The Pumpkin Farm

Victoria Sandwich cake

2012-03-03T17:22:00.000+05:30

January month is very exciting as there are 3 birthdays in the family. When we were younger I did not enjoy this as the entire year used to be pretty low with just 2 more birthdays in a family of 5. Well now that we have grown up and the family is extending we get to celebrate round the year.
So for my father's birthday, which happens to be the first birthday of the year and in the series I knew I had to make something decadent.
By now you know I had made the blueberry filling and used it in pies,parfait , swiss rolls and many more things.

Pomelles Souffle / Puffed potato chips

2012-02-29T09:09:00.000+05:30

When I saw them being made during the masterchef Australia season, it felt like watching magic. Potato slices puffing up like pillows. They looked beautiful. As I am working on 7 day chips recipe, it felt like a perfect time to make these and share with friends.

Mind you this is not easy but once you get going with a bit of practice, it is fun. Also the one’s that do not puff up are great in taste too. Unless you plan to serve in a top notch fine dining restaurant you are good to eat and serve all.

I was lucky to have got my few chips bang on.

Cheese chilly flavored potato fries

2012-02-28T20:58:00.001+05:30

These are sinfully dangerously addictive chips. For occasional indulgence you can plan to eat these. I have baked them to reduce the guilt levels but warn you that they are still very heavy to munch upon.

Ofcourse for little high metabolic devils they are perfect snack when they come rushing back home after a high voltage match.

Ingredients

Potatoes – fairly large

Grated cheese (parmesan/ cheddar or gouda)

Salt and chilly flakes for seasoning

1 tspn olive oil

Method

1) Peel and chop the potatoes in desired shape.

2) In a pot of boiling water, add the potatoes and let them simmer for 10-15 min. This will par boil them

3) Drain the water .

4) Preheat the oven at 200 c for 5 min.

5) In a lined baking sheet, spread the potatoes.

5) Sprinkle salt, chilly, grated cheese on top and rub them roughly on the potatoes.

6) Add a tspn of oil and roughly spread it

7) Bake this in oven for 10 min or until the chips are golden.

Enjoy.

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Sobha's Just 4 fun

Chocolate Crisps

2012-02-27T20:12:00.000+05:30

This is a quick do snack recipe that I planned to make for days when I run out of snacking option. Weird isn’t it, I was making them days ahead and yet thinking of recipes to do in a jiffy. I was being super lazy- simple.

Ingredients

2 tbsp Corn Flakes (Strawberry flavored)(You can use plain or honey or anything)2

4 tspn chocolate chips/ 100 gm plain chocolate

Method

1) Melt the chocolate using a double boiling method.

2) Add the corn flakes in to the melted chocolates. Stir using a fork.

3) Gently lift them and scoop them in a cup cake liner.

4) Let it stand for few min (5-10min).

5) The chocolate will set and crunchy crisps are ready

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Sobha's Just 4 fun

Apple chips

2012-02-26T11:42:00.000+05:30

Fruit based chips are mostly good for decoration purpose. It also depends on the kind of fruit you are using. Apple chips are probably pretty common in use by now. They are good to decorate a plain looking dessert. What I did not know until I made them is that they are excellent snack on their own.
The reason for knowing this little later was because I never made at home. Whenever I tasted them elsewhere, it was sprinkled with cinnamon. I am not a big fan of cinnamon in desserts so it was a pretty thing sitting on the plate good for a nibble or 2.

While working on the chips theme, when I started preparing the chips, I suddenly decided to go without cinnamon.
Because cinnamon lends a beautiful woody color, I did not want to miss on that color. I added raw sugar (brown sugar) I really do not know what raw sugar is, but I had a packet. You can use ordinary sugar as well.

Lemon chips-decoration cake,beverages,candied

2012-02-25T08:16:00.000+05:30

Blew me off when I heard about them first, just the idea of using these tart sugary chips for decorating my desserts , cakes or to adorn a simple mocktail was exciting. I saw them from a distance in one of the bakeries. I thought it was some kind of sugar sweet crafted beautifully to resemble a lemon slice. A closer look and I knew what it was. I searched for many recipes on the internet but was not convinced about getting it right. One main reason for thinking this is the fact that the variety of lemon we get in India is very tart. There was no way to figure out how to make them taste sweet.

I sampled the recipe with few lemons straight out of the refrigerator. After hours of investment when I made the chip, I immediately spit it out of the mouth. It tasted horrible. I gave up the idea. Then when granny (inlaw) was making nimbu ka achaar (lemon pickle) I asked how does she ensure that the skin does not make her pickle bitter.

She said, she stocks up the lemon as and when she comes across lemons that have very less pith on their skin. The moment she comes across such variety, she simply chops them and add it to her jar that contains lemon juice. The lemons sit in their own juice for quiet some time even months. When she collects good amount of them she decides to season and temper it. The achaar recipe will follow some day but coming back to the chips I realized the effort required. So when I came across a lemon slightly green, more fleshy, with small seeds in it I decided to make chips again. The other test is you can try zesting the lemon, if it is difficult then you have found your catch. As the lemons with lesser pith cannot be zested easily.

Tomato chips - Alternative Sun dried tomatoes

2012-02-24T09:05:00.000+05:30

Sundried tomatoes have such an amazing taste even for the one's who are averse to the idea of eating raw tomatoes. However it needs to be teamed up with something that complements it really well. The only thing missing in it is a crunch. As they are stored in olive oil they are soggy.

However, since I have my sun in the oven, I sometimes, also make a few crispy chips of tomato. These need to be consumed within a weeks time and trust they do not last that long.So essentially you continue broiling or heating them post they have lost the moisture for another 5 min or so to get wafer thin crispy chips.

These are great in salads or in sandwiches.

Caramalized Sweet potato chips Caramalized Sweet potato chips

2012-02-23T19:37:00.000+05:30

The snack is very popular maharashtrian fasting food option. Usually made in round discs these are deceptively tasty and addictive. They also work well with kids as they are sweet in taste. Making them in this form tricked many to think they were regular French fries.

It is a good light meal option on its own.

Ingredients ( 1 serving)1 medium sweet potato
4 tspn sugar
1 tspn Clarified Butter/ Ghee
Method
1) Peel the sweet potato and chop it as fries. Keep it in water.

2) In a shallow frying pan, add a teaspoon of clarified butter.

3) Add the chopped sweet potatoes. Saute it for 5-8 min. They should look slightly translucent.

4) Add sugar and continuing sauteing until the sugar dissolves and slightly caramelizes and coats the fries.

Enjoy these with tea or coffee or as a light meal on its own

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Recovering from Party Hangover and leftovers

2012-02-22T18:52:00.002+05:30

You might have heard this pretty often about arranging party or food. The actual arrangements, cooking, running around is never as stressful as the cleaning and re-arranging things back to normal.

This can be handled easily if we do some reverse planning. (Ahh so much for the word PLAN)

Make a list (the list again!) but this time mentally, about the things that drive you nuts post throwing a party or a get together.

Mine looks like this –

1) Clutter and mess around the place

2) Spilled water , cold drinks

3) Sink full of utensils and used dishes

4) Bloated tummy (if you were lucky to find time to feed yourself or even otherwise)

5) Refrigerator full of leftovers not enough for one meal or too much for next few meals when we are least interested in eating the same dishes over again. Actually it does not look like a lot of work now that we have listed it. Imagine planning ahead for it, you will have nothing to worry about even while you party.

Tips to lift your mood post party

1) Keep smaller fancy looking trash cans or buckets at various places around in the house. You will see that even the regular defaulters (Husbands mostly) are also taking efforts to throw litter where it belongs.

2) Keep sponge or dry cloth handy or a mop handy to wipe off any spilled liquid. Using paper napkins also helps for smaller spills. Do not cover it up with carpets or throw other mats to save face temporarily. Gracefully ask everyone around to move aside while you clean it with a sponge or napkin. Others would rather prefer clean surroundings than a better poised host.

3) If possible, use recyclable dishes or glasses. Do not use them for formal parties though. Use non-breakable dishes for children unless they are very few and are under their parent’s supervision. Always, set aside a large washing basket to hold the used plate. Rather than pushing them under the sink. It would be easier to sort them later on.

4) Opt for a simple menu for next day and if possible get someone to cook for you.

5) There are many services which are happy to carry your leftover food. They also come and pick up the food from the doorstep. Keep these numbers handy. If you have family and close friends attending, offer them to carry food back along with them. Keep the take away packs handy for such events. You can also put to use the takeaway boxes that you have been stocking now. And empty refrigerator offloads majority of the stress factor.

6) Re-arranging the rooms back to normal can be distributed over the course of few days.

Enjoy the settings for a few days and feel happy for the spaces created.

7) Bask in the glory of hosting a good event by calling up friends and asking how did they enjoy their time. It is an instant mood lifter

At the end, start planning for your next event and how could you notch up further.

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Formal party, dinner menu, venue, food and drinks

2012-02-21T21:42:00.000+05:30

While with kids and elders you have to follow moulds of celebrations when it comes to celebrating a casual or formal dinner party with friends or colleagues you can easily make, bend or discard the rules. This event is for foodies to exhibit their skills honed over the years and sacrifices made of piling body weight in bargain of tasting and learning a new dish. Foodies go free spirited while planning .

If the event is planned to mark a special occasion like Birthday, Anniversary, Promotion, New Year etc. then you may have to plan around the occasion to ensure that you don’t forget marking it. Like birthdays and anniversaries call for cake cutting. Other events may call for announcements and felicitations.

Arrange the venue such that it gives a comfortable, leisurely , laid back atmosphere.

Theme & Venue Arrangements – If you are partying with friends who are not mere acquaintances then you can encourage them to be part of mad fun. Pajama (pyjama) parties is my favorite theme in such cases. Besides dressing up literally in your nightwear you can throw in lots of cushions, pillows, order for DVDs, fill the house with pop corns and colas. Ahh … relive the days from college. If you are lucky to have packed off kids to grandparents place then you probably can do away with any other planning. If you are super lucky to have kids (pun intended) tagging along, then don’t fuss, pull them in. They need to see how parents rock parties early on. You can plan games and activities that you share as a group. Involve the kids in the discussions so that they do not get dragged off and eventually expect you/ parent to follow out of the party.
When it is non casual, formal or Dress Up party then pull out the best of your dresses out. Decorate the venue with chic upholstery . You can do flower arrangements or adorn the walls with paintings. You can also do a quick collage of photos (recent and old) so that guests are occupied with activities besides catching up with each other.
Keep your music collection on display for the guests to choose or pick or suggest some of them.

If you are expecting too many kids, then avoid displaying breakable items unless you can keep it out of their reach.
As time passes by and people are getting more comfortable, you can pull down the sofas or make way for spread out beddings, or settees for people to throw back and relax. This is to be done for parties running past mid-night.

Food
Although you should not do any experimental cooking you can still take some risk and display some unusual or uncommon dish or 2.

Beverages	Keep 1 variety of each – Fruit based, Aerated , Mocktails
	Spiced Orange Juice , Guava Blossom, Virgin Mary, Ginger Ale, Ice Tea
Starters/Apetizers	Opt for 1 variety per 5 people in attendance. Restrict to maximum of 4 to avoid clutter
	Tandoor Aloo/ Paneer Tikka / Mushroom Pinwheel/ Sev corn Puri
Main Course	Keep a healthy mix of Indian and continental (Opt for 1 or 2 of each row below)
	Salad, Curd Rice , Dahi Vada/Bhalla , Roti Basket – Stuffed Paratha, Naan, Puri Babycorn / Paneer Jalfrezi / Chhole / Vegetable Paprika in cumin orange sauce & Spaghetti OR Malaysian Noodles Fried Noodles OR Vegetable Lasagna OR Pasta Pulav or Biryani or Jeera Rice with Dal Makhani or Rajma
Dessert	Keep these in plenty. The more the better.
	Chocolate Mousse / Berry Souffle / Apple Crumble / Blueberry Parfait

General tips
* Unless asked for do not ask kids to recite rhymes or poems. It may amuse for a while but can become drag. Let the kids and guests mingle comfortably with each other. Talent would be automatically displayed
* Do not drag people in or out of place , jumping or directing them to use or not to use a space. If possible lock away areas before they come. For e.g. rooms or balconies housing junk should be locked or barred before guests come in.
* Abide by the requests for changing music or dvd if someone asks. They are guests and besides are asking you to play one of your collections
* Do not overpower a conversation by talking too much or making your points strongly. Even if you disagree with certain views, politely opt out or change the topic. Settle your scores some other dayJ
* Do not spend time with select few guests more just because you find their company better or comforting than others. You have to distribute time evenly as all those present are here on your invitation.

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Traditional get together party menu, theme, ideas , decor

2012-02-20T14:41:00.000+05:30

Traditional ceremonies come with a baggage of rituals. However it also works in favor as most of the planning is taken care by the same rituals. You are free to add but do not opt to delete oops, avoid any of it. Your intention is to enhance the experience so in the bargain do not end up displeasing elders.

Ask the elders on what have they been doing especially in the years when they had newly started following. Most probable answers would be when I was younger my mother or mother in law did so and so but then who does it now. Probe them here exactly to know what is it that is not done now.

You may end up finding some really exciting ideas.

Theme & Decoration - You really do not have to do anything extra but follow the rituals. If there are guests expected encourage them to dress up traditionally. Once the food and guest list is confirmed decide on the decorations. Traditional decorations are really fun and can be a family activity on the previous nights.

I am listing some of the ideas for events celebrated in this part of India.

- Rangoli made at the entrance and near the pooja place.

- Small flat pots filled with water having floating candles or seasonal flowers

- Embroidered & Jari borders cushions, table runners, clothes etc.

- Flower garlands for the entrance door.

- Pearls or beads garlands for the entrance.
- Knitted or Crocheted garlands can also be used for decoration to be kept under the pooja or Prasad dishes
- Fancy and traditional pottery, hand painted crafts can also be exhibited during this time.

- Creative garnishes with vegetables and fruits can be displayed now

Activities & Favors - Most functions are associated with some rituals which can be made exciting by being pompous. Invite everyone around to participate and give roles to each to ensure participation.

Haldi- Kumkum – Plan some games which are specifically focused on ladies. In Maharashtra we play ukhane (rhymes with spouses names), other small tele matches (sniffing the confetties with straws, threading needles, separating mixed bags pulses or beads etc.)
Holi – Besides playing colors you can also arrange antakshari, singing and dancing events while you are busy managing the food preparations.
Diwali – Popular game is playing cards, you can be innovative by deciding on the kind of games. You can also play housie or bingo to make it a test your luck event. Otherwise, bursting fire crackers (environment friendly) can also be included

Some customs ask for giving back favors to the guests. Most popular in Indian context is giving piece of cloth with coconut and rice (Oti bharne). You can add bangles, Bindi packets, accessories etc to jazz it up.
For diwali gifts you can consider including diyas, rangoli packets, garlands etc.

Food
Fortunately we have so much variety in the traditional recipes and luckily every festival or ritual has its standardized menu which means we just need to follow it.

Sankrant – Gul poli, payasam, kheer

Holi – Puranpoli, gujiya, pakode are more popularly made.

Ganesh festival – Modak, laadoo

Diwali – Sweets and Savories

You should look at the customary courses and serve all at one go in the standard sit down format(pangat). If space is a constraint, you can opt for move around with your dish option. Put all the food at one single place so people can help themselves. Normally, ladies serve the kids and males before they eat (Don’t hold me for gender bias – it is usually helpful) Once they are satisfied, you can easily sit down with the ladies and enjoy your meal peacefully chitchatting or gossiping.
To compensate , make the counterpart serve or help you with the post clean up process.

A detailed menu for vegetarian fare can be as described below. I have more western recipes, but will be updating with more dishes across India as I start collecting or posting them.

Snacks (farsan) – 1 or 2

Dhokla/ Alu wadi / Khandwi/ mutter patties/ kothimbir wadi

Roti
Chapati/ Tandoori Roti/ Naan/ Puri/Puranpoli
Vegetables /Gravy
Dry – Aloo Methi/Aloo Jeera/ Bhindi Fry/ Kale Channe/ Undhiyu

Gravy - Chhole/ Usal/ Mix Vegetable Kadai/ Vegetable Kolhapuri/ Vegetable Kurma

Rice (1 variety)

Pulav/ Jeera Rice / Biryani/ Masala Bhat/ Masoor Bhat

Set aside some portion of plain rice as it may be required for naivedyam

Dal/ Kadhi

Katacha rassa(if puranpoli)/ tomato saar/ Dal tadka/ Gatta Kadhi/ Gujarati Kadhi/Dahi Kadhi/

Salad

Koshimbir/ pumpkin bharta

Sweet

Gajar halwa / Gulab Jamun/ Jalebi/ Kheer/ Phirni

Serve pickle, salt, chutney, curd, buttermilk along side.

General tips

-Do not serve it as separate courses, Serve all dishes except rice in the first serving including sweet. Serve rice as second serving only when they are done with the rotis. Vegetables, snacks, sweet and everything else should be re-offered at regular intervals.

- Insist on serving even when the guest refuse the first time. But do not overdo as it also become an issue later on.

- Pooja place should be separate and out of general sitting area to avoid any untoward happenings.

- Do not force elders or guests to participate in fun activities too much if they appear uncomfortable – this may not go well with all.

- For guests who are not familiar with your rituals, introduce them the same in detail, they would be happy to go along or step aside until we are done with it. It is also okay to ask them to join just before or during lunch time to avoid their inconvenience

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Birthday Party Menu - Kids focused themes,favors,food,games

2012-02-19T22:18:00.000+05:30

The birthday parties or events centered around kids are exciting events. I have celebrated 2 birthdays so far and have thoroughly enjoyed my time.
The key to arrange birthday parties or kids populated events is to kick off the planning with gusto that matches their enthusiasm levels. Nothing about their parties would be over the top so flow with the mood.

In my head there are a million things that I want to do but practically it may not be possible. I am listing some of the ideas below which would help you for your event planning

Themes - Following a theme is not mandatory and do not stress about it if you find it difficult. Although, I do feel that theme puts a lot of things in perspective for the party.
The cake , the decor , kid's costume, favors need to match the theme. These days it is also easy to find dishes,napkins that match the themes.
1) Cartoon based characters - This works best for young children. Considering this is popular approach, you need to be very innovative here.
For younger kids - Winnie the Pooh, ShinChan, Doraemon, Tom & Jerry & the popular Chota Bheem.
2) Sports theme - Cricket, Football, Tennis, Badminton are popular options with easily available cakes and other party kits
3) Princess theme - Very popular option for girls' birthday. Doll cakes, castle cakes, fairy like dress, Star wands for fellow girls.

4) Fancy dress theme- Asking the invited kids to dress up in fancy clothes will also take care of games and fun part
5) Traditional - If you wish to celebrate the birthday traditionally or have an event like hair cutting, sankrant you can do so by making the other kids part of it by asking them to be traditionally dressed up. The food, decor, games can also be matched up. You can reach out to your parents or grand parents and ask them to introduce games that they played in their younger days with the kids.

Games help you keep the reigns in your hands. If let loose the kids will overpower the party. So it is always better to plan the games and execute them the way you want things to progress.
Since this is no school the kids will arrive at different timings. You cannot wait for all to arrive to start the games so plan games that could be played with different set of groups.
The first game always has to be create groups. The easiest is to make chits containing the names of differents groups and ask the kids to pick their own luck. The group names can be as per the theme. For e.g. for a cricket based theme, you can create groups based on team names or cricketer names.
For younger kids you can start with basic games
1) Passing the parcel
2) Tele games - box cricket, throwing balls in basket,
3) Blindfolding and marking the tail of monkey
4) Mask making
5) Clay dough competition

For elder kids
1) Treasure hunt (Can be messy if the venue is small)
2) Quiz contest
3) Balancing acts
4) Dumb charades
5) Pictionary

Party Favors are the next best sought after items in a party post food or to be precise cake. This needs to be most thoughtfully planned. The party favors need to be aligned to your theme. The other constraint is that you should not buy anything very expensive as there are certain trends we need to follow.
Few ideas
1) Goodie bag with fancy looking stationery (pen, pencil, eraser, sharpeners etc)
2) Theme aligned toy (soft toys, balls etc)
3) For girls - accessories , hair bands etc
4) For boys - Sports band, cricket kit

Food runs on most kids (and adults ) on the mind during parties. The curious minds may even opt for a sneak peek in the kitchen or the more extroverts may directly ask on face. Considering that we also like to cook we should only be happy to play to their demands.
Generally the menu should be non fussy, nothing new. Opt for colorful menu. Simple dishes can be made attractive by planning about its presentation and the way it is served.
Avoid runny gravies or liquid based curries as you dont want to run with a sponge or washcloth from one corner to another. Health should not be compromised at any cost. Also, kids are supposed to eat fat and high calorie food their metabolism compensates. Avoid junk food though as you dont want to be at loggerheads with other mothers who painstakingly avoid this through the year.
The food should be classified broadly in 3 courses only
Starters should be simple , non fuss and easy to move. Ideally serve them in one large bowl(non breakable) and or set it at an easily accessible spot and encourage the kids to come and pick their own share
Chips
Cookies
Fries
Flavored Popcorns
Lollipops
Stuffed Toasts

Main course should be ideally one pot meals, non runny and easy to re-serve. Opt for minature versions as kids like small things (mini-idlies, mini pizzas, mini pancakes)
Pav Bhaji
Mini Pizzas
Pastas with Vegetables
Healthy Burger

Dessert
Doughtnut/ Donut
Cup cakes
Cake Pops
Chocolate Fondue

General Tips
* Always remember to offer food at regular intervals rather than at one go. The tiny packages need to be replenished with energy time and again
* Try to make the venue kid friendly. Stove back large objects and breakable items out of range.
* Make the food less spicy even at the cost of displeasing accompanying elders. Kids cannot compromise as it is beyond them

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Pantry Staples and Make Ahead preparations

2012-02-18T11:02:00.002+05:30

Lifesavers is actually a category in my shopping list. The term came to existence ever since I realized that I need certain things as must haves in the kitchen. Each one of you who has been into cooking would have experienced the day when you wanted to cook some dish however ran out of 1 or 2 ingredients. These are the ingredients that seem unworthy of being listed on shopping trip but suddenly become a show stopper. To counter this challenge I started collecting and stocking up.

You would think she is talking about pantry staples ,things you must always stock up in a functional kitchen. Actually I classify Wheat flour APF Rice Potatoes Cooking Oil Sugar and Salt as staples and believe these are always stocked up especially for a party.

Life savers are ingredients that allow us quick fixes. Like...

If your kabab or tikki is not coming together you need bread or cornflour to gather it back
Something about your curry does not seem right no matter what, Kasoori Methi or Chat masala can cover up
You run out of desserts Milk and custard can help you whip up a quick kheer
Everything looks perfect but the cake looks too basic. Choco chips in buttercream or as it is on the top can save face
Someone fusses about not being able to eat gravy or curry dish (spicy or plain uptight) instant curd raita or tomato salad with vinegar can help you come out.

Getting my point now?

Some life savers I buy whether I need them for the menu or not are listed below. These are stocked in sufficient quantities.

- Curd/ yogurt
- Tomatoes
- Green chillies /red chillies /black pepper/chilli flakes/cayenne pepper
- Milk
- Colored vegetables
- Chocolate Chips
- Corn flour
- Chat Masala
- Cumin Seeds
- Plain Soda
- Vanilla Icecream

My kitchen sometimes functions like a japanese assembly line. There are threshold levels marked bottles and jars. The moment the ingredients reaches that level it is replenished with a new stock. (I may sound crazy to some but this has been really helpful especially now when time is luxury)

Quantity of a substance is also an issue of concern for many while shopping. You can follow the rule of thumb that was once shared by a caterer with me. 100gm of vegetable per person when there are 4 varieties and 125 gms when there are 3 varieties.

- for e.g. when you are planning Mix Vegetable for 10 people to eat then the combined vegetables before cooking should weight 1-1.25 Kgs. This includes onions tomatoes and potatoes.
-For rotis breads you have to use 3 for elders when served without rice dish or 2 with rice.
- For kids make 2 rotis or 1 roti each.
- For rice you have to count 1 small katori/bowl for 2 people as uncooked rice. This reduces further when you are adding vegetables to it.
- If you have good variety of starters then you have to reduce the rice quantity.

- For starters & desserts count 1.5 servings per person as you will find people either opting or not for it in same numbers

Another important point while organizing a party is to reduce the D-day tasks to minimal. The key is trying to reduce it as much as possible. Make Ahead preparation help here

Assuming that all the shopping and organizing is done the previous days, the actual day would primarily focus on food preparations. No one wants to feed stale food to the guests. However there are still quite a few things that you can do in advance.

Chopping vegetables
Cleaning and separating stalks of herbs and leafy vegetables - Coriander Mint Fenugreek
Tomato based gravy / sauces
Cakes can be baked in advance
Custards kheer pudding are perfectly okay to be cooked a day before. Stock in refrigerator
Potatoes can be boiled and mashed if required
Some snack and farsan items like aluwadi/patras can be made a day ahead and deep fried closer to the party time%
Dips chutneys dressings are good be made in advance
Based on my experience with various cuisines and menus I have often noticed that the last
servings / desserts last course gravy etc are usually good to be made early on. The first
second servings are the one’s that need to be cooked near the serving time like starters etc.

Tips for additional relief during the D-day

- Always de-clutter refrigerator as much as possible when you start cooking you do not want to spend time re-organizing things around

- Separate the serving dishes from the cookware in advance so that you do not spend time washing and cleaning dishes
- Mark your serving dish against each item before hand. This is part of planning.

- Experiments have to be done before the actual party day
- Write down the recipe and ingredient if possible ,so that you avoid blunders while cooking - even if you are a pro.
- Try not to use a new pack of salt as the saltiness varies from packet to packet. If you are using it then always taste the dish while seasoning.

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Planning And Shopping for the party

2012-02-17T08:28:00.001+05:30

Have you ever come out of any party thinking it needs a gifted flair to organise one...if yes, shed your belief, for the one thing that's really required is shopping. Yes,now does that sound interesting?If you love shopping then throwing a party is a cakewalk. Both things are complementary.
Really, tell me when was the last time besides Diwali or Christmas that you got a chance to buy clothes, shoes, accessories, jewelry, apparels, crockery,grocery,table clothes, expensive cheese, chocolates phew! and everything else for one day.
Even if you do not buy all of the above you sure have a chance to show (off) the latest bought goodies to many.
Does this pep you up now? So do not fret about getting yourself in this situation. Chuck off the thoughts like - Why did I ever agree to this party ? How am I going to do it all? There are so many things waiting for my attention.

If planned well, 3 days are good enough for you to manage a well organized party.

Organizing Party and planning

2012-02-16T12:08:00.009+05:30

Party is a gathering of people in the company of food and fun activities. It encourages socializing and interactions among people. Traditionally Indian families celebrate such gatherings with formal sit down lunch or dinners. The concept of organizing get together became a trend with the advent of birthday celebrations. This for most was limited to the annual birthday celebration of the kid(s) or typical New Year celebration.

Over the past decade or little more, the partying scene has taken fancy of many and is often looked upon as a chance to unwind and relax in the company of friends. The event management companies that are blooming in every corner are only a good reason for people to opt for more celebrations.

The mid-size parties or events that consist of guests in the range of 15-25 are the ones where we can invest our skills of being a party organizer. These size parties or events are organized at home or terrace or in garden.
Although food dominates the minds of most attending the parties, we also need to take into account the other factors that go along to make it a memorable one.

Offlate, theme based parties are becoming popular even in India. Initially it was only the cake and decor that took care of the theme. Now we can also include the party favors, dishes, cutleries, home decor, games and also the food as per the theme.

Before finalizing the theme and food we need to identify the category of the event.

Broadly, I classify the parties in 3 categories for planning purpose

Type	Invitee Group	Time	Occasion	Theme
Category A	Primarily Kids with elders and close family member. Fun group with hyper energy and enthususiam	Late afternoon to evening 16:00 PM to 20:00	Birthday or kids related traditional parties	Cartoon based, sports, princess, cars, beach, garden etc
Category B	Grown ups, Elders, kids, friends , family, traditional and culture focussed group	Lunch 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM	House warming, Grih Pravesh, Satyanarayan, Diwali, Ganpati	Usually taken care by the reason or occasion. One can make it special by asking invitees to dress up in traditional attires or invite them to help in decorations etc
Category C	Grown ups, non family exposed to international cuisine, Formal groups	Late evenings to mid night 7:00 PM to past mid-night till you push people out	Formal dinner parties for spouse's office colleagues, Friends from College, Celebrations of special events with friends like promotion party, birthdays, Anniversary	Tux and Gowns, Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Red and White, Black and Blue etc

Each kind of party can be planned smoothly and enjoyed even by the host. There are some common areas and some specific for each kind of party.

Check the posts below to get some help to host your parties,

Planning and Shopping for the party

Pantry Staples and Make Ahead preparations

Category A - Sample Menu, theme and ideas

Category B -Sample Menu, theme and ideas

Category C -Sample Menu, theme and ideas

Recovering from Party Hangover and leftovers

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#13

Undhiyu /Gujarath special / winter vegetables

2012-02-15T09:31:00.003+05:30

If I miss on eating this any winter then I have missed winter completely. As much as I look forward to the fresh berries, fruits, green peas during winter, I also eagerly wait for the Surti papdis, kand, fresh fenugreek so that I can make a pot full of undhiyu. This is quintessentially family affair. You cannot plan this activity alone even before, during or after the making of this recipe. Each phase you need company.
To discuss the quality of the ingredients, to talk about the aromas that fill the kitchen and most importantly to taste the product and later oooh and aahh about it.

This time, I picked up all the veggies fresh from market, just about enough for a nuclear family. Then I realized that it will not satiate my appetite to cook and eat. One call to mom and she promptly joined me in an hour's time. She went to market picked her share of the vegetables and came straight to my place.
Together we compared our picks, discussed and collaborated to make a grand affair. It took us 4 hours in total as we did all activities from scratch. We also chatted , munched had our tea in between (or to think of it now, we also prepared Undhiyu between our chatting session). The point is that do not panic, as you can easily do the job in bits and pieces , like cleaning of veggies can happen over few days, the muthiyas can be made a day ahead , the masala can be made a day ahead etc.

* Disclaimer - My version of Undhiyu is close the to the Surat speciality which is less sweet and more spicy. Also I do not add fresh coconut as I think it overpowers the taste, you can add more jaggery and fresh coconut to suit your palette

Wheat Flour Pan Cakes

2012-02-11T20:34:00.002+05:30

I have made pan cakes of all kinds but nothing seems to impress DH. I know he tried to mildly convey yet another thumbs down by saying yea better than the last one I had. The fact is he does not like pan cakes. No matter what! Little monster silently monitors his dad to ensure that he inherits all the habits to be in good books. He flatly refused to eat second (mind u after eating first) bite. To top it, he used the same line as dad – I think pancakes are not for me. Really, then whom do I feed these to?

Now before you ask why I insist making these, let me tell you, this is because I love pancakes. I loved them when my mom made them during monsoons topped with home made muramba (mango preserve). I loved them when I ate them with maple syrup on the streets near London bridge on a cold morning . I loved them when a friend served it to me for lunch in Espoo (finland) along with fresh lingonberry relish. I loved it whenever I made them home.

When you like to eat something so dearly you also need good company. Alas, not in this case. But the adamant person that I am, decided to make it yet again. I made 6 small pan cakes and insisted that DH and son have 1 each. It took the same amount of time for all 3 of us to finish.

Cake Pops

2012-02-10T15:52:00.003+05:30

Parting is painful. I realized it yet again when little one had to bid adieu to his playschool friends. A week before last, he asked me why have I not celebrated his birthday at school. Before you ask me the same question, his big day falls during vacations. But that was known to the staff and not his friends. So together we hatched plan for a fake birthday. The excitement and fun followed as he went about declaring it to the world. I flowed along with him in the excitement until it struck me that I was suppose to celebrate it. So after discussing with his teacher I decided on sending some goodies and chocolates. All was well till toddler asked me about the birthday cake. Since that is not allowed in school I decided to make the cake pops. This has been on my to-do list for a while now.

Rice Noodles in almond ginger sauce

2012-02-09T21:56:00.001+05:30

Rice noodles are preferred over the APF or wheat based noodles as it gives the satisfaction of a complete meal. It could be for me, as my body is accustomed to eat rice or rice based dishes for dinner since child hood.

So recently when I spotted a packet of rice noodles, I quickly reached out to get my share.

Almond Ginger Dipping Sauce

2012-02-09T21:46:00.002+05:30

Most south east asian countries thrive on sauce based recipes. The sauces have a strong and sharp flavor. Unlike Indian cuisine where we end up mixing a variety of herbs and spices, the emphasis on handful of ingredients. One such sauce that is very popularly used as a dipping sauce for finger foods, salads and fresh springrolls is the almond ginger dipping sauce

The ingredients are very basic and simple to use.

Almond Butter

2012-02-09T21:42:00.001+05:30

Ever since heard about it , I wanted to make it. There are many dishes that I make at home even before tasting them. These are dishes that I excite me just with the appearance or the taste or plain ingredients added to it.

Almond butter seemed like an option when I was working on peanut butter variations (due for posting). I never gave peanuts or sub-products any due respect as I never liked it. I do love the shengdanyachi chatni (dry peanut chutney) though. So when I heard about almond butter and other nut butters I was in for it immediately.

Almonds are very good for heart as it reduced the bad cholesterol – this is based on information I have read somewhere but do not have any substantial evidence to prove. A little of this will be no harm for sure

Ingredients – a loooong list

1 cup Almonds

Method

1) Soak the almonds overnight in water.

2) Next morning, remove the skin of almonds , spread them and let it dry completely.

3) Now roast the blanched almonds using a pan or an preheated oven for 10-15 min at 180c

4) When they smell nice nutty & sweet, remove them and let it cool

5) Use a food processor of coffee grinder to make fine powder

6) Continue grinding it till it is coarse. This is almond meal – At this stage you can use it for cookies, cakes and truffles

7) Continue grinding till it starts forming a paste like consistency.

8) This may take a while, to aid the butter formation, you can add a tbsp of Vegetable oil or be patient.

9) The final consistency of the butter is like smooth butter. You can opt to add some coarse almond meal to the final paste for nuttier texture

Sending this to -
Sobha's Just 4 fun

Soya chunks 65/ Vegetable 65

2012-02-08T12:31:00.001+05:30

The theories to tell the origin on this dish are umpteen. If you read about it , you would like to believe each one until you move to the next. Nevertheless, I did not care too much to dig in as whatever the reason, the name and the dish both are simply awesome. The recipes for this like the theory has many adaptations so much so that when I picked the dish for bloghop from Priya’s kitchen, I found 3 different recipes. Well, I opted for the recipe that I felt came close to what I have been eating since childhood.

Talking about Priya, there are few food related websites that come close to being the next Epicurous. Priya’s easy and tasty recipes falls in that list. Her enthusiasm and passion for food is amazing. Her zeal to try a new dish is fresh as it was years ago when she started blogging. Her appetite to try variety and also make it for her family is worth appreciating. I really enjoy her blog posts and often hit her blog when I am looking for some new dish.

I tried her hyderabadi chicken 65, converted to veg 65. There is another variety of chicken 65 also if wish to try. I made some changes to suit my palette. Most of the ingredients were hers , I added soya sauce as that is how I have known vegetable. The outcome was lipsmacking

Eggplant crisps

2012-02-07T19:01:00.004+05:30

Little one, screamed out from the balcony asking a dear neighbor, are you buying fish? On hearing him back, he quickly declared that I am coming for lunch. Little fellow has never tasted fish. But I suppose kids get attracted to things that they feel they are being deprived of. Suddenly the world was pouring out suggestions on how I should handle this demand. Some offering to take him to their homes so that he can eat whatever he likes others suggesting or pushing me make something for his sake once in a while.

I decided to provide him an option to his fish cravings. I did not lie to him as do not want to trick him ever. If the plan works then well, it is a win-win situation else I would succumb to the demand and arrange for something.

I spoke with my ever bankable support- mom to ask her what can I feed him that would make him feel that he has not missed out anything. She said since he has not eaten fish its better to give him something that looks like it and not necessarily taste like one.

This is how the eggplant crisps recipe was born. Irrespective of the reason, this is a great side dish to be enjoyed along with rice and sol kadhi.

Dal Baati

2012-02-06T21:40:00.003+05:30

Recent experience of eating dal baati at a restaurant was not very good. The dal was flavorless and baati was soggy loaded with ghee. Normally one would have thought, I am not eating it again for a while.

But me being umm hmmm Me, I decided to revive the real good taste by making it immediately at home. Wasting no time. I made them in oven which made them guilt free.

Over to recipe....and yes, it tastes fabulous

Bake Fest # 3 Round Up and Gratitude

2012-02-02T14:12:00.001+05:30

Bloggers, what an overwhelming response. Vardhini, a big THANK YOU for giving me the opportunity to host the event that received whopping 84 entries in all categories.
Thanks to all the blogger friends who participated to help in making baking a festive activity.

Drool on the pictures or try the dishes on you own For detailed recipes click the pictures to follow the link.

Banana chocolate chip muffins	Buttery Cake	CCC Cookies	Whole Wheat Fruit & Nut Cake
Almond Vanilla Biscotti	Red&White Checkerboard cookies	Bottle Gourd Chocolate Cake	Coconut Cake
Raspberry Almond Bars	Fat Free Baked Yeast Doughnuts	Wheat and Jaggery Cake	Eggless Sponge Cake With Curd
carrot cake	dry fruit cake	ginger cookies	Baked Wontons
Eggless Coke Brownie	Cadbury Chocolate Cake	Nutella Chocolate Cake	Greek New year cake
Light fruit cake for Christmas	Eggless Cocoa Chocolate Cake	Spicy Cinnamon-Pepper muffins	Twisters, Straws or Sticks
Vegan Christmas Cake	Banana Walnut bread	Festive Biriyani	Eggless Carrot - Apple Muffins
Butter Frosted Sponge Cake	Banana Carrot Loaf	Choco Chip - Oatmeal Cookies	Mexican Spicy Brownies
Chocolate Melting Moments	Boiled Fruit Cake	Baked Sprouts Papdi ChatBaked Sprouts Papdi Chat	Walnut Brownie
Chocolate Meringue Cookies	Chocolate cherry tartlets	Yorkshire Parkin(?)/Cake	Nut Chocolate Molten Lava Cake
Butter Cake	Chocolate Walnut Brownie	Baked Eggs in Spinach	Banana-Brown Sugar Plum Round
Baked – Spagetti	Butterscotch cup cakes	Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni	Ultimate Double Chocolate Cook
Chocolate Cake	Butter Cookies	Eggless Orange-Corn Muffins	Almond Bread Golls
Eggless vanilla cake	Choc Bread Pudding	Chocolate Brownies	Almond Oats Cookies
Channa Puffs	Pav Bhaji	Chocolate Chip Coconut Bars	Blueberry Cheesecake
lazycooks blackcurrant cheesecake	Chocolate Canapes	Vegan Chocolate Cupcake	Khara Wheat Bun
Garlic Swirl Bread Roll	Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread	Eggless Oatmeal Cookies	Cinnamon spiral cookies
Chocolate cookies	Almond White Chocolate Cookies	Vegan Pumpkin Scones	Chocolate Honey Cake
White Chocolate Blondies	Chocolate Melting Moments	Cappucino Muffins	Cinnamon Butter Cookies
Zucchini Chocolate Muffins	Chocolate Truffle Cake	Cinnamon Chilli Muffins	Chocolate Cookies
Red Velvet Cupcakes	Baked Vegetable Manchurian	Pumpkin Berry Tarts	Scones
Mexican Creamy Pie	Eggless Chocolate Chip cookies

My sincere apologies in case I have missed any of the entries. Please let me know via email I will promptly correct it. In case you have recipes posted after 31st Jan, then link them on Anusha's space who has taken over the baton from me.