Showing posts with label Seasonal Treats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seasonal Treats. Show all posts
Monday, 25 August 2014
What do you do when your best friend shows up with a giant bag of fresh, crisp green beans from her garden? Well, first off, you give her a giant hug, cause everyone loves those beans. You then hand over the bag of beans to your mom and bat your eyelashes at her and ask her to make you the most delicious, super simple, vegetable comfort food of your childhood. I am lucky to have my mom visiting, and am aiming to make the best of having here here with me, even if it's for a short time.
Us Mangaloreans are not known for our love of vegetables. Every meal, however, does include a vegetable or two, usually as the sidekick to a main of meat or fish. More often than not, vegetables are an afterthought, designed strictly as filler food. Even though half of India is vegetarian, simple steamed veggies - like you find here at almost every meal - are a rarity. Veggies are jazzed up with spices and sauces, and cooked to within an inch of their lives. The results are usually tasty, but, hey, where is the distinctive flavour of the greens?
Friday, 4 January 2013
Happy new year, everyone... 2013, wow, another year, another beginning! I am feeling a bit weird this year, because, to be honest, I have no idea where the last year went. It feels like only yesterday life was all organised and stable and suddenly, its upside down again.
2012 has been a year of ups and downs in many ways. It was the year Aditi started kindergarten, or big girl school, as we call it. I made good friends in Edmonton that I feel confident that I can turn to when life gets tough, and got my life into shape. I was lucky enough to be invited to events here, and also contributed to several e-zines and recipe books. I became more confident in my cooking, and Food, Football and a Baby, a small personal blog, turned into The Tiffin Box, which is so much more reflective of my life now.
The downside was all those awful world events that took a toll on all our lives. Kay and I were really affected by the Newtown tragedy, especially as our baby girl is the same age as those beautiful kids who were senselessly killed. We cried with all the parents, and we couldn't even watch some of the coverage for fear of breaking down. I rarely talk politics on this blog, preferring to keep it simple, but this tragedy made me question a lot of things in life, and get more involved in making a difference.
Monday, 26 November 2012
Its beginning to feel a lot like Christmas... all the stores have their Christmas displays on, the lights are bright and sparkly, and the Christmas trees are beginning to appear. Not in our house though, seeing as we still have a couple of birthdays to celebrate first, eeps. December is always an expensive month for me, with Aditi turning five this year and Kay... well, lets not go there :)
But the one thing that really puts me in the mood for Christmas is this delicious recipe for homemade Irish cream liqueur from Kay's dad, affectionately referred to as 'Grandpa's Hooch'. Come Christmas, FIL makes up batches of this recipe for friends, and its a lovely tradition that I follow every year at Christmas (er, and a few times in between...). And indulge is definitely the right word here... this is not for the calorie counters. Its choc-a-bloc with cream, condensed milk and of course, the staple Irish whiskey. Its very reminiscent of Bailey's, but with a kick of its own that makes it pretty unique, and in my humble opinion, even better than Baileys.
Saturday, 14 July 2012
Its been a weird week. I've had news that's made me hugely happy, and
then we've had events that have made both Kay and I sad. Lets start
with the good news. See that shiny new badge on my right sidebar?
→
Yes,
I've been voted into Babble's Top 100 Mom Food Blogs for 2012, and I am
number 24. I am so chuffed and I want to thank you all so much for
putting up with my constant begging, begging, whining,
guilting requests for votes from you all. Its been an
incredible journey, and I am finally beginning to feel settled and happy
with myself and this little space I've created.
So thank you all from the bottom of my cooking pots and pans! I couldn't have done it with your constant support and encouragement.
Tuesday, 10 July 2012
All this drama... while the answer was blindingly obvious, of course. Eat the damn things and sod the pictures :) Oh, and when you're at it, drink all the limoncello as well, you'll need it!
That said, can you think of a more perfect way to beat the heat? Fresh, tangy citrus teamed up with a delicate liqueur, all in a delicious creamy popsicle?
Thought not.
The idea for these creamsicles came from David Lebovitz's book. I've been addicted to his lemon ice cream for years now, but I also wanted to change things up a bit, as some aspects of it weren't quite working for me. The ice cream kept turning slightly powdery (delicious, nonetheless) and obviously some ingredients just weren't the same here. So I worked and reworked it several times, before coming up with this version, which, to be honest, is pretty close to perfect. The alcohol keeps the creamsicles smooth and creamy, while dissolving the sugar and lemon juice prior to blending in the half and half got rid of the powderiness. And of course, you can always freeze this in an ice cream machine, like I did, and serve with a sprinkling of lemon zest and a splash of limoncello.
And how did I stop them melting enough to take some pictures? Well, I cut out some paper towels in the shape of these popsicles, and placed the creamsicles gently over top of them. Solved part of the melting problem, but these pics were still taken in under five minutes :) Sometimes, photography has to take a backseat to more practical considerations like, how do you keep these treats away from sneaky li'l hands? That, I haven't yet figured out!!
(Printable Recipe)
½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
½ cup caster sugar (berry sugar) *increase to ¾ cup if you like your creamsicles sweeter
2 cups half and half (10% cream or 1 cup single cream + 1 cup whole milk)
Pinch of salt
1½ - 2 tablespoons limoncello
Method:
Place the lemon juice and sugar in a bowl, and whisk together until the sugar is reasonably well dissolved.
Whisk in the half and half and salt. Transfer to a blender and blend for 1 minute, until the mixture is lovely, thick and creamy.
Stir in the limoncello.
Pour immediately* into popsicle moulds and freeze overnight until set completely. Run water over popsicle moulds to release.
* If you leave the mixture in the fridge before pouring it into moulds, it could separate. Give it a good whisk to combine before pouring into moulds or freezing in an ice cream machine.
Monday, 18 June 2012
Me (after listening to Aditi yammering away for what felt like the whole day!): Aditi, don't you ever stop talking?
Aditi (looking at me quite seriously): Mommy, I am just making sure my tongue works.
Or, this one.
Me: Aditi why don't you like spice?
Aditi: Mum, I like spice when you put it in desserts.
Sigh!!!
Sigh!!!
Tuesday, 5 June 2012
Aubergines or eggplants are in season again! I love these beautiful, rich and royal coloured versatile vegetables. I was shopping for a quick few things at my favourite grocer (EZee Mart in Garneau) and in his fridge, I found these perfect baby aubergines. Baby aubergines go off very quickly, so I literally bought these, raced home, and made this curry today. So this is one of those rare off the cuff recipe posts, in which I am posting the recipe of tonight's dinner :-)
Bagara Baingan is a Hyderabadi curry, where baby aubergines are simmered
in a delicately spiced peanut and sesame sauce. Creamy, nutty and
spicy, this sauce is the perfect accompaniment to these flavourful and
fresh vegetables. I actually make a slightly more complicated version of this same dish and you can find it here - but this time I wanted to
keep it relatively simple, as I was in a hurry not to lose my natural
light. We are lucky enough that in the summer we get some wonderful late
evening light, but today was miserably rainy and cloudy. To be honest, I don't mind the rain so much, as the prairies really need it, and I love the spectacular thunderstorms we get here. But ocasionally, cloudy grey weather does have a way of sapping energy out of you (and then I wonder how the heck I ever lived in the UK all these years :-)
Wednesday, 4 April 2012
Don't you just hate it when something you've taught your kids comes back to bite you in the bum? Like, literally in the bum <blush>? I apologize in advance for the slightly unedifying contents of the next paragraph, so if you're not into... ahem... flatulence, you can skip to the paragraph after, no worse for the wear.
As any responsible parent, I've drummed the value of saying 'excuse me' into Aditi. Especially if she coughs, sneezes and erm... 'put-puts' (a more childish term for aforementioned bodily sound) Except when you then are in the library, and you really have to 'put-put' yourself. So, of course, you find a deserted corner, and let out a discreet 'put'. Not even a damn 'put-put' just a lousy, barely there 'put'. And then your utterly polite child bellows (and I mean, really bellows out!) 'mummy, mummy, you made a put-put and didn't say 'excuse me''... hehe... erm... excuse me? And then, to my horror, that little rat plugs her nose and goes 'pheeeeewww, disgusting mummy!' What? That did NOT stink. It so did not!!! A speedy exit was then made! Damn children and their utter lack of respect, I tell ya... kids these days!
Friday, 30 March 2012
First off, I want to share with you all that my mum's fish curry recipe was trialled by Felicity Cloake of the Guardian. Holy!!! Yes, that Guardian, of which I am an avid reader and fan. I am still recovering from the honour of having my name mentioned alongside Madhur Jaffery and Camellia Panjabi.... faints again...
You can read the article here. Mum, you rock!
... recovers from faint... and on to our feature presentation...
Monday, 26 March 2012
I've been having an influx of visitors lately. I love having everyone over, but of course, this does mean that life does get a bit hectic. My in-laws left today, and we miss them terribly. But now that they've left, I do have an excuse to go back to my lazy ways :)
Edmonton has been having some weird weather lately as well. First it seemed like spring was coming early with temperatures into postive digits and the shining bright and warm. Then it snowed more in a day, than it has all winter and the skies went all cloudy and grey. The next day the snow all melted away and the sun started shining again. Talk about confused! So I decided to make a soup. Like you do, of course.
The one thing that has been gladdening my heart, though, has been the beautiful sunshine and that is staying light longer and longer every day. Amazing what a little bit of warm sunshine can do for your happiness quotient! So of course, while its still cold outside, I keep feeling that spring is just round the corner and my mood has lifted immeasurably as a result.
Edmonton has been having some weird weather lately as well. First it seemed like spring was coming early with temperatures into postive digits and the shining bright and warm. Then it snowed more in a day, than it has all winter and the skies went all cloudy and grey. The next day the snow all melted away and the sun started shining again. Talk about confused! So I decided to make a soup. Like you do, of course.
The one thing that has been gladdening my heart, though, has been the beautiful sunshine and that is staying light longer and longer every day. Amazing what a little bit of warm sunshine can do for your happiness quotient! So of course, while its still cold outside, I keep feeling that spring is just round the corner and my mood has lifted immeasurably as a result.
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
One of the nice things about having a BC boy for a husband is the sheer amount of useless wild animal knowledge you collect. Or perhaps its useful if you are being chased by a bear, I haven't actually had a chance to test all this knowledge yet. But seriously, I now know a LOT about bears, moose, elk, bighorn sheep, caribou, cougars, wolves, coyotes and (hehe) marmots.
I know the difference between a grizzly and a black bear, and how to react if one of them is chasing you. I know that if you startle a bear, you should make lots of clamour, and hope the bear runs away. I also know that if a bear is stalking you (and sometimes you can tell by the strong fishy smell that accompanys them) that you're dinner, and you should fight back. I know that if its a grizzly you're up against, you have to play dead. I know enough never to come between a mama and her cubs. I know that moose are strong enough to topple a car, and are also dumb enough to do that. That coyotes are sneaky animals, and cougars are rarely seen, but attack the weakest of the pack (i.e, between me and Kay, I am lunch) Yep, I probably know more than the average Brit about how to survive (or not) in the wild :-)
I've been lucky enough to see many of these magnificent animals in the wild, even if the coyotes were a bit mangy looking. We've travelled enough along lonely roads and with my friend Mike, and we've seen several black bears and grizzlies. But the one bear that has eluded me so far has been the kermode bear, also known as the 'spirit bear'. Kermodes are white black bears. A genetic mutation makes them white, instead of black and they are not to be confused with polar bears. They are only found in a very specific area of Northern BC, which probably accounts for their being called 'spirit bears' by native tribes and locals. I have been desperate to see one for all the years I've been travelling to Terrace, and the only time I've seen one was the time I saw a kermode in the back of truck being shipped out of town (he had gotten a bit too used to people and was wandering backyards scavenging garbage)
My friend Mike has been lucky enough to see a family of bears, with a mama black bear with two kermode cubs. He's got some great, and super cute pictures of them here, if you want to take a look. My favourite is the one of this little cub, and its the picture I tried to recreate with my bear cookies below.
Saturday, 10 December 2011
This post has been a long time coming. So long, that we're almost at Christmas rather than Canadian Thanksgiving, when I first made it, hehe. Sorry about that. Sometimes I never know where my head is at. Especially in December, when its a busy month, and crazy even by my usual laid back standards.
We decided to stay home, just the three of us for Christmas this year. Over the last few years, we've hardly spent Christmas by ourselves. Two years ago, we were in the throes of the big move, and ended up spending Christmas in India. It was a big deal for me then, as that was my first Christmas back home in 10 years. The next year we had a whirlwind of a Christmas, with all the driving to Terrace and back in a week. So this year, I am kind of looking forward to a more relaxed week, hanging out with friends and spending Christmas with the people I love very much.
And of course, doing tons and tons of baking and cooking, and racing against the clock to get some natural light pictures for this blog. Its really funny, how I can manage to cook pretty decent food, yet my brain goes blank when it comes to creatively photographing it. I am also handicapped by the lack of light, in a way. Especially during dinnertime, when its dark outside. Kay and Aditi are getting used to eating dinner at 3 PM nowadays, if its reasonably sunny outside...
This beautiful squash, mushroom and zucchini tart is going to be at my Christmas table as well. It worked so well at Thanksgiving, I made a mental note to use it for Christmas as well. I love all the individual elements of the dish, and it was just a doddle to put together, which is always a great thing when you're rushing about trying to get to ten million things at the same time :-)
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
'What on earth are you doing?' asks he.
'Erm, making Canada Cornstarch shortbread cookies' says me.
'But, but... the last time I checked those cookies are white, not brown' says he, with a snooty look.
'Ah', says I. 'But these are Canada cornstarch shortbread cookies with a twist. A chocolate orange flavoured twist, to be precise. You'll love them so stop complaining and get back in your cage. Change is good!' says me, with a snooty look of my own.
Off he goes, shaking his head, muttering darkly about unruly daughters-in-law that messed about with time honoured grandmotherly and motherly recipes.
Disclaimer: The above events have been dramatised a wee bit, but the essential message from him was the same :-)
Saturday, 10 September 2011
Summer has finally decided to show up... just as the leaves have started to change colour and the days have started getting shorter. Sigh! But I am not complaining, even when its +34, that's for sure. I am very much a summer person, unlike Kay and Aditi who both love winters. Me, on the other hand... well, lets just say, you can take the girl out of the tropics, but not the tropics out of the girl. I feel like that sunflower in the picture below, and I would certainly follow the sun everywhere if I could.
Monday, 20 December 2010
Well, its been an eventful year for sure!
Last December, we decided to make a giant life change and move to Canada. The decision was partly influenced by Kay's desire to move closer to his parents, and partly due to the fact we wanted to finally settle and put down roots in one place. It meant that we had to give up a wonderful life in the Wirral and take a big step into the unknown. It meant leaving behind friends we've made over the years, the snug routine we fell into, and my wonderful job that I loved! But, it was a decision we made together, and while there have been some regrets, on the whole I do feel it was one of the better decisions of our life together.
But, before we left I wanted a big trip to India first, to catch up with my family and friends there. So January saw me travelling all over India and meeting up with my lovely friends and spending quality time with my family, including my grandmothers.
Come February, we were in Edmonton in Canada. It was a shock to the system! From balmy tropical weather, to -15 to -35 days... but I survived with the help of a giant big winter coat and a cute new cat.
And then winter turned to spring and we stepped up our house hunt! We finally settled on a small, but open plan house, and it was such a treat to finally have our first house together as a family! First houses are always special, and for me, this one certainly is.
We spent the summer travelling back and forth from Terrace, visiting the in-laws and more importantly, stocking up on fresh fish and cherries for the winter ;-) And come winter, I now snuggle up happily by our wood stove in the basement, sipping on creamy hot chocolate, reading to a happy, sleepy little girl with a cat cuddled at my feet. Can life get better than this?
So, to celebrate my first Christmas in Canada in my own house, I leave you with this recipe for shortbread biscuits, that my dear MIL got from the back of the Canada Cornstarch box. These biscuits, I have since learnt, have gone down as a classic tradition for Christmas and after having tasted them I can see why!
Recipe:
(Printable Recipe)
½ cup Canada Corn Starch (other brands or bulk will work as well)
½ cup icing sugar
1 cup sifted plain flour
¾ cup butter
Method:
Sift cornstarch, flour, icing sugar together. Using either your fingers or two forks, mix in the butter, until a soft dough is formed.
Shape into 1 inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Flatten with a lightly floured fork.
Bake the cookies at 300 F/ 150 C for 15 - 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. These will be soft when they come out, so make sure you let them cool before you take them off the cookie sheet.
You can decorate them with bits of candied fruit or nuts, before baking. Alternately roll out fairly thick and cut into shapes.
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