Herb And Cheese Pull-Apart Bread / Roasted Tomato And Carrot Soup

I am not a big fan of soups and yet this past month, a mug of vegetable soup has been the provider of my daily dose of nutrition. Ideally, nothing beats a bowl of steaming chicken soup when you are sick but I wasn't feeling up to having anything do with meat. So, vegetable soup it's been. Tomato, carrot, spinach, pumpkin, cabbage, cauliflower and any other veggies than you can think of putting in a soup, we've had it in some permutation and combination!!

Since I've been feeling better this week, I've been enthused to hunt around for a good bread recipe to go with soup. At first, I thought of a baguette but then while googling around, I came across a few pull-apart breads and the decision was made.

 

Pull-apart breads are all about the visual. They look like a sequence of bread slices that have been stitched together into a loaf. Essentially made from a regular bread dough that is rolled out, sprinkled all over with a filling of your choice and then the dough is cut into strips and then again into squares to get the requisite look. It might sound complex but if you follow the pictorial step-by-step link that I have provided ... it's all quite simple!

 

 

For this dough, I went with a cheese, garlic and herb filling as these are flavours that would go with most soups. Although for this post, I played it safe with a roasted tomato and carrot soup. There is nothing much with the soup. It just involves roasting all the veggies and then blitzing it all up and you are done.

 

 

I am not sure on how to describe the final flavours of the soup, other than to say that roasting the veggies evokes the flavours of the Mediterranean. The natural sweetness of the carrots are the perfect foil for the sour tomatoes. Once roasted, there is not much to add to the soup except for the seasoning.And this bread is the perfect accompaniment to it.

 

Like I said earlier, a pull-apart bread is all about the visual. The golden crust speckled with herbs and cheese is impressive. The best part of this bread is the contrast between the golden-brown hard crust on the outside and that pillowy soft inside that tastes of garlic, cheese and the herbs. Straight out of the oven with all those heady aromas wafting about, I think you'll find the bread simply irresistible!

 

 

The seasons have changed and while much of India is yet to experience it, keep this bread in mind for the Winter ahead. Hope you're having a lovely weekend!!

Greek Salad With A Visit To An Organic Cheese Making Farmstay in Coonoor

Towards the end of May, my family and I managed to get away to the mountains down South, Coonoor and Ooty specifically, for a few days. Ma wanted to go back to her boarding school, fifty years after she passed out from there. The brother-in-law had to attend his 25th School Reunion and my sister, nephew and I were just glad  for an opportunity to escape from the heat. Now, if you've visited any of India's popular hill spots, you know that tourist season is never kind to them. The crowds, traffic, and chaos are enough to make you question the whole point of your trip. Or, you can be like us and choose a farmstay that lets you enjoy the charm of the mountains as it should be.

Across India, farms and homes are opening their doors to travellers who are looking beyond impersonal, standardised hotel accommodation for something a little more informal and with character. For our part, we zeroed in on an organic cheese making farmstay in Coonoor, Acres Wild.

I love the mountains, I really do! It all starts when you leave the heat and dust of the plains behind and drive up the long, winding mountain roads. As you go higher, the temperatures drop, roll down the windows, feel the breeze in your face  and breathe in the crisp, mountain air, barring the occasional blast of diesel fumes from the buses on the way. And in this case, as you approach your destination, the air gets infused with a faint whiff of eucalyptus.

A little travellers tip, do make a midway stop at Burliar and have your fill of exotic fruits, more likely to be seen in South-east Asia,  like mangosteen, rambutans, green peaches, passion fruits and plums that are grown locally in the forests around. Taste the fruits as nature intended them to be and not the insipid, exorbitant variants that you get in Khan Market!

Secluded, at the edge of the property, overlooking the valley and surrounded by the mountains, our cottage was all that we were looking for our stay. There is a steep climb to the dining hall that might find favour with you or not, but will ensure that post-holiday weight gain is not an issue. It is a place where you hear the birds in the morning and you can count the stars at night. Of course, the occasional bus horn and blaring loudspeaker from Coonoor town will remind you that civilisation is never too far away!

Classic Baked Cheesecake

Am not sure how it is possible that I have completed two years of writing a baking blog without having done a single post on a cheesecake. Well, when better than a lazy Sunday afternoon to rectify matters.

 

Cheesecakes hit the Indian food scene a few years back and it became the de rigueur dessert to order when one stepped out. Of all the variations put out, the no-bake blueberry avatar was the crowd favourite. I have lost count of how many times I have had the one at Café Moshe in Bombay. And then just like that, I think I had one too many and haven't had another slice since then. Maybe, that's why it took me so long to get it on the blog. So, for my first time baking it, I thought I stick to the classics. I went with a classic, baked cheesecake.

 

 

There are literally a trillion cheesecake recipes on the Internet. But, I stuck to the tried and tested Donna Hay who hasn't yet disappointed till date. Her recipes are straight forward and easy to follow. My advice, follow her recipe to the last word and the end result will be as promised.

 

 

Most of the ingredients are regular pantry items except for the two cheeses mentioned. The recipe uses cream cheese and ricotta, both fairly expensive cheeses, here in India. Moreover, they are not easily available all over the country. Luckily for me, I got my hands on a tiny packet of Philadelphia cream cheese but the ricotta I made at home. I recommend that you do the same. It took me half an hour with only ten minutes of work to get the ricotta the recipe needed.

 

Once you have the cheeses sorted, its all smooth sailing. Its one of those one-bowl recipes where you simply dunk everything in the food processor, whiz it and your filling is ready to be baked. Again, just follow the recipe and you can't go wrong. Pay attention to your mise-en-place and the rest hardly takes time.

 

 

And what a beauty the end result is. The cheese filling bakes into a layer that is creamy and light and not claggy and dense. It has a hint of lemon that is refreshing and a sweetness that is not cloying. It is one of those deceptive desserts that easily tempts you into a second helping.

 

Pair it with a fruit compote and I went with a strawberry one. It complements the citrusy undertones of the cheesecake perfectly. But, this cheesecake is so light and fresh, that if had on the day that you have baked it, owing to its freshness, you might even be ready to forgo the compote. It is delightful just as it is.

 

 

I'll go as far as to say that this cheesecake that you make at home will rival some of the best that you've eaten. So, what you waiting for?? Hope you had a lovely weekend!!

 

Baked Eggs With Ham And Spinach

I am a 'morning' person. You will never hear me grumble about an early start to the day. If anything, I am a happier, more productive person when the day starts early. I can imagine how this fact is beyond the realm of understanding for many of you owls out there. I am friends with some of you!!

 

And so it is natural, that I enjoy a good breakfast. Not for me is just a hurried cup of coffee on the go. Weekday mornings maybe a boring, monotonous affair but the weekends are a different matter altogether. Life lets you a breathe a little easier, so grab the opportunity and indulge yourself!



Eggs are a favourite and for some, a natural choice for breakfast. And it offers so many choices. You could have it boiled, half-boiled, fried, scrambled, poached, as an omelette, as French toast or as I made them, baked!

 

Adapt the baked eggs recipe according to your taste and to what's available in your fridge. Me, I went all the way. I started with a slice of ham, then some wilted spinach, some cheese and then topped it off with an egg.

You do have to wait for 10-15 minutes, while the ramekins are in the oven. But, it's Sunday morning, you can take it easy.. straighten out those cushions in the living room, change your bed sheets, make a grocery list, please don't think of Monday morning, call up Mom, see what your friends are telling/showing you on Facebook and hey presto, the eggs are ready!!!

 

Put away everything else and savour these eggs.. they deserve that much for the good mood they are going to put you in, once you are done! The saltiness of the ham, the creaminess of the cheese, the vibrancy of the spinach and then there's the perfection of the eggs...there is not only the different tastes from all the components but also the different textures that simply complement each other.

Make these for breakfast and with a couple of buttered toasts, it is a complete meal that you can have any time of the day. Soo, what are you waiting for?? Now, how 'bout you telling me if you had/did anything interesting this weekend, breakfast or otherwise??

Winter Salad of Pears, Blue Cheese and Walnuts

When you first start writing a blog, you are flooded with messages of encouragement and support from friends and family. Everything you bake or photograph is always greeted with superlatives and the kindest words. Then, a few months down the line, some of them started questioning discreetly, "So, do you eat ALL of that you make, at home or is there someone you share it with??". And by now, a few have come right out and proclaimed with a certain incredulity, "I do hope you are NOT eating all that you make!!" If you knew of my challenges with my metabolism, you would agree these are all valid concerns.

 

 

So, for all my concerned friends out there, you will be happy to know that I have made willing or unwilling guinea pigs out of all my friends and family. My unsuspecting neighbours have been particularly targeted!! I restrict myself to a small portion of whatever it is that I have made or baked. I have realised I bake not because I am a foodie, (in fact, I hardly qualify as one) but because it makes me happy watching people enjoy my food. It's as simple as that!!

But, to put your mind at rest, I bring you a salad today!! While salads are usually linked with summer, do remember the excesses of December haven't completely been erased. I found this salad in Nigel Slater's Ripe, fast becoming the book I turn to when I want to know what to do with the fruit of the season.

 

 

The salad works with the classic combination of pears and blue cheese and is further, embellished with toasted walnuts and pomegranate seeds. The salad dressing is a simple combination of vinegar-oil-cream. For the salad leaves, I only had iceberg lettuce to work with. Ideally, I would have preferred to use a combination of salad leaves, with some darker leaves to add to the visual look of this salad.

 

Reading about the salad, you imagine that the flavours of the blue cheese would dominate. But, here is where the delicate pear surprises, as it stands up effortlessly to the cheese. The toasted walnuts with their nuttiness are a welcome addition on the textural front. The pomegranate seeds add a certain jewelled visual to the salad with the dressing being the glue that brings it all together.

 

This salad looks deceptively light and delicate but in fact, has some robust flavours that make it ideal for the season. The salad is so flavoursome that it should be the highlight of your meal. Pair it with something simple like I did, with some chicken sandwiches.

 

Roasted Peppers, Feta and Thyme Tart

The monsoon is on its way out, here in India. In an ironical contrast to the western hemisphere where temperatures are on their way down, the mercury in fact rises for a month or so, and then sometime in late October, you wake up one fine morning, to a certain nip in the air!! So, before the cold, cosy and snuggly days of winter, we have a spot of hot, muggy  and uncomfortable days. And for days like this, I share with you this light and vibrant tart.

 

This recipe is from one of my favourite baking books, written by Isidora Popovic, the lady behind London's famous Popina bakery. The highlight of this book, for me, is how the author uses fresh, seasonal produce along with healthier pantry ingredients in a way that not only enhances their flavour but celebrates them.

Accompanied with beautiful photographs that exude a certain rustic charm, the recipes are packed with bags of flavour that speak directly to the heart of the home baker and not a single recipe that I have tried till date has disappointed!! In fact, my very first post on this blog was adapted from the book!!

This tart is a light, refreshing alternative to the traditional tart as we know it. The buttery, short-crust pastry makes way for a lighter, healthier, olive oil pizza-dough crust. And in the filling, the egg-cream mixture is replaced by a much-appreciated Greek yoghurt-cheese (Feta and Cheddar) filling. The filling is further enhanced by the addition of roasted peppers, onions and herbs.

You know you are on to a winner, when you pop the vegetables to roast in the oven and the aroma that permeates your kitchen instantly transports you to the Mediterranean coast. And it definitely does not disappoint when it comes out of the oven. With its pizza-dough crust, it will remind you of a deep dish pizza, albeit a lighter, healthier version.

When I say it is packed with flavours, I am not exaggerating. The natural sweetness of the roasted vegetables contrasts with the sharpness of the cheese and the tanginess of the yoghurt mixture. It is then quietly helped along by the fainter notes of the garlic and the fresh herbs. Each of the components retain their unique flavour and yet come together to create this vibrant, refreshing, flavourful tart that will leave you feeling surprisingly light and satiated at the same time.

Cut yourself a slice of this tart, sit back, savour it and wash it down with an ice-cold beverage. Depending on which part of the world you live in...you'll either be wistfully looking back at summer or if you live near the tropics as I do, you can't wait to start counting down to winter!!

Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Feta Scones

My mother's garden is her pride and joy. Her time spent there, is the most favourite time of her day. She fusses over each plant like a mother, frets when all does not seem well with them and gets excited like a little girl when the first fruit/flower of the season appears!! She tells me that the joy one gets from growing plants and trees is a feeling that can only be experienced, rarely expressed!!

I had a glimpse of that sentiment, when this year, she decided to try her hand at growing vegetables. Along with some herbs, she also planted tomatoes and aubergines. My limited way with words is unable to express how excited we were when the first little tomatoes, green in colour, appeared (we almost squealed, if you must know)...and then everyday we would check on them, waiting and watching as they turned from green to red...every day a little more than yesterday!!

From a handful of tomato plants, we got a tomato harvest that was more than what our small household needed..so, Ma tapped into her inner Martha Stewart and churned out the most luscious, flavourful home-made tomato ketchup. And, when they were still more tomatoes left, she decided to make sun-dried tomatoes just so that she could unravel the mystery behind, in her own words, 'those over-priced bottles' of the same that you get in delis and shops!! With the blazing Indian sun, in a day's time, we had a bottle of sun-dried tomatoes that was promptly handed over to me "to make something with"!! And these scones are what I made!!

I had seen them a while back on Alice Currah's fabulous blog, 'Savory, Sweet Life'. With her cookbook slated for release this summer, you can rely on her blog to give you simple, reliable and delicious ideas for cooking as well as baking. Her original recipe calls for roasted tomatoes that I replaced with sun-dried ones.

 

The technique seemed familiar, much like that of the Irish soda bread I made a few weeks back. Only this had the dough mixed with sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese and green onions for added taste. It is also one of those recipes that takes one hour from start to finish and that includes the baking time!!

These scones had the kitchen smelling fabulous, were soft and delicious and a perfect accompaniment to a soup or a casserole for dinner. The sun-dried tomatoes and feta gave a sharpness and saltiness without being overpowering. I did feel the green onions were a bit lost but that could have also been because the ones I was using were not particularly robust to start with.

These scones got full marks from the mother and I concur. It's such an easy and quick recipe that you know you'll keep coming back to it. Play around with different cheeses, cold cuts or even vegetables and do tell me how it turned out!! And before I sign off, can I just say that all you've read about how rewarding and special it is to cook with home-grown produce is, indeed, all true!!!

Pizza Rustica : 'TWD: Baking with Julia'

With Easter Sunday round the corner, the 'TWD:Baking with Julia' group set its sight on the Pizza Rustica for our bake-together. Before we go any further, let me tell you upfront, it's not a pizza...it's a pie!! A little research on the Internet revealed that it is a traditional, rustic pie made in Italy at Easter. After a month of fasting and abstinence during Lent, this quiche is made for Easter Sunday and is loaded with cheeses and meats.

While I understand the sentiment behind the overload of meat and cheese in the pie after a month of abstaining from them,  with the mercury soaring out here in India, I was more in the mood for something lighter and vegetarian. So, I decided to travel down the Mediterranenan coast from Italy and take inspiration from the Greek spinach pie, Spanakopita and zeroed in on a filling of spinach, ricotta and feta cheese.

When I read the recipe I did find it odd that the pastry crust of a savoury pie should have sugar in it. Despite the book's assurance that the sweet dough is a nice contrast to the salty, meat and cheese-laden filling, I wasn't too convinced.  So, I cut down the sugar to just a tablespoon in the crust-dough and kept the filling a mix of ricotta, sauteed spinach and feta cheese.

And instead of making one big pie, I made smaller versions so that each pie was more like an individual serving. Following the rest of the recipe was a breeze and I think, the idea of a lattice on top was a good touch.. it definitely added to the visual appeal!!

And now for the verdict -- the pie was good, absolutely no complaints with it..although I'll be honest enough to say that it was nothing that spectacular that I would want to come back to it. While I had reduced the sugar and there was just a hint of it in the pastry, it's something you can easily do away with, in my opinion. The filling was a good choice, much lighter than I had anticipated and the feta giving it the required sharpness.

So, all in all, it was a good pie.. not a pizza.. a pie!! Come to think of it, I still don't why it's called a pizza..are pizzas and pies one and the same thing for the Italians?!?!