Night Express To Paris With Marvin The Martian

I never really know what my next blog post will be. All I know is that I prefer it to be something I've never tried before. A new technique, a new flavour combination or simply put, anything that looks like it will be fun to work with. For instance, in mid-July, the man at the fruit stall, pointed to a couple of boxes of cherries and told me they were the last of the season. I, then, remembered someone once telling me about homemade fruit wines and liqueurs.

Well.. it seemed the perfect opportunity to try my hand at it. From the response that initial photograph of the bottle of cherry liqueur got on my Facebook page, I wasn't the only one excited with my little experiment. Three months on, I didn't just stop at one bottle of cherry liqueur. There's now even a bottle of orange liqueur and coffee liqueur!! The bar's been getting a bit crowded!!

It's Friday evening..no time for baking a cake.. but perfect time for some cocktails!! The perfect excuse to put my bottle of cherry liqueur to work. There is no real reason why I chose these two particular cocktails other than they sounded fun and their names would give an interesting title to this post!!

 

 

Naturally, the cherry liqueur is the main star of the show. In the first drink, 'Night Express To Paris', the cherry liqueur is paired with brandy to transform into a beautiful, seductive drink, fittingly served in a cocktail glass. The deep ruby red liqueur lends this drink an amorous hue and the brandy added makes it deliciously, deceptively and devilishly potent!

 

In contrast, Marvin the Martian, is relatively well-behaved. The citrus soda brings out the fruitiness of the liqueur. It also results in a lighter, pretty hue which also reflects in its taste. This is a fresher, lighter drink that screams fun!

 

 

Whatever your mood this Friday evening, one of these drinks will match it. Because, while Diwali got over last week, the season of celebration has just begun!! Cheers!!

Flourless Chocolate and Hazelnut Cake (Torta Gianduia)

It's that special time of the year .. Diwali is here!! Walk around any Indian city, town or village, you just can't miss the spirit of bonhomie and excitement that overtakes all of India. A time when all of India is lit up with lamps and lights to welcome the Goddess of prosperity in all aspects of our lives. A time when you reach out with the warmest wishes not only to your friends and family but even to random strangers that pass you by.

 

 

It is also a time when all kinds of deliciousness is being rustled up in kitchens across India, to be shared with family and friends. In the ideal world, you would want to make all that deliciousness in your kitchen. In the modern, practical world, you may outsource all that deliciousness, from people who are more adept than you. What remains important is that your home remains welcoming and warm to all!!

 

But that doesn't mean I can't bake a cake and share it with you this Diwali. And it's not just any cake, it is the most decadent and luscious chocolate cake that I've ever baked. Perfect for any celebration!!

 

 

This is a flour-less, chocolate and hazelnut cake that I had seen the 'Hairy Bikers' bake in Italy when they baked their way through Europe. I have never worked with hazelnuts before and wasn't sure how they tasted or for that matter, how they paired with chocolate. This cake explains and justifies why chocolate and hazelnuts are one of the most favoured and celebrated food pairings.

 

There is nothing complicated with the recipe. The cake will not rise much as there is no baking powder used. Instead it rises on account of the eggs used and how well you whisk those egg whites. Do be prepared for the top to sink a bit when you take it out of the oven.

 

 

The flavours of the toasted hazelnuts melded with the dark chocolate results in a dense, luscious chocolate cake where the taste and sensuality of chocolate is heightened without being overpowering. Even better, there is no cloying after taste and a small piece of this rich cake goes a long way.

 

The cake works well on its own but to finish it off for presentation, I added a small layer of my tried-and-tested frosting on the top of the cake. This is not an everyday cake but a cake for a celebration!!

 

 

This festive season, I wish you love, luck, happiness and prosperity in all aspects of your life. Wishing you a very happy and blessed Diwali, from my home to yours!! 

 

Cheese and Ham Herb Bread / Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Can you feel it?? There is a slight nip in the early morning air and at night. Winter's round the corner and you know what that means .. milder temperatures, increased appetites and loads of baking!! After months of erratic baking, I see a busy few months on this blog. Soups, cakes, cookies, stews and warm puddings.. .. I want to make it all this winter!!

 

 

But for today, we'll start slowly with a soup. In deference to the pumpkin craze all this month on blog-o-sphere, I decided that my first soup of the season should be a roasted pumpkin soup. If you are looking for a fuss-free recipe that is full of flavour, you turn to Donna Hay.

 

The pumpkin is roasted along with an onion and a couple of garlic cloves. The best part, there is no peeling and chopping involved. You roast the veggies, just as they are, with a drizzle of oil. Once they are roasted, you simply peel off the skin and blitz it all and then add some chicken stock, milk and a teeny bit of honey. That's all there is to it!! Now, you know why I chose this recipe.

 

 

To go along with the soup, I made this bread. The recipe uses no yeast. So, anyone out there who's had a difficult relationship with yeast, this is for you!! It is bread speckled with ham, cheese, mustard and herbs... perfect with a soup.

 

Except for roasting the veggies that took an hour, making the soup and baking the bread, took a little over an hour. The soup is such a beautiful celebration of the vegetables involved. Roasting them heightens their flavour and brings out their natural sweetness. You balance the flavours and texture with some chicken stock and milk. We were won over!!

 

 

Since no yeast is used, the bread has a more denser and tightly packed crumb than usual. But, the flavours are all there and you will taste each and every component...the ham, cheese, herbs, the mustard.. all of it!! And did I mention, it also uses whole wheat flour.

 

The two dishes are wholesome and complement each other. In fact, keep the bread in mind for any soup you might have in mind. Sounds like just 'soup and bread', but it is a complete meal.

 

 

Winter is so gentle out here, that it brings a spring in my step and a smile on my face. What about you.. how's winter looking in your part of the world??

 

Handvo - Savoury Spiced Mixed Lentils Cake

They say you can spend an entire lifetime sampling India's vast and diverse cuisine and you still would not have sampled it all. Every state has its own distinctive cuisine, with further subtle nuances within the different regions of each state.

 

 

For me, diversity begins at home. My father hails from Gujarat on the west coast and my mother from Odisha on the east coast. Much like the people of the two states, their cuisine could not be more different. Odia food is simple and without too much spices, letting the beautiful produce from the generous land speak for itself. Gujarati food, on the other hand, is more robust in terms of spices and flavour. Since, the land is not as bountiful as that in Odisha, the cuisine has a more lentil-based flavour profile. Each cuisine so unique and yet, so delightful. No wonder then that my sister and I grew up with such adventurous palates!!

 

 

We are in the middle of the nine day, Navratri festival, where India worships and celebrates the divine power of its feminine deities. The Gujaratis wait all year for Navratri, where they unleash themselves and their dancing talent on the world. Every night is a night for family, friends and some insanely crazy traditional dancing of 'garba-dandiya'. The enthusiasm and the energy is simply put, heady and infectious.

 

 

So, in the spirit of the season, I bring you this savoury lentils cake, straight from the Gujju heartland. The recipe is from Tarla Dalal, a Gujarati herself, who's taken a traditional recipe and adapted it for the modern kitchen.

 

The recipe might seem a bit lengthy but that is only because you have to soak and ferment the rice and lentils overnight. Once that is done, it hardly takes any time to put it together.

 

 

The end result will impress even the purists. The cake sets beautifully with this crispy top, thanks to the tempering that we pour on the batter just before baking. That crispy topping that is flavoured with seeds is addictive. This is a very wholesome cake with enough spice and complexity to tantalise and excite the palate. If you are balking at the thought of the vegetable, rest assured, it is there for volume and texture, you don't really taste it.

 

Paired with some mint-coriander chutney, it is a meal by itself. Wash it down with some lassi, it doesn't get better!!

 

 

I believe Navratri is a timely reminder to society to treat its women with the same respect and devotion we accord our Goddesses. With that sentiment in mind, I wish you all a very Happy Navratri and Dasera.

Sitaphal (Custard Apple) No-Churn Ice Cream

In the food blogging world, October is 'pumpkin' month. Every day, all this month, my inbox will have at least one pumpkin post. But, here's the thing, for all its celebrated status in America, the pumpkin has a more modest, humble status, here in India.

 

For starters, we get this vegetable all year round and almost always, it's prepared as a savoury dish. So, not for us is the hype that surrounds the pumpkin. For me, even the idea of pumpkin in desserts, is taking its time getting used to!!

 

But, if October is the month of pumpkins in America, here in India, it is the month of custard apples, or sitaphal as we call it. They are all over the market, right now and here for the shortest time possible.

 

 

It falls in the category of fruits, best eaten alone. Savoured at leisure, as you make your way through the fruit, removing the flesh from the seeds, one at a time. It is added to a few milk-based Indian desserts but the one dessert that wins hands-down with my entire family is Sitaphal ice-cream. And none of that artificially flavoured stuff please, but the real stuff, that is ice-cream flavoured with real fruit pulp.

 

 

The recipe I turn to does not require an ice-cream maker and it does not even require you to make a custard. It is so fantastically easy and does the job brilliantly. I was introduced to the recipe by my friend Vini, who made a fig and honey version of this ice-cream. Over the summer, I saw versions of this no-churn ice-cream on Aara's blog and then, the domestic goddess herself, Nigella got into the act with a no-churn coffee ice-cream. With fabulous reviews all round, about time, I gave it a go!!

 

 

Scroll down and read the recipe and you'll see for yourself, how easy it is!! Don't get too fussy about its consistency, this is along the lines of a soft serve ice-cream. And no, there will be no ice crystals to worry about. The standout point of this ice-cream is that it has none of the artificial taste that is associated with commercial ice-cream. You will taste the fruit in all its honesty.

 

I have used sitaphal, but feel free to use any soft fruit that's in season for you. I had tried it with mango over the summer and it was much appreciated. Look around the market and the possibilities are endless.

 

 

In India, the weather in October, gets hotter before it gets any cooler. Perfect weather for a scoop as you look forward to the upcoming festive season!!

 

Lime Sponge Pudding

It's been a while since I walked around my mother's garden. If summer was all about survival for the garden and the plants, the rains have been about revival and rejuvenation. All the plants are looking healthy, vibrant and according to Ma, "in desperate need of pruning!!". Except for the hibiscus, the flowers will come later on, in our tropical winter. Right now, it's her fruit trees (there's pomegranate, guavas, chikoo, amla) that are blooming!!

 

And right beside them, I noticed a lime tree. More of a shrub and less of a tree, as of now. But, it had quite a few limes hanging about that just called out to me. To have access to such fresh produce and ignore it, would be sheer idiocy.

Work with fresh produce and you should be ready for surprises. Not for them is the uniform blandness of supermarket produce. And true to form, these limes did not disappoint. I cut one open and blinked...and then blinked some more!! The inside of the lime was not light green as expected but orange!! To say that I was flummoxed would be an understatement. When in doubt, turn to Google, who very competently informed me that these were Kassia limes. Whatever they are, my kitchen was smelling all things citrusy!!

These limes are from Ma's garden and so, it is natural that she gets to decide what I make with them. Without a moment's hesitation, she declared that I make a self-saucing sponge pudding. She had fond memories of it from her days when she was newly married. A school friend of hers, who had also moved to Bombay post-marriage, used to make this pudding as her signature dessert. Ma promptly fell in love with it and promised herself that she would try and recreate it. But, life got in the way, until her daughter became a food blogger and decided to give it a go.

For the recipe, I turned to the ever reliable 'Joy of Baking'. I have used limes but feel free to use lemons or even, oranges. The final product results in two layers. The top layer is a tender, sponge layer that gives way to this delightfully, tangy lime sauce. And since it is baked in a water bath, the sponge layer has a texture of a steamed pudding.

One bite of this dessert and you know who is the star. This is not a dessert if you don't enjoy all things citrus. It will refresh, tingle and awaken your taste buds as only limes and lemons can. The zesty sauce at the bottom is what makes this dessert special. Ma gave it her stamp of approval and I can't recommend it enough to all the citrus-lovers out there!!

Warm and straight out of the oven, it will remind you of gentle sunshine on a spring morning. Chilled in the refrigerator (and that's how I personally prefer it), it will remind you of sunshine on a cold, wintry morning. Either way, it will bring a spring in your step!!
 

Espresso Profiteroles

It's been a while since I baked and posted along with the 'TWD : Baking with Julia' group. I can list a number of excuses for my absence but frankly, procrastination, as it usually does, got the better of me. But, this month's choice of espresso profiteroles got me back in the groove.

 

I'll admit it ... I am completely taken in with the French style of baking.  Right from the quaint names to the drama (almost always) involved in the technique to the flair in the presentation and finally, to the superlative taste.. I am hopelessly sold!! It's a different matter that with my clumsy fingers, I doubt I'll ever achieve their level of finesse. But, a girl can always dream!!

 

Choux pastry or pâte à choux is a classic French pastry and has been on my 'to-do' list for a long time. At some point, everyone has had a profiterole or a cream puff as they are known in the States. It would have been a small, hollow pastry puff, filled with sweetened cream and chocolate sauce drizzled all over it.

 

This version from the book, is a espresso variation of the classic, filled with cinnamon ice cream and topped with a generous drizzle of chocolate sauce.

 

So, how did the choux pastry come together?? Surprisingly, it was quite easy to put together. I am always one to put practicality first and if something feels too technically tedious, I have no qualms of buying it from the market. But, the choux pastry was a pleasant surprise, as long as you followed the recipe's instructions. It is not one of those recipes that is tried once as an academic exercise and then conveniently forgotten. Neither is it time-consuming nor tedious, that is discounting all the vigorous stirring one's gotta do.

The final product is a lot darker than your regular profiteroles, owing to the espresso in the pastry. The recipe recommends filling them with ice-cream, a completely impractical option in hot and humid India. So, instead, I filled them with chocolate cream and gave them a generous drizzle of chocolate sauce. Another change I made was that instead of cutting them in half and filling them as the recipe suggests, I made a hole in the bottom and filled these puffs with cream.

 

The espresso hides any eggy taste that you might encounter as this recipe uses a fair share of eggs. You can get creative, and fill these with custard or crème patisserie or even, lemon curd. The pastry shells were light, hollow and smothered with all that chocolate goodness, there is not much you can dislike about them.

So, what does one do when faced with a platter full of profiteroles that have chocolate sauce seductively drizzled all over them.. you simply give in!! Wasn't it Oscar Wilde who said, "The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it!!"