Ladled

When I opened the sprouts whole grains stash, there was barley and millet in it. I have cooked barley. I took to Millet because it looked like couscous. I put two cups of millet to boil in water and then looked for a way to cook. How to cook perfect millet every time Now I had to wait and see if it was going to be fluffy or porridge. The biggest surprise turned out to be the taste. It tasted exactly like pongal even without moong daal. Now I cant wait to cook the millet in pongal style along with some moong daal and pepper. With Celery, I was going to make  vegetarian kishke  which has to wait. This celery curry here is chopped celery, red chilli powder, cumin, ginger garlic paste and salt.

Sunny Side Up

In went some Indian spices - Cumin, Dhanajiru powder, pepper and salt. Had it with green mirchi chutney and dahi. Tasted like vada. Vegeterian Kishke  can be made with carrots and celery added to the potato pancake mix.

Fry and fry again the science secrets to the double fry

Artisanal plastic japans fake food is a real art I saw plastic food on display at the Taiwan Airport on the way to Singapore and China. This art form is called  Sampuru  or sample.

one a penny two a penny hot cross buns we learnt it as a rhyme

I was curious about the taste of  ULIVjava Martha Stewart "Lean" Mocha Iced Coffee. Its a first for me - coffee mixed with tea. Since its lean, it tones down the creamy expectations from the coffee. A mix of all, it is a light concoction. 

Thekua It is not too sweet, so it is to my liking. When I showed this picture to the neighbour who shared Thekua, he told about Satua . When I told my husband about  Satua ke Parathe  he siad that he know sattu roti.

Paqui Tortilla Chips Nacho Cheese Special are the best. Their huge size makes a statement. They are serious about this. They taste good by themselves or with any spicy dip, or shovel avocado with them. 

Best tea that I had so far. No sour black tea taste. No need of sugar.

Zucchini Frittata

Asparagus Casserole This was a very rushly made casserole. And what happens when you make things in a rush? Forget some thing. In over generalization of a casserole way, I forgot that the asparagus need to be boiled for few minutes. since I skipped that. I had to bake for a longer time. I like the end result but it is far from the perfect good feeling that occurs when you cook in a  relaxed manner. The recipes I looked at needed cream of mushroom. I looked in the pantry for an alternate and found just the right candidate. Campbells Chicken and corn chowder. And for Cheese, I used 2 packets of Annies's Cheddar Cheese powder from a big sash of Costco stuff. I didnt need to sue the cheese, but for the dish full of asparagus, one can of chowder was not enough wet ingredient. All in all, it tasted good. Lemon pepper and  Delallo breadcrumbs  as part substitute for the French onions, led the show. On the side are some squash that got a gentle bake. they will find their way to a f

A colleague's wife made this ultra sweet  hummingbird cake . because of the lots of fruit.. the sweetness seemed more natural. The texture is interesting too.

Have you ever made a side without a main. I just made the scene ready for tomato chutney, but no idlis or dosa. Everyone knows that these sides are delectable and can be had by themselves. While there are times when you know that somethings go well with another.. like sambhar with rice.. They might have a cycle too. Together for a while, decouple even if its contemporarily unthinkable.

Had to cook up some bell peppers.  Pan fried bell peppers  is simple and I have some balsamic vinegar to sprinkle on top too. But what about the strip part? The second level of mandoline width worked. Do you believe in food fads? Looks like quinoa, corn beans in stuffed bell peppers is in. I have been meaning to use up a bag of quinoa. So the way is paved for the fad. Sweet as well as spicy.

Refried bean soup  but with rasam powder (friends home-made). absolute sea for the vehicle of European sourdough bread. You have to debate if you need more sipping/soaking sauce or the bread. On the side is a curry of soaked chana dal with green onions. I have had it usually with onions but husband provided a green twist to it. Right from the first bite and taste, it was classic and original.This happens to be the ooh -aah want more food of the week. Over the weekend, neighbours had us over for momos and the tomato sauce happened to be right in every aspect and it vanished faster than I could drink it. How does food get that perfect point where you know its right. Same recipe. Same person. Same technique and yet sometimes its the best than all the other times.

Kerrygold Dubliner cheese - tried this at Costco with a Multi grain biscuit. I am trying to be open to cheeses. I like dthis one. Between bites, because of the texture, I almost felt like I was eating a milk based Indian sweet without the sugar rush. Yes, I got the 'piquant bite' of aged Parmesan. Some ways to enjoy Dubliner Cheese Dubliner Cheddar Fondue The Spicy Dubliner  which uses the Kerrygold Dubliner The Dubliner dubliner-cheese cheesecake  (my imagination of it being sweet figures..) Potatoes stuffed with caramelized onions and dubliner cheese Mead where cheese is melted with bread

Pirate's Booty, Aged White Cheddar is a nice chesy snack even for the cheese skeptics. Its like cheetos without the colour and melts in the mouth.

Fresh start organic fruit and veggie blend frozen Blended fruits and Veggies. It did not taste like vegetables. It is a fun juice. Love the kale's cool, garnishy look and taste.

Milton's Gluten Free Crispy Sea Salt Baked Crackers are crunchy, not too salty and no funny taste. 

Amaretti Virginia

It all started with a can of Lima beans. I love Lima beans. For lunch, I thought it would be a quick side Lima bean curry. Then my husband said, why not use up the frozen bag of Lima beans. Thus began our  Stone Soup . Then I thought how about some Kale. The Kale has been waiting to be used in  Orechiette with kale and breadcrumbs . Then I thought how about some green onions - playing on the green theme of Lima beans and Kale. The next day I looked up to see how the rest of the world likes their Lima beans with Kale. I love it when the introduction to a recipe talks something about the recipe like this  caramelization of slow baked Lima beans with kale . You can add tomatoes and olives to make a stew like  lima bean stew olives tomatoes kale .

Lachuch  from  Zahav This morning I looked at the  Earth balance natural buttery spread , waiting to be tried and said its bread for breakfast today. Well, there is no bread. The Earth balance natural buttery spread had a picture with he spread on a stack of pancakes. Then I said its pancake for breakfast today. But wait why not try the Lachuch. And there we are.. wait for one hour while the batter gets ready

Ruffled Milk Pie

Blissful quinoa pizza crust with carrot ribbons and shallots

Halvah Mille-Feuilles

Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread came with a Cinnamon Roll Pie recipe.

Strawberry Pomegranate and Rose Petal Mess for a colourful dessert.

Lindberg Rice Chips are crunchy and taste good with the wholesome brown rice flavour. Not too salty.

The magnified picture of the almonds made me think that cranberry was somehow pasted and dried onto the almond. I might have seen cashews studded with sesame, so almonds with sesame is not new. So imagine my semi - disappointment when I realised that cranberry with sesame was seperate and not on almonds. But looks like there's cashews with pomegranate flesh on them. Sahale is a native Indian word that means Falcon.

Black bean recipes

Pie Cell

A few cuts to the pastry sheet before filling and then  balustrade samosa . I called it that because they look like those fluent metal curlicues that appear in balustrades.

Samosa rose like this  Muffin Rose

Zaiqa rolls  with omelette cooked on one side and stuffing are a nice friday evening treat. Today while  I was making spinach omelette and my husband was making chapati, i thought why not mix them and make the Spinach Zaiqa roll. You never know when the inspiration is gonna hit you. Keep Cookin. Once the chapati is cooked, spread your choice of omelette mixture and once it is set, put the omelette side down, to cook it too.

Everything about the book is amazing. From the sesame seeds in a pod picture, how the well is made ready in the tehina for chickpeas (Turkish Hummus, that is chickpeas two ways) how to make tehina green by adding herbs Beets with tehina (you know what colour) Harissa Tehina Date Molasses (Best eaten with Tehina and Toast) Halva made from tehina and sugar Tabbouleh with bulgur Quinoa, Pea and Mint Tabbouleh Moroccan carrots (orange juice, lemon juice) chicken Cigars Fried Kibbe  - chicken two ways Pomegranate glazed salmon Carrot Pulav Persian Rice Green Bean Casserole with Tehina

After looking at this package, as a quick reaction I ate the funnel cake looking thing, expecting it to be savoury. I was mad that it was not. But hey wait, it still tasted good. Then I thought may b its jalebi. But is not soaked in syrup. While going through 'Duff bakes' book, I realised that it was funnel cakes. The coconut soaked sweet things were wholesome. that laddu which is a flour sauteed in ghee..

At the time I bought  Delallo breadcrumbs Italian Seasoned . I didnt know very many specific recipes hat used breadcrumb, other than finding your way with them. yes in cutlets and so but.. Delallo had a  whole wheat penne kale toasted breadcrumbs , which in my mind read as  orecchiette instead of penne as a nod to the cute tiny bag of   Hemisfares Orecchiette  in the house. I didnt know that  toasted breadcrumbs on pasta  was a thing. And who heard of  Lemon breadcrumbs . Meanwhile  Orecchiette with kale and breadcrumbs  for a native recipe. I do like adding savory mixture to my rice. Adding crunchy onions to the biryani. tometo . tomaato So I began to make the Orechiette with Kale but with an idea of the proportion of kale to the orechiette, I couldnt ladle in all of the pasta into the bowl. I had to use the rest in another dish. I added some crushed tomatoes. But that was too watery. Then I thought something needs to go in there. Refried beans perfect. And a thing like this,

I was looking for a variety cabbage curry to make. I found a  Kidney bean and cabbage curry  recipe. Mandoline has changed how I view Cabbage. It is now a very exotic vegetable with strands. The tiny tea cup is from a set that I got my preschooler but I am more enamored with.

After watching  How to Make Creamy Bruschetta Chicken , I wondered where is the  appetiser  bruschetta. And then it ocurred to me that it is a take on the bruschetta with bread.

I have never cooked with coconut milk before but once had a Pulav which tasted so warm. Upon further questioning, the secret ingredient was coconut milk replaced for water in some quantity . Once a friend made guthi vankaya very creamy and the trick was to find the secret ingredient. The taste was rich like some nut.. couscous? turned out to be coconut milk. After finding this 30 minute coconut curry , I added chopped red bell pepper, green bell pepper, Italian Squash (fancy way of saying Zucchini) and Mexican Squash. Used the usual curry culprits - turmeric, ginger garlic paste, green chillies, coriander and cumin powder, chili powder, salt and ofcourse the coconut milk.

These Thinaddictives cranberry almond are perfect with their thinness.Good for dunking in tea/coffee or a la mode. The only thing to keep in mind is the slightly egg taste at first bite which turns into a mild amaretti taste in consequent bites. Have to appreciate the cross-section of almonds and cranberries in the thin both for aesthetic and gustatory value.

I have heard of Stevia from friends and family. I did not know that they come in very small packets for easy portioning of single use. Without the '280 times sweeter than sugar' and a recipe on the back with 4 cups of water good with 1/2 tsp of Stevia, I would have had major intake of it. Just opening the Stevia bag, filled my nostrils with the sweet taste by odor itself. So I used a itsy bitsy teeny weeny amount of stevia, I liked the taste of it. It mixes well. My husband didnt like the aftertaste. If you like to use sugar sparingly, then you will welcome this replacement.

Pasta di mandorle siciliani Crispy on the outside and soft inside. The nut part of it reminded me of Kaaju Katli and the soft part has the lemon blast. Must try. Last time when i got almond flour in a deal, didnt know too many things to do with it. But now I know.

Always fun to try something new. Added very little in coffee. The end sips tasted very gingery.