Panfusine

Have you ever been through those moments where all you want to do is put your feet up, with a nice cup of tea, and a chick flick (or if you're Indian, a nice masala Bollywood offering?), & deeep within your brain runs an exquisitely choreographed simulation of everything falling into place, " The refrigerator automatically ridding itself of expired tins of half used refried beans & crushed tomato (the ones that were just waiting to be used up in a rajma the very next day... except that the next day was a fortnight ago), the kids putting away their books and toys, & happily playing within the deck without running off towards the road or screaming " MOMMIEE, Gubbi's eating the dandelions!!.. "   Screech back to reality.. the house is as chaotic as ever, the tea has gone cold, &  yes, I have to risk a limb (or at least a finger) trying to pry the remains of a crushed yellow weed blossom out of the 2 yr old. Its only later that I realise that dand...

Voted as the Best Vegetarian Pasta recipe by Whole Foods market Photo by: Tricia Martin Testing Notes From Whole Foods: Pasta can become boring very quickly. Sometimes, all it takes is a few simple techniques to bring it into a whole new light. Panfusine does just that by toasting "stellini" pasta first to add a nutty flavor, then boiling second. She transforms cauliflower into "couscous" in a snap by grating it into tiny little beads, creating a novel texture -- a technique we can see using in a myriad of ways. The result is a pitch perfect combination of spicy and texture: upon each bite, the peas and mustard seeds pop in your mouth while the onions (caramelized and slightly sweet), are enveloped with a heat from the fresh chili, ginger, and unique asafetida flavoring. Make sure to finish each plate with the fresh lime juice before serving, as this adds brightness and acidity that cuts through the heartiness of the cauliflow...

  Lunch box offerings in India ought to have a whole culinary genre dedicated to them. After all India is where the uber efficient network of the dabbawallas operate right? We may not pay too much attention to the whole process, in fact take it all too granted. but Indian housewifes have elevated the concept of lunch box food to a subtle art. healthy, tasty & an a nearly infinite amount of combinations to boot. and the best part, most of them manage to whip it up in the morning, from scratch before heading out to work. Hats off! Growing up I remember one of my favorite dishes was Alu Methi (Potatoes & Fenugreek greens curry) made with baby potatoes. it seemed to have exactly the right amount of moisture and yet not soggy enough to ooze out of the box. (great for dipping, bad cos of the 'dripping'). 2 fresh parathas slathered with ghee & it was food fit for sharing royalty. The type where you'd be left with one paratha, if you were lucky after 'passing' ...

O.K... May 5th 2011 marked the first year anniversary point for my kitchen capers, and my memory lane gate just opened. Nope no flooding expected here, just a trickle... I started meekly putting my foodie thoughts into words on this blog in Feb 2010, not really knowing what I was going to do. For one thing, I wet my toes in the culinary blogosphere way after the idea was all out there. made the barrier to entry all that more hard. How was I going to be different?. After all there are blogs devoted to every kind of cuisine in the world, offering wonderful time tested recipes & variations. This made it all the more different to bring a unique perspective to ones own web offering. & so I 'pussy-footed' around for 3 months, with random topics I felt strongly about, which were read by me & my aunt, Lakshmi in Bangalore who's been my most ardent supporter and my friend from school, Fanny Chakrabarti .  The tipping point came about without warning..I packed off t...

Shortbread traditionally has always been a Scottish biscuit, the 'Short' is indicative of shortening or the fat used in making these delicious & calorie rich treats. Personally, I love making these since they do not involve the use of egg ( Don't get me wrong, I'm fascinated by these protein packed globes that pop out from a hen's rear end, but have this odd avoidance/ phobia about working with them.. It had something to do with a mildly traumatic incident involving my 8th birthday cake, a broken window... Someday If I write my biography, I'll tell the tale!) Food52 my favorite community blog, had this contest with coffee as the theme ingredient last week. & the  number of fabulous recipes that were sent in was simply amazing! The enthusiasm itself was worth creating a tribute dish for & the 4C shortbread was my contribution! The Inspiration came from 3 individuals and the dishes they had submitted for the contest.  Bevi , a food consultant fr...