A Cooked up Story

Hello Folks!!! Right now I am enjoying myself listening to Nancy Mulligan by Ed Sheeran and eating heartening Apple Crumble, the best way to bring happiness to your soul by mingling the heavenly combination of music and food… This takes me back to a lazy Thursday evening when I went out to play with my friends. We had begun skipping two at a time on a long skipping rope and praying not to strangle our feet lest we should go out and wait again for our next chance. All six little girls happily enjoying themselves like how the handsome horse- Black Beauty used to on the meadow. All of a sudden, it became so windy that we couldn’t play any longer and were forced to return back home, only wishing that we could play for some more time. I was so sad and kept looking outside only to see that the weather became worse and worse. At such a time, Black Beauty would have gone searching for apples that fell down from the trees. That was when mom brought this pretty looking cream coloured sweet d...

Hello Folks!!! Rise and shine in this beautiful season. How wonderful a feeling it is to wake up every morning to see trees all fresh with blushing fruit ready to be plucked…this reminds me of long time ago in the African country of Botswana. I was around 7 years old and it was my friend, Megan’s birthday party.It was one of the most memorable moments in my life. We had so much of fun in the swimming pool, I learnt how to blow a bubble gum and there were so many children of my age playing with us and finally we watched Mister Bean’s Holiday at the end of it all…I know I have a really sharp memory! One of the best things, whose taste still lingers in my mouth, is that of the tasty mysterious juice kept inside an enormous bowl. It was just a sight of pure magic - a juice that was half juice and half fruit with its pretty chunks floating atop and named in an even more special way – a PUNCH. That day when I discovered what a punch was made me feel like I was in Hogwarts, trying to brew...

Hello folks!!! Hostel life is very different from being at home. You learn to become independent and have lots of fun-group studies, parties for no reason, group dances and midnight chit-chattering. We always wait for tea time once our classes get over and rush to our rooms to get our mugs and go to the canteen to fill our hungry stomachs. But whenever we find that everything got over before we arrived, we are not that heart-broken because that gives us an excuse to go out for a long evening walk with our friends and eat golden brown pakodas!!! Today, mom made some crispy, golden-brown pakodas, whose aroma reminded me of those fun-filled days when we used to go for the evening walks on the busy roads of Bangalore overflowing with its variety of street food. We  never pay attention to such small things in life that give us great joy. This wonderful memory makes me want to share with you the recipe to make the finest pakodas that will also be easy to prepare when you have a sud...

Hello Folks!!! "Cooking is one of the great gifts you can give to those you love"                                                                                                                                -Ina Garten I don't think there is anyone out there who doesn't love to eat a slice of banana loaf. I like it with peanut butter for a lovely breakfast, frost it with some fresh cream for high tea, or simply enjoy it with some fruit salad for a refreshing desert. What's better than a loaf that can act two ways just to confuse you! you can either have it like cake or imagine it's bread ha ha ha.... It is obvious that if you use a sheet pan, it is a cake. But there is a...

Hello Folks!!! "Pumpkin,pumpkin big and round, I'm glad you grow  upon the ground."  - A nursery rhyme Pumpkins NEVER allow you to get unhappy. You can use them for carving Jack-o-lanterns, make the classic pumpkin pie, cheese cake, pumpkin pasta and of course heart warming pumpkin soup. There's a lot of things you can prepare from a humble vegetable. Have you ever felt like devouring something nice and warm when it is very cold outside, or lift your spirits on a gloomy day? A soup or broth always brings magic.The origin of soup dates back to the origin of human civilization.There are four main types of soups - broth, purees, cream soups and thickened soups. Here is a beautiful puree soup recipe that keeps your stomach, your day and your taste buds, all three happy at the same time. Make sure that you have it with hot buttered crusty bread or golden fried croutons. If you like it spicy,you can always add a pinch of cinnamon. PS:If you are a bird-lover like Jack Trent ...

Hello folks!!! “C’est le moment present qui compte” – a French saying meaning ‘It is the moment that counts’; a very powerful line indeed that can just change your perspective towards life and appreciate every small yet beautiful element that thrives in it. I believe that every moment spent doing something that brings happiness to your soul is a moment well lived. Last day, I was reading ‘The Famous Five’ by Enid Blyton. These lines made me imagine myself with Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy their dog at the picnic – ‘Nothing could be nicer than icy-cold, creamy farm milk from the dairy on a hot day like this. They all sat down to tea…’.This made my mouth water immediately, inspiring me to write this recipe. With the hot days and rainy evenings marking the commencement of the monsoon season, this would be the best snack to devour and lose yourself into with a cup of tea or how we call it - chai on a rainy Sunday evening. Welcome my dear friends to another day of fun and cook...

Hello Folks!!! I am so excited to share this recipe with you today because it makes me remember my first friend from childhood, Tamara Lopang, who is now a well known artist and  lives in the opposite side of the world . She always used to eat her rice with mayo because she couldn't eat spicy food. She was the person who introduced me to lip smacking mayo. To say the truth, trying out this recipe for the first time was literally like a science experiment for me, but unlike a conventional science experiment, we get to eat our experiment ha ha ha … This is a very simple method to make mayonnaise and you can prepare it in almost no time. So, the next time you want to have a sandwich or simply treat yourself to it but don’t have any more left, you will always have this recipe to fall back on. I feel this is a very special recipe because it has its own unique nuttiness and fragrance that I haven’t found in any other mayo that we buy from stores. Earlier this year, I made some sandwi...

Hello Folks!!! Last week, my sister and I were just wishing to go out and eat, but unfortunately we had to stay at home. I know you too would have wanted to eat from your favorite diner and order some nice fried chicken with fresh chips. I have a solution for your problem. Today, I will be sharing with you a recipe to make restaurant-style crispy fried chicken right at home. My sister had started off marinating the chicken with salt and pepper before I knew about it.When I saw what she was doing, I was a little skeptical about whether it will turn out the way we wanted it to; but after it was all done and we took that first bite, it was just marvelously delicious and we served ourselves more and more. Fried Chicken and its Hi-Story Before we get our aprons ready, let’s know a little more about fried chicken and its origin. In the past, the most popular and common method to cook chicken was to boil or bake it and it was the Scottish who were the first to deep-fry...

Hello folks!! Today why not do something new and whimsical... I know that you are all at home due to the lock down and just wishing to have a good piece of cake.So, why not  try out one of my favorite recipes (which will soon become your favorite too) -MUG CAKES  What is a mug cake? YES.. you are right.Just as the name goes, a mug cake is simply a cake in a mug. How much fun is that! It is a very easy to bake cake and it proves true that anyone can make it. The best part is that they get baked really fast, much faster than any normal cake would, can fill your stomach in one serving and you would definitely have all of those ingredients at home. Most mug cakes can be made using just 5-6 ingredients and there are others also which require only a surprising 2-3 ingredients. You can always put on your favorite toppings and decorations to have a much more enjoyable experience baking. You can also be sure that this cake will always be there to satiate your  cravings and be your...

One of the most fun things any kid would love to do would be to get their hands onto those dishes and spoons that mom uses to cook up her magic recipe that fills our stomachs. My love for cooking began at the age of 4 way back in the African country of Botswana, with me learning to make oats and stir it all around with my tiny hands. That was when I first got the chance to act like a master chef who knew what she was doing in the kitchen and talk and talk to an imaginary audience.  Cooking is not only fun, but it is in a way some kind of magic that we all long to find an answer to..You don't always need a recipe to cook....you only need the love for cooking and a good imagination that can make you stir up anything mouthwatering and make you proud of your new discovery. I always cook with my sister and almost all the time, we do start with a recipe and, knowingly or unknowingly, we often deviate from the already established rules of the recipe to bring in our own twists, resulting i...