EVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY THEME: FEAR NOT THE BITTER RECIPE: AFFOGATO Affogato looks like a fancy dessert but is so easy to make and delicious. You’ll probably be left craving for some more especially if you’re a coffee lover like me. Affogato is a classy dessert that can easily be served in individual portions during a party. You just need some vanilla ice cream and strong brewed coffee or espresso. Affogato – Italian Dessert More traditionally known as affogato al caffe, it is a coffee based Italian dessert. Italians prefer to enjoy it as a dessert while many places outside Italy label is as a beverage. Hot espresso or strong brewed coffee is poured over scoops of ice cream. This results in the ice…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SUNDAY FUNDAY THEME: RECIPES WITH UMAMI RECIPE: PATATAS BRAVAS Patatas Bravas is simply potatoes in a spicy sauce. In fact, it is a popular Spanish potato dish that is served as tapas. Actually an easy recipe, Patatas Bravas can be served as an appetizer or as a snack. Incidentally, the umami for this dish comes from the tomato paste and the fresh tomato puree. What is Umami? Umami or savoriness is the fifth taste sense. As a matter of fact the other four are sweet, bitter, sour and saltiness. Umami in Japanese means ‘essence of deliciousness’. Scientifically, umami refers to tastes of glutamate, inosinate, or guanylate. Glutamate or glutamic acid is a common amino acid in vegetable and animal proteins. Inosinate is mainly found…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SUNDAY FUNDAY THEME: FRUITY DESSERTS RECIPE: MANGO & VANILLA PANNA COTTA Mango & Vanilla Panna Cotta is molded chilled Italian dessert with layers of vanilla and mango. Smooth, velvety and so delectable. A melt in mouth kind of dessert, panna cotta is my favorite.What I love about making panna cotta is that is it so easy to make this luscious, mouthwatering dessert. It can be served with sauces, coulis, jam, jelly, etc. Panna Cotta is so easy to make. Some heat the milk and cream together. Some heat milk and add to the cream. A setting agent like gelatin, agar agar, or vegetarian gelatin is added to allow the panna cotta to set. It should not be firm but more like a jelly consistency.…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SUNDAY FUNDAY THEME: FOOD POETRY RECIPE: VEGAN THAI ICED TEA Vegan Thai Iced Tea is a creamy, refreshing and delicious beverage. What I like about this version of the authentic Thai Iced Tea is that it is not too sweet and is much lighter. Don’t get me wrong, I love the authentic one with sweetened condensed milk but cannot indulge in it on a regular basis. I’ve used coconut milk which adds a bit of the natural sweetness. As a result, the additional sweetener used is less. Street Food or rather Drink – Thai Iced Tea/ Cha Yen The Thai Iced Tea that is generally served on the streets of Thailand doesn’t have spices and usually is orangish in colour. The reason being…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SUNDAY FUNDAY THEME: GARLIC LOVERS RECIPE: GARLIC PARMESAN HASSELBACK POTATOES Garlic Parmesan Hasselback Potatoes, so crispy from the outside, the middle is tender and soft like mashed potato. Coupled with the flavors of butter, garlic, olive oil, parmesan and chilli flakes these potatoes are to die for! What are Hasselback Potatoes? Hasselback Potatoes, Potato à la hasselbacken or Hasselbackspotatis are baked potatoes that are sliced till the middle and open up like a fan on baking. These were invented by a trainee chef Leif Ellison who worked at Hasselbacken Restaurant in Stockholm. Though pretty popular nowadays this side dish, starter was invented in 1953. They also go by name of Accordion Potatoes or Pillbug Potatoes. I know I’m pretty late in trying out this awesome addictive…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: A- Z RECIPE CHALLENGE THEME : AN INGREDIENT BEGINNING WITH THE LETTER W RECIPE: WHOLEWHEAT & BANANA PANCAKES Wholewheat & Banana Pancakes so soft, fluffy and delicious without refined sugar makes a healthy and nutritious breakfast or brunch for the whole family. Serve it topped with homemade chocolate sauce, fresh fruits and nuts. What are Pancakes? Pancake is a popular breakfast option in many parts of the world, be it sweet or savory. So what is pancake? Basically, its a batter of flour, liquid, a raising agent(leavening agent) mixed together and cooked on a griddle or frying pan. Known also as flapjack, griddlecake or hotcake, there are so many different kinds of pancakes all over the world. Which kind of flour is…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: 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 ReadingEVENT: A- Z RECIPE CHALLENGE THEME : AN INGREDIENT BEGINNING WITH THE LETTER V RECIPE: VANILLA PUDDING, EGG FREE What is Vanilla Pudding? So creamy, silky, delectable and easy to make. Dress Vanilla Pudding up with fruits, ginger snaps, chocolates or enjoy on its own. And so much better than ready made or prepackaged ones. Vanilla Pudding is a traditional dessert made from egg yolks, cornstarch, milk, sugar and vanilla. Some add a bit of butter, some don’t. For the egg free version, I’ve omitted eggs and instead added some cream. How is it different from Custard? Here, the reference is to the actual homemade custard and not the ones we make from flavored powder. Generally custard is made using egg yolks which is…
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Continue ReadingRECIPE: BRAZILIAN CARROT CAKE Brazilian Carrot Cake is not only beautifully bright but so soft, moist, fluffy and divine. Drizzled with melted dark chocolate, it makes a perfect dessert or enjoy some with coffee. I’d come across the recipe years ago and had jotted it down. Then, had forgotten all about it. Generally, if I’m not with family for my birthday, it does not occur to my hubby to order a cake! I’d actually been dropping hints that there are quite a few ladies in our apartment complex who bake and sell cakes, one is my neighbor. However, come 20th Feb there is no cake! So the hunt for an easy peasy cake began as I knew my other neighbor’s kid would be expecting a…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SUNDAY FUNDAY THEME: BREAKFAST FOR SUPPER RECIPE: ZEGE/CHIPSI MAYAI What is Zege/Chipsi Mayai? Zege/Chipsi Mayai is an unusual omelette which is not only tasty but its a meal on its own. Zege/ Chips Mayai is a famous Tanzanian Street Food. Mayai in Kiswahili is egg and chipsi is chips or French Fries. Chopped onions, tomatoes, green pepper and coriander (cilantro) are added to the omelette mixture. Fried chips or French Fries are layered in the frying pan and the omelette mixture is added on top. The omelette is cooked till done and served with a local salad called Kachumbari. The word Zege means Cement in Kiswahili. To make a ‘solid’ meal, cooked minced meat is also added. Served as a breakfast or any time…
