tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737534896815534522024-03-13T06:46:16.801-07:00Kiss the cook!Manasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-51104333483285156042009-12-31T13:09:00.000-08:002009-12-31T13:34:40.758-08:00Chicken Kofta Curry - Day 7 Apologies for the bad picture. It doesn't speak at all about the melt-in-your-mouth quality of these koftas or the mellow taste of coconut milk, studded with cashews. It was a hurried weeknight dinner, thrown together with pantry staples and there just wasn't enough time to find a good angle. Hunger won over the desire to capture the image satisfactorily.I used the chicken meatballs recipe from Manasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-22682751222050096912009-12-30T19:47:00.000-08:002009-12-30T21:14:28.079-08:00Nectarines- a slice of summer- Day 6There's that time of the year again, where we buy into hype and believe we can change our lives by making resolutions - resolutions that, if you are anything like me, will never come into effect. Nevertheless, I persevere. This year I resolve to quit my whining about winter and simply learn to appreciate the joy of fresh snow, festive spirit, winter sales, cozy sweaters and leafless tress...err, Manasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-64459840104621684832009-12-29T13:49:00.001-08:002009-12-29T14:53:01.203-08:00Butterscotch Cherry Blondies- Day 5What could compare to the seductive power of brownies, with their fudgy chewy insides and the dark chocolatey goodness? How about it's equally alluring cousin, the blondie? Often relegated to the status of a brownie without chocolate, the blondie relies on dark sugar for a lingering sweetness. Tart dried cherries prevent it from being one note, and butterscotch chips provide the requisite bite. Manasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-63158489547196167352009-12-28T10:31:00.001-08:002009-12-28T19:40:48.610-08:00Rice Walnut Risotto- Day 4Rice kheer is no friend of mine. Most of my attempts to make rice pudding resulted in something akin to doodh-bhaat, and not the creamy concoction I desired. Probably because I never took to rice kheer the way I love my seviyaan. Growing up kheer always meant seviyaan- roasted in homemade ghee, sweetened with khoya and garnished with plump, golden raisins and meant to be scooped up with fluffy, Manasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-37969427984124810312009-12-27T13:54:00.000-08:002009-12-27T14:14:38.993-08:00Quinoa Hash Browns- Day 3 A disappointing brunch at the over hyped Public yielded this surprise; a quick search on the interwebz turned up the original recipe by Chef Brad Farmerie.Without much ado...Quinoa Hash Browns1 cup quinoa3-4 medium potatoes, gratedsalt-pepper to taste2 small green chilies1 tsp cumin powder1/2 cup chopped parsleySqueeze the grated potatoes and get as much moisture out as you possibly can.Grind Manasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-34827283790112499532009-12-26T05:41:00.000-08:002009-12-26T06:36:35.051-08:00Blood Orange Cake- Day 2This marathon thing is such a rush! A big thanks to Nupur for thinking this up; blogging every day is a great way to get back into the groove. Gone are the much abused excuses of 'no time', 'I'll do it tomm' 'hit a bloggers block' and other stuff I come with to explain my procrastination. Now I wake every day knowing there is something on my to-do list that I love doing! And I love sharing this Manasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-40576086642714845862009-08-15T08:19:00.001-07:002009-12-25T06:07:06.967-08:00Gulkand Malai Kulfi- Recipe Marathon Day 1I understand how people get attached to their blogs. Its so much more than a virtual space, a friend who waits for you, ungrudging, while you deal with your life. Never judging or criticising, just asking for a visit, every once in a while. Yeah, I can see how that bond has power over me. It has been silent on the cooking front for a while now, my indulgent cooking giving way to quick fix meals Manasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-55121865015137099152009-07-28T09:53:00.000-07:002009-07-31T14:48:24.921-07:00Peas parathasThere is no story behind this one, just a wickedly awesome recipe. We are apparently all out of words today. A dozen drafts have been written and summarily dismissed, and in the process this recipe has been languishing in the drafts folder for decades. Something as stellar as this paratha deserves a better write up, but maybe something with so much going for it can speak for itself.I can't spin aManasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-64350397373032075042009-07-17T04:19:00.000-07:002009-07-18T04:31:04.692-07:00Baking adventures, part IBaking is something that always has me bamboozled. Sneaky flour and its sneaky little ways. It will go into the oven looking all expectant dough like and make my house smell like vanilla and cinnamon, building my hopes up to a point where I'm dreaming about opening my own cupcake stores and such, and then the said baked product will either...a. collapse in the middleb. turn into a rock candy on Manasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-1450736551745242092009-06-30T11:35:00.000-07:002009-06-30T14:53:35.761-07:00Coconut Banana PancakesThese pancakes would have had a serious identity crisis, if they had been around long enough to say c-r-i-s-i-s. Thankfully, eating at the speed of lightening is among my many talents! These breakfast treats were originally meant to be the luscious Bihari Malpua's. It all started when I read about Vikram's tryst with substandard Malpua's in Pune, and then his explanation on what the Malpua shouldManasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-83129835479145598072009-06-29T04:56:00.000-07:002009-06-29T05:41:13.098-07:00Sweet mornings I love jams and jellies and preserves. The time honored breakfast staples don't me feel so guilty about indulging in sugary treats when I should be filling up on oatmeal (shudder!) and such. A slice of milk toast, drizzled with some salty melted butter and a smear of jam is a perfect beginning to my day. So imagine my delight when I found a preserves mini sampler at a Harry and David outlet. I Manasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-34307312090490534322009-02-02T06:50:00.000-08:002009-02-03T03:55:55.293-08:00Is it April First?This is a joke, right? RIGHT???!!! "It has long been shunned as a junk food, but now, a new study has claimedthat the humble chip can actually battle cancer.Chips are rich in vitamin C, which boffins consider could fight the deadly disease.It is thought the vitamin tackles dangerous free radicals, which are associatedwith cancer growth, reports the Daily Star. By eating a portion of chips- which Manasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-63662668675898280762009-02-01T22:13:00.000-08:002009-02-01T22:24:55.143-08:00Classics...Sometimes you just don't mess with the classics. So when a traditional chutney is called for, there cannot be any substitute for creamy coconut, fresh sprigs of coriander, sharp green chillies, nutty dal ground together and topped with a simple mustard, curry leaves tempering. Maybe one odd dried red chili as well and some hing. That's it. And then simply serve with hot idlis. Another classic. Manasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-23559666789093481222008-12-17T08:00:00.000-08:002009-02-01T18:42:24.032-08:00The one in which......we are a little pressed for time and cannot offer you quality material but will direct you to someone that does. I have always been fond of learning about unique cooking techniques. Its an age old art and I'm amazed there is still room for creativity.Couple of fascinating articles on truly inventive cooking methods.The first is from Slate about a method of cooking that involves sealing food inManasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-17675131276484440772008-11-18T15:14:00.000-08:002008-12-15T03:53:29.984-08:00Right now......... I'm craving the food generally served at Maharashtrian Weddings. I was never a fan of this food when I was kid, begging my mom to take me out for a Pav-Bhaji instead whenever my sorry ass was dragged to a wedding.(Long linktastic pointless post ahead. With the potential of being incomprehensible to Non-Maharashtrians. Do proceed with caution.) But for the fact that I haven't 'attended' (Manasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-87272871335613833222008-11-18T05:29:00.000-08:002009-06-29T05:45:25.729-07:00Things are happy in KisstheCook land......because I downloaded Picassa 3 which has better collage options than Picassa 2.So obviously I went overboard and made a gaudy collage. Wouldn't you?For a more restrained and completely adorable collage, click here.Manasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-33994191128734373112008-11-11T14:38:00.000-08:002008-11-12T04:09:15.110-08:00Curry PuffsI get manic periods of restless energy sometimes, which balance my procrastination nicely. Too bad the manic fits are few and far in between. So one such time when I had a huge backlog of utterly awful movies I wanted to watch... (Why do I watch awful movies, you ask? Because they are there.) I boiled a bushel of potatoes, defrosted 4 packs of puff pastry sheets and settled in for an afternoon ofManasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-39942094851448741422008-11-11T09:33:00.000-08:002008-11-11T14:30:12.383-08:00Love is.......when the hubby gets chocolaty desserts for no reason....just.So that's the Chocolate Praline cake, Chocolate Caramel Dome, Tiramisu and a Raspberry torte that was scarfed down before pictures could be taken. These were from Financier Patisserie, a place that I have passed often and drooled at. I would highly recommend..well, everything. :)Manasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-31085366703855166022008-10-29T02:24:00.000-07:002008-11-11T13:42:31.981-08:00A BIG blogging break, awards and a heartfelt Thank You!I started the blog when I was feeling particularly friendless and lonely. I was looking for work and not having a lot of luck with the process and feeling utterly directionless. I envied the easy camaraderie dedicated bloggers had with each other, the comfort they shared in knowing each other's virtual identities, being a part of their virtual worlds. I read about the Arusavai Friendship Chain onManasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-36678575498973853882008-09-28T11:00:00.000-07:002008-10-01T06:16:10.149-07:00Sizzlin' chicken There was, probably is, a place called Zamu's in Pune which introduced me to the absolute goodness of Sizzlers. A cast iron plate, overflowing with tender chicken pieces, mounds of gooey mashed potatoes, sauteed sweet peas, and other assorted veggies came to the table magician style...in a cloud of smoke, making the beautiful sizzling sound butter makes when it hits a hot pan (I guess, hence theManasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-90571164989798480082008-09-21T17:20:00.000-07:002008-09-28T11:00:28.395-07:00Cupcakes Plain cupcakes with lemon frosting, vanilla frosting and sprinkles, chocolate frosting, red velvet with cream cheese frosting.Sheetal's beautiful red delights kicked off an acute cupcake craving in me. So ofcourse, I had to send the hubby out for some. It ain't easy living with food obsessed Manasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-52288595268291944412008-09-20T05:26:00.000-07:002008-09-21T19:47:14.470-07:00Spinach and Mushroom LasagnaThere was a familiar argument in my house on weekends, well, there were plenty of arguments but for now lets just talk about this one. My mom would tell my dad to get groceries and he would head out with a cloth bag to the biggest market in Pune. Like all men, he is pretty clueless about what goes on in the kitchen and would end up buying half the market if not more. He would come home with bags Manasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-64258342946187008762008-09-15T04:33:00.000-07:002008-09-17T10:50:54.988-07:00Pineapple, bean sprout, peanut saladLike I mentioned in the earlier post, I got a new cookbook. And I predict that you will be hearing a lot of it in the coming posts. Its a vegetarian cookbook by Carla Bardi. At the first glance actually thought it was Carla Bruni, then I thought 'Why should she write a cookbook?', then I thought 'Why would I buy a cookbook written by a former model? I bet there won't be a pat of butter to be seenManasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-39353020221596062852008-09-15T04:22:00.000-07:002008-09-15T05:23:06.422-07:00Juicy grapesJust look at the color of these grapes I got yesterday! I laid them along normal red grapes and some green ones to bring out the deep, rich, almost black color of the plump ones. And these babies are seedless, so off in the blender they go to have a party with some crushed ice!Random fact-Foods that are deeper in color eg: spinach, tomatoes, pomegranates are higher in anti-oxidant properties. So Manasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-673753489681553452.post-1646887378450269512008-09-15T02:47:00.000-07:002008-09-15T16:16:31.195-07:00Spicy EggsDebu and I love this place in Manhattan! Its called Hummus and serves up (you guessed it!) hummus and the freshest pita bread. The menu has a total of 5 things on it, 3 of which are hummus with different toppings. And then there is Shakshuka, a heavenly blend of tomatoes, garlic, peppers and egg. Its piping hot, spicy and dunkable making it perfect food after a workout or while nursing a hangoverManasihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16343046887249187155noreply@blogger.com3