Foor for Thought

The only coordinated 'set' in my kitchen are the dishes; almost everything else is an haphazard collection assembled over the years. And this casserole is undoubtedly one of my favorites. It is 32 years old, and has traveled across 8 cities and two countries. It occupied the pride of place in my mother's kitchen and it does now in mine. Curries and biryanis, soups and gratins, noisy dinners, Ashwinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982958379716509724noreply@blogger.com

No blasphemy here. That is honestly the name of the drink. This Italian hot chocolate is so delicious and indulgent, it is assumed it can't be chaste! In fact the author has compared drinking it to a religious experience :-) I really didn't need further encouragement but as luck would have it, Padmaja's fabulous Fairtrade Goodie Bag arrived in the mail (thank you dear!). Nestled between the Ashwinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982958379716509724noreply@blogger.com

In one of the magazines I picked up on the flight back home there was a lovely sounding recipe for scrambled tofu. To be honest tofu and I aren't the best of friends. Considering the darn thing is nothing short of a superfood though, I grudgingly send out invitations for dinner now and then. But first thing in the morning? Could my husband and I prove to be gracious hosts? A closer look and I Ashwinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982958379716509724noreply@blogger.com

I am back from my trip; it was a much needed, completely relaxing vacation that I enjoyed so much I am finding it hard to get back to work! But it is the 2nd of January and I have no excuse left. So nose to the grindstone. Meanwhile here's wishing all of you a happy, healthy and peaceful 2008. I promise to get back to blogging soon.Ashwinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982958379716509724noreply@blogger.com

Yes, the plan was to make a 'dum' dish with the casserole but I realized my pantry was missing a couple of ingredients. Onions on the other hand? Never run out of them. Though authentic zunka is made with onions, I used scallions (spring onions, green onions... so many names for such a dainty looking thing!) in this recipe. The garlic/ curry leaves tadka is not common either but this is how a Ashwinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982958379716509724noreply@blogger.com

One look at the authentic 'vadu mangu' pickle, Punjabi vadis and dhanraj chillies in the local Indian store and my in laws were floored! Shopping for groceries became more of a treasure hunt. They took their time strolling through the store and searching every nook for an edible surprise. I'd never have noticed the packet of green pigeon peas (tuvar lilva) had my mother in law not zeroed on it. Ashwinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982958379716509724noreply@blogger.com

This was going to be my entry for Suganya's wonderful event, Vegan Ventures but work interfered. Breaking all blogging rules (hopefully the Union Leader will protect me!), I am still posting the recipe because it's just so delicious and easy. What's a few days here and there when good food is at stake hmm? So here are my better late than never chana kebabs. The recipe is from my sister in law (Ashwinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982958379716509724noreply@blogger.com

Up until a few years ago if I came across a recipe with garam masala as an ingredient, I'd just open a packet at random and toss in a teaspoon. Then I'd wonder why the dish never tasted authentic enough. Enlightenment finally dawned with the help of Madhur Jaffrey. When I got her book for the first time and browsed through the glossary, I realized I was doing everything wrong. Make your own Ashwinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982958379716509724noreply@blogger.com

This Diwali was over before we knew it. For the first time we had many family and friends close by so we were busy either hosting a party or going to one. At one such dinner we were served a dish that not only tasted great but sounded it too - Gobi ka kheema. My immediate thought was to get the recipe so I could blog about it! But the party was a raucous and chaotic affair and finding a quiet Ashwinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982958379716509724noreply@blogger.com

Last month I didn't get the time to shoot eggs but this time I was determined to make it to Click. So here is some spinach & chives linguine for you. This is right now one of my favorite products at Trader Joe's. I am not paid by TJs for advertisement but I really wouldn't mind it since I love almost everything they stock :-) Ashwinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982958379716509724noreply@blogger.com

This dish has many, many memories attached to it. On our annual trips to Goa, we couldn't eat fish until we had visited all temples. And it invariably used to be a short trip because we had to head to my uncle's home soon after. So consider this - seafood lovers + seafood paradise + (4 to 5 temples x 1-2 rituals each) - no seafood = really cranky seafood lovers!! I am exaggerating of course. It Ashwinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982958379716509724noreply@blogger.com

When EC's mixer went on the fritz for a few days what did she do about it? Start a blog event of course! 'Powerless cooking' is an one-off event that she is hosting to encourage us to cook without the aid of electrical appliances. Since most of the recipes on this blog begin with the words "grind the coconut to a smooth paste", you'd think I'd be at a loss here. Not so. There a few dishes in ourAshwinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982958379716509724noreply@blogger.com

Though the pink fish is much loved by both the husband and I, I never really took to cooking it at home. It took just one recipe to change the status quo. A recent issue of Cooking Light had an easy and healthy recipe for salmon croquettes. What do I say about CL? Love their lo-cal take on food. I didn't use as much mayo as listed in the recipe and omitted the flour altogether. Still the Ashwinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982958379716509724noreply@blogger.com

Since Vee has continued her tradition of hosting JFI Diwali (and breaking all the rules!), I decided to continue mine; posting an easy, hassle free Diwali dish. Last year it was Moong Dal Ladoo, this year it's Khajur Halwa. Okay so it's not originally hassle free. The authentic, mom version is quite labor intensive - cooking the dates in milk until it solidifies into a mass. But the (lazy) Ashwinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982958379716509724noreply@blogger.com

Far from biryanis and koftas, when I am blog hopping (really, who coined this term? It makes us all sound like rabbits!), I am actually always on the lookout for recipes I can cook on weekdays. It is when I am staring at the crisper in the fridge without an inkling of how to use up the zucchini or ridge gourd that I need inspiration from my friends. Here are a few recipes that came to my rescue. Ashwinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982958379716509724noreply@blogger.com

I was introduced to Mangalore buns after my marriage. Two days after to be precise. "Let's make buns for breakfast tomorrow", my mother in law told me. I nodded my head, awed that she was not only a good cook but a great baker too. I imagined us buttering warm buns fresh from the oven, while sipping tea and engaging in lively conversation (those darned Enid Blytons again!). To cut a really Ashwinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982958379716509724noreply@blogger.com

"Does it come with a salad?", this is my hopeful question in most restaurants. No matter how eager I am to try the main course, the salad remains my eternal favorite. To crunch on fresh greens with a seasoning of the simplest ingredients is such a fulfilling, palate cleansing act in my opinion. This inclination to raw food stems from my childhood - if you have a father who whips up a salad everyAshwinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982958379716509724noreply@blogger.com

You know how after three hours of misunderstanding the hero finally decides he can't let the heroine get away but, alas she is on the way to the airport? Will he make it? He rushes to the airport only to see the plane take off before his eyes. Dejected he turns to head back home and... you know the rest. I kind of felt the same way with all the blog events of September. I had big plans for MBP Ashwinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982958379716509724noreply@blogger.com

I am all for relaxed, weekend brunches that involve a long, decadent meal (and some slogging over the stove) but when you get three days off in a row like this one, I inevitably turn towards easier, faster options after the fancy fare. No 'laboring' for me, thank you :-) This is the savoury version of gulpohe. You can either make the cumin coriander powder fresh in a mortar and pestle or use Ashwinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982958379716509724noreply@blogger.com

Teppal (also called tirphal), an unique ingredient to Konkani cuisine is pure culinary gold. It is valued not because it is rare or expensive, but because a mere whiff of it is enough to elevate a dish to a gastronomic experience. Of course gastronomic experiences are highly subjective, so don't expect to open a jar of teppal and fall in love at first sight. This won't be an instant infatuation, Ashwinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982958379716509724noreply@blogger.com