Desserts

V for Vermicelli

October 25th is World Pasta Day! World Pasta Day was brought into existence as part of the World Pasta Congress on the 25th of October in 1995. The World Pasta Congress uses World Pasta Day to promote the eating of pasta, along with its cultural and culinary importance.

Vermicelli, a long very thin pasta, is one of the oldest forms of pasta and originated in the Campania region of south western Italy, sometime in the 13th century. In olden time, Neapolitan pasta makers were called ‘vermicellari’. (Naples is the regional capital of Campania.). Initially, like all pastas, this pasta was made by hand and was shorter and not so straight. Hence the name ‘Vermicelli’, which Italian word translates to ‘little worms’ in English.

The first mention of a vermicelli recipe is in De arte Coquinaria per vermicelli e maccaroni siciliani (The Art of Cooking Sicilian Macaroni and Vermicelli), compiled by Maestro Martino da Como, in the 15th century. In the book there are several recipes for vermicelli, which is supposed to last two or three years when dried in the sun.

Vermicelli in Italy is thicker than spaghetti, while in USA they are thinner. In the United States, the National Pasta Association defines lists vermicelli as a thinner type of spaghetti. The Code of Federal Regulations of the United States of America defines vermicelli as of diameter less than 0.06 inches and spaghetti of diameter between 0.06 and 0.11 inches.

Collectively, the U.S. consumes 5.95 billion pounds of pasta per year, the average American consumes approximately 20 lbs. of pasta annually. This makes it the 6th highest food per capita in the country.

There are two main types of vermicelli: Italian type which is made with durum wheat flour and the Asian type made with rice flour. The Italian vermicelli can be used like any other thin pasta like spaghetti, spaghettini, or angel hair as the only difference is the degree of thinness. The Asian vermicelli are called by varying names depending on the country and cuisine. Well known dishes like pad thai, pho, chow mein, and stir fries use rice vermicelli.

The extra-thin vermicelli is quick-cooking and good with so many flavors, and they are used all around the world in meals from breakfast to dessert. Today we are featuring a dessert soup with vermicelli which can be made as much or as little sweet as you want.

Sweet Vermicelli Soup

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon butter 
  • 1 cup pieces of vermicelli, broken into roughly 2 inch pieces
  • 4 cups milk
  • 4 tablespoons of granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tablespoon raisins
  • 1 tablespoon nuts like cashews, pecans and hazel nuts

Directions

  • Heat a flat pan on medium heat and add 1 tbsp of butter.
  • Toast the vermicelli till it starts to change color, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • Add 4 cups of water to the milk and boil on medium heat.
  • Add the vermicelli to the milk and cook on low heat till the vermicelli is fully cooked, about 10 minutes.
  • Taste for sweetness and add as much of the condensed milk as you desire. Mix well and take off the heat.
  • Toast the raisins and nuts in the remaining butter and add to the soup. Serve warm or chilled.

Old Fashioned Coconut Macaroons

If there is any baked goodie that is easier to make than a fruit cobbler, it is a coconut macaroon. A soft slightly chewy center, with a light crisp outside… altogether yum!

 
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Not to be confused with ‘macaron’, the trendy sandwich cookie that has been all the rage recently… that will come later. This is about the egg white and sweetened coconut concoction that is airy and light. But not meringue light, it has some chewiness to it too.

 
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Macaroons have their origin in Italy, during the renaissance period. Initially they were made with almond paste. Later, for the sake of convenience, bakers started replacing the almond paste with either almond meal (powder) or dried sweetened coconut.

 
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The coconut macaroons were popularised by the European Jewish communities who found it suitable for Passover as it was unleavened.

 
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Macarons, the French version which were small round cookies without any coconut added, were developed by the chefs and bakers who accompanied the Italian noblewoman Catherine de Medici to the French court when she became the wife of King Henri 2nd. Like I mentioned earlier, more about them later.

 
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I have made the coconut macaroons with almond and cashew slivers as well, and they do taste great.

 
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However, adding a bit of colour makes you reach straight for them!

 
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Next time, I’ll try spicing them up with some ginger, cinnamon or allspice.

 
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If you would like uniformly shaped macaroons, you can pipe the mix through a star nozzle onto the baking sheet. I am usually too lazy for that; I just shape them into balls by hand.

 
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I like to imagine Nora (the chief protagonist of Henrik Ibsen’s ‘A Doll’s House) eating coconut macaroons, though Ibsen just uses the generic ‘makroner’ and not ‘kokosmakroner’ in the original Norwegian. Though coconut macaroons are a typical Christmas treat in Norway today, it is unlikely that coconuts were commonly available in the Oslo of 1879, the play’s setting. Still, I see Nora munching on coconut macaroons and they definitely had little specks of red glace cherries on them! 🙂 So here is to the Noras of the world…

 

~Ria

Old Fashioned Coconut Macaroons
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: European
Ingredients
  • 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 4 cups sweetened shredded coconut
  • 10 glace cherries
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp coarse salt
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees farenheit.
  2. Prepare two rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
  3. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together the condensed milk, vanilla extract and the coconut.
  4. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites using a hand-held electric beater, till stiff peaks form, for about three to four minutes.
  5. Using a spatula, gently fold in the beaten egg whites into the coconut mixture, being careful not to overmix.
  6. Lastly sprinkle the salt grains on the mix lightly blend in with the spatula.
  7. With moistened hands, form small balls of about 1 ½ inches diameter and place on the baking sheets, 1 inch apart, giving the macaroons space to expand while baking.
  8. Bake in the preheated oven, for about 22 to 25 minutes, till the top of the macaroons start to brown.
  9. Transfer to a cooling rack and they are ready to go!
  10. Note: These can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three weeks, that is, if they last that long!

 

Quick and Easy Strawberry Cobbler

Life has been lazy, lazy these days. After all, these are the days of ‘lazy hazy crazy days of summer’, right? Unfortunately lost in the excitement of summer, is the routine of regular cooking. Actually that was the case ever since I came back from my winter stay in the tropics, where all I had to do was appear at the dining table to be pampered with mouthwatering food, all my favourites  Now I had to get back to my regular routines. You can survive only so long with eatouts and takeouts and leftovers and quick fix solutions. But the lazy bug had bitten me real hard and I needed a magical cure to defeat it.

So, I devised a plan to cook (or rather bake) a bunch of stuff I love to cook and eat and serve… like fruit cobblers, coconut macaroons and flancocho and tres leches cakes. I knew… I knew what it will do to my weight, but who is afraid of a few desserts in the season of fresh vegetables and long walks? Pffft!
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First in the plan was a strawberry cobbler. Fruit cobblers are great in that they do not need much sugar to taste great. The natural sweetness of the fruit is brought forward by the concentrating of flavours that happen while baking. So winners all around.
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A strawberry cobbler right out of the oven, with the fruit still bubbling in red juicyness and fragrant… a mental image of that was inspiration enough to get off my butt and into the kitchen! 🙂
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Apparently, cobblers are fairly newcomers on the food scene. The British settlers in America found that it was impossible to make their traditional puddings with the ingredients available to them in the new land.
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I have been trying to determine the etymology of the word ‘cobbler’ without much success. My best guess would be that the name originated from the cobbled together appearance of the dish when done.
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This cobbler can be frozen, tightly wrapped in aluminum foil. However, do not warm it up in the microwave; that will totally ruin it. The oven at 350 degrees is the only way to go.
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The best thing about fruit cobblers is that you can whip them up in a jiffy… you see some excellent ripe fruit in the farmers’ market and 30 minutes after you get them home, the cobbler can be starting to bubble in the oven. That quick and easy!
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The strawberry cobbler comes out great whether you use fresh strawberries or frozen. If using frozen, make sure that you use whole strawberries and not slices which tend to sort of disintegrate.
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Adding a bit of strawberry liqueur can give the cobbler an extra oomph, but that is strictly optional. The strawberries on their own provide enticing flavour enough.
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Though fruit cobblers are made from mixed fruit as well, I prefer the single fruit varieties with their individual personalities and flavours.

~Ria

Quick and Easy Strawberry Cobbler
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients
  • 3 cups fresh or 2 cups frozen strawberries
  • 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • 6 tbsp sugar
  • ½ tsp lemon zest
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • A pinch salt
  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 tbsp strawberry liqueur (optional)
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Clean and husk the fresh strawberries and slice them in half. If using frozen ones, leave them whole.
  3. In a medium bowl, gently mix together the strawberries, 3 tablespoon sugar, 2 tablespoon flour, and the lemon zest. Also, add the strawberry liqueur to the mix, if using.
  4. Arrange the fruit in a 8 or 9 inch baking dish. For something I’m not planning to cut into exact rectangle pieces, I prefer round baking dishes; they are much easier to clean! 🙂
  5. To make the topping, mix together the remaining flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and rub into the flour mix till it resembles coarse bread crumbs.
  6. Sprinkle just enough milk over the flour and gently stir together, till it starts to come together.
  7. Distribute the topping uniformly over the strawberries in the baking dish, till the fruit is more or less covered. Small gaps in the topping does not matter.
  8. Bake in the center of the preheated oven, for 30 minutes or till the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.
  9. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream or whipped cream.

Pumpkin Orange Cake

October is pumpkin season. Starting with the green pumpkins which are great in soups and stews, we go on to enjoy the ripe pumpkin in pasta sauce, cheese cake, ice cream and a lot more. And the month ends with the large bright orange pumpkins that get carved into lanterns for Halloween. BTW, it is great fun to set about carving a pumpkin… if you haven’t tried it, you should.

 
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Okay, so we were talking about it being pumpkin season now. These days we find so many products that are pumpkin flavoured. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin syrup, pumpkin butter, pumpkin ales… the list goes on. We have come a long way from the traditional pumpkin pie, the staple at the Thanksgiving table.

 
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Pumpkin flavour in food items originated with the pumpkin spiced coffee, first introduced by Starbucks, which has become a regular item at any coffee place during the season. From there, its popularity has grown greatly over the recent years. According to the US Department of Agriculture, pumpkin sales have gone up by 34% in the last years alone!

 
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Keeping with the spirit of the season, this pumpkin orange cake brings on the goodness of pumpkins, combined with an orangey sweetness. Preserved pumpkin is the base of this cake.

 
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The preserve is prepared from the smallish sugar pumpkins during the pumpkin season and frozen, for use throughout the year. Cut the pumpkin into four pieces, remove all the goop from inside and roast in the oven till soft. Scrape out the flesh and cook it down, in a pan, with a bit of brown sugar. The pumpkin preserve is ready. It is great for making pies, cookies, cakes and brownies, all pumpkin flavoured. 🙂

 
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To make the cake, in addition to the basic cake ingredients, you use cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to add some zest. Rest of it is very routine.

 
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Beat together butter, egg, and the wet flavours.

 
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Add the pumpkin preserve and mix well.

 
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Mix together the dry ingredients.

 
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Add the dry ingredients to the wet, alternating with the milk.

 
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You can use either a 11 inch cake pan or multiple smaller baking dishes. I had these bakery type paper cake pans which worked perfect!

 
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You have to allow the cake to cool on a wire rack, before applying the frosting.

 
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To prepare the frosting, thoroughly mix the ingredients together.

 
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Decorate with orange segments (either from a fresh orange or a can) and a glazed cherry, and the beautiful cake is ready!

 
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BTW, pumpkin seed oil is the latest beauty product to arrive on the fashion scene. Don’t know whether it will be good for cooking!

~Ria

 

 

Pumpkin Orange Cake
Ingredients
  • ½ cup butter, at room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup concentrated pumpkin preserve
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ tsp finely minced ginger
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup milk
  • powdered sugar
  • ¾ cup cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tsp orange zest
  • Orange segments (fresh or canned) and glazed cherries for garnish
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Using an electric hand-held mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar together, till fluffy.
  3. Add the egg, vanilla and ginger and mix well.
  4. Add the pumpkin preserve and thoroughly beat into the mix.
  5. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  6. Add the flour mixture into the beaten butter-sugar mix, in batches, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
  7. Prepare cake pans by buttering them. You can either use an 11 inch pan or smaller pans.
  8. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans till ¾ full.
  9. Place in the middle rack of the pre-heated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
  10. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
  11. Meanwhile, to make the frosting, beat the cream cheese till smooth.
  12. Add the powdered sugar and orange zest and mix well, till fluffy.
  13. Apply the frosting to the top of the now cool cake, and decorate with orange segments and glazed cherries. Lovely to look at, and tasty to eat!

Caramelized Pear And Roquefort Cheese Tart

I have been interested in cooking for a very long time. Of course, at the bottom of it is my love of good food. And never been afraid to try new food items or recipes. A friend has suggested that ‘Fearless in the kitchen’ could be my tagline! 🙂 So when I started this blog, there was no dearth of topics to write about; there are so many tried and tested recipes lying around. But then, I also want to continue my adventures with new things… so this post is about something that I tried for the first time – a delicious tart of caramelized pear and Roquefort cheese!
 
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This tart was a continuation of the theme of contrasting food flavours, which turned out truly terrific. However, a word of warning… do not attempt this tart unless you are a hard core cheese aficionado. Roquefort cheese is not for the faint of heart. Its sharp, tangy, salty, and ripe flavour comes from the mould Penicillium Roqueforti that grows on the floor of the Combalou caves in which the cheese is aged.
 
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You can see and smell the mould in green powdery veins on the cheese. And boy, is it delicious! A bit of it on a warm cracker, and your evening is made! No wonder it is called the ‘cheese of kings and popes’!
 
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Roquefort cheese is made from the milk of sheep of the Lacaune, Manech and Basco-Béarnaise breeds, in the south of France. And aged for five months in the natural caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. According to legend, a young shepherd left his bread and sheep’s milk cheese in the cave while he went courting. When he came back months later, the cheese had gotten all mouldy from the mould growing on the floor of the cave. Either he must have been a courageous guy, or extremely hungry… he tried that cheese and found that it was sooo good. Thus was born the Roquefort cheese.
 
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The cheese is very creamy and moist, and has the distinctive bluish green veins of edible mould all over. A typical Roquefort cheese weighs around six pounds and has no rind.
 
It can be used for salad dressings and dips, meat sauces, tarts, pies and quiches. Crumbled over pasta, it is yummy as well.
 
Roquefort belongs to the family of blue cheeses, Stilton and Gorgonzola being other well-known members.
 
There are restrictions on the production and labeling of the cheese, imposed by the EU to ensure quality standards. There are only seven companies manufacturing Roquefort cheese today.
 
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A group of doctors at a biotech company, based in Cambridge has advanced theories that Roquefort and similar mouldy cheeses help improve cardiovascular health and prevent joint inflammation. Even the longevity and good health of the French population is being ascribed to the anti-inflammatory properties of these cheeses. So people, all you have to do is consume some cheese and crackers along with your daily red wine for a long, healthy life! Don’t you love research of this kind?
 
Another thing about this tart is that it is a bit time consuming to make. So don’t attempt this if you are in a hurry… pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy the making of the tart.
 
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You need to prepare the dough for the shell and chill it first.
 
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Then, blind bake the shell. That is, bake just the shell without any filling, but with some weights in it so that the shell holds its perfect shape.
 
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Then you grill the pears… look at them glistening!
 
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Prepare the liquid filling.
 
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Arrange the pears in the shell, add the liquid filling and the cheese and ready for the oven.
 
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And the mouth-watering pear and cheese tart is done!
 
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Perfect finish to a fabulous dinner! The port wine reduction for drizzling is so delicious it adds much to the tart. Next time, maybe I’ll take it another level by adding a bit of jalapeno oil to that. Let’s see.

~Ria

 

Caramelized Pear And Roquefort Cheese Tart
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup almond flour
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch pieces
  • 1 egg yolk, beaten with 4 teaspoons of water
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 5 medium sized firm pears, peeled, halved and cored
  • 2 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 3 ounces Roquefort cheese
  • ½ cup half-and-half or light cream
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups port wine
Directions
  1. To make the crust, mix together the all purpose flour, almond flour, sugar and salt.
  2. Add the butter cut into pieces and using your finger tips, mix into the flour mix to form a bread crumb like texture.
  3. Add the egg mix and form into a dough.
  4. Shape into a disk, cover with cling wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. You can keep the dough in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
  5. Peel and core the pears, and cut them into 1 inch thick slices.
  6. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pan, on medium high heat.
  7. Lay down the pieces of pear flat in the butter and cook till browned on one side.
  8. Turn over to brown the other side.
  9. Add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and stir.
  10. Allow to cook till the brown sugar is dissolved and starts to caramelize. Remove from heat and keep aside.
  11. Preheat the oven to 350 degree farenheit.
  12. Carefully roll out the chilled dough to cover a 10-inch tart pan.
  13. Place the rolled out dough in the tart pan and push gently in, to fit into the pan.
  14. Place a piece of parchment paper over the dough and fill with pie weights or any of the larger beans. (These beans will not be suitable for cooking after this, but you can use them again and again for baking.)
  15. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and pie weights and replace in the oven for another 5 minutes. When done, allow to cool.
  16. When the shell is slightly cooled, layer the caramelized pears in it. Keep aside any pan juices from the pears.
  17. Crumble the cheese over the pears.
  18. To the pan juices from the pears, add the half and half, sugar, egg yolks, and flour and mix well.
  19. Pour over the pears and cheese.
  20. Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, till the center is set.
  21. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
  22. In a small pan, bring the port to a boil.
  23. Constantly stirring, reduce the port to about half and the consistency is syrupy.
  24. Cut the tart into wedges and serve garnished with the port reduction.

Pepper Cumin Cookies… A Spicy, Sweet Treat

All traditional cuisines have prescribed ways of combining and contrasting flavours and textures in food. However, chefs these days seem to be taking more of an experimental approach in their choice of flavours… be it in food or drink. What is most interesting about these new trends is that many of the combinations that work really well are indeed contrasts! Many of the new food products that have been successful fall into this category.
 
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The highly popular salted caramel, a direct influence from France, is a perfect case of contrasting flavours finding success. Anything from candies and ice cream to cakes and macaroons are available in this flavor which was unheard of in the mass market, just a few years back. In fact, an article in the New York Times talks about how 2008 was the lucky year for ‘sweet caramel seasoned with fancy salt’.
 
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Though the theory that different areas of the human tongue are responsible for detecting different basic tastes has been debunked, scientists are still of the opinion that some parts of the tongue taste some flavours before the others. Would that be a likely explanation why contrasting tastes prove to be very satisfying sometimes?
 
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Right now, what sent me in the direction of contrasting flavours is the thought of some cookies. You bite into one… you are a bit confused at first… is it spicy, hot, sweet? All at the same time? As the pepper cumin cookie crumbs melt in your mouth, you realise… aah, it is a combination of all those flavours!
 
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This is a cookie that is very popular with my friends as well. In fact, I have a friend who can smell these baking in the oven even from far away, and can be at the door at the right moment! 🙂
 
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As the name indicates, the ingredients that add a zest to the cookies and kick it up several notches are pepper, cumin and lemon zest.
 
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And there are no eggs in the recipe. So perfectly vegetarian!
 
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The black pepper and cumin are crushed coarsely, adding to the texture of the cookie.
 
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Chilling the rolled up dough in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes makes it easy to cut it into rounds. BTW, the dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
 
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Remember to place the cookie rounds far enough apart on the cookie sheet as they will expand quite a bit.
 
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I like to make them a bit on the thick side, but you can make them very thin as well. Only, remember to reduce the baking time.
 
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Perfect with a cup of green tea, on a lazy afternoon.
 
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Or some sweet wine will work equally well.

~Ria

 
P.S. The contrast of flavours is so enticing… check back for a Caramelized Pears and Roquefort Tart soon.

 

Pepper Cumin Cookies… A Spicy, Sweet Treat
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Snacks
Ingredients
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 6 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
  1. Zest the lemon and keep aside 1 tablespoon of zest.
  2. Coarsely crush the black pepper and cumin.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees farenheit.
  4. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt, lemon zest, and crushed pepper and cumin.
  5. Cut the butter into pieces and drop in the flour.
  6. Add the vanilla extract.
  7. Using finger tips, mix the butter into the flour mixture, till it resembles bread crumbs. Do this quickly and do not over mix.
  8. Gather together the mixture and form into two logs, about 1 ½ inch thick.
  9. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  10. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  11. Cut the dough rolls into uniform rounds.
  12. Place the rounds on the cookie sheet, leaving 1 inch space between them.
  13. Place in the middle of the preheated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, till the cookies are lightly browned.
  14. When done, remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on a rack.
  15. Stored in an airtight container, the cookies will keep fresh for up to one week.

 

Monkey Bread with Pecans and Blueberries

Time to put away the utensils and dig in with your bare fingers! Yes, it is Monkey Bread time!

 
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A cluster of warm, sweet, delicious pieces of bread, baked usually in a ring shape in a bundt pan… and you pull apart these pieces just like a monkey! Hence the name, monkey bread.

 
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Somewhere along my peregrinations over the alleyways of the cyberspace, I came across the name, ‘monkey bread’. And without a second thought, I knew I had to make it, I had to eat it. It was just hours from thought to action, and here we are with a lovely, gooey, fragrant monkey bread! 🙂

 
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There are various theories about how it got its name… its resemblance to the fruit of the monkey puzzle tree, the monkeying around you have to do to make the dish (absolute pish-posh; it is an easy dish to make), and my favourite… one can channel one’s inner monkey while eating it!

 
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Monkey bread does not have a long tradition on the food scene, the first mention of it appearing in cookbooks and magazines in the 1950s, according to the foodtimeline. Nancy Reagan used to serve it at the white house, during the Christmas season.

 
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Many of the traditional recipes use yeast in the monkey bread dough, which in my opinion is a lot of time wasted, waiting for the yeast to act. Instead, you could use a combo of buttermilk and baking powder to get the same buoyancy.

 
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You prepare the dough, cutting in the butter and then adding the buttermilk.

 
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The dough is divided into small pieces and rolled in brown sugar.

 
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These are then layered at the bottom of the pan along with nuts and dried fruits.

 
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And if you want a really short shortcut, you could use the biscuit dough that comes in a tube instead of making your own dough.

 
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The pecans and blueberries used in the recipe can be replaced with any nuts and dry fruits.

 
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The giant baobab tree (of ‘The Little Prince’ fame) is called ‘monkey fruit tree’ in Africa. And the insides of that fruit looks very much like monkey bread. Do take a look

 

~Ria

 

Monkey Bread with Pecans and Blueberries
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Snack
A 8 or 9 inch bundt pan works well for baking this monkey bread.
Ingredients
  • 4 cups all purpose flour
  • 3 tsps baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¾ cup butter
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup pecans (can be replaced with walnuts)
  • ½ cup dried blueberries (can be any dried fruit)
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp of cinnamon powder
  • ½ tsp nutmeg powder
  • 1 ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¾ cup butter
Directions
  1. Soak the blueberries in one cup of warm water for 30 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
  2. Lightly toast the pecans. Let cool and keep aside.
  3. Mix half a cup of brown sugar with the cinnamon and spread flat on a platter.
  4. Melt together 1 ½ cup brown sugar and ¾ cup butter. When fully melted, remove from heat.
  5. Pour a quarter of the butter-sugar mix into the bundt pan and swirl around to coat the bottom. Keep aside.
  6. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees farenheit.
  7. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in ¾ cup of butter into the flour. Add the buttermilk and mix into a smooth dough.
  8. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a log and cut into three pieces.
  9. Take one of the pieces and roll it into a longish rope.
  10. Cut the rope shaped dough into uniform sized pieces, about 1 inch in diameter.
  11. Shape each piece of dough into a rough ball and roll in the brown sugar-cinnamon mix to coat.
  12. Place the round shapes at the bottom of the bundt pan in a single layer.
  13. Sprinkle half the pecans and blueberries over the dough.
  14. Spoon a quarter of the butter-sugar mix evenly over the layers in the bundt pan.
  15. Repeat the process with the remaining two portions of dough, interspersing with layers of pecans, blueberries and butter-sugar mix.
  16. When all the dough is used up, pour the remaining butter-sugar mix on the top.
  17. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
  18. When done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
  19. Invert on to a serving platter and serve warm.

 

Sweet and Spicy Fruit Salad

Before long, summer will be gone, summer harvests will be gone too. No more fresh fruit from the farmers’ market. And I’m determined to make the best of the last chance foods before they are gone behind the colours of the arriving autumn. Salads, salads… and lots of fruits, that is my motto for now.

SSFS-closeup1

This particular salad is aimed at doing just that. Just lots of fruits, in a simple dressing. Nothing complicated, but the effect and the flavour of the combined fruit and the dressing is awesome.

SSFS-basket1

This can be a dessert after a meal, or half a brunch or even a lunch with a slice of frittata or an omelette added.

SSFS-fruit-closeup

So we start with the fruit. Any type of fruit, even slightly sour ones like kiwis, will work well in this salad.

SSFS-basket2

Most of the fruits I used are fresh, except for pineapple and oranges which came out of cans. And the liquid in which they were preserved in is not used.

SSFS-fruit-addition1

I started with pineapple cubes, orange segments, and a pink lady apple…

SSFS-fruit-addition2

Some ripe cherries, a golden delicious apple, and kiwis…

SSFS-fruit-addition3

Continuing with peaches and plums, bananas, and finally strawberries. That’s it; all the fruit in.
Now about the dressing…

SSFS-spice-mix

I used a pinch of red chilli flakes and a bit of chat masala, which is available in Indian grocery stores. If not, you can just use finely crushed cumin and black pepper. Juice of a fresh lime and some honey. That completes it.

SSFS-finished

Add all the dressing ingredients to the fruits along with the lime juice and honey. Mix well. Finally, chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes at least.

SSFS-closeup2

And done! Yummy spicy sweet fruit salad is ready!

 

~Ria

 

Sweet and Spicy Fruit Salad
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
Ingredients
  • Different fruits, at least 5 or 6 varieties
  • ½ tsp red chilli flakes
  • 1 tsp chat masala (can be replaced with ground cumin and black pepper)
  • 1 fresh lime
  • 2 tbsp honey
Directions
  1. Prepare the fruit as required.
  2. Cut the fruit into bite sized pieces.
  3. Sprinkle the red chilli flakes and chat masala over the fruits.
  4. Squeeze the lime and add the juice to the honey.
  5. Pour the mix over the fruit.
  6. Mix well carefully, without crushing the fruits.
  7. Serve garnished with sprigs of fresh mint.

 

A Fruit Tart… Redolent of Summer

I’m depressed… pretty much badly. Looks like the summer is gone already. It is just about the middle of August, and the mornings are already getting cooler. Everywhere you look, there are the inevitable signs… fall fashions in the shops, fall programs in the pages of the Times… Not that one minds too much either. After all, there is a lot to enjoy in the autumn. But this early? Did summer really have its turn this year? I don’t think so!
 
FTRS-closup
 
A colourful, rich, delicious fresh fruit tart is a sure fire cure for the depression induced by oncoming weather changes; at least, temporarily. So I headed for the farm market to get some tree ripened fragrant and sweet fruit. This is a small market held three afternoons a week, and has produce only from within locavore distance. What do you think I saw when I got there? Tables and tables of squash! Acorn squashes, butternut squashes, kabocha squashes… all winter varieties! Nnnnno! No one loves a baked acorn half stuffed with onions and mushrooms and drenched in béchamel more than I do, but not already!
 
Keeping my eyes firmly averted, I moved towards the fruits. There they were in all their glory, bursting with a healthy glow of summer. Peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries… I returned home somewhat mollified.
 
FTRS-close-closup

This is one fruit tart that I have made many times and it comes out great every time. Most of the fruit tart recipes call for baking the shell empty (called blind baking) and then adding a creamy filling, topped with sliced fruit. Here the shell is baked with a cashew nut-based filling in it and the fruit added when cooled. Traditionally it is a frangipane – an almond paste filling – but then isn’t it always fun to tinker with traditions! 🙂
 
FTRS-half-tart

You can use any of the seasonal fruit which will look and taste good in combination. For this tart, I used peaches, plums, cherries, kiwis and bananas. Mangoes, strawberries, raspberries, blue berries, etc. will be excellent as well.
 
This might look complicated with all that talk, but actually it is quite easy. If you have ever baked a cake, you can do this – easy peasy!
 
Three sets of ingredients: one for the shell…
 
FTRS-ingredient1

Another for the filling…
 
FTRS-ingredient2

And a third for the topping.
 
FTRS-ingredient3

Blend the first group of ingredients with your fingers and shape into the tart pan.
 
FTRS-mixing-shell

Mix the second group using the food processor.
 
FTRS-mixing-filling

And pour into the chilled shell in the tart pan.
 
FTRS-pouring-filling

Bake.
 
FTRS-filling-in-shell

Finally slice the third group and arrange as pretty as you can on the baked tart base, sticking it in place with some fruit preserve.
 
FTRS-full-tart

Tada! Your lovely fruit tart is ready to dig into!
 
FTRS-cut

Truly juicy and yummy!

 ~Ria

 

A Fruit Tart... Redolent of Summer
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 8 tbsp butter
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 ½ cup cashew nuts (whole or pieces)
  • ⅔ cup sugar
  • 8 tbsp butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 2 lb ripe mixed fruit
  • 4 tbsp fruit preserve, of a flavor that goes with the fruits you have chosen
Directions
  1. Mix the flour and sugar together.
  2. Cut the butter into slices.
  3. Make a hole in the middle of the flour mix and place the butter slices in it.
  4. Blend the egg yolk with the butter using your fingers.
  5. Now blend this mixture into the flour-sugar mix till you get a uniform crumply mixture.
  6. Sprinkle it thinly on the bottom of the pan and press down to form a uniform layer.
  7. Form small ropes with the mix and flatten them to the sides of the pan to form a continuous wall.
  8. Cover in plastic or foil wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 30 minutes. You can chill it overnight.
  9. Preheat the oven to 375 degree farenheit.
  10. Keep the butter in the refrigerator.
  11. Roast the cashews on medium heat, till the edges start to brown.
  12. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
  13. When cooled, place them in the food processor (with a metal blade) along with the sugar and pulse them till they are sandy in texture. Do not grind them to a smooth powder.
  14. Cut the butter into pieces and add to the cashew-sugar mix. Blend well.
  15. Add the eggs and blend well.
  16. Add the flour and blend well.
  17. Take the chilled tart shell out of the refrigerator and pour the filling evenly into the shell.
  18. Bake in the center of the oven for 40-45 minutes, till the filling is puffed up and golden.
  19. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.
  20. Pit, peel and slice all fruits as required.
  21. When the tart base has cooled, apply 3 tablespoons of the fruit preserve, uniformly on the top. (Leave aside 1 tablespoon of preserve.)
  22. Place the fruit slices in an attractive pattern over the fruit preserve.
  23. Mix the 1 tablespoon of remaining fruit preserve with 1 tablespoon of water and using a pastry brush, apply over the fruit slices to glaze them. Make sure you cover all the pieces. This will prevent them from drying out.
  24. The fruit tart is ready to serve. You can keep it in the refrigerator if not using right away, but bring it to room temperature before serving.

 

Muffins to the Rescue of Bananas

Four bananas going south… cannot eat anymore as two already downed… don’t like to waste food either… what is a girl to do?

Make some banana muffins, of course! Especially when she is in need of some interesting breakfast stuff.

BPGCWM-single-glazed

And that is how it started. But then, isn’t it too tame to go ahead and make some regular run of the mill muffins? Why not add some different stuff to make it a bit more interesting? That is the path I took. And the end result? Well worth the effort… a healthier, tastier set of muffins!

BPGCWM-on-the-rack

So I went around assembling the ingredients… the bananas are very sweet; so what is a fruit that is not so sweet? Dried plums! They do have a good texture too.

BPGCWM-to-be-chopped

And now for some colour… what better than glazed cherries for colour? And some walnuts for crunch. Last item… a pinch of orange zest. Nothing invokes that sunny morning feeling like the flavour of oranges!

BPGCWM-to-be-beaten

With the ingredients assembled, the rest was easy. As easy as beat’em, chop’em, blend’em… beat the liquid stuff, chop the fruits and nuts…

BPGCWM-all-chopped

And blend everything together!

BPGCWM-batter-making

When the muffins came out of the oven, they were looking so good I felt it is a shame not to give them a topping… at least some of them.

BPGCWM-baked

So I made a quick topping with a bit of cream cheese and a dash of mascarpone. They are sufficiently sweet, so just a spoonful of honey to sweeten just the topping.

BPGCWM-group-glazed

A sliver of glazed cherry to garnish, and you got a winner!

 ~Ria

 

Muffins to the Rescue of Bananas
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Breakfast
Ingredients
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp nutmeg powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs at room temperature
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 very ripe bananas
  • 1 cup dried plums
  • ½ cup glazed red cherries
  • ¾ cup walnuts
  • 1 tbsp orange zest
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degree fahrenheit.
  2. Prepare muffin pans with paper liners. The quantity mentioned will get you 20 muffins; so you could either use two muffin pans, or bake them in two batches.
  3. Mix the flour with baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Keep aside.
  4. Toast the walnuts in a hot pan for 3 minutes and let cool. Chop the walnuts into a rough chop, each walnut being cut into not more than two or three pieces.
  5. Mash two of the bananas coarsely so that lumps remain.
  6. Chop the dried plums and glazed cherries coarsely.
  7. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, using an electric beater.
  8. Add the sugar and continue beating till the sugar is completely dissolved.
  9. Add the remaining two bananas and beat them into the egg-sugar mixture.
  10. Add the oil and vanilla extract and beat to mix thoroughly.
  11. Using a spatula, mix the lumpily mashed bananas into the mix.
  12. Now add the chopped ingredients – dried plums, glazed cherries, walnuts – and the orange zest, one by one, mixing well after each addition to form the batter.
  13. Add half the flour mixture into the batter and gently blend in.
  14. When all the flour is mixed in, add the remaining flour and continue blending till smooth. Do not beat the batter at this stage or over blend.
  15. Using a large spoon, drop the batter into the prepared muffin pans till each cup is ¾ full.
  16. Place the pan into the heated oven.
  17. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, till the muffins have risen well and the top is golden brown. At this stage, a skewer inserted into the center of a muffin will come out clean.
  18. Remove from the oven and place individual muffins on a rack to cool.
  19. If you would like to add a topping, mix together 3 tablespoons of cream cheese with 2 tablespoons of mascarpone cheese. Sweeten just enough with honey and spread on top of the muffins.