Orange Tian for Daring Bakers March 2010

The 2010 March Daring Baker’s challenge was hosted by Jennifer of Chocolate Shavings. She chose Orange Tian as the challenge for this month, a dessert based on a recipe from Alain Ducasse’s Cooking School in Paris.

What a wonderfully bright and cheerful dessert just in time for Spring! Oranges just brighten up a gloomy day with their color and refreshing taste, don't you agree?! For me, this was just the perfect way to signal the end of THE coldest winter of my life.



The tian has many steps to its assembly, which, gave me the leisure of creating it over two days and taking yet another day for photographing it.The trickiest part was to get the right firmness for the whipped cream since I chose not to use gelatin in making it. I just had to leave it in the freezer for longer to let it set well enough for easy (and neat) unmolding.

My favorite step in putting this dessert together was making the marmalade. Generally, I don't like marmalade much because it tends to be bitter and I really don't much like taking the bitter pill. But, this one wasn't bitter at all! It was more like jam just with more pizzaz... and a crunchier texture! :) I am going to bookmark this recipe and definitely make more again!



Since, I was a bit pressed for time this month, I pretty much stuck to the recipe. My only creative contribution was towards the presentation with the spikehead of spun toffee. Although the dessert was gorgeous by itself and the color from the oranges so vibrant, it seemed a bit two dimensional on its own on a plate. It called for visual 3D appeal. I thought about it for a bit and spun toffee seemed a nice note, extending the caramel theme that was already going on. Plus, I had never made spun toffee before, so it was a challenge for me.

When I first read the method, I shrugged and thought this should be a breeze. Yeah sure! I tried multiple methods; pressing two forks together and then pulling them apart, draping over utensil handles etc. But, somehow the threads were always too delicate and would break too soon.



I think I used up about half a pound of sugar in my experimenting! Frustration mounted, but, I couldn't give up. I had to get it right (I was really out of any other inspiration for my 3D display!) Finally, it happened. Yippeee!! The technique that finally worked was by using a whisk and my fingers as a reference mold.

As to the taste, the verdict was all good. It was refreshing and distinctly citrusy. I had flavored the pate sablee with orange zest as well. And, the caramel poured on top lent a smooth finish to the dessert and the toffee a good crunch!





Orange Tian with Spun Toffee

**Note: I reduced the amounts of sugar from the original recipe since I prefer my dessert less than very sweet. Please adjust sweetness to your taste.**

For the Pate Sablee:
2 medium-sized egg yolks at room temperature
4 T granulated sugar
zest of 1 orange
1/4 cup + 3 T unsalted butter, ice cold, cubed
1/3 tsp salt
1.5 cup + 2 T all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder

Put the flour, baking powder, ice cold cubed butter and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. In a separate bowl, add the eggs yolks, zest and sugar and beat with a whisk until the mixture is pale. Pour the egg mixture in the food processor.

Process until the dough just comes together. If you find that the dough is still a little too crumbly to come together, add a couple drops of water and process again to form a homogenous ball of dough. Form into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface until you obtain a ¼ inch thick circle. Using your cookie cutter, cut out circles of dough and place on a parchment (or silicone) lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until the circles of dough are just golden.

For the Marmalade:
Juice of 2 oranges
1 large orange used to make orange slices
cold water to cook the orange slices
5g pectin
granulated sugar: use the same weight as the weight of orange slices once they are cooked ( I think I used about 3/4th this amount. It was still a bit too sweet)

Finely slice the orange. Place the orange slices in a medium-sized pot filled with cold water. Simmer for about 10 minutes, discard the water, re-fill with cold water and blanch the oranges for another 10 minutes.

Blanch the orange slices 3 times. This process removes the bitterness from the orange peel, so it is essential to use a new batch of cold water every time when you blanch the slices. Once blanched 3 times, drain the slices and let them cool.

Once they are cool enough to handle, finely mince them (using a knife or a food processor). Weigh the slices and use the same amount of granulated sugar . If you don’t have a scale, you can place the slices in a cup measurer and use the same amount of sugar.

In a pot over medium heat, add the minced orange slices, the sugar you just weighed, the orange juice and the pectin. Cook until the mixture reaches a jam consistency (10-15 minutes). Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge.

For the Orange Segments:
Use as many as you need.

Cut the oranges into segments over a shallow bowl and make sure to keep the juice. Add the segments to the bowl with the juice.

For the Caramel:
1 cup granulated sugar
1.5 cups + 2 T orange juice

Place the sugar in a pan on medium heat and begin heating it. Once the sugar starts to bubble and foam, slowly add the orange juice. As soon as the mixture starts boiling, remove from the heat and pour half of the mixture over the orange segments.

Reserve the other half of the caramel mixture in a small bowl — you will use this later to spoon over the finished dessert. When the dessert is assembled and setting in the freezer, heat the kept caramel sauce in a small saucepan over low heat until it thickens and just coats the back of a spoon (about 10 minutes). You can then spoon it over the orange tians.

For the Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
orange marmalade (see recipe above) 1 tablespoon

In a bowl, whip the cream using a hand mixer on low speed until the cream starts to thicken for about one minute. Increase the speed to medium-high. Continue whipping until the cream is light and fluffy and forms soft peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to a bowl and fold in the orange marmalade.

Assembling the Dessert:
Make sure you have some room in your freezer. Ideally, you should be able to fit a small baking sheet or tray of desserts to set in the freezer. Line a small tray or baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone sheet. Lay out 6 cookie cutters onto the parchment paper/silicone.

Drain the orange segments on a kitchen towel. Have the marmalade, whipped cream and baked circles of dough ready to use. Arrange the orange segments at the bottom of each cookie cutter. Make sure the segments all touch either and that there are no gaps. Make sure they fit snuggly and look pretty as they will end up being the top of the dessert. Arrange them as you would sliced apples when making an apple tart.

Once you have neatly arranged one layer of orange segments at the bottom of each cookie cutter, add a couple spoonfuls of whipped cream and gently spread it so that it fills the cookie cutter in an even layer. Leave about 1/4 inch at the top so there is room for dough circle.

Using a butter knife or small spoon, spread a small even layer of orange marmalade on each circle of dough. Carefully place a circle of dough over each ring (the side of dough covered in marmalade should be the side touching the whipping cream). Gently press on the circle of dough to make sure the dessert is compact.

Place the desserts to set in the freezer to set for atleast 30 minutes (especially if you didn't use gelatin). Using a small knife, gently go around the edges of the cookie cutter to make sure the dessert will be easy to unmold. Gently place your serving plate on top of a dessert (on top of the circle of dough) and turn the plate over. Gently remove the cookie cutter, add a spoonful of caramel sauce and serve immediately.

Spun Toffee:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 T water

Heat the sugar and water on medium until the syrup starts discoloring. This will be over 250F. Remove from heat and let it cool for a minute. Dip a whisk in the liquid toffee and lift. If it leaves a very thin trail of liquid and falls easily, it needs to cool a bit more.

This is really a trial and error method. Once, the toffee has cooled enough to start hardening when you pull it into threads, using your fingers as guides spin the toffee threads into the shape you want. I am still getting there, hence the spike head! :)

Zucchini-Cocoa, Lime-Ginger and Smoked Salmon Mousse Verrine - Velveteers March 2010

The Velveteers band again. This month we decided to challenge ourselves with making savory Verrines.

A verrine is a confection, originally from France, made by layering ingredients in a small glass. It can be either sweet or savoury, making a dessert or snack (source: Wikipedia).

Around the blogosphere, there have been many a verrine showcased but they were mostly of the sweet kind. And, so, we decided to go savory (I must say, that, was well received by Mr. FSK as well!). To push the envelope even more, each of us, Pam, Al, Aparna and I, chose one ingredient that must be used in our verrine. So we came up with - salmon, chocolate, cheese and squash; quite an eclectic combination, especially with the chocolate throwing one off the loop!



I have long wanted to make verrines and have dreamed up quite a few flavor combinations, sweet and savory, that I have jotted down as drafts in my mailbox, my virtual notes diary. I had even bought glasses for them a couple of months back. But, this was the first I was actually executing. So, I was really thrilled and looking forward to it.

I was reasonably sure on how to use the squash, salmon and cheese but the chocolate was testing me quite a bit. Finally, I decided to use cocoa and pair it with zucchini (for the squash) because honestly, I could not think of anything to pair with that made sense with the rest of the ingredients.



I had decided to make a Zucchini-Cocoa Mousse and Salmon Mousse. However, they did not quite seem to just go with each other on their own. I felt there needed to be a coordinating layer or sorts. When I tasted the zucchini-cocoa mousse, I felt like it needed a bit of kick. So, I went back to the drawing board.

I wanted something light so as to not overpower either the zucchini (which is quite delicate in flavor) or the salmon and yet connect them seamlessly. Citrus popped into my head as did ginger. Both, I think pair very well with zucchini and salmon individually and I figured that should work. So, became my middle layer of Lime and Ginger Mousse.

I made the zucchini and lime layers with whipped cream and used Cream Cheese to make the salmon mousse, lending it a richer texture. To top it off, I made a chilli-cocoa crusted zucchini chip.



Verdict: The verrine was really good. The flavors came through individually and melded well together. The citrus kick was just enough to lighten the richness of the salmon mousse and brighten the zucchini. I think the chip was a bit overpoweringly bitter, probably because I used a lot of cocoa. Next time I think I'll sweeten it with some honey for a mellower flavor. All in all, Mr. FSK polished them off eagerly; So, I call it a success!


Zucchini-Cocoa, Lime-Ginger and Smoked Salmon Mousse Verrine
(serves 2)

Zucchini-Cocoa mousse:

1 zucchini, sliced; reserve some long strips for the chips
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp dried zucchini powder
1/2 cup whipping cream (you will use only half of it, reserve the other for the 2nd layer)
1/2 tsp of gelatin or agar-agar
1 T hot water
salt and lemon pepper per taste

Blanch the zucchini in hot water until translucent. Transfer immediately to ice cold water to retain the green color. Let it cool. Meanwhile, dissolve gelatin in a tablespoon of hot water.

Puree the cooled zucchini with the gelatin water to a smooth texture. Fold in cocoa, dried zucchini powder and season with salt and pepper. Whip the cream to stiff peaks and fold in half of it to the zucchini mixture.

Divide the zucchini-cocoa mousse equally between two glasses. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for atleast 4 hours to let it set.

Note: You can make zucchini powder by thinly slicing zucchini and letting it sit in an off oven overnight or until it has completely lost it's moisture content and then grinding it to a fine powder.


Lime-Ginger Mousse:

zest of half a lime
juice of half a lime
1/4 tsp gelatin
1 inch chunk of ginger, grated very fine
remaining half of whipped cream from above
salt to taste

Combine the zest, juice and ginger. Add the gelatin and heat the mixture until the gelatin dissolves. Season with salt. Fold in the whipped cream and layer over the zucchini mousse layer. Let set in the refrigerator for atleast 4 hours.

Smoked Salmon Mousse:

3 T smoked salmon of your choice + more for garnish
3 T cream cheese at room temperature
1 T heavy cream
1 T hot water
1/4 tsp gelatin
salt and pepper to taste

Dissolve the gelatin in the hot water. Whip all the ingredients together to make a smooth, creamy mixture. Pipe into the glasses over the lime mousse layer. Allow to set for atleast 4 hours.

Chilli-Cocoa Crusted Zucchini Chips
(this is the modified version based on my experience and what I think will work better)

2 zucchini slices, sliced lengthwise with skin on
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp salt

Mix together the honey, cocoa, paprika and salt and rub the zucchini slices generously. Cover with wrap and let marinate for a few hours. Deep fry them to crisp and sprinkle with sea salt crystals.

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Velveteers was started by Aparna, Asha, Alessio and Pam, who are passionate about different cuisines and food in general. Each month, we will attempt a new dish and share our experiences and the recipes we used. If you’re interested in joining the Velveteers, please feel free to drop by our food blogs and leave a comment.

Do, check out what the other Velveteers have created:

Alessio - http://recipetaster.blogspot.com/

Aparna - http://www.mydiversekitchen.com/

Pam - http://www.cookingninja.com/

Chipotle Chicken Empanadas - Kulinarya Cooking Club

By the time, this post gets published, I will be in the land of the three awesome food bloggers, who started this club. AUSTRALIA - here I come!!!!! :)). March 21st is also the Parsi New Year (coinciding with Spring Equinox). What a fantastic way to celebrate it, eh!- kicking it off by discovering a new land! Feels very Columbus like.. haha

The fact is, I am rather relieved I was able to complete in time. Between getting my hair done and feet look un-cave-woman-like and various other things like visa etc., it was looking rather dicey indeed! What kept me going was the thought of dirty looks, I would get from the Australian founders, if I hadn't completed the challenge. Never a good idea to meet for the first time with dirty looks and guilty feelings flying around, eh?!



Kath chose Empanadas as the theme for the month of March. I have had empanadas at Mexican restaurants before, where they are typically fried. I am not a huge fan of deep fried food, so, although they were tasty, I did not develop a bond with them.

Then at a friend's party, one of the guests had brought baked empanadas which were awesome. I have been meaning to make them at home, since, but never really got around to it. So, this challenge was perfect.



There are quite a few versions of empanada dough on the web. I finally did a hotch-potch of recipes drawing my inspiration from Layla of Laylita's Recipes. The empanada dough is very similar to a tart crust and so comes out nice and flaky. My choice of filling was chicken tossed with chipotle chilies and adobo sauce, queso and coriander.



Verdict: We loved them. They are like little pockets of happiness! The crust is crisp and flaky and the filling stays just moist. The cheese had melted nicely and blended into the chicken, rounding off the spice from the chipotle peppers. I didn't make any dips with it but I can see it pairing nicely with something avocado.

I think the best part about the empanada is that it's so easily versatile. You can go savory or sweet, meat or vegetarian, appetizer or entree, finger food or sit down meal! Kath, fantastic choice for the month! :)





Chipotle Chicken Empanadas
(makes about 15 small empanadas - finger food size)

Empanada dough (recipe below)
1 onion, diced fine
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced + 1 T adobo sauce
1 tsp cumin powder
1 egg separated
1/4 cup grated queso (you can sub parmesan or other sharp, aged cheese)
2-3 T chopped coriander
2 T oil
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Saute the onions and garlic until translucent. Add the chicken, chopped peppers, adobo sauce and cumin and toss to coat. Cook for a few minutes. If it gets too dry, add water to get the right consistency. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Mix the cheese and coriander into the chicken mixture.

Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out rounds of the size you want (I used 4 inch cutters). Place about a tablespoon (or appropriate for your size) of the filling a bit off center and spread to the edges leaving a 1/4 inch border. Brush the border with egg whites (which act as a natural adhesive, I learnt this from making Cannolis). Fold the dough over the filling and press the edges to seal. You can use a fork to make groove marks on the edges.

Freeze the filled empanadas for 10-15 minutes. This is a trick I picked up making tart dough. It lets the butter firm up again ensuring there is no shrinkage and in this case allows the gluing process to complete, so there is no disaster in the oven.

Preheat oven to 400F and baked the empanadas for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and flaky. Cool for just a few minutes and serve immediately.


Empanada Dough:
(adapted from Laylita's Kitchen)

2 cups all purpose flour
1 stick of unsalted butter, frozen, cubed
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
4-5 T milk
1 egg, lightly whisked

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a food processor pulse the flour with the cold butter until you get a crumbly mixture. Transfer to a bowl. Add the egg and milk and knead in to form a sort of dough. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and bring together into a ball. Pat into a circle of 1 inch thickness, wrap and refrigerate for atleast 30 minutes.

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Kulinarya was started by a group of Filipino foodies living in Sydney, who are passionate about the Filipino culture and its colourful cuisine.

Each month we will showcase a new dish along with their family recipes. By sharing these recipes, we hope you find the same passion and love for Filipino Food as we do.

If you’re interested in joining our Kulinarya Cooking Club, please feel free to drop by our foodblogs and leave a comment – we would love to hear from you!

Trissa - http://trissalicious.com/
Trisha - http://sugarlace.com/
Kath - http://www.acupcakeortwo.com/
Olive - http://www.latestrecipes.net/
Caroline - http://whenadobometfeijoada.blogspot.com/
Peach - http://www.thepeachkitchen.com/
Cusinera - http://busogsarap.com/
Malou - http://www.impromptudiva.com/
Cherrie – http://sweetcherriepie.blogspot.com/

Mole Rojo Clásico - Comfort Mexican

So, once I had decided to challenge myself with making Mole from scratch for the Daring Cooks Risotto challenge, it was just a simple step of choosing the recipe and putting together the ingredients. Right? No, Wrong!

Searching for a Mole recipe, I came by a few in increasing order of complexity and number of ingredients. I finally went with Rick Bayless's recipe for Classic Red Mole even though it's more involved than some others, because, I just loved him on "Top Chef Masters"! He was so modest, sweet and nice (not mention adorable!). He and Hubert Keller were my favorites! Plus, he is indeed known to be the master of Mexican cuisine. One day, I plan to visit Chicago just to dine at Frontera Grill!

Finding the recipe was the easy part, even though I spent atleast two hours in the middle of the night trawling through the web in search of the perfect one! As I said, Mr. Bayless's recipe is a bit more ingredient intensive calling for three different dried chillies - Pasilla, Mulato and Ancho (quite a few others used only Ancho chillies).



The next day, I happily skipped off to the nearby grocery store in search of these ingredients. I thought, in a city that has a significant Mexican presence, finding Mexican ingredients would be a breeze. Oh no no, not at all. I live on the Upper East Side, south of Spanish Harlem. I nosed around four major grocery chains in my neighbourhood but not one carried anything close to chillies. The best I could find was chipotle chillies in adobo sauce. GAH!

Fortunately, the staff in these stores are largely Spanish and quite nice when you chat them up. So I did, and found out that the only place I am likely to find the ingredients I needed were a Spanish store (or perhaps at "Gourmet" prices from Whole Foods). So I trekked about 20 blocks North into Spanish Harlem and found this tiny Mexican Grocery (it really was named that!).


As soon as I stepped into the store, I achieved Nirvana. No kidding! All the time, I was in the shop, I was grinning ear to ear! And, ofcourse that clearly endeared me to the shop staff and they were super friendly, patient and nice! :) Here was a veritable source of all things authentic Mexican and at fantastic prices! I picked up chilies (every single kind needed and more just because...), tomatillos (oh! I love them!), fresh queso. I even eyed the traditional clay pots, but decided to get that on another trip!

Once everything was in place, the mole came out wonderful! Rick Bayless's recipe does have many steps to it and it is a time consuming process but the end results are totally worth all the effort that goes into it. The mole is smooth in texture and flavor and after the hours of simmering, the flavors from the chilies, roasted tomatillo, sesame and chocolate (I used Peruvian that my cousin had brought me) blend together so beautifully. Indeed, it is a special occasion dish.



I made quite a lot of it, actually. So after the risotto, I served it over tortilla rolls filled with shredded chicken, queso and avocados. Toasted sesame seeds on top adds yet another layer of flavor to the dish.

Vacation Announcement: I am off to discover the vast lands of Australia for the next three weeks and meeting some of the Aussie bloggers! YIPPEE!! Soo looking forward to it. In the meantime, I have scheduled posts for publishing for various challenges, so please do continue to check this blog while I am away in distant lands.

Also, the first edition of FSK cafe has now closed for submission. I will post the round up when I am back in April!

Mole Risotto with Chicken and Avocado Puree - Daring Cooks Mar '10

The 2010 March Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Eleanor of MelbournefoodGeek and Jess of Jessthebaker . They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make Risotto. The various components of their challenge recipe are based on input from the Australian Masterchef cookbook and the cookbook Moorish by Greg Malouf.

I think it's the perfect dish for a challenge! First of all, I love risotto. It is the perfect comfort food that can be so easily dressed to any occasion from the light spring provencal to pure indulgence with lobster et all. From a challenge perspective, it is indeed a fantastic choice given the attention that it requires to get it just right. And, it's versatility means there are going some incredible creations from Daring Cooks that I just cannot wait to browse through!



As for myself, I decided a blend of cuisines was in order... As soon as I read the challenge, chocolate came to my mind. But, chocolate risotto neither sounded innovative nor did I want a sweet risotto. So, I turned around, told Mr. FSK the month's theme and asked him what flavors he'd like. He sweetly said "You decide dear. I think of only the traditional, but you come up esoteric combinations". Now, what can I say to that?? Smooth talker, he is!

And then, out of nowhere, the thought of Mexican Mole floated into my mind...



I have never made mole before and knowing how difficult it is to make, never really had the nerve to try it. Plus, Mr. FSK is super picky about his Mexican food, having been exposed to some awesome food during his stay at Austin. All very daunting... all very stimulating...

It's a challenge after all. I have made risotto before with success with rice and other grains (like the Pumpkin Barley Risotto I made for Halloween last year). So, I thought I would challenge myself with making mole. Interestingly, the web did not have any result for this combination of Mexican and Italian.. Even more incentive..



The mandatory parts of this challenge included making the stock and the risotto base. The home made stock was fantastic! I used it to make the risotto base as well as the mole. This was what I call a self-sustaining recipe. I also reused the cooked chicken from making the stock for the protein element of the risotto dish. I shredded the meat and then lightly sauteed it with salt and paprika for flavor.

As to the Mole, it's a whole saga on it's own, reserved for another post. Let me just say here that all the effort to make it was totally worth it! It is rich and smooth with multiple layers of flavor which cook together into a mellow sauce over many hours. The richness of the sauce is paired beautifully with the creamy and starchy risotto. To cut in some freshness, avocado seemed perfect - Mexican, rich and creamy! Oh and the green contrasts nicely against the brown, don't you think?! Drizzled with toasted sesame seeds and grated queso, it was a truly satisfying meal!



Now, I am off to see what everyone else at Daring Kitchen has created for this challenge. Oh! So exciting!!


Mole Risotto with Chicken and Avocado Puree
(serves 2)


For the Risotto:
1 cup risotto rice (I used Arborio)
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup white wine
3 cup chicken stock (recipe below)
1 generous cup of Mole (recipe from Rick Bayless)

For the Chicken:
cooked chicken from the stock making, shredded
salt and paprika as needed
olive oil to saute

For the Avocado Puree:
1/2 ripe avocado
1 tsp lime juice
2 T heavy cream (you may need more or less depending on avocado's ripeness)
salt to taste

To make the Risotto:
Heat oil in a pan and add onion and garlic. Saute for a few minutes. Add the rice and stir for a few minutes to coat each grain of rice with oil and toast slightly. Add half the wine and let it bubble away until evaporated. Add enough stock to cover the rice by a finger’s width (about an inch or two). Don't actually stick your finger in, it will be hot. Just eye it off.

Cook on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon from time to time, until most of the stock has been absorbed. As the liquid gets absorbed, add more stock one ladle at a time until you have used all but quarter cup of stock. Test the rice for done-ness. It should be almost cooked at this stage.

Add a cup of mole and wait for it to be absorbed. Add the rest, turn the rice a couple of times to coat nicely. Stir in the remaining stock and remove from heat. Serve immediately.

To prepare the Chicken: Lightly saute the chicken in olive oil with salt and paprika, till golden brown and flavored well.

To make the Avocado Puree: Blend all ingredients together to make a smooth, creamy mixture. Add more cream and lemon juice according to the consistency you want. I quennelled my puree, so it was thick.


Chicken Stock

1 large chicken 2-3 pounds about 1 kg
chicken bones 2-3 pounds 1 kg
2 onions, roughly diced
1 medium leek - white part only, roughly diced
2 sticks celery, roughly diced
2 cloves garlic, halved
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp. white peppercorns ( Any type of whole peppercorn will do)
2 bay leaves (fresh or dried, it doesn't matter.)
peel of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp. allspice

Wash the chicken and bones and places in a 5 Litre pot, cover completely with water and bring to a boil. Skim away any scum as it comes to the surface. Add the vegetables and bring back to a boil. Add the rest remaining ingredients and simmer very gently, uncovered for 1.5 hours.

Carefully lift out the chicken, set aside. The chicken meat can be removed from the chicken, shredded off and used for other things like soup! Simmer the stock gently for another hour. At the end you should have around 2 Liters.

Carefully ladle the liquid into a fine sieve, the less the bones and vegetables are disturbed in this process the clearer the stock will be. 
The stock is now ready for use. Freeze what you don't need for later use.

About Changing Tastes and Lemon Rice (Elumichampazham Sadam)

Isn't it amazing, how as we grow up, our tastes change and how the same things that used to make us screw up our noses as children, we now, actually enjoy? The other day, I suddenly realized that my taste preferences have changed so much over the years.

Growing up, I detested garlic. My mom would put whole roasted garlic in her curries that over the course of the cooking, would become soft and delicate. I would spend an inordinate amount of time ladling out the curry on to my plate being careful not get any garlic. If I did get any, I would industriously pick them out and dunk them onto my mom's plate.



These days, I pick them out and serve myself. I love the flavor and melt in your mouth texture of whole garlic that has been cooked for eons in the curry absorbing all the flavors and becoming surprisingly sweet over the roasting process. And, I use copious amounts of the bulb in my cooking!

Another thing I would not touch before was flavored rice. As you probably know rice is the staple grain of most Asians. This was even more so, in the case of South Indians, as I am. The generic rule of thumb is that the North has wheat and other grains as staples, of which, they make breads and the South sticks to rice and rice sticks to them.



But for as long as I remember, and that hasn't changed a whole lot even now, I was not a voracious rice eater. In fact, my mom had to put her foot down and insist that I had to have atleast one serving of rice per week for me eat it. I much preferred the lighter rotis. I always felt the rice filled me up sooner and, hence, took away my joy of eating. The only exception to this was, ofcourse, Biriyani, which, I would hog..:)

So, anyway, in the South, they make many flavored rice items like coconut rice, tamarind rice, lemon rice etc. etc. These are usually eaten for breakfast (see, rice for breakfast!) and evening snacks. And, for that reason, they are usually easy to put together with already cooked rice. I would NOT touch them whenever it was made at home. So, well, it sort of stopped being made.



Mr. FSK on the other hand simply loves rice. But, poor boy, doesn't get to eat much of it because of me. But then, he is happy with his bread too. Since, coming to the US, I have started eating more rice. Part of it is because of Mr. FSK but also because I realized rice is easier to make into a meal. Now, you see, ease was not my consideration before as I wasn't doing the cooking.

It started with tamarind rice. We get amazing tamarind rice paste at the temple nearby. The other day, I decided to try my hand at Lemon Rice. I think acidity doesn't take well to a child's taste buds and that is probably the reason, I never liked this tangy rice much. But these days, acid is the by-word in cooking and all. So, lo and behold, I actually liked my lemon rice. Though I do think mine was a much milder version that what I remember it to be, and better for that! :)


Lemon Rice (Elumichampazham Sadam)

2 cups cooked long grain rice
juice of one lemon
2-3 Asian green hot chillies ( as per heat preference)
1 tsp turmeric powder (this gives the characteristic yellow color to the rice)
1 tsp cumin powder
5-6 curry leaves
1-1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 T split yellow peas
1 tsp urad dal
salt to taste
2 T ghee (you can also use sesame oil, peanut oil or vegetable oil)

Saute the mustard, split peas and urad dal in the oil until the mustard start popping. Add the curry leaves and chillies and saute for a couple of minutes until the leaves become paler. Add the dry spices and fry in the oil.

Slowly stir in the rice, being careful not to break the grains. Stir in the lemon juice. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve. You can also top with roasted peanuts or cashews.

Just a Walk in the Park ...

A bench in park..

The last few days have been very hectic and tiring and in complete contrast to my title.. :) I have just been trying to finish up all the challenges I have signed up for the month and do the write-ups before I leave on my three week long vacation to the other hemisphere!! I am super thrilled about the travel but getting through all the need to-dos before getting there is really tiring.. LOL, ok, I won't complain more.. I just keep thinking of warm, sunny beaches, sleeveless tops and short skirts.. that's gets me through. No pain, no gain.. eh?! :)

UWS skyline at sunset from across the reservoir

As it also happens, the last few days have been incredibly gorgeous.. bright and sunny with clear skies, chilly, yes, but not cold. In short, as Mr. FSK would put it, just the perfect weather to go for a long drive with the top down, which, lucky him did do! :)

As I worked away at the kitchen or sat at my desk thinking of words, I would sneak peaks at the adorably blue skies for inspiration to wrap up faster and get out and enjoy the sunshine and milder weather. I don't know if Spring is really getting here soon or it's a mirage, but I don't care, I am here now and if it gets colder, I'll be in a warm place then.. :D

Guggenheim Museum

So, yesterday, after running around most of the day within the house, I decided a walk in the park was in order. I love my neighbourhood. We are a short walking distance from literally everything - museums, prop stores, book stores and most importantly, Central Park and the gorgeous Jacquelin Kennedy Onasis Reservoir, which, satisfies the water needs of the city.

UES skyline at sunset

Sunset is one of the most beautiful times of the day, I think (I hear sunrise is gorgeous too, but that's wayy too early for me...). So, I took a stroll around then. It was gorgeous. I know my photos don't really do much justice but they were sights to be seen and enjoyed through the eyes rather than the lens :)

Cutest sign!

More food posts will be up... In the meantime, I'll leave you with random shots of my walk and wish you a fabulously pleasant weather!

Indian Inspired Carrots and Lentil Soup

Sometimes, there is nothing better than a simple soup to satisfy the soul. A soup that is easy to make, with familiar flavors but presented differently, that warms you from the inside on a cold, cold day.

Weekends are mostly lazy time. There are days when I wake up with a whole elaborate meal planned out in my head all dreamed up over the course of my restless sleep, muttering about ingredients and sauces and stuff. And, more often, I wake up and open the refrigerator hoping there is something that can be whipped up into something else without a whole lot of effort.

So, when I saw the bag of sweet carrots and pretty much nothing else in the fridge, I stared at it for a while. The idea of heading to the grocery for more stuff didn't appeal. It was one of those muggy mornings and even around noon I was still too groggy (we live such happening Friday nights, you see... slothing in front of the tube and mindlessly watching re-runs of Grey's Anatomy.. very exciting stuff!).



Anyway , for as long as I remember, I have not like cooked carrots. I just don't like the texture. So, well, finally, after what seemed like eternity (now that I think back.. at that time.. it seemed much more spontaneous..), it struck me that I could make soup with perhaps something else to add more body to it. More foraging and hazy thinking later, I had an 'Aha' moment. Why not make a dal type soup with carrots. Perfect! It's simple to make. I love dal flavors and it's different without being shatteringly jolting...

So, there it was.. a simple soup with red lentils and pureed sweet carrots with a touch of garam masala for spice and extra warmth. Poured over day old crusty bread and topped with Parmesan it was a fabulously easy lunch and so satisfying too!


Carrot and Lentil Soup

1/2 cup red lentils, washed and drained
1 cup sweet carrots
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 cup water
fresh grated parmesan, as needed
day-old baguette (optional)
salt and pepper as needed
olive oil for garnish


Par boil the carrots in a pot. Drain the carrots and reserve the cooking liquid. Cook the lentils in the carrot water with the turmeric until completely cooked.

Meanwhile, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add the cumin and garam masala and cook for a couple of minutes. Add in the carrots and lightly toss to coat with the spices. Once the dal is cooked, add it to the mixture. Cook for 5 more minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Puree the mixture to the consistency you like. Add the puree back to the pot along with the water and bring to a boil. Simmer on low for 10 minutes. Season to taste.

To serve, place a couple of pieces of day old crusty bread at the bottom of the bowl. Pour the hot soup over the bread. Drizzle a bit of olive oil and garnish with sliced raw carrots and parmesan.

Of Chai and Friendship...

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." - Anais Nin



My friends just left after a lovely session of catch-up. They had been over in the evening for a cup of chai. I do this often. A friend or two comes over after work and we catch up on each other's lives over a nice cup of hot chai, glucose biscuits and anything that I have made at the moment. I have waxed much here, about the importance of "Tea time" in my life and this is one of those...

I cherish these little casual yet intimate sessions with my friends. Our conversations traverse varied topics from gossiping about the world in general, venting out frustrations in our lives and people in it to getting to know intimate details of our personal lives, providing support, words of advice, or just an ear...

Today, we talked about old friendships and how some last through life and its inevitable changes; some ties change but still remain strong, some fall through the cracks, some stay on just in memories and some others fall apart due to irreconcilable differences that somehow cropped up...



We talked about forgiving, forgetting and letting go; something I am still learning to do. I forgive but rarely ever can forget; not because I voluntarily choose to hold onto incidents in my memory but because memory just happens for me. I remember everything - from the trivial and utterly insignificant to the momentous and should-be-forgotten :)

As I write this, I think of people in my life, who had been such a significant part of it at one time.. people I shared my laughter, joys and sorrows with, people with whom I shared my hopes and dreams. Today, they aren't part of my life as much... for no particular reason other than life happened and took us in different directions. We drifted apart, priorities changed, new friends were made and old ones slowly forgotten.

I want to reach out again to those who were once very important in my life. I apologise for not doing a better job in keeping in touch and hope to be good in the future. I would love to have you all back in my life....

"A hug is worth a thousand words. A friend is worth more." - Jasmine Fitzwilliam



I made these Candied Lemon & Fig Chutney Biscuits for them today. The chutney is from Le Pain Quotidien (fantastic Belgian coffee shop) and I used biscuit mix for the base. It's super easy and if you want a last-minute, quick appetizer, this one is a good candidate!


Candied Lemon & Fig Chutney Biscuits

1-1/2 cups Bisquik mix
2 T canola oil
1/4 tsp baking powder
2-1/2 T Chutney (you can use any savory or sweet flavor you like)
1/2 cup milk

Mix everything together to make a tart like dough. Roll into an 8 inch log. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for alteast 30 minutes.

Pre heat oven to 450F. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Remove log and slice into half-inch rounds. Place the rounds half-inch apart and bake for 10 minutes until the crust is just golden.

Cool on rack. Serve warm.