Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Tasty Tour with Tasty Palettes

For a long time I have wishing to go on a world tour visiting places,meeting people and ofcourse savouring delectable vegetarian recipes from each and every part.This month I was on one such tour with Suganya of TastyPalettes,thanks to Zlamushka.We cooked together, and met wonderful people who also admired TastyPalettes and generally had wonderful food.

We started our journey from Mexico snacking on delicious and spicy Tofu Fajitas.Suganya had made vegan fajitas where tofu is marinaded in chipotles in adobo and grilled/pan fried along with peppers and onions that add crunch.Don't tell me my mouth is stuffed with peppers and tofu,um um ummmmmm....yummy.The only change I made was that before grilling,I mixed pepper and onion strips with whatever small amount of marinade left behind by tofu and it added that extra spiciness.

After fajitas from Mexico we went to my favourite place -Italy and what do you know we reached there exactly at lunch time.Don't you worry,Suganya dished out a quick Pasta e Ceci (Pasta with Chickpeas) -quick,wholesome and in her words rich in fibre and protein.The only change I made was the use of basil leaves instead of rosemary(I love both basil and rosemary,but family vote goes for basil).
When I started gorging on the delicious pasta,what do I see on the side,easy eggplant bake-a lazy quick version of Eggplant Parmesan as Suganya says .Suganya,did I tell you I love eggplant parmesan?This quick version made the day for me.Forget the photos(I know I cannot even reach near you),I gorged on happily.Here also basil wins against other suggested fresh herbs and enters the quick sauce.

Don't you think I ate more that I needed?Really,don't you worry,here comes Suganya with a small shot of Ginger Cordial or Sorasam, a gingery drink that helps in digestion and also cures stomach aches and a small shot is indeed enough.
From Italy and after Sorasam which is traditional and reminded of home,we headed back to India.By the time we reached here we were hungry again and were craving in Sfor hot and spicy and thick and creamy soup .And she chopped few veggies ( I used only green bell pepper,potato and carrot),roasted them in the oven and served them with Spicy Dal.
Delicious. and comforting.
After a culinary journey around the world,when we come back home,it is always home cooking that comforts us and it is always hearty and filling ummmmmmmmm

Do you hear my burp/belch,Yes,err then let me sign off before you hear my snores.So Thank You Suganya for allowing us to try and taste your wonderful dishes and also Thanks Zlamushka,for giving me the opportunity to host Tried & Tasted with TastyPalettes.



Hey,Wait,don't you want to know who all we met on our journey?Wait and watch.......

Reminder: You have till tonight (your tonight,whatever place you are )for sending entries to Tried and Tasted:TastyPalettes.

Crushed Potatoes

'Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris is a book that tells you about past and present and the conflicts within a successful author Jay.The past where he befriends a miner's son Joe and the present that is influenced by it.Foodwise,it is full of culinary terms and a inspires you.The story is told from the angle point of blackberry wine which Joe had gifted to Jay Macintosh who is now a successful author.In one of the instances where Joe and Jay meet Joe talks about jacket potates.These are nothing but baked potatoes.I love potatoes and when these words swam in frony of my eyes,I decided that I wanted to do it.Since I had already made cheese stuffed potatoes,I went for a quicker version ie crushed potatoes .Basically this is a lazy version of both baked and mashed potatoes but is quicker and simpler.


Ingredients:
Small Potatoes : atleast 4 (with the skin on)
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil


Preparation:

Clean the potatoes thoroughly leaving the skin intact.Steam potatoes till they are fork tender.(You can also boil them in salted water).Remove and keep them in a baking sheet.Using a flat turner/ladle press the top of each potatoes so that it looks like crushed -roughly 1/2 inch.Drizzle olive oil (I did not) and sprinkle salt and pepper on each crushed potato.It looks like...


Place the baking sheet into a preheated oven and let it bake 450F for about 20 minutes or until the edges start browning.Serve as a starter or side or snack depending on the size of potatoes.You can also serve it topped with cheese,grated veggies,pesto ,chutney etc.

I served and enjoyed it as such and it is much better than you can decipher from the picture.Now lets see what other Book Club members have brought to celebrate 'Blackberry Wine'.
Simran made Strawberry Preserve
Siri made savoury muffins


The dish being simple and also a filling starter is on the way to 'Recipes for the rest of Us- Starters ' and event originated by Ramki and currently hosted by SunshineMom

Monday, March 30, 2009

Cucumber Coolers

These are simple drinks made from cucumber and are healthy and very easy to make and a must for the extreme hot summer.First is the pomegranate cucumber cooler and other is cucumber dill smoothie (soup).


Pomegranate Cucumber Cooler

Pomegranate cucumber cooler is a simple drink that combines both cucumber and pomegranate along with flavour enhancing mint and lemon juice and sugar.I have seen pomegrante and cucumber together in a salad and wanted to see what happens when they come together in a juice.The result was much ,much better than expected-it has taste of both and the light rose colour.The combo though unusual is tasty and healthy and cooling and definitely worth a try.

Ingredients:
Pomegranate: 1 big (almost 1 cup when deseeded)
Cucumber: 1/2 cup peeled,deseeded and chopped
Mint :few
Lemon Juice: almost 1 tbsp
Sugar Syrup: 1/4 cup or sugar as per taste


Preparation:
Add all the ingredients in the blender and blend to obtain a thick puree.Strain and serve chilled.Sugar can be added later.But since little water is needed for grinding I made a sugar syrup and then cooled and added it while blending.


You can increase or decrease the pomegranate and cucumber as per taste.If you like either cucumber or pom,you are sure to like this drink.The taste is a combo of both pom and cucumber and colour is that of pom.


The cooler is off to FIC:Rose/Pink an event started by Sunshinemom of TongueTicklers and currently hosted by Priya of Easy and Tasty Recipes.



Cucumber Dill Smoothie


This is not exactly a smoothie as smoothies are made from fruits and contain sugar.This has got yoghurt and cucumber and dill and the word smoothie suits finely rather than soup.So taking liberties I am calling it smoothie.

Ingredients:
Cucumber: 1 peeled,deseeded and chopped
Dill leaves: few(1 tbsp+)
Plain Yoghurt/Curd: 1/4 cup +/-
Salt & Pepper: as per taste
Ice cubes/crushed (optional)


Preparation:
Blend all the ingredients to obtain a thick puree.The thickness depends on the amount of yogurt used or as per taste.Serve chilled if ice cubes are not added.This is very refreshing on a hot summer noon.



Both the cucumber coolers are off to AFAM:Cucumber ,an event by Maheshwari of Beyond the Usual and currently hosted by Neha of Tasty Recipes

Reminder: Tomorrow is the last day for submitting recipes for Tried &Tasted:Tasty Palettes. Do mail me your delicious entries by tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Spiced Pumpkin Chocolate Bread

This is a simple quick bread made using pumpkin and chocolate and spiced with cardamom.I wanted to make something for BBD#16:Quickbreads and thought of making a desert bread and since I had pumpkin in the fridge,I thought I would go for it and found a simple yet delicious pumpkin quickbread recipe at SimplyRecipes.But I must add I experimented a lot with it and the end reslt though delicious is nothing to be compared with the original.

Ingredients:
Dry Mix:
White whole wheat flour:1.5 cups
Baking Soda: 1.5 tsp
Brown Sugar: 3/4cup (Can use white sugar as well)
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Powdered Ginger + Cinnamon + Cardamom: 1/2 tsp each(optional)

Wet Mix:
Pumpkin Puree: 1 cup
Water: 1/4 cup
Thick Curd: 1/2 cup (to replace 2 eggs )
Vegetable /Olive Oil: 1/2 cup
Cardamom: 2 tsp

Other items:
Chocolate chips/Chunks:I simply chopped chocolate into small pieces
Walnuts: handful: I did not use them

Preparation:
In a big bowl,mix the dry items together.In another small bowl,mix the wet items and keep aside.Chop the nuts and chocolate into small pieces.

The recipe used All Purpose flour which I substituted with white whole wheat flour which is a good replacer for APF in cookies and quickbreads.Another substitute is whole wheat pastry flour,but not whole wheat flour.Also the spices in the dry mix is optional.My main spice was cardamom which I added in the wet mix and powdered ginger and cinnamon I added just to enhance the flavour.You can use pumpkin pie spice instead of these spices (2 tsp pumpkin pie spice = 1 tsp cinnamon,1/2 tsp powdered ginger,1/4 tsp each nutmeg and allspice).

Also to make pumpin puree,roast or steam or boil the pumpkin pieces.I steamed them and then simply mashed the soft cubes.You can also puree in a blender.Also the original recipe had 2 eggs which I replaced with 1/2 cup thick curds(1 egg replaced with 1/4 cup of curd/buttermilk).Normally buttermilk (thinned curd) works fine.But the original recipe had used 1/4 cup water and so I decided to go for thick dahi /curd available.Incase you are using buttermilk,avoid/reduce the water.Curds/Yogurt can be used to substitute eggs in quickbreads especially.You can also use olive oil instead of vegetable .I also added additional half tsp of baking soda than specified.

Pour the wet mix into the dry mix bowl and stir just until combined.Stir in chocolate chunks and nuts.Pour into a well greased standard (9 x 5 x 3 inch) loaf pan and top with more chocolate chunks.Bake in a pre heated oven at 350F/180C for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick /skewer /tester inserted at the centre comes out clean . Serve as a dessert or anytime bread.


The bread turned out yellow with a brown crust and moist, soft,delicious,similar to banana bread.The addition of cardamom adds Indian touch and chocolate makes it all the more better.I simply chopped chocolate into chunks and added it.The picture does not look that nice as it was taken in a hurry.I will not say this is a perfect recipe as I played a lot with ingredients ,but tastewise it was perfect.
  1. This quick bread is my entry to BBD#18:Quickbread by Mansi of Fun and Food,an event by Zorra and also HomeMade:Bread by Ben of Whatscooking
  2. Since wheat is a main ingredient ,a small loaf also goes to JFI:Wheat hosted by Roma,an event started by Indira of Mahanandi
  3. And Last but Not Least,a delicious loaf is off to Madhuram for the Egg Replacement Event(ERE):Buttermilk/Curd .Only after she announced buttermilk as a replacer,I was tempted to use curd/buttermilk in this recipe.A quick research revealed that curd/buttermilk works better as an egg replacer in quickbreads .Thus the experiment started and it was very easy also.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Shahi Badam Shorba -Indian Style Almond & Vegetable Soup

Shorbas are North Indian Style Soups.Shorbas are usually vegetables or legumes cooked together in milk/stock/water and then pureed and strained and served as a medium thick puree.Well,if any of you have more ideas/info on a shorba,do kindly share here.Because this is as far as I know about them,though I have tasted several varieties of them-dal shorba,palak shorba etc and tomato shorba being the thick cousin of SouthIndian Rasam.

When Lisa announced Indian Style Vegetarian soups,I knew I needed to try these.I tweaked Tarla Dalals Shahi Badam Shorba -avoiding and adding some veggies.To be honest I never expected it to be so flavourful as it has only one spice bayleaf apart from normal pepper,though the almonds and veggies combine to ensure their magic.

Ingredients:
Potato: 1 big
Cabbage: chopped 1/4 cup
Green Bell Pepper: 1 small
Onion: 1 small

Almonds: 1 cup

Milk: 1 cup+
Water: 2 cups+

Bayleaf
Salt
Pepper

Butter: 2 tbsp (Can use vegetable oil)

Preparation:
Chop onions ,bell pepper and cabbage finely.Cube the potatoes.Dry roast almonds in a pan/kadai till lightly browned.You can do this in an oven as well.Keep aside.

Heat butter/oil in the same pan,add the chopped vegetables and saute.Once they start cooking and the raw smell goes,add little salt and pepper and 3/4th of almonds and continue cooking for a few minutes.Add milk and water needed to cook the vegetables and bayleaf and cook for a few minutes till they are tender.

Let it cool for a few minutes,then remove the bayleaf and puree in a blender adding more water/milk if needed.Strain to obtain a thick clear pale puree.Boil for a few minutes and then serve adding the remaining almonds(sliced or as such),salt and pepper as per taste and optionally with cream.


I actually went for a total of 1 cup vegetables and 1 cup almonds.You can add your choice of vegetables as well.I also added more water during the straining stage as the puree was very thick and creamy.The soup was very flavourful as the combo sure work the magic.The soup obviously is going to NoCroutons Required:Indian style soups hosted by Lisa.

The soup being full of almonds is also going to Lets Go Nuts:Almonds hosted by JZ of TastyTreats,an event started by Aquadaze of Served with Love

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Stuffed Tomatoes

This is a simple side where I roasted beefsteak tomatoes stuffed with Swiss cheese and breadcrumbs.Beefsteak tomatoes are largest varieties of tomatoes.It holds together when cut and are flavourful and are excellent for stuffing or generally any other use of a tomato.I had just few of these and made use of them.You can also go for any firm variety of tomato available.

Stuffed tomatoes are popular in several cuisines be it the Indian style of Bharwan tomatoes or Italian stuffed tomatoes -Sicilian with capers,anchovies,breadcrumbs and parsley or Roman with rice and French style -Tomato Provencal -stuffed tomatoes with Gruyere cheese,parsley,basil etc.Basically you can go for whatever stuffing you want.I went for a simple stuffing of swiss and gruyere mix and coriander,breadcrumbs and salt and pepper.

Ingredients:
Big Firm Tomatoes: atleast 2
Olive oil

Filling:totaling atleast 1/2 cup
Bread Crumbs:Fresh or toasted or Italian style
Coriander/Cilantro: chopped
Salt
Pepper
Swiss Cheese grated

Preparation:
Cut the tomatoes into half horizontally.Gently without tearing squeeze out the pulp into a small bowl.If you find it difficult use a spoon for scrapping the insides,but make sure you do not cut the tomato.It will look like ..

Mix the pulp in the bowl with rest of the filling ingredients and stuff into tomato halves.Place the tomato halves in a lined/greased baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and more salt and pepper .It looks like..

Bake in a pre heated oven at 375 F for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese melts and the tomato gets cooked -its skin will look slightly blistered and the top starts browning.

Serve warm as a side dish or depending on the size of the tomato as a snack or starter.


This was a recipe in my drafts and I think now its time I posted as this is an excelent choice for FIL:Tomato by Sanghi at TastyBites.The pics may not look that tempting,but the taste was excellent. I dedicate it to my family as we love tomatoes and can devour it in any form and whatever cuisine

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Walnut Vegetable Pate

Pate is a piced mixture of minced meat and fat in the form of a spreadable paste .Generally it is a sandwich spread/topping/dip made from gizzards,liver and other parts of poultry or animals along with nuts,spices,vegetables and sometimes wine.Vegetarian pates are quite easy to make, containing nuts,tofu,beans or vegetables sometimes raw or cooked and can be made easily in the food processor.Vegetable pates can be used as a sandwich spread or dip depending on choice.I made a pate using walnuts and quickcooking vegetable after referencing several similar recipes from the net.

Ingredients:
Vegetables : 3/4 cup (I used carrots,green bell pepper,scallions)
Walnuts : 1/4 cup+
Garlic: 1 small clove
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Oregano


Preparation:
Clean and chop all the vegetables finely.This fastens cooking.In a wok/kadai/thick bottomed pan add very little oil and saute the vegetables adding spices and crushed garlic for a few minutes.I sauteed them till they were cooked yet crunchy.This takes only few minutes.Also add chopped walnuts during the last 1 minute of cooking.This also gives them a roasted flavour.Allow the veggie-nut mix to cool a bit and coarsely grind them in the processor.
I served them on toasted whole wheat bread topped with lettuce and cucumber.Generally use the pate whatever way you prefer.



You can add your choice of vegetables and even nuts in pate.You can avoid roasting nuts and simply add them while grinding.You can use your choice of spices as well.

Walnuts are preferable here as they have good fats -walnuts are rich in omega 3 fatty acids and help in lowering cholestrol.The addition of vegetables make this all the more heart healthy.So this pate on toasted whole wheat bread is perfect as an anytime food and I think is also the heart healthy choice and this is on the way to HOTM:Finger Foods where the second anniversary is being celebrated.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Cinnamon Cake

This is a simple breakfast cinnamon cake I made from Joy of Vegan Baking.Well,you must have guessed it-its made using vinegar.Vinegar when combined with baking soda produces chemical reaction and makes the baked item rise and lightens it up. The comination works much better in cakes,muffins or quickbreads.

Ingredients:

Dry Items:
All purpose Flour: 1 cup
Baking Powder: 1 tsp
Baking Soda: 1 tsp
Powdered Cinnamon: 2-3 tsp
Powdered Ginger: 1 tsp
Salt: 1/4 tsp
White Sugar: 1/2 cup

Wet Ingredients:
Soy Milk: 1 cup
Vegetable Oil: 1/3 cup
White Vinegar: 1 tbsp

Crumble Topping:
All Purpose Flour: 3/4 cup
Brown Sugar: 1/4 cup
Powdered Cinnamon: 1-2 tsp
Powdered Ginger: 1/2 tsp
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Walnuts: few handfuls chopped
Vegetable Oil: 1/3 cup

Preparation:
Combine the wet ingredients in a small bowl and keep aside.In a large bowl,whisk together the dry ingredients .Add the milk -vinegar wet mix and stir until just combined.Pour into a lined 9 inch square baking dish or a loaf pan(9x5x3 inches).
For making the crumble,mix well together all the items except vegetable oil.Add the oil and then using your hands thoroughly work it into the dry mix so that the mix resembles crumbled or coarse or sand like.Spoon the crumble on top of the batter,covering the entire area.
Bake for 30-35 minutes in a pre heated oven at 350F/180C or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.Cool slightly and then cut and serve

Fresh From the oven...


I used a loaf pan for baking and mine was done by 32 minutes.Also depending on chosen baking dish,little quantity of crumble may remain which can be refrigerated and used for making fruit crumbles or cakes.

Honestly I was not convinced about the powers of vinegar while baking this.But the cake came out perfectly light and moist.There was no sour taste of vinegar or anything that suggests vinegar.Its the simplest and easiest egg replacer I have ever used.And yes this simple yet very tasty cake is on way to Madhuram's ERE: Vinegar


Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Gizzadas -Jamaican Coconut Tarts

Caribbean cooking is a medley of Indian,French,African,American,British etc.Each Island or country in the Carribean is influenced by its population.Be it Jamaica,Belize,Cuba etc,each have developed their own cuisine which is influenced by the flavours and techniques of the immigrant population.One of the popular Jamaican desserts is Gizzadas or mini tart shells filled with sweet coconut filling.These are also known as 'pinch-me-rounds' as the pastry requires pinching/crimping the edges to obtain a container shape which is filled and baked.I found a adaptable recipe from here though it seems several slightly different versions are available.


Ingredients:
Tart Shell
AllPurpose Flour: 1 cup
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Cold Unsalted Butter: 3 tbsp
Ice Cold Water: 1/4 cup + few tbsp

Filling:

Coconut grated : 1 cup+
Brownsugar: 1/2 cup+
Nutmeg: 1/2 tsp
Water: 2 tbsp
Butter: 1 tbsp

Preparation:
Tart Shell:
In a bowl whisk together flour and salt.Cut cold butter/shortening/margarine into this and mix well till it resembles coarse sand.Add in 1/4 cup of cold water and form a dough adding more water as needed.It took almost 6 tbsp of water for me.Once the dough is formed,cover it in a plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.If using salted butter,add salt accordingly while forming the dough.

In a lightly floured surface,roll out the chilled dough into 1/4 inch thickness or as thin as possible.Using a cookie cutter or any other round container (roughly 4 inches),cut out circles from the dough.Form a casing/container from each circle by pinching together the edges of the circle.Bake in a pre heated oven at 350F/175C for 10-12 minutes after placing the casings/tart shells in a lined/greased baking sheet.

This is a difficult process and it took some time for me.You can also use a muffin tin/pan for obtaining the tart shape or use any other method though the above method is used traditionally.Also the baked shells can be freezed for a later use.The recipe yields almost 8-10 tart shells.

Filling:
In a pan,mix together all the filling ingredients and cook on low fire till the flavours blend and mix becomes almost dry and butter completely blends with coconut.This takes just a few minutes.I actually made filling with half the recipe as I was not sure how it will turn out.But had to make a second batch later.

Assembling the Gizzadas:
Once the filling and shells are ready,it time to combine them.Take each shell,put spoonfuls of filling inside and place it on a lined/greased baking sheet.Do so till all the filling/shells are used up.You can fill the casings completely or 3/4th or half or as per choice.

Once the shells are filled and ready,place them in the baking sheet and bake at 350F for 5 minutes or more until the coconut starts browning.

This is the way it is supposed to be done,though there can be variations.Like,since the filled tart is baked again,you can avoid cooking the filling items .That is simply mix the filling ingredients and then fill the shell and bake for 10-15 minutes or more until the filling gets cooked.Since I had already cooked the filling and made it almost dry,I simply baked the filled shell for 3-5 minutes only.Also if you do not like baking/cooking the filling,simply bake the shells till brown,then at the time of serving fill it and serve.You can go for a variety of fillings though the coconut one is traditional.For an Indian touch,you can go for cardamom along/instead of nutmeg.

The gizzadas are far from perfect,but very tasty.I expected them to be very flaky,though they are not so.I liked the crispy shell with a soft filling.If you like to make it more it crispier bake for longer time.Also reference Aparna's and Rachel's Gizzadas here.

After my last post,I was on and off blogging due to current,net and even health problems.Most of the issues have been resolved and you can hopefully see me constantly now.I missed several posts and was about to miss MonthlyMingle as well,but it seems the gizzadas are destined for MM:Caribbean Cooking hosted by Meeta


Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Simple Strawberry Mille Feuille

Mille Feuille (French for Thousand Leaves) or a Napoleon is a pastry made with several layers of puff pastry alternating with sweet (and sometimes savoury) filling .The sweet filling is usually custard or pastry cream or sometimes simply whipped up jam.The savoury ones which are more modern has cheese spinach etc.I made a simple mille feuille using a vegan pastry cream from here and used strawberries as well.It was simple and as easy as it gets as I used store bought puff pastry and made only a simple layer layer like a sandwich.It was perfectly tasty but very very simple.

Ingredients:
Puff Pastry: atleast 1 rectangular sheet
Strawberries: handful
Icing/Confectioners Sugar: few tbsp
Pastry Cream:(makes around 2-3 cups)
Soy milk:2 cups
All Purpose Flour: 1/2 cup
Sugar: 1/3 cup
Salt: a pinch
Vanilla: 2 tsp
Lemon juice (optional): 1/2 tsp

Preparation:
Pastry Cream: In a small bowl,whisk together flour,soymilk,salt and sugar.Cook it on low fire,stirring continuously until thickened for 5-6 minutes.Add remaining ingredients,whisk well and cook for an additional 1 minute.Remove from fire and then transfer it to another bowl where it can quickly attain room temperature.Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap such that the wrap touch the cream within the bowl.Once the the cream attains room temperature,refrigerate overnight or for several hours till it cools completely.

The recipe from which I adapted it uses lemon juice and lemon zest and makes a lemony pastry cream.Since I planned to use strawberries,I did not want the additional tartness of lemon in this,so I increased the vanilla and just added a tinge of lemon juice.You can avoid the lemon juice completely.Except for the sugar ,the recipe is vegan.This is actually a vegan equivalent of custard and can be used as a pie filling,fruit dip,fruit salad etc.

Mille feuille:
Cut the puff pastry rectangle(thawed as per instructions) into two halves.Place these on a baking sheet and top the sheet with another baking sheet of the same size.This prevents the puff pastry from puffing up during baking.Bake the bakingsheets in a pre heated oven at 400F for 15 minutes or until the puff pastry starts browning.Take out,remove the top baking sheet and puff pastry cool a bit.


Take a baked puff pastry half,spread the pastry cream on it.Top it with strawberries,sprinkle additional icing sugar on top of the strawberries,top it with another puff pastry sheet.Sprinkle some more icing sugar on top.Top it with more strawberries and icing sugar.Serve as a delectable dessert.

You can also check out the potato napoleon with cilantro pesto for a savoury and puff pastry less version.Do check out from the scratch chocolate mille feuille at Cannelle et Vanille.

This is my last minute entry to AWED: France by Dear DK.I am typing this in a hurry,as its last minute and my broadband is in a playful mood with me.I was off blogging after announcing T&T:Tasty Palettes as 'power' god and 'connection' goddess are not so pleased with me.I may be absent for a few more days before the issues are completely resolved.I hope to be back by next week atleast,but its not in my hands.So do bear with me as I may not be able to visit anyone for a few days and do send me your delicious entries for T & T:Tasty Palettes.I may be late in responding,but I will sure visit each and every entry.


Sunday, March 1, 2009

Tried and Tasted : Tasty Palettes

There are several blogs in blogosphere,each unique and distinct and each different from one another.Several recipes- some new, some old, some borrowed,some bookmarked,some inspired and so many variety of cuisines and recipes.It could be the same food sometimes,but different versions or even when same version,the look,the garnish, the angle of picture could differ.Each and every dish speaks volumes of the emotions behind it,the loved ones for whom it is prepared,the tribute to a loved one and the taste of the person not just in food ,but also a view of life in general.

During bloghoping I come across so many recipes in so many wonderful blogs that tempt me sooo much that I always bookmark them.Well sometimes I just stop bloghopping and make these right away.Each one tempts you and you end up making it at once.Sometimes some changes as per taste or availability of items or most of the times you make the same dish without any changes at all and once you taste it and also gets appreciated for it,the admiration towards the fellow blogger from whom you made it goes upwards or skyrockets.You make more and more from his/her blog and find several things apart from food also common.In general we feel we can relate to that person.Well food does bring people together.I personally believe that its a great honour for a blogger when fellow bloggers try out a dish from his/her blog.Its a dream come true and to know your food being appreciated is wonderful appreciation and honour.

To make known the esteemed appreciation of fellow bloggers,we have a wonderful event- Tried and Tasted that showcases a Quality Blog each month and allows fellow bloggers to showcase their version of dishes tried and tasted from the chosen Quality Blog.Tried and Tasted is a tradition started by Zlamushka of SpicyKitchen,and an event that I look forward to take part.It allows you to put forth the admiration you feel towards the gourmet blogger whose blog is being showcased and the dish/dishes you have tried with or without changes.Most part of last year,it was hosted by the creator herself,but for the first time,I have been given the opportunity to host the first edition ,Thanks to Zu.It is the first edition of T & T this year and also the first event hosted here and we start this year with a delicious and beautiful blog: Tasty Palettes.


Suganya,the wonderful lady behing the quality blog needs no introduction.You visit the blog and are stumped at the breathtakingly beautiful dishes.The photography is too much inspiring especially after seeing the several Photgraphy Contest wins on the side bar.As for the dishes,you eat them first with eyes and then you taste them.A complete satisfaction to the eyes and your hunger pangs. In the words of the wonderful -"Even a simple dish can be made took elegant or extra ordinary with proper plating".Be it the simple dal or the blackbean timbale,you are astounded by the creativity behind the thoughtful dish.Words are insignificant to describe the Art of food captured at Tasty Palettes.To cut a long story or admiration short,this month T & T is inviting each and everybody to contribute to the event by trying and tasting the delicious dishes from Tasty Palettes.


The rules are:



  • Cook any recipe(s) from the blog of the month and post about it. Stay as true to the original recipe(s) as possible. Therefore, there is no need for re-posting it, simply link to the original post :-)

  • There is no time-frame for the original recipe.

  • Link your post HERE (the use of logo is not a must,but much appreciated)and also Zlamushka's original announcement and to the original post.

  • Please always link to both sites of the dish, so both blogs are given credit and you are avoiding copyright fuss.

  • Deadline is the last day of the month(31st March,09) and the round up will be posted within a week.Non-bloggers are more than welcome to participate .Simply e-mail me with your experience of what you cooked and please include a picture.

  • After posting the dish,send an email to tastycurryleaf{at}gmail{dot}com replacing {at} with @ and {dot} with . with T&T:TastyPalettes in the subject line and your name,your blog name,url,post url,url of the original entry and picture of anysize.

This is my first event and I am sincerely counting on all of you to make this event a success.Looking forward to delicious participation...



Thanks for visiting my Blog

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