemade granola, where every bite is bursting with fresh flavors. I will try to do a bit of both. I am no guru in the blogosphere but it's been quite a journey. I never knew writing a food blog meant experiencing so many different kind of emotions and learning. I have experiences eureka moments, dejection, sheer joy, creativity, and insomnia!! Well, I have read a lot of bloggers talk about how ideas emerge at 2 am and that would keep them up till day break; come morning you rush to reach out, not for your morning cup of coffee but to the bag of flour or the camera.

Every post has three aspects or as I call it 3Cs: create, capture and communicate. I think creating recipes has been more natural to me then the other two aspects, there are some days when ideas flow in faster than a jet plane and it's just hard to remember everything, so I write them down. This is my favorite part and I just love mixing the ingredients to create some magic. The possibility is endless, I can spend a few dozen lifetimes and that will not be enough to learn and experiment the magic.

"Life is a combination of magic and pasta.”Federico Fellini

Before I get into capture, a little about communicate. Written communication has never been my strongest; I am quite a talker but when it comes down to penning my thoughts I do tend to become a bit shy and reserved. I really see that skill evolving (hope so) and I am beginning to get a bit more chatty and relaxed on the blog. This is where I'm not making any effort but it is just evolving, like a friendship. I don't think I should make an effort and ruin it.

The area where I have grown the most is 'capturing'; the journey from point and shoot to DSLR has been very, very exciting. I love the mix of technology and creativity. I think it is here that I feel like a true artist, creating one image after another, colors, props, mood, lighting, setting.... again, endless permutations. This is the area where I have had the pits of dejection too. This is the reason I mention this journey in this post: it was Sunday evening that I had begun to take pictures of the yogurt and had a rough idea of how the image should look, and I had thought about the colors, the mood and the props. The images did not seem to speak to me or convey what I felt. I packed up, since it was dark and I don't have studio lights. Calmed myself and hoped for a more productive morning... In the morning, it took me less than an hour to get what I wanted. Blogging has really taught me patience and perseverance. It has made me into a better person. Has blogging changed you, bringing out the essence of who you are? Would love to hear your thoughts, do share!!

Now am sure you guys want to see the failed pictures ....here they are ...

Now, for the yogurt.

1 cup crushed berries ( blueberries, raspberries and strawberries) at room temperature ( don't puree it)

3 cups warm milk, make sure you boil the milk and then cool it to lukewarm temperature.

1 and 1/2 tbsp yogurt culture ( live) - since I always make homemade yogurt, I just used home made yogurt as the starter.

1 tsp gelatin ( soak the gelatin in 3 tbsp warm water for 10 min) strain and use

honey to taste

You can find home made yogurt recipe here on TnS. For the berry yogurt. I crushed berries in a blender ( don't puree it) add it to the warm milk, add the starter yogurt and a bit of gelatin. And in a few hours you have nice berry yogurt.

Make sure the milk is not too warm, if it is then the yogurt will leave water.

What is live yogurt culture ?

Live yogurt culture refers to live living organism that convert the pasteurized milk to yogurt during the process of fermentation.

How do I know my yogurt contains live and active culture?

The national yogurt association requires you to have a seal saying the product contains live yogurt culture.

What is Pro-biotic yogurt ?

Probiotic yogurt is any yogurt with live and active culture.

Where do I get live yogurt culture to make home made yogurt ?

You can use any yogurt that says it contains live and active culture. A small amount of that can be used as a starter, I always use my home made yogurt as a starter for the next batch and continue the cycle.

Plain yogurt or a berry yogurt with plain yogurt, topped with strawberries and granola.

For the granola :

Toast some granola and flat Irish oats in the oven till crisp, let it cool. Add slivered almonds, raisins or/add dried cranberries. Mix and store in airtight container. A dash of cinnamon really boosts the flavors.

Jamie Oliver's Minestrone

2013-02-23T10:35:00.000-06:00

It's cold, cloudy, wet, dark and to top it I ran out whole basil leaves as I chopped what I had for the soup, so had non for garnish . Low light plus poor garnish :(( result - photographic disaster. It might be 'World Margarita Day' ~~today~~ yesterday but my heart is set to drink the minestrone and my heart is set on taking pictures ( read great pictures). After ~~two~~ three hours of agony with over 100 pictures of the soup and a bad neck pain (literally) I went to pick up finally teen from school. After my mono syllable answers she figured I had created a disaster in the kitchen, I told her the soup is awesome but yes the kitchen is in disaster as I might have tried at least 5 different soup bowls and heated the soup so many times and the pictures are worth the trash....it is then that I had a brain wave and begged her to model for me. On second thought I did not have to beg as she readily agreed and even thou am not very happy with the end result, but at least it is worth sharing ( my creative side is dead and I don't even know if these pix are worth sharing) anyway the pictures might not be 5 star but the recipe is ! And if you want to make me feel better please go ahead, I would love that, a hug or a smile often cheers me up .. and as for the neck pain I took acetaminophen already .

Am glad I took the evening off , a good nite sleep and with my favorite (read huge) cup of coffee am back with renewed enthusiasm and fresh ideas threatening to overflow. I will still welcome hugs, so don't hold yourself back:)) hope you are all having a great weekend.

I have been reading Jamie's Italy by Jamie Oliver - I just love the book and want to try everything and eat almost everything in the book ....
Jamie is very passionate about his minestrone and recommends 'soffritto' meaning slowly frying vegetables to give a strong intense flavor base. For the broth he recommends a bollito misto (mixed boiled meats) he also recommends a light chicken broth or ham (though it is very British, but popular in Tuscany too) but... since am a vegetarian my only option was vegetable soup and loved the intense flavors.

7 oz. cannellini or borlotti beans, if dried soaked overnight. (I used kidney bean)
1 bay leaf
1 tomato, squashed
1 small potato, peeled
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
olive oil
2 small red onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 sticks of celery, trimmed and chopped
1/2 head of fennel, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
basil small bunch leaves and stem separated
2 14 oz can of plum tomatoes
2 small zucchini, quartered and sliced
a glass of red wine
1/2 lb. swiss chard or spinach, washed and roughly chopped
2 cups of vegetable stock
2 oz. dried pasta
extra virgin olive oil
block of parmesan cheese to serve
crushed red pepper (optional)

Add fresh or dried and soaked beans to a pan of water with the bay leaf, squashed tomato, and potato - this flavors the beans and help soften the skins. cook until tender. drain discard the bay leaf, tomato and potato, season with pepper, salt and EVOV.

While the beans are being cook, make the soffrito. Heat some olive oil in a pan, add onions, carrots, celery, fennel, garlic and finely sliced basil stems. Sweat slowly over low flame, with the lid ajar for 15-20 min until soft, not brown. Add tomatoes, zucchini, and red wine, simmer for 15 min.

Add chard or spinach, stock and beans. Put the dried into the soup, stir and simmer till the pasta is cooked.

If the soup is thick add more stock or reserved cooking water. Season with salt and pepper, I got tempted and had to add crushed red pepper ( u know my thing for spice ;)) Serve hot with torn basil leaves, a dash of olive oil and some freshly grated parmesan. Enjoy with your favorite bread. While you enjoy this soup, I need to head back to get my kitchen in order, there seems to be props everywhere.

Strawberry Jam with a kick

2013-02-19T19:02:00.001-06:00

I bought a huge box of strawberries last week ... finally teen loves strawberries, but I think it was a bit too much for her to finish and you know it does not have a long shelf life. Well, instead of freezing them for smoothies in summer, I thought I should make strawberry jam, strawberry jam is not on our list of most desired, we don't dislike it but you know what I mean. Am into bulk buying for some reason. I think it was last month, I bought a huge box of oranges from Costco to make marmalade and then we ate it all up, then it was persimmon and one by one it was gone. Got these strawberries, was planning to eat them not cook with them, ended up making jam and am so glad I did. :)) Just before bottling the jam on a spur of the moment I added a couple of tbsp of smoked paprika. That's the climax of the story and things change from here. From the not desired list we have moved THE jam to 'we love this' list. It's been a week since I made this jam, 2 jars are polished clean and we are currently working on the third. A spoonful of the jam goes into the mouth, you smell the strawberries, taste the sweetness with a hint of tartness (just a mild aftertaste) you think - it's good and you are almost done eating it..... you get a kick from the pepper and you wonder, what was that ....awesome, let me get another spoonful to relive that...and the cycle continues. We love this jam and looking forward to making a big batch in ~~spring~~ summer.

Finally teen came up with a signature snack - cracker, jam generously used & some pepper jack.....hmmm yum! . We have run out of crackers...so it's on pancakes, ice cream and just spoonfuls to make sure the flavor is balanced ;) It's always good to indulge ~~once a while.~~ What's your favorite preserve? And btw if you love orange marmalade, like I do you might want to click here.

Thank you Daily Meal for featuring this post on your home page. (under Culinary Content Network ) :)) Yeah !!

Make sure you prepare your canning jars, before you start making the jam, you don't want the cooked strawberries to sit waiting to find a home. You will need ball jars. The purpose of ball jar is to preserve the food from natural spoilage. Get the dishwasher going while preparing the jam, so the jars are clean and hot and ready to use. Put the lids into a pan of hot water for at least several minutes; to soften up the gummed surface and clean the lids.

4 pt. strawberries cleaned, stems removed
7 cups sugar
1 pack sure jell fruit pectin
2 tbsp smoked paprika

Discard stem and crush the strawberries, leave it a bit chunky if you like it that way or smaller bits of the fruit, do not puree it .

Bring boiling water canner half full with water, to simmer.

Measure exact amount of fruit ( in cups), measure exact amount of sugar in a separate bowl, keep aside.

Stir in 1 box of pectin into the fruit in the sauce pan. Bring mixture to a boil, keep string. Stir in the sugar quickly return to full boil and boil for 1 min, stir constantly. skim off the foam.

Turn of the heat and add 2 tbsp paprika (less or more, as per taste) to the jam and stir one last time.

Ladle quickly into prepared jars, filling only 1/8th to the top. Cover with 2 piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jar on elevated rack in canner. Water MUST cover the jars 1-2 inches, add boiling water if needed. Cover, bring water to boil. Process the jams for 10 min. Adjust the heating time according to the altitude chart below.

Altitude-(ft) 1,001 - 3,000 - increase processing time 5 minutes
Altitude-(ft) 3,001 - 6,000 - increase processing time 10 minutes
Altitude-(ft) 6,001 - 8,000 - increase processing time 15 minutes
Altitude-(ft) 8,001 - 10,000- increase processing time 20 minutes

Remove jars, and keep them upright on a towel to cool completely. After jar cools, check the seal by pressing the middle of the lid with your index finger, if lid springs back it has not been sealed and you need to refrigerate the jam.

Let stand at room temperature for 24 hrs and then open up the jar, dig your index finger into the jar, and enjoy !!

Charred Artichoke With A Dill Yogurt Dip

2013-02-16T17:52:00.001-06:00

One more awesome opportunity for recipe review and this time it is charred artichokes served with a dill aioli sauce from Richard Blais of Flip Burger and Top Chef. His new cookbook is called Try This At Home. Loved the simplicity of the recipe and the complimenting flavors. I was really excited to try charred artichokes. I love artichokes and get weak in my knees for spinach artichoke dip but never thought I should try other ways of cooking the vegetable with a heart, specially charred and it is so so simple. I am beginning to love baked, roasted and charred versions of vegetables, well it does help that they are low on calories and healthy too.

Enjoy being part of the cookbook club, thanks to daily meal for the opportunity and thanks to Richard Blais for the awesome recipes. Talking about recipe review, am working on an awesome book review about spices - can't wait to share it with you guys. Almost forgot you can read and view my review for the artichoke here

I did make a few alterations to the dip, instead of mayo I used greek yogurt . I loved the combination, one of those dishes that you can't have enough of.

Make sure the Artichokes are vibrant in color, the petals tightly closed and heavy and you got the best of the pick. Make sure you trim the non- edible parts, I did trim the fiber but did not cut the non-edible parts, I wanted to show off the beauty of the artichoke. Click here for dummies guide to cutting an artichoke.

Rinse the artichoke in cold running water. Soak the artichoke in boiling salted water and boil for about 25-30 min. Heat a cast iron skillet, add 1 tsp olive oil and roast the artichoke cut side down till you can see nice charred marks. OR pre heat oven broiler and place artichoke cut side up on broiler pan. Till nice and charred

Dip
1 cup greek yogurt
2 tbsp finely cut capers (drained)
1/4 tsp tabasco
1 tsp grated lemon zest
the original recipe had lemon juice, I did not add it as I thought the capers were pretty sour
4-5 tbsp freshly cut dill

spice blend
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
freshly ground pepper
sea salt to taste ( go easy as the capers are pretty salty )

to the greek yogurt add all the above, refrigerate till you serve. How easy was that ? :)) hope you are having an awesome weekend!

Black Forest

2013-02-12T12:16:00.003-06:00

I am not as good a baker as I would like to think. I do love desserts and cakes, pastries, tarts and the list goes on but am not sure if I can whip up a cake which is perfectly frosted the same way I can whip up a curry. I would love to and I really enjoy creating desserts but am just not an expert. When I see perfectly frosted cakes and glossy tarts and pies - I am in dessert envy mode, and admire the creators. There is something romantic about desserts, there is no doubt that food brings people together, but desserts brings hearts closer. And I think chocolate tops the list when it comes to romance. Good old black forest pastries with dark chocolate and red cherries - a cliché but I guess nothing says I love you better than this . This is for my other half, and even thou I want to say more, some times silence does express a lot more :)) . I did not want to do the heart shape, it would be just too mushy for me....but the heart-shaped cookie cutter was staring at me almost daring me to. I fell for it....!! Well the outcome was adorable ! What do you think ?

I think this recipe is from cooks.com or allrecipes.com ( am not too sure) I did alter the recipe, instead of hot water I added hot espresso and that too a dark roast ( bitter) My other half is not so fond of very sweet desserts so I replaced some amount of sugar with pudding mix. The result was just FABULOUS !! Well it was very soft and it was a bit challenging to cut it into heart shapes. I did not add much sugar to the whip cream and I used gelatin as a stabilizer. I just loved creating this desert and the best part, my picky dessert eater (my other half) loved it. I can't wait to see what you guys are planning for V-Day. Please feel free to leave a link.

2 cups dark roast hot coffee ( you can use a light or medium roast, the dark gives a nice intense favor)
1 cup unsweetened coco powder
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup ready chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Pre heat oven to 350 F. Grease cake pans or line it with parchment. I prefer parchment as it is easy to get the cake out.

In a bowl mix the hot coffee and coco powder till it dissolves and let it cool. Mix all the dry ingredients except sugar ( all purpose, baking soda, baking powder, pudding mix and salt) If you do not have pudding mix you can increase the sugar by 1/4 cup. (total sugar then being 2 1/4) The original recipe calls for 2 1/4th sugar, I replaced 1/4 sugar with 1/4 pudding mix. I loved the result, the cake was very moist and not too sweet.

Cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy, beat in the eggs one at a time, add the vanilla, now add the flour mixture and the coco and coffee liquid alternately a bit by bit, till done.

Spread batter in the pan, bake for 30 - 35 min.

For the whipped cream filling

1 can /bottle of maraschino cherries ( preserve the liquid)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup water
2 tsp unflavored gelatin
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Chill mixing bowl and whisk in freezer for at least 15 min. Mix the gelatin and water and microwave for about a min, till the gelatin is dissolved. let it cool, at least 10 min, gelatin is still a liquid.

Remove the mixing bowl and whisk from freezer and add, sugar, whipping cream and vanilla extract and beat till the beat marks began to show.

Pour the gelatin in a steady stream while mixing and beat till stiff peaks form and use immediately.

Most often at least with me, when I use whipped cream frosting, it does not stand well and if not served immediately the whipped cream collapses into an ugly mess. You need to stabilize the whipping cream so it stays for longer and does not collapse , there are various stabilizers you can use and different methods of doing it, I think this technique and gelatin as a stabilizer really works for me.

Now in a bowl take about half of the whipped cream and cut some cherries (about 1/2 of the bottle) into it and mix well. It really depends on how much cherry you like, again I did not want my cake to be very sweet so I went easy on the cherries.

For the assembly

Make sure the cake has cooled for at least 2-3 hours or more. It should be cold to touch. Maybe there is a better way of doing this but with the limited knowledge and equipment...this was the best i could do. Place the cake on an aluminum foil. Dig in the heart shape cookie cutter into one side of the cake, ( you want to get as many hearts as you can ). Tuck your hand below the foil and push the heart shaped cake along with the cutter up. Slowly remove the cutter from the cake and cut the cake in half ( lateral) make sure you don't have a broken heart but cut it so you can layer it with whipped cream filling. Cut as many hearts as you can from the main cake. Keep aside. You can use the cake crumbs for cake pops.

You can use a cherry liquor to dunk the pastry in or you can use the sugar solution the cherries came in.
So sprinkle the solution/liquor liberally over the cut hearts.

With help of a butter knife spread the cherry mixed whipped cream frosting over one half of the cake, place the other half over it and then with a butter knife spread plain whipped cream frosting, place a cherry on top and garnish with chocolate shavings ( it will also hide any imperfections ;)) Enjoy!

Pistachio Saffron Meringue

2013-02-07T12:18:00.001-06:00

I did not know my last post would move some of my friends I received some beautiful messages/emails ...that did bring tears to my eyes. I wish I could share, but not everyone wants to share everything, having said that let's leave somethings unsaid ! Thank you for the beautiful words. Talking about sharing, I always wonder how much should one share on social media, be it a blog or face book or google plus or... ! I know what you guys are going to tell me, whatever one is comfortable with and I cannot agree more, to each their own we are all unique in the way we are and the choices we make. What am not comfortable with is when and if someone needles you into sharing more than what you are comfortable with or if people get cynical and judgmental about who you are. Well thankfully we are all matured adults and hopefully we all know how to deal with that, but there are moments when it does become a learning experience :) am sure a lot of you relate to that ! It is really amazing how social media has redefined the way we interact, am no expert in that field. But as a parent I do worry about the medium, a balance between trusting your child's judgement and protecting their actions that might be driven by ignorance, I think there is a fine line there and a challenging one. I would love to read your take on it .....

Getting back to what's cooking in my kitchen, it all started with 'Downton Abby' I think we were watching the episodes (I don't remember which one) where Mrs Patmore bakes a raspberry meringue (yes! the one with salt), since the day Mrs Patmore made the meringue, there has been pleas of "can you make it too" in our household. And no it is not from my other half, who does not fancy 'Downton Abbey' as much as we girls do. The law of attraction did seem to work this time and I was seeing meringue everywhere, I saw pistachio rose-water meringue on sparrows and spatula and that was the recipe for me. Well the raspberries were out and we hid the salt jar...you never know :)) I replaced the rose-water with saffron water...

I always thought baking meringue was a work of skill and intense labor, well note to self : don't think so much !! These are really airy and sweet, I love the delicate flavor of saffron, am so glad I baked it. I did not pipe them, I was lazy and did not want any delay in trying them, so no extra steps. I was pretty happy with the outcome and loved the non-uniform shapes.

1 cup sugar ( regular not caster)
4 egg whites aged for a couple of hours at room temperature ( make sure you get the yolk out when it the egg is cold - much easier to do) the original recipe asks for 30 min at room temperature, I did mine for 2 hours.
1 1/4 tsp of saffron water - soaked a few strands of saffron for a couple of hours in warm water
handful of pistachio chopped

Thanks to sparrows & Spatula for this tip, for every egg white you need 1/4 cup of sugar . That is the only secret to making of the meringue.

Pre heat over to 400 F. Line baking tray with parchment paper and evenly spread the sugar. Heat the sugar and keep a close watch on it. It takes from 5-8 min. As soon as the sugar starts to dissolve around the edges, you know it is done. If you do wait longer, it will caramelize the sugar. Make sure you do not spread the sugar to thin, it will caramelize before you say jack robinson. ( been there done that )

With one eye on the sugar, pour your egg white to a mixing bowl and when you see the sugar is almost done, whip the egg whites, on high till it is frothy.

Remove the sugar from the oven, pour it, with help of parchment paper into the egg whites, if any sugar is stuck to the paper, just scrape and pour it. Save the parchment for latter use. Add the saffron water.

At this time drop the oven temperature to 225F - this is a very important step so plz do not forget

Now whisk the egg white and sugar till it is nice and creamy and hold stiff peaks ( ref to pic ) .

Finely chop the pistachio. Line the baking tray with the parchment paper. With the help of two spoons scoop the egg white mixture with one spoon and scrape with other and place it on parchment, sprinkle pistachio on it. Now you can also pipe the egg white mixture, that is up to you. Bake it for 2 hours, make sure every 30 min you rotate the baking tray to ensure even baking.

Light as air , with a delicate saffron flavor !!

Savory Masala Cookies

2013-02-04T11:42:00.003-06:00

In a tropical country you may not get snow, but it is cold in some parts of the country during winter months, specially the northern belt. Not having central heat had its own charm and we could survive the winter as it was never or very rarely sub-zero temperature (in centigrade). My most beautiful memories from my childhood comes from Dehradun, a small quaint town, at least that was what it used to be, memories of sitting in the sunshine - soaking up the warmth, munching on peanuts, chikki (a brittle made from peanuts and jaggery/sugar), hot pakoras (fritters) and endless supply of chai (dad with his coffee, he always preferred to drink coffee). Adrak (ginger) chai (tea), we never needed a reason to have chai...thanks to Starbucks chai has become a household name in the West now. I remember those days, there was never a sense of rush or hurry - there was aways time to sit back and enjoy the smaller things in life which had more meaning. Some of my most memorable moments and some of the most valuable lessons were learnt in my front yard, where we would bask in the warmth of the sun. My dad and I would talk, debate, discuss a lot about philosophy, about life, about human aspirations and inspirations ...little did I know that over all the endless cups of chai I was making some great memories that I would cherish and yearn for in my adult life. After I came of age, dad and I would read the same book, talk about it at length and many times we would share moments of silence - those moments of silence is when we understood a lot of each other. I think that really helped me recognize the core of who I was at an early age, as a young teenager, I never realized how important it is to know who you are and be comfortable in your own skin. It's been a while since dad has gone, but on days when it is cold and am having my chai and some spicy savories, I cant help but think of him.

Dad loved madur vada and as ~~disciplined~~ health freak as he was, he avoided fried foods. These cookies are NOT a baked version for madur vada, but they do remind me of it and of dad. I remember writing down this recipe from somewhere and tweaking it a bit, I don't remember where, if you have seen it somewhere, let me know - I should give due credit to the original post/recipe.

( from last nite) A cold February evening, the sun going down, snow glittering in the sunshine, or wait is it the moon...a hot cup of chai, some savory cookies...me and my memories....probably some years from now, I will read this post and remember this evening...the sounds of finally teen filling up the room as she is narrating a funny story, my other half smiling as he looks up from his iPad, the taste of these cookies and the aroma of the chai will be still fresh in my mind. The heart does not need great events to record as the finest memories. Hope you are all enjoying the smaller things in life, which do add up to make the big picture.

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder

2tsp sugar
2 medium yellow onions finely chopped
2-3 green chillies finely chopped (or to taste)
handful of fresh coriander/cilantro finely chopped
1/3 cup oil
4 tbsp butter (liquid)
1/4 cup or less of warm water

spice blend
4 tbsp sesame seeds roasted
1 tsp cumin (optional)
1 1/2 tsp salt

In a mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients, followed by onion, green chili, coriander , oil and butter. Mix, it will be crumbly like bread crumbs, add water make a dough. cover and keep for 30 min.

Pre-heat oven to 350 F . Roll the dough and cut with help of cookie cutter, or just roll small disc, like i did, it's uneven but it gives a nice rustic touch. Since the dough is not that firm, make sure you roll it on a non-stick surface, so it is easier to peal the cookies. Don't roll to thin and don't get bothered by uneven surface. Bake for about 20-30 min, make sure they don't turn too brown, we do not want to burn the onions. Serve hot with some masala adrak chai .

Curried Sweet Potato Fries (baked) with a Tomato Curry Chutney

2013-01-31T13:17:00.000-06:00

Am not at all a sports fanatic. My sports IQ m~~ight be worse~~ ~~than hmm worst~~ is pathetic. Hey ! I'm not heavily invested in sports but where there's a party there's "food" : that's the magic word for me . Am usually silent when there is talk about sports, since I have nothing to contribute...I have tried to like it, it's just not for me . Did I just lose a few readers :(. I might be the only one on this side of the world who is free this Sunday, so if you see a lot of repins from me on Pinterest, don't be surprised as I might be the only one there. Even Facebook updates will be all about the game, I might end up linking the wrong status update and be blocked by some friends, so I won't risk getting on Facebook, Pinterest is a safer bet. Then I have my book, I am reading Jamie's Italy by Jamie oliver . Awesome read, I have book marked a few recipes and can't wait to give it a try. I love the narrative style and you could curl up with some hot chocolate and enjoy this book, unusual for a cookbook. I have so many recipes bookmarked, but it is hard to plan meals when you have a food blog, you want to try new recipes at the same time you have to plan balanced meals for the family. And then you have dessert, which is a totally different ball game ! Game reminds me of the blog post today and before I digress, back to fries and finger foods. The reason I love these sweet potatoes fries are because they are super easy to make, flavorful, baked and a crowd pleaser. I have always loved fries and it's just one of those snacks that you can't stop munching, come to think of it there is no snack that ~~one~~ I can stop munching. Most of you might have your menu's planned for the Superbowl party - well if you are looking for an extra something, you won't be disappointed.

For the sweet potato wedges

Sweet potatoes cut into wedges
4-5 tbsp olive oil

Spice blend
1 tsp chaat masala or curry mix
1/2 tsp smoked paprika powder
salt to taste
some freshly ground pepper
finely chopped cilantro

Chaat masala is a spice blend used in Indian curies/cooking, it is used a lot in snacks and street food. nest time you eat an orange or a grapefruit, take a pinch of chaat masala and sprinkle it on it !! am not going to say anything - just try it !!

You will find a lot of variations of the chaat masala, the one I use has
1 tsp cumin/jeera
1/2 tsp coriander seed /dhaniya
1/2 tsp fennel/sauf
2-3 tsp dried mango powder/amchur
1-2 tsp black salt/kala namak
1/4 tsp dried mint
1/2 tsp ground ginger/adrak
a pinch of asafetida/ hing
1 tsp black pepper/ kala mirch
1 tsp smoked paprika/ lal mirch

Mix all these powders and ta-da ! I will do a detail post on this soon :)) I am very passionate about chaat masala and would love to showoff my home made version - so post coming soon :) Well you can get ready chaat masala but it may not be so fragrant - the ready one are pretty good too.

As for the curry mix, well I use my home made garam masala and click here for that !

Pre heat the oven at 375 F.

Take the olive oil and add the spice blends to it.

Brush the spice infused oil to the sweet potatoes.

Bake for 10-15 min or till nice and roasted. After about 8 min toss the wedges around so it roasts evenly.

BTW sweet potato is the official vegetable of north Carolina...I did not know this but when I was reading about sweet potatoes to know all about the beta- carotene goodness I read this, the rest I forgot but I do remember this one, thanks to google we all seem so knowledgable. Notice the word 'seem' !! any way serve with a nice tomato curry chutney as dip !

Tomato chutney

2-3 big tomatoes roma or globe cubed
1 white or yellow onion finely chopped
1 green chili split in half
cilantro finely chopped
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp brown sugar

spice blend
1 tsp mustard seed/ sarso
1 tsp cumin/jeera
1 pinch asafetida
1/4 tsp turmeric
1-2 tsp rasam powder or garam masala
salt to taste

In a pan heat oil, add mustard, let it splatter, add cumin, asafetida add onion and salt, as soon as the onion turns transparent, add the tomatoes and let it cook till it is nice and mushy, add water if needed. add the rasam powder or garam masala, turmeric and sugar - bring to boil till it is nice and thick consistency. you can serve this dip hot or cold.

Serve with the fries it pairs very well !!