EVENT: 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…
-
Continue ReadingEVENT: BREAD BAKERS THEME: GLUTEN FREE BREAD This pan de yuca, yuca bread or cassava bread recipe has been in my recipe book for over a year. I had once bought some cassava flour to try out some traditional African recipe. Lost the recipe, couldn’t remember the name and was left with the bag of flour. When I cleaning out the fridge, the flour came out from some hidden corner. Googled for recipes to use up the flour and came across the recipe for pan de yuca. I jotted it down and decided to check out other similar recipes. What got me so confused was the different oven temperatures used, the amount of cheese used. A bit frustrated, thought I’ll get back to the recipe…
-
Continue ReadingDifferent kinda pancakes I love making pancakes. They can be healthy, sinful, comfort food, easy to make and most of all truly delicious. What are pancakes? Sometimes known as griddle cakes, hotcakes or flapjacks they are round, often thin flat cakes made using a starchy batter which may have added milk, butter, eggs, fruits, vegetables etc. There are many varieties of pancakes the world over right from the Indian uttapam to Dutch Baby, crepes, dosas, Chinese Scallions, Crumpets, Johnny cakes, Blini and so many more. Pancakes are served at different meals, depending on where it originates from. Some are served as breakfast, some along with stews, curries or meat/fish and vegetable preparations. Like Injera from Ethiopia is usually served with a variety of stews. Why…
-
Continue ReadingHealthy Greens “I believe that the only true religion consists of having a good heart”. By Dalai Lama A friend sent me this on WhatsApp and it got me thinking. All religions basically want you to be good, forgiving, compassionate, loving, humble. If one follows some of this principals then that equates to a good heart. However, in reality we all are human beings and falter somewhere or the other. We all want to be the best or good. Achieving this goodness is difficult. It does not come to you automatically. One has to really work hard at it, be mindful and practice being good. Yes, practice. Practice not to do harmful things. Practice not to say hurtful words. Practice not to get angry. Practice…
-
Continue ReadingCoconut and Rum Theme: Surfing Through The Caribbeans BM #81- Week 1 Day 3 A Caribbean cuisine theme would be incomplete without a Jamaican dish. Whenever one mentions the Caribbean, Jamaica is what pops up in my mind and I hear its one of the few countries where a Kenyan passport holder can go to without prearranged visa 🙂 A country that has a diverse population, the indigenous tribe, Africans, Indians, Europeans and Chinese. Under the Spanish rule it was called Santiago but after the British took over, they named it Jamaica. Some famous Jamaicans are Bob Marley, the reggae musician, Usain Bolt the sprinter, Chris Gayle cricketeer who plays for West Indies are a few I know of. Ian Fleming writer of James Bond…
-
Continue ReadingCute bread rolls Theme: Surfing Through The Caribbeans BM #81- Day 2 Today we are visiting Guyana. Its a sovereign state on the northern mainland of South America. Before you think I’ve got my facts wrong about the Caribbeans, Guyana though not an island in the Caribbean, it is a part of the Caribbean region mainly because of its strong cultural, historical and political ties with the Anglo Caribbean countries and the Caribbean community. The official language is English and the other widely spoken language is Creole. A state with a diverse population consisting of people from Africa, Europe, China and India along with the indigenous people. Colonised by the Dutch and English, people were brought to Guyana to work on the plantations and rice…
-
Continue ReadingOur Prayers are with you Theme: Surfing Through The Caribbeans BM #81 -Day 1 When Srivalli the initiator of the Blogging Marathon Group had set the themes for #81, and she came up with the theme Surfing Through the Caribbeans, she never thought that a natural calamity would literally surf through the Caribbeans. Hurricanes Irma and Maria have caused catastrophic damages to some of the Caribbean islands. Hurricane Maria followed Irma within 2 weeks barely giving the inhabitants of these islands time to get back to normal. It will takes years for some of these islands to get back on their feet. However, our well wishes are with them as many come forward lending time and money to rebuild these beautiful islands. For…
-
Continue ReadingWhat is Apple Crisp? Crisp is a dessert whereby a topping of mixed flour, oats, brown sugar and butter is sprinkled on top of a fruit or mixture of fruits and baked. Usually summer fruits like peaches, nectarine, apricots, berries or winter fruits like apples, pears are used for a crisp dessert. The dessert is served warm with ice cream, whipped cream or custard. My first taste of Apple Crisp The first time I tasted apple crisp was at the late Marie Vyas’ home. Marie, got married to my hubby’s cousin and we quickly became good friends. In fact she was the reason I got into teaching. Even though I don’t have any formal training or degree in Education, she recognized my ability and invited…
-
Continue ReadingEVENT: FOODIES_ REDOING OLD POSTS #31 Updated on 07/08/2020 I must admit that when I first made calzone at home it was as flat as a pancake. Though the taste was amazing, the single click and how a calzone should look was just off scale…completely off scale. Amazing, how over years we tend to learn how to hone our techniques and methods. Admittedly, for this post I’ve not only changed the photo but altered the recipe as for sure this is much better than the old one. The recipe change is that I’ve used sourdough to make Sourdough Calzone. If it were not for the group Foodies _ Redoing Old Posts, this post may never have got a breath of fresh air and new look.…
-
Continue ReadingWhat is a Mousse? I love making mango mousse whenever mangoes are in season. So what is a mousse? A mousse can be sweet or savory. Its soft food whereby air bubbles gives it a light and airy texture or can be creamy and fluffy. It all depends on the ingredients used. While I’ve not tasted any savory mousse so far but enjoy the sweet ones. Basic Components of Mousse The Base – using fruit puree, chocolate, cheese, yogurt, meat or fish. The Binder – the binder can be whisked egg white, gelatin, agar agar or chia seeds. The Aerator – usually whipped cream or egg whites are used. The Flavoring – spices, herbs, extracts, seasoning, etc. In the Past: I once tried out…
