GastronomicGallivant: Haitian Mango Juice, Red Beans Rice With Hot Sauce

My knowledge of Haitian cuisine is very minimal. From what I understood, I can tell that they have a little Spanish and a lot of French influence since Haiti was controlled by both these countries, among others, at different periods of time.After scouring the net for various Haitian recipes I decided to make Riz et Pois Rouges(Red Beans...

Read More...

ReviewAndARecipe:TriColor Rotini With Herbed Shallots, Mushroom N Green Squash

A few of my favorite things - Boiled Potato(Potato),Cooked Chickpea(Chickpea and Salt),Baked Salmon(Fish, Salt and Pepper), Tri-Color Pasta Dish(Veggies, Pasta, Oil and Ariosto Seasonings).Few Ingredient Fixing is what I like best. That doesn't mean I will compromise on flavor. No way! For this dish I used Ariosto's "Aglio e Peperoncino"-...

Read More...

ReviewAndARecipe: Rustic Oven Fries With Ariosto Seasonings

Ask yourself these questions - Do you love Italian Leather Shoes/Bags? Are you a sucker for Designer Italian Shades/Apparels? Are you in love with Italian Fine Filigree Jewelery? Do you crave for Pizza and Pasta? Do you find the angelic voice of Andrea Bocelli irresistible?Does listening to Antonio Vivaldi's compositions make you cry in...

Read More...

Eggless Pineapple, Carrot and Walnut Bread with Orange Zest

Have your ever wondered how a combination of Pineapple,Carrot,Walnuts and Orange Zest would taste like in a bread? I craved for such a combo that I had neither made nor tasted elsewhere.So I googled for a recipe that would satisfy this curios craving. Surprisingly,I found one to my liking and decided to do a test-run in my kitchen. It tasted...

Read More...

RecipeReplica:Split-Pea & Spinach Stuffed Paratha

Paratha - Stuffed Unleavened Indian-flat bread. For this recipe, I went to a cozy blog where Art(Read Cardmaking) and Artsy-cooking thrives.Yes, Asha is a very talented person who has more than one skill-set up her sleeves. I took a liking to this recipe so much that I bookmarked it as soon as I saw this post in her blog. Even though it...

Read More...

ReviewAndARecipe: MarxFoods "Eco-Vision" Palm Leaf Bio-Plates And Eggplant Timbale

Dear All, Happy Earth Day 2010! Earth Day?? - Earth Day aims to inspire awareness of and appreciation for earth's environment. While some folks celebrate Earth Day around the time of the vernal equinox, others observe the occasion on April 22 each year and is currently observed in more than 140 countries around the world. Earth Day can...

Read More...

RecipeReplica:Quick-Bake "Masala" Chicken

Masala, Not Marsala, in Indian cuisine is a mixture of ground roasted-spices along with ginger, garlic and onions etc etc. Grinding the spices along with any other ingredients intensifies the flavor. This recipe has been adapted from the blog, The Novice Kitchen.Ms.Sharfu is undermining her culinary capabilities.She is anything but a novice...

Read More...

Jazzed-Up "2-Minute" Maggi Noodles

On days when I don't want to cook(but have to), I sometimes resort to these "2-Minute Maggi Noodles" for sustenance.Maggi Noodles are manufactured by Nestle` and are very popular in India, Australia, Brazil, Nepal and many other countries. True to what the brand claims they are quick cooking noodles that comes with a variety of seasonings....

Read More...

Eggplant Parmigiana "Lite" With Mini-Peppers, Spinach and Olives

Today morning around 6AM I was all set to hit the gym but my mind was still sleeping.Like an automaton,I pulled out the sedan from the garage only to hear a loud screeching/scraping noise that could have woken the dead..That was because the driver-side mirror of the sedan was putting a deep dash on the SUV parked beside, as I was backing...

Read More...

GastronomicGallivant: English "Criss-Cross" Cottage Pie

An English Meat pie or Cottage pie usually has a ground meat filling with crusty potato on top.For a change, I made a vegetarian version of this a few days ago with leftover mashed potato on the top.It was a one-pot wonder!Good choice for people on a diet, grazing on dishes with minimal carbs.The recipe is a general guideline and the spicing...

Read More...

GastronomicGallivant:Turkish Tabboleh "Kisir"

"Kisir" or "Turkish Tabbouleh" is a very popular salad in the middle-east that has ingredients like Bulgur, Spring Onions, Mint, Peppers and Olive Oil. The Lebanese have a variation of this called "Tambouli" and Armenians call it "Eetch". What do I call it? The best ever Tabbouleh I ever tasted. Ergo, Splendid! A salad it may be but can...

Read More...

Cocoa N Saffron Vermicelli Pudding

A milk based pudding/payasam flavored decadently with Cocoa,Saffron threads,garnished with dry fruits plus nuts.This is my mom's specialty that I made today for TamiZh New Year.Well mom makes it minus the Cocoa powder. I borrowed her recipe and added some Zing. So how do you like it?Sending this as an entry to PrestoPastaNights hosted @...

Read More...

Vegan Secret-Spiced Taro Root Fry

Psssttt..This is my secret "Seed-Spice Blend" recipe that I had meant to take to the grave..but since I am a very magnanimous person with a splendid spirit to share, I have decided to let you all have it instead.What is so special about this spice mix? Nothing except the fact that I came up with this recipe after many trail and errors. All...

Read More...

Baked "Broccoli Rabe, Mozzarella and Lean-Ground Turkey" Meatballs

When in need of comfort, make meatballs. So here I am with yet another version of meatballs that is as comforting as Mother's love. My strict and staunch vegetarian mom would be annoyed and unhappy that I am equating her love to Turkey Meatballs. Sorry Ma, I mean it in a the good way. The cheese and the broccoli rabe in the meatballs act...

Read More...

Avocado, Pineapple and Black Olive Salsa

This appetizer is something that will invigorate a person to jump and do a Salsa. Me for instance, as I am totally feeling the blues due to the Pollen allergy. My loud sneeze is giving my little boy heart palpitations and the watery, itchy eye is driving me nuts.Don't feel like doing anything at all but curl up on the couch and vegetate. ...

Read More...

Leftover gets a Makeover-1: "Meatless" Ragu,"Circle of Love" Roti Pizza and Caption Contest

Well, this is for all the vegetarians who wonder what an authentic Ragu tastes like..what I mean is that this comes close enough. So what went into the making of this Meatless version? Those "Dhal" Fritters that I had made and posted about a couple of days ago.Yeah,the Fennel,spices and the Split Chickpea makes the Dhal Fritters a convincing...

Read More...

Banana Berry Pancakes

And this is how I make Banana Berry pancakes for myself and my family. If you liked my cocoa pancakes, then I am sure you will like this too. The fine diced strawberries and banana puree in the pancakes takes the flavor up a notch.Certainly a crowd pleaser! Scroll down to grab a wedge of these yummylicious pancakes  before anyone else...

Read More...

"Dhal" Fritters with Compound Flavors and 10 Complex Women who Inspire

Don't these look awesome? These savory fritters are one of my all-time favorite snacks. Crunchy and packed with compound flavors coming from some fabulous ingredients, they are a splendid treat to the taste buds. They are called "Vada","Vadi", "Vadai", "Masala Vadai", "Aama Vadai", "Parippu Vadai" etc etc and a household name in many parts...

Read More...

Sauteed Asparagus With Chopped Rigatoni

I wanted to whip up a quick meal yesterday as I wasn't in the mood for any elaborate cooking(which is the case most of the times). I had some leftover Sauteed Seasoned Asparagus that I had made the previous day that came quite handy for making this excellent and filling meal. My DH gave me 2 thumbs-up for this dish. Ingredients: Sauteed...

Read More...

RecipeReplica:Curried lamb in Pepper Gravy

For this recipe, I hopped over to Akal's Saapadu(= A Sister's Feast), a bilingual blog that is a treasure trove for multi-cuisine recipes. There were plenty of recipes that I have bookmarked but I chose the scrumptious "Lamb Pepper Fry" recipe that drove me into a frenzied shopping for some succulent Australian lamb shanks and try the recipe...

Read More...

Cocoa Pancakes

The Guarantee - Eating this version of pancake(s) will put a smile on your face,a gleam in your eyes, a dance in your walk and a jaunt in your steps. Umm its true, a surefire thing. Scientifically speaking, Cocoa/Cocoa derivatives injects happy hormones in the blood and make people happy albeit temporarily. I have been making these pancakes...

Read More...