'Circle of Life' Lemon Cookies ~ Farewell Richa and 2010

Richa of 'My Impromptu Self' is a good friend from work. We wrote 'Starry Chocolate Brownies' together. Her guest post for my 200th post celebration was 'The Sweets Fairy'. Today was her last day in office..... With her farewell.... I bid 2010 farewell too.....

I made “Circle of Life” from lion King cookies for her in her favourite colour... Purple... :)

“Circle of Life”
Music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice
Performed by Elton John

From the day we arrive on the planet
And blinking, step into the sun
There's more to be seen than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done

Some say eat or be eaten
Some say live and let live

But all are agreed as they join the stampede
You should never take more than you give

(Chorus)
In the Circle of Life
It's the wheel of fortune
It's the leap of faith
It's the band of hope

Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the Circle, the Circle of Life

Some of us fall by the wayside
And some of us soar to the stars
And some of us sail through our troubles
And some have to live with the scars

There's far too much to take in here
More to find than can ever be found
But the sun rolling high
Through the sapphire sky
Keeps the great and small on the endless round

(Chorus repeats)


Wishing you all the BEST..... :)
Always be your impromptu self.....

Sushi brunch with Amitabh at Ai, MGF Metropolitan Mall

A wonderful afternoon spent with Amitabh at Ai, MGF Metropolitan Mall, Saket, Delhi. Have been there by night, by day, it's a different world. They have beautiful terrace and dine in restaurant. We sat outside to enjoy the Sunday afternoon sun.

This was one brunch which had me smitten n shy both to bring out my camera...... The prawns just did it and tipped the scales over... I whipped out my camera and wouldn't let Amitabh touch it till I was done with the pictures... :)

Since this was a Sunday, we took up the brunch offer of about Rs2300+taxes.... The host discussed with is what we were looking for and what each of us prefers.... Poor guy had 2 different preferences to remember on the table. This seemed somewhat similar to the Omakase way of serving. The expression is used at sushi restaurants to leave the selection to the chef. It differs from ordering à la carte. The chef will generally present a series of plates, beginning with the lightest fare and proceeding to heaviest, richest dishes. The phrase is not exclusive to service of raw fish with rice, and can incorporate grilling and simmering as well. Customers ordering omakase style expect the chef to be innovative and surprising in the selection of dishes, and the meal can be likened to an artistic performance by the chef. Ordering omakase can be a gamble; however, the customer typically receives the highest quality fish the restaurant currently has in stock at a price cheaper than if it was ordered à la carte. From the restaurant's perspective, a large number of customers ordering omakase can help in planning for food costs.

Quickly we had hot sake on the table..... The brunch started with a platter of soups..... I liked Amitabh's idea of mixing Sake into the soup ;)

Next we got some starters on the table with chicken n mushrooms... at this point I looked up and said 'I-came-for-Sushi, I-want-Sushi'.... n there we have it, a gentleman sets up a table stand next to out table and folds up sushi of our choice in the form of Sushi Hand Rolls (Temaki-zushi) are paper thin sheets of nori (a special type of seaweed) wrapped in a cone shape around sticky vinegared rice and various seafood and vegetable fillings.The nori wasn't at it's thinnest which resulted the roll in being a bit chewey. Then we were plied with loads of sushi rolls.....
The pork belly terriyaki and gyoza was very nice. I stirred totally clear of all tempura...
Since I'm writing this a bit late... am not able to recollect the other starters. We could ask for extra portions of any dish we liked and would want more of.... :)

Then came the main course, we choose prawns in a butter sauce with Soba noodles...... The prawns we done very well, the sauce was a flavourful, buttery bubbly self....


After stuffing myself on all that yummy food, I was wondering where I'd put the dessert......
A new compartment opened up when I saw the gentleman bring out a stand full of fresh fruits, sugar and the blow torch to caramelize them on a skewer, at our table with drizzled chocolate sauce. The dessert had me from the very start. However the plated dessert was a bit of the disappointment in the form of an-attempted-chocolava-cake, icecream and dry-chocolate-cake. The fruits made up for the plated dessert. They were finger licking good.... :)
Thank you for the lovely lunch and fabulous company Amitabh.....
Cheers to many more Sushi meals :)

Caramel Brittle with Almonds ~ Christmas Treats

Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.
~Peg Bracken

With Christmas round the corner and me back from my Hyderabad trip.... Daksayani was vying for my attention.... She was very excited about her gifts.
I made her some Caramel Brittle with Almonds, had to omit the chocolate from the recipe.

Caramel Almond Brittle
adapted from The Yummy Life
Ingredients
1 cup unblanched (skin on) whole almonds [Just used them as is, she just won't wait for me so long]
1 cup butter [I used 1:2 ratio of Butter to Sugar, based on mamu's feedback from last time]
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 (12 oz.) package milk chocolate chips (2 cups)
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans [omitted]

1. Toast almonds by spreading them in a single layer on a plate and microwaving on high for 2-3 minutes (stir after each minute).
2. On foil-lined baking sheet, arrange almonds in a single layer over an area measuring approx. 13x9 inches. [Since I used shapes, I poured directly into the cookie moulds]
3. In a heavy 2-quart saucepan combine butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt.
4. Cook over med-high heat, stirring constantly with a clean, dry wooden spoon till butter is melted.
5. Continue cooking and stirring for approx. 7-10 min. till candy is the color of the brown skin of the almonds; it will start smoking slightly.
6. Immediately pour candy, without scraping pan, over almonds, covering all nuts.
7. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the hot candy. Wait 1 minute and spread the melted chocolate until it is smooth.
8. Cool and break into pieces.
9. Store in a tightly covered container in cool place or refrigerator.


Readers, what surprises did you find under the tree?

Zesty Orange Brownies for Christmas ~ Mamu's Testimony to Sin

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~Burton Hillis

The orange flavour came thru very well and the chocolate made it sinful..... The mamu's loved them... Finger licking good :) am so glad.....

Santa ♥ Caramel Almond Chocolate Brittle ~ Christmas with Mamu's

♥ Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ~Norman Vincent Peale ♥

♥ Christmas is a day of meaning and traditions, a special day spent in the warm circle of family and friends. ~Margaret Thatcher ♥

Spending Christmas eve with mom, mamu's and Vimla Aunty was a total delight..... missed Vipin mamu, Archana mami, Suhela mami n the kids...

Caramel Almond Chocolate Brittle
adapted from The Yummy Life
Ingredients
1 cup unblanched (skin on) whole almonds [
1 cup butter [
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 (12 oz.) package milk chocolate chips (2 cups)
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans [omitted]
Peppermint Candy Canes
1. Toast almonds by spreading them in a single layer on a plate and microwaving on high for 2-3 minutes (stir after each minute).
2. On foil-lined baking sheet, arrange almonds in a single layer over an area measuring approx. 13x9 inches. [Since I used shapes, I poured directly into the cookie moulds]
3. In a heavy 2-quart saucepan combine butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt.
4. Cook over med-high heat, stirring constantly with a clean, dry wooden spoon till butter is melted.
5. Continue cooking and stirring for approx. 7-10 min. till candy is the color of the brown skin of the almonds; it will start smoking slightly.
6. Immediately pour candy, without scraping pan, over almonds, covering all nuts.
7. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the hot candy. Wait 1 minute and spread the melted chocolate until it is smooth.
8. Cool and break into pieces.
9. Store in a tightly covered container in cool place or refrigerator.

Mamu found the toffee a bit on the buttery side...... I loved the crushed candy cane's flavour with chocolate...

I ♥ Christmas....

On Demand Chocolate Tiramisu ~ Walk Down Memory Lane

Chocolate Tiramisu, the dessert of Decadence was the post which set my naniji[Grandmother] ticking and she asked me to make this when I visit her. So on this trip to Hyderabad for mom's birthday, I made Chocolate Tiramisu especially for naniji and nanaji. I just had to use the cute glasses they had, didn't I :)

Shared some of the Tiramisu with the Vir's (special family friends... nah... Family )... Sudha aunty, Ashok uncle, Aarti didi, Diwakar, Gautam and Madhavi. This little bundle is Meher... Aarti didi and Diwakar's daughter.... such a sweetheart she is..... pl don't miss the cupcakes in her top ;)

The Hyderabad home is full of memories from our childhood.... forgotten bit n bobs which have a way of popping up and filling us with nostalgia. This is one of the 2 embroidery designs I've ever made..... Strange but true... have done embroidery for very few special people...

For the recipe you can ready any of these posts, You Know.... It's For YOU, Tiramisu..., Chocolate Tiramisu ~ Amrita's Birthday, Cappuccino Tiramisu Cheesecake for Baking Queen ~ Deeba's Birthday, Flying Tiramisu Cupcakes.

These coasters were Jenny mami's idea for naniji n nanaji's 50th wedding anniversary, where all the grandchildren made their own designs and a set was given to all the guests at the party... and now very proudly displayed at their bar.

Tell me readers, which are your most cherished memories with your grandparents?

Andhra Prawns ~ A Family that Eats Together, Stays Together

Visiting Hyderabad is incomplete without catching up with Surbhi, my friend from college.... She's made to taste my experiments and doesn't escape despite being in a different town ;) Her son, Darsh is just adorable..... He loves the Fan, Lights and rattly sound made by his dad.....
She was raving about these Andhra Prawns that a friend of their's who was over made in their kitchen[Her kitchen saw, her husband Nitin n me experiment with Butter Garlic Prawns last time at midnight :) ]..... and I just had to know how to make them...... So here goes the translated recipe after some frantic phonecalls n quickly scribbled recipe, with my addition of extra Garlic[you might wanna go easy on it].....

Andhra Prawns
Ingredients:
Prawns - 1/2 kg [Deveined, cleaned, washed in turmeric water]
Oil - 4 tbsp
Curry Leaves - 2 handfuls
Green Chillies - 2, sliced
Onions - 1/2 kg, chopped finely
Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Chopped Garlic - 5 Tbsp [finely chopped]
Ginger Paste - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves - handfull

For the Prawn Masala Powder:
Black pepper - 1 tblsp
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Cloves - 5
Cardamom seeds - 4 [seeds of 4 Cardamoms]
Fenugreek - 1 tblsp

Method:
1. Marinate the prawns in salt, turmeric pwd, lemon juice and chilli pwd for half an hour. I used gloves during marination as the turmeric leaves my nails stained for long time n even lemon doesn't take the smell of prawns away.
2. Dry-roast the spices from the ‘Masala Powder’ on a tawa and make a coarsely crushed mix of the all the ingredients mentioned in ‘Masala Powder’ section.
3. Make a paste of the onions and add the Ginger n Garlic paste along with the ‘Masala Powder’.

4. Heat the oil in a pan, temper with curry leaves and green chillies until they begin to shrink.
5. Add the onions and saute till they turn transparent.
6. Add the prawns, reduce the heat and saute for about 5 minutes.
7. Cover and cook on low heat for 3 minutes.


The Prawns were delicious, succulent n juicy..... The flavours of Curry Leaves n Garlic lent itself beautifully with the delicate prawns :) Nani's kitchen so full of lovely stuff collected over the years, this lovely cross-stitch napkin was made by her many many years ago.....

Despite all the teasing n fun.... there was just 1 pc of the prawn left cause we were stuffed upto the brim...

Mom's childhood friend[Nani's friend's son] came over and got us some yummy dessert made with gur...... yes gur rasgullas, spongy and light.....

A Family that Eats Together, Stays Together

and yes, Nivritti you were missed.... Only until next time when we all have chutti together :)

Super Cheeeezzzzzyyyyy Cheese Dosa ~ Never met a calorie I didn't like

“Nothing says holidays, like a cheese log.” Ellen DeGeneres

Have been on a holiday in Hyderabad at my grandparents for my mom's birthday........ my brother's favourite dosa place is Minerva Coffee shop at Amrutha Mall[They are online aswell, you can visit their site Minerva Coffee Shop and read a Review on Times city.] close to our place and my granddad, this trip's special guest love DahiVada...... So Dosa-Idli dinner it was gonna be......

Choices....Choices....Choices.... What should I eat[Not too much suspense there.... Didn't my post tittle give it all aways :)].... I was toying with Paneer and Vegetable Dosa (Seasoned chopped vegetables and grated cottage cheese enveloped in dosa and served with sambar and coconut chutney) Palak Dosa (Seasoned spinach paste brushed on plain dosa and served hot) Paneer Makhani Dosa (Cubes of cottage cheese in thick makhani gravy filled inside the dosa and served) Diet Dosa (Pancake made from special batter on hot pan covered with lid and cooked by its own steam without oil) Vegetable Diet Dosa (Steamed dosa topped with seasoned chopped vegetables and served hot with coconut chutney and Sambar)

So what did I end up with....... Cheese Dosa........ Just to double check that I was getting Cheese n not Paneer[Cottage Cheese] . The gentleman answered me spot on with 'Amul Cheese' When I had Cheese Dosa last time... I was 20 Kgs lesser and many moons younger n never thought twice or for that matter even once about eating an entire tin of Amul cheese.... :) WOW!!!!! what bliss...... Ok so toss the salad n diet in the bin...... I've decided to B-I-N-G-E...... super cheese overdose..... Yes those Stalactites and Stalagmites are created by melting... oozing cheese......

Cheese is milk's leap toward immortality. Cliff Fadiman

A Cheese Dosa recipe and a video to make one too, Veggie Flavours shares her Cheese Dosa. There's even a group on facebook called 'Cheese Dosa rocks!'.... and do I 'Like' it or what...... :) Their description reads 'Cheese Dosas are the best things in existence!'..... got it spot on...

My other fav was ordered my nanaji.... Onion Utttapam[Leaving the uttapam stories for another day... they warrant another post only for themselves :)].

Leaving you with a few more cheeseeeeeeyyyyyyy thoughts.... National Cheese Day is on 20th January.... Happy National Cheese Lovers Day![In advance.... as i just had my Super duper Cheeeessseeeeyyyyyy day]

Special Birthday Party & Trip for Mom ~ Hyderabad Here We Come

A WONDERFUL MOTHER.

GOD made a wonderful mother,
A mother who never grows old;
He made her smile of the sunshine,
And He molded her heart of pure gold;
In her eyes He placed bright shining stars,
In her cheeks, fair roses you see;
God made a wonderful mother,
And He gave that dear mother to me.
~Pat O'Reilly~

We went to Hyderabad to naniji n nanaji's [my maternal grandparent's] place in Hyderabad to celebrate my mom's birthday. Naniji had made a special pudding to be cut at midnight for mom, Chocolate, Bread, Hung Curd, Low Fat, No added Sugar, Walnuts & SUPER SPECIAL LOVE...... does it get better......

Birthday's are always special and should be celebrated with special people......

This is exactly what we did... We got my dadaji[my paternal grandfather] to travel after a gap of 25 odd years especially to celebrate mom's birthday with naniji n nanaji.... He was amazed at how much Hyderabad has changed over these years[more in the next post]. Pl do check out the similar scarves I got for both nanaji n dadaji to wear at the party[Did I want rivalry on who got the better one if I selected different ones... nah :)]... aren't they looking cute * Super big :) *


The joy of sharing this special evening with friends was a completely exhilarating :)

That's the bunch of really close friends.... nah... family.... Ashok Uncle, Naniji, Nanaji, Parveez aunty, Mom, Savita aunty, dadaji and Nalladaru uncle......
Ps: Nivritti and Chetan, you were missed a lot.....
These are the only pictures I could manage as taking pictures wasn't allowed at the Sailing Club.

This is what Nani n I made for mom..... Strawberry jelly served with fresh Oranges, Chocolate Orange Sugarfree Brownies and Chocolate fudge from a friend[which we shared with all the guests as party favours :), I loved the christmasy packing we did :)] along with the Midnight Chocolate Pudding....... now.. now... ain't that quite a spread.....

My mum ♥ has made me laugh :))).....Wiped my tears .....Hugged me tight.....Watched me succeed.....Seen me fall.....Cheered me on.....Kept me going strong.....And.....Drove me a *little* crazy at times .....But mums are a promise from God that you will have a friend forever! I love u mom for all this and MORE.....

Happy Birthday Chocolate Tarts for Suma of Cakes and More

This is a very special post for my blogger friend, Suma of Cakes and More from Bangalore. She did an amazing guest post for me... Egg-less Coffee Walnut Cake Trifle. Her blog has turned 1.... Happy Birthday my dear friend.......

She's hosting a birthday event and also has a giveaway announcement, she calls it Bakeomania! What a cool name for this event. The give away is this wonderful book, which every baker would love to own 'The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum!'.
Since her blog is a vegetarian blog.... I had to rack my brains very hard at what can I bake without eggs... an eggless cake... nah... that's the first thought everyone will have........
Chocolate n Coffee at Suma's birthday event is essential cause I know she loves them both and since she's so careful with the look for her desserts.... mine had to look desirable too.....

So, My Chocolatey baked goodie is this Chocolate Ganache Tarts..... No eggs in the pastry shells, They are baked, There's hmmmmmmm goooooooeeeeeeey molten Chocolate n cream and some Coffee added for extra flavour to the Ganache........

As she says.... Three Cheers to home-baking and may the passionate home-bakers tribe increase!
Suma: Am certainly a +1 on your list, hope i get the book to keep up my crazy baking :)

Zesty Orange Sugarfree Brownies for Abhimanyu's Birthday Parshad

It was my brother Abhimanyu's birthday and also a Durbar day..... So.... So obviously I made the parshad... Most of the people who give up Sugar due to myriad reasons, crave chocolate cause most of the Sugarfree desserts available commercially are fruity, custardy or creamy....
Step in Nachiketa[pl allow me some immodesty :) ], after my success with Sugarfree Cherry Brownies... I made Sugarfree Orange Brownies :) I used Fresh orange juice and zest along with Splenda...

He's the quintessential Shy-Guy, who has young women swooning around him ;)
That's his mom, my chachi...the evergreen young lady of our house :)


Happy Birthday, Bro :)

What's the similarity between a Sincere Kiss and Chocolate Tiramisu?

The 3 very special people in my life....... Babaji, Upma mom and Mom.....

Is this special or what....... Yes making parshad is always special for me.... the effort is huge cause I need to make it for about 350 people (including the sugarfree version) in 1 weekend and transport it to North Delhi from South Delhi ;) I can Proudly say that divine grace has always been with me and the task at hand gets done despite the challenges.
That's Shobha didi and Sudha aunty distributing, Manish eating :) , Tarush and Nikki helping out.....

That's my POSERS INC... Sadhika, Geetika, Disha, Shrishti, Shinky and Mom :)

My earlier trysts with this dessert..... You Know.... It's For YOU, Tiramisu..., Chocolate Tiramisu ~ Amrita's Birthday, Cappuccino Tiramisu Cheesecake for Baking Queen ~ Deeba's Birthday, Flying Tiramisu Cupcakes, Chocolate Tiramisu, the dessert of Decadence. You can use any of these recipes.... they all worked like magic for me..... :) *really smug grin*

What actually made me decide that this is what I'm going to make as parshad.....
Had made this for Vivekji's Promotion party and everyone loved it..... I had loved the taste of this dessert myself[very evident with the number of times I've made it and loads of posts on it :)] The encouragement which I got from everyone at the party and support from Vibha had me decided.... :)
The after party smses made my day... was feeling so so Happy... :) :) :)

Vivek ji: Mummy aapka desert party ka oasis tha n u looked beautiful....

Vibha: Hey! N thanks to u for such awesome dessert man! It was perfectly done n u excelled yourself totally! Your being there made the party fun :)

Madame you have totally taken the cake this time! Ur dessert wuz simply purrfect, the rite sweetness, body, silkiness.. I ve bin pigging on it today n hv bi sittin n appreciating all day..

Sorry to put u on such a high :)) but both my sisters have totally freaked on ur dessert wch i call choc tiramisu, n they think its the best that they've ever eaten! Now that u r an established best in the field, i hv prasad on diwali. Do u want to do the dessert on totally professional basis? I thot better to ask u before i explore my next choices.. By the way, the food critic is also at work.. In ur dessert u ve to reduce the quantity of rum n spice it with little tini mini sugar n sm cinnamon. Rite now, the overpowering taste is taking away the sinful pleasure.. Which has to come subtly and gradually, not as a bolt in ur mouth..

The dessert was a major hit with gunjan n all the other darbaris who came yesterday.. Ran short.. Got polished off in 5 secs flat!

The next person to taste some was Amitabh who shared his feedback...

Amitabh :Whatever it was, it was yummy :-)
Nachi: Thanks.... Was a tiramisu variant..... Chocolate tiramisu.... :)
Amitabh : Did it have some spirit in it as well?
Nachi: Yo! Rum in d cake n baileys in the mascarpone n cream layer :)
Amitabh: That explains that extra sting at the end.....mmm. Repeating soon? With more rum?
Nachi: Was it sting or shot of flavour?28th parshad....
Amitabh: :-) Had to have a quick bite to give a precise answer: the liquor is strong enough to tickle your nostrils and slightly overpowers the other subtle flavours of the tiramisu.....fine for people like me but may get the more sensitive Durbar gentry a bit tipsy.....;-)

So I took out the Rum Soaked raisins from my earlier preparation... and there we have it..... To-Die-For 'Chocolate Tiramisu'[excuse my immodesty but I really enjoyed it... :)]. The luxurious nature of this dessert just takes my heart away.... read more about it at Chocolate Tiramisu, the dessert of Decadence.

A big thank you to all my tasters for making me grin like a Cheshire Cat :)


While making the dessert... I would lick the remains of from the mixing bowl.... I was in L-O-V-E with it..... and totally ignored all the love handles it would give me... When we melted the chocolate to make the Chocolate Ganache... the aroma in the house was like a chocolate factory....... just sheer B-L-I-S-S.....

Since this was a layered dessert, had started preparations much earlier... like baking the sponge happened during the week and much needed hand-at-work was invited over... My sweet little Sous Chef for this task was Tarini, She was so helpful and such a delight to work with. Vibha and Vivekji also pitched in......

At the Durbar we have Bunty Bhaiya, Veena bua, Charu Aunty n Oditi immersed in various tasks....
Nikki, Gulla, Shrishti, my sweetie Ciona, Geetika and Sadhika... all of having a rollicking time....

How can I miss The imp.... Gunjan, Radhika Didi, Anjali, Yogita, Nikhil, Sonal and Lily..... Am so glad everyone enjoyed the Chocolate Tiramisu....

My specials.... Neha Didi, Nivritti[She was instrumental in getting the stickers on the lids...], Amitabh[one of my Sushi partners], Gaurav, Mini Didi and mom :)

Verdict:
It was just Fabulous... Mind blowing and we all enjoyed it..... What I enjoyed the most after all the hard work was so many of us coming together.... Letting go the ego of 'I made it' to feel grateful for all the wonderful people I'm blessed to have around me. The feeling is truly liberating. Would love to make this over and over again to see their eyes close and smiles wide on their faces.....
What's the similarity between a sincere kiss and sinfully yummy dessert.....
Most people enjoy them with their eyes closed...... and are always left wanting More.... :)

Shinky:
Hey Nachi, missed telling you this yesterday, tiramisu was just amazing ! You're just too good !! :) enjoyed every bite.

Meetu:
It was the most awesomelicious tiramasu I have had..... Great work Done :)