Quiche

The days have been extremely sleepy and lazy as I have been lying around at home for the past three days and flipping channels on the TV. It's also the reason why I am posting suddenly with a renewed vigor that was absent for sometime now.
To let you all in on some happenings here...I have just managed to take another decision to finally call it quits here and move on to Delhi. Not that I don't like the city, but just like home is where the heart is, the reverse is also true. I think the time has come to move back to one's roots and get back to parents. Funnily, when we are young we try our level best to get as far away from them as we can, and then after some time, you do everything to do the opposite and get as closer to them as possible. Moreover, the opportunity out there is more exciting than the present one and what's life without challenges.
Krithika, I already told you the news yesterday so you cannot call and say you read it here first.
Getting back to the topic of this post, Quiche's a baked dish, which consists of a egg and milk mixture in a pastry crust and some other ingredients like ham, mushrooms, celery other vegetables added in. Both me and my better half are big fans of the Quiche that you get in the Maurya Sheraton Hotel's Mithai Shop....it's amazing. Since we were missing that lovely quiche so much I decided to try it out at home. What came out wasn't as fab, but yes! it did subside that craving for sometime.

Mushroom, Shallot & Cheese Quiche

Ingredients:

For the Crust:
Refined Flour - 1.5 Cup
Butter, cut into cubes (.5 ') - 1/2 Cup
Egg - 1
Salt - 1 Tsp
Water - A Few Drops

For the Filling:
Butter - 2 Tblsp
Mushrooms, quartered & sliced - 1 Cup
Shallots, finely chopped - 1/2 Cup
Gruyere Cheese, grated - 1.5 Cup
Milk - 1/2 Cup
Cream - 1/2 Cup
Thyme, crushed - 3 Tblsp
Eggs - 2
Scallions, sliced - 1/2 Cup
Red bell pepper, Finely Chopped - 1/2
Black Pepper - 2 Tblsp
Salt - To Taste

Method:
For Crust :
1. Sift the flour and the salt together. Add butter and mix with soft hands by rubbing your fingers in the mixture till a coarse meal forms.
2. Add a whisked egg and 1 tsp Cold water to this coarse meal. Knead gently to form a dough.
3. Wrap in plastic and chill for an hour.
4. Take dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface in a round shape.
5. Take a buttered pan with a removable bottom. Transfer rolled out dough to the pan.
6. Press on the bottom and the sides of the pan. Trim out excess dough.
7. Pre-heat oven to 400 °F. Fill pan with dried beans and bake for 20 mins or until crust is golden.
8. Cool.
For Filling:
1. Melt butter in a skillet. Add in the shallots. Saute till they turn translucent. Will take about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add in the scallions and Red Bell Pepper. Saute for another minute.
3. Add in the mushrooms. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Saute till mushrooms are tender. Will take about 10 minutes.
4. Sprinkle thyme and cook for another minute.
5. Take out on a plate and cool this mixture.
6. Sprinkle some thyme on the crust followed by some grated cheese.
7. Add in the mushroom mixture.
8. Whisk cream, eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl.
9. Pour this mixture over the mushrooms.
10. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese on top.
11. Bake the quiche for 20 minutes at 350 °F or till custard is set.
12. Serve at room temperature.

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Grilled Masala Aloo Wedges

Entertaining guests at your place can be quite tricky, especially if its the same old regular crowd coming in too often. You cannot repeat your snacks and make it a regular affair wherein all your friends are gonna be laying bets if Seekh Kababs will be featuring on the snacks menu again that evening. You also cannot prepare something so exotic that'll kill you throughout the day in the kitchen or keep you in the kitchen for most of the evening when the party is going on.
The easiest option is too choose a new restaurant each time and order some takeaways or home delivery. Else, you can keep your mind open and have ideas for new dishes flowing in.
My better half loves potatoes. Being a veggie she doesn't have too many options I guess, that too, coupled with the fact that she hates Paneer and Mushrooms. So I need to keep thinking on my toes for new potato dishes as starters. This recipe is one such concoction.

Grilled Masala Wedges

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 5
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 Tblsp
Gramflour - 50 gm
Cornflour -15 gm
Onion paste - 2 Tblsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 Tblsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 Tblsp
Kasoori Methi - 1 Tsp
Yogurt - 1 Cup
Egg - 1 No.
Lemon Juice - 1 Tblsp
Oil - 3 Tblsp
Salt - To Taste

Method:
1. Parboil the potatoes, peel them and cut them into wedges. Keep in salted water.
2. Prepare marinade by mixing all remaining ingredients except oil. (Ensure no lumps are there)
3. Drain potatoes and mix them with the marinade. Keep for 30 mins.
4. Oil a grilling rack and arrange the marinated potatoes on it.
5. Baste with oil and grill till done.
6. Sprinkle with chaat masala and serve with mint chutney.

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Shorshe Eel - Flavors of Bengal

The other day at our local cash & carry mall, I came across some freshly dressed eel. To be honest I had never tried out eel ever before and was really itching to take it home and prepare it. The real problem started once it got home. I really did not know what to prepare and then it struck me to prepare it the Bengali way. I have always loved the way Bengalis prepare their seafood. So uncomplicated yet so tasty. Since I dig mustard and have a bottle of Kasundi always at hand, I decided to make the Shorshe Maachh only that this time the maachh was the eel. Shorshe is the bengali word for Mustard or Rai.
I made it a little more thicker than usual and boy! It flew off the plate literally. I got a Kg of fish and it did not make it past dinner time. I took it to office in the evening and Smitha our HR partner in crime literally cleaned the bowl dry. I did not disclose it to her at the beginning that it was eel, and when I told her after she had finished, she didn't seem to mind much.

Shorshe Eel

Ingredients:
Eel - 1 Kg
Kasundi (Bengali Mustard Sauce) - 12 Tblsp
Yogurt - 12 Tblsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 5 Tblsp
Tomato, cut into 4 pieces - 2
Green Chillies, slit - 3
Kalonji (Onion Seeds) - 1 Tblsp
Black Pepper - 2 Tsp
Salt - To Taste
Lemon Juice - 8 Tblsp
Mustard Oil - 8 Tblsp

Method:
1. Wash and keep the eel aside. Rub it with salt and pepper and soak in lemon juice.
2. Make a smooth paste of Kasundi, yogurt and ginger-garlic paste by whisking in a bowl.
3. Heat oil in a wok. Add in the kalonji.
4. As the kalonji crackles, add the yogurt-mustard mixture and stir to mix. Bring it to a boil.
5. Add in salt, tomato pieces and green chillies.
6. Add the eel to the gravy and cook till the eel is soft. (10-15 minutes)

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Modaks - The food of the Lord

I have been out of action for the past 2 weeks with no posts and no must see 5 recipes for the week. A lot has been going on personally in these few days which for reasons known to me cannot be communicated right now. The festive season has started and will continue till the years end. This time will be a delight for all gastronomes. Hyderabad is at its vibrant best and you can find huge idols of Lord Ganesha at most places. The lord visited our abode too and was with us for the past 7 days. Its a ritual every year now and it feels good to connect with your spiritual self every once in a while.
My better half makes these yummy steamed modaks that are relished by everyone. This year we went a step further and tried the non-steamed ones with Khoya. The result was not as visually perfect but they were a treat to have.

Steamed Modaks

Ingredients:
Rice Flour - 300 gm
Jaggery (Shakkar) - 200 gm
Cardamom Powder (Elaichi Powder) - 1 Tsp
Coconut, grated - 1
Oil - A Few Drops

Method:
For the Filling:
1. Heat a wok and add in the coconut and jaggery. Cook till jaggery melts.
2. Add in the cardamom powder.
3. Mix well and keep aside.

For the Modaks:
1. Boil a glass of water.
2. Add in the rice flour and mix well.
3. Cover vessel and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.
4. Take it off the flame and add in a little oil. While it is still hot knead to form a dough.
5. Make small equal sized balls.
6. Take a ball at a time and flatten it.
7. Add in a spoonful of the coconut and jaggery mixture.
8. Dip thumb and index finger in oil and make 6 small pinches side by side on the outer edges of the cup
9. Fold them together on the top and Join to form a peak. It should look like a gralic pod.
10. Steam the modaks for 15-20 minutes.
11. Serve.

Chocolate Modak:

Ingredients:
Khoya - 1 Kg
Sugar - 300 gm
Cocoa Powder - 100 gm
Method:
1. Heat Khoya in a wok till all moisture evaporates.
2. Add in sugar.
3. Add in Cocoa Powder.
4. Heat on medium flame till the mixture boils.
5. Reduce Flame and keep stirring the mixture till it starts hardening slightly.
6. Cook till mouldable.
7. Mould into Modak Shapes (Should look like a garlic pod).

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Masala Chicken Wings

So chicken wings are in vogue these days... at least in my household. After the buffalo style variation the last time, I did not want to give it up and here I am with another variation. This one is much drier and unlike the fried kind which I posted last time, this one is grilled.

Masala Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

Chicken Wings - 10
Onion, roughly chopped - 1 cup
Scallions, roughly chopped - 2/3 Cup
Garlic - 3 Cloves
Nutmeg, grated - 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon - 1" Piece
Black Peppercorns - 10
Red Chili Powder - 1/2 Tsp
Cloves - 5-6
Dried Thyme - 1/2 Tsp
Green Chillies, chopped - 2
Tabasco Sauce - 8 drops
Soy Sauce - 2 Tblsp
Oil - 3/4 Cup
Lemon Juice - 1 Tsp
Salt - To Taste

Method:

1. Take all the ingredients except the chicken wings and puree them together in the food processor.
2. Marinate the chicken wings with this mixture. (Rather than spooning the marinade over the chicken wings, rub it into the wings and spoon the remaining over).
3. Keep the marinated chicken wings aside, covered and chilled, for 30 minutes.
4. Heat your grill. Arrange the chicken wings on the grill and grill for 30 minutes or till done.
5. Keep turning from time to time to avoid uneven cooking.
6. Serve Hot.

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Chicken Wings

I remember my first visit to the US and how I enjoyed eating Buffalo wings. The icing on the cake however was an episode revolving around one of my team leads who was accompanying me on the visit. We usually went out to eat together and when I ordered Buffalo wings, he always gave me a weird look and never ate them (he was a chicken eater though). It's on our return back to India, that he walked up to me one day and stated that he was puzzled, as to how come Buffaloes had wings and how come they were so small. The incident still makes me smile when I think of it or while having wings.
One super place for good beer and wings has to be the Winking Lizard in Cleveland. It was my regular haunt during my stay in Cleveland. They also have a world tour of beers ( 100 beers from around the world) and I took part in the challenge for 2004. Unfortunately I could only finish 80 of them and we had to shift back to India.
So let me clear the whole issue about what are buffalo wings ? Buffalo wings are chicken wings sections (and drummettes too) that deep fried and coated with a margarine and hot sauce. They get their name from the city of Buffalo, New York where they originated from. They are different versions to its origins, some involve the anchor bar where Teressa Bellisimo is credited for coming up with these when her son came late night unannounced with a lot of his friends. One version again credits her for coming up with these for her catholic guests who were buying a lot of drinks around midnight on a Friday.
I made it to the Anchor Bar in Buffalo when me and my better half were en route to Niagara Falls from Cleveland. I ended up buying a few bottles of their hot sauce for wings ( though I have a prejudice towards using Frank's Hot Sauce).
This particular recipe is my own concoction and is a regular at my place for beer parties.

Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

Chicken Wings - 10
Soy Sauce - 2 Tsp
Red Chili Powder ( or Paprika) - 1/2 Tsp ( You can reduce to 1/4 if you do not want them spicy)
Salt - To taste
Minced Garlic - 1 Tsp
Butter - 1/4 Cup
Hot Sauce - 1/4 Cup ( I love Frank's)
Oil For Deep Frying

Method:
1. Marinate the chicken with Soy Sauce, salt, minced garlic and red chili Powder.
2. Heat enough Oil in a deep fryer or a wok to cover the wings entirely.
3. Heat a saucepan and add in Butter and Hot Sauce. Stir until butter has melted and the mixture is well blended. Remove from heat.
4. Fry the wings in the oil for 10 minutes or till they are done.
5. Remove from heat, and place them in a bowl.
6. Add in the sauce and stir together to mix evenly.
7. Serve hot with a dip and celery sticks.

Note : If you want them to taste as they do in restaurants, then omit the Soy Sauce and add in Flour. Coat the chicken wings and keep in a chiller for 30 minutes.

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5 Must See Recipes For The Week

It's been a breezy week and before I have known it, the week has gone by. Cooked up some nice wings on the weekend and managed to play golf on Sunday, which is an achievement, considering the last 4 weekends that have been lost to laziness and rain.
The food blog world has been exploding with newer blogs getting added and some interesting recipes finding their way into the cyberspace. Though what pains me the most is the fact that I still run into a lot of the normal fare and I still struggle to find some experimentation. I should not really be pointing fingers when this very blog also dishes out regular fare most of the time. This week's selection features mostly classics, one of which I like immensely since I first tried it 10 years back.

1. Ratatouille - Yes! you heard it right. It was the name of a very famous animated movie of recent times. It's a French stewed vegetable dish that originated in Nice. It's full name is ratatouille nicoise. It's a perfect summertime dish, though I prefer to make it anytime. Also, I tend to use much more courgettes than aubergines. It's simple to make and is a good and tasty lunch option.

2. Red Curry Chicken with Vegetables - A much more thicker version of the traditional thai dish. Also it uses more vegetables than you'll find in any other red curry chicken preparation. More spoonful for every spoon is the moral of this recipe.

3. Zucchini and Squash Frittata - For beginners Frittata is an Italian Omelet. I love Frittata's and love to try them out whenever I can. I totally agree with Lydia and would recommend finishing under a broiler or salamander rather than flipping it on stovetop, but the more adventurous can still try it out. For the meat lovers, try adding a few chunks of ham to the mix.

4. Cinnamon Muffins with Pineapple and Mascarpone - I salute the creativity in this recipe. Stuffing pineapple and mascarpone is a great idea and maybe adding chocolate will add more sin quotient to this healthy treat.

5. Pesto Chicken Sandwich with Caramelized Onions and Havarti - Great idea for sunday dinner. The kids will surely love it. The pesto chicken is a fantastic idea and adds a new dimension to the meal.

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Of Punches and Cups

Over the last few weeks I have surrendered to the fact that I am not going to get any time for pursuing anything due to my hectic schedules. Golf has suffered (haven't played for 4 weeks now), this blog has suffered (my posts have gone down) and so has my appetite for watching movies (Can you believe I still haven't seen the new Batman flick).
Therefore this resolve to fight it out and take out time to do what I enjoy doing the most ...I'll play a round of golf this weekend, make up for my posts by cooking 4-5 dishes over the weekend while I'm at home and see atleast 2 movies.
The highlight though has been the Olympics. I loved the Gold the Abhinav got and the out of the blue bronze in wrestling. But the star for me personally have been the three Pugilists who have really paved the way to make it an upcoming sport in India. Strangely did anyone notice that all the medals that we picked up were in Individual disciplines ( now is teamwork disappearing) and also in Sports that can be associated with violence ( Shooting, Wrestling, Boxing). I loved watching Akhil and Vijinder box their way to the hearts of so many Indians. They really packed a punch or two in their bouts.

Now talking about punches of the gastronomical kind - the punch is a term used loosely for mixed drinks that contain lot of fruit juice and traditionally served in Punch Bowls. Interestingly, the punch has an indian connection as the word is supposedly a derivation of the word Panj meaning Five. In olden days, the panj was an arrack based drink made with 5 ingredients and found its way to the English shores through the British East India Company and then gradually to the rest of Europe. Other stories abound about it being a derivation from the Puncheon which was a cask from which the punch bowl was made. Rum is the most popular base for Punches, though you have punches made with Brandy and wine too.

Cups though are a type of Punch are generally lower in alcohol as compared to the regular punch. The Pimms Cup is the most popular of cups. The Pimms No. 1 which is required to make the Pimms cup is a gin based beverage made with dry gin, spices, liqueur and fruit juices. It is named so because it was created by James Pimm, an English Bar Owner. it became so famous that he started mass producing it in bottles. It is supposed to be a secret recipe and has a low alcohol content. Talking of Pimms, though you have Pimms No. 1 easily available, try the Pimms No. 3 (Now available as a winter version seasonally). I love the Pimms No. 3 and find it amazing during the cold winter season. The winter version is brandy based and infused with spices and orange peel. The Pimms Cup is the traditional drink of Wimbledon. The recipe for Pimms Cup is as follows:

Pimms Cup

Ingredients:
60 ml Pimms No. 1 Cup
180 ml Ginger Ale
60 ml Lemon soda
1 Cucumber Spear

Method:
1. Add ice in a hi-ball glass.
2. Add Pimms No. 1, then Ginger ale and finally soda.
3. Stir well and garnish with the cucumber spear.
4. Serve.

if you do not have lemon soda. Just squeeze juice of 1 lemon into the glass. You can also use 7-up instead. Both will do.

Other Pimms products besides the popular No. 1 are as follows:

Pimms No. 1 Cup- Gin based
Pimms No. 2 Cup- Whisky Based
Pimms No. 3 Cup - Brandy Based
Pimms No. 4 Cup - Rum Based
Pimms No. 5 Cup - Rye Based
Pimms No .6 Cup - Vodka Based

No.2, 4 & 5 have been phased out. No. 3 is phased out but sold as Winter edition with certain more additions. No. 6 is available in limited quantities.

Coming to Punches, the Planter's Punch is a common summer drink made with Rum. Though there are other punches that exist, Planter's punch has been extremely popular. There is infact a rhyme as to how it is made. It goes like this,

This recipe I give to thee,
Dear brother in the heat,
Take two sour of lime,
To one and half of sweet,
Of Old jamaica pour three strong
And add four parts of weak.
Then mix and drink. I do no wrong -
I know whereof I speak.

It has also been declared the 'King of rum drinks' .
My recipe is a little different from the rest, in both the way the ingredients have been used and the way it has been built ( floating rum instead of mixing it).

Planter's Punch

Ingredients :
Dark Rum - 60 Ml
Orange Juice - 60 Ml
Pineapple Juice - 60 Ml
Lemon Juice - 15 ml
Grenadine - 1 Tsp

Method:
1. Combine the juices in a shaker with ice and shake well.
2. Strain in a tall chilled glass.
3. Sink grenadine. Just pour it in and it will sink down to the bottom.
4. Using a spoon, float the rum on top.
5. garnish with a cherry or an orange slice and serve.

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5 Must See Recipes For The Week

My weekdays are really becoming extremely busy and I do not have much time to squeeze out. There are so many recipes that I have tried out but haven't found the time to post. There are many more that I have checked out on other blogs, and I cannot get around to try them. Thankfully I tried out the BBQ chicken 'Bama style last weekend and it turned out real yummy.
This week has again got an amazing collection. Must say bloggers around the world are getting more and more adventurous.

1. Stuffed Baby Eggplant - Though Red Bell Pepper is mentioned as optional, I would make it mandatory. Really makes the dish more appealing. An easy to make dish and blends the varied ingredients well. I would also add in some crushed black pepper or paprika for the extra bite.

2. Citrus Fish with Bell Pepper Couscous - If its from Rachel Ray, it has to be good. I have followed her programs regularly and am more than impressed. I have tried citrus fish before (my own version) and it turned out good. An absolute stunner for a hot afternoon. Add some vodka to the marinade.

3. Pickled Mushrooms - Easy to make side dish. I would rather try it out as a filling for a wrap.

4. Spicy Szechuan Green Beans - I have never taken to green beans, but this recipe makes me want to try it out. Just the right blend of ingredients and the marriage of shrimp, beef and greens makes it a winner.

5. Dutch Baby Pancakes with Vanilla Apricot Sauce - I have never made baby pancakes, and going by the photos, they look absolutely delicious. I will try them out with Peaches and probably even strawberries.

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5 Must See Recipes For The Week

It was a nasty weekend. It started pouring on Friday evening and didn't stop till Sunday. What followed in between was total chaos. A lot of areas in the city got waterlogged and flooded. Roads got blocked and almost everyone waited for the rains to stop. Finally yesterday was a relief. No rain, a fleeting glimpse of the sun and life back to normal. One of the reasons I could not post my weekly five in time and was busy ensuring work at office goes on as usual.

This week's selection has been totally exotic. Apart from some usual fare the rest are really out of this world and totally different.

1. Spicy Date Chutney - Sweet, spicy and a little tangy...an explosion of flavors ...excellent for a dip with some fritters and cheese sticks.

2. Eggplant Parmesan - Easy to make, great to look and wonderful to eat plus light on the stomach. A great accompaniment to some pasta or a nice go-along with a soup meal. If you don't want to top it with pesto try some salsa.

3. Barbecued Chicken 'Bama Style - I love barbecued chicken and this is a very different recipe. Horseradish makes for a great addition. I have 2 bottles lying in my kitchen shelf and now I know what to do with it. Next on the list, also adding a little wasabi and seeing the difference.

4. Guava Sorbet - Sorbets are back in fashion. I wonder why in the first place did they disappear. This is a fantastic recipe for sorbet utilizing sorbets and guess what it does not use an ice-cream maker. I have been seriously thinking of making sorbets but since I do not have an ice-cream maker, I put it off till now..until now. Coco's post should encourage everyone to try making it, and yes! do not let the weather hold you back. Try adding some crushed cloves to it while you are making it.

5. Dampfnudeln - To be honest, I heard the name the first time when I saw this post. What made me more curious was the way it had been described and the photos. It is a great thing to try out and wow! everyone at home. Get creative with the sauces. :)

Addendum - In all the rain related I forgot that this was my 100th post. It feels GREAT to have made a century. This blog has sure come a long way from when it began.

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