Tag: product review

Dark Chocolate Mousse, Peach Lime Cooler & Stone Fruit Salad … Summer!

“Anything is good if it’s made of chocolate.”
Jo Brand

Dark Chocolate Mousse with Balsamic Cherry Sauce My love for individual desserts in glasses knows no end, and I loved these glasses from Urban Dazzle the minute I saw them. Stunning and a million ways to use them, my first thought was dessert, maybe chocolate. Soon I proudly strutted Dark Chocolate Mousse with Balsamic Cherry Sauce in these beauties! They complimented each other beautifully … I think it was meant to be!Nice wine glasses said Mr PAB! Do you remember the Urban Dazzle goodies I received a while ago? I was lucky enough to get another lot of glassware to get creative with. This gorgeous set of glasses, goblet like, was something I’d never seen before, yet something I would instantly pick – pretty, versatile, stand out design, good quality glass, fabulous ridge and ever so attractive!I have a ‘thing’ for stem glass. I am also very skewed towards traditional glasses, crockery, cutlery etc. Modern design doesn’t normally catch my eye but these Alternato A.P tumblers were different. Functional and neat, appealing too, these are easily my favourite already. Despite being wine glasses, so much versatility!Thoughts flew through my head when I unpacked them {received them via courier, well packed indeed}. Tiger Shrimp Gamba like from the Leonardo day out at Olive recently! Ooh they would look great! Or a gazpacho … stunning red shining through?

I did a set of coolers as well, inspired too by the Luigi Bormioli Michelangelo Masterpiece Jug that was part of the parcel. Made a refreshing, full of flavour Peach Lime Cooler adapted from What Megan’s Making. I love the spout and the curves of the pitcher! The crystal clear glass shows off vibrant colours beautifully!Very artistic! It would look great on a picnic table with  a vibrant punch, ice tea, cooler, or sangria. A true masterpiece of Italian make, this belly pitcher from Luigi Bormiolo is a chic addition to any serving set or barware. I also did a Wild Indian Java Plum Juice with all its purple goodness, and Raw Mango Panna too. The latter neither beautiful nor vibrant to look at, packs a punch in summer! I have begun using natural raw sugar {khand / bura in India}, palm sugar {gur} or honey for my coolers.I went on to make a Stone Fruit Summer Salad which was as refreshing as can be. The dieting diva immediately declared that I must make some everyday … I could see myself peeling peaches, plums and mangoes till kingdom came!! The salad – peeled and cut peaches, plums and mangoes tossed in a sugar lime syrup {about 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 5-6 limes} and left to mature for half an hour …nice!The cherry on the cake was this Dark Chocolate Mousse with a Balsamic Cherry Topping that got made by default thanks to the power grid failure. My frozen cherries needed to get out of the freezer and be made into something! This was it!I had a cherry sorbet, pink and vibrant in mind for these glasses. But fate had other plans, and nothing frozen was going to happen in a while. My next best bet was dark chocolate which really pairs well with cherries. I used a similar mousse recipe from the Dark Chocolate Cherry Mousse Cake I made in June.

So tell me dear readers, what would you use these glasses for, other than wine of course! 

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Recipe: Dark Chocolate Chili Mousse

Summary: A smooth as silk dark chocolate mousse topped with a balsamic cherry sauce. Seductive make ahead dessert. {Serves 6}

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:

  • Dark chocolate mousse
    {adapted from the Thermomix cookbook}
  • 4 eggs, separated
  • Pinch of cream of tartar
  • 70gm powdered sugar, divided
  • 1/2 vanilla bean scraped
  • 1/2 t vanilla bean powder {or paste}
  • 1 tsp chocolate chili powder {0r 1/2-1/2tsp chili powder} optional
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 40g low fat cream, room temperature
  • 170g dark chocolate, chopped
  • 200ml low fat cream, chilled, beaten to medium peaks
  • 5g {1t} gelatin powder dissolved in 1 1/2 tbsp of water
  • Balsamic Cherry Topping
  • 500g cherries, stoned {net weight}
  • 2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 3-4 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 vanilla bean shell from above

Method:

  1. Recipe is for the Thermomix. I reckon it can be adapted with the same proportions for regular top of the stove cooking, like a creme patisserie.
  2. Heat empty TM bowl for 2 minutes at 50C, speed 2.
    Insert Butterfly. Place egg whites in TM bowl with cream of tartar and beat for 4 minutes on speed 4 with MC off.
  3. Through hole in the lid, add half the sugar, 1 tsp at a time during the last minute. Set aside in a large bowl. remove butterfly.
  4. Without cleaning, place yolks, remaining sugar, vanilla bean powder and scraped seeds, butter, 40g cream and chocolate into TM bowl. Cook for 4 minutes at 70C on speed 3.
  5. Add a third of the beaten egg whites back into the bowl and stir for 10 seconds on reverse + speed 3. Add to the remaining whites.
  6. Fold everything gently together, including gelatin. Divide between glasses and chill for about an hour until slightly set.
  7. Balsamic Cherry Topping
  8. Place all ingredients in a non reactive pan and simmer for 3-5 minutes until the cherries soften and give up their juice. Make sure you don’t overcook the cherries, else they wont hold shape.
  9. Drain the cherries and reserve in a bowl. Return the syrup back to the pan and reduce until thick and syrupy. Pour back over the reserved cherries, cool and then chill. can be made a day or two ahead. It will thicken slightly in the fridge.

Recipe: Peach Lime Cooler

Summary: A great way to use up the bounty of summer fruit. Refreshing and ‘peachy’, this is a great summer cooler. Adapted from What Megan’s Making. Serves 6-8

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:

  • 500g peaches, peeled and chopped
  • 100g raw sugar {or honey; adjust according to sweetness of fruit}
  • 1 cup fresh lime juice (about 12 limes)
  • 5 cups water {or soda}

Method:

  1. In a sauce pan bring to a boil the peaches, sugar and water. Reduce heat, and simmer until the sugar is fully dissolved, about 10 minutes.
  2. Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender), puree the peach mixture until smooth. Pour through a strainer, and press through to get out all of the juice. Cool completely.
  3. Once cool, in a pitcher combine the peach mixture with the lemon juice, stir until well combined. Serve chilled over ice.

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Fresh Peach Streusel Coffee Cake …. getting stoned in season

“Everything you own should have value, either because it’s functional or beautiful or you just love it.”
Peter Walsh

You can’t have too many kitchen & table accessories if you  are a food lover. Add food blogger to that, and accessories magically double up as props, even if your house is bursting at the seams with things you love! This footed platter is something I love, the simplicity and classic appeal just perfect to show off this Fresh Peach Brown Streusel Coffee Cake. Neelam from Urban Dazzle asked a few days ago if I would like some accessories to showcase on my blog! How could I say no? One look at her online venture and I was smiling. So much to choose from! Whats not to love about this Palladio 4-in-1? A multi-functional dining set, this spectacular creation from Borgonovo can double up as a punch bowl set, cheese dome as well as a footed cake platter.

She was sweet enough to send me an Ego Alter Banquet Footed Platter which is great on a tea table or as a cake platter. Smooth lines, stylish, clean contemporary appeal … things that gel with me! Here’s the last remaining slice of the Rustic Peach ‘n Plum Summer Galette on it … I love how beautifully it showcases the colours. Elegant!

That morning I made wild Indian java plum {jamun} sherbet that morning inspired by Chinmayies beautiful post @ love food eat. Chinmayies memories woke mine up … and soon I was stirring some gorgeous purple sherbet! Mine had jamun, sugar, water, rock salt and some sour kokum water. The colours had me fascinated…In the parcel from Urban Dazzle was a Bottle Indro from the house of Borgonovo. With it’s tulip-like sculpting and blue top, it’s just what was missing from my collection. …  I reshot the sherbet in the new ‘Indro‘! {The sherbet is an acquired taste as these wild plums are quite astringent in taste}.Next I shall make pure vanilla extract in this sweetly shaped aesthetic bottle! Other ideas … spice vinegar, chili oil, garlic herb infused vinegar …. or maybe a peach liqueur! So much to do, so little time! Online shopping is rapidly becoming the convenient way to shop in India, especially in the hot summer. How fun is it to sip a glass of cool ‘sherbet’ in a cool room and shop online in glad rags!! All the time to browse, compare, and then have everything neatly shipped to your doorstep!

Urban Dazzle was one such experience … and for bakers in India, it’s a must visit. Bakeware, dessertware, bottles, cake plates, decanters, kitchen essentials, table essentials, tumblers, carafes … a huge variety under one roof! Be it Drinking, Dining, Decor or Gifting, it’s the one-stop shop for all such items. While most of their current selection is made of glass, they intend to diversify into other items going forward.This is the season to be jolly stoned! The monsoons have arrived, it’s hot and now humid too. It’s raining peaches, plums and cherries here and I am rapidly becoming a peach monster. Daily oat-mango-peach smoothies, poached peaches, crisps, just peaches, frozen peaches, now some bottled in an attempt to make peach schnappes,  and then the Rustic Peach ‘n Plum Summer Galette … we certainly are getting stoned this season! Here a peach, there a peach, everywhere peach peach is the song I sing, constantly looking for new peach ideas! I adapted an apple streusel bars recipe from a beautiful cookbook ‘Frame-by-frame baking‘. Light, tender crumb, a beautifully flavoured streusel with undertones of almond, clarified butter and brown sugar marrying well.The peaches were wonderful in there. I left the skin on, and the cake just melted in the mouth while warm. It was really good chilled too. It’s an easy straightforward tray bake, and you can dress it up a little bit with a drizzle of lime glaze, fresh peach slices and mint if you like. Use ripe but firm peaches  … Enjoy!

Monthly Mingle is the brainchild of the lovely Meeta @ Whats For Lunch Honey, and this month it celebrates Barbara’s spirit at the wonderful Jeanne @ Cook Sister with a Taste of Yellow. I am sending this to the MM for July 2012.

[print_this]Recipe: Fresh Peach Streusel Cake

Summary: A melt in the mouth coffee cake that uses fresh in season peaches.  A light, tender crumb, a beautifully flavoured streusel with undertones of almond, clarified butter and brown sugar that come together well.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:

  • Cake
  • 125g unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 125g demerera sugar
  • 1t pure vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs, lightly whisked
  • 150g plain flour
  • 1 1/4 t baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 4-5 peaches, pitted, chopped and tossed in juice of 1 lime
  • Streusel
  • 30g almond meal
  • 50g plain flour
  • 40g demerera sugar
  • 30g clarified butter {or unsalted butter}, melted

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line an 8 X 8 square tine with baking parchment.
  2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt.
  3. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until pale. Gradually add the eggs, beating well.
  4. Stir in the flour mix and fold evenly, then add the peaches and mix lightly. Spread evenly in the tin.
  5. Mix the topping ingredients gently with a fork to make a crumbly texture, and sprinkle uniformly over the batter.
  6. Bake for approx 45 minutes until firm and golden / till a tester comes out clean.
  7. Allow to cool for about 20-30 minutes before slicing

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Food Event | Wine Tasting … a wine for every season at Four Seasons!

“If your heart is warm with happiness, you’ll need a glass – if sorrow chills your heart, have two!”
Hannu Lehmusvuori

Put together a bunch of food and lifestyle bloggers {read  eight ladies and a lad} with a few bottles of good wine, a connoisseur who is surprisingly refreshing and great company … and suddenly a searingly HOT afternoon quite unbearable at 45C becomes animated FUN! We were hosted by Four Seasons for a Wine & Food Pairing session at the quaint and charming Fres Co in the heart of New Delhi.

Whether it is the sprightliness of a fresh spring morning, the joyous warmth of a glorious summer afternoon, the tingling nip of a crisp autumn twilight or the biting chill of an icy winter night, to everything there is a season. And to every season, there is an experience. An experience captured by Four Seasons selection of the finest Indian wines.

Photo courtesy Sangeeta

We walked in hot and bothered, complaining about the unbearable Indian summer. Purba, the lady with the funny bone, had us in splits, her one liners completely justifying her humor and satire blog A-musing. With her came the only ‘cat’ among the pigeons, Prateik aka Snow Leopard …  it was the pigeons day out as the sweet fellow lent us his ear and we chattered voraciously!The lovely Shamita Sinha, Miss Earth Universe and a wine connoisseur, a truly passionate wine lover, held our rapt attention for the next two hours. What followed was animated discussions, unraveling the magic of Four Seasons, understanding their philosophy, exploring Baramati virtually where they host their vineyards, and how FS is inspired by French wines  … all this through swirls and sips of different wines from the Four Seasons range paired perfectly with delicious grub.We began with a still Rosé wine, Mr PABs favourite summer wine, Blush as the attractive salmon pink wine is aptly called. It was crisp, light and refreshing, a beautiful accompaniment for light summer fare … perfect! We’ve been looking for a good Rosé after the fabulous one that Mr PAB got back from France. After a couple of really disappointing local ones, Blush really stood out.Next up was a still white wine Chenin Blanc, then a still red wine Merlot. We missed tasting the Barrique Reserve, but that was OK. Forks were beginning to fall every now and then, the happy gathering cheered on! Shamita talked us through the old school of thought, wine at room temperature and how the concept came to be in temperatures of 13-14C Europe of the past … and how that just didn’t work especially here at 40C! Times have changed so the rules have to go, basic guidelines lead the way, fusion cuisine is in … ultimately your palette is your guide and best friend.Dry vs Sweet, Red vs White, food pairings and fusion food pairings, the richness of the cuisine and the intensity of the wine, light summer fare with light summer wine, Indian cuisine and wine pairings, the tanins, the blush, colours from red to straw to white, the health benefits of drinking wine in moderation, antioxidants and also the ‘yeast’ monster at play here too … yes we talked!

Photo courtesy Sangeeta
Photo courtesy Anupama

It was wonderful to meet Sushmita, Sangeeta and Anupama for the first time, bloggers who loved the wine as much as the company. Rekha and Rituparna were there too in fine form, enthusiastic and bubbly as ever. It was a wonderful afternoon get together of high spirited women and a lad; we had a giggly good time. We got a heads up on the nuances of everything wine we could ask for from the very unassuming, down to Earth, warm and affable Shamita.Thank you Four Seasons for having us over, for introducing us that hot afternoon to your beautiful range of wines and the inspired story behind it. Our incessant chatter and involved conversation might have told you that we enjoyed the afternoon immensely, wines and all, right down to the last drop!

Thank you Ashu for organising the meet, and Jyoti for co-ordinating it this end.

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Saffron Caramel Panna Cotta

“I remember a hundred lovely lakes, and recall the fragrant breath of pine and fir and cedar and poplar trees. The trail has strung upon it, as upon a thread of silk, opalescent dawns and saffron sunsets.”
Hamlin Garland

There’s something about saffron, something exotic, like a caress, light and beautiful! A tiny bit of this beautiful spice catapults a seemingly good dish into an extraordinary one. Pairing it with a panna cotta I learnt that something quite ethereal happened! We have never sat so long over dessert …  S L O W L Y is how we ate it, not wanting it to finish. Thats just how sublime the Saffron Caramel Panna Cotta turned out to be.A good panna cotta is one of my favourite Italian desserts, possibly on top of my list. It’s been difficult to get the right consistency as whipping or heavy cream isn’t available here in India. I’ve made panna cotta several times in the past, but have never had much luck with turning them out perfectly, never a 100% satisfied feel!Must have been my lucky day as I experimented with a combination of low fat cream and gelatin and got the most amazing result. Amazing in taste and more importantly amazingly set! I set a few in goblets and the rest in metal molds with a saffron caramel {one in a ramekin too}. I had panna cotta on my mind ever since I received a mail from VAV Life Sciences, Mumbai inquiring if I was willing to review a ‘saffron extract‘ that their company produced. Saffron? Yes please! I’d never heard of saffron extract even though I use the normal dry saffron strands quite often … like here in Saffron, Pistachio & cardamom Kulfi {Indian frozen dessert}, Saffron Pistachio Yogurt Ice Cream, Saffron Rice Pudding, Hyderabadi Katchi Biryani, Yakhni Pulao etc.

Natural Saffron Extract : Saffron is a culinary spice that comes from the stigma of the crocus sativus flowers. Saffron Extract is a specially formulated food grade extract of saffron that has been treated to enhance the natural flavour of saffron, without losing any of its natural properties. There is a reduction in the amount of saffron extract required for imparting the same flavour, as compared to dry saffron. While the saffron leaves quickly stale and dry out, saffron extract does not lose flavour and can be stored upto 24 months. Liquid extract is easier to use and standardized in food preparations compared to dry stamens and can be dosed precisely compared to natural saffron. {For further details you can get in touch with  Maitreyee Ghosh – logistics {@} vav {dot} in/ VAV Life Sciences }

With the tag of being the most expensive spice in the world, saffron is precious in many ways, especially its delicate flavour. Gentle and mild yet it elevates taste exotically perhaps like no other spice, saffron is associated with cuisines from India, Persia, Turkey, the Arab World, and even Europe. And I love the way it embraces both sweet and savory recipes so well.This versatile spice goes a long way, and the saffron extract was a pleasant surprise. It imparted the characteristic subtle saffron flavour and colour to perfection. It was easier to use as its already in an extract form so the need to soak it for the obligatory 15 minutes prior use wasn’t necessary. The flavours were deep and pronounced, as was the colour. Just a knife tip amount {about 1/8tsp} was good enough to beautifully flavour the panna cotta and another bit to flavour and colour the caramel.A panna cotta caramel? That morning my path crossed with Raquels who writes a stunning food blog in Spanish, The Tragaldabas. She had the most beautiful panna cotta posted there, and I found my culinary path instantly!! She used Werthers candy in her caramel, and the very idea of a panna cotta with a caramel had me captivated.I went my own caramel way, like how my mother used to make it for caramel custard when we were kids. I remember waiting with bated breadth for the custard to be turned over {always in a green bowl which was reserved for caramel custard}. All three of us sisters would cheer when like magic the well set steamed pudding would ‘plop’ out with this shining crown on top!That was going to be the caramel for my panna cotta, one I decided to flavour with a dash of the saffron extract. Since saffron is such a gentle spice, I kept from letting the caramel turn characteristically dark. Bitter caramel in pudding is yum, but with saffron I turned the heat off the minute the sugar melted and coloured slightly.Perfect Spring dessert, the panna cotta came together like a beautiful dream, lilting, mesmerising, smooth, perfect, like a dream you didn’t want to wake up from. The textures teased the palette and we ate it in silence, everyone enjoying the elegance and caress of this cooked cream. {I made it again yesterday, on request, and to ensure that the magic was for real. It was!!}

[print_this]Recipe: Saffron Caramel Panna Cotta

Summary: Perfect Spring dessert, the panna cotta came together like a beautiful dream, lilting, mesmerising, smooth, perfect, like a dream you didn’t want to wake up from. The textures teased the palette and we ate it in silence, everyone enjoying the elegance and caress of this exquisite Italian dessert.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes plus setting time
Ingredients:

  • Saffron caramel
  • 75gm granulated sugar
  • 1-2gm saffron extract {knife tip full}
  • Saffron Panna Cotta
  • 2tsp gelatin powder
  • 3 tbsp cold water
  • 1ltr low fat cream {18% fat}
  • 110gm vanilla sugar {or plain}
  • 1/8 tsp saffron extract {plus a teeny bit more for topping}
  • Pistachios, rose petals to garnish

Method:

  1. Saffron caramel
  2. Keep the serving molds/ramekins ready.
  3. Place sugar and 1/8 tsp of saffron extract in heavy bottom pan and melt the sugar to a light caramel. Do not let it burn or it will gte bitter. Swirl the pan often and take off the minute all the sugar has melted. It should be a bright orange colour.
  4. Immediately spoon about a heaping tsp into each mold/ramekin, swirling it about to distribute it.Continue for all the molds. Do this pretty fast as the caramel will harden rapidly. Just in case it hardens before you are  place the pan over very low heat to melt again.
  5. Saffron Panna Cotta
  6. Sprinkle gelatin over cold water and let stand for five minutes.
  7. Place the cream, saffron and sugar in a heavy bottom pan and gently bring to a simmer, but not a full boil. Stir often.
  8. Take off heat. Add 1-2 tbsp of this hot cream to the dissolved gelatin to loosen it further, and then pour the gelatin mix back into the hot cream through a sieve. Stir well.
  9. Let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes, reserve about 100ml {optional}, and distribute the rest among your serving bowls/molds/ramekins/goblets.
  10. Leave to set for about 1-2 hours, then add a tbsp of the deeper saffron cream over the tops. Allow to set for another 6-8 hours/preferably overnight.
  11. Demold loosening the sides with a blunt knife and serve with a sprinkling of pistachio nuts and edible dried rose petals if you like.

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Baking| New York Style Bagels – One Day Bagels! Spice Up Your Life!

“A bagel is a doughnut with the sin removed.”
George Rosenbaum

Today, I write with passion about bagels, one of my all time favourite savoury bites, yet something I’ve never tried making at home. I have a very strange connect with bagels, NY and a song called Winds of Change by the Scorpions, the lyrics celebrate the political changes in Eastern Europe around 1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall etc. Have you heard the song? {The current pro-democratic Jasmine Revolution might inspire similar haunting melodies…}

I follow the Moskva
Down to Gorky Park
Listening to the wind of change

The whistling and  lyrics of the song have been a favourite for years.  Each time I hear the words ‘Gorky Park‘, for some insane reason I get transported to the streets of NY, sitting in a cafe munching a savoury bagel! It’s a very strange connect, maybe a reminder of  Central Park in NY … hmmm!

When I got a mail the other day from the Bagel Spice folk asking if I’d be interested in reviewing one of their spice blends, my heart skipped a beat. Did they know that bagels had been on my list of things to make forever and ever? Yes please! Soon we had our old drunk postie flinging a parcel over the gate. The spice blends were here!Bagel Spice, a scrumptious blend of premium spices inspired by the “Everything Bagel”. It’s a delicious accompaniment to a variety of savory dishes. sprinkle it on spreads like butter, cream cheese and hummus. Shake it over fried eggs, lox and tuna, or mix it with mashed potatoes, egg and potato salads for a delightful flavour”. Everything I tried with their spice blend came out excellent and full of flavour. My first attempt was bagels of course, next as part of a marinade, a broccoli stir fry and even olive oil crackers!

A bagel is a bread product, traditionally shaped by hand into the form of a ring from yeasted wheat dough, roughly hand-sized, which is first boiled for a short time in water and then baked.The result is a dense, chewy, doughy interior with a browned and sometimes crisp exterior. Bagels are often topped with seeds baked on the outer crust, with the traditional ones being poppy or sesame seeds. Some also may have salt sprinkled on their surface, and there are also a number of different dough types such as whole-grain or rye.

I had a recipe in mind, one bookmarked off The Sophisticated Gourmet, which had me making imaginary New York style bagels as I read the post. To quote the young and very talented Kamran, “ Heck, this bagel recipe is so good that you’ll be bowing down to the bagel god after you take a nice bite out of one of these freshly made bagels. This recipe is a same day recipe and doesn’t require two days of dedication. You hear that impatient bakers? ONE DAY bagels!“Man these bagels were good. One bite into these beauties and we were transported to bagel heaven. Bow to the bagel god!! I was slightly underconfident making them, coz it was a first for me and I found the boiling etc a little daunting. But fear not. This is as easy a process as it can possibly be. I think most of the hard work is in the kneading, that’s been taken over by the Thermomix now, and the shaping. I did try the 9″ rope shaping, but found TSG’s way of rolling into a ball, pushing a hole through the centre and shaping them much easier and better looking.Used some of the bagel spices as part of an olive oil marinade for fish fingers and for a char grilled broccoli side. Excellent!! As if I hadn’t had my savoury fill, it was once again time for my weekly rolling out of Ottolenghi’s Olive Oil Crackers {I use some whole wheat in mine too, recipe here}. This afternoon, I sprinkled some bagel spices on top of these delightful crisp low fat crackers … YUM!! So many wonderful ways to use these great blends! Check out some more exciting recipes on the Bagel Spice blog!


NY Bagel Recipe
adapted minimally from The Sophisticated Gourmet
Recipe modified from Ultimate Bread by Eric Treuille & Ursula Ferrigno
Makes 8-9 medium-sized bagels
2 teaspoons of active dry yeast
1 ½ tablespoons of granulated sugar
1 ¼ cups of warm water {you may need ± ¼ cup more}
450g plain flour {will need extra for kneading}
50g  vital wheat gluten
1 ½ teaspoons of salt
Toppings: Bagel spices from bagelspice.com
Method:
In ½ cup of the warm water, pour in the sugar and yeast. Do not stir. Let it sit for five minutes, and then stir the yeast and sugar mixture, until it all dissolves in the water.
Mix the flour, vital gluten and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast and sugar mixture.
Pour half of the remaining warm water into the well. Mix and stir in the rest of the water as needed. Depending on where you live, you may need to add anywhere from a couple tablespoons to about ¼ cup of water. You want to result in a moist and firm dough after you have mixed it.
On a floured countertop, knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Try working in as much flour as possible to form a firm and stiff dough.
{Thermomix Recipe
Place all ingredients in TM Bowl, and run on speed 5  for 7-8 seconds.
Put knob to closed position, and run on interval speed for 2 minutes. {Do not leave TM unattended in interval mode.}
Turn out dough, knead briefly to bring into a neat ball for 30 seconds and proceed…}
Lightly brush a large bowl with oil and turn the dough to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size. Punch the dough down, and let it rest for another 10 minutes.
Carefully divide the dough into 8-9 pieces. Shape each piece into a round. Now, take a dough ball, and press it gently against the countertop moving your hand and the ball in a circular motion pulling the dough into itself while reducing the pressure on top of the dough slightly until a perfect dough ball forms. Repeat with the other dough rounds.
Coat a finger in flour, and gently press your finger into the center of each dough ball to form a ring. Stretch the ring to about ⅓ the diameter of the bagel and place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Repeat the same step with the remaining dough.
After shaping the dough rounds and placing them on the cookie sheet, cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 220ºC.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Reduce the heat. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to lower the bagels into the water. Boil as many as you are comfortable with boiling. Once the bagels are in, it shouldn’t take too long for them to float to the top {a couple seconds}. Let them sit there for 1 minute, and them flip them over to boil for another minute. Extend the boiling times to 2 minutes each, if you’d prefer a chewier bagel {results will give you a more New York Style bagel with this option}.
After the bagels have come out of the boiling water, place them face down onto the seeds, and then place the seed side up onto the baking tray.
Once all the bagels have boiled and have been topped with the bagel spice, transfer them to a lightly oiled baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
Cool on a wire rack

♥ Thank you for stopping by ♥

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{Product Review & Recipe} Cottage Cheese & Bell Pepper Quesadillas, Pickled Peppers and Gulab Jamuns – Strange Bedfellows? Maybe …

“Life is the sum of all your choices”
Albert Camus

Given the choice, I would cook and bake all day with olive oil as my happy cooking medium … SIGH … if only I didn’t find the price a little prohibitive. My dream came true when Sharon brought me a selection of the recently launched Borges Olive Oil product range {more here}. The bottles staring down from the shelf in the living room tempt me {yes, the kitchen is still ‘work in progress’}, and of particular interest is the Extra Light Virgin Olive Oil that Borges has developed specially for the Indian market. It’s a blend of refined and virgin olive oils, making it ideal for Indian cooking.

I was skeptical as to whether it would withstand the high heat for deep frying but decided to give it a shot since another product was awaiting review … a gulab jamun mix from GITS! The marriage of 2 reviews together inspired me, so I set off to ‘knead the dough’ to make Gulab Jamuns, also known as ‘waffle balls’!

There are many things I stay away from. Top of the list is deep frying, unless of course it is  Beignets & Donuts, or maybe Churros; ready to eat packaged foods is also not quite me. My mantra is very much ‘Do It From Scratch‘, and I rarely deviate from my path. Some time back I received an interesting foodie parcel from GITS, a company at the forefront of the instant foods revolution in India. It had a selection of ready to cook, as well as ready to eat foodstuff. A quick check of the fine print read no preservatives; I was happy to live with this for once. The gift bag had ready-to-eat Dal Makhani and Palak Paneer which were very impressive, and then yesterday I needed to make a quick dessert and the Gulab Jamun mix caught my glad eye! I wasn’t too convinced about how it would turn out but thought I would give it a shot, as it offered me a chance to deep fry in Extra Virgin Light Olive Oil!

Gulab jamun is one of Indias most popular desserts and is traditionally made out of evaporated milk blended with wheat flour, fried and soaked in sugar syrup. It jamun gets its brownish red color because of the sugar content in the milk powder or khoya. Gulab jamun originates from an Arabic dessert, Luqmat Al-Qadi {Arabic for “the judge’s bite”}, that became popular in the Indian Subcontinent during the Mughal era. Rosewater syrup is often used; however saffron syrup and honey are also common. The dessert also became popular in Turkish-speaking areas, spreading to the Ottoman Empire.

The result was most unexpected and made me eat humble pie. I have never eaten such delicious ‘dough balls deep fried and soaked in syrup, as Allesio said on twitter; we have discussed jalebis and ras malai in the sweet past! The gulab jamuns were outstanding, with a generous addition of finely chopped dry fruits. that formed a part of the mix. They were excellent served chilled too. The box had instructions to make 25 little balls, but I made 16 and they were just right when ready. This is one product that I will certainly use in the future. My SIL asked me if the olive oil imparted any unnecessary flavour etc to this dessert. Surprisingly not! It is a clean, light olive oil and seems quite ideal for Indian cooking.

Going backwards, for lunch I made these cottage cheese quesadillas, the cottage cheese marinated in an extra virgin olive oil marinade which I got from my sis. It’s a staple I use, and good quality EVOO really makes a difference. These quesadillas are a great hit with the kids, and can easily be made into non vegetarian ones too. They taste wonderful stuffed to the gills with pickled jalapeños. Were especially good crisp and warm as it was pouring cats and dogs. Recipe follows, as does the recipe for the pickled peppers, which are last, and certainly not the least!

Pickled jalapeños is something I have been making for the last 2-3 years, but couldn’t  recall  the name of the blog I found the recipe at. Then saw it at David Lebovitzs while googling, and decided it’s a great  recipe to share. Tangy and sharp, pickled peppers are part of our foodie existence and at any given time I have one jar ready in the fridge, and the next undergoing pickling. We can’t live without them. The kids love them to bits, especially the daughter, and the peppers are an inherent part of their every meal! In India, it is during the monsoons {or the rainy season} that these bright green peppers flood the market. Now is the best time to bottle them!

 

Cottage Cheese & Roasted Bell Pepper Quesadillas
Makes 12 wraps
500gms cottage cheese, cut into 2″ strips
5-6 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil {I used Borges from here}
1 tbsp dried oregano
Juice of 2 limes
1 tsp minced garlic
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
12 small whole wheat tortillas {I used 5″ chapatis/Indian flatbread/rotis}
1 each roasted red and yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 green capsicum, julienned
Pickled jalapeños {recipe follows}
Cheddar cheese, or cheese slices
Method:
In a large bowl whisk the olive oil with the minced garlic, oregano, lime juice, red chili flakes and salt. It should be slightly extra salty and very tangy as cottage cheese is very bland.
Leave it marinate for 30 minutes. {I often leave this in the fridge overnight, for both the cottage cheese and chicken variations. Cuts down the work the next day}

Turn into a large wok and stir fry gently on high heat until all the liquid evaporates. Let cool slightly.
Lay a flour tortilla flat. Grate some cheese over it, or place a cheese slice across. Scatter a few juliennes of green capsicum, followed by a scattering of pickled jalapeños. Top with a 2-3 tbsp of the cottage cheese filling, followed by the roasted bell peppers. Gently fold into half, and place on a hot griddle with a few drops of olive oil. Decrease heat to minimum, press the wraps down with a flat spoon for the cheese to seal the sides together. Turn and repeat for the other side, cooking each side for 2-3 minutes till slightly crisp.

Serve hot or warm.
Note: You can substitute the cottage cheese for boneless chicken strips for a non vegetarian version. This makes for nice lunch box fillers too.

Pickled Jalapeños
Adapted from David Lebovitz, who adapted it from Michael Symon’s Live to Cook by Michael Symon and Michael Ruhlman
300gms jalapeño peppers, sliced {I snip them with kitchen scissors}
1 cup apple cider vinegar {I’ve used white vinegar in the past & it works well}
1 cup water
1 tbsp peppercorns
2 tbsp whole coriander seeds {I forgot to add these}
2 bay leaves
3 cloves of garlic, lightly bruised
2 tbsp coarse sea salt
1 tbsp sugar

Method:
Place the chopped jalapeños in a glass preserving jar.
In a non reactive saucepan, add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes.
Remove from heat and pour the brine over the peppers. Place the lid on the jar and let cool. Once cool, refrigerate for at least a week before using, if possible. {You can use them sooner, but Michael says they’re worth the wait... I agree totally}
Note: I store them in the fridge, but like anything preserved it’s always better to take your own precautions. Can according to jar manufacturers instructions.
Also, I like to add 2-3 whole slit sharp green chillies to the jar to increase the heat as the jalapeños we get here aren’t very hot.

♥ Thank you for stopping by ♥

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Also find me on The Rabid Baker, The Times of India

Posted by Deeba @ PAB
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