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BIRYANI/YAKHNI PULAO…Mingling with ‘One Dish Dinners’
“In the childhood memories of every good cook, there’s a large kitchen, a warm stove, a simmering pot and a mom.” Barbara Costikyan LAMB BIRYANI/YAKHNI PULAO Decided to make a biryani/yakni pulao for lunch last weekend. Have been procrastinating making it for long as it is just a bit involved. Then I thought, might as well, & went off to dust the cob-webs off my biryani utensil which hadn’t seen light of day for a while. Life seems to be all about eating & drinking…so I got on with tying my bouquet garni!! In a strange quirk of fate, after eating the Mughlai dish for lunch, we unexpectedly got invited…
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FLOUR FLOWERS…CLICKETY CLICK!!
“If I sing when I cook, the food is going to be happy.” Pasquale Carpino COLOURING MY WORLD…ICED SUGAR COOKIES My favourite cookies that I made again a few days ago. A friend was going down South for a birthday & wedding in the family, & her son insisted on taking these & some mini muffins for his cousins’ birthday. Got down to baking some of these attractive cookies that add colour to any table & I never tire of making them. I feel like a great painter adding colour to my canvas! Small pleasures, & very therapeutic indeed… Hearts piled high… The basic sugar cookie recipe is the same…
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CHOCOLATE-PISTACHIO CAKE…A cake to sleepover?
“Chocolate doesn’t make the world go around … but it certainly makes the ride worthwhile! “ Author Unknown Its a ‘Chocolate, Chocolate-chip & Pistachio’ cake! There has been palpable excitement in the son’s life as he’s off for his first sleepover. They’ve had a day out by the lake – rappling, rock climbing, Burma bridge crossing. Then it’s back to school for a bonfire night, star-gazing & studying constellations…finally the much-awaited sleepover! We’ve almost had to gag & bind him down ‘coz he’s gone bonkers planning, making lists,sticking reminders…driving us up the beanpole! He woke up this morning with a 1000 watt smile, saying this is the day he’s been…
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ARTISTIC INSPIRATIONS…STRAWBERRY CHOCOLATE SWISS ROLL
“Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.” Julia Child ARTISTIC INSPIRATIONS OF THE CHOCOLATE KIND! Its amazing how simply you can get inspired from foodies on the wonderful web. And most certainly distracted too. Doughnuts of every kind have been doing the rounds & I have scribbled recipes endlessly trying to zero in on the one I was to make this morning. I had one from Susan’s, another from Aparna’s & a 3rd from Madam Chow…but I got terribly distracted at the bazaar & picked up fresh strawberries instead of yeast! Perils of an overactive mind! ‘What’s for dessert’? DH’s voice last night rung in my…
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TOMATO-CARROT SOUP…DELICATELY FLAVOURED WITH STAR ANISE
“Men are like soup: you always want to have one on the back burner, just in case.”Unattributed feminist quote Tomato-Carrot Soup with Star Anise Tried my hand at a tomato-carrot soup this morning, flavoured delicately with a spice that has intrigued me endlessly over the past few days. None other than the pretty star anise ! A nice & gentle vegetarian soup, beautifully flavoured & great for the winter chill that has descended upon us. This is an adaptation of a soup my mother makes almost everyday in the winter months.Star Anise…the pretty spice! Star anise plays a key role in the slow cooked dishes that characterize Eastern Chinese cuisine.…
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HEARTY ALMOND SHORTBREAD…How deep is your love?
“I am still convinced that a good, simple, homemade cookie is preferable to all the store-bought cookies one can find.”James Beard Almond Shortbread Hearts…delicious to the last crumb! These are one of those cookies that disappear before you can say Jack Robinson! Very easy to make, non-demanding or challenging, & above all, full of taste! Great cut-out cookies! Perfect hearts for Valentines! Nutty, Buttery & Crisp…goodness in every bite! I made hearts & flowers since I love the flowers too, but you can make an assortment of graduated hears if you like…or heart cut-outs in larger cookies! These are cookies I make just at the whim of it. Not involved…
