Pure Vegetarian By Lakshmi

Strawberry & Rhubarb Pie

2012-05-31T18:29:00.000+03:00

There seems to be a cosmic traffic jam of planets transiting Vrishabha (the placement of Taurus) at the moment! Hosting such great leaders of universe as Guru (Jupiter), Ravi (Sun), Shukra (Venus) and Budha (Mercury) is not a small task for a bull! Especially when the shadow planet known as Rahu in the Vedic astrology, is playing mischievous tricks among the honourable guests by causing solar

An Ode To The Mother Earth

2012-05-21T15:40:00.000+03:00

The mother’s day arrived and left a week ago. I missed the opportunity to post a tribute to my favourite mothers in time. The emblem of motherhood is personified in the mother who gives birth to us, the wife of a teacher, the wife of a holy person or a priest, queen, cow, nurse and earth. In a civilized society they are always respected and protected. Unfortunately we have reduced the list to

Artisan pie

2012-05-07T19:20:00.000+03:00

Artisan pie is a fascinating way to describe a regular pastry with left-over vegetables, fresh cheese and what not. It requires some manual labour and dexterity, and provides an entertaining break in baking routines. The variable colours, shapes and sizes of vegetables fuel imagination. Cooking is an act of assistance. A perfect cook is a servant who enables a loving dialogue between the given

Doughnuts & passion fruit juice

2012-04-30T10:52:00.000+03:00

The springtime fertility fest of the Northern Hemisphere, May Day, originates from the pre Christian era of pagan tradition. It stood for the day cows were released onto the pasture and bonfires were lit to drive away evil spirits and disease. The etymology of Finnish Vappu is traceable to the German Walpurgisnacht, a night of witchcraft, after Saint Walburga who was canonized on May 1st,

Beet Dumplings

2012-04-23T00:14:00.000+03:00

It is climate appropriate to wear woollen mittens and scarf, I noted when dressing for the morning walk today. Air is still cool, no matter in what language you read the thermometer. There are batches of snow everywhere but the sky is open and the sun is shining. My usual walking route passes by three community gardens, a small forest and a park. Having exited the park today, I crossed a

Plum Tart

2012-04-16T21:10:00.020+03:00

Trice tested, the recipe works! Besides plums, I baked it once with sour cherries and another time with blueberries. It is a good, solid dessert. But I got nothing to say about it! It doesn’t rock my language faculty at all. It is one of the lukewarm, ordinary things that doesn’t command notice. It makes me wonder what we really value in cooking and eating? "We are what we eat" is a well known

Pasha

2012-04-09T12:24:00.017+03:00

Of all foods, pasha was the first dessert I made by myself as a teenager. I still remember the excitement in all stages of preparing it: beating the butter and sugar; adding vanilla, roasted almonds and dry fruits; whipping the cream; layering a cheese cloth over a mould and, finally, anticipating how it will look and taste after having drained overnight. I had never eaten pasha before. It was

Sabudana – Seasoned Tapioca

2012-04-05T14:29:00.020+03:00

A failure contributes to learning. It is an impetus for analysing a mistake, making a change and trying again. If you wish to master the trial and error method of acquiring knowledge, start with a bag of tapioca pearls and attempt to achieve a dry, light and fluffy side dish. This kind of problem solving is known as guess and check in elementary algebra. Needless to say how many times I’ve

Shrikhand

2012-03-25T23:44:00.002+03:00

As a yogurt based dish, shrikhand is an ideal summertime dessert. However, being exquisite and simple to make, it is irresistible all around the year. Fresh, homemade yogurt yields the best result. Flavoured with saffron and cardamom, yogurt is drained overnight in a cloth bundle. It turns into a thick, silky sweetness when powder-sugar is added. Shrikhand has a refined taste. It marries well

Colourful & Good

2012-03-20T20:23:00.008+02:00

Many bloggers come from the tradition of cooks, especially those from the old cultures. They take pride in showcasing family or regional recipes that have been simmered by generations of food enthusiasts. Every dish has a name and a story. In some places the recipes are still learnt by watching mothers and grandmothers cooking. Until the modern times it was uncommon for a daughter to be

Sweet Gaura Purnima

2012-03-11T13:58:00.029+02:00

For a bhakti-yogi, every day is a festival. Celebration is a state of mind. It is an attitude by which we perceive, act and experience reality. A permanent liberation from suffering is a state of consciousness. It is available for everyone, despite the external circumstances. Out of ignorance we are prone to blame others – either persons or situations – for the misfortune that comes our way.

Eggplant Frenzy!

2012-03-04T14:38:00.015+02:00

Fasting amplifies personal valuation of food. I did a liquid, raw food experiment in January. It was great in the beginning. After two weeks it felt unnatural. Although I adore berry and fruit smoothies, and have kept the habit of drinking them for breakfast, I ran into trouble with vegetable ones. The powerful, mechanical process of blending carrots, beets, broccoli or other veggies seemed to

A Poor Man’s Feast

2012-02-25T13:46:00.011+02:00

Khichdi, khichri, khichdee, khichadi, khichuri, khichari, khicri, khecheri and many similar names (that don’t sit well with a Western tongue) refer to a nutritionally balanced stew of rice and pulses, depending on the region it is prepared in. Despite of the linguistic acrobatics, the genius of Indian cuisine lies in the simple recipes. This poor man’s feast is combined with high quality grains,

Beetroot Soup & Little Pies

2012-02-17T09:36:00.021+02:00

Awhile ago my husband, who doesn’t usually care for soups, fell sick with flu. He lost his ferocious appetite and for days desired only soups. It gave me a rare opportunity to experiment in the kitchen. This beetroot soup is one of the better ones I came up with. And, oh, it goes so well with lovely broccoli and cheese pies. We eat beetroots often. They are colourful and fun vegetables. I

Going Raw!

2012-01-11T18:54:00.014+02:00

Happy New Year! And beautiful winter to everyone! How about a healthy diet reform for a month? No sugar and processed food? There is a guest post at Indian Simmer (thank you, Prerna) with a raw pastry recipe & refreshing smoothie. Plus a daring interview about my food philosophy. Stay warm! Thank you.

Citrus Cake

2011-12-12T19:35:00.014+02:00

Days are getting darker and darker. The arctic lack of light creates a sub-human environment. My camera is able to perform indoors an hour or two a day. It is difficult to coordinate cooking, photographing and the rest of daily duties when there is such a short burst of daylight. Therefore I will concentrate on other responsibilities for the time being and return to blogging in January or

Green Smoothie

2011-12-04T00:47:00.004+02:00

Pre-Christmas detox, anyone? Liquid salad. Thank you.

Baked Cheesecake

2011-11-26T15:51:00.017+02:00

This is one of those recipes I whipped up with whatever was at hand. Usually the method works, sometimes not. With paneer, smetana and cream it is impossible to fail. Smetana is an Eastern European specialty made by souring heavy cream. Depending of the amount of fat, the consistency varies from creamy to buttery. The famous Ukrainian borsch is served with it, as is the Russian blini. In Poland

Pulla

2011-11-23T21:31:00.004+02:00

As an introduction to Finnish language, I will teach you an important word that is easy to pronounce. In case you ever get stuck here and are forced to communicate with the natives in the matters of food, it might save you from being served some of the unflattering dishes known as the local cuisine. That is, of course, if turnips and fermented barley malts are not on the top of your diet. I don’t

Fig tart & frozen pecan pudding

2011-11-18T18:00:00.029+02:00

Combining food items is often done intuitively. You just know almonds and apples, or beetroots and a pinch of sugar, go well together. But if we think about it closely, the same universal principles of match-making apply to any other relationship! Everything has an inherent quality and nature that comes out and flourishes when in harmony with a given form. To understand how each ingredient

Pasta With Sage & Pinenuts

2011-11-15T20:31:00.015+02:00

Some years ago I saw a documentary film about student life around the world. The students lived in various establishments, had different hobbies and hairstyles. But there was one thing that united them: pasta! In every nook and corner of the planet, the younger generation is nurtured by it. It is economic and effortless to make, and it fills the belly. In Italy it may be served as the first

Tomato Circus In Town

2011-11-13T13:29:00.013+02:00

It was a grey and rainy day when I saw the colourful carnival performed by these heirloom tomatoes on the market. There was no return from a short but cute romance. Good looking doesn’t always correlate with a noble character, but in this case, the tomatoes tasted as fresh and sweet as they looked. There were plenty and they were lasting. Besides a galette and oven roasted preserve, I cooked a

Carrot & Squash Cupcakes

2011-11-09T19:06:00.016+02:00

Are we going to have one of those sugar-free days today, my husband asked this morning. Don’t let the innocent tone deceive you. It translates to: you better make something sweet! It turned out to be a good idea. Because I had leftover squash and carrots, I made cupcakes. In addition to cake-flour, I used potato-starch and wholegrain spelt in the batter. Potato-starch is excellent in cakes. It

There was a cake

2011-11-06T18:48:00.009+02:00

This basic eggless cake recipe has never failed me. I’ve made layer-cakes, fruitcakes and cupcakes with it. The secret lies in a right type of flour. For an airy and soft cake the correct flour has low viscosity and protein content. It is milled from the inner core of the grain. For the best result, cake-flour cannot be substituted by all-purpose flour. Making cakes is a lot of fun. There is a

Under construction

2011-10-23T21:26:00.017+03:00

When I started the blog I was hoping my husband and two of my friends, Cintamani and Xiaolu, will be pleased and visit. The amount of traffic has taken me by surprise. I’m wondering if I’m getting someone else’s statistics by accident. From the perspective of the hermitage and quiet solitude I live "in the real world", it seems unlikely to reach as far and wide. When things get complex, I have a