EVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY THEME: EASTER BREADS RECIPE: OSTERBROT, GERMAN EASTER BREAD Osterbrot, German Easter Bread is soft, fragrant, sweet and rich. Its the German version of Jewish Challah or the Italian Easter Bread. Enjoy the bread for breakfast or at teatime. Leftover bread can be made into a bread pudding or French Toast. Actually, didn’t have any leftover as we toasted the slices lightly and finished it off slathered with butter and marmalade. The bread stayed fresh at room temperature for 2 days. The remaining I stored in the fridge in an airtight container. A Bit About Easter Breads Many European Countries have a tradition of baking bread that is connected to Easter and Good Friday. The practise of eating sweetened bread as communion…
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Continue ReadingRECIPE: HOT CROSS BUNS Hot Cross Buns are sweet and spicy buns usually made with some dried fruit and is marked with a cross on top. Traditionally enjoyed on Good Friday, the buns also mark the end of Lent. These have a certain meaning. The cross represents the crucification of Jesus and the spices signifies the spices used to embalm the body of Him during burial. Nursery Rhyme Perhaps dating back to 1700s it is believed that bakers and their kids would shout out to customers to buy the freshly baked Hot Cross Buns. However, that song is practically stuck in my brains and come Easter Time, can’t help but sing it! Different Flavours These days its common to find different flavours…
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Continue ReadingTheme: Halloween Recipe: Witches’ Finger Breadsticks What are Witches’ Finger Breadsticks? Simply put Witches’ Finger Breadsticks are breadsticks that are shaped into witches’ fingers. These make a fun, spooky Halloween party treat, easy to make and healthy too. These breadsticks are not crispy and crunchy like the more famous Italian breadsticks or grissini. They are more like soft bread. Usually enjoyed with a dip. Halloween Theme You may be wondering why amid Navratri Festival I’m talking about witches’ fingers. Well, Swathi Iyer who blogs at Zesty South Indian Kitchen suggested that we make some Halloween treats as a group. I jumped at the idea as till now I don’t have a spooky Halloween treat post on my blog. This event has given me…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: A- Z RECIPE CHALLENGE THEME : AN INGREDIENT BEGINNING WITH THE LETTER O Onion & Olive Bread – an aromatic, rustic, savory bread with dried herbs, ideal for sandwiches and to enjoy with soups and stews. A bit about the group This group started by fellow bloggers Vidya and Jolly, is themed based. This month we have to use any ingredient whose English name begins with O. Not too difficult as the options are endless. I’ve used not one but two ingredients beginning with O. Did I plan it that way? Not at all. My main focus was to use olives to make a savory bread to enjoy with a salad in the evening. By the time I kneaded the dough chopped onions went…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY THEME: STEAMED FOOD VEGETARIAN BAO BUNS What are Bao Buns? The first time I saw the Bao Buns was at the lounge of the Taiwan International Airport. Hubby and I were in transit and it was lunch time. A huge buffet was spread out and bao buns were among them. However, all the fillings were non veg. I took one plain one to taste and liked it. These steamed treats are super healthy and the best part is that one can use any filling. Traditionally a Chinese dish, the popular filling is pork belly. I searched several recipes to find what would work for me. Finally, I decided to use mushrooms as my main filling. A bit about the group: Members…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: FOODIEMONDAY/BLOGHOP THEME: #251 RAVA RAAGA DISH: SEMOLINA SESAME SEED BREAD Theme this week on FoodieMonday/Bloghop After all the celebration, for the 250th theme by members of this awesome group, we are back to suggesting themes whereby all members have easy access to ingredients. Though many countries are trying to get back to some sort of normal life…which by the way is never going to be the same for anyone, some ingredients are still difficult to source. Keeping this in mind, Aruna who blogs at Vasus Veg Kitchen suggested that we use Semolina to prepare a dish. What is Semolina? Also known as Suji, sooji, rava, rawa, it is actually the middle part or endosperm of the hardy durum wheat. While milling the bran and…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: FOODIEMONDAY/BLOGHOP THEME: #244 SNACKMANIA FoodieMonday/Bloghop Theme Many countries are still under lockdown or curfew while some are planning to open up malls, restaurants, shops but with limited people allowed in these places. This week Renu who blogs at Cook with Renu, suggested that we make snacks which can be stored at least for two weeks if not less. Truthfully, most snacks in my home don’t last beyond two weeks besides chevdo. Snacks With families at home with this Stay Home Be Safe that everyone in the world is practicing, more food is consumed. Especially when you have kids at home, they constantly need something to snack on. For many its not easy to get fresh fruits and vegetables all the time. So most of…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: FOODIEMONDAY/BLOGHOP THEME: #227 PARTY STARTERS What are Party Starters? Have you heard of the saying “First Impression is the Last Impression?” Well, no wonder the first course at any party or as they call them starters or appetizers are usually the best taste wise, presentation wise, appealing to the eyes and taste all at once. Also known as finger food, party starters are usually small, can be eaten without in a couple of bites and some can be eaten with your hand. From simple chips with dips to elaborate and most expensive white truffle and gold mini pizza. When are party starters, appetizers or finger food served? Usually served during a sit down meal or at large parties. Sometimes parties like cocktail parties or…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: FOODIEMONDAY/BLOGHOP THEME: #222 MYSTIQUE MEDITERRANEAN What are Vegetarian Chickpea Gyros? Vegetarian Chickpea Gyros, so delicious, healthy and unbelievably easy to make at home from scratch. Usually Gyros have a meat filling. In fact, these Vegetarian Chickpea Gyros are a great alternate for vegetarians, are filling and perfect for picnics, garden parties or as a main meal any time of the day. What Are Gyros? Gyros, pronounced as ‘eeyros’ is a Greek popular street food which is like a sandwich but served on a flat pita bread. The fillings range from chicken, lamb to vegetables. For a vegetarian version, roasted vegetables, chickpeas, pulled jackfruit are used. Actually, let your imagination run riot and use any of your favorite filling. Meat or veggie is usually…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: A- Z RECIPE CHALLENGE THEME : A DISH BEGINNING WITH THE LETTER J Why I made Jaggery Banana Bread? Well, I’m a member of the group A-Z Recipe Challenge, a group started by Jolly Makkar and Vidya Narayan. What is required of in this group? Nothing too difficult but to cook a dish using an ingredient whose English name begins with the designated letter. This month we’re suppose to choose an ingredient that begins with J. Jalapeño, Jackfruit, Jelly, Jam and Jaggery are some of the few ingredients that I thought of. I have jalapeño poppers on my list to try out for so long. The urge is now even more urgent as I tasted them during my visit to USA and loved them. …
