Christmas with Saffron

Cold weather, fire place, loads of gifts, hot cocoa and delicious food, that’s called December! This is the season of aromas in candles and potpourris. For me the aroma begins in the kitchen in the most exotic forms. Usually it is in baking, a simple concoction of flour, sugar, butter and eggs in any ratio creates that wonderful heart warming feel. This time however, I plan to bring in something special, Saffron.

The inspiration of Saffron came from my last session with the Third Graders where I introduced them the edible and usable flowers in our lives(Flowers Powerpoint). Saffron is one of the edible flowers; at least part of it is which is rich in aroma, flavorful and exotic. So, I decided to make this the theme of my Christmas dinner this year. The dishes would be one pot wonders and liked by all. Some of them will be rich and the others light to balance out the flavors. But one thing would be common and that is the Saffron.

Saffron is derived from a plant named Crocus which is essentially its stigma. Each flower has three red stigmas and when they are dried is called Saffron. This spice is the most expensive of all spices. Rightly so, because a field as big as a football field can produce only a pound of strands!

Saffron is used in cooking as a seasoning and coloring agent bringing out a luminous yellow-orange hue to foods. It has a sweet taste and smell, much like hay. Confectionaries and liquors also often include Saffron. It is also used in dyes, perfumes, medicines, and body washes. A common Saffron substitute is turmeric but only for color. Turmeric although has its own benefits and usage, it surely does not taste or smell anything like the Saffron.

According to Wikipedia, most Saffron is grown in a belt of land ranging from the Mediterranean in the west to Kashmir in the east. Annually, around 300 tones of Saffron are produced worldwide. Iran, Spain, India, Greece, Azerbaijan, Morocco, and Italy, in decreasing order of production, are the major producers of Saffron. Iran with its cultivation of different varieties is the largest producer of Saffron with 93.7% of the world's total production. Resulting we see a wide use of Saffron in Mediterranean food.

Taking a cue from this fact, my dinner menu would be Spanish Paella, Italian roasted cheesy vegetable casserole and for dessert, Indian creamy honey sweet yogurt. Two of these recipes have been inspired by the chefs of Food Network. Except for few variations I follow every step of their recipes and they always are a success. Each of these dishes has Saffron as one of the main ingredients, giving them a unique aroma and flavor but not overpowering for the whole meal. My family loves it each time I make them. I hope yours does too. Check out the recipes of these dishes. (Click here for the recipes)

Of course, my Christmas Plum cake wouldn’t lose its importance on the table. After all, it’s Christmas! What turkey was for Thanksgiving, Plum Cake is for Christmas. If you have not ordered one for yourself yet, this is the last time you can place your orders. After this, you got to wait till next year.

Wish you and your family a Very Merry Christmas!!!

Indian creamy honey sweet yogurt

**courtesy my Granny, reinterpreted by Food Writer Monica Bhinde. Yields 4
Ingredients

• 4 cups plain yogurt
• ¼ to ½ cup honey or granulated sugar (or to taste)
• 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese (especially if using Fat free Yogurt)
• A pinch of salt
• ½ teaspoon saffron threads, steeped in 2 tablespoons warm milk

Garnish

• saffron threads

Direction

To prepare yogurt cheese, place a colander over a medium bowl. Line the colander with several layers of cheesecloth. Place yogurt in the cheesecloth and let it drain its whey out in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Overnight works best.

A thick yogurt cheese would be left in the cheesecloth. Spoon the yogurt cheese into a clean bowl. Add honey or granulated sugar, ricotta cheese and salt to it. Mix well with a spatula or hand-held blender. Adjust honey or sugar to taste, adding up to 1 tablespoon more.

Blend the saffron and milk into the yogurt mixture.

Chill at least an hour.

To serve, spoon the yogurt cheese mixture into serving cups and garnish with saffron.

Variation: You can also top with plain, unsalted sliced pistachios or garnish with pomegranate arils, strawberries, kiwi slices and more.

Spanish Paella

**inspired by Rachel Ray’s recipe. Yields 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cups small white rice
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups chicken stock or broth
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders, cut into thirds
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3/4 pound chorizo or Italian hot sausage, casing removed and sliced on an angle
• 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp, 24 shrimps
• 18 green lipped mussels, cleaned
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 lemons zested

Garnish

• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 4 scallions, chopped
• Lemon wedges
• Crusty bread for passing

Directions
In a very wide pan or paella pan, preheated over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, add rice and sauté 2 or 3 minutes. Add saffron threads, bay leaf, broth, and thyme and bring liquids to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan with lid or foil and reduce heat to simmer.

In a separate nonstick skillet, over medium high heat brown chicken on both sides in 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add peppers and onions to the pan and cook 3 minutes longer. Add sausage to the pan and cook 3-5 minutes more. Remove pan from heat.

After about 13 minutes, add shellfish (mussels and shrimps) to the rice pan, nesting them in cooking rice. Pour in peas, scatter lemon zest over the rice and seafood, then cover the pan again. After 5 minutes, remove cover or foil from the paella and discard any unopened mussel shells. Stir rice and seafood mixture and lift out bay and thyme stems, now bare of their leaves. Arrange cooked chicken and peppers, onions and chorizo around the pan. Top with parsley and scallions. Serve with wedges of lemon and warm bread.

Italian roasted cheesy vegetable casserole

**inspired by Giada’s Recipe. Yields 4 to 6
Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing the baking dish
• 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices
• 2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 2 zucchini, trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce, divided
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 cup grated Parmesan, divided
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs
• 2 pinches of saffron threads soaked in ¼ cup of warm milk

Direction

Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.

Drizzle the eggplant, fennel and zucchini slices with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables until softened, 3 to 4 minutes each side. (The vegetables can also be baked in a 375 degrees F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until soft).

Spoon 3/4 cup of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange the eggplant slices on top. Sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Arrange the fennel slices in a single layer on top. Spoon 3/4 cup of marinara sauce over the peppers. Sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/3 cup Parmesan. Arrange the zucchini on top and cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Drizzle saffron infused milk all over. Scatter the bread crumbs over the cheese and saffron. Drizzle liberally with olive oil on the top. Bake until the top is golden and forms a crust, 30 to 35 minutes.

Photosynthesis for Third Graders

Last week was the week for edible ‘leaves’ to take center stage in the third grade classroom. One cannot know leaves without knowing photosynthesis. The trouble is photosynthesis is not in their course curriculum. Simply touching upon the subject and moving ahead seemed unfair to them. It would be like Rambo movie without the fight sequences! So I took a chance to try pushing the young minds a little more than the rules laid by the School Board.

I prepared a simple PowerPoint presentation. At chlorophyll stage, we did an experiment of rubbing the leaves on a paper towel to see the pigment. Many kids ended up drawing a picture of leaves and colored it with the green pigment of the real leave. At the plant making food for itself in form of glucose stage, they got a taste of commercially manufactured glucose. The powder form, the taste and the fact that you can blow it towards your classmates simply to tease caught their interest. We had a little glucose fight which got stuck on our clothes and became sticky.

In short I can say that PowerPoint presentation helped in making the kids understand the basic concept of how plants make their own food, why do plants have green leaves and how do plants help humans in the process.

As for the edible leaves, they themselves answered that all the leafy vegetables, salad greens, and herbs that we consume are considered edible leaves. Bay leave is one exception which is a spice.

I am glad I told them about photosynthesis even though they will be reading about it in detail next year, but it wouldn’t catch them by surprise. They may not remember all the facts but I am sure between now and then their curiosities will teach them way more than what books can ever teach.

Cucumber with Soya Nuggets

It has been a pleasant surprise when I got so many requests for the cucumber and soya nuggets recipe. This particular recipe has been transfered to me by my mother so once again it goes to prove that mothers are usually right even though they might sound not so right at the moment. I guess that is what is called 'experience'. She has always maintained that this is one healthy food, easy to cook and is a wonderful comfort food. I never questioned her on this fact. As I mentioned in my earlier newsletter, I loved it as a kid, but as my taste buds matured and developed the liking towards cruchy and stir fried dishes, this dish started to feel over cooked, mashed up and watery dish which will not fare well during dinner parties but still be perfect for a hot summer day with white rice or cold winter night as a hot stew. And of course, anytime in between whenever I or my family needs comforting.

Soya Nuggets are protein filled chunks which are also considered by many as meat substitute for vegetarians. Its difficult to explain them. You got to eat them to believe their existence. They don't have a taste of their own but are very good at soaking up the flavors in the dish. Consequently, the dish that has soya nuggets, requires more than usual water or oil. These nuggets usually do not do well in dry dishes. Its always better and healthier to soak them in water before use. In India, it is also known as Nutrela, and since my childhood I have used Nutrela as synonym to Soya Nuggets as I am sure many others do too. Its easily available in any Indian grocery stores.

My mother made this dish with Bottle Gourd (lauki) but also at times substituted it with cucumber since both the vegetables belong to the same family and cooks similarly. Over the years, I have tweaked this recipe to suit my present needs and taste. I am happy to share this recipe with you. Try it out. Its fun. Oh yes, also do experiment with the left over soya nuggets in pastas, fried rice or pulao, or any other way you think of. These nuggets are the most versatile nuggets of all. Enjoy.

English Cucumber with Soya Nuggets

** If using regular cucumber, scrape off the seeds of the cucumber, if any.

Serves 2 to 3; Preparation time 15 min; Cooking time 25 min

· 2cups Peeled and chopped Cucumber in 1” pieces
· 1cup Peeled and chopped Potatoes
· 1½cup Soya Nuggets
· 1 Tomato, coarsely chopped
· Bunch of chopped cilantro
· 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
· ½ tsp Panch Phoron (Mix of 5 seeds, fennel, cumin, fenugreek, mustard, nigella or kalonji)
· 3-4 Green Chilies, slit slightly
· 1” Fresh Ginger, finely chopped
· ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
· ½ tsp Cumin Powder
· 1tsp Salt or to taste
· 1cup Water (approx.)
· ¼ tsp Sugar
· 1tsp Ghee or clarified butterclarified butter

Soak the soya nuggets in hot water for 5-6 minutes till they swell up a little and become soft. Drain the left over water just before adding it to the dish.

In a pressure cooker, heat the oil on medium high temperature and add panch phoron and green chilies. Let it crackle and then add the chopped potatoes and sauté for 3-4 minutes.

Add the chopped cucumbers and ginger to the potatoes and sauté for another 3-4 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, soaked and drained soya nuggets and all the spices except the sugar. To this add half of chopped cilantro and half a cup of water and place the lid of the pressure cooker on top with a gasket and the whistle. The fit should be tightly secured. Raise the temperature of the stove to high and wait till the first whistle. This might take 5 to 10 minutes depending on which pressure cooker you are using and what kind of stove you may have. Once after the first whistle, wait for 2 more minutes and switch off the heat from under the pressure cooker. Wait for the steam to let out on its own without disturbing the pressure cooker, which might take 8-10 minutes.

Open the lid carefully, add the sugar and may be a little water depending on what consistency you like (¼ cup to ½ cup or maybe not at all). Bring it to a boil on high heat while lightly mashing to incorporate all the flavor and spices together. At the end, add the ghee and rest of the chopped cilantro. Switch off the stove and stir.

Serve it with white rice. It can also be enjoyed as a stew.

October Activities

October has almost passed me by. I thought it just began. So many things happened in such a short time which makes me wonder, was it only my imagination or did all that really happen? There were cucumber experiments, sugarcane introduction, herb gardening and plum cake planning besides the usual life activities. And before I knew it, it’s already the last week of the month pushing me fast towards Thanksgiving Dinner menu planning!

Remember, last month’s Cool Cucumber? Well, looks like there are recipes from various cultures which cook the cucumber over heat! And here I was making false assumptions. Lesson learnt. Some of my readers were kind to share those recipes with me and I ended up experimenting them all, 6 in total, each cooked at least 3 times to get it to taste as it’s supposed to or close enough. Since most of them were handed down from the previous generation, the measurements and time specification were not emphasized enough. So, in short, if I say, my family had cucumber in all its various forms this month at least 1 time daily, I wouldn’t be exaggerating. At the end I can proudly say I know how to cook cucumber although my family has refused to even look at one!

There is a Jamaican style which is essentially stir fry with beef where the cucumbers are added at the end. The South Indian style is called Kotu which has lentils as its base with lots of spices, most definitely eaten with rice. The original method of cooking the North Indian style requires another vegetable in Gourd family called tinda which many a times gets substituted with cucumber. This one is best eaten with rotis. Another reader suggested baking a cake with cucumber. It was on the lines of Zucchini cake. For few days this became the main content for my kids’ school lunch box. They always returned the lunch box empty so I assume they loved it. The savory pancakes with cucumber was an experiment tried by a friend of mine long time back which she promptly passed it onto me. With few variations it became a good accompaniment to shrimp stir fry or even simple cilantro chutney. Lastly, there is my mother’s way of cooking it with nutri-nuggets (soya nuggets). As a child I used to love it which my kids now do, but as an adult I am not so sure anymore.

Out of all these recipes, some were good and some were not so good. I realized one thing though, for all of them one has to develop a taste to enjoy mashed up cucumber. As I mentioned in my last newsletter, cucumbers are watery in their character. A little heat can mush them pretty good. Their crunch is lost in the process of cooking. Unless one has the taste for these regional cooking, it’s not recommended to serve cooked cucumbers for your next dinner get together. But I sincerely thank my readers who have shared their recipes with me. If someone wants any of these recipes, feel free to ask for it. I will be most happy to share them with you; of course they will be my version of the original.

This month I have been teaching third graders all about edible plants. One of those days, I showed them the sugarcane, which was a unique experience. The details of each of these sessions have been duly noted down on my website www.FlavorsOfLandour.com . Have fun reading them. The kids always ended up eating my exhibits, surprisingly even things like ginger and scallions! For them even a sprouted potato held the magical trance. The kids are eager to learn beyond their school curriculum. All they need is a little push and right guidance for their creative juices to flow and eager minds to learn new things. Every little bit goes a long way with them.

On the weekends I started my herb garden this month. Since Florida summer is very harsh for something so tender, the Fall season seems to be the best time to grow herbs. My small patch is blooming with cilantro, mint and basil. So go ahead and let your thumbs become green with herbs!!

The October is gone and very soon November would be gone too. Before we know it Christmas would be here looking for Plum Cakes to be enjoyed with a hot cup of coffee. Plum Cakes take over a month to mature, so its actual preparation begins in late October. I am a big fan of those and take a greater pride in baking them. If you are like me, who loves to serve Plum Cakes on a wintery evening for a snack, email me to order your piece. I’ll have them ready by the 15th December for those who place their orders by 15th November. (8inch by 4inch loaf, $20)

So, here we are ready to say goodbye to October in our fancy costumes attempting to scare our neighbors and children. Stay safe and be generous with candies. Happy Halloween.

Stems for Third Graders

Do we know how many stems do we actually eat in our daily diet? I myself never gave it a thought till my third graders asked me this question. Like any good teacher I had to tell them that I’ll look into it before I say anything. This time I did my homework and came up with loads of information. Now all I had to do was compile it in such a way that a child can understand.

I worked my way from thick outside of the stem towards the tender inside. I categorized those giving examples. Here’s what I told them.

1. The bark, as in Cinnamon stick
2. The whole stem, as in Sugarcane
3. The stalk, as in Celery
4. The petiolated leaves, which are leaves that wholly or partially surround the stems, hence consumed together, as in Lettuce.
5. The hollow stem, as in Green Onion or Scallions
6. Modified Plant Stems, as in Potatoes, which although are grown underground and usually categorized under Roots, are essentially stems too which generates further roots and stems since it reproduces by itself.

I sure hope I not only covered all the aspects of stems but also didn’t confuse their minds for life. Thankfully I got lots of questions which is a good sign of their attentiveness and eagerness to know more. The best response was when towards the end of the session, they wanted to taste each sample I had shown them. By the time I came back home, my bag of goodies was empty. I had never seen celery and lettuce bunches vanish so fast. Their parents would be so proud.

Third Grade and Sugarcane are not compatible

This week I was teaching kids about seeds as part of classes on Plant Kingdom. The plan was that after I am done with the boring stuff I would introduce them something special that will not only be a new experience but also serve as a treat. The best thing I could think of was the Sugarcane! Although Sugarcanes produce seeds, modern stem cutting has become the most common reproduction method. Each cutting along the rings must contain at least one bud, which then grows out to be a new plant. While talking about ‘seeds’, I thought of addressing this form of planting too. After all how many of today’s urban kids who are glued to their electronic gadgets and consume only processed food, would actually know about Sugarcane, much less have tasted one?

I was right in my assumption. From the moment I entered the room with the 8ft long Sugarcane, the speculations were being made about what it was. The common consensus was that it was a big fat bamboo. I let that thought hang in the air while I tried to get their focus back on seeds. When they could not keep their calm anymore, the barrage of questions began.

What caught me by surprise was that almost none of them knew it was Sugarcane. But who can blame them for their ignorance! I remember Sugarcane from the road trips my parents used to take us on during our summer vacations in northern India. Wherever we went Sugarcane fields greeted us. We often stopped near those fields either to stretch our legs or attend to nature’s call. As a souvenir we never forgot to pluck one out of the field and make the next hour of our journey sweet by peeling the skin off with our bare teeth, and then chewing the rough texture pretty hard to extract the sweetest juice ever. My mother told us it was good for teeth too. I am not sure about that but we never had braces or cavities. Summer vacation and Sugarcane went hand in hand.

But now things are different. Even if we do take our kids on road trips, we never find Sugarcane fields along the highway, maybe because Highway planners have designed it to keep such fields out of sights of tourists. Regular grocery stores don’t carry them. Sugarcanes are available only in the Farmer’s market where occasionally the local farmers bring in their randomly grown produce. Even if the parents do find them, they steer clear away from them for the fear of creating a mess in their homes or the possible dentist’s expense when and if someone chips a tooth while chewing on it.

Of course kids know about Sugarcane and do acknowledge that the Sugar is made out of it. But have they seen it, touched it, handled it and tasted it? No. For them the Sugarcanes are only the raw material to create sugar. Very soon people would forget even that.

Anyway, after introducing the big fat long cane to the third graders as The Sugarcane, I offered them some precut Sugarcane to taste. That was a sight to see. First they did not know how to eat it. They held it in between their teeth as if afraid of blistering their lips! When I demonstrated them the chewing process, I was regarded as someone needing mental evaluation! Thankfully they still tried to copy me. But I must tell you; none of them liked the taste. It seemed like someone had given them cotton balls instead of cotton candy. I guess the raw taste of unprocessed sugar is an acquired taste and the effort it takes to enjoy its juices is something of a challenge for our younger generation used to processed food. I believe the raw taste of Sugarcane has become what is probably considered old fashioned or may be even ancient.

Either I am getting really old or our next generation has developed a keen sense to discard whatever doesn’t give them instant satisfaction. I am still hoping I’ll be able to at least influence them enough to keep their mind open for options. Can’t wait for my next class on roots. There is always something new to teach and learn from them.

Plant Kingdom for Third Graders

What would be the best way to teach the third graders about plants, more specifically edible plants, without having the slightest idea of their science curriculum? Honestly, I don't know. I have forgotten about what I learnt during my third grade. Over the years, whatever I got to know about plants, I cannot pinpoint one single event that may have taught me that vast subject. It came to me in bits and pieces, through trials and errors, mostly while assisting my mother in the kitchen, or grandpa in the backyard. Add to this fact, the level of exposure that an 8year old has today, is beyond what we ever imagined for ourselves at that age. Who knows while I am busy talking about seeds and stems, these third graders might be busy making genetic mutation formulas in the back bench!

My worry began with an invitation from my daughter's class teacher who wanted me to share my knowledge about edible plants with the class. I prepared some notes, crossed my fingers and went ahead to face the eager innocent looks full of questions and ideas.

The obvious difference between 'edible plants' and 'plants with edible parts' is sometimes lost in generalization. The kids have been taught that all plants are edible, which is surely not a true statement in a technical sense. Yes, some plants are edible like most herbs and all green leafy vegetables like spinach, lettuce etc., but there are others of which only certain parts are consumed, rest are not. For example, we eat the tomatoes not its leaves. Either the seed (sunflower seeds, pepper corn, nuts etc), or root (potatoes, carrots, radishes etc), or stems (celery, rhubarb etc), or leaves (all kinds of greens), or flowers (cauliflower, broccoli etc) or fruits (eggplants, okra and, rest of the vegetables) are consumed.

I decided to keep this topic as my introductory lecture. Hoping to cover all this in 15 minutes was a big mistake on my part. I had underestimated their ability to jump from one topic to a totally different but vaguely related topic. It happened each time I thought I nailed it. Towards the turn of the hour I encountered my last hurdle. If black pepper comes from plant then does salt come from plants too? The answer was a definite 'No'. I did not foresee the next volley of questions though. What is the salt? Isn't it sodium? Do they sell sodium at grocery stores? If sodium is not salt then what is a compound? What is a chemical composition? Why is Sodium written as 'Na' why not 'So'? Does sugar has chemical composition too? What is it written as 'Nu' or ‘Su’? On and on it went till I could wriggle out of it with a promise of a full research result on salt for the next time and few more sessions dedicating to each group of edible parts of the plant for next few weeks.

So the next time I go, I’ll be prepared with loads of seeds, their categories and their various kinds. May be an experiment too of planting a seed and letting it grow so that sprouting is seen and life cycle of a plant is understood.

Since I was not prepared for an experiment for the first lecture, there were some groans and sad faces. But at that moment, the brilliant mind of mine kicked in and out came an experiment to be done at home. Taste a teaspoon each of salt and sugar and write down the findings about what they taste like, their texture and after effects. Observations on these two pantry components by the students would help me explain about salt during next session unless of course before that their respective moms send a note of complain to the school for school being responsible for messing up their kitchens and gagging their kids!!

I am finding it interesting to be with so many kids and teaching them something new. Never knew I had that patience. Their point of view and outlook towards things around us is unique and innocent. Wish I could capture it all and safe keep it for during my old age. For now, I’ll simply try to keep an update about these once a week lecture. Till next week…..

Cool Cucumber

Summer vacations are over, kids are at school and I am back to my work. I haven’t done much during past 3 months except being a full time mom running around town with kids and eating on the go meals, some home cooked but mostly thankful for McDonalds. In short, I wasn’t inspired by anything edible to have written my monthly newsletter. Now when I have time to concentrate, nothing comes to my mind. So to gain my momentum, for this month’s newsletter I take my cue from one of the many forwarded messages sent by my friend last month. The subject was “Cucumbers...They r ur life line....read this”. Read it, it’s useful.

We all know what a cucumber is. The green vegetable full of nutrients, which contains lots of water hence consumed usually as a salad and is so cool that it has become an adjective for confidence. So when I received this forwarded message, I couldn’t help thinking about the motive behind such an obvious produce, unless the only purpose was to create another junk email. Giving credit to the author, I decided to test the authenticity of not so obvious uses mentioned in the mail.

Almost all the points are true and work great except few. For starters, after consuming enough alcohol to get tipsy, I surely did not remember to look into my vegetable basket for a cucumber to remedy my future hangover. Even if I had, in my condition I could not have trusted myself to use a knife to cut it and then eat it. I would have thrown up if not injured myself. So the best remedy for a hangover to me is a fresh glass of water with an Aspirin in the morning followed by the strongest cup of coffee. Of course, stay away from all the loud sounds around you for better half of the day. Don’t forget to have a healthy breakfast. Yes, here you can have as much cucumber as you want to tackle the heat of the day.

Please do not rub cucumber on your shoes to get that extra shine on them before an important meeting. There is nothing better than shoe polish for this job. But if you do go the cucumber route, then throughout the meeting your eyes will keep straying to your streaked shoes possibly with a cucumber seed attached to some very visible part. You are better off without the shine. Trust me, I have tested this. Thankfully I was only meeting my husband for a lunch date so we could afford to laugh it off.

About the squeaky hinge, well, yes the squeak is gone when you rub a cucumber slice on it, but it returns the moment all the dried juices on the hinges are used up, sometime in next 24 to 48 hours of application. Maybe this is the time you can go out and buy that WD 40.

I wonder where I will get a slice of cucumber in the middle of the day just after a business lunch. I stand a better chance at buying a mint or a gum to freshen my breath while at office or driving back from the lunch meeting. I tried to experiment this fact, but I failed to take out a true test purely based on logistical error.

I haven’t yet tested the cellulite reducing benefit. Trying not to sound pompous I do not have cellulites, hence not a good candidate to do the testing. I am on the lookout for an ideal candidate who would volunteer for this test.

Rest all the pointers in that email are true and work great. Here I do want to add few of my own points.

1. Cucumbers contain so much of water, that actual cooking is not possible with this vegetable. So please do not try it. But if you do come across any recipe that includes heat and cucumber and also tastes good, please feel free to share with me. Till then eat it raw.


2. The English cucumber is the best variety to consume. Of course it costs a little more than the regular ones but its worth it if you consider no wax, pre washed, no peeling necessary, no rubbing off the sap from its ends and no seeds. The best is that it comes individually wrapped which can be taken along to pool, on the drive, to the picnic and anywhere else during those hot summer days. But not to the movie theater. I tried and regretted it. Every time we chewed on the crunchy watery delights, we received ugly stares from our neighbors. The cucumbers are not sound proof.


3. Lastly, if you do have to wash the cucumbers, do it just before consumption. Washed and stored cucumbers in the refrigerators have a very short shelf life. Also, cucumbers do not freeze well. So use it within a week’s time of buying it.

I hope you have benefited by my experiences and experiments of the cucumber. I believe now I have gained my momentum back and will restart my cooking classes soon. Hope to see you here in my kitchen cooking something real cool.

Forwarded Message: Cucumbers...They r ur life line....read this

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.


2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.


3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.


4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.


5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!


6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!
   Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explorers for quick meals to thwart off starvation.


7. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.


8. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!


9. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.


10. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.


11. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.


12. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

Pass this along to everybody you know who is looking for better and safer ways to solve life's everyday problems..

Show Stopper

Sweet food is one of life’s primeval joys. We all know that dessert isn’t strictly necessary; life isn’t going to end without it, but then who among us would choose to live only on bread and water? Dessert gave us something to look forward to as a child while we ploughed through our worthy meat and vegetables. It always brings a lovingly prepared meal to a close with a fanfare. While salty food sparks the appetite, sweet food soothes and caresses it, leaving us warm and contended. It is a luxury, an exquisite indulgence, something that gives us true pleasure but in a duller, greyer world is completely expendable. I have found that desserts are not mere trifles, they are truly essentially life enhancing.

Having learnt how to cook the main meal, it was time to progress from there. Hence I made the leap towards desserts. It was time to show off, amaze and thrill. There are moments in life when a simple bowl of ice cream just isn’t enough… you need something spectacular, awe inspiring and attention grabbing. I needed to create SHOW STOPPER. The wonderful thing about it is I got the best teachers to teach me the basics of dessert making. With extra time, patience and enthusiasm, I learnt to decorate it my way taking inspirations from various different sources.

My specialty is the cakes, which are soft and creamy inside and all edible outside. They usually have fruit fillings with exciting flavor combinations of spices, herbs, jellies, juices, liqueurs, custard, caramel and chocolate. I consider my baking the process of experimentation with whatever my heart and mind craves for. It doesn’t have any limits so far. Of course the outside has to be pretty but for me, so has to be the inside. Each piece is a work of lot of patience and imaginations.

Finally I was able to upload all my cake pictures on my website.

Enjoy.

Keep at it with Butter Chicken

Recreating a memory can be a big challenge especially when it is the lingering taste of one dish tasted many years ago. Recently, one of my students came up with a request for Butter Chicken. He and his family loves this dish but have not found a single restaurant that makes it properly. I totally understand his disappointment. Very rarely do we get to eat a good butter chicken at US restaurants. Chicken is either over cooked, or sauce is too tangy or the cream is too much or simply it is the bland mix of tasteless chicken in marinara sauce with a dollop of butter on it!

Butter Chicken that we remember and love is a very smooth and creamy north Indian dish which was originally created to reuse any left over roasted poultry of the previous meal. To make it appealing and taste different the next day, the roasted meat was immersed in a slightly tangy creamy sauce and simmered just enough. The creaminess of Butter Chicken comes from the use of butter and fresh cream, which is always abundant and readily available in this region, hence, the name. Garnished with cilantro (coriander) leaves, it tastes best with Naan.

Disheartened, he attempted to make the dish at his own kitchen, but only to meet with failure. The reason is that any internet search of the recipe or you tube instruction doesn’t give details of finer points of this simple recipe. And second, there are too many variations on the internet. Trying and testing each one of them can be tiresome. Even then there is no guarantee that you have got the right hit. Finally he decided to come to me with his problem. In my kitchen we cooked the butter chicken he was looking for. After much cheering and excitement of having found the recipe and technique of this elusive dish, when he cooked it at home for his family, it was once again a moment of disappointment. After trying it three more times with all possible combinations of the ingredients and technique learnt here and written in his own handwriting, he came back for another session for the same Butter Chicken.

I trust my recipe but I did start to question my teaching techniques and decided to get to the root of the problem. I invited him over for a test, where he will do all the cooking without me even lifting a finger. My aim was to know my faults by observing his way of cooking. The approach worked and I realized all my mistakes including the minute details that I took for granted which he didn’t understand so didn’t pay attention to.

The first mistake was the written recipe itself. It needed to be written down in a user friendly format. This recipe has repeating ingredients and too many steps. Even though they are easy to perform, it can get confusing for some. So to separate ingredients out as per their process and order of appearance is a good idea. I believe if this method is applied to all those simple yet tedious recipes, each time one can recreate the same wonder.

Although it is an easy recipe with simple ingredients, there are certain details which have to be taken care of while cooking. These details address the fact that in today’s kitchen we don’t have a wood or coal burning clay oven, we cannot afford to have butter and cream as lavishly as our previous generation, and yes, the dish can get too tangy depending upon the kind of tomatoes used from among the wide variety that is available in today’s market.

There are other technical details like

• Using chicken thighs instead of chicken breast.
• Lime juice, not lemon juice.
• Chicken has to be broiled just enough to bring in the broil marks on them, if not roasted on a grill, and not cooked thoroughly. Don’t worry because it will get enough time later to finish cooking.
• Using non-fat dairy products will surely create a less fatty dish but it will sacrifice taste and looks.
• Roasting the whole spices bring out a unique flavor and fragrance and is a must.
• The garlic takes the center stage not ginger. Ginger is there just to bring in that extra hidden flavor and thickness.
• The smoother the onion-tomato paste, the better would be the creaminess later.
• The combination of vegetable oil and butter is used to keep the cholesterol levels in check still keeping the flavor right.
• The amount of onion is much lesser in this dish than typical north Indian dishes.
• The onions take longer to cook here because they have been mixed with acidity of tomatoes which automatically increases the cooking time.
• To bring in the reddish color to the dish, you don’t have to add more tomatoes, they add to tanginess too. Simply add the turmeric and fry it longer without burning the masala.
• While adding water, always use hot water which will bring it to the boiling point faster in the pan than the tap water keeping the chicken moist and tender. Or else this is the second time where chicken has the chance of getting overcooked.
• Always beat the sour cream to its fluffy consistency before adding it to the dish. Otherwise it clogs at places and doesn’t bring in the creamy effect.
• Also just after adding the cream to the Butter Chicken in the pan, stir once and take it off the heat to prevent the fat from the cream to separate.
• Lastly, the trick of coal flavor, well, in old days it wasn’t necessary since the chicken always got grilled over the coal but now, unless you have the coal grilled chicken, your Butter Chicken will not have the smoky flavor of the authentic dish. For that either add liquid smoke, or simply burn the coal thoroughly outside of the house (remember, burning coal inside generates very dangerous carbon monoxide gas) till the ambers show. Be careful not to spill coal ashes into the dish. And also remember to increase the amount of the coal accordingly if you decide to increase the rest of the recipe.

This individual paid attention to details, and after lot of trials and feeding his family the many mistakes, finally got that dish right and now holds the bragging rights of making the best and the meanest Butter Chicken among his friends. I applaud him since he has the passion of recreating the perfection however insignificant it may be in his busy lifestyle. That day I learnt a lesson myself.

Follow the instruction and pay attention to details. Once you have mastered these technical necessities, you can mould this dish to accommodate all sorts of poultry or red meat into it. Here is the recipe for you to try out. If you have any problems, questions or concerns, feel free to email me or write in the blog. Happy experimenting.

Recipe for Butter Chicken

Serves 4
Preparation time 2-3 hrs
Cooking time 30 min

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in 2 inch pieces (may use thighs with bones too. Just increase the broiling time a little)
• 1tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp red chili powder (adjust to suit your taste)
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp plain yogurt

Marinade the chicken with these ingredients and cover tightly. Keep refrigerated for 2-3 hrs. On a baking pan with a rack on top, spray some vegetable oil and broil the chicken spread out evenly for 10-12 minutes. Alternately, use a skewer to string the chicken and grill it on outside grill.

• 8-10 peppercorns
• 1" stick of cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 black cardamom pod
• 4 cloves
• 1/8tsp fenugreek seeds

Dry roast these spices on a pan for 2 minutes on high heat moving it frequently. As soon as the fragrance of the spices starts spreading, take it off the heat and grind it in a coffee grinder or on stone pastel. Keep aside.

• 1/3 cup or (¼ of a large onion) chopped red onion
• 3 garlic pods, chopped
• 1 inch peeled and chopped ginger
• 2-3 green chilies
• 3 medium sized Roma tomatoes, chopped

Grind them to a smooth paste in a food processor.

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 garlic pods, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• ½ tsp salt or to taste
• 1 cup of hot water
• ¼ tsp fenugreek powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ cup or 4 oz of sour cream
• Bunch of chopped Cilantro

In a pan, heat oil and butter together. Once hot add the chopped garlic and fry till translucent, for a little less than a minute. Add the dry roasted spices and fry for another 30 seconds. To this add, onion-tomato paste. Stir a little. Add turmeric, red chili powder and salt. Stir again, reduce the heat to medium, cover and let it cook till the liquid dries significantly. It will take some 5-6 minutes. Increase the heat; take off the cover and fry the masala till the oil separates. This will take another 4-5 minutes. Once the masala is well fried, add the broiled chicken pieces to it and mix it well without breaking the chicken. Add any liquid that came off the chicken onto the baking tray. Also add hot water slowly to this till the desired consistency is reached. It may be more or less than a cup of water. Add sugar and fenugreek powder and sir again. Check for seasoning. This is the time to add some more salt, chili or sugar if needed. Adjust to your taste.

Beat the sour cream well and add it to the chicken dish. Fold it in slowly. Once folded, take it off the heat and add coriander (cilantro) leaves.

Garnish with coriander (cilantro) leaves and melted butter (if desired). Serve with Naan.

For an authentic and traditional cooked-over-the-coals flavor: When the Butter Chicken is cooked, make a small bowl shape with aluminum foil and place it on top of the curry ('floating' on it). Heat a briquette of charcoal on an open flame outside of the house till red hot (making sure the blackness of the coal in not visible anymore because it might leave gasoline smell) and gently put the charcoal in to the aluminum foil bowl. Cover the dish immediately. Remove the cover, discard the foil bowl and charcoal just before serving. The curry will be infused with a smoky flavor!

Channa Dal

When one of my students put up a request to learn how to make Channa Dal, I readily agreed. The class date and time was set. After all I cook Channa Dal all the time and hence that is a no brainer. But that night as I lay in my bed having a two way conversation with myself, I realized that it would be unfair on my part to teach my student a ready made recipe of Channa Dal. He will surely get enough courage to buy Channa Dal after the workshop but will not know what else to do with the product other than make that same recipe over and over again that too, provided he likes it in the first place. I have no right to waste his time and money for something that he can learn with a quick internet search. I might as well give him the recipe and spare him a trip and let him experiment at home by himself.

There is a reason for such a deep contemplation.

You see, learning a recipe and learning about one single component of a recipe are two different things. As an example, Dal Makhani is a recipe and there is only one way to make it with slight variations depending upon the cook. This dish also has Channa Dal as one of the ingredients even though the quantity is so less that many a times people forget to add it at all. Whereas ‘Channa Dal’ is like an open statement. It’s a component, an ingredient, a product by itself which can be cooked and used in so many ways that it is difficult to address all of them in a two-hour session.

It is one of the staples in Indian Cuisine with high protein value and low saturated fat, packed with nutritious carbohydrate like any other legume. It is also called Bengal Gram, resembles yellow split peas but belongs to the chick pea family or as many of us know them as garbanzo beans. The difference is the Channa dal is younger, smaller, split and sweeter version of chick peas but has a much lower glycemic index. Many believe that Chick Peas can be a good substitute for Channa dal in just about any recipe. But I tend to disagree. Since Chick Peas are a much older and a mature version of Channa Dal, they need a complex cooking process, more spices and longer cooking time than Channa Dal. Whereas, Channa Dal requires much less cooking and minimum of spices with simplest of processing.

Channa Dal inherently is a sweeter legume as compared to any other. All the regions of India cook this legume in their own special ways giving it their regional taste. East Indian version is to cook it with whole spices. The special ingredient which goes in is the sugar and the shredded or chopped coconut. The North Indian way is to cook it with garlic to add the warmth to tackle the regional cold but no onion. The South Indians add a little tamarind to complement the sweetness. The common factor remains that this legume is cooked most simply keeping its thicker consistency that plays a role in its texture. It is never much diluted with water to make it like a soup. It is only the Western region that cooks this Dal with Black or Green Split Gram (yet another legume that requires more explanation, may be later) and add onion, tomatoes and many other spices to the dish. Here, Channa Dal in its original form is usually used as a stuffing for the bread called Parantha (I feel a newsletter coming up on this) or in its ground form called Besan (another great topic for a newsletter) as the batter for deep frying for savory side dishes or appetizers. This particular style has been adopted throughout India and beyond because of its versatility.

Since I am from Bengal, I have been taught to cook it with coconut and whole spices. The influence of a cosmopolitan city like New Delhi has taught me to cook in other styles too. During my lazy days I like to cook it simply with green chilies and garlic. When I want to make it a one dish wonder, I also tend to add some complementary vegetables like bottle gourd. But my favorite remains the Western way. So, how can I teach my student only one way and one recipe? Isn’t it my duty as an instructor to introduce this legume in all its glory instead of underplaying it? There are atleast seven recipes that can be learnt with Channa Dal as its main component for each day of the week, yet all very different in taste and its preparation.

Hence I dedicate this month to Channa Dal where I will teach at least three ways to cook this legume in a single session. It is my intention to make my students self reliant on an ingredient and let them take it to a level that they are comfortable with its taste and cooking technique. You are most welcome to come in and learn more about this humble yet versatile legume.

A Successful Experiment

Happy St. Patrick's Day

We often Google the recipe we want, take a print out and follow the instructions to the point and keep our fingers crossed for the final product. Unless we have sampled the dish before, we haven’t a clue if the outcome of our efforts is anywhere close to being authentic. If it doesn’t burn or remains undercooked, it usually doesn’t taste all that bad since the combination of ingredients does not often fail in taste. It’s the authenticity which is the problem. We have no way of knowing whether this is what it is supposed to be.

I recently had an experience on this line. A friend of mine requested me to make Irish Soda Bread for a big gathering. My mind told me to say ‘no’ but my heart caved in and I ended up saying ‘yes’ despite the fact that I haven’t heard of Irish Soda Bread in my life much less what it looks like or tastes like! That day, I have no memory of driving back home, cooking dinner or helping my kids with their homework, thanks to a certain bread. There was only one thing in my thoughts that day, is this bread really made out of Coke or Pepsi or did the Irish came up with their own flavor? I was desperately waiting for my kids to hit the bed so I can start my Google search. Finally I did and the results took me by surprise.

Apparently, Irish Soda Bread is a very common, much liked, often made and a very traditional bread of Ireland. Every family seems to have its own recipe and is passed on from generation to generation. As to why it is called Irish Soda Bread, well, because among other ingredients it also has buttermilk and baking soda, the combination of which brings in a chemical reaction which gives this bread its texture and richness. That night I slept peacefully with the knowledge that none of soda drink companies has anything to do with such an old recipe that is practically woven into this old culture.

My next hurdle was to choose the recipe that I’ll make. Since there are so many of them with so many variations, it was getting very difficult for me to decide. One suggested that it is baked in a tin with a batter as thin as for the cakes. The other one said it feels so much better than Pillsbury Biscuits (which I remember to be very soft and flaky, melt-in-the-mouth kind). And yet another insisted that it is made as a big lump with a cross cut on top, the kind that we see in gourmet bakeries. I had no idea what to do. I ended up taking all those printouts. That night although I was certain about the basic ingredients, but had my doubts about their quantity and the technique of preparation.

The following day I ended up making all three of them as per their respective instructions. The soft and flaky kind ended up being so flaky that I decided to throw it away. The cake like and the lump with the cross were alright to look. But they were so different from each other in their texture and looks that I was certain there is no way they can be given the same name of Irish Soda Bread! However, I was not sure which one deserved the name change. At this point, I was totally confused about the authenticity of my efforts. I slept on it. And good that I did because later I realized that it is essential to the recipe, not the sleeping but cutting the bread at least 8 hrs later part.

With a clear head next morning, I called upon my only Irish connection, a recent student at my cooking workshop, a new friend, to come and help me do a bread tasting. I am sure she must have laughed out loud on the other side of the phone on such a ridiculous request but she agreed nonetheless to come and have soda bread breakfast with me. Her final verdict was for the lump with the cross on top. She remembered her mother and grandmother making similar bread. Her memory of past two generations seemed to me a very authentic version so that became my bench mark. She suggested few improvements which led to my changing the recipe a little. Now I had one recipe that works like the way it should. The following week I delivered my promise of authentic Irish Soda Bread for that big gathering. Nobody complained or raised their eye brows in fact I got some compliments too, all thanks to Jackie.

Since the next morning I woke up with a strange feeling of maybe-they-were-being-polite, I decided to test my new found recipe once more. This time I baked it for a competition at Florida Strawberry Festival, 2010 under the quick bread category. To my delight I won a second place red ribbon for it! Judges are never polite when it comes to judging, so I have been told.

Now I can proudly say I have the authentic Irish Soda Bread recipe. It is one of those breads which can easily be mistaken for a raisin fruit cake in looks. Texture is crumbly and a little rough. It tastes a little dry. Traditionally a very good accompaniment to the soups and stews, it brings out their true flavor. A very hearty bread for a hearty meal. My husband loves to have it lathered up with butter, as if it wasn’t enough already. Whereas I love it with strawberry or grape jelly. Tastes heavenly. Please don’t count calories, simply enjoy the mouthful of heartiness. Try it, here is the recipe.

Recipe for Irish Soda Bread

Serves 20
Preparation time 45min
Baking time 1hr 15 min

Ingredients
4 cups bread flour
4 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup+ ¼ cup regular buttermilk at room temperature (not low fat)
1 egg at room temperature
1 cup black raisins,(optional but strongly suggested)
1/4 cup butter, melted and at room temperature

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet. I prefer a pizza stone with a wax paper on it with light spray of grease.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet. Let it rest for at least half an hour. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.

In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hr 15 min, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. You may continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes, but not necessarily.

After it is done, let it cool on the rack and then wrap it in a parchment or wax paper overnight before slicing.

To slice, first cut the bread in half and then cut it once more making four quarters. Slice each quarter into five thick slices. Wrap and store in cool dry place any leftover bread. Can be stored for next two days.

Valentine with Cloves

The month of February outshines in the calendar for those in love. 14th February, The Valentine’s Day brings in the colors pink and red in various hues, the decadent chocolates, roses, some fully bloomed and some not yet depending upon the stage of love one might be in, among the things the lovers might take fancy to woo their partners off their feet. Young and old celebrate it with equal vigor with a proactive attitude relying heavily on consumer products.

This year I would suggest to my readers to bring in something different yet exotic for their special someone. How about the whole spices, a small muslin bag full of small green cardamoms, cinnamon sticks, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and cloves? You may want to ask why. Well, to begin with they are all powerful natural aphrodisiacs. Individually, they hold their forte among spices and give their unique character and flavor to the food. The cinnamon, cardamom and cloves can be natural mouth fresheners too. And grind them together and you have a perfectly good garam masala, the must have spice in Indian Cuisine of any region. Together their fragrance is awesome. Cook with it that fabulous dinner you were planning for that day and see the evening unfold most magically. Since my profession includes everything related to spices, how much farther did you think I would take my thoughts, if not my spice cabinet? My philosophy is, why spend on obvious gifts when you have something right in your pantry which can have a better effect for the desired result.

I have already written about benefits and the uses of cumin and cinnamon among the ones mentioned above. This month is dedicated to cloves, not because it has higher content of aphrodisiac (at least not known to me, you may think differently after 14th Feb) but simply because it is a "flower spice." Valentines and flowers kind of go together….my justification. Hence let me indulge you with Cloves.

Clove has been in use since centuries because of its powerful usefulness being an antiseptic, anesthetic, anti-oxidant and aphrodisiac besides adding the aroma to rice dish and flavor to meat dishes. It was then one of the most valuable spices; even now its value stays much higher than most spices available for good reason. The clove clusters are picked by hand before the buds open and dried on palm mats. On an average, a single tree can only produce about 7 pounds of clove in one season. Despite its low and tedious production, the spice has become an essential ingredient in our daily use products. You may know them as toothpaste, mouthwash, the body oil, perfumes, incense sticks, candles and many other such products which are related only vaguely to romance but has a direct effect on the outcome of the tryst. Why forget the good food while we are at it. All these components together play an important part in seducing the other half. If done with the right ones with true feelings, the effects are most memorable. The common ingredient, clove, seems to win hands down in this regard.

There are various ways of cooking with cloves. Both vegetarian and non vegetarian food of any culture can be cooked to perfection with cloves as the secret ingredient. Blend Ground Cloves with maple syrup and drizzle over cooked sweet potatos and winter squash. Add a few whole cloves to bean and split pea soups (remove before serving). Or simply add ground cloves to give spicy depth to gingerbread, cookies, applesauce, muffins, cakes, and other sweets. However, if you choose to cook delicious Indian dinner with cloves, you have got to come to my kitchen to learn the technique and recipe for a foolproof Chicken Vindaloo, Murg Korma and Mughali Mushrooms. A perfect dinner menu for your special someone.

Cloves

Cloves are the immature unopened flower buds of a tropical tree, Myrtaceae. When fresh, they are pink, dried, they turn to a rust-brown color. Measuring 1/2”-5/8” long, they resemble small nails, with a tapered stem. The large end of the clove is the four-pointed flower bud. It is a warming spice, pungent in taste and strongly aromatic in nature. The flavor of the clove is rich, sweet and sultry. It is a versatile spice being an antiseptic, anesthetic, anti-oxidant and aphrodisiac all packed in that single flower bud.

The native producers of clove are India and Indonesia. Now it is harvested in Madagascar, Zanzibar, Sri Lanka and Pakistan too. It is best bought whole. As a powder, flavor quickly deteriorates. Store in an airtight container out of direct light. If you choose to grind your own Cloves, do not use a grinder that has plastic parts. Clove oil can cloud some plastics. Cloves can easily overpower a dish, particularly when ground, so is used sparingly.

Besides being used as one of the ingredients of garam masala in Indian Cuisine, Clove is also a key ingredient in Indian masala chai, the spiced tea (often redundantly called "chai tea" in the USA). In Mexican cuisine cloves are best known as "clavos de olor", and often paired together with cumin and cinnamon. In Vietnamese cuisine, cloves are often used to season pho broth. In the Netherlands, the use of cloves is widespread in the cheeses, often in combination with cumin. Cloves are an essential ingredient for making Dutch speculaas and for traditional stews like hachee. In France, an ingredient crucial to any stock is a whole onion studded with cloves. In the USA, whole cloves are primarily used to stud ham or pork roast. Ground cloves are used in desserts, cakes, pies, custards, and liqueurs. Cloves are often used to enhance the flavor of game, especially venison, wild boar and hare. They are used in a number of spice mixtures including curry powders, mulling spices and pickling spices. Cloves also figure in the flavor of Worcestershire sauce. They enjoy much popularity in North Africa and the Middle East where they are generally used for meat dishes, though rice is often aromatized with a few cloves. It's a secret ingredient in barbecue and cocktail sauces.

Many claims have been made that sucking on two whole Cloves without chewing or swallowing them helps to curb the desire for alcohol. This has not yet been medically proven but I don’t see why one should not try it anyways for this purpose. It is also effective against mental and physical fatigue as well as memory loss. The use of a clove in toothache is also said to decrease pain. It also helps to decrease infection in the teeth due to its antiseptic properties. Clove oil, applied to a cavity in a decayed tooth, also relieves toothache. Cloves produce a numbing effect if you put a whole clove in your mouth. In fact, before modern anesthetics, dentists often prescribed that their patients with toothaches pack cloves around the infected area to numb the pain. It has powerful local antiseptic and mild anesthetic actions. Cloves are said to have a positive effect on stomach ulcers, vomiting, flatulence, and to stimulate the digestive system. Cloves kill intestinal parasites and exhibits broad anti-microbial properties against fungi and bacteria, thus supporting its traditional use as a treatment for diarrhea, intestinal worms, and other digestive ailments.

Among its various other uses, Cloves are an important incense material in Chinese and Japanese culture. And clove essence is commonly used in the production of many perfumes. During Christmas, it is a tradition in some European countries to make pomanders from cloves and oranges to hang around the house. This spreads a nice scent throughout the house and acts as holiday decorations. The essential oil of clove is used in aromatherapy when stimulation and warming are needed, especially for sexual problems. Whereas, its topical application over the stomach or abdomen are said to warm the digestive tract. Clove oil still is an active ingredient in several mouthwash products and a number of over-the-counter toothache pain-relief preparations. Clove oil is used in various skin disorders like acne, pimples etc. It is also used in severe burns, skin irritations and to reduce the sensitiveness of skin.

I go by a golden rule of keeping a small cluster of cloves in my handbag for those unforeseen moments instead of store bought mouth fresheners. I would rather reap their full benefit while also making my mouth and body feel the tingle.

Beginning 2010

Wish you all a very Happy New Year. We all have lot to look forward to. Many hopes and dreams are resting upon the next twelve months. Hopefully there will be success for all of us in our endeavors and aspirations.

This past year has been tough. Some have survived and others are still fighting the war for survival. But we all have been and still are doing our best. Someone had said on the lines of, ‘That which does not kill us makes us stronger’. This philosophy holds true for me. I too have hit the wall of frustration many a times. Each time I wanted to give up but kept going because something was pushing me forward. It was a unique combination of the strong need to do my best without caring for the results and the belief of my friends and peers in me.

These past few months you have read my research over spices and participated in the cooking workshops. I thank you for your support and encouragement. This month, to mark the beginning of the year, instead of the spices, I’ll indulge you with how it all began and what it is that I plan to bring this year for you.

Over the past year, Flavors Of Landour has grown from a tiny entity to a small entity. My passion of baking fruit cakes had led to the formation of Flavors Of Landour. Christmas Plum Cake sold like hot cakes and also won a Red Ribbon in Strawberry Festival 2009. It was a very proud moment for me personally. A step forward from there was evolving the fruit cakes into specialty cakes which were frosted and decorated for special occasions. Truth be told, I am not much of a decorator. There are many cake decorators in Tampa Bay, professionals and non-professionals, and many of them put my efforts to shame. However, as my specialty is baking, not decorating, I have something unique to my cakes, the flavor beyond the regular vanilla and chocolate. My cakes have spices, fruits and nuts. My aim has been to make them a work of art inside out in their taste, flavor and texture. I thought it did not stand a chance but who knew there are those who wanted exactly this!

I am fortunate enough to have friends who thought there was a relation between spicy fruit cakes and Indian spicy food, as I myself had failed to see the correlation. Anyway, after a little coaxing from them, I started giving classes on a few famous Indian vegetarian dishes. What started as a few gave way to the full fledged cooking workshops which included vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. It began slow, maybe once in a month but by the end of the year, I can safely say that I was teaching my students more dishes than I was making for my own family! As I recall, one of my pupil once told me that he wants to keep doing these workshops because it’s much more than a cooking workshop. It was a science laboratory! It took me by surprise. I knew my workshops are not definitely not a cooking show, they are hands on training for my students who get to cook with me and also learn the reason and the logics of cooking techniques, essence of spices, their culinary and medical use, recipes and proper storage, the significance of dish itself and its origin, ways of presentation and consumption. Each workshop has an introduction to the whys, whats and hows of the menu involved. But I had never thought them as a scientific research!

Since then a conscious effort began to research all the ingredients, process, techniques and instruments that I use in my cooking. Writing them down was the obvious second stage to it. Publishing them as my newsletters and offering classes related to that subject was yet another step forward. So far, I have written 5 newsletters on various spices. Hope you have enjoyed reading them and learned something new.

This year when I look back on 2009, I realize it has been a great year for me. And it has already started showing a promising future. Flavors Of Landour began 2010 by getting an article published in a magazine that promotes India and its culture. You can read it in their site by clicking here.

This article talks about many interesting relationships between your kitchen and a healthy lifestyle. It was an effort towards spreading the name and aim of the cooking workshops beyond the immediate geographical area.

As you can see, the old Flavors Of Landour website has undergone a change too. Earlier, it was focused on registering for the workshops but now the focus has shifted to include spreading the knowledge. I will look forward to your comments and suggestions. Cooking workshops can never be a success unless I get the feedbacks from you. Your participation is required at every stage. Also feel free to share your knowledge about Indian cuisine that I might have missed in my newsletters. Work is still in progress but hopefully, by the end of this month I’ll be able to provide a list and the photo gallery of all my cakes too in the site.

To sum up, I can say from infancy, Flavors of Landour has become a toddler. For this year, it hopes to grow towards being a super active kindergartener focusing on good food, spices and cakes. To keep you all intellectually stimulated, it will also keep publishing its newsletters once a month. By the end of 2010, let’s hope there will be many more publications in other magazines too and many more workshops involving much more spices. And also lets hope the ‘terrible two’ stage wouldn’t last long if we hit one.

Have a wonderful year ahead.

Another step forward

Wish you all a very happy and a promising new year. Many among us must have made some resolutions to signify the promises that we hope to keep. I am no exception. I too have made my promises like last year. But this time I do intend to follow through, atleast one of them. I created my blog for the very first time.

Since last August I have been writing my newsletter based on spices and then offering cooking classes focused on those spices. The response has been good and the eagerness to learn has become evident in the number of classes that gets filled. But unfortunately my target audience has remained confined in Tampa Bay region. Now I think the time has come for me to broaden my horizon and spread my words beyond the geographical confines. Blog seems to be a good options to exchange ideas and thoughts from my peers who believe in good food and essence of spices in our lives.

To begin my blog, I have posted five of my past newsletters. The current one, Cumin, was written and circulated in December for which I will have classes in January. Going forward, each month I intend to write on one new subject and then offer relevant classes in the next month. The workshops are open for anyone who is interested in learning good Indian food. Pre registeration for the classes would be appreciated.

I understand that if you do not live in a driving distance, you might not be interested in the classes. But if you do, I would be most delighted to have you in my kitchen to share my knowledge on Indian food. Meanwhile, enjoy my research ywritings on food and related subject. I'll look forward to our ideas and inputs to my blogs.

Cumin (Dec 2009 Newsletter)

December is a joyous month. This year it brought an added blessing with me becoming a proud aunt of a healthy nephew. Recalling my experience of child birth, I can very well imagine my sister being fed Cumin in every possible form by my mother. Yes, the spice ‘Cumin’. You may wonder why and how is there any relation with cumin and my nephew at this tender age.

Cumin seeds contain a relatively large percentage of iron. However, unless one would eat about 15 grams (1/2 oz) per day, cumin is not likely to be a significant dietary source of iron. Since Cumin has other complimentary benefits, it is considered a very good spice for a pregnant woman and a nursing mother. It does relieve flatulence and colic in a newborn baby through breast milk. It reduces nausea during pregnancy and increase lactation during breast feeding. It has been shown to be effective for diarrhea, indigestion, and morning sickness. Used in a poultice, it relieves swelling of the breast. The good thing is, Cumin is used as a spice and incorporated in food which not only enhances the flavor and taste of regular dish but also spins its magic and proves to be the best herbal medicine for a new mother.

Cumin is the dried seed of a flowering plant. It is oblong in shape, longitudinally ridged, and yellow-brown in color. Since it is drought-tolerant, and requires long hot summers to grow, is mostly grown in Mediterranean climates all the way to Eastern India, hence its prevalence is also common in this region.

Cumin has been in use since ancient times. It was known to the Egyptians five millennia ago; the seeds have been found in the Pyramids. The Romans and the Greeks used it medicinally and cosmetically to induce a pallid complexion. Many archeological sites have found the evidence related to the use of cumin during The Middle Ages where it was believed that cumin kept chickens and lovers from wandering. It was also believed that a happy life awaited the bride and groom who carried cumin seed throughout the wedding ceremony. Many might consider it to be superstitious but it is clear why people had these ideas. Cumin has that effect on food. It gives a unique smokiness to any dish which makes it delicious. If the lady of the house knows how to cook with cumin, any man that loves food (most men fall in this category) would be insane to leave her. And I suppose chicken love the cumin as a good feed which also takes care of their gastric troubles; hence they don’t have a reason to wander off. Greeks kept cumin at the dining table in its own container (much as pepper is frequently kept today), and this practice still continues in Morocco.

Today, cumin is the second most popular spice in the world after black pepper. It is an important and a very basic spice, the ‘go-to’ spice for most Mediterranean, Indian and Spanish dishes. Often confused with caraway seeds in its looks but cumin being far more powerful in taste is slightly bitter, pungent and has a spicy-sweet aroma.

Cumin was introduced to the Americans by Spanish colonists. Since then it is readily available as a dried seed, or as ground brownish-green powder in the West, although it is not much in use as a traditional European spice. The increasing popularity of certain Mexican dishes has boosted sales for ground cumin. But contrary to popular belief Cumin is not used in Mexican cuisine as much as it is used in Mediterranean and Indian Cuisine. Since Cumin stimulates the appetite, everyone ranging from a mother to professional cook relies heavily on cumin either in form of whole seed, ground or roasted. It enhances the flavor of the food and also keeps it healthy. The wonderful aroma of roasted cumin forms the basis of many a dish. It has been a very essential spice to their food since before any cookbook was ever published.

Cumin matches well with beans, chicken, couscous, curry, eggplant, fish, lamb, lentils, peas, pork, potatoes, rice, sausages, soups, stews, eggs and green vegetables. It draws out the food’s natural sweetness. It helps to add an earthy and warming feeling to the dish making it a staple in certain stews and soups. Certain facts are always helpful such as ground Cumin is stronger than whole seeds; and the flavor of Cumin is accentuated by toasting. For a change of pace, try ground Cumin added to tangy lime or lemon based marinades for chicken, turkey, lamb, and pork. Or, add Cumin to chili, spicy meat stews, barbecue marinades, and sauces. Heat Cumin and garlic in olive oil and drizzle over cooked vegetables or potatoes. Stir toasted Cumin into corn muffin batter to create a smoky accent.

Buying only the whole seeds is sensible rather than buying the ground or toasted form. The whole Cumin stores well and they can be ground at home without any effort. This keeps the taste and flavor fresh. Put 2-3 tbsp of whole cumin seeds into a small heavy pan and place the pan over medium low heat. Alternately, you can use a toaster over too. Dry roast the seeds until it turns a shade darker. Grind these warm seeds in a coffee grinder to form powder. Let it cool and store in a tight lidded jar. Use this cumin powder instead of the store bought one and you’ll find an instant difference in your recipes.

Agreed, the month of December calls for spices like ginger, clove, cardamom and other such festive ingredients, but they have been overly used and forever been associated with the Holiday food. To me, Cumin is the unsung hero which is used everywhere all year round and yet never been honored for it being so basic in our food. I take this opportunity to dedicate my holidays to Cumin. This season I’ll cook and serve my guest the mouthwatering dishes made with cumin as the main spice. So come and learn what I have in store for Cumin.

Cinnamon (Nov 2009 Newsletter)

Among the ‘warm’ spices, cinnamon stands out, that is used in almost everything: bread, beverage, cereal, dessert, curry, candles, potpourris, cocktails and many a times even in cosmetics. This gets even more noticeable during Fall and Winter. There is no other spice that is associated with any season like cinnamon is to the ‘holiday’ season. This earthy and aromatic spice mixes well with sugar and butter creating a fragrance that is comforting during the cold months and satisfies an appetite for good rich food.

Cinnamon sits at the top of the hierarchy among the aromatic spices that has established itself not only as a flavoring agent but also as a medicine. And why should it not? After all it is one of the oldest spices known. It was so highly treasured that it was considered more precious than gold. It was regarded as a gift fit for monarchs and even for gods. It has its mention in many ancient scriptures like Bible and Veda among others.

Cinnamon is a small evergreen tree of the Lauraceae family, native to Sri Lanka. The botanical name for the spice—Cinnamomum zeylanicum—is derived from Sri Lanka’s former name, Ceylon. It is the brown bark of the cinnamon tree, which is available in its dried tubular form known as a quill or as ground powder. While there are approximately one hundred varieties of cinnamon, the Chinese and Ceylon are the leading varieties consumed. Ceylon cinnamon is also referred to as "true cinnamon", while the Chinese variety is known as "cassia". While both are relatively similar in characteristics and both feature a fragrant, sweet and warm taste, the flavor of the Ceylon variety is more refined and subtle. Ceylon cinnamon is rare in North America and cassia, the less expensive variety, is more popular in the United States.

Cinnamon bark is one of few spices that can be consumed directly. Cinnamon powder has long been an important spice in Persian and Indian cuisine, used in a variety of dishes, thick soups, drinks, and sweets. It is a tonic herb that promotes circulation. It relives fever, headaches and chills. In medicine it acts like other volatile oils and has a reputation as a cure for colds. It is an antiseptic with warming, pungent, sweet astringent, with stimulating, healing qualities. It has also been used to treat diarrhea and other problems of the digestive system. Cinnamon is high in antioxidant activity. The essential oil of cinnamon also has antimicrobial properties, which can aid in the preservation of certain foods. Not only does consuming cinnamon improve the body's ability to utilize blood sugar, but just smelling the wonderful aroma of this sweet spice boosts brain activity!

In food, cinnamon is widely used in non-vegetarian dishes since its fragrance compliments the richness of meat and fish. In pastries and dessert it cooks well with butter and sugar. But with vegetables it is not very often used since cinnamon overpowers the simplicity of the vegetables. This does not mean that the vegetarians can not enjoy the goodness of cinnamon in their food. Rice, paneer (Indian cheese) and lentils are three categories in which the cinnamon is frequently used and enjoyed. I would love to share my knowledge and skill of using cinnamon in these ways with the cinnamon lovers. Although my workshop will be focused on vegetarian dishes but not necessarily restricted to it. Feel free to enquire about the poultry, mutton and fish dishes using this very special spice. I look forward to having you here in my kitchen.

Fenugreek (Oct 2009 Newsletter)

Never did I think working with spices would be so interesting and intriguing. Everyday I discover something new about the contents of my pantry which I so proudly show off to my friends. My spice cabinet is practically the center of attention and the backbone of my kitchen. I don’t mean the architectural details (I would love to change that aspect soon), but literally the contents and their varieties. One such item is a spice called Fenugreek. This is one name that has four different forms and various uses. This is in fact not a spice, but a legume.

Latin for "Greek hay" was originally cultivated as a fodder for cattle. It is used both as a herb (fresh / dried leaves) and as a spice (whole and ground seeds). Fenugreek belongs to the legume family (Fabaceae) - the same family of all lentils, peas and beans. The smell and taste of fenugreek is incredible. In fact just a little takes any dish to a different culinary level. It is very popular in Indian Cuisine and many times used as a secret ingredient.

Fenugreek is also one of the world's oldest medicinal herbs. It is widely used by nursing mothers as a milk supply stimulant. The seeds are steeped in boiling water to make tea, which alleviates fever and menstrual cramps. Eating fenugreek is also seen as a remedy for bronchitis, coughs, & respiratory problems. Fenugreek oil is used in the manufacture of hair tonics. Ground fenugreek seeds not only prevent hair loss but also type 2 diabetes. And last but not the least, the traditional way to reduce weight is to have a teaspoon of ground fenugreek with water in the morning.

There are a lot of details about this that even I got to know recently although I have been using it in my food for past so many years. I am sure there are many curious souls around who either might have this spice in their cabinets or would like to buy, maybe because the name sounds exotic, but do not know the ways it can be used. I would love to share my knowledge and expertise about Fenugreek by cooking three different dishes.

Come and cook with me and take your creation home to share it with your family. The dishes will be all vegetarian but similar techniques can be used to create non-vegetarian dishes as well. The workshops are scheduled for the month of November. Come on in before I use up all that fantastic fenugreek cooking for my pleasure. I look forward to welcoming you in my kitchen.