2013 Buttered Rum, Mulled Wine & 2014 Scones - Guest Post by Ak

It's 2014.

Not like it wasn't going to happen, but at times, 2013 seemed like it would go on and on and in some ways I am glad it's over. T & I have both had an emotional, eventful and fruitful year. We are perhaps wiser, probably a little grayer. We moved houses and we worked really hard to expand our respective offices. We vowed to be healthier. We spent far too little time on holiday. I turned 35. Yup.

As is our wont, we decided to wrap up the old year with a home full of friends. This was not going to be the epic feast that T can put up when 20 or so people are craving to eat her home-cooked food. No, this one was a last minute - your place, that guy's place, our place kind of thing. We eventually insisted that everyone would come to our place with everyone insisting they pitch in for the food and booze. It meant that we didn't have to drive anywhere in this ridiculous cold, and also it would give me a chance to try my buttered rum recipe that got me a reputation on 2012/13 eve. On a wider audience.

Winters in Delhi are meant for sipping Kaanji sitting in the sun and for hot drinks at night. As much as I loathe summer veggies in Delhi (frozen methi! Yay!), what you eat and drink should vary seasonally. While I stress that cocktails need to be cold, a hot drink in the depths of winter, shared with friends around an angeethi is a spectacular thing. So this time round, instead of packing the fridge full of ice, I pulled out the thermoses (thermae??). It would be hot buttered rum and mulled white wine. I was still in the process of finishing up when the first batch of people turned up, bringing with them 4 bottles of red wine, which meant I could also make mulled red wine.

The recipe for buttered rum is deceptively simple. Consisting of mostly butter and sugar, it can throw you off as being as easy as putting it together at the last minute. Nope. There's an intriguing mix of spices that you need to get just right and leaving the whole mixture to mature for a little while makes all the difference. David at 12 Bottle Bar has written far more lucidly on the recipe than I can hope too, so it's best you navigate over if you intend to make some for yourself. It's a fabulous drink and as long as you pour it in espresso mugs or shot glasses, it'll disappear pretty quick. It gets cold too fast for you to pour anyone a long drink, so keep a thermos handy and you'll be topping up drinks every 10 minutes or so.

Mulling wine is far easier in my opinion, but requires more adaptation. You need to have the necessary spices at hand, but I doubt an Indian kitchen will be hard pressed to have cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom. An orange is useful, but orange bitters will also do the trick. Let the peel of the orange and the spices steep in some simple syrup in a pan till it's simmering. Take it off the heat and add your bottle of wine. Let that steep for about half an hour. Return the pan to the heat to warm up the drink and serve. The quantities of the spices vary enormously based on the wine you are adding, so you'll have to improvise with experience. After mulling several dozen bottles, I can safely admit there is a lot to learn.

Of course, T didn't leave the food to chance. There were her signature ham and rocket rolls, a recipe that will(should) soon be on this blog. We deployed a mini fondue, courtesy the other Ak, filled with soft melted cheese, surprisingly complex to put together, but remarkably rewarding for the crudites loving vegetarians. Main course was Mexican do-it-yourself wraps with many complicated components that, I am sure, will form the basis of a substantial post in the future. Dessert was courtesy SG, her newly acquired love, the Delhi-Famous Banofee Pie from Big Chill, all 50 million calories of it, demolished substantially by the audience in a worryingly short amount of time. I sneaked some away for the next day, a fact bemoaned by many who were inquiring about it into the wee hours.

The Night wrapped up in the Morning. While T was catching up on sleep via a much deserved afternoon nap, I decided to storm the kitchen and make something I have been craving ever since we had them in Sri Lanka almost 3 years ago. Buttermilk Scones.

Scones are weird. Neither bread, pastry, teacake or biscuit, they are somewhere in the middle when it comes to consistency and also when it comes to eating them. Hot from the oven and spattered with fruit preserve/jam, they are wonderful like no other baked produce. Most are uncertain on how to make it or what to make of it, much less pronounce it, so here is a little traditional poem to explain.

I asked the maid in dulcet tone

To order me a buttered scone
The silly girl has been and gone
And ordered me a buttered scone

None the wiser? Don't worry, because whatever it's called, if made well, it's absolutely splendid. As with my previous recipe on this blog, I turned to my lovely online lady. Stephanie is an excellent instructor for those us not gifted with natural cooking talents and tends to explain all the steps with little helpful tips that make a world of difference to the final outcome. Just listen to what she says and you should be fine. After making an absolute mess of the kitchen and my clothes (wool & flour don't mix), I finally popped a baker's dozen worth of heart shaped scones in the oven. I departed from the recipe only by adding some blueberries and chocolate chips. Because everything is better with a little chocolate. 20 minutes later, the kitchen was smelling heavenly, the scones were being eaten and all was well with the world.

Of course, having access to T's baking pantry is what makes my cooking escapades feasible. I can't imagine trying to put together the ingredients/equipment required to make these scones, or anything else for that matter. It takes years worth of accumulation, wisdom, replenishment, research and selection. Above all, it takes a passion for excellence and a love for what you do, two of the very many things I love about her.

Happy New Year.

Lemon Tarts- The classic from Raymond Blanc

The month of May was come, when every lusty heart beginneth to blossom, and to bring forth fruit.

Thomas Malory

The Regular readers of this blog would be wondering at the frequency of the posts this month. March onwards; I have a lot of birthdays and anniversaries. April- May really are hectic months for birthdays- There are days, when I know of 3 people at least, who share their birthdays on the same day. This has been enough cause for me to get my baking act together. It also gives me a chance to challenge myself with my baking. This birthday dessert was decided a long time back, when I discovered that my sister-in-law finds lemon tarts irresistible- and I had decided then itself, that for her birthday, I am going to try these. I started the research for the right recipe almost a week back- As simple as they may seem, I figured that this was going to be a lengthy process and one that would need precision. Luckily, it was a Saturday- and with no prior commitments until 4 pm- I decided to embark on the Classic French Tart journey.

It was one of discovery, learning, and of course some disappointments on the way. I am moderately happy with the results and I know that the next time around when I bake these again- I have to achieve perfection.  The error was in the baking time- I left them in the oven for almost 5 extra minutes- and by the time they cooled, they developed slight cracks. While baking I remembered a friend M discussing with me the other day- that it was easy to adapt a recipe- but it is quite challenging to follow it to the T and achieve desired results. I guess that is true for most baking. Even though my Sister-in-Law is far away, we honoured the traditional cutting ceremony- through the world of modern technology. The audience was happy with results- I believe I got the flavours right. By the time the birthday girl is here next- I hope to have perfected these. For those who love classic tarts, do try this one from the renowned Raymond Blanc recipe here.  A great summery birthday treat.

p.s. Since it was a trial, I only made half the quantity.

For the recipe, Visit the website here.

Tips: Do follow the techniques to the T. Take out the tarts from the oven, before they are done.

I did not use a blender at all- I think that really works.

Tiramisu Cake

In the last few months, I have learnt to appreciate everything in my life a lot more. It's not that I didn't earlier; it is just that I am more aware of it, and also recognize the little bits more often.

                       From life, health, friends to family, work and even the basics around me, I am glad to have each of these in my life- in all forms. Most often, we never appreciate the things around us- and so I thought of baking something special for each of the immediate family members, to express my gratitude to them and thank them for being there, always. I got the idea a bit late in March with my brother’s birthday (find the cake here) , and I ended up missing 2 very important birthdays earlier this year in January and February of 2 of the best kids that I have known. To compensate, I will be baking some of their favourites when I see them later this year.

                 Coming back to the present, after the teeny disaster of my mom’s birthday cheesecake (more information here), I decided to play it extra safe, and invest some more effort later in the same week for my parents’ anniversary cake.  Although my brother rightly pointed out our feelings of gratitude towards them- something to the effect of how we have always got things served in a silver platter, and we can only begin with a stainless steel one, for me, I don’t think I will able to put it down in any number of words. Apart from the many things that I’m glad for, I think the one thing that I appreciate each day, and more as I grow older, is the flexibility and the freedom that our parents encouraged us with to go out there, discover who we are and expose ourselves to the Big, bad world. So what if we made/make the mistakes, they were always there to support us. If it wasn't for their undoubted faith in me, I wouldn't have had the experiences that I did, and I don’t think I would be the person I am. Even when we have lacked the confidence, our parents have shown more than a 100% confidence in the both of us. And this is true till date. So, thank you. This one is especially for you.

                 Back to the anniversary, Since both of them love the little alcohol in their desserts and chocolates, I decided to bake a tiramisu flavoured cake for them. I baked the cakes using my 2 new layered cake pans the night before (yes, I am showing off- I can’t believe my baking collection is building up so fast), and decided to do the frosting the next day morning. The cake has a hint of the tiramisu flavour- for kids; one can skip the coffee and the liqueur. For adults, who appreciate the alcohol a bit more, double the quantity of the liqueur. A simple frosting cake- perfect for occasions. Do try.

Pecan and Ricotta Cake

Today, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.

Hannah Bowns

Tis the New year. 2013.

And I will begin with the cliché’ of not knowing how quickly this year flew by. And I will begin with Gratitude for everything- the good and the bad and of course the lessons learnt.

So much Happened, on the work front- I can’t believe, that I am an entrepreneur. I have finally decided to move forward with Epistle- the last year was spent trying, testing, learning, and unlearning; and all of it was done in a shy, obscure manner. One of the challenges for the New Year will be to step out of the concealed world, out into the real one. Another will be to grow, to do more and to innovate. The onus is of course on me, and only me. Although I am not one to procrastinate, I sometimes fear the rut of daily life overtaking the desire to do more.

It’s terrific to hear encouraging words from people around me, both personally and professionally. I am at least convinced at the end of a year, that this was the right thing to do, and not a mistake. I really do have hope for Epistle. I must attribute a lot to Ak of course, and everyone else around me. Sometimes, I guess it is worth not playing it safe after all.

                     Communicooking too had its share of ups and downs- me being in an on and off relationship with it. However, I have almost been consistent. A lot of cooking was done- and some great recipes were discovered. The Blogger’s Table was a good kick- in the right direction. Making me do more, strive for more. To more cooking in 2013.
Also, something a friend shared for New Year- Great thought to begin with.

I decided to bring in the New Year by caking not one, but 2 new cakes. And Yes, I Challenged myself by not opting for what I already knew, and by going in for the unknown. The results were good and bad. I have discovered that cakes don’t always need to rise; and some authentic recipes just mildy rise. The recipe that I will share is adapted one from my current favourite-The Italian Encyclopedia- A Walnut and Ricotta cake which I adapted to be a Pecan and Ricotta Cake. The flavours are complicated and progressive; on begins to like it more, as the piece in the mouth melts. The cake is just perfect for a cold wintery afternoon tea. Best served warm, and fresh. Perfect start to New Beginnings.

p.s. Thanks to Ak for the photography capture through the day. Don’t miss the Pink Highlights.

Chocolate Bread Loaf

"Nine out of ten people like chocolate. The tenth person always lies." - John Q. Tullius

Be Calm and Eat Chocolate.

I read this recently and thought of Ak.  Not that I don’t think of him otherwise, but this was one of those moments which made me remember how a simple object like Chocolate, can provide instant gratification. A bad day, a headache, post drink, a visit do someone’s house, ill-health or simply, post dinner- All It takes is a piece of chocolate to make Ak happy. I wish that there was something as unassuming and straightforward and effortless that would be a solution to my happiness. Women are just that much more complicated I guess. Although I was quite fixated on chocolate in the early years, as I have grown older- for some reason, my love for chocolate has reduced and I can only eat in extreme moderation. The husband, the brother and the parents however completely compensate.

So, what if one could begin their day with chocolate for Breakfast? I had eaten something similar on a trip to Italy, and this recipe that I had seen in a book on Italian cooking, had been calling out to me for months. Freezing winters, seemed to be the perfect time to test it out and hence, on a cold winter morning, I set out to bake this Chocolate Bread Loaf. I had also been graciously sent some wonderful packets of instant yeast from across the seas by SIL, of which some were still left. The recipe hence, seemed to be good use. The bread turned out to be quite wonderful, almost cakeish- but not a cake. I do think, bread-making practice would have yielded better results, as I kneaded a bit too much maybe- But those, who have delved deeply into the art of bread-making; do give this one a try. You will love it.

This chocolate bread can be a wholesome Breakfast, if toasted and served with butter or cream cheese or even post dinner, with dinner or any other meal. Traditionally in Italy, it is served with Mascarpone or Gorgonzola cheese and a glass of red wine.

p.s Bread making tips would be more than welcome.

Blueberry Crumble

“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.”

― Anaïs Nin

My world has been extremely hectic. From Family weddings back to back for a couple of weeks- to festivals, gift shopping, gift exchanging, all the finery and finally with travel across the seas, It has been a frenzied two months. A lot of action, a lot of thinking, a lot of doing, and yet- a lot still needs to be done.

In the midst of all of this chaos, a lot of cooking and tasting took place as well; especially, as an ode to the festive season. And of course, some wonderful dishes were concocted as a result. This recipe for a Blueberry crumble was fed to family for breakfast, lunch, evening tea (a traditional Swedish fika for our new Swedish family) and even dinner. The fika is a distinguished meal, and personally, I thought it was the perfect way to bond with family/friends and of course, eat some wonderful food in the process. More information on a traditional fika can be found here.

Coming back to the crumble, Batches were prepared, and then again, more batches were prepared. In fact even post the festivities, I made a batch yesterday again. We constantly had people over, through the course of a few days around Diwali and I don’t think I have ever used a recipe in a manner like this. Easy to prepare in advance- and all one has to do is just pop in the oven when the guests arrive. The fillings can last up to 15 days, when refrigerated. Although Blueberries are not so easily available here, I used the dried ones that my SIL had kindly sent about a month back. To get them closer to taste like the fresh ones, I usually soak them in milk for about 15 minutes, until they swell up and are ready to be used. What is remarkable about this crumble is how healthy it is. I adapted the recipe from the crumble topping by the fabulous Deeba @ Passionate about Baking- and of course, one of her recipes could never go wrong. Her crumble recipe can be found here and the filling was adapted from another of my favourite blogs- How Sweet Eats. A beautiful blog, with great writing, and of course, brilliant recipes.

The oats add just the right crunch to the moist blueberry filling and the warmth is ideal for a cold winter day. One of those flawless desserts- the flavours are precise. For variations, and if blueberries are not available, strawberries can easily be used to replace the blueberries. Served with ice-cream or whipped cream, the crumble is a delectable dessert. For anyone who loves fruity desserts and likes to serve individual dessert servings, This one is a must try- Now!

Crostini with Caramelized Onion, Feta and Rocket

It’s amazing how versatile the onion is. Or rather I should specify- the Red Onion. Yes, the epitome of Stink-The wonderful red onion. I never knew the concept of Red Onion, until my stint in the UK a few years ago. In our part of the world, Onions were always red or green, aren’t they?

Yes, they make you cry, but what the heck- the flavor I have discovered over time, is surely worth it. The tangy flavor, which I sometimes remove (by soaking cut onion in water for about 10 minutes), is in essence quite wonderful, and for those who despise it, there is news- Onions are good cures for colds (Wikipedia) and are quite useful as flavoring agents.

Well, it was only once I started to cook Indian food often enough, I discovered the difference between the varieties of onion, except just red and green. I figured, how some traditional Indian dishes cannot just be made, using anything else except for red onions. The white onion simply isn’t flavorful enough for its usage in traditional Indian cooking. It was tough, (and expensive) to find good red onions in the heart of where I stayed, but soon enough we realized that food such as the traditional dal with tadka or baingan ka bharta just wouldn’t be the same without the beloved red onion. And therefore, we would stash bags of onions at our home and use them all the time, everywhere. Initially, when I started cooking, I would keep the red onion away from international cuisines, but as I started to experiment, I soon realized that I just needed to pair it well. This dish is my favorite form of the Red Onion – in a cuisine other than Indian. An interesting twist is the caramelization, which adds to the colour as well. I had always thought that caramelized onions are tough to do, but as I learnt from Martha Stewart, the trick really is to cook them slowly. The icing on the cake for this dish is its pairing with 2 of my other favorite ingredients- Feta and Rocket. Am not sure if it is unique, but what I do know is that the blend is absolutely harmonious- I usually drool at the thought of either of these 2 ingredients, and paired together, surely results in bliss. Try at your own risk.

p.s. RB, if you are reading this, for the love of Onions-  this post is for you.

p.p.s. Totally directed by a whim of mine, I’m glad my audience@ 261 enjoyed these as much as I did.

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies- Guest post by RB

If I had to sum up my life’s current state in three words, they would be; ‘An Eventful Life’

Trying hard to maintain a work-life balance, I feel a bit scattered, with numerous things happening; lots of projects up in the air, too much work with no help at all, and family over for holidays. The good part is that I love all of it. After a tough work day, what would be better than having some homemade cookies? Together with the nieces, we baked classic chocolate chip cookies. The old adage of ‘Too many cooks spoiling the broth’ was proven entirely wrong; there were 3 of us baking while Ak was busy clicking away! We had a really good time baking and the cookies turned out delicious- fresh, just the right amount of sweet and extremely crunchy. I would totally recommend a batch. The icing on the cake is that the 12 year old RB has decided to a Guest Post on this one, while the 9 year old NB, has worked on the photographs. What better way to cook and communicate!

Hi everybody- I'm RB and this is first guest post. I hope you like it! A little bit about me and NB- We love cooking and watching shows like Masterchef Australia and Food Network Star. I had an epic baking session together with NB and the chocolate chip cookies turned out ''classic''. Chocolate chip cookies are not only one of my absolute  holiday time favorite- they are a year-round favourite. Believe it or not- Choco chip cookies were an accidental creation by Ruth Graves Wakefield in 1930, the owner of toll house.

Well- enough facts for now. Here are some things that are pretty interesting.
Did you know that you consume about 35,000 cookies in your lifetime? Well, you must be thinking- wow I better cut down on cookies. Well, fear no more. 

Because the chocolate chip recipe I am posting today is pretty healthy! Bon Appetit!

Cocktail Sausages

A wise woman puts a grain of sugar into everything she says to a man, and takes a grain of salt with everything he says to her.                                                                                                                                      Helen Rowland

The food world is a funny place to be; a little bit of sugar suddenly makes the world a much nicer place. 

A little maple syrup on waffles, Honey on pancakes, a simple chocolate cake, and even some honey in a cheesy dip, can ironically make the world seem not so bad after all. Comfort food, as I keep rambling about, becomes a lot more comfortable, with a dash of sugar in it. Especially if you are coming from the family where I come from, where every meal must end with something sweet to eat (including breakfast, lunch and dinner- and dinner sometimes followed by 2-3 courses of dessert), and married to a man, whose day is excelled by means of an additional piece of chocolate or a spoonful of ice-cream, for me- not having a sweet tooth IS IMPOSSIBLE. For some reason though, over a period of time, my craving for sugar has reduced, and with me getting only older with time- I assume it’s just good for me.

I come from a family, where sausages are actually considered unhealthy; pork sausages that is. Having pork sausages at home was a luxury. However I developed a taste, or rather a love for sausages during my stint in London, and since then it is a relationship that I am sure will last forever. I use more of the chicken variety now; makes no difference to my life- but I yes, psychologically, I just feel less guilty. The versatility of the sausage is brilliant- for breakfast, lunch or dinner, sausages accompanied with ANYthing including a slice of bread can lead to a satisfying meal.

I do adore food. If I have any vice it's eating. If I was told I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, I could put up with sausage and mash forever.                                                                                                 Colin Baker

The recipe that I am sharing today is one that has been pending forever; not because I didn’t have the time to post it, but simply because I never documented it. It is the perfect blend of two of my favourite ingredients. 

I had stumbled across this recipe on Nigella’s website (Original Recipe can be found here) soon after I got married. Ak calls this our ‘House Specialty’; the Cocktail Sausages and the recipe finds its way into our meals quite often. In fact, I never even though about posting it, since I made it so often. I have tested it out on multiple occasions, with a variety of guests; young and old, meat eaters and the no-red meat eaters, "I like chicken only" people and many others; and each time the recipe was a big success. Most often in fact, there is not even a single piece left. It goes well as an appetizer and I have often made it as an accompaniment to a main course as well.  The best part is that, it can be made well ahead of time; the longer the sausages are marinated for, the better the flavours are- sweet, sticky and savoury.Thank you Nigella for this wonderful, really easy recipe.

p.s Must Try this recipe with Chili Flavored Sausages- the addition of the spice takes the recipe to another world altogether!

The Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake

This is what baking, what all of this book, is about: feeling good, wafting along in the warm, sweet smelling air, unwinding, no longer being entirely an office creature; and that’s exactly what I mean by ‘comfort cooking’. Nigella Lawson

It was as if the book was calling out to me. It was as if it was my life, or then again, maybe I am just one of the many millions who feel this way about baking. The waft of vanilla, the folding in of the batters, the layering of the cakes- nothing but True Bliss. 

CommuniCooking has resumed with some real cooking- or should I say comfort cooking.

This post is long due-it is the inaugural post of one of the 1 year gifts, in continuation to the earlier ones here;

This will probably be one of the most treasured gifts-ever and hopefully, will embark me on a journey towards being marginally domestic, if not the goddess herself. From the book, Nigella Lawson’s; “How to be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the art of Comfort Cooking”, here comes this really special post, and with a bit of luck, a lot more culinary pleasure in the days to come.

                 Additionally, this post is special, as it is the 25^th Post on this blog. It may not seem special to many, but really to achieve this landmark on my very own blog- I am amazed at myself. Despite the numerous occasions, when I have thought I will not come back to the blog, and the many times, when in a tearing rush, I forget that I was supposed to photograph what I had just cooked- this blog has reached 25 posts. And that is reason enough to celebrate. Further, with over 3200 views, I am a happy child. I guess, there are people who are reading this- I may not have engaged with many- but statistics are proof of an audience for my lil’ blog.

                I have spent a lot of time contemplating, and wondering what should the first recipe from this book be? I have spent months thinking, going through it again and again- the fact is that I wanted the first recipe to be something - perfect for Ak. It’s a tough one. I realised, that I had actually spent weeks and months, just thinking- Why wasn’t I able to crack it?!First it was the weddings, then travel, then navratras- my excuses had to stop; I had almost started to feel guilty. My initial choice was kept aside (it involves some days of preparation- but it will be here soon!), and I decided to settle in for a classic- The Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake. According to Ak, Nothing beats a Brown, unadulterated chocolate cake. The chocolate chapter in Nigella’s book also begins with this cake- she thinks this cake is the essence of all that is desirable in chocolate.

The results were true to the words. This cake really is the essence of a chocolate cake; simple, classic and a chocolate lover’s delight. I think it could be less sugary and more chocolaty though; however it is The perfect cake for any celebration :) With a little more practice- I may get it just right.

Waffles

Its freezing in Delhi and the wedding season has been chaotic. Despite me missing a few, I have been so caught up with the family stuff, that this post which has been long overdue is extremely late. Communicooking has been showered with some wonderful gifts, as a part of the anniversary- can now be found on www.communicooking.com! (more details on other related gifts later)

             A part of the ‘1 year gifts’ was the much appreciated Waffle-maker. Waffles for me- are more than just comfort food. Initially started off as a luxury during my college years and later when I was in London, over a period of time, I discovered the versatility of the waffle and the ease with which it adapts itself to a meal at any time of the day- breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert. Waffles are almost staple food in Belgium, and I have fond memories of a Belgian friend bringing me authentic chocolate waffles. That used be luxury- in student days! Another favorite has been the Waffles with Belgian chocolate ice-cream and maple syrup @ Big chill- with warm memories attached. In due course of time, I discovered that it was so much simpler to just have a waffle-maker at home, in order to enjoy the waffle more frequently. The gift was hence; just perfect- and no words will describe the appropriateness.

           Waffles can be had as a savory snack or for dessert. The best part is that even after baking them, once can store and use them for days to come. I have often heard about freezing waffles, but have never tried freezing them personally. The best way to enjoy a waffle though, is to eat a warm waffle with cold ice-cream and maple syrup. Someone once said that “A waffle is like a pancake with a syrup trap”- nothing in this world would compare to a hot waffle with maple syrup.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Tarts

The New Year has begun with a lot of cooking. The posts have been coming in often and my blog is going to have almost 2000 hits- and I have finally embarked on the photography, learning nuances along the way. Food has been crucial to the beginning of the year, and that too, far beyond the blog.

               To cut a long story short, along with faraway tips, I decided to make dessert for the BIL who was travelling to India. The icing on the cake was that he was not familiar with my cooking- and even this blog. And I just need an excuse to spend half a day, puttering about in the kitchen, thoroughly enjoying the experience. The start point was that he would like something with fruits, and Ak came to the rescue by suggesting mini-tartlets. Tarts are perfect for dessert, as everyone can pick up their own mini-helping and they look pretty and delightful. Also, i personally feel- as someone baking tarts, I would love to serve an assortment with varied fillings. For some reason- they seem healthier too, maybe because of their fruity nature. My quest for the right tart began as I hunted for a sure-shot recipe that would work. I looked at 2 of my favorite Bloggers-Tartelette...on the sweet side of life (I love Helen’s styling and Photography-and am usually oohing- and aahing, when I read her posts) and Passionate about Baking (My daily ritual- or at least as often as she posts- Deeba is one of the most inspiring women…I haven’t met her and have only written to her once- but I love what she has done with Food Blogging here in India and the idea of making everything as pure as possible. She is very inspiring and I really hope that someday I can, be half as good as her.) 

             The dish was decided, I was going to make tartlets with strawberries and cream. I decided to go back to the Ipad Baking App, which I totally swear by. I used the tart recipe here, removed the almonds from it, and added some cinnamon instead. Most often, tarts are made with fresh fruits, and the mixed berry tarts seen so often are almost impossible to make here- no wild berries or blackberries available easily and I didn’t want to go down the tinned variety route. For the filling, I experimented a bit and decided to use a combination of cream and cheese- next time I may just use cream cheese instead! I had the wonderful goat’s cheese with cinnamon and berries still lying in the fridge, and so I decided to use a bit of it and hence, added the cinnamon in the tart base to compliment the cheese. The results were astonishing. The goat’s cheese added a wonderful consistency and flavor to the filling, a glimpse of cranberries and the slightly cheesy sweetness with a hint of cinnamon was quite wintery. I always thought strawberries and cream was a winner; the discovery of the addition of cinnamon has been interesting. The audience thought it was quite professional, and during the delay in actually putting up the post, I have already made the tarts twice over. That I assume, would be success enough J

              Disclaimer; this is the first post- where the photography is entirely by yours truly, except for the one grand finale, which Ak shot to wrap it up. I am quite pleased with the results- for which I give credit to the wonderful new lens.

Apple Pie Parcels- More Puff Pastry!

Garfield: I love the smell of Cinnamon Apple in the morning. It smells like victory. 

The world may think I am crazy, but nothing satisfies my heart more than a nice, fancy, slightly elaborate dessert; a combination of warm and cold/ of sweet and savoury. My last post may have been an overdose of puff pastry- all the excess that I tried to make use of. But I didn’t stop there!

On this cold and wintery night, while I was at it, celebrating with puff pastry, how could I not make some dessert? Apart from the few Chocolat Twisties, I definitely wanted to try something else. Since, I was also on the using up the excess mode, I decided to use an apple that was screaming at me from the fridge. The Christmas spirit was in the air, and I thought why not make something with some spices. I love the IPad Baking App- someday I hope to try out the all the recipes. For anyone with an ipad, you must download this app here. 

I had seen the chocolate filo parcels here, which looked very tempting. As always, since I didn’t have the filo pastry, I decided to make Apple Pie parcels- with Puff pastry instead. Since I was in a mood to celebrate, I even decided to make a dip as an accompaniment- a cinnamon dip to celebrate the victory. The end product was magnificent, if I may say so myself. Ak loved it, and so much so, we decided to call over the other AK (the brother), to have a taste of this wonderful discovery. AK has always never liked the apple pie that I have baked- primarily because of the crust. But this time, He approved it too! So much so, that he wanted to take a doggy bag home for breakfast (alongwith some puff pastry wraps).

Overall, an extremely gratifying meal to celebrate the victory!

p.s. Feel Free to use the leftover dip as an accompaniment to other desserts, I would recommend a brownie or if you are feeling lazy like me the next day, when the parcels have run out- just pour over some chocos/cereal...to have a healthy breakfast/dessert.

Puff Pastry Wraps- Celebrating Milestones

Communicooking has achieved a milestone. I got featured on Foodista.com as their Featured Blog of the Day on 20^th December. To be honest, I was quite elated! The Yaaaaaay was silent in my heart, because I really could not believe it! For many in the blogging world, this may not be such a big deal, but I am sure, a lot of the bloggers would identify with this moment that they too would have experienced at some point of time! Nevertheless, I was extremely excited, inspired and motivated, Thanks to Foodista!

And there was no better way to celebrate, except to do another post. In the current situation, where there are only 2 people eating, I am constantly worried with regards to excess food around the house- especially perishables like vegetables. In my weekend visits to my wonderland as Ak calls it (well, it’s the local grocery store- and I am like a little child, in a toy shop), Ak had suggested we pick Puff Pastry. I assume he was hoping for the Chocolat Twisties, but this week, being super chaotic at work- had not led to much of anything new worth writing about. I walked into my kitchen, and opened the fridge, and I could see so much stuff- and the puff pastry was going to expire soon! Usually, the basic fresh puff pastry pack is used in 2 batches, but since it was almost close to expiry date- I decided to have a puff pastry day!

Chocolate and Pistachio Brownies

The Festivities in India bring along with it everything ‘in excess’. Presumably, in North India, this extends above and beyond just material exchanges. Considering this was my first year of being married, there were also many firsts; first holi, Diwali, first karvachauth and so on and so forth. Apart from the gifts that are exchanged, there is a lot of fruit and dry fruit that is presented as well for its auspicious nature. This resulted in excess of fruits and dryfruit in our home, with only 3 people to consume it. There was the usual – have 5 almonds soaked in water overnight, but we really struggled with the consumption of the fruit. I love pomegranates and decided to eat one every single day. Ak did his bit by making grenadine syrup, which has now been preserved with some vodka, while the virgin version was used with soda for mocktails. Highly recommended- the flavours are just too fresh, and if it was peak summer, this would be the perfect cooler on a hot summery day. Ak will do a post on the grenadine cocktail soon.

                         However, the real struggle was with pistachios. 3 big bags of pistachios, lying there, waiting to be used. And I knew, that my next post had to include pistachios or else it would be a sheer waste. Personally, I am not much of a Pistachio person, but then, this was not just about me. The few things that I can recollect that were made with Pista were Kulfi and Baklava and they both had to be saved for another day, due to the process/setting time involved. Also, I discovered, that pistachio was rich in anti-oxidants and hence, had multiple health benefits. Biscotti was a no-no since we had enough at home. And I surely had something chocolaty in mind. On one of those days, when I was online, sifting through the blogging world, as Ak calls it, I was extremely tempted by Martha Stewart’s chocolate and pistachio Torte here .

The brown and green combination was extremely seductive; and hard to resist. A cake would be hard to consume as usual, so I decided to do brownies instead. I find Nigella’s Brownie’s a tried and tested recipe, and can never go wrong. It is flourless, and yes, heavy on butter; but when one is in the festive mood, a little butter can do no wrong. Have used it for Chocolate Chip Brownies earlier, and has been a stupendous hit and therefore this time, I decided to use it with the pistachios at hand. The original recipe can be found here (I used only half the quantities of what was mentioned)

Finally, The Strawberry Shortcake

I think I am coming to terms with this blog. Maybe, very soon I will stop ranting about how I didn’t want to really write about what I cooked and how I needed to take that step to get up and actually write. I just realised that every few weeks, when I haven’t managed to write something, I find myself thinking of trying something new and writing about it. My life has transformed into something new- a new routine, and a lot to do. Winter is also here, along with the wedding season- I love this time of the year. The meeting people- sometimes pleasant and sometimes not so much, the music, the dressing up, the highly celebrated traditional Indian wedding ceremonies, sometimes over the top- I love it all. Although it just means, that we are hardly eating at home. Therefore, the opportunity to cook is reduced tremendously. I think, very soon, I will do a simple post about regular dal-chawal; comfort food that I always find myself turning to, after a few days of eating out.

         Coming back to the blog, today’s post however, is the much talked about and the 'repeatedly mentioned on this blog' strawberry cake. I have permission from K aunty to share this recipe with others and she really wants other people to enjoy it too! So here it is; I hope to perfect it soon…

“Doubtless God could have made a better berry (than the strawberry), but doubtless God never did”

William Butler

Strawberry Shortcake

I remember watching an episode of Masterchef, where the contestants were asked to recreate the one food memory that they had. If I had to ever do this, there would be numerous; but if I had to ever think of that one moment that initiated my fondness for cooking, it would be the strawberry shortcake. While I was in school, birthdays were big. And each year, K’s birthday (one of my very old friends from school) would bring along a wonderful strawberry shortcake, which was her favourite, and her mum would bake it year after year. It really was the prettiest cake I could imagine, gorgeous and sinful. Maybe my obsession with pink also has its roots there. I would see that cake and wonder if ever in life, I would  be able to bake anything remotely close to 'the strawberry shortcake'. As years passed, I did start baking myself, but never found the courage to try it out. It would cross my mind each year, on 23^rd Jan J and each time I would see strawberries, or when I would speak to K, I would determine to muster up the courage to try it. In fact, even when I met K’s mom a few years back in the US, I remember discussing the memory of the short cake. Like many other things in life, Fear of failure prevented me from taking the plunge.

Happy ‘Pie’ Diwali

I often wonder what is the inspiration behind writing. What is it that enthuses authors, writers and more so, bloggers, to continue to write and maintain simply, just good writing. The reason why I am questioning this even more today, is because of my almost month long hiatus from the blogging world and my temptation in the last few days, to drop everything and cook. I don’t have an excuse. I simply haven’t got around to doing it. Post navratras, it was the onset of the wedding season, and since then, the festivities have taken over our social life. Yes, ‘Our’ Social Life, which includes social obligations of not one, but two families (FYI- I don’t like the phrase social obligations- simply because it makes meeting family/friends appear almost torturous. nevertheless, it seems appropriate here). From the first Karva Chauth, to pre-diwali cards, the visiting family-exchanging gifts, the lunches and dinners and finally Diwali today, I guess, this first year of being married has definitively exploded into a social frenzy- but I am not complaining. Like always, I love this time of the year, including the brilliant weather. And like all good Punjabis- I love and thoroughly enjoy the wedding season and the festivities. In fact, with the nip in the air, I am reminded of the many things I love about India, and one of the many reasons why I am glad I am home. J

To be honest- It is not like I haven’t been cooking- I just haven’t bothered to document it. And mostly, it was so rushed, and unplanned, that I just couldn’t. Maybe, some day, I will reach that juncture where I would think that my blog could do without photographs and I could post even if I hadn’t documented it. Or maybe not. (Because how else will Ak be the most integral part of this blog, the way he is currently!). This year, which has brought with itself a lot of material exchanges, some wonderful people around me have given me delightful cooking accessories, including my mom, who very thoughtfully has given me the perfect cake platter which will be up for appearance shortly. We had been hunting for one for months, and this one is just perfect.

Of cupcakes and muffins

One should never plan. And I cannot resist planning.

My mom always says- don’t plan. Even for the next morning. Because the moment you do, it is surely not bound to happen.

So, when I gleefully planned to bake with my newly found, pretty cupcake cases last Sunday, I should have very well guessed that ‘It was not going to happen.’ Sunday was overtaken by the quickie, Monday just happened to be a typical Monday, and then the no energy Tuesday and Wednesday, and by Thursday evening- I was seeing muffins on my office computer screen and thinking about my cupcake wrappers in the middle of reviews. Was it possible that I did not have a spare 20 minutes to bake a quick round of muffins? Had my life really come to this? By the time I reached home from work- I had declared that this was the day, when my plan to bake just had to work! (with or without the photography)

Honey & Almond Cake

A Hard Day’s night; that’s what I am going to call this one.

So, while we watch ‘wake up sid’ for the umpteenth time, here I am, despite being completely exhausted, loving this. Today was a çommuni-cooking day (not in a perfectly cooking manner though). After a bad day with a completely clogged throat, half a day of work and trying to get some god-forsaken ID, I was back home at a ‘so-called’ reasonable time in order to rest. Ak fancied Murgh Malai Tikka for dinner, and so that was tested out; but will be shared another day. The marinade worked but the oven ditched me L, by drying out my richly marinated malai tikkas. I discovered that mom’s tried and tested technique of  making tikkas in the pan on medium heat actually works much better... round 2, therefore, got a better response.  Will crack the oven soon, and re-post this one.

          Feeling extremely disappointed, I wanted more; and therefore, I set out to test my new flowery cake tin. The benefits of marriage are quite brilliant; giving you the permissible luxury to splurge on baking tools :P  (justifying shopping to bring in what’s missing). Its not like I didn’t do it earlier, but, now, I can make it an évent’. After, spending enough time to look for the right recipe with key factor being only ‘2 eggs’ (from what was lying in the fridge), ‘we’ decided to embark on the Honey and Almond Cake- Courtesy Ipad (a baking app!). ilove technology.