Mashed-Potatoes Stuffed Mushrooms in Tomato-Paste Sauce

Dears, what have you planned for the weekend? I bet folks who live in the US, have some major plans for the long weekend..so do I. I am going over to one of my friend's place for a birthday party and to enjoy her fabulous cooking.While I am out there enjoying her cooking, I will leave you with a recipe that you can enjoy.This recipe that...

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GastronomicGallivant: Algerian Couscous and Green Lentil Salad

Hello dears, how have you all been? Me, I have been feeling a bit under the weather. Cold and sore throat that has me croaking like a toad.A nose that has been runny like a leaky tap.:(.Have been too unhappy with life in general..so didn't get to make anything nice to blog about. I made this quick couscous salad for lunch with leftover green...

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ReviewAndARecipe:Baked Salmon Bites with Ariosto Seasonings

I come back with another review for the Ariosto Seasonings(for Roasted/Grilled Fish).With Sea Salt, Rosemary, Laurel, Garlic, Juniper,Sage, Parsley and Oregano this is probably the only seasoning that you will need to replicate this recipe in your kitchen.Tasty Salmon Bites are ready in under 30 minutes.Last week I had made this and I used...

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Luscious Black-Berry Topped "Grapefruit N Lime" Squares

I love Greek Lemon Squares or any citrus squares for that matter. With its crumbly cookie-like crust and jelly-like topping its a perfect little dessert with a tangy note. Awesome with a cup of tea or a nice finish to a perfect meal. Last week I bought half a dozen grapefruits to make some grapefruit squares, an equally refreshing and eye-catching...

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Nutella Berry Smoothie

Nutella should be on the top ten best food invention ever.Shame if it isn't already! I love the perfect blend of Cocoa, Hazelnuts, Sugar and Milk. Even though I like it best as a filling for crepe or a spread for toast, now and then I add it to a smoothie for a truly sensational taste that is bursting with fruity-nutty flavor.If you love...

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Celery Root Remoulade "Lite"

In the previous post, I had asked what the Mystery vegetable was in the Yogurt Sauce. No it isn't cabbage or cucumber. It is Celery Root. Celery root is considered as an ugly duckling of the vegetable family. Ugly and knobby it might look but it tastes divine with its clean taste and potato-like texture. For this recipe, I have made a lighter...

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Minty Mixed Vegetable Pilaf

I am a big fan of one-pot dishes. They are quick and easy to make with plenty of flavors that they don't really need a side. This minty Pilaf/Pulao/Plav is one such dish that can be eaten as is. The cooling yogurt based side-dish is totally optional.Speaking of which, can you guess what the star ingredient of that yogurt dish is?It is not...

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GastronomicGallivant: Turkish "Turkey" MeatLoaf

You might wonder why I am obsessed with Turkish cuisine and culture. Well I have always been fascinated by this country that is thought of as "East Meets West". This fascination has become an obsession ever since I came to know about the Fairy Chimneys(Moonscapes) in the Cappadocia Region, the Dagi Giant-heads(Gnome-like head of Zeus and...

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Basics:The Making of Simple Vegetable Kurma

Kurma/Khorma/Kuruma/Korma is an Indian Curry variant that is usually made with vegetables,meat or both and there is always a masala(ground spice,onion, tomato and nut mixture) involved. It can be quite intimidating to novice cooks but it is very simple, easy and a cinch to make.This version of mine is a very basic kurma that can be done...

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BlackBerry Topped Mango Lassi

What Lassi tastes better than an Authentic Mango Lassi? Not many really. Except maybe this one.The sweetness of the Lassi and the slight bitter taste of the Blackberries strike a right balance. If the taste-buds can sing they probably would sing a ballad called "Unchained Melody".Yes they would.  Ingredients: Ripe Mango chunks - 1...

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GastronomicGallivant: South African Sweet Fritters

Majestic Elephants with large tusks, Wild Safari and Sweet Banana Fritters are the things that mostly come to my mind when I think of Africa.What about you?These deep-fried Sweet Fritters are generally consumed during breakfast and are considered as a pancake variant. But to me the round/oblong puffy dough look like donuts minus the glaze...

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Pineapple Walnut Mini-Bundt Muffins

Hello, my dears. How was your weekend? Mine was near-splendid! Here is why - A couple of weeks ago,DH had ordered All-Clad pots and pans(at my insistence of course) from their stainless steel range to add to my already existing collection and it arrived a day prior to Mother's day. Perfect timing, don't  you think?I should probably...

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Happy Mother's Day 2010

Happy Mothers Day to all mothers(The Nurturers) around the world!My mom is an extra extra special person -- she almost raised both her kids single-handedly while dad had to come here for a better opportunity. She had to deal with a rebellious, defiant, problematic girl(Moi) and she did a great job in a "splendid, stubborn, silent and non-judgmental"...

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"Thayir Vadai", Deep Fried Lentil Dumplings In Seasoned Yogurt Sauce

If there is a tricky recipe,this has to be it. What I mean is, if you don't grind it to a right consistency, they can't be shaped like doughnuts which is how they are supposed to look like. All I can say is, practice makes it perfect. And they are called "Methu Vadai" and if you dunk them in Yogurt Sauce they become "Thayir/Dahi Vadai"....

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GastronomicGallivant: SekerPare, The Turkish Sugar Cookie

Sekerpare(Sugar Bit) - These authentic baked hazelnut-topped, sugar-syrup saturated turkish sugar cookies taste a lot like "Gulab Jamun", the Indian sweet.The difference is that this is baked and has eggs. Since this has plenty of sugar,my advise to any sweet lover is to indulge this wicked dessert in moderation. Ingredients(Recipe Courtesy:...

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GastronomicGallivant:French Crepes With Yogurt and Strawberry Filling

Crepes - A very thin french pancake. I have to say the best crepe(s) that I ever had was from a roadside creperie stand on Paris` famous avenue called "Champ Elysees" a few years ago. It was fascinating to watch the vendor make the crepe using a tool called "Crepe Spreader" that I had never seen before. My favorite filling was Sucre-Banane...

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200th Post: Awards/Tagged Awards, Favorite Dishes and A Few Favorite Men

GiveAway Alert: Check Mia's space for more info@ Bright Morning Star Slowly but steadily I have hit the 200th mark today. In spite of having a wildly chaotic/disorganized life, I consider myself blessed that I am able to allocate time to blog about something that I am passionate about -- Mostly Taste, Travels and Networking with people...

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