Weave a Thousand Flavors

In Memoriam : Nannie Davis' Southern Buttermilk Pie

You've heard me speak of Nannie Davis before. 

I think of her every time I eat southern food, hear a southern accent, shuck corn, string beans and see vine ripened tomatoes.

In short I think of her a lot.

Nannie Davis was 91 years old when she passed away. I knew her a sum total of 1-1/2 years and she completely and irrevocably touched my life. Because family are relations by blood but sometimes if you get very lucky, family are relations by bond.

People who adopt you into their fold. The most unlikely of people who at the most unlikely of times invite you into their lives and engulf you in their warmth. It doesn't matter that she's a 91 to your 30.

This is your tribe.

She was my neighbour that year and a half. And the walls between our homes disappeared. We cooked together, sat on the back porch and shucked corn, sipped icy cold lemonade, swapped recipes and did Lowe's runs together.

She also braved my uber spicy curries & Jambalaya - bless her heart!

People always looked at us funny when we were together. I guess they thought what an odd pair we made and we often chuckled about that. I guess they couldn't quite tell how we were related!

She was with me for almost my entire pregnancy with my first son. Unfortunately, she passed away a week before I gave birth and never met him.

She did however leave me with many many precious gifts - an invaluable friendship with her grand daughter Beth who selflessly cared for her and lived with her and whom I love dearly.

She taught me everything I know about true Southern food - she'd always remind me that she grew up on a farm in North Carolina and they had to raise their own chickens and grow their own vegetables and that I needed to learn how to do it right with all the fixin's.

And boy did she teach me how to make her pies. Like her Million Dollar Pie.

And this gorgeous, custardy, lemony, rich and creamy buttermilk pie.  

"The secret is lemon zest" she'd always say "that and love & home made pie crust".

"Yes ma'am!"

So here's to Nannie Davis and to wonderful moments and people that life hands us.

To the many nameless people who touch our lives in myriad ways, who sacrifice for us, who do the right thing at the worse of times because they represent the very best of our humanity.

And to pie.

Batata Poha ~ A classic Brunch Specialty of Flattened Rice & Potatoes from Maharashtra

Meet Maharashtra's favorite brunch - Batata Poha.

Batata Poha is a quick saute of flattened rice a.k.a beaten rice and potatoes scented and flavored with curry leaves & chillies and tempered with cumin & mustard seeds in hot oil. Beaten rice is de-husked rice which is flattened into flat light dry flakes.

Poha or flattened rice can be purchased at any Indian or Pakistani store and is ready to use straight out of the bag. It is important to purchase the right kind of poha for the right dish though. This one requires the fat variety as the thin variety turns to mush under the onslaught of moisture and heat.

This is one of those dishes that is big on simplicity and equally big on technique. One of the most common mistakes with this dish is add water either while cooking the potatoes or while sauteing the flattened rice.

In fact, it is best to leave water out of the equation for most part using it only while running tap water over the flattened rice in a sieve, simply to rehydrate it.

In order to quickly and effectively cook the potatoes without water, the potatoes need to chopped thin so it can be cooked by sauteing.

Once you follow these few simple steps, perfect batata poha is a given and that in itself is no small feat! Because as we all know, some of the greatest culinary challenges lie in the simpest of preparations - think, poached egg!

If anything, Batata Poha is a perfect example of a handful of simple and frugal ingredients coming together in perfect harmony to create what can only be described as satisfying and delicious.

A sprinkle or fried peanuts or some fresh grated coconut and chopped cilantro and you've managed to dress up an already lovely meal.

Pub Grub ~ Fiery Chicken 65

Chicken 65 is a popular chicken snack to come out of Madras in Southern India and is now popular all over the world with its tantalizing fiery hot flavors.

Boneless chicken is first marinated in ground spices, flour and ginger-garlic paste. It is then deep fried and finished when it is sauteed with curry leaves, 'as many chillies as your stomach lining can handle' and yogurt.

The result is a fun and what I like to call toothpick-party-snack. The spicy flavors as you can imagine does justice to tall glass of cold beer.

How the name chicken 65 came along is heavily steeped folk lore. Some say it has to do with the fact that it was created in a Madras restaurant in 1965 and some say 65 was the number of spices or chillies used.

How anyone lived to tell the tale after ingesting 65 chillies is anyone's guess!

Rest assured, chicken 65 by any other name would be just as scintillating, fiery and hot.

A sweet treat of a tart ~ Almond & Pear Tart

World, meet one of my favorite tarts.

Tart, meet world.

Ever since I came across this recipe a couple of years ago in Real Simple Magazine, I have made this numerous times and taken such artistic freedoms with it in terms of ingredients and quantities that what remains is but a semblance of the original.

For one, I like my tarts at least 3/4" deep so I've increased quantities to suit and one can never ever have enough almonds, I always say. The fact that this is my 'go-to-carb-aware-treat', makes this sweet offering all the more, well - sweet.

I decided to make this for a friend's husband today who travels many months of the year and just got home this weekend. "He is just so picky", my friend wails and so I decided to bake him a "Welcome Home" treat. I hope he likes it as much as we love it.

So fingers crossed on that one and I can't wait to hear.

As for all of you, I can't imagine ya'all not falling in love with this one. Give it a bake and see for yourselves.

A Good Morning with Lemon, Pistachio & Cranberry Biscotti

Some things in life are worth the risk of a thickening waist line.

And some mornings deserve a steaming hot cuppa, a good book, risk be damned!

Fortunately for me, there aren't that many things I would gorge on willy nilly, though mind you I do believe I could eat my  body weight in bread.

But home made biscotti is one of them.

Coffee's true mate, it is the sure and definative 15th century hottie that beckons again and again.

I've made the traditional Almond and Orange biscotti out of Prato, earlier on.

This twist on the traditional is simply wonderful and the very best way to pay homage to Nature's most passionate nut ~ the pistachio.

Lemon zest and sweet dried cranberries come out to play and the three together are simply naughty and oh so nice!

For the Young & the Old & the In Between ~ Oatmeal Butterscotch & Choco Chip Cookies

I don't make cookies too often. There are too many things on my must-make list and life is simply just too short to keep up.

But when I do it's usually because I'm jonesing a sweet morsel or the snack box is empty with the boys tummies rrrumbling. Either way, it's always when time is in short supply so I turn to my usual stash of in-a-jiffy cookie recipes that never fail me.

This one definitely falls in my fave top 10. So good with just enough flour to hold the oatmeal together, redolent with the scent of orange zest and just the right dash of different to keep me coming back.

I have not yet met a person, young or old, who didn't love them and asked for more. Now that's saying something. Especially when it comes to my 'chocolate-is-my-kryptonite' hubby.

Not to mention these are tailor made for a glass of cold milk.

Dunking, not optional!

Spring is in the Air ~ Oven Baked Ricotta & Asparagus Frittata

 
It's the season of budding flowers, fruit trees and asparagus.

Though Father Winter hasn't made quite an impactful appearance this season for us, much to the disappointment of the kids and the lack of snow days thereof, he seems to want to give us a last hoorah with sleet, low temps and the occasional dusting of snow - all this the week that spring kicks off here!

Fortunately, none of this has stopped lovely asparagus bunches overflowing from market bushels. A type of grass, spring is the season when Asparagus is at it's tender and succulent best.

So in the spirit of Spring, I decided to make a frittata with a few of my favorite ingredients. As far as I'm concerned, ricotta, eggs and chives are simply the best of friends and the addition of asparagus can only make an already jolly group, merrier.

This incredibly easy to put together frittata is even easier baked in the oven with none of the flipping over, sticking to the pan worries.

I served this with a fruit salad for a quick weeknight dinner but would also be quite lovely for brunch.

Bake as a whole or in indiviual serving dishes which not only makes a lovely presentation but is also handy for packing for office & school lunches.

Traditional Scottish Dundee Cake

Dundee Cake is a famous traditional Scottish fruit cake which is intensely flavorful and though popular throughout the year as a tea cake is especially popular come Christmas time.  

Ever since I began reading the English writer, Hazel Holt in her novels featuring Mrs. Mallory in which she'd always find time to bake Dundee cakes in the middle of solving village crimes, I've been baking Dundee cakes and loving them ever since.

The cake is often made with a variety of dried fruits such as currants, golden raisins and almonds as well as candied fruit peels.

The cake originated in 19th century Scotland and was mass produced by the marmalade company, Keiller's and they have since claimed to be the originators of the term "Dundee Cake".

The top of the cake is typically decorated with concentric circles of blanched almonds.

Like all fruit cakes, it is important to bake the cake at a low temperature, no higher than 325 degrees and preferably much lower - I prefer a slow bake at about 300 deg F.

It is so very important to line the pans with parchment paper to prevent the cakes from burning during the long baking time which usually ranges for 2 to 2-1/2 hours.

Unlike regular cakes, simply baking for an hour or so as soon as a skewer comes out clean will not do. The cake needs to be rid of excess moisture in a slow long bake since these cakes are meant to keep over long periods of time in a process called ripening.

In fact, fruitcakes taste better with age! 

So never serve the cake straight our of the oven. Keep for a few days so they taste their best which in itself takes all the stress out of it!

Meet Your Mate (& your Coffee's) ~ Overflowing Cinnamon Braid Heart for Valentine's Day

 
There is no dearth of chocolate recipes out in the blogosphere and in print for Valentine's day in the world.

but there is also something to be said about sharing a really really good cup of coffee

with your honey

in the morning

before the day separates you

before the kids begin their demands on your time

so make this with love

this spectacular cinammon sugary braid

pull it apart with fingers

eat it warm, eat it hot, eat it cold, eat it together

with that excellent cup of coffee

On Valentine's Day

for there's no better way to start the day!

An Excellent Sort of Mistake ~ Buttermilk Apple Crumb Cake

Ever baked a cake by fluke?

Well, I have. This Christmas in fact.

My dear friend Saloni and I were hard at work in her very urban kitchen overlooking Lake Shore drive in Chicago. The counter top was cluttered with butter, sugar, meats and sauces as we were hard at work for Christmas dinner the next day.

I had butter softening on the counter top for the brioche dough. Completely unaware, I reach out and cream the butter with the sugar. It was only when Saloni asked me, what I was doing that I exclaimed, Oh gosh! I think I began a cake, by reflex!

That's when you know there's such a thing as holiday baking overload! When you live in a world where butter and sugar can't but go together.

Anyway, I doubt she's going to let me live this one down because she couldn't stop laughing as she said, "You're the only one I know who'd end up baking a cake by mistake!"

And what a good mistake it was!

A quick addition of some chopped apples, a basic crumb topping with some butter, flour and sugar and the result was an incredibly moist & delicious apple crumb cake for tea.

So this one is for Saloni, who has been patiently awaiting this blog post so she can make it for her adorable son who asks for it all the time and for good friends, who never let us live down our foibles!

A Kiddie Favorite, All Grown Up ~ Cheese & Z'atar Straws

 
There are few things yummier than puff pastry cheese straws.

I don't care how old you are, a batch of these coming out of the oven will have you swooning.

So here's taking a classic and turning them into a all-grown-up-gourmet variety that will appease not only the kiddies around the holiday table but all adults with discerning paletes.

Let's be clear about one thing though - this post hardly classifies as a recipe. After all, can a recipe with 3 ingredients, namely, aged parmigiano reggiano cheese, z'atar and frozen puff pastry sheets and 15 minutes in the oven be classified as such?

Who the heck knows!

One bite and they'll be your next best friend when ever company is over or you want to make a ooh-la-la statement without letting on that you hardly broke a sweat fixing these.

For kitchen divas everywhere, here goes!

Holiday Baking ~ Easy Peasy Cherry Linzer Bars

 

The Linzer Torte is said to be the oldest-recorded 'cake' in the world going back to the early 1600's and is an Austrian torte with a lattice design on top of the pastry. It's named after the city of Linz in Austria.

The torte is a crumbly pastry made with flour, butter, eggs, hazelnuts or sometime other nuts and is traditionally covered with a red current jelly or sometimes raspberry jam if almonds are used. It is then finished with very thin strips of pastry to form a lattice.

The difficulty level in making this torte varies depending on the recipe you use - the Wolfgang Puck recipe calls for piping the lattice on using a pastry bag which is quite difficult.

For a simply exquisite rendition turning these into cookies, I adore my friend Steve's version at oui,chef.

The Linzer bars here are an easy interpretation of the traditional recipe. I have been making batches and batches of these all week as holiday gifts for my son's teachers, bus stop buddies & afternoon treats.

They are simply scrumptious as they are delicious requiring no genius skill level. In fact any one who can follow a recipe, has use of their hands & nimble fingers can make these quite successfully.

They'll be a hit at office pot lucks and because they're so easy to transport around, I think they're an excellent candidate if you're on the lookout for a delicious, un-fussy holiday recipe.

Try these and see for yourself!

Boozy English Rocks ~ 'Low-fat-but-you'll-never-know' Fruitcake Cookies

I have no doubt that most of my grocery budget during the months of November and December goes towards dried fruit.

If you've ever tried purchasing candied peel, currants and glazed cherries any other time of the year, you know that it's like pulling teeth. Most grocery stored carry these items seasonally which is why I stock up!

Mostly because many of my holiday recipes require pounds & pounds of the stuff which should tell you that I'm crazy for the old world recipes, come the holidays. From traditional boiled pudding which is a whole other blog post, to Scottish Dundee cake & my Cherry Raisin cake  from some years ago, we sure love our dried fruit.

If you're like us and if your love for dried fruit is to second only to your love of brandy in edible bite size pieces, then these boozy cookies have your name all over them.

Ridiculously easy to make and made healthy with use of whole wheat flour and minimal use of butter, they are also excellent for vegetarians since eggs are omitted altogether.

Mind you, biting into these you'll never know! I made a batch of these yesterday for fellow mums & dads who wait with me to collect our younglings at the school bus stop, and not only were  polished off with great speed, I had to promise to post the recipe right away - which is what I'm doing.

 

Simply Apple Tea Cake

I once had a Professor who said that everything every choice is a political decision. By design. I didn't know what he meant until I did. I was in my 20's then and so I must be forgiven.

Things can be as simple or as complicated as we make it. Often we think that that we're on a runaway train and that we have no choice, no free will but that is nearly never true when you really truly think about it.

I choose simple. In my opinion a good night's sleep is severely underestimated.

And therefore by the extension of that thought, I tend to favor old world cakes. Honest, simple, uncomplicated and tend to stay away from fondant and other such culinary disguises.

And so this cake fits the bill. I used the same cake base I've used so many times in the past like here and tweaked it for cool weather and apples.

The apples are the very same that we gathered by the bushel-ful from our recent trip to the Apple Harvest Festival. A lovely combination of sweet and crispy tart - Golden Delicious & York, they make for a lovely afternoon cake.

So perhaps everything in this world is a political decision, by design. I choose simple, what do you choose?

Sneaky Molasses, Zucchini & Chocolate Bread

 
 
This one is oh so for the love of chocolate with the goodness of zucchini, whole wheat & molasses thrown in.

Make no mistake, it's a bread.

One that inherits it's ever so light hint of sweetness from chocolate morsels and earthy molasses but everything about this shouts B.R.E.A.D.

wonderful. decadent. breakfast. after-school. whenever. bread.

Like I said, sneaky.

As it stands, I am back to Sunday baking. With the kids back to school, the need for healthful after-school snacks with that cold glass of milk, five days a week means that Mum (I speak of moi) is forced to shake off the shackles of procrastination and get a line-up together of yummy healthful baked goods.

Mind you, it's not just for the kids benefiting from this endeavor considering Mr. Hubby & I both sneak in a slice or two before the whole lot is polished off. But it has been a startling revelation that left to my own devices, I would probably drift into a wayward slump of fried eggs and toast, meal after meal as long as I'm left alone buried in my books.

So thank goodness, I have growing boys (and one other fully grown variety) in the house that need feeding & watering to keep me on my toes or there's a very good chance that this blog might have never seen the light of day! 

Which of course begs the next question - whatever will we do when they're off to college?

To which my devious mind who is currently far more interested in Jack Reacher of the Lee Child novels, whispers back, "cross that bridge when you come to it".

Amen to that.

Lunch Box Treats ~ Chewy Oatmeal, Coconut & Fruit Cookies

The need for healthful lunch treats seems to be a constant challenge for us mothers with school going kids.

Not to mention hubbies who get peckish at tea time at work.

Lets face it, with the no-peanut-butter rule in place in many of the US schools, P B & J sandwiches, cookies and what-nots may be well and good in fuzzy family flicks and commercials on the tele but not quite in the real world - at least in my real world.

And then I've got my own criteria to reckon with,

not fried. Check.

no preservatives. Check.

100% whole grains. Check.

dry fruits. Check

low on sugar. Check.

and most importantly,

chewy & delicious. Check. Check.

Because if your home is anything like mine, healthful is great but it won't go down well around here if it isn't just simply delicious for both kiddos and grown-ups alike.

Now I like my cookies chewy not thin and stiff because if I wanted a thin crisp cookie then for godssake call it 'thins' and then I know what to expect.

But don't call a 'thin' a cookie. Nope sirree.

And that's got everything to do with the dough-thickness-to-the-spread ratio. If you squish the cookie dough too thin it will end up spreading into a nearly flat cookie in the heated oven invariably resulting in a dry and hard cookie.

Chewy & delicious.

That's my kind of cookie and judging from the fact that I have about 6 left in the cookie tin, no questions asked, tells me that healthful, delicious and chewy happens to be right up the alley for the rest of my flock too.

So if you're jonesing for a cookie full of whole wheat, oatmeal, apricots, cranberries and coconut and all of this in a chewy bundle sounds just too delicious for words, then you're part of my flock.

Check.

The Last Hurrah Before School ~ Cherry & White Chocolate Blondies

 
I don't know about you but it seems that summer has sped by in a blink of an eye.

Such days have now come to an end. Sigh.

I love summers. Not just because of the farmers market stands, the ability to wear light cotton blends, shelve pantyhose for a while and enjoy warm sands & cool breezes.

I like having the kids around - all day.

Sharing the couch quietly reading with the sounds of Tom & Jerry permeating from the next room, fixing peanut butter & banana smoothies, not to mention faux sword fights with cardboard shields (you know I have boys) & the scent of SPF cream from their skin from the endless hours spent at the pool. 

So I can't believe it's all about to change - tommorrow.

Yikes!

And it seems that that's not all that's about to change. Cherries were here one minute and now they seem to be making a hasty departure through the August door.

So I'm determined to fix a treat that will not only delight the younglings and grown-ups alike but one which would feature cherries as a crown jewel. I've tweaked my traditional choconut bars recipe and I just know that I've opened the door to endless possibilities in the future (think nut flours).

Let's face it - Blondies unheard of in other parts of the globe are a quintessential American favorite. Blondie because they're a paler cousin of the rich, dark brownie. Thank goodness we don't have to be politically correct when it comes to food!

This simple version however, results in incredibly moist & rich Blondies that are delicate & fudgy - different in that they don't use brown sugar & whole morsels of white chocolate that punctuate a bite but rather molten chocolate that runs through & through - seamlessly.

Ripe summer cherries delightful in every respect hit all the right notes with their sweet, fresh and ever-so-slightly-tart flavors turning these simple treats into something quite extraordinary.

Fruit Picking & Deliciously Fuss-free, Equipment-free & Pectin-free Golden Plum Jam

Sometimes good fun comes in simple, idyllic packages.

Such as an afternoon driving 40 minutes away from the city to the small town of Purcellville, VA is search of Crooked Run Orchard to spend an afternoon plum, peach and blackberry picking.

After following the GPS, arriving at the farm, seeing nothing but dirt road and a dilapidated shack and tractor trailors, driving away, asking for directions and hereby confusing ourselves even further, only to realise the dirt track behind the heavy equipment was actually the track into the orchard, we were finally there.

We were greeted by what I can only describe as my take on a 'quintenssential farm person' in rural VA. Wearing a wide straw hat and gruff manners she looked at us as idiot specimens from the big city. Which we are, I suppose.

We worked very hard at not being offended (smile) and armed with excellent no-nonsense directions set off;

"only pick what you're gonna take. Don't care for when folks over pick the fruit".

" blackberries must be black and fall straight off the vine".

"Peaches must be a warm red with no hint of yellow or green. They can be hard and they'll ripen just fine just not anything but red".

"Plums - they're ready to go. Just pick away".

It was marvelous being at a family run orchard, completely non-touristy and off the beaten path much like discovering hidden treasure, a hidden oasis in the desert. There were just a handful of people most of whom were locals and collected buckets of fruit every year to make gallons of jam.

Our kids of course were searching out the insects more than the fruit!

Spending time together, doing this very simple thing was a gift. I can't think of a better way for us or the kids to spend an afternoon. 

And in the end, we were rewarded for our efforts

sugary sweet yellow and red plums

 

 

These of course did not arrive home to tell the tale

 

Fortunately for us all, even after we had gorged on the much of the plums we still had over 2 lbs left for several jars of golden plum jam.

Now here's a jam recipe that I have been following for years. It originally hails from Australian Woman's Weekly, is a simple no-nonsense approach to jam making that takes all the fuss and groan out of it.

A Good and Proper Victoria Sponge Cake

Most days are spent frantically watching ones waistline. Not to mention being caught in the everyday whirlwind of work & chores, so it comes as no surprise that lovely afternoon tea cakes are a bit of a vanished species.

But fortunately, not altogether!

Because nothing makes a cheat-day special than a real, proper home-made sponge cake. It's just the thing for a sunny weekend or a summer afternoon tea.

In fact it is the very reason I long awaited the arrival of my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. And when it did arrive, I got right down to making a sponge cake. But you see, a perfect sponge cake can be rather elusive and it's taken several trial and errors perfecting a recipe. If there's one thing I'm learning is that a sponge cake is small on ingredient list and big on technique. But by jove, we've got it!

As it were, I am not at all surprised that my final salvation was found at the hands of Delia Smith. If it weren't for her, Keith Floyd and Mary Berry - all pillars in the British culinary world, I would have been forever lost during my formative years, pottering around in the kitchen.

This wonderful Victoria sponge cake, was named after Queen Victoria, who favoured a slice of the sponge cake with her afternoon tea. A typical Victoria sponge consists of raspberry jam and whipped cream.

Here, fresh whipped cream and sun ripened strawberries sandwiched between feather light sponges makes one delicious teatime treat. Flavor per calorie count? Off the charts, my dearies!

Nifty & On The Go ~ Berry Delicious Lemon Curd Trifles

 

Trifles are a treat on any given occasion.

And traditional English trifles with layers of sponge cake, home-made custard, jelly and fresh whipped cream are guaranteed to feed & please a crowd. However, they aren't quite transport friendly are they?

So I quite like making these instead - I fore-go the custard and the jelly and instead do a lemon curd cream with softened cream cheese whipped up with heavy cream.

The lemony flavors from the lemon curd are just splendid and the cream cheese adds stability to the cream base. Mind you, they still need to be tucked in a cooler with cold packs and all but travel really well especially in these nifty little mason canning jars that make the perfect 'packed-to-portion' carriers.

And of course, using fresh, sun-ripened berries in the summer are the way to go - seasonal, fresh at it's best!

Three B's to a Loaf ~ Buttermilk, Banana & Blueberry

When the tin box in the kitchen, housing weekly baked goodies runs scant, I have no choice but to get baking.

Because if you've got growing boys around you, you know that hunger seems to be their constant companion. Not withstanding the times when I am sure they are feigning.

For example, right after they've been fed breakfast and we are doing weekend errands. As the scent of grilled meat from a near by restaurant wafts through the the air,

" I am soooo hungry Mom"

"How can that be? We just ate breakfast"

" Mother, are you seriously going to starve your first born son?"

"What did you say?"

I am chuckling now and my 10 year son repeats himself to which he adds,

" Mother, you do know that it is perfectly normal for me to be hungry all the time, since I am going through puberty".

"And were we not going through puberty an hour ago, when you only ate one french toast?"

So you see my dilemma, a near empty box of goodies will only mean more such conversations and so this is a perfect time as any to make a fruit filled loaf.

And since one can never ever have enough recipes featuring brown, overripe bananas, I consider it serendipitous that  I have three such specimens on my counter top as we speak.

As far as I'm concerned, banana bread is a treat either way - becoming all the more special when served with a dollop of lemon curd or marmalade and just heavenly when studded with sweet, purple blueberries.

Between that, mushy bananas and puberty, what chance does a mother stand!

Nothing Weak About It ~ Rosemary Iced Tea

I avoid Weak.

Weak Me.

Weak Friends.

Weak Opinions.

Weak Decaf.

Make that Decaf.

So is it any wonder that I like my tea strong?

You know what turns me off about weak tea?

When you take that first sip and it tastes like watered down, nothing.

Sweet nothing.

Not the good kind.

So here's how I do it.

Begin strong.

Strong tea.

Strong everything.

Except,

when it comes to the rosemary.

A whiff, a scent.

It's something.

Something potent.

Something strong.

Something to write about.

 Something to love.

Sweet. Not. Cloyingly.

Birthdays Here, There & Everywhere ~ Date & Walnut Cake with Lemon Icing In Celebration!

There must be some cosmic alliance at work for all my husband's team mates to be born Gemini, the third astrological sign in the Zodiac .

Think about that for a moment.

They are all men.

They are all born in that time period between May 21st to June 22nd.

And they all work together.

If there is no such thing as coincidences in this world then that must mean........Well, in time there may be a story to tell. Maybe. Maybe not.

But fact remains we have birthdays that need celebrating, not least of which is Mr. Hubby's. But instead of a cake especially for my very special hubby, here is one that's going to be shared. As soon as he hauls it to work.

As you know, I regularly send in baked goodies with Mr. Hubby to work much to the delight of his fellow team mates.

But this week it can't be bars or loaves or biscuits, it's got to be cake. The usual parameters however still apply - must be able to withstand the morning commute & must do so without curdling, souring, squishing and being a general prima donna of cakes. In short, frosty fru-fru barbie cakes are out the window.

Not to mention, that Mr. Hubby specifically mentioned that the cake should be 'masculine'. This being communicated with adequate hand gestures and the ever slight scrunching of the nose.

And so after much perusing around through my old tattered cook books by Nika Hazelton, Mary Berry & Delia Smith who are like old best friends for ever loyal and present in my kitchen, I found this delightful cake by Delia Smith.

Having run down the ingredient list with Mr. Hubby and receiving his nod of approval, it received mine too. It has all the ingredients for a good ole English cake - loads of dates, almonds, walnuts, brown sugar, very little butter and a lemony sugar glaze which is not only delicious but I think will survive the commute quite well since it hardens once poured.

Mind you, I almost had to make another batch as I couldn't stop licking the friggin' spoon! Howz that for control?

As cakes go, here's one that's delicious, very non-fru-fru-like and almost 'masculine'  - don't you think?

{psst....do you think I emasculated it with that flowery touch?}

15th Century Hottie ~ Biscotti with Almonds & Orange

Biscotti a term referring to all biscuits in Italy has become synonymous with these - the twice baked variety.

Isn't it fascinating that even today we love foods that hail from as far away as the 15th century?

Because it's here that the origins of this beloved biscuit lie in a small town outside Tuscany called Prato which is at the center of the slow food movement. The first biscotti to come out of this little town was made only with almonds.

The twice baking process is that the dough is baked once, then cut into biscuits, turned face up and baked again. What this does is it gets rid of moisture in the biscuit and therefore allows these lovelies to be stored for long periods of time without the risk of mold.

Consequently these became quite popular with sailors off on long voyages to sea. So much so that it is documented that these crunchy munchies were quite the favorite of Christoper Columbus.

Think on that the next time you dunk a biscotti in your favorite cuppa!

Speaking of double baking and getting rid of moisture and what-not, I don't know about you but the off chance I do purchase some commercially prepared biscotti, I am almost always put off by how hard and dry they are & it makes me wonder if I should be making an appt with my dentist before I bite into the biscuit!

So lets be clear, if you like your biscotti hard and dry, then this will certainly not be your cup of tea (or biscuit) but if you like your crunchy, crusty & crumby (the 3 c's indeed) then you will love these!

So much so, that I am taking this recipe that has been perfected after pouring over countless recipes & mediocre runs over the years and teaching it at my 'A summer Italian Luncheon' Culinary class this week end.

The great news is that though biscotti hails from 500 years ago, anyone who can shape a meat loaf, has played with clay & can slice bread can make these. And this is good to know because once you've eaten these home baked lovelies, your neighbourhood barista is sure to lose a valued customer.

I have added orange zest to these because I absolutely adore the scent of oranges in biscotti but this recipe can be tweaked to your liking: substituting lemon zest or pistachios instead of almonds, dried cranberries and so on and so forth.

In fact, I won't be surprised if you'll be getting requests for these from every corner. Come to think of it, Mr. Hubby has already put in a request for a large batch for his office mates!

Calling Fellow Toast Lovers! Crunchy Corn, Semolina & Sesame Sandwich Bread Loaf

Good as bread. Outstanding as toast.

Think of the finest toast you'll ever have. If all you've had is whole wheat and whole grain trust me when I say you haven't.

Because quite simply, nothing comes close to the 'full bodied' crunchy, crusty, each crumb singing to you kind of toast that this loaf yields.

I wonder if one can use that term, full-bodied to describe anything other than wine. I hope so.

This bread made with nutritious blue cornmeal (but feel free to use yellow cornmeal) semolina and the nutty flavor of sesame seeds, comes together in perfect harmony to give you one gorgeous, golden loaf.

Perfect for work week lunch sandwiches and even more delightful for PB&J, you'll never buy another loaf of that commercial, preservative laden trove again. Why would you? When 10 minutes of active working time and a whole lot of sitting around reading or catching up with your favorite shows yield such a magnificent treat from the oven.

Anyone who has baked a loaf of bread knows, that few things give us a greater sense of accomplishment and that all-is-right-with-the-world feeling than watching a loaf of bread - rise, peak and then bake to a glistening golden brown.

Not to mention, the therapeutic properties in punching and kneading that dough ball . Better still, call some friends over and make a party of it!

Rustic Grape & Marmalade Crostata from Sicily

I made this wonderful grape crostata after an amazing dinner of Chilean Sea Bass tagine, which I must post forthwith washed down with a bottle of New Zealand wine - Oyster Bay, Sauvignon Blanc which quite simply was superb.

Superb because this wine is heavy with the scent of grapefruit on first sip and is by far one of the finest of New Zealand wines - already quite  renowned for their Sauvignon Blancs.

The evening, alight with Brazilian Bossa Nova music of Rosa Passos was only improved by the presence of our dearest friend. She has known us ever since we were students and so our friendship, like the wine has refined & deepened with age & time.

We love roasted grapes so we are partial to this crostata from the get go. But what is lovely about it is the simplicity and the unassuming ease with which it comes together. Very much like old friendships.

The flaky crust which is my pie crust staple nestles those two ingredients - grapes and marmalade ever so simply. And the chilled ricotta cream, infused with orange zest picks up where the marmalade left off.

So much did we enjoy this rustic Sicilian fare, that I decided to teach it my upcoming cooking class.

Needless to say it is worthy of your time and some loving effort.

Buttery Soft Lemon Lavender Short bread Cookies

The Little Red Tractor by Nancy Marshall

"...if I can’t get to the lavender fields of Provence, in France...." I must find a way to bring the joy home!

 
It has been a few months past that I received a wonderful little sample of dried lavender flowers from Justin at Marxfoods. And these little lovelies I have used sparingly with love and care.

"too much of a good thing..." holds very true for lavender buds - use too much and you end up with an overpowering soapy feel & flavor. What is wonderful is just a teeny bit goes a long way in infusing desserts and custards and short breads with that lovely ephemeral lavender scent.

As far as I am concerned lemon and lavender are like two peas in a pod. How can you not? And so I decided to take my signature short bread recipe - you know that one I fixed for the pre-school kids way back when, here and tweaked it. The results are delicate and wonderful. The kids and hubby have gobbled several, warm out of the oven with ne'er a peep.

And I have been saved from ranting and raving about it's medicinal benefits as has been treasured though the ages in Ayurveda -insomnia, anxiety, depression, fights colds & cough.....So I guess, Mary Poppin's knew what she was all about, when she said "just a spoon full of sugar, helps the medicine go down"!

As for me - with one stroke I have appeased both glutton & gourmet!

Rustic Easter Ricotta Pie from Italy {Tantalizing Bengali Tastebuds Everywhere}

Oh! so you think I'm calling your bluff with that header?

I think not.

If ever there was proof that when it comes to food our species have long crossed boundaries, reached across countries & cultures and are more bound by our similarities than our differences, it is this.

The Ricotta pie.

Though hailed as a quintessential Italian dish, it has at its core the very ingredient that has had Bengalis from Eastern India reverently reduced to tears  for hundreds of years, by the one ingredient they singularly adore - namely ricotta a.k.a channar - the core of the Bengali Sandesh.

And thus it should come as no surprise that being married to one, I would be lying through my teeth if I said that this Ricotta pie gets made for Easter only.

Nope.

It gets made whenever the heck we wish...and we wish it a lot!

The traditional Ricotta pie is made with a lard crust using no butter. Since I happen to adore the taste of butter and the flakiness that lard or vegetable shortening, lends, I'm using both.

The filling is also traditionally known to include the likes of ground almonds and finely chopped candied orange peel with nuts being a symbol of fertility.

Fertility? Been there, done that. The factory is officially closed.

So we happen to adore it quite simply : tons of ricotta, cream, orange zest instead of peel, a zing of orange emulsion (extract are so yesterday) and ever so slightly sweetened with sugar and kept moist with crushed pineapple. Eggs of course are here to stay no matter which recipe you choose.

Speaking of the very traditional & exquisite Easter Wholegrain Ricotta pie La Pastiera di Grana, is gastronomic experience in itself for which there is no substitute.

This is well worth the time and effort and you'll find that recipe here from an Easter gone by.

So without further ado, lets get cracking so we can all dig into this very delicious Ricotta pie the simplicity of which belies its incredible flavor.

'Coz He Can Play ~ Simply Divine Orange & Polenta Cake

I found out last night that I am a tearjerky. (Is that even a word?)

This, at our son's first strings concert where he was playing the Viola. All these months of what sounded like a donkey braying has magically added up to music. I was so proud, I teared up as the first 'D' string notes floated across the room.

And I thought, so I am a gusher. I now officially belong to that group of Mums who tear up every time their kid does anything worthwhile. Who knew?

I think it means so much more to me because even though I grew up in a family where music is a heart line, I myself never learned to play an instrument. So I feel so proud that at such a young age, my kids are learning to read sheet music and play. What a gift - to be able to channel all of life's tumultuous moments into beautiful music. I am so grateful for schools like his where the Arts Programs flourish, are encouraged and supported.

Wasn't it Nietzche who said, "Without music life would be a mistake."  And coming from a man who spoke of darkness and the abyss of the human soul, I'd say he was onto something.

So at the end of the day, I am still me and the only music I play is one with pots, pans and spatulas. So I do what I know best, I bake. My music in response to his.

This Italian inspired cake is a variation on a traditional Semolina cake I have been making forever. A classic tea cake reminiscent of the time of the Raj, bridge parties, the gymkhanas and cummerbanded servers, it seemed like a fitting cake as I think of all the beautiful music that has wafted over time, from the long forgotten mouths of gramophones.

Now all of a sudden, I must see The Artist!

Curried Shrimp Deviled Eggs

These snowy devilled eggs remind me of an era gone by - a time where cocktail hour and cummerbunded servers were norm at the country club.

Marvellous for a light luncheon or afternoon tea, the lightly sauteed shrimp in Madras curry powder is all the kick needed to pizazz up what is other wise a lightly flavored offering.

For Mom's out there, I had my younglings fighting over the last piece and that's before I even got to the table myself!

Adapted from a tattered Cordon Bleu mini-series book on eggs from 40 years ago, these delights went by the name of Egg Mimosas and I've taken the original recipe and shaken it up.

The Simple Joys of Life : Banana & Fresh Cranberry Bread

I take joy in life's little pleasures - kids off to school happy, on time and without a fuss, a string of green lights on my daily commute, no one ramming their shopping cart into mine, a day where no surprise and unexpected bills show up, Mr. Hubby back on time - these are the good days.

Days made only better when you set a cake in the oven and hold your breath just for a second as the timer goes off. Gleeful at the sight of beautiful, rounded perfectly golden top. On such days nothing makes the day complete than fixing that cuppa, cutting  into a warm, soft slice of cake, sitting on the patio and watching the world go by.

So you see, this cake is about life's simple pleasures - a cake so perfect in intense banana flavor, with a touch of tang, soft and heavenly that it is a reminder that some of the best things is life are simple, honest and baked.

Go on, remind yourself.

Darling 'coz You're 10! Chocolate Hazelnut Pave Cake to Celebrate

February is invariably chocolate month in our home. This, for two main reasons - our oldest munchkin's birthday and Valentine's Day.

This month our little, not so little one anymore boy turned 10! Two-digits and that is scary for me as a mum. Because now everything that was in his future - the-far-away - one-day-future doesn't feel so far away anymore.

All of a sudden I can't help thinking that before the decade's out, he'll have a bobbing adam's apple, and hair - loads of hair - all over, and there'll be loaded looks between him and girls and that's not all - no longer the "ewww she's a girl", not to mention in a heart beat he's about to be taller then me which mind you is no great achievement considering I'm all of 5 ft, 2 inches. But nevertheless, how do you discipline a kid who is a ft taller than you? Oh I know, I'll definitely be putting than step ladder to good use. This by the way, is already the butt of family jokes - mom on a step ladder flaying her arms all around - snigger, snigger....

Not to mention - the driving. He'll be driving and I'll be sitting in the passenger seat. I need to take up crocheting or knitting just so I can keep my hands in my lap and have them do something other than clench. Not to mention him off to college and then into the world. You hear me, into the world.

And all I can think while all this is banging around in my head is that he isn't ready for the world. There is so much he has to learn, so much he doesn't know, so much I don't want him to know so soon. So I am holding on to the snippets of what will be  some of our best memories and I relish the meals I cook for him and the joy on his face when he sees me baking his birthday cake. The cake he says I must bake because "Oh mum, you bake the best cakes in the world"!

I hold on to these beautiful precious moments and bake this cake, because before long he won't just be my little munchkin but a young man and then, a man. And I think of him stumbling upon this post decades later, and reading my words, seeing the snapshot of this cake and hopefully just for a moment he'll bask in the sunny memory of the day - the day he was 10.

A time when life was simple and uncomplicated.

I hope. I love.

A Prayer, Answered : Rustic Butternut Squash & Spinach Quiche

At the heart of this recipe is a conviction,

Food will not meet it's death in my refrigerator

Nothing fires me up more than the thought of my refrigerator turning into a icy coffin for those wayward bits of veggies that have been neglected in the bottom tray below the bottom shelf. I am sure it feels half way to Hades down there.

Bits of vegetables and what-nots continue to rear there heads unexpectedly which goes to show that I am obviously not in control of my pantry and fridge. Though my body and soul may have recovered from my bout of recent  PTGS - Post Traumatic Guest Syndrome, my fridge obviously hasn't.

I hope Mum isn't reading this because if she is, I expect the phone will ring any time...now.

I am therefore determined to put half the butternut squash and spinach to good use, before one gets moldy and the other wilty. if you don't know which ones going to do what I suggest you spend a lot more time with your greens...and start a multivitamin  regime immediately.

For me the thought of a root vegetable quiche is exciting at so many levels -think buttery flaky crust nestling sweet roasted butternut squash, roasted red onions and spinach is a creamy parmesan custard. Not quite sure it will work but we're nothing if not daring!

Now you know me enough to know I will always advocate making your own crust but just this once I don't want to scare your away and keep you from experiencing this mind-blowingly delicious quiche so alright, buy a store pie crust if you must...sigh..

ALFAJORES De Dulce De Leche Cookies from Argentina

Meet Argentina's favorite street food - Alfajores.

Think Buttery Shortbreads Sandwiched with Caramel & Rolled in Coconut Flakes

Though there are many variations of this cookie all throughtout South America, the most common fillings are chocolate, dulce de leche & jam. As Dulce de Leche goes, you can of course go the super market route but  as it's all the better home made.

How to make dulce de leche at home? Follow the cooked can method in one of my previous posts. You can make one can at a time but why bother when they'll keep for a long time in the pantry, unopened or refrigerated.

I first got hooked to these darlings as we continued to frequent our favorite Argentinian  gelato place Dolcezza in Georgetown Washington D.C for their superlative gelatos, coffees and of course Alfajores. Just so you know, Argentinian gelato varies from it's Italian cousin in that's its creamier and made without eggs.

These cookies are all the rage during the holidays of course but since when do you need an excuse to enjoy these treats? These are even better when dunked in dulce de leche as you enjoy them with your cuppa.

That's what we've been doing all Sunday afternoon!

Rise of the Souffle ~ Horseradish Cheddar Souffle

“The only thing that will make a souffle fall is if it knows you're afraid of it.”     

- James Beard

In my humble opinion, Souffles are perhaps one of  the most astonishing culinary feat to come out of French kitchen.    

    

It is also one of the most feared. A test of true grit of the cook & technique. Which is why it is also one of the most satisfying, self-congratulatory dishes one can ever prepare. I will be lying if I tell you that before I begin a souffle, I don't say a little prayer. Because when it comes to some things in life we can use all the help we can get.          

    

Don't get me wrong - it's not difficult to make at all and the fact that it takes only a handful of ingredients to make leaves me gobsmacked. Because when you do take the first bite of that airy, fluffy, ever so light & delicate souffle, it is nothing short of an orchestra or a 12 gun salute going off in your mouth.    

    

I think an orchestra is a perfect analogy for a souffle. A sum of parts to a make an exquisite whole.   A perfect souffle begins with a perfect dish. It must be round, it must have flutes and the bottom must be unglazed.

And my 12 cup Emile Henry souffle dish is perfect because the burgundy clay it is made of ensures even browning. The ridges on the side add to the surface area as well as the unglazed bottom all aid in maximum heat absorption for that perfect end result.    

    

Also, I am about to inaugurate one of my most coveted kitchen appliances - The Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer. How I have been swooning over this electric hunk of a bowl for over 2 years and finally, I have it! Thanks to my dear friend Beth, our friendship that has endured over a decade which makes this gift all the more special.    

    

Now that we have the perfect dish & the perfect appliance to do the job, the next  important piece of the puzzle is the perfect recipe. Let me tell you friends - you'll be hard pressed to find a recipe that does not begin with roux - you know whisking flour in hot butter to make a Bechamel sauce.    

    

And here is where sheer genius of technique steps in - Richard Grausman in his recipe,  as detailed in At Home With The French Classics,  takes a short cut - gasp! And one that as you can see renders an incredible, upwardly mobile Souffle without the unnecessary rue of dealing with roux.

So without further ado lets get to it!

Goofball Alert, Homemade Toffee {Dulce de Leche} & Banoffee Pie from England

Banoffee pie which as the name suggests is essentially a shortcrust pastry topped with homemade toffee filling i.e. dulce de leche, bananas and whipped cream is an English classic.

It is also a recipe that shouldn't be made by goofballs!

By that I mean, people who cannot, will not or simply don't believe in following directions to save their lives, people who leave stuff on the stove and fall asleep or worse walk out the door for a shopping spree.

What's really getting my knickers in a twist is this bit - the homemade toffee, dulce de leche which is essential as the filling.

How to make home made dulce de leche a.k.a toffee filling?

It involves these steps to be followed meticulously - The evening before fixing the pie, roughly 3 hours before going to bed:

1) Use 2 unopened cans of sweetened condensed milk

2) Use a large stock pot and immerse the 2 unopened cans of condensed milk in water. Make sure there is 9 inches of water above the surface of the cans. Cover the stockpot with a tight fitting lid.

3) On medium high heat, simmer the cans for 3 hours. Use a timer to keep track.

4) On the hour, every hour, keep checking to ensure there is at least 6 inches of water above the top of the cans. Replace with hot water as needed.

Goofball alert!* 
It is absolutely vital to top up the pot of boiling water as needed during the cooking process. 3 hours is a long time and if allowed to boil dry, the cans will explode guaranteeing a trip to E.R. with risk to life, limbs and kitchen ceilings!

5) After 3 hours, turn the stove off, leave well alone and go to bed.

6) Remove the cans from the water the next morning, open and what you will end up with is this -

......absolutely perfect, delicious, creamy soft toffee, dulce de leche filling

And this dearies is step uno to this ~

 

Absolutely decadent & Utterly Delicious Banoffee Pie

Invented in East Sussex, England at the Hungry Monk in 1972, Banoffee Pie is even rumored to be Margaret Thatcher’s favourite pudding. The recipe followed in this post is based on the original recipe from the publication ‘The Deeper Secrets of the Hungry Monk’ in 1974. 

There are cooks who advocate cooking the condensed milk in a pyrex dish for hours in the oven but in my experience it results in a tough and hard toffee filling that is impossible to cut through once the pie is chilled and at the risk of your teeth falling out of your head.

The 'cooked can' method used here to make the toffee is widely used all over the U.K and is original to the 'Hungry Monk' recipe.

Cook's Note - The toffee, dulce de leche can be made a week in advance and stored in a airtight plastic container in the refrigerator till ready to use. Unopened cans of toffee  (the cooked cans) can be stored in the pantry cabinet for upto 3 months and is a great way to always have the fixings of Banoffee pie at hand for that last minute craving or unannounced company.

Palak Pakoras ~ Indian Style Spiced Spinach & Chickpea Fritters

 
The fact that I am fixing Palak Pakoras must mean one and only one thing ~ it's raining cats and dogs & pails!

In fact it gets much much worse. Tonight's forecast reads verbatum from the National Weather Service is as follows....

.........WINTRY MIX OF RAIN AND SLEET CHANGING OVER TO SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS... 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW AND SLEET.

So you see, pakoras it is! Pakoras and rain (or sleet) go together like Jack and Jill, cucumber and dill, Lewis and Clarke....you get the drift.

Growing up in India, I urge you to find me one family that didn't wake up on a cold rainy morning to the words "Pakora aur chai ho jaaye" which loosely translates into " Pakoras and tea it is!". Call it cultural, I call it utterly delicious.

What's not to love of besan, a chickpea batter flavored with whole spices like coriander and carom seeds, red chillies and turmeric into which is nestled fresh spinach leaves, fresh ginger and onions, globs of which are dropped into hot oil just so they rise to the surface all light and airy?

Now imagine eating these hot off the stove with piping hot chai ~ see what I mean? Some traditions are just meant to be.

So why not I give you one of mine and you give me one of yours?

 

German 'Gugelhupf' Makeover - Apple Yeast Cake with Apple Cream Sauce

As people we have always been told that fear is at the root of all evil and this is almost always true. However, I confess that fear is at the heart of this recipe. You see I am what you call a 'strudel wimp'.

I don't mean strudel made out of pre-packaged pastry bits found in the freezer section of ones supermarket. I refer to the traditional method. If you've been reading this blog long enough you know by now that for most part I am a stickler for the authentic especially when it comes to traditional recipes that have been part of a culture for hundreds of years.

So I refer to the traditional method of  18th century strudel making that entails stretching the dough to the size of ones dining table and then folding over and over, repeating the process countless number of times. First of all, Lord knows how many laws of physics the dough is breaking to achieve this - not to mention the thought of my 5 year old grubby fingers poking and prodding the dough joined only by our Golden retriever and his propensity to stick his tongue at anything and everything remotely akin to food.

Needless to say - I am ways away from making traditional strudel at home. Having said that I love German cakes - especially the ones that have all those wonderful fresh fruits and  dry fruits soaked in booze. Traditionally, Gugelhupf is a dry- fruit filled yeast cake which is then folded over into a log and baked. It's part cake and part bread and delicious.

So I decided to combine my yearning for apple strudel (the filling at least) and Gugelhupf making some major changes which makes life a whole lot easier -

1) instead of dealing with the rolling etc, I simply use the dough as dumplings which is easy peesy.

2) Serving this with an apple cream sauce takes from delish to decadent. Yumm....

In fact so easy is this to fix, not to mention delicious that it's a piece of cake...err...bread!

10 Tips to Pie Crust Nirvana & Good Ole' Buttery Sweet Potato Pie

At the risk of repeating myself, let me just say this yet again, "Pie crusts are like predators,  they smell fear".

I have come to a point and I say this with nothing but humility that I no longer fear the pie crust. For me having fixed it week after week, year after year has a lot to do with this. Yes we eat a lot of crust in its myriad uses. But this puffing of the chest business didn't come overnight. Nothing worse than the night before Thanksgiving being up till 1.30am trying to fix a pie crust recipe that is flawed, that came from a solid source and I say it again,  flawed.

I therefore no longer shop around for pie crust recipes but stick with this true blue, time tested recipe because I know that it will render the same result in all its  fabulous glory, day in and day out.

As I set out to write about sweet potato pie, I realised that even though none of us needs yet another pie recipe, I reckon we can all do with a really good one. This right here, right down to its naked crust is just that.

It's taken some thought churning to really pin down what leads to my personal pie nirvana and having penciled down the lot, I'm ready to share it with you.

~ 10 Tips to Pie Crust Nirvana ~ 

1. Invest in a really good quality pie dish. 

I love my Emile Henry because the burgundy clay used to make it and its thickness, ensures even baking throughout. I never realised what a difference a dish makes till I got rid of my cheapo one.

2. Use chilled butter

Using somewhat softened or sweaty butter softens the whole dough ball making it very tough to handle and making you sweat in the interim!

3. Have all your ingredients ready to go before you begin

Yes, a few minutes of advance preparation really pays off because once you get on the pie train, there's no getting off. 

4. Get rid of distractions & follow instructions meticulously

This is not the time to watch your fave soap or psycho-babble with a girlf friend. Plus you're going to be a lot more excited blowing your trumpet after you fix the pie.

Stop playing with the recipe - you ain't a cat and the pie crust ain't your ball of yarn. Stick to the recipe - it works!

5. Use a timer or a seconds watch for the dough

When the recipe says pulse for 25 seconds, it means 25 seconds - not 15 & not 30 so it's best to use technology.

6. Use your palms. And chill baby chill!

Divide the dough into little balls and flatten with the heel of your hand. This gives the crust the flaky layers we love. Also chill that dough for the allotted time because if you don't you'll be cussing the whole way through as the dough will be very hard to handle.

7. Work fast once the dough is out of the refrigerator

Don't turn it into a sweaty dough ball because you left it sitting out on the counter top.

8. flour, flour, flour

Liberally flour the work surface where you'll be rolling out the dough - use 1/4 cup flour. This means you can easily quarter-turn the crust as you roll.  

9. Roll evenly & 4" beyond the base of the pie dish

Nothing worse than not having enough crust to cover the dish. So I always roll out to 4" beyond the diameter of the base which covers the sides real well and gives me enough overhang to do the edges.

While you roll use a light hand and roll out the edges too. Its very common to end up with a thin center and a thick rim. Distribute the pressure as you roll.

10. Don't trim exactly to the edge of the pie dish

Trim 1/2" beyond the edge of the pie dish so you can pinch the edge to give you a nice scallop. Remember the crust will shrink once you bake and if you don't have enough of a overhang, you'll end up with a naked edge in spots much like a receding hairline.

So there you have it!

PLEASE share your pointers that work for you and I will be happy to add it to this list.

And now onwards to fixing some buttery sweet potato pie.

'I Like Bugs' Spidery Cupcakes for Halloween

'I Like Bugs' by Margaret Wise Brown is my 5 year old's favorite book.

He loves sitting with it perched on the bed and speaking to his grand parents  on the telephone, reading it to them. They are kind enough to fill in the gaps with big words like 'shiny' and 'sidewalk'.

With Halloween around the corner, the blogosphere is crammed with fantastical and horrific culinary creations to make one cringe and howl in delight all at the same time. So when my son's teacher was looking for sweet treats for his Junior Kindergarten  class, I decided that oozing eyeballs and bleeding witchy fingers were not the way to go.

It's hard enough getting these little munchkins to eat on a regular day much less with a grossology rendition of the food. Instead I decided to use my son's favorite book as a source and inspiration and with the help of various culinary talents from the world over, I think we've managed to delight even the most fussy critter lovers.

I am using my true and trusted cake recipe for the cupcakes. If it ain't broke why fix it? But I must thank the Australian Womens Weekly for teaching me how to make critters out of Smarties (m&m's) and proving that even 'got no talent for craft' dummies can pull this off.

Also, I've chosen to fix a decadent lemony cream cheese frosting for these cupcakes and learning the color wheel in Architecture school finally paid off when it came to mixing that particular tint of lime green. Yea to 9 years Uni!

Autumnal Pumpkin & Cranberry Drop Scones with Pumpkin, Spice & Maple Butter

It's the weirdest thing. As soon as autumn falls on my lap and temperatures begin to drop, I find the pressure begin to mount to do something, anything with pumpkin. I think it's an almost unhealthy obsession and best dealt with and got out of the way -  promptly.

This feeling also coincides with the time thoughts of the Thanksgiving feast menu begin churning in my head. It's a cacophony in there, I promise and can't be helped. Happens every time. And yes, I know it's only October. Like I said, can't be helped.

But I have another motive for fixing these scones - I wanted to experiment  around with a topping for these that would be delicious on other desserts as well. And by jove, we've got it!

The Pumpkin, spice and maple butter on this thing is to die for. Not to mention the melt-in-the mouth scones do a darn good job holding their own.

Don't let my cooky motives and inspiration for these lovely seasonal scones stop you for feasting on these yourself.

Go on then!

Letting Go of Summer in Gasps ~ Raspberry, Almond & Buttermilk Cake

While most of you have seamlessly moved into the realm of crock pots and stews, I am still sorely clutching at the last remnants of summer with every gasping breath.

I have in my freezer a batch of summer raspberries that I froze a few weeks ago with the clear intent of baking into a cake for Mr. Hubbies office coffee break. It is a known fact that everyone is tightening their belt in these uncertain economic times and if there was proof of the icing being stripped away from the proverbial wheedling cake, it is Mr. Hubbies monthly contribution to the five dollar office coffee pool. And Mr. Hubby is no coffee drinker.

Others in our acquaintance have complained that long gone are the gourmet coffees with a selection of no less than twenty varieties and the poor souls have to now make do with just one! Slowly the Friday bagels that once provided the much needed morning sustenance has also been slowly easing out the front door only to disappear completely this year.

And so once in a while, I send in a baked treat to go along with the coffee and the tea that is now made desktop with Mr. Hubbies whistling electric kettle. An apparatus , from what I understand that is often the butt of office jokes along with the Mr. Hubbies tea drinking ways.

Once again, pragmatism is at the helm of the choice of cake - one that will withstand the crushing metro ride on the morning commute. And therefore a dense tea cake minus the fru-fru frosting seemed best. That and the fact that none of Mr. Hubbies colleagues seem to be the fru-fru cupcake types.

The idea of raspberries with buttermilk appeals to me at so many levels. For one thing, buttermilk adds an acidity to the batter and a zing of flavor that I think will pair quite nicely with the raspberries. I am also substituting some of my all-purpose flour with finely ground almonds (almond meal) to add more nutrition and flavor.

Quite a nice way to bid summer adieu, don't you think?

 

An Itsy Bitsy Bit of News & 'Captain America' Tarts for the Kid in You {a.k.a Raspberry Crush Tartlets}

I am back from vacation and that means I now need a vacation just to get over the fatigue of this one! You know what I mean - from unloading the suitcases to piles of dirty laundry that need rescuing not to mention meals that must be made for hungry mouths, how is it that coming back from vacation is the exact 360 degree opposite of being on one? You go from doing nothing to doing everything in a single day!

My day has been made all the more exciting by the fact that the boys go back to school tommorrow. Yah! That'll teach me to better plan next time and not return the day before they begin school.

All said and done - Wow! Chicago ~ more on that later.

Returning home, what was lovely inspite of the loads of laundry et cetra et cetra was returning to two bits of good news. Remember those Baked Wonton Cups with Queso, Southwestern Chicken Salad & Cranberry Guacamole  I posted back in May? How nice that I'm not the only one who thought that these were fabulous - Tyson foods has chosen this as their winning recipe as part of the Foodbuzz Taste Maker's Challenge and as result, I get to attend an all expenses paid trip to Foodbuzz Food Bloggers Conference 2011 in San Francisco this November. Now isn't that the kinda news to come home to?

But wait that's not all - my dear friend Angela Gunder has been featuring food blogger interviews on her wonderful website and today she has featured moi. You'll find that here.

Needless to say, I returned to many reasons for a sweet treat and got right down to it especially as load # 1 was being churned in water and detergent.

My 9 year old son peeked over the counter-top as these goodies made an exit out of the oven 30 minutes later.

"Wow, Mom they look good"! "Why'd you put the star on top'?

"No reason, I just thought they'd look cute"

"Well actually they look like Captain America's shield"

"You know what, I think you're right - they do don't they?"

"Infact you should blog these and call them Captain America tarts"

And so what moments ago may have been presented as simple raspberry crush tarts now appear before you as much more endearing Captain America tartlets.

All this because fall is here. And is making its presence known far sooner than I am prepared to welcome it. As a result,  I am gearing up for the loss of berries making a weekly appearence in our home kitchen and doing my level best to squeeze in as many berry recipes as I can while these beauties still grace the aisles.

These raspberry crush tarts which take just a handful of ingredients to throw together are easy to love. How can you resist fresh raspberries and jam, filling a buttery flaky tart shell? The jam does a wonderful job cutting through the tartness of the raspberries without a cloyingly sweet, end result.

Sounds to good to be true? Well, why complicate that which is best left simple?

A Cake of Three Milks - Tres Leches Cake from Latin America

Also known as Pastel Tres Leches or Pan Tres Leches in Spanish, this cake consists of a sponge cake which is then soaked in three milks - evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream. Thus the name, the Cake of Three Milks. The texture of the cake is not soggy even though it is soaked overnight in milk.

My years in India, Australia and Singapore, I was completely oblivious of the existence of this cake and pretty much most foods from Latin America. Needless to say, two decades ago, latin foods had not yet reached the far corners of the world on Main street. This is almost impossible to comprehend in today's world, a world shrunk to the size of a peanut sometimes it seems.

So my first introduction to spoonfuls of this heavenly cake took place about five years ago at potluck at my son's martial arts dojo and as I heard the Sensei go into vivid detail about how she spent all this time fixing it and soaking it and what have you, I remember walking away with not only the delicious flavor but a heavy dose of apprehension and overwhelmingness that pretty much translated to "Yah, like I'm ever going to make that!"

Safely, said that was the last time any thought was given to Tres leches for a long long time. And then, Alton Brown happened to the food Network and his recipe changed everything. First of all, in his quirky laid back way, he took all the ouchie away from the whole process and as I heard him talk about it all I heard was - "Make a cake, soak it in milk, whip up the cream, smear the cake and voila - done"

And I thought, now this I can do!

So thank you Alton Brown for this wonderful recipe. I have made two additions (what did you expect?) and quite honestly I won't have it any other way - adding ground cinnamon and nutmeg and reducing the amount of suagr used in the topping. In my book, Tres leches just went from great to fantabulous!

So though I'm not done looking for the next frontier in tres leches, here's step one on that ladder!

4th Of July ~ Red, White & Beautiful : Berryful Parcels in Buttery Coconut Pastry with Ricotta, Lemon & Coconut Cream

  

As a cook I am grateful that either by the hand of fate, the intent of the founding fathers or simply a roll of dice on histories game board that Independence Day in the US falls in July.

As is norm for this celebration, all desserts that grace the 4th of July BBQ table in some form or the other replicate the red, white and blue colors of the US flag in edible representation. Can you imagine, celebrating Independence Day in the dead of winter? What possible seasonal fruits (and vegetables) would we use? I for one draw a blank at korean purple yams and orange sweet potatoes! Hardly, the colors of the hour.

Case and point, as a cook I for one am glad the  holiday falls smack, dab in the middle of summer where there is a plethora of summer produce namely berries. What a no-brainer that is.

And yet, instead of the creamy concoctions I love the thought and bite of berries nestled in the butterest, flakiest of crusts, melting-in-the-mouth with each savoring bite, only to be outdone by the flavor of sweet summer berries, simply un-messed with and topped with a flavor-blasting lemony, coconutty ricotta topping.

 
Take into account, that even if the thought of dealing with pie crust makes you want to back into a corner, these very forgiving, frayed, dough tatters will bring out the 'Thor' in each one of your shrinking hearts. And after a single bite, you won't just have to take my word that these little morsels create red, white and beautiful fireworks entirely on their own! 

 

'A Strawberry Battle' Kick off with Summery Strawberry Crumble Cake

  
With mercury rising to a hot 94 deg today, summer is finally here! Aah..... welcome to long days filled with pool splashes, canon balling, barbecues, fire flies, mosquito bites and sveltering heat!

 

But for the folks down under, summer brings the promise of these and along with it all yet another joy, especially for us cooks. Farmer's markets, fresh produce which for me especially translates into days of  stocking up on summer berries.

I have no doubt that by the time autumn rolls in, you will have had enough of me and my berriful recipes. Every week I find yet another excuse to incorporate black, blue or straw - berries into a dessert or cake so much so that my kids have stopped asking what they can have for snack. They know well enough they'll either be chowing down a bowl of the fruit or digging into some berry-concoction or the other.

And yet, you know me to be of discriminating tastes and of the plethora of recipes that grace our seasonal kitchen, I have my favorites - kinda like the 'bill of rights' of my culinary world.

I am embarrassed to say that this crumble cake right here is one I disguise in oh so many ways and sneak it back into our weekly rotation. I am waiting for the days when my kids finally wise up to the fact that their Mum is actually baking the same cake over and over again, disguised under a blanket of crumble, sometimes without and always switching the seasonal fruit around.

So when Ananda at A Pinch of Love whose culinary skills when it comes to cakes and desserts far out weighs mine and the magic she wields with the camera  leaves me panting, announced me as the winner of her Zucchini contest, I was surprised and delighted! Yippee!!! And then she asked me to host a contest of my own!

 

I had little choice but to turn to my love of summer fruit and announce the secret ingredient for the June 2011 contest to be, the ruby of summer berries -strawberries!

Strawberry time will be held throughout the month of June on Weave A Thousand Flavors. Entry. Submissions begin on June 6 - June 30, 2011, 11:59pm PST and I will announce the winner who may choose to host the next month’s edition of this contest on July 1st, 2011. We are all too busy with our lives for me to make this compulsory. Open to anyone, anywhere in the world.

 So please submit your fave strawberry recipes at Linky Tools - Click here to enter your blogpost link. 

 

 

 

• Only one entry per person & please link back to this post on your blog.
• The entry does not have to be a new post and may be an archived post.

 

 

 

 And what may you win? 

 

My favorite, gourmet 'secret ingredient' for your pantry!

Thank You!

I for one can't wait to see what you kitchen divas come up once you don on your culinary thinking caps and bring out the creative 'strawberry side' of you, here is my favorite strawberry recipe to inspire you to kick up those creative juices.

Humble as it may be but I bet you anything, you too will be trying to sneak this back on weekly rotation and potlucks more often than not!

 

Spring in a Bite ~ Fruit & Nut Palooza Zucchini Cake

 
 

If yours is like our household, very soon you'll have zooks coming out of your ears.

And not just any teeny weeny itsy bitsy zooks but gargantuan ones that your neighbors have been growing, or your friend Shelley has growing in her yard or maybe you have them growing in yours!

And don't get me wrong, I love zucchinis as much as the next person so much so that I even have a nickname for them, zooks but just how many zooks can you eat and in just how many ways?

Fortunately, here's one you'll never get tired of and just like me you'll fix it again and again for your own family and for everyone elses.

What's awesome is that it also feeds  the devious mom gene because this cake is loaded and I mean loaded with the good stuff, lots of shredded zooks, golden raisins, dried cranberries, pecans and wait for it....very-little-flour. And when you bite into a slice, not in a million years will you believe this to be true. 

So here's a healthful cake that we can all get in a tizzy about!

PS - I am also submitting this recipe to the beautiful & picturesque  A Pinch Of Love where dear Ananda is having a Zucchini celebration!

 

 

An Easter Delight ~ Pull-Apart Hot Cross Buns with Apricot Glaze

 
Did you grow up on the Nursery Rhyme? I did!

Hot-cross Buns!

Hot-cross Buns!

One a penny, two a penny, 

Hot-cross Buns!

Hot-cross Buns!

If ye have no daughters,

Give them to your sons

I can't help it!

Every year that I bake these I have the words jingling in my head. And it's nice to associate warm and fuzzy memories with food especially when the memory come wrapped up in a nice frolicky tune.

This made all the more made special  when the food itself happens to be loaves of spiced bread crusted with delicious dry fruits such as dried cranberries and golden raisins all nestled in a hint of sweetness. These are traditionally eaten at Easter with the cross on top representing the crucification of Christ.

But did you also know that there are all kinds of superstitions surrounding hot cross buns?

According to English folklore, the buns baked and served on Good Friday will not spoil or become mouldy during the subsequent year. Another encourages keeping such a bun for medicinal purposes.

 Sharing a hot cross bun with another is supposed to ensure friendship throughout the coming year, particularly if "Half for you and half for me, Between us two shall goodwill be" is said at the time.

True or not, what a sweet thought! So make some this week and I hope you share it with your loved ones for a year of goodwill that will be! 

PS - I am submitting these to Sweet at Sugar Cookies for the Sweets for a Saturday, parade. How nice of Lisa to invite me! Thank You.

Lacey Chicken Kababs

 

Lacey kababs that is kababs rolled in egg are very popular with the Parsi community in India. The Parsis are India's largest Zoroastrian community - ancient Persians. The influence of Arabic led to a drop in the 'p' sound in the Persian language, changing "Parsi" to "Farsi" (the name by which the language is now known).

This peace loving genteel community are so much a part of India's secular fabric and are interwoven like colorful strands in a rich dari (rug).

Affectionately known by other communities as Paarsi baawaas they represent an entrepreneurial spirit, an overwhelming love for the Queen of England (so much so that most of them will stand up and salute at the television when the Queen shows, affectionately calling her "my Raani'), a love for western classical music and unique foods including their fish that is sweet and tangy.

These lacey cutlets traditionally made with ground goat (mutton) are just as delicious made with leftover chicken. The term 'lacey' because of the 'lace' that forms when the kababs are dipped in breadcrumbs and then in egg rather than the traditional method the other way around - egg first followed by breadcrumbs.

The result is a light airy coating that I love and makes a nice change to the crispy breadcrumb coating that we're all so used to.

Give it a go and what better way jazz up leftover cooked chicken? 

English Breakfast Tea, Date & Walnut Cake

There are days I crave afternoon tea or traditional English cream tea like a fish craves water!

There is nothing quite like a table set out with a lovely white table cloth, accented with a vase of wild flowers for that splash of color, pots of jam & clotted cream, warm scones straight out of the oven, mini cucumber bread and butter sandwiches & of course a nice cake.

A cake not overly frosted but rather something between a cake and a bread, wonderful when sliced and devoured with a slathering of softened butter and washed down with cups of strong tea or rather coffee here in the US.

I am a fan of traditional cakes the kind that is rich and dense - nothing fluffly or fake about it but the type reminiscent of our grandma's kitchen. Intensely flavored and honest in its ingredients. And when it comes to honest ingredients, its difficult to beat a traditional date and walnut cake because the name says it all. Now to this add a strong brew of English tea & it not only fulfills but exceeds everything I love about a cake for Afternoon tea.

I know you'll agree when you take your first bite!