The Telegraph Cruise Show with James Martin

Picture courtesy Siren Comms

I've never been on a cruise. I remember how awed i was at the Star Cruises that had taken India by storm a long time back with the cruise liners all named after the star signs. It was a pretty cool thing at that time and i remember a friends sister and husband went on their honeymoon on the super star Virgo or something and we ooh-ed and aah-ed at how lucky she was. Back then it was so totally a luxury thing that was just beginning to gain popularity.

Whereas now every other person i know has been on a cruise, a lot of them on immensely fancy ones. I most certainly want to go on one sometime in the future, but till then I will have to make do with attending annual events like the Telegraph Cruise Show which i was invited to beginning of this year. It was at the London Excel Centre and spanned over 3 days. The event mostly targeted travel enthusiasts, cruise fans, first timers and anyone who was interested in learning more about cruises. There were a wide range of talks by industry experts, interactive Q & A sessions with travel experts and a lot of offers on cruises which were exclusive to the show. 

Picture courtesy Siren Comms

However, from a food enthusiast's point of view, the interesting bits were the cooking demo's that were part of the show. P & O Cruises' Food Heroes James Martin, Eric Lanlard and Michelin starred chef Atul Kochhar put up free live cooking demos along with wine expert Olly Smith who hosted a free wine tasting session. These celebrity chefs, on top of featuring heir own signature restaurants, bars and dining experiences, would be travelling on numerous cruises throughout the year and you will have the opportunity to accompany them on shore excursions, be part of cookery demo's, and even join them for hosted dinners at the chef's table. 

We opted to attend James Martin's session at the Kitchen and also dragged the husband along, him being a big fan of Saturday Kitchen Live and all. James Martin, who was exuberant all throughout the 2 hours was absolutely fun to watch. He kick started the show with some almond biscotti, followed by a fillet of mackerel with dressed crab, pickled turnips, cucumber and radish. He then showed us how to portion a chicken and to grill it to perfection. He served the grilled chicken on a bed of cauliflower cous cous which I'm soo going to try. The highlight of the session however was the gorgeous monkey bread he baked and served with a snicker bar ice cream. The very thought of it is making my mouth water, and its been at the back of my mind ever since i saw the demo. Its about a million calories with 2 bottles of maple syrup and tonnes of butter, but so totally worth it, i can tell. We were unfortunately not allowed to taste any of the food, but going by how they looked, they were all bound to taste brilliant.

If you do fancy any of the dishes i mentioned, (especially the Monkey bread) i suggest you get on board one of the P & O cruise liners and have it hand made by the man himself :)

Thanks to The Telegraph Cruise show for a VIP invite. I thoroughly enjoyed myself :) 

Carnaby Street Eat Fest

Picture courtesy Sister PR

Carnaby Street is this bustling street lying parallel to Regent Street, and one that is a must visit if you are in London. Its very close to Oxford circus tube station and getting there is really easy. Its got a whole lot of retails outlets and some really cool places to eat, plus bars and clubs as well and the first time i went there i was in awe of what lies behind some of London's main streets- the back alleys are the best way to explore the heart of London.

The Carnaby Street Eat is a free one day International Food Festival with 40 of the area's best restaurants, bars and cafe's taking part. From Hawaiian to Indian to Italian to Japanese there will be the chance to experience the sights, smells and flavours of over 15 international cuisines. Last week, a couple of us food bloggers were invited to a preview show of the Street Eat fest where we got a sneak peak at whats in store on the 20th of July. It was one fun evening where we restaurant hopped till about 11.30 in the night and i think i ate and drank so so much, i thought id be put off both for a really long time. That feeling lasted till 8am the next morning when i woke up with a grumbling stomach.

We started off the evening bonding over Prosecco and smoked salmon at The Wright Brothers. A restaurant that boasts about sourcing some of the best oysters, sustainable fish and finest seafood and bring them to you in the most delicious of ways. I will never forget this restaurant because it was the first time i ever had oysters. After the head chef gave us an introduction to oysters, May of Eat Cook Explore patiently told me how to go about eating it and, i, after much coaxing went ahead and tried it. I must say, it wasn't bad at all. I mean the shallot vinaigrette which i generously doused over the oyster made a lot of difference, but i am a convert and i shall definitely try them again. Head on over there to taste some of their tasty grub, and they'll even show you how to shuck the oysters.

Next stop was the funky Choccywoccydoodah which is like a cake haven. The interior is filled with trippy creations made with chocolate cakes and unique chocolate gifts. They took us to their secret tea room which is done up, like someone said, Alice in Wonderland theme. Very colourful with loads of mismatched furniture and accessories. If you want to enjoy a different sort of afternoon tea, you know where to head to. On the day they will be giving out free chocolate samples and Kiss FM DJ will be spinning the decks.

We then walked back to Shoryu in Kingly Court where we tasted some amazing Japanese yatai style street food. The dumplings and steamed bun with pork and beef were to die for. I would tell you to not miss them this Sunday. They would be serving their signature hirata buns and gyoza's. After downing a sake cocktail we moved over to Whyte & Brown where we got to enjoy some craft beers. I really enjoyed the Honey Beer and the dessert which was a fabulous Exotic Mess with tropical fruits like pineapple, bananas and passion fruit was what hit the spot for me. However, i must admit, that a few spoons down and the sweetness was getting to me. The beer helped and after a quick loo run we moved on to the next restaurant.

By this time we were filled to the gills, at least I was and we still had 3 more restaurants to hit. Off we went to Cha Cha Moon, a Chinese noodle bar where we again had cocktails, dumplings, steamed broccoli (which btw was simply out of this world) and Singapore noodles which most of us packed because we just couldnt eat. A few bloggers had already left by then and I was contemplating on whether to leave or not when Scarlett told me were off to Rum Kitchen to have some more drinks. Well, that did it for me and off i scampered with the rest of the gang to this Caribbean themed restaurant and cocktail bar. We all ordered the same cocktail Rumbustion which I couldn't finish..like for the first time ever, i couldn't finish a cocktail. This evening sure had some firsts for me :) Head on over there to sample delights including roast pumpkin and chickpea curry, saltfish fritter and jerk chicken wings.

Last and final stop was the American diner Stax where we sampled like a gazillion milkshakes all spiked with alcohol. My favourite was the cookies and cream shake which had oreos and whipped cream. I was so high on food by this time i just couldn't eat or drink any more. It was such a fun evening and a very different one from the usual and I enjoyed myself so so much. The fact that it was a small crowd made it even more fun and I went back home with a whole new set of blogger friends.

Picture courtesy Sister PR

Carnaby Street Eat is on the 20th of July from 11am to 6 pm and the weather is promising to be really good so I'm planning to head out there for lunch. There will be live cooking demo's, music and other fun activities- a perfect day out for the young and old alike.

With thanks to Sister PR for inviting me to the event. All opinions are my own and I wasn't paid to do the review.

Castello Tickler Cheddar and smoked paprika souffle

I love cheese. Like really love it. Throw cheese into anything and i will eat it without any issue. Not that I have a problem eating anything otherwise (if you see me you'll know what I'm talking about), but cheesy things are right up my alley. 

Castello Cheese has joined hands with cookery school L'atelier des Chefs to create a Cheese Cookery Class which will cover a series of classes showcasing a wide range of cheeses that Castello has to offer, and of course learning to cook with it. Food author and TV presenter Stefan Gates has also put together The Ultimate Cheeseboard, which, some of us bloggers had the privilege to try recently. Each class will focus on crafting the ultimate cheeseboard and to round it off, Matt Day has suggested complimentary drinks pairing to bring out the best from each cheese. The classes start on the 18th of July and run all through to October. Its a great way to enjoy some wine and cheese and while you are at it, learn some tips and tricks on creating fabulous dishes with it.

Off we went to L'atelier des Chef to get a preview of the class that was launching. We got to do some wine and drinks pairing and then went on to learn how to make a few dishes using the different varieties of cheese from Castello. There were nibbles and bubblies doing the rounds, a la Castello and a very interesting 'Super Taster' test conducted by Stefan Gates to see if we were a super taster. Apparently, I did have the signs of a super taster, but I actually wasn't one. Oh well! We all went home with blue tongues (as part of the test) and a goody bag filled with cheese and recipes. 

Of all the dishes we tried on the day, my favourite was the Tickler Cheddar and smoked paprika souffle which was simply mind boggling. I had to create it the very next and what do you know, thats exactly what i did. The recipe card had all the information required, and since the chef had given us tips and tricks on how to get the perfect souffle, I was pretty confident I wouldn't fail. The not failing bit was true and the souffle turned out to be fabulous, but the downside of a souffle is that it deflates very fast. So from a photography point of view it was a bit of a bummer. Well, you are just gonna have to take my word for it and believe me when i say it did puff up nicely.

Recipe halved from here (serves 3)

Butter- 25gms, unsalted

Breadcrumbs- 10 gms

Parmesan cheese- 10 gms, grated

Bay leaf- 1

Shallot- 1 small, finely chopped

Plain flour- 25 gms

Mustard- 1/2 tsp

Smoked paprika- 2 tsp

Eggs- 2, white and yolk separated

Cheddar cheese- 50 gms (I used Castello Tickler Cheddar)

Butter- 10 gms, unsalted

Salt- to taste

Preheat oven to 200C and butter the souffle moulds/ ramekins.

Sprinkle half of the breadcrumbs and Parmesan on to the ramekins, shake around to coat well and tip out any excess.

Start with the white sauce by boiling the milk with onions and bay leaf to infuse. Drain and keep aside.

In another saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.

Add the plain flour and make the roux, stirring continuously for about 2 minutes.

Stir in the mustard and salt then slowly pour in the milk, while continuously stirring.

Cook for a further few minutes, until you get a thick but smooth mix. 

Keep aside to cool for a couple of minutes and then whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. if the sauce is too hot, then you risk cooking the egg yolks, and you really don't want that.

Stir in the grated cheddar and smoked paprika.

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. The chef made us do this using a wire whisk at the class, and so I decided to do the same at home. It is a bit of a chore, but it wasn't as difficult as i thought it would be. I think when the quantity is less, its much easier (mostly because I didn't have to unearth my hand blender, wash it, use it, then again clean it..too much work).

Add one spoonful of the egg white into the sauce and mix well.

Add the remaining in, and fold gently, making sure you don't deflate them.

Distribute the souffle mix into 3 ramekins and using a palette knife spread the top of the mix evenly. Then run your thumb or forefinger along the inside edge of the ramekin for the 'top hat' effect.

Place the ramekins on a baking tray and bake on the middle rack of your oven for about 15 minutes, or until the top is golden and the souffle has risen nicely.

Serve immediately.

Notes: I used a large ramekin, and that was a mistake. The smaller one would have been a better quantity for one, and also I didn't have enough to fill them, so i couldn't get the top hat effect

Use a good quality paprika, it makes a lot of difference

Double the recipe to feed 6

You can make the white sauce well ahead and just to the egg bit just before baking,

With thanks to Castello Cheese and L'atelier des Chefs for the event invite and classes.

Waitrose Cellar launch- a very wine-y evening

                                                                                                      (Photography by Emma Gutteridge)

I am ridiculously late in posting this, but as they say, better late than never right?

Well, about a month back I was invited to the launch of the Waitrose Cellar, and the invite said- with a twist. They had me at wine and I rsvp-ed immediately. I then went back and reread the mail and it said the wine tasting would take place on a canal boat in Regents Canal. Now that was really exciting and i waited patiently for the day. Laura, who was part of the PR team did a fab job reminding us of things like not to wear heels if possible, and directions to the place etc.

                                                                                                         (Photography by Emma Gutteridge)

The weather Gods seemed to like the idea of the whole wine tasting thing on a canal boat and so blessed us with some fabulous sunshine and warm weather in the middle of May, when it was technically still spring. We got together at the London Canal Museum and after a bit of catching up with fellow food bloggers (of course with some bubbly in hand), our wine experts for the evening Xenia and Stephane, took us through the journey of wines and how the Waitrose Cellar came into being. We were then segregated into two groups and asked to head on over to the two canal barges that were ready for us. Once we all got cosy inside the boats, Xenia, who was our group head, went on to explain the different ways to identify the personality of different wines, while opening bottle after bottle of delicious wines for us to taste.

The canal ride was really beautiful, and with wine as companion you'd never want it to end. We tasted quite a few wines, but I must say my favourite was the Cae de Lugny Sparkling Burgundy Blan de Blancs NV which just hit the spot the moment i took a sip. Its perfect for those summery afternoon parties and at GBP 13.99 its a steal. I'm a Chardonnay lover, and so it wasn't too difficult to please me with this anyway! I usually go for whites and Rose's over Summer and switch to the dry reds in colder months, and i'm really really getting used to the sparkling wines this year. I am not too familiar with pairing wine and food, but I'm definitely getting the hang of it. 

Once the canal ride was over, we were all ushered back into the museum to do a round of 'speed wine-ing.' the idea being, we'd by then have learnt a skill or two about wine's in general and a one on one session with a fellow wine enthusiast would help us pick a wine for them based on their character traits and tastes. This was indeed a fun session and we all managed to get whatever we can out of the other in that one minute span. I am yet to go through my entire case of wine that was picked out for me, but from the few opened, I've loved them all, with the Cantena Malbec, picked out for me by Fiona of London Unattached, being my absolute favourite. I am not a sweet wine person, but the Seriously peachy dessert wine from Waitrose, picked out for me by Katja of ifhipscouldlie, was also a pleasant surprise. I recently paired it with a chocolate and coffee panna cotta and it really, really matched well. The bitterness from the dark chocolate nicely complimented the peachy flavours of the wine. 

Urvashi (Botanical Baker) insisted I try out the Marquesa de la Crus Garnache Rose, and that's the first bottle I opened from my case. It was indeed delicious, not too sweet, and perfect paired with spicy food. We had it with some chicken curry and stir fried vegetables. I keep tweeting and instagramming the wines as and when I open them, so follow me on there to be up to date with my wine saga.

The Waitrose Cellar website gives in-depth information on all wines and they also have how to guides that help you learn a few things; and if that's not enough, the wine experts are available on @waitrosewine to answer all your wine queries and food matches.

(Photography by Emma Gutteridge)

With thanks to Waitrose Cellar for inviting me to the event and for the case of wine. All views expressed are my own

Burrata and heirloom tomato salad with Filippo Berio olive oil

We have been blessed with some fabulous weather over the last few weeks and I'm so glad I don't have to drag on boots and heavy jackets any more. We have been spending weekends roaming around and catching up with friends and the blog has been consistently ignored. That doesn't mean I haven't been cooking, its just that I've gone on this crazy low-carb diet and so whip up something or the other as and when I want to eat, and salads being a star at most of our meals, I thought I should at least make an attempt to post one here.

Another reason for the salad, the gorgeous olive oil I've used in it. I was invited to an exclusive tasting event for the launch of the Filippo Berio Gran Cru range where the tasting expert talked us through the 3 exceptional regional Italian EVOO and then for a hands on cooking experience using them in regional Italian dishes. The evening started off as usual with some gorgeous wine and casual conversation and then moved on to the tasting session. After tasting the oils, we were all asked to write down the tasting notes and then compare it to the actual tasting notes, while gorging on some delicious focaccia made by the talented chefs at La Cucina Caldesi Cookery School.

(Photo courtesy: Filippo Berio)

We then moved on to the cooking session and I was in charge of frying the steak. It was an eye opener for me, as I always end up over doing my steak and here, the moment I put it on the pan, the chef would ask me to flip it and take it off. The dishes were all prepared using the 3 different Gran Cru oils- Dauna, Monti Iblei and Toscano and we were given a lot of tips on how to use these oils in cooking, baking, and as dips and dressings. After our laborious efforts, we sat down to eat what we cooked- Insalata di Arance Rosse (a blood orange salad), Steak Tagliata, and a pasta with greens and garlic croutons, which was my favourite of the 3. To finish off the evening, we all dug into some tasty biscotti and dessert wine and then headed home with a goody bag containing the Gran Cru range.

I myself just started cooking with olive oil and the event sure did help me figure out tastes, characteristics etc. It made me realise that cooking with a good brand of olive oil did make a lot of difference. I now regularly use the Gran Cru range and although they come at a hefty 9.99 quid a bottle, I think its worth it. I used the Toscano Gran Cru Extra Virgin in this recipe and it tasted fab. Ro clearly loved it as he was literally drinking the olive oil at the base of the salad bowl. There is no recipe as such. You just eye ball the quantity you want, mix it together and there, you have a fabulous summer salad. . Enjoy the sunny days ahead peeps! 

Serves 2 generously

Burrata- 200 gms

Heirloom tomatoes- 3 to 4 large, roughly chopped or sliced as rounds

Basil- a handful

Oregano- a few generous sprinkles

Pepper- to taste

Fleur de Sel- a generous sprinkle

Extra virgin olive oil- a good good glug (say around 1/4 cup)

 

Into a a salad bowl add the chopped tomatoes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the basil, oregano, pepper, salt and EVOO and pour over the chopped tomatoes.

Give it a good stir, to evenly mix the dressing, but be careful to not break the tomatoes.

Let this sit aside for about 10 minutes, just to infuse the flavours.

When ready to serve, tear the Burrata into smaller pieces and add to the salad bowl. Gently mix.

Do a taste test, sprinkle some more Fleur de Sel on top, tear a few basil leaves and add if needed.

Serve immediately.

Notes: Instead of Burrata, you can of course use Mozzarella. But once you've tasted Burrata, you'd never look back. Its basically an outer shell of mozzarella and an inner cream and butter centre. Yeah, I know!!! If only it was available in all super markets! I picked up mine from Waitrose.

Add some blood oranges and it would be even more refreshing. I couldn't get my hands on any. You can also substitute with red grapefruit if you like the tangy taste.

You can also do individual portions like i did, if you are doing it as part of a course.

With thanks to Filippo Berio for inviting me and Ro to the event and for the goody bag.

Dum ka murgh (slow cooked chicken curry)

Posting a chicken curry after a really really long time. Some of us BB-ians realised it was National Curry Week and decided to do a curry post together. Of course its the last day of the event, but better late than never right? 

I love a good chicken curry. In fact its my favourite past time to keep browsing the internet for new chicken curry recipes and bookmarking every one of them that comes my way. I have a few delicious favourites, which keep making its way through to our tables, but never to the blog because I find photographing any sort of curry incredibly difficult. I keep taking pictures each time I make a nice curry, but then they never look nice. Its mostly the styling, which I'm stuck with.

Which is why, I was pleasantly surprised at how these pictures turned out. I had initially put the curry in a brown bowl and the colour combinations just didn't work. I was all ready to give up, when I thought I'll try it in the beautiful blue bowl which I'd picked up from this gorgeous Polish pottery store called Blue Dot Pottery. The red curry worked well with the blue pottery and it was a pleasure working with that set up. Half of my worries are over if I manage to get the styling right, which brings me to the Bloggers' Buzz Photography Club (#BBPC) which we run every month. We get together in a central London location, do a couple of food photography exercises and learn from each other. If you are not in London, then you can of course join us online where we'd give a theme a month. Email us at bloggersbuzzuk@gmail.com if you want to give it a go. We are all amateurs trying to learn a thing or two about food photography, so please don't feel intimidated. All you need is a camera and some food to shoot :)

I have tasted dum ka murgh at various restaurants and it wasn't really a big hit with me. I am not claiming this is the best curry I've ever had, but surely one of the nicer ones. It pairs well with naans and parathas and the good thing about this recipe (sans the frying of onions) is how you don't need to saute various ingredients at various stages etc, but just add the chicken, close with a tight lid and let it cook in its own juices. 

Recipe adapted from here and here

 

Chicken- 500 gms with bones, cleaned and cut into medium pieces

Oil- enough to fry

Onions- 2 medium, finely chopped

Cinnamon stick- 1 inch

Cardamom pods- 2

Cloves- 2

Whole peppercorn- 4

Green chillies- 2 slit (optional)

To marinate

Yoghurt- 1/4 cup

Almond powder- 3 tbsp (grind with some water to make a paste)

Garam masala- 1 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Kashmiri chilli powder- 1/4 tsp

Tomato ketchup/ paste- 1 tbsp (I used ketchup)

Coriander leaves- 1 tbsp, finely chopped

Mint leaves- 1 tbsp, finely chopped

Ginger paste- 1/2 tbsp

Garlic paste- 1/2 tbsp

Lemon juice- 1 tbsp

Salt- to taste

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onions till golden brown and crispy. You need to keep stirring this at intervals, so it fries evenly. Also make sure you don't burn it.

Drain on paper towels and keep aside.

In a large bowl, mix together all the marinade ingredients.

Crush the fried onions, reserving about a tbsp of it, and add to the marinade. Mix well.

Add the chicken and thoroughly rub in the marinade. Keep covered in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

When ready to cook, heat the remaining oil (from frying) and throw in the spices and green chilli. Sauté till it gets all fragrant.

Add the marinated chicken and fry in the oil for a couple of minutes.

Cover with a tight fitting lid, reduce heat to medium and cook the chicken for about 20 minutes.

Check once or twice in between to give it a quick mix and if you feel that the water is really less, add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup, mix well and continue cooking with the lid closed.

Do a taste test and check if salt levels are good and if the chicken is cooked. 

The curry is ready when you see a thin layer of oil that's separated from the gravy.

Garnish with the remaining fried onions and some coriander leaves just before serving.

Notes: I did the mistake of adding the almond powder on its own without grinding it to a paste and so kept getting the grainy texture in the gravy. Not pleasant, so make sure you grind it.

Its not spicy at all, so add more green chilli/ chilli powder if needed.

Add a dash of cream at the end, just before taking it off heat for some extra richness.

Macarons {3 ways}

Last week, a couple of us food bloggers went to the Royal Albert Afternoon Tea Tour in association with Breast Cancer Care. It was an afternoon of fun, eating and oohing and aahing the gorgeous, gorgeous vintage style tea sets that were used to serve the cupcakes and tea in. Just a few days before, we were oohing and aahing their collection at one of the department stores and Id seen this one particular cup and saucer set with tiny flowers inside, and I even remember exclaiming to a fellow foodie that some pretty and dainty macarons would just look gorgeous in them.

Little did I know that two days later I'd actually get the exact same cup and saucer from Royal Albert in my goody bag at the tea party. I HAD to make macarons and I even had a clear idea what colour and how Id style and photograph it. I am very pleased with how they have turned out and even had a small afternoon tea party at my place. The tea tour will be heading to different locations around London, so please do drop by, enjoy some tea and cakes and support the great cause.

Thursday 12th and Friday 13th- Bloomsbury Square

Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th- Parsons Green

I always follow the basic macaron recipe from Ottolenghi (Recipe here) which fetches me around 22 to 24 medium sizes macarons. For a full, detailed post on macaron making, follow this link. The fillings are for 12 macarons. I always halve the batter and add two colours. I get around 12 macarons in each colour.

Pineapple cheesecake filling

The filling for the purple one was Pineapple cheesecake a really pleasant one made with the Castello Pineapple Halo, a soft cheese coated in pineapple and almonds. Castello has this fabulous range of cheese which go great with white wine. My favourite however is the pineapple flavoured one which works great as cheesecake (trust me on this, I tasted it at the Castello event and loved it). So inspired by that I made the cheesecake filling for the macarons. It was a hit. (I added some yellow colour to emphasise the pineapple bit)

Castello pineapple halo cheese- 1/3 rd cup, at room temperature
Double cream- 1/4 cup
Honey- 2 tbsp

Whisk the double cream till soft peaks form.
Fold in the soft cheese slowly, till well mixed and no traces are seen.
Add the honey (or icing sugar) and mix well.
Refrigerate till ready to use.

Raspberry jam buttercream filling 

 

The pink macarons made specially for Breast Cancer Care were filled with raspberry jam filling. This is a really easy one and quite versatile because you can use any jam and make it into a filling.

Butter- 4 tbsp, at room temperature
Raspberry jam- 2 tbsp
Vanilla extract- a drop (optional)
Icing sugar- 2 tbsp (add more if you like it sweeter)

Whisk the butter and icing sugar together in a bowl, till light and fluffy
Add the jam and vanilla and continue whisking till they all come together.
Refrigerate till ready to use.

Cardamom cream cheese filling

 

I love cream/ soft cheese fillings and frosting and my macaron fillings are almost always cream cheese based. I used the Lactofree soft white cheese for this and was pleasantly surprised at how nice it tasted. Lactofree products are perfect for those who are lactose intolerant and doesn't have to give up dairy altogether. I had the privilege of tasting some of their products and you wouldn't even be able to make out the difference. Check out the website for more details.

A couple of us were invited to Preeti's place for an Indian themed lunch and while breaking my head on what to take for her, Suchi came up with the idea of the tricoloured Indian flag theme. The party was just two days after Indian Independence Day and it was the perfect theme. It looked gorgeous when put together and I filled it with cardamom to give it an Indian touch. Personally, I find cardamom to be an over powering spice, and I prefer it in the mildest possible dose, so this was not really my favourite. I did get good reviews about it though.

Cream cheese- 1/2 cup
Icing sugar- 3 tbsp
Vanilla extract- a generous splash
Cardamom powder- 1/2 to 3/4 tsp (powder the cardamom seeds to make enough)

Whisk the cream cheese and sugar gently using a wire whisk. Make sure it doesnt become too loose.
Fold in the vanilla extract and cardamom and continue mixing till they all come together.
Do a taste test and add more cardamom if required.

With thanks to all the brands for inviting me to the events and for the samples.

Mysore masala dosa and an event announcement

Before you go ahead and judge me by saying, omg another dosa recipe, who needs that? let me confirm that its actually for my benefit than yours because i really had to have a fool proof recipe on record since my life was wasted searching the internet for chutney and masala recipes. I don't make my own dosa batter, let me make that very clear, and am very happy with the results the ready made dosa batter gives me. 

I also suck at making a normal sambar and an even simpler chutney which is why I like to serve dosa with chicken curry (for dinner that is) and idli with fish curry. Have you tried the combo? Its divine, really it is! But on some very rare occasions, I feel like going all out and the Mysore Masala Dosa was an after effect of one of those days. 

I have fond memories of Mysore masala dosa and I don't think i have had any as good as the ones from Sangeetha restaurant in Nungabakkam, Chennai. My hostel was just around the corner from the restaurant and on Sundays, usually after a hang over from hitting the clubs the previous night, we would all wake up by around 11 or 12 and conveniently miss breakfast at the hostel (which would be upma or something uninteresting like that). With rumbling tummies we would then start discussing brunch/lunch options. Ideally it would be Crescent hotel which we would want to go to, for their yummy Prawn biryani (which btw if you haven't tried, YOU SHOULD!), but mostly we would all be broke and so Sangeetha Vegetarian restaurant would be our next best choice. And the Mysore masala dosa there is perhaps one of the best i have ever had. Let me assure you, this is no where close to what they serve, but it was good enough to shut me up about Mysore masala dosa for a while.

I would suggest you make all the items a day ahead so you dont ruin the whole assembling process. My dosa making skills are not so good and mostly the first 2 or 3 dosas always get dumped. Either the heat is not right or the spreading is not correct or something usually goes wrong. I also like my dosas crispy and so this time I was determined to make them right so I could take a few pics, which is no easy feat. One, because there are not many ways to make a dosa look appealing and two, they don't really stay crisp for that long. So this was the best I could do :)

For a recipe for perfect dosa batter, check out this informative post by Sala here

If it's idli's you are looking for then Nags has summed it up pretty well in her post here

I, on the other hand, use the store bought batter for both idli and dosa. I always freeze the batter the day i pick it up and it stays for a really long time. I thaw it at room temperature and use it as desired. I usually make idlis the day I open it. I mix a tsp of baking soda to the batter and leave it for about an hour. This has fetched me really really soft idli's. I then thin down the batter with some water for using it in dosas, or if I'm up to it I separate them in the beginning itself and use them accordingly. But really, if you are up to making your own batter, follow the above mentioned links like the Bible :)

Mysore masala dosa

Dosa batter- around 1 cup

Ghee- enough to drizzle

For the filling

Idli podi/ mulaga podi- here & here (I buy mine from the store. Yes, I am a disgrace to the food blogger community)

Onion chutney

Red onion- 1 medium, roughly chopped

Garlic- 4 to 5 pods, peeled and roughly chopped

Chilli powder- 1 tsp

Tamarind paste- 1 tsp

Salt- to taste

Oil- 1 tbsp

Heat oil in a pan and add the onions and some salt

Sauté on medium heat till they become a light brown in colour.

Add the chilli powder and continue to cook for a minute or so. 

Remove from heat and leave aside to cool for a while.

Add the cooled mix, garlic and tamarind paste and blend to a smooth consistency.

Resist the urge to add water, but if absolutely necessary, add a tsp or so and increase gradually.

You can do the above without cooking the onions by pulse all the ingredients in a blender. I find it a bit too overpowering and so I cook the onions.

Potato masala

Potaoes- 2 medium, quartered and pre cooked

Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves- a sprig

Asafoetida- a generous pinch

Onion- 1 medium, thinly sliced

Ginger- 1.2 inch piece, thinly sliced (optional)

Green chillies- 2, slit

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Salt- to taste

Break down the pre-cooked potatoes using a fork, but don't mash it up. Keep aside.

In a kadai heat the oil and temper mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida.

To this add the onion, ginger and green chillies and cook till the onions wilt and turn a light brown colour.

Add the turmeric powder and cook for a minute or two after which you dump in the potato and give a good stir, making sure the potatoes are well mixed with the masala.

Check for salt, add a dash of water to prevent it from drying out and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes after which you can transfer the masala to a serving plate and keep ready. 

Accompaniment

Sambar- here & here

Coconut chutney (recipe adapted from here)

 

Grated coconut- 1/2 cup

Shallots- 1 small, roughly chopped

Ginger- 1/2 inch piece, peeled and roughly chopped

Chilli powder- 3/4th tsp

Water- 2 tbsp, adjust accordingly

Salt- to taste

Oil- 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves- a sprig

Grind together the coconut, shallots, ginger, chilli powder and salt with the water in a blender till you get a smooth paste.

In a saucepan, heat the oil and splutter mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Keep the heat to medium and pour in the coconut paste mix along with about a 1/4 cup of water.

Cook, stirring continuously, till you see the steam coming from the spatula when lifted off the chutney. 

make sure the chutney doesn't boil.

Also adjust water according to taste. I like mine a wee bit thick, so i reduced the water.

Assembling

Keep a non-stick dosa tawa over medium heat.

When ready, add a ladle full of dosa batter and spread it in a circle.

Drizzle a spoon full of ghee over the spread out batter and along the side, lightly dabbing it into the batter. Wait for the dosa to slightly cook.

Spread a spoon of the onion chutney, sprinkle some idli podi and cook till the dosa slightly crisps.

Finally top one half of the dosa with a generous serving of the potato masala, fold over and cook for a minute or two after which you can transfer to a serving plate.

have them warm with a side of the chutney or sambar.

Bloggers' Buzz event announcement

A bunch us food bloggers met early this year in London and we had such a blast, we thought it was high time we took this whole thing to another level. So we brainstormed a bit and came up with Bloggers' Buzz, a platform for like-minded people to come together to share their passion for one thing- FOOD.

This is going to be a one day event with food blogging related master classes like basics in food photography, ethics and copyright, monetising your blog etc. and there will also be loads of networking opportunities with those attending. If that's not good enough then wait till you see the fabulous sponsors that we have roped in for the event and we assure you, you will be leaving the event with a big smile, some new friends and a goody bag full of surprises.

If you are a food blogger based out of UK or Europe or someone who simply fancies food in general, then this is definitely where you need to be. Do check out our official event blog http://bloggersbuzzuk.blogspot.co.uk/ for more details and updates and register right away as we have some really cool prizes to be won for a few competitions we will be running from Jan onwards. If you would like any more details regarding this, drop in a line to Nupur at bloggerbuzzuk@gmail.com or just leave a comment on this post :)

We are counting on you guys out there to make this event a success. So do book a place and feel free to spread the word. The more! the merrier!

With loads of love and Christmas cheer,

The Bloggers' Buzz Team

Curried lentils with Swiss Chard

We went to a pick-your-own farm in North London last weekend and brought back our bounty of fruit and vegetables. I don't think I've ever eaten strawberries that were so juicy and sweet and oh what pleasure just plucking them off the plant and popping them into your mouth. Yeah yeah I didn't wash it or wipe it or anything, just ate them with all the gusto I could muster on that hot summer day.

The 10 acres of land was filled with fruits and veggies of all sorts- from blackberries, to raspberries to beetroot to courgettes- I had a tough time deciding what I wanted to bring back. Ro who, till now, was of the opinion that strawberries were so over rated, succumbed to the stereotype and decided strawberries and cream were most certainly heavenly. I had major plans of making strawberry this and strawberry that, but at the rate its going I don't think I'll have any left to make my planned desserts, instead we have just been devouring them with whipped cream. Yummville!

I had picked up some swiss chard as well and honestly it was the after effect of an article I wrote recently about growing swiss chard and since then I have been curious. I knew it was part of the spinach family, but hoped it wasn't like the radish greens I recently cooked which was quite bitter. Maybe it was a mistake I did, but I don't think I will be trying that out again.

Initial plan was to make a gratin with the chard, but then slight miscalculations and a whole day spent on a debate with my friends on fb, with bits and pieces of writing thrown in between meant I had very little time to prepare dinner. So I decided to incorporate the chard into a dal preparation. Thanks to the pressure cooker, frozen chapathis and the last stash of chicken cutlets, dinner was ready in no time. The downside however was that I missed out on the lighting bit and hence the dark, shadowy pics. Well, you gain some, you lose some right?

So anyways, I made the dal and it turned out good. The chard tastes very similar to spinach, just that I thought it didn't wilt as much as the spinach and so there was enough greens floating around in my lentil curry. I am hoping to use up the other veggies I picked up asap and as time permits will blog about it too.

(Damn the articles I'm writing, I sound so bloody formal here too) :( :(

Masoor dal- 1/4 cup

Toor dal- 1/4 cup

Mung dal- 1/4 cup

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Swiss chard- about 3 cups chopped and packed (washed properly and the tough stalks removed)

Cumin seeds- 1 tsp

Onion- 1 medium, thinly sliced

Garlic paste- 1 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida- a pinch

Fenugreek powder- a pinch

Coriander powder- 1.2 tsp

Lime juice- a dash

Garam amsala- 1/4 tsp

Salt- to taste

Oil- 1 tbsp

Water- about 2 cups

Throw in the dals (washed), turmeric powder, swiss chard and salt along with water into the pressure cooker, give it a good stir and cook on medium heat for about 3 whistles. Release the pressure and keep aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in frying pan and add the cumin seeds.

Once it sizzles, add the onions and garlic paste and wait for it to cook and wilt a bit.

Add all the powders- chilli, coriander, asafoetida and fenugreek- and saute well. Cook till the raw smell disappears.

Put the pressure cooker with the cooked dal back on medium flame and add the onion mix. Stir well to combine,

Do a taste test and add more salt, spice as per requirement and bring to a boil.

Add a dash of lemon juice and sprinkle some garam masala on top, give a final stir and take it off the flame.

Pour into individual containers and serve as soup or as a side to rice or roti.

Notes: Add chickpeas (garbanzo) to this and it can be converted to a stew on a cold winters night.

Replace chard with spinach and you have palak dal.

You can do the above prep with any dal of choice.

Freeze it once it cools down and trust me it will be a blessing on a day you don't want to cook.

Cocktails at Browns

We had amazing cocktails at Brows Bar & Brasserie last night after a movie. I just had to pen this down before i forgot what it was like. I am a total sucker for cocktails and gin is my new found love. My dad is an ardent gin fan, my husband followed and now its me. I had mentioned Browns on my other blog...about the food...which is not out-of-this-world. There is not much of a variety when it comes to British food anyways! But what i had on New Years Eve..the Guinea Fowl with a coq au vin sauce was awesome. Ro's steak was just about average. So ya basically, food is average, but their selection of cocktails are gorgeous. Like i mentioned before I am in love with gin variations and so i opted for all gin cocktails except for the Cosmopolitan which is a personal favourite. It is so so Carrie Bradshaw-like..the drink i mean :)

Also, they had an offer on all their Signature Cocktails..so we kinda went ahead and tried quite a few of them. I know i don't have UK readers, but I'm gonna go ahead and suggest a few. Ro's Mango & Passion Fruit Julep was full of crushed ice and whisky based (not a fan) whereas my Cucumber & Elderflower (I know!) was smooth..again gin based. Ro however thought it tasted like raita (exaggeration to the core) because there were cucumber slices muddled and topped with the cocktail mix. The Martini's however were mind blowing...both mine and Ro's. The Berry & Pomegranate Martini (very berrylicious, and yes i ordered that) and Ro's Apple & Lychee are totally crowd pullers..at least for us it was! But it was the Grapefruit Cosmo that did the trick for me. I have had Cosmopolitans at a lot of places and i kinda judge a place by the quality of the Cosmo there..yeah weird! So ya, i think i like cocktails at Browns and they are very generous with the mix, unlike some other places (Adams Ribs in Picadilly Circus) where its diluted and not served cold (i could go on with my issues). Oh and Ro also had a very girly Brown Eyes Blue which was intriguing with the blue colour an all. He was embarrassed :)

Here are a few cocktails I tried at home. I don't have fancy stirrers and glasses so it doesn't look too tempting, but they turned out pretty good for a first timer like me....the preparation i mean. Hmm i should probably do a bar tending course ;)

Peach Fizz

Peach Schnapps-60ml

Caster sugar- 2 tsp

Lemon juice- 30ml

Orange Juice- 30ml

Soda water- a small can

Ice cubes- as desired

Shake with cubed ice and strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Top with soda water.

Champagne Cocktail (serves 2)

Gin- 100ml

Lemon juice- 25ml

Sugar- 2tsp

Any Champagne/Prosecco- to top

Shake well ice cubes, gin, lemon juice and sugar and pour into a Champagne flute. Top with Champagne/ Prosecco and stir gently.

Fuzzy Naval (serves 2)

Peach Schnapps- 500ml

Orange juice- 100ml

Ice cubes- as required

Fill the glasses with ice cubes and pour the peach schnapps. Generously top it with orange juice and stir. You can also have a sugary or salty rim.

Sangria (serves 4)

Red wine- 1 cup

Rose wine- 2 cups

Orange juice- 1/2 cup

Gin/ Rum- 60ml (or even less)

Apple- 1, sliced into small cubes

Apricot- 3, "

(pears, oranges etc. etc. can be added)

Sugar- 3tbsp

Lime juice- 1/2 cup

Ice cubes- as required

Mix all this together in a punch bowl. Fill ice cubes in a tall glass and top with Sangria. Serves as a great party drink, especially in Summer.