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Cookies, Cakes n Cavities, Decadent Desserts, Lockdown Recipes

Easy Caramel Custard

March 23, 2017 Marsha Leave a comment

This one’s hands down, one of the simplest, can’t-go-wrong desserts! It’s simple, basic, uses 4 everyday ingredients and goes down well on hot summer days or cool winter afternoons. Give it a go if you’ve got time on your hand!

“Life’s too short! Just buy those shoes, drink that wine and eat that caramel custard”

The Fact: Caramel custard is known by different names around the world; notably, ‘crème caramel’ or ‘crème renversée au caramel’ in France and most of Europe, ‘flan’ in Spain (where it originated), ‘crema caramella’ in Italy and ‘purin’ in Japan. It’s easy to confuse this dessert with crème brûlée (a variant of the dessert with a hard caramel top), which seems pretty similar, but isn’t.

The Inspiration: One Sunday afternoon, the husband and I got into one of those random, benign discussions-turned-arguments, which most couples have probably encountered… you know the one about whose turn it is to make breakfast. When these post-argument silences kick in, I’ve noticed that my almost-immediate reaction is to jump into the kitchen and whip up a dessert that’s been on my mind. And though the objective is always to eat most of it and just find bliss, it somehow finds its way to the husband’s stomach and suddenly all is forgotten and everyone lives happily ever after! That’s just what happened a few weeks ago and voila, there was caramel custard in the house… 😉

The Ingredients

Makes about one 10×10″ baking dish of dessert

2/3^rd + ½ cup sugar
2 ½ cups milk (I used whole milk. You can substitute 1 cup with fresh cream for a richer dessert)
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence or 1 vanilla pod
Optional: 2 – 3 pepper corns

The Method

Setting the caramel

Preheat the oven to 180C or 350F.

Place 2/3^rd cup of sugar in a skillet or any thick-bottomed pan. Heat the pan on slow to medium heat (not on high because sugar burns quite quickly). Leave undisturbed (or swirl but don’t stir) as the sugar melts. This ensures that the sugar melts evenly and the caramel develops an even colour. However, if you’re running low on patience (or if you want a lighter colour), add a tablespoon or two of water to get the sugar to start caramelizing faster.

Once the sugar has fully caramelized and has developed that deep brown colour, remove from heat and pour directly into a baking dish or into individual ramekins. Swirl the dish/ramekins to evenly coat the bottom with the caramel. Also make sure you hurry with this process because the caramel will start to harden, after which it doesn’t flow easily.

Leave aside to cool.

Notice the height of the caramel in the baking dish in this image:

Making the custard

Microwave or heat the milk in a saucepan on medium heat. If you’re using fresh milk, make sure you boil it well and then leave it to cool a little. If you’re using pre-boiled milk, simply heat it up, but do not boil it.

If you’re using vanilla bean instead of vanilla essence, add it in to the milk at this point to extract its flavor. I also threw in 2 – 3 pepper corns for added flavor.

Set aside to cool.

Next, break the eggs in a separate bowl. I added a teaspoon of vanilla extract to it as well.

Beat the eggs with the remaining ½ cup of sugar. When it’s light and foamy, add the warm milk to the eggs in a thin, steady stream. If your milk is too hot at this point, your eggs will scramble; you do not want this to happen.

If you’re using vanilla essence, add it in now and stir gently to incorporate everything.

Strain the custard.

Assembling and baking the dessert

Make a water bath: Take a tray that’s bigger and wider than the baking dish in which you’ve set the caramel. The tray should also have high sides. Fill the tray with about 1” of hot water. Place the baking dish/ramekins with the set caramel into the water bath. Make sure that the hot water level in the tray is not so high that it spills into the baking dish; so adjust the water level accordingly. Remember that the water bath is used to prevent burning and to ensure even cooking.

Check to see that your caramel is set or is hard to touch. By now, it should be. Now, gently pour the strained custard mixture into the baking dish (not the water bath tray), over the set caramel. Place the water bath containing the baking dish in the oven.

Bake for about 30 – 40 minutes at 180C or 350F, or until the centre of the custard is firm but slightly wobbly. Don’t overcook the dessert or you’ll end up with tough custard instead of a silky, tender one.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Serving the dessert

Caramel custard is best eaten chilled. However, if you want to serve it warm, place the baking dish/ramekins in a cold water bath for about 10 minutes. Always make sure that the water level of the water bath is lower than the rim of your baking dish. Now, run a knife between the custard and edges of the dish/ramekins. Place the serving dish/dishes upside down over the baking dish/ramekins and quickly flip the two. Serve upturned with the caramel side up. The caramel will have turned into a delicious syrupy glaze.

If you’re serving the dessert chilled, allow the baking dish to cool before refrigerating it. Refrigerate for a few hours until it has chilled completely. Serve by running a knife between the custard and edges of the dish/ramekins and then flipping the dessert onto the serving dishes, with the caramel side up.

For an extra treat, serve with fruit or whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Bon appétit! 🙂

Cookies, Cakes n Cavities, Decadent Desserts, Lockdown Recipes, Non-vegetarian Nonchalance, Tea-time Titbits

Carrot Cake

Image January 16, 2015 Marsha 5 Comments

My all-time favourite cake! It’s best eaten warm in any weather. It’s rich, moist, full or flavour, and is the prettiest cake I’ve ever seen!

“If carrots got you drunk, rabbits would be pretty messed up.” – Mitch Hedberg

The Fact: During World War II, due to food scarcity (except that of carrots and potatoes), the Government resorted to an oversupply of carrots and suggested, through propaganda, that the Royal Air Force’s exceptional night-flying success was due to eating high carotene-content carrots. The ruse sharply increased carrot consumption and took the pressure off other food supplies.

The Inspiration: Our family has always been very enthusiastic about baking cakes for birthdays rather than ordering ready-made ones from the famous Baker’s Basket or Copper Chocs. It all began with mum, who, since we were born, baked us our favourite pink or green cakes (the green, creepy in hindsight) without a whisk or cake beater. I still remember my brother, sister, and I gathered around her in our kitchen as she mixed the cake batter with her bare hands and transformed a then, boring whitish batter into a fascinating pink or green. And ever since, the tradition has continued, though now, with slightly upgraded equipment and with the responsibility having shifted from mum to me.

As I sat thinking about what cake to bake for my 24^th birthday, rather bored by the myriad chocolate versions, and certainly considering healthier options, I stumbled across the Carrot Cake recipe on one of my favourite baking websites, Joy of Baking. And ever since, this comforting, moist, pretty (the orange flecks are simply adorable), spice cake has been my all time favourite and will never go out of fashion in my home!

The Ingredients

This cake serves approx. 15–20 people.

Dry ingredients

250gms/2 cups flour (for a healthier cake, use wheat flour, but note that the batter will turn out denser and a little dry)
250gms granulated sugar (if you’re using really sweet carrots, reduce the sugar by about 100 grams and then, gradually increase by tasting)
100gms roughly chopped and lightly toasted walnuts (for a more nutty cake, throw in some more; you could toast them on a pan/in a microwave/ in the oven)
2 tsp freshly ground cinnamon powder (throw in an extra teaspoon for a stronger flavour; I do for the taste and aroma)
1 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Wet ingredients

350gms/2.5 cups not-too-finely grated carrots (carrots should be sweet; also remember to measure the carrots after grating – so start with half a kg of carrots)
4 large or 5 small eggs
240ml unflavoured oil (such as vegetable or canola oil)
2 tsp vanilla extract (preferably pure, if not, don’t worry about it)
Optional: 3 – 4 tbsp/half a cup pineapple syrup (although optional, the syrup adds a glorious taste – remember to lower your sugar quantity if you add more syrup – vary the quantity until you can lightly taste the pineapple flavour)

The Method

Preheat the oven to 180C or 350F.
Prepare your cake tin (standard 9 x 2 inch) by spraying it with grease or lightly greasing it with butter.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon powder.
In a separate bowl whisk the eggs for about a minute until frothy.
Add the sugar to the eggs and whisk until the mixture is slightly stiff and almost whitish (and has lost most of the yellow tinge). Note that the sugar should have more or less dissolved by now.
Gently pour in the oil in a steady stream and beat until incorporated (do not over beat the mixture; it might incorporate too much air).
Add the vanilla extract and whisk in.
Now, whisk in the flour mixture, just until incorporated (again, do not over beat).
Gently, fold in the grated carrots and the walnuts (fold in by making an ‘8’ motion with your spatula; do not beat this in).
Add pineapple syrup. (Taste the batter and adjust sweetness by adding sugar or pineapple syrup. You should be able to taste the pineapple flavour. Of course, don’t overdo it or the cake will be too sweet.)
Pour mixture into the prepared cake tin(s) and put it into the oven.
Bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. (This might take longer for larger quantities or if your batter is very dense. In such situations, keep the cake in for another 10-15 minutes and check again.)
Remove cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack

You’re done 🙂 This cake is best served warm. Cut a slice to look at your beautiful, orange-speckled cake! Bon appetit!

This cake can be kept for a few days without refrigeration. In warmer climates, refrigerate within 2 – 3 days.

If you’d like to frost this cake since it does make pretty pictures, try my cream cheese frosting recipe. You can layer the cake and cover the layered stack for prettier presentation.

Here’s what I did, only for the picture…

Or then, this …

Cookies, Cakes n Cavities, Decadent Desserts, Lockdown Recipes, Tea-time Titbits

That Perfect Rum-Oozing Christmas Fruitcake!

November 29, 2014 Marsha 10 Comments

The perfectly moist, heavenly, rum-packed Christmas fruitcake! You have to try it to believe it! 🙂

The Fact: Fruitcake was often put into ancient Egyptian tombs because it was thought the preserved food would not spoil on the journey to the afterlife.

The Inspiration: With Thanksgiving just over, it’s already time to prepare for the next big celebration—Christmas! Despite all the Christmas clichés, the season brings with it this beautiful warm feelings right in the middle of a wintry cold December. Along with the family holidays, delicious meals, subtle and beautiful decorations, the Christmas tree, and the melodious carollers, there’s also the traditional Christmas cake that’s a ritual in so many homes. In my home, the scene’s no different—my mornings begin with the sweet sound of carols, the crazy annual cleaning’s in full swing, shopping’s on the cards, gift lists are being prepared and the sweet smell of sherry, rum and brandy is wafting through my kitchen as I type. Yes, my Christmas cake ritual has been set in motion. It’s a tried and tested recipe that’s been handed down to me by my mum. Isn’t it time for you to make this lovely, rum-oozing Christmas cake recipe your own?

So before the season kicks in, here’s wishing you a joyful Christmas and a good-food-filled New year!

The Ingredients

Makes one 10″ cake

100 gms raisins
100 gms currants
100 gms almonds (soaked overnight and peeled)
50 gms pistachios (soaked overnight and peeled)
50 gms peeled cashew nuts
50 gms orange peel or finely grated orange zest (approx 4 – 5 oranges)
50 gms candied ginger peel
50 gms glace cherries
250 gms softened butter
100 gms muscovado or Demerera sugar
150 gms regular white sugar
250 gms plain flour
1.5 litre dark rum (I’ve heard of friends using sherry instead, but haven’t tried it myself, so feel free to experiment)
4 large or 5 small eggs
2 heaped tsp mixed spice (Mixed spice is a mixture of Allspice powder [powdered form of a specific pepper, called Pimenta dioica], cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.) – For this recipe, you can make mixed spice with six 1″ sticks of cinnamon, 1 tsp cloves, 1 tsp ground/finely grated nutmeg. To it add 1 tsp ground ginger. Roast all the spices on a pan or in a microwave. When cool, grind all the spices to a fine powder. Store the extra powder in a glass, airtight container—remember, the aroma is the key so don’t let it escape!)

The Method

Soaking the fruit

Chop the raisins and currants, lengthwise, each, roughly into three bits.

Finely slice the orange peel, candied ginger peel, almonds, pistachios, and cashew nuts, lengthwise; do not julienne them or they’ll get lost in the cake.

Mix together the cut fruits and toss them into a large glass jar with a tight lid. Leave enough space at the top, almost one-fourth of the jar. Use two glass jars if required. Pour 1 litre rum over the fruits and ensure that the rum completely covers the fruits. Tightly seal the bottle to prevent the alcohol from evaporating. As days go by and the fruits soak up the rum, the level of rum will reduce. Keep topping up the jar with rum so that the fruits always stay completely covered with rum. Store the glass jar in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight; you do not need to refrigerate the jar. These conditions allow the fruits to soak in as much rum as they can.

Allow the fruit to soak for as long as you can. I usually soak the next year’s fruit this year so that the fruit has soaked for a whole year. I’ve noticed that the fruits develop a lovely deep colour and the flavor is quite indescribable. I do this year after year—trust me, there’s no down side to it. Fruits stored in the right way, with the rum level always higher than the fruit level, can stay good for up to 2 – 3 years. So, the procedure in this recipe is actually for next year’s cake while I’m using last year’s fruit batch this year. If you haven’t already gotten started yet, start now so that your fruits have had at least 2 – 3 weeks of soak time before you bake your Christmas cake.

Preparations for baking the cake

Caramelize the sugar: If you prefer a dark brown colour and a lovely caramelized flavor to your cake, which is my preference, caramelize the sugars first. To do so, place a non-stick skillet or frying pan on the stove on low to medium heat. Make sure that the pan is not too small or the caramel will boil and overflow. Add the brown and white sugars to the pan while it’s still cold. Both sugars melt at slightly different temperatures, but that doesn’t matter. Allow the sugar to melt untouched, while gradually prodding the edges from time to time. Once all the sugar has melted completely, sprinkle a quarter cup of water over the caramel to prevent it from hardening while you ready the batter. The caramel should be a deep golden brown at this point; not brown-black. WARNING! Take care as you pour the water because water causes the caramel to sizzle quite a bit. Make sure your fingers are far away from the pan. Don’t worry about dirtying your stove because caramel cleans up very easily with regular water. Once the sizzling has stopped, stir the sugar and water and keep the caramel aside to cool. Remember that water prevents caramel from hardening; without water, caramel tends to harden, making it difficult for you to add it to the batter later.

Ready the fruits: Using a slotted spoon, measure out 550 gms of the soaked fruits (that’s all of it if you’ve used the measures suggested above). Try to drain out as much of the rum as you can. Store the rum; it’d be criminal to discard it 🙂 Chop up the glace cherries and mix it with the fruit mixture. Sprinkle the fruit mixture with a generous handful of flour and toss the fruits in it so that the fruits are lightly coated with the flour. Keep aside.

Prepare the cake tins: Grease one cake tin. I used a 10”/25cm wide and 2” deep, round tin. You could also use a standard 9”/23cm round tin or a 9 x 2” square tin. But remember that if you use the smaller tin, you might end up with a little batter to spare. You could pop that extra batter into cup cake moulds; but avoid overloading the cake tin instead. Spray the tin with grease or lightly grease it with butter.

Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 140C/275F/Gas 1.

Making the cake batter

For your cake batter, beat up the butter and eggs together in a large bowl with an electric, hand-held or free-standing beater. Add the caramel to the mixture. If your caramel is too hot, the eggs will scramble at this point. You don’t want this to happen, so get started after the caramel has sat for a few minutes. Beat the mixture well until fully blended.

Add the four and mixed spice and beat thoroughly until blended.

Whisk in about half a cup of the leftover rum (which is what I do—but if you have a lot of kids around or don’t like a very strong rum flavor, use a quarter cup or skip this step altogether).

Stir in the soaked fruits. Don’t beat this in as the fruits are very soft and may break up completely. You also don’t want to overdo the beating because the fruits will settle to the bottom of the cake—again, something you don’t want. So, be gentle.

Pour or spoon the batter into the readied cake tin and pop it into the oven.

Baking the cake

Bake the cake for a total of 2.5 – 3 hours in the centre of the oven, or until the cake feels firm to the touch and is a rich golden brown. Check after two hours, and if the cake is a perfect colour, cover with foil.

Note that while this baking time of 3 hours might seem ridiculous, you should know that most other cakes bake at 180C/350F/Gas 4, which is way higher than what this Christmas cake bakes at. This duration ensures that the fruits in the cake cook well and their flavors are well incorporated in the cake. Also note that oven temperatures work differently—so check your cake after two hours and again in another 30 minutes. Don’t let the cake dry out too much.

Remove the cake when a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the tin. When still warm, pierce the cake at intervals with a fine skewer and pour in a little extra rum. Allow the cake to cool completely.

Storing the cake

Wrap the completely cooled cake in a double layer of grease-proof paper and a third layer of foil OR one layer of foil and a second layer of cling wrap. Store the cake in a cool place until Christmas! You can store this cake for up to three months outside a refrigerator and even up to a year in the refrigerator. Remove the foil and cling wrap only when you’re about to cut the cake, and even after that, place the remaining cake or the uneaten bits back in the foil and cling wrap as suggested earlier. The layers keep the cake moist and retain that lovely rum aroma.

To keep the cake moist, feed it with rum every 3 weeks. Remember to wrap it up all over again before you store it.

Bon appétit and Feliz Navidad!

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The Perfect Pie Crust/Short-Crust Pastry

June 1, 2014 Marsha 1 Comment

The perfect pie crust is golden brown when baked, buttery, soft and flaky, and practically melts in your mouth when you bite into it. Can you taste it already?

“Only very clever men can bite pie without breaking crust.” — Carl Sagan

The Fact: The Ancient Egyptians around 2,500BC are known to have eaten pies made with ground oats or wheat wrapped around a filling of honey or figs.

The Inspiration: There’s something quite beautiful about making the short-crust pastry pie. It’s gorgeous to look at, beautifully simple to make, and quite an experience to eat the perfect pie. I started out quite badly but am quite proud to have mastered the art. I really hope you do too 🙂

The Ingredients

Makes 1 pie with 6 – 8 portions

For a Pie Crust WITH A COVER

2½ cups (350 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (226 g pr ½ lb) frozen or chilled butter
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup (120 ml) cold water
Optional: 2 tablespoon (30 grams) granulated white sugar (Add the sugar only when making a sweet pie/tart/quiche; not for the savoury ones).

For an OPEN TOP Pie Crust

1¼ cup (175 g) all-purpose flour
½ cup (115 g or ¼ lb) frozen or chilled butter
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (60 ml) cold water
Optional: 2 tablespoon (30 grams) granulated white sugar (Add the sugar only when making a sweet pie/tart/quiche; not for the savoury ones).

The Method

The secret to getting the perfect, flaky pie crust is to make sure that the butter is very cold and just out of the fridge and to try and use your fingers as little as possible to prevent your body heat from melting the butter.

Making the Pie Crust

Take the butter out of the fridge and quickly chop the butter into ½ inch pieces. Pop the butter cubes back into the freezer/fridge until you get the other ingredients in place.
Measure and whisk together the flour, sugar (optional) and salt.
Pop the butter cubes into the flour mixture and with a light hand, knead the butter into the flour, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Remember not to overdo this step since the longer your fingers touch the mixture, the faster the butter melts, which is what you do not want. Alternately, you could use a food processor.

What this step does is it coats the flour molecules (or the glutenin and gliadin) with fat, preventing them from absorbing too much water in the next step. Water when in contact with wheat flour forms gluten, which makes dough elastic. But for preparations such as pies and tarts you do not want too much gluten to form because it makes the dough tough and gives it structure, which works for breads but not for soft, flaky crusts.

Sprinkle the cold water across the mixture and gently bring the dough together. Do not pour in the water. Stop when the dough just holds together, if pinched. If necessary, add more water. Do not knead or process more than a minute. Form a ball of the dough.

Divide into 2 portions if making a cover for the pie, if not, leave as is. Lightly flatten each ball using your palms. To prevent the dough from sticking to your palms, sprinkle the dough with loose flour.

Cover the disk (two in case of a covered pie) with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about one hour before using. If you do not cover the disk, it will harden and cracks will form, making it difficult for you to roll the pie.
After sufficient chilling, remove one portion of the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured counter. Lightly press the heel of your palm into the dough to soften it. This also flattens the butter into the pastry layers. Leave the dough to soften a little at room temperature.
Sprinkle the rolling pin with some flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Using a rolling pin, roll the pastry into a 12-inch circle. As you roll, keep turning the pastry circle a little each time. This will allow you to roll out a uniform pie. Also, always roll from the centre of the pastry, outwards.

Gently transfer the rolled pastry circle to a 9 inch pie pan. You can do this easily by folding half of the pastry circle over the rolling pin, then moving the rolling pin to the pie pan and unfolding it. Brush off excess flour and trim the edges of the pastry to fit the pie pan. Cover with plastic wrap once more and chill in the refrigerator.
In the same way, roll out the second pastry disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.

Blind Baking the Pie Crust

Blind baking is partially baking the pastry base before adding the filling. Although this process is completely optional, it creates a stronger crust that can hold moist filling without getting soggy. Blink baking is also done when the filling needs less time to cook than the pastry.

After the pie pan has chilled for about an hour or more, preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF.
Remove the pie pan from the fridge (leave the cover in) and fill it up with dried beans, dried lentils, dried rice or pie weights; something that will weigh the base down and prevent it from rising (air bubbles will leave the pie weakened). Pop it into the oven.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes (for a pastry containing sugar, 10 minutes). The key is to remove the pie pan when the pie develops a light golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for about 5 minutes before you pour in the filling.

You’re done! Now pour in the filling and continue with your recipe.

Breakfasts n Brunches, Lockdown Recipes, Non-vegetarian Nonchalance, Sumptious Main Courses, Tea-time Titbits, Vegetarian Varieties

Sausage Potato Quiche

June 1, 2014 Marsha Leave a comment

The quiche has always been one of those fascinating kitchen creations that has an exotic appeal with a sprinkling of humility. I’m not sure whether it’s the many variations of the dish, its humble beginnings in Germany and France, its popularity after World War II, or the sheer simplicity of the dish. Just can’t seem to put my finger on it…

“Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche”— A book by Bruce Feirstein; a bestseller satirizing stereotypes of masculinity

The Fact: Why is the Quiche Lorraine named so? It is believed that Quiche Lorraine is a recipe traditionally from Lorraine, France, near the border with Germany. In reality, the classic Quiche originated in Lothringen, Germany, a region initially under German rule; however, it was renamed Lorraine when it came under French control. In fact, the word ‘quiche’ is derived from the German word for cake, ‘kuchen.’

The Inspiration: My fascination with the “quiche” began when I was 16 and was introduced to a quaint little French café that opened up next to the college I went to. A little late, I agree, but quiche was just not a regular in my house. I still remember spotting the quiche as a cute little something with pretty, wavy edges, and beautiful, golden brown bacon bits sprinkled over it… I just had to give it a try! And with that introduction, began my love affair with quiches and tarts and pies and short crust pastries, and the eagerness to master them all. To me, this dish is really not so much about the taste; it’s about the beauty in its simplicity—the simplicity in the ingredients, the preparation and the result.

The Ingredients

This dish makes 6 – 8 servings.

Pie Crust or Short-Crust Pastry

1¼ cup (175 g) all-purpose flour
½ cup butter (115 g or ¼ lb) frozen or chilled butter
¼ to ½ cup (60 – 120 ml) cold water
½ teaspoon salt

Quiche Filling

3 large potatoes; grated, using a regular cheese grater

2 cups of diced, chopped or minced sausages
1 cup of chopped bacon

For a vegetarian/vegan quiche, simply drop the sausages and bacon or then, add any other ingredient you like.

½ cup of diced bell peppers (Use a combination of yellow and red for a pretty quiche)
1 cup diced mushrooms
About 15 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped (I love garlic and usually use a lot of it.)

3 tablespoons butter
Freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste

Egg Custard

3 large or 4 small eggs
2/3^rd cup milk
A pinch of salt for each egg

The Method

Making the Short-Crust Pastry or Quiche Crust

Click here to read up on how to make the perfect short-crust pastry, pie crust or quiche crust.

Making the Filling

Heat a skillet or frying pan on medium heat. Add the butter to the pan and allow it to simmer lightly. Do not burn the butter or allow it to turn brown.
Toss in the finely chopped garlic and allow it to brown slightly.

Add the bacon and let it release some lovely flavor into the pan as the fat melts. Allow the bacon to brown.

If you haven’t already grated the potatoes, now’s the time to do it. Remember to sprinkle a few pinches of salt over the grated potatoes. Give it a toss. Keep it aside.
Add the mushrooms and let them cook in the butter and fat, while absorbing the flavours in the pan. Mushrooms also release a lot of water. Allow the water to dry up as much as possible.
Now, toss in the chopped/minced sausages and the shredded potatoes.
After about 2 minutes, add the diced bell peppers.
Sautee the ingredients for a few minutes, or until all the water has dried up.
Season the mixture with salt, freshly ground pepper, and a sprinkling of sugar. You could even add a soup cube for more taste, but if you do, remember to adjust the salt.
Take the skillet off the heat and allow the mixture to cool down a little

For a vegetarian/vegan quiche, simply drop the sausages and bacon or then, add any other ingredient you like.

Making the egg custard

Whisk the eggs, the milk and the salt together. You’re done.

Assembling the quiche

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Take the ready pie base. Sprinkle the sausage filling into it. Pour the egg custard over the filling.

Sprinkle a little shredded cheese over it. This is completely optional 🙂
Bake for about 40-50 minutes, until the top is golden and the egg custard is set.

Serve hot and enjoy! You can refrigerate leftovers for later as well.

Bon appétit!

Lockdown Recipes, Non-vegetarian Nonchalance, Sumptious Main Courses

Baked Fish in Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce

April 27, 2014 Marsha 3 Comments

Happy Easter and welcome back! So, this Easter, while I decided to send all my readers on that delicious roast chicken chase, I decided to go fish. And what a lovely dish it turned out to be!

“A fishnet is made up of a lot more holes than strings, but you can’t therefore argue that the net doesn’t exist. Just ask the fish.” – Jeffrey Kluger

The Fact: Most fish can see in color and use colors to camouflage themselves or defend themselves. Most fish also have the best eyesight for their habitat and can see you peering at them in a fish tank. Some fish can even see polarized and ultraviolet light.

The Inspiration: Since Christmas was all about chicken, this Easter, I decided to restore the balance and go fish.

My Easter meal wasn’t extended to the entire family; it was restricted to Ally and me, and so a single Black Pomfret worked perfectly. Sunday started off with a quick trip to the fish market, a quick stop at the vegetable market, a lovely lunch with mum and dad, and finally, destination “Home” to cook the lovely fish.

It was one of the simplest and quickest meals. And so, for those of you who hate the long kitchen hours and are looking for something fancy yet quick, you’ve found just the thing. I certainly enjoyed the lazy cooking style, the lovely flavours, and the fishy mélange of a formal meal and silly company (Ally and me, of course; I’d have it no other way 🙂 )

Happy Easter, everyone! And don’t forget to ‘Go Fish’.

The Ingredients

This meal serves 2–3 people.

One Black Pomfret (locally known as halwa) weighing approximately 600 gms (Adjust weight to feed more/fewer people)

You can use any other fish, such as the Red Snapper, White Pomfret, Basa, the John Dory and so on. I love the taste of this particular local favourite; blame it on the relatively high oil content if you please, but in case you’re concerned, note that 2- 3 portions of oily fish a week is recommended to help maintain heart health.

2 big lemons
1 medium-sized onion
Quarter cup orange juice (optional)
A palmful of peeled garlic cloves (approx 25 – 30 cloves) Note: I love garlic and usually use a lot of it.
3 tablespoons butter
Freshly ground pepper
Fresh or dried parsley (I couldn’t find any fresh parsley, so used the dried version)
Kosher or rock salt to taste
Any veggies of your choice (I used mushrooms, red and yellow peppers and carrots)

The Method

The Preparation and the Marinade

Preheat the oven to 190C or 374F.
Make sure that your fish is scaled, cleaned thoroughly, and the innards removed. I usually get the fish cleaned at the fish market itself. It’s an easier and quicker solution.
Wash the fish well and pat it dry with a kitchen towel. Season it with half a fistful of rock salt, freshly ground pepper (as much as you like) and some parsley. Remember to rub the seasoning into the fish, on the outside and lightly on the inside by making a fine slit at the bottom, on both sides.
Leave the fish to rest in a baking dish as you prepare your lemon garlic sauce.

Making the Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce

Pound the garlic cloves using the mortar and pestle; I don’t really think that the finely ground garlic paste works, but if you like the taste of whole cloves, go ahead and use them whole.
Slice the onion.
Squeeze the lemon juice from one and a half lemons; the remaining can be used for decoration.
Add the butter, the freshly squeezed lemon juice and the orange juice to a saucepan on medium heat and allow it to simmer.
Add a pinch of salt, a little bit of ground pepper and a sprinkling of sugar to the sauce. The sugar and the orange juice balance out the sourness of the lemon juice that can sometimes become a little overpowering. Taste and adjust the flavour as per your liking. Allow the sauce to simmer for a minute.

Simultaneously, place a frying pan on medium heat. Add about 2 tablespoons of the sauce to the frying pan. (Hope you’ve turned off the sauce by now. The sauce should smoothly coat the back of a tablespoon; it shouldn’t be thicker or thinner than that.) Once the sauce in the frying pan simmers, toss in the pound garlic. Some chefs prefer adding the garlic directly in to bake, but I found the outcome a little too raw for my liking.
After sautéing the garlic for a few seconds, add the onions.

Sauté the mixture until it is slightly brown. Don’t burn it.

Cooking the fish

Allow the mixture to cool for a bit and then rub it over and into the fish.

Chop your veggies anyway you like them and place them around the fish.

Pour the sauce over the fish and the veggies.

Bake for about 25 – 30 minutes. Use a small knife or fork and check to see if you can easily separate the fish flakes. If yes, your fish is done. The fish meat should be opaque white and not transparent.
If you want a browner top, use the grill or the overhead flame in your oven for about 2 – 3 minutes; not more.
Remove from the oven and serve hot.

You can serve the fish with plain or garlic toasted bread. Don’t complicate the meal any further. Cut as you like. Note that if you use fillets instead, they should cook in about 15 – 20 minutes, are easier to serve and simpler/neater to eat if you’ve got company.

In case of any leftovers, refrigerate, but not for more than a day or two. Tuck in. Bon appétit!

Breakfasts n Brunches, Cookies, Cakes n Cavities, Lockdown Recipes, The Kitchen Diary, Vegetarian Varieties

Better Buttermilk

April 13, 2014 Marsha 1 Comment

I swear by butter and cream and milk too; buttermilk was new and certainly was a welcome change!

“I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose.” – Woody Allen

The Fact: To get the amount of calcium in an 8-ounce glass of milk, you’d have to eat one-fourth cup of broccoli, seven oranges or six slices of wheat bread.

The Inspiration:So my research began when I visited about seven dairies and four supermarkets in search of buttermilk, and still didn’t get any. They blamed it on the winter—“Nobody drinks buttermilk in winter, ma’am—and the lack of demand in the winter. And so I gave up. I decided I’m going to make some and I’m going to make it better. And I did.Buttermilk sits right in the middle of milk and cream; it’s slightly thicker than milk and not quite as thick as cream. It’s also more acidic than milk, has a lovely flavor, and is a super alternative for lactose intolerant people because much of the lactose has been broken down to lactic acid. Buttermilk has quite a few benefits—it’s low in fat and calories (lower than that in milk—a cup of buttermilk contains 2.2g of fat and 99 calories while a cup of whole milk contains 8.9g of fat and 157 calories), is cooling for the body (which is why it’s perfect for summers), aids digestion, makes the yummiest, lightest, and softest pancakes and cakes, and lasts much longer in the refrigerator because of its acidity, which inhibits growth of pathogenic bacteria.Since most store-bought buttermilk is quite fake and not quite the real thing, here are some easy ways in which you can make your very own homemade buttermilk.

#1 Super easy, all of 10 minutes, but rather watery kinda buttermilk

This buttermilk is very easy to make at home and takes a maximum of 10 minutes. And although you can use this buttermilk in your baking recipes to make cakes, biscuits and pancakes, I found this version to be very light, watery and rather tasteless. But if you need a substitute, it works.

The Ingredients

1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar
1 cup of milk (minus 1 tablespoon)

The Method

Pour the lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup.
Add enough milk to bring the mixture up to the one-cup line.
Stir once and let the mixture stand for 5 – 10 minutes. You’ll notice tiny curdled bits in you measuring cup. If you do, you have your buttermilk. If you don’t, add a further half tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice and try again.
Refrigerate.

#2 Easy, perfect and yummy, but takes 1 – 2 days to make kinda buttermilk

This buttermilk is easy to make, requires cultured buttermilk (thick, real, buttermilk preferably from a health store or an organic store) and takes a day or two to make. This buttermilk is perfect to drink and use as a substitute in your baking recipes.

The Ingredients

1 cup of cultured buttermilk
3 cups of milk
A glass jar with a lid (screwed-on or clipped)

If you want smaller quantities, you can do so by reducing the quantities of the ingredients but maintaining the proportion, which is a 1:3 ratio.

The Method

Pour the buttermilk into the glass jar.
Next, add the milk, screw the lid on and shake the jar.
Leave the jar to rest in a relatively warm place for about 24 hours. You can check whether your buttermilk is ready by tilting the jar slightly. While milk does not coat the glass, buttermilk will (as you can see in the image right at the top of this post).
Now pop it into the refrigerator and it will stay for a few weeks.

#3 Not-so-easy, the best, but takes about 5 days to make kinda buttermilk

This buttermilk is still easy to make, however, it involves you making your own buttermilk culture from raw milk and then takes a day or two to make. This buttermilk is the best buttermilk you could ever have, is perfect to drink, use in your baking recipes, and will make you a buttermilk addict (yes, that’s possible :)).

The Ingredients

1 cup of raw milk
1 cup of regular milk
A glass jar with a lid (screwed-on or clipped)

The Method

Let a cup of raw milk sit covered, at room temperature, until it has clabbered or thickened. This usually takes about 2 – 3 days.
Take a quarter or one-fourth of the clabbered milk in a glass jar and add a cup of regular milk to it.
Screw the lid on and shake the jar. Now, allow the jar to sit at room temperature until clabbered.
Repeat this sub-culturing process several times until the milk clabbers within 24 hours. To know that you’ve got the right buttermilk, taste it. It should be tart (not bitter), thick, and should not have a bad or off taste. If it’s perfect, you’ve got your buttermilk culture.
Now use the buttermilk culture with milk in the 1:3 ratio that was used in the Method #2 above, mix and allow to stand for 24 hours.
Refrigerate and use.

#4 Easy, quick, not the best, but makes butter and buttermilk

This method is lovely because it gives you lovely homemade butter and buttermilk. The method is simple, quick and gives you buttermilk that’s nice to drink. I haven’t yet used this buttermilk to bake, so you could be my judge??

The Ingredients

Heavy cream (as much as you want)

The Method

Pour the heavy cream into a blender and blend the cream (with the lid on)
When you notice the yellow butter starting to separate from the now formed buttermilk, stop the blender and let the cream sit for a minute or two to allow the butter globules to rise to the top.
Pour out the buttermilk. Use a spoon to squeeze out as much buttermilk as possible. You have your buttermilk.

Now for the butter. Your homemade butter is already ready, but if you want it to last longer, wash it with ice-cold water by pouring ice cold water into the blender and blending it for a minute. Pour/squeeze out ALL the water, add a little coarse salt (for salted butter) and mix. Voila! You have your yummy homemade butter ready for use.

#5 Insanely easy, super quick, only for drinking kinda buttermilk

This method is everything I’ve called it. All you have to do is use store-bought curd, add some water to it to lighten the consistency as much as you want. Stir or blend. You have your buttermilk. Once again, I haven’t used this buttermilk to bake, so let me know if you do.

So that’s it from me. I know it’s easy to simply go out and buy fake buttermilk, but you really should give these simple methods a try. I’d love to hear from you on these 🙂

Cookies, Cakes n Cavities, Decadent Desserts, Lockdown Recipes, Non-vegetarian Nonchalance, Tea-time Titbits

Banana Pound Cake

April 9, 2014 Marsha 11 Comments

Not everybody loves bananas the way I do. I eat them plain, slice them for crepe filling, mash them in pancakes, whisk them in milkshakes, fry them as fritters, and as the title says, bake them in heavenly, moist, pound cakes!

“Life is full of banana skins. You slip, you carry on.” – Daphne Guinness

The Fact: The scientific name for banana is musa sapientum, which means ‘fruit of the wise men’.

The Inspiration: Christmas came and went, but left me with this need to abstain from cakes, desserts, and pretty much everything sweet. But as all good things come to an end, so did this phase of abstinence.

As I made the climb back on to the ‘food’ wagon, I decided to start small with a few desserts and some hearty servings of fruit—watermelons, apples, oranges, pears, grapes, mangoes (yes, I’m blessed with the perfect tropical climate for these fruits) and bananas! But not everybody loves bananas the way I do. I eat them plain, slice them for crepe filling, mash them in pancakes, whisk them in milkshakes, fry them as fritters, and as the title says, bake them in heavenly pound cakes.

So here’s my attempt at combining fruit and cake in a rather popular way… banana cake! I write this entry as the warm cake aroma continues to waft through my kitchen...

The Ingredients

This cake serves approx. 15–20 people.

Dry ingredients

1½ cups sifted flour
¾ cup granulated sugar (use 1 cup if you prefer sweeter cakes)
1½ tsp freshly ground cinnamon powder
¾ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 heaped tbsp chocolate shavings or chocolate chips

Wet ingredients

2 large or 3 small eggs
I cup softened butter
I cup milk or sour cream or buttermilk
2 large or 3 small ripe bananas mashed to a pulp

The Method

Preheat the oven to 180C or 350F.
Prepare your cake tin (standard 9 x 2 inch) by spraying it with grease or lightly greasing it with butter.
Whisk together all the dry ingredients except the chocolate shavings.
In a separate bowl, beat the butter for about 1 minute with a hand-held or electric beater.
Gradually, whisk in the eggs.
When the consistency is smooth, add the milk or cream and the banana pulp and whisk for about 1 minute.
If you’re someone who’s bothered by the smell of eggs, add a teaspoon of vanilla essence/extract. If not, you’re fine.
Now, gently whisk in the dry ingredients, just until incorporated. This should take you less than a minute because the consistency of the batter is thinner that most cake batters. Do not beat this batter for more than 90 seconds; if you do, gluten will begin to form and make your cake denser and not as moist.
Gently fold in the chocolate shavings or chocolate chips.
Pour mixture into the prepared cake tin and put it into the oven.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Remove cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack

You should know by the aroma in your kitchen that you’re done 🙂 . This cake has a lovely, strong banana flavour. If there’s someone at home who dislikes bananas, the aroma is sure to drive them out of the house. Trust me; I speak from experience.

This cake is best served warm. Cut a slice to look at your beautiful, cinnamon-and-chocolate-speckled cake!

This cake can be kept without refrigeration for a few days. In warmer climates, refrigerate within 2 days. Bon appétit!

Cookies, Cakes n Cavities, Decadent Desserts, Lockdown Recipes, Tea-time Titbits, Vegetarian Varieties

Apple Pie

Image March 4, 2014 Marsha 2 Comments

I believe in kicking off the winter with this crunchy-crusted, warm, moist, and totally droolable apple pie. And so should you!

“If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the Universe.” – Eugene Field

The Fact: The term “as American as apple pie” traces back to 14th century England. The Pilgrims brought pie-making skills and apple seeds to America. As the popularity of apple pie spread, the phrase grew to symbolize American prosperity.

The Inspiration: Whether I plan it or not, winter, in my house, is born with the not-so-ceremoniously baked and eaten apple pie. It’s a thrill—the buying of the ingredients, the baking, of course, the lovely, warm apple and cinnamon smells that waft through my home. Like, I said, it almost christens the winter, my favourite season. The sequence played out this winter too, but this one was special—it was the first ever apple pie in my lovely new home. And like always, it was perfect!

The Ingredients

Serves one 9-inch pie; approximately 10 servings

Pie Crust

2½ cups (350 grams) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon (30 grams) granulated white sugar
1 cup (226 grams) chilled butter
1 teaspoon salt
¼ to ½ cup (60 – 120 ml) cold water

Apple Filling

8 cups peeled, cored, chopped or sliced (¼ inch pieces) apples; remember to use an apple variety that is crisp (not powdery) and doesn’t lose shape easily. The apples should be sweet; preferably a variety that you’ve sampled before and are familiar with.
½ cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar; you can also use a combination of white and brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 – 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (30 grams) butter
1½ tablespoons corn starch or corn flour

The Method

Making the Pie Crust

Chop the butter into ½ inch pieces. Try to use your fingers as little as possible to prevent the heat from melting the butter.
Sift together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and lightly knead together until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Remember that the more your fingers touch the mixture, the faster the butter will melt, which is what you do not want. Alternately, you could use a food processor.

Sprinkle the cold water across the mixture and gently bring the dough together. Do not pour in the water. Stop when the dough just holds together when pinched. If necessary, add more water. Do not knead or process more than a minute.
Form a ball of the dough and divide into 2 portions. Lightly flatten each ball using your palms. To prevent the dough from sticking to your palms, sprinkle the dough with loose flour.
Cover each disk with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about one hour before using. If you do not cover the disk, it will harden and cracks will form, making it difficult for you to roll the pie.
After sufficient chilling, remove one portion of the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured counter. Using a rolling pin, roll the pastry into a 12-inch circle. Remember to sprinkle the rolling pin and counter with loose flour to prevent the dough from sticking. As you roll, keep turning the pastry circle a little each time. This will allow you to roll out a uniform pie. Also, always roll from the centre of the pastry, outwards.
Gently transfer the rolled pastry circle to a 9 inch pie pan. You can do this easily by folding half of the pastry circle over the rolling pin and then moving the rolling pin to the pie pan and unfolding it. Brush off excess flour and trim the edges of the pastry to fit the pie pan. Cover with plastic wrap once more and chill in the refrigerator.
In the same way, roll out the second pastry disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.

Making the Apple Filling

In a large bowl combine the sliced or chopped apples, sugar, lemon juice, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Gently toss the mixture so that all the apple pieces are lightly coated with the other ingredients.
Allow the mixture sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes or more to allow the juices to seep out. Now, place the mixture in a strainer and collect the juices separately. Allow the juices to drain for 30 minutes or until you have about 1/2 cup of juice.
Lightly boil and caramelize the collected juices with 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Heat for about 5 minutes or until the liquid has formed a lovely caramelized syrup and has reduced to about 1/3 cup. You can also use a microwave to form the syrup.

Putting together the Apple Pie

Remove the pastry crust (the one in the pie pan) from the refrigerator and allow it to soften at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
Transfer the drained apples slices from the strainer to a large bowl. Sprinkle the mixture with corn flour. Now, pour the syrup over the apples and toss the mixture to coat the apple pieces.
Transfer the apple mixture into the chilled pie crust, evenly.
Moisten the edges of the pie shell with a little water and then place the top crust over the apples. Gently press the edges together.
Tuck any excess pastry under the bottom crust and then crumple the edges using your fingers.
Using a sharp knife, make five- 2-inch slits from the centre of the pie outwards. This will allow steam to escape.
Cover the pie with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator while you preheat the oven.

Baking the Pie

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
Cover the edges of the pie with a foil ring to prevent it from burning after about 30 minutes.
Place the oven rack at the lowest level. You could also place a baking sheet on the rack before preheating the oven to catch any apple juices. Note that if your oven tends to overheat, use a baking stone and raise the pie pan to prevent the bottom from burning.
Place the pie on the rack and bake for about 50 to 55 minutes.
Pull the pie out when juices start to bubble through the slits and the apples feel tender (not mushy) when a toothpick is inserted through one of the slits.

Serving the Pie Remove the pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 3-4 hours before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature. It’s practically impossible to wait, but trust me, resist it; it’s totally worth it. The wait allows all the juices to seep pack into the filling, thus making for a divine, moist apple pie, with a crisp pie crust. You can store the pie at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. It might not survive, but if it does, refrigerate after Day 3. Have the pie for dessert, at tea time or just about every time you walk by the kitchen. You can serve it with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, but the original, plain pie, is the best, in my opinion. Bon appétit!

Cookies, Cakes n Cavities, Decadent Desserts, Lockdown Recipes, Non-vegetarian Nonchalance, Tea-time Titbits

Red Velvet Cake

Image February 26, 2014 Marsha 1 Comment

Some find a little bit of heaven in their red velvet cake; others think it’s overrated. My thoughts—I love red. I love cake. So, why not?

“You’re only human. You live once and life is wonderful, so eat the damn red velvet cupcake!” – Emma Stone

The Fact: The Red Velvet Cake was invented during the Great Depression when food was a rare commodity, let alone cake and food colouring agents. To up their sales, the food colouring company Adams Extract lured customers by creating the Adams Red Velvet Cake recipe. They also gave away free Red Velvet Cake recipes at grocery stores to sells the red extract. The ploy worked. The cake became an overnight hit.

The Inspiration: With Valentine’s Day just round the corner and every website and restaurant featuring their oh-so-glorious red velvet cake, I just had to give this advertised cake a try… especially since I’ve never made the cake before. So, irrespective of the grief I got from some of my friends about conforming to tradition and expectations and all the clichés surrounding this day, attempt it I did. The outcome, though not the ideal ‘red’, was a pleasant surprise and a lovely dessert for just about any day of the year.

The Ingredients

Serves approximately 12 to 15 people

Cake

2 ½ cups sifted cake flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (regular or Dutch-processed)
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups granulated white sugar
2 large or 3 small eggs
1 cup buttermilk (if you don’t have buttermilk, you can make some in a few minutes; read here)
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons liquid red food colour
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 cups cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners’, icing or caster sugar, sifted
1 ½ cups chilled heavy whipping cream (or any cream that forms stiff peaks when whipped)

The Method

Making the cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) with a rack in centre. Ready your baking pans (either one or two 9 inch pans) by spraying them with grease or lining them with butter. Preferably, also line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder.

In a separate bowl, using a hand or electric mixer, beat the butter for about 2 minutes or until soft.

Add the sugar and beat for about 2–3 minutes, until light and fluffy.

Then, add the eggs, one by one. Beat well after each. Finally, add the vanilla extract and beat just until combined.
In a measuring cup, preferably a glass or stainless steel one, whisk the buttermilk with the red food colour. The red colour stains easily. Try to use glass or stainless steel equipment as far as possible to prevent staining.
Alternate the flour mixture, the buttermilk and the butter mixture and combine by whisking on low speed (to prevent you and your kitchen from bring splattered with the mixture). It’s a good idea to begin and end with the flour.

In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. The combination will fizz; before the effervescence dies down, quickly fold it into the cake batter.
No work quickly. Pour the batter into your pan (divide your batter evenly if using 2 pans). Smoothen out the top with a spatula and pop the pan(s) into the oven.
Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 30–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool the cake(s) on a wire rack.
After the cake has cooled sufficiently, use a blunt knife and pry the cake away from the cake tin. If you’re not a fan of the frosting, you can eat it right away.

If you’re going to frost it, refrigerate the cake after wrapping it in plastic or shrink wrap for at least an hour, if not overnight. A chilled cake is much easier to frost because it doesn’t crumble as easily.

Making the frosting

In the bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar and beat until combined. Gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is rich and thick. If you don’t have heavy cream and it doesn’t form stiff peaks easily, beat the cream separately and then add it to the cream cheese. Taste the frosting and add sugar or cream as per your liking.

Assembling the cake

If you’ve baked two separate cakes, you can assemble them straight away, and build a two-layered cake, with one layer of frosting in between. Alternately, using a serrated knife, you can cut your cake into four layers, horizontally. You can also use twine, wrapped around the cake, and pulled together to cut the cake evenly across.

Place the top of the cake onto your serving plate (since this is the least even layer of all). Spread a layer of frosting over it. Place another cake layer over the frosted layer and add a layer of frosting to the second cake layer. In the same way, frost the remaining layers. You can serve the cake as is if you want the lovely red layer to stay on top, or then, you can go ahead and frost the outside and top of the entire cake stack. I don’t like too much frosting or decoration. I love the plain ‘ol cake, or then, with one layer of frosting. You can do it as you like it.

Top the cake with anything you like. Some of my options are cocoa powder, chocolate shavings, red velvet cake crumbs (the easiest to do), strawberries, and so on.

I would eat this cake any random evening, but make sure you have someone to show it off to. The hard work’s got to be worth it! 🙂 Bon appétit!

Lockdown Recipes, Non-vegetarian Nonchalance, Sumptious Main Courses

Lemon Pepper Chicken

Image February 2, 2014 Marsha 3 Comments

Grilled chicken cooked with the combined fragrance and flavour of freshly ground black pepper and freshly squeezed lemon… hmmmm…

“The disparity between a restaurant’s price and food quality rises in direct proportion to the size of the pepper mill.” – Bryan Q. Miller

The Fact: It is believed that when the Goths defeated Rome in 410, they demanded a ransom of 3,000 pounds of pepper, along with other valuables such as silk.

The Inspiration: Although we live a hop, skip and jump away from my parents and my in-laws, a Sunday family meal with them does not take place that often. This Sunday was different.

We had a late and well-deserved, fun Saturday night and a mild hung-over Sunday morning; nothing that a hot cup of coffee and a quick shower couldn’t fix. On a day like this, when you’re expecting your in-laws for lunch, a quick meal, like this one, was just perfect. So that’s my inspiration for this addition—a quick, homely and simple recipe.

The Ingredients

Serves approximately 6 people

1 kg chicken cut into roughly 8 – 10 pieces
5 tablespoons barbeque sauce
1 tablespoons soya sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce (optional)
1 medium or ½ large lemon
3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 – 2 tablespoons of olive oil

The Method

Wash well and drain the chicken pieces. Dry the chicken pieces using a kitchen towel.
Mix all the above ingredients (except the olive oil) for the marinade.
Slit the chicken pieces so that the marinade permeates the meat.
Apply the marinade to each chicken pieces carefully, remembering to massage the marinade into the slits as well. Place chicken pieces in a baking dish and pour the remaining marinade over it.
Allow the chicken to sit covered on the counter or in the refrigerator for about 20 – 30 minutes. Refrigeration is preferred if your kitchen is warm and not at room temperature.
Ten minutes before your marination time’s up, preheat your oven to 375°F / 190°C.
Drizzle the dish with the olive oil and pop it into the oven for about 30 – 40 minutes.
Your chicken’s done when the meat seems to leave the bone easily and the meat doesn’t look pink and raw. You can prick it with a skewer or fork to check. Remove the chicken from the oven and serve while it’s hot.

Note: I used chicken on the bone; if you’re using boneless chicken, your meal should be done in 20 minutes.

You could serve the chicken with a salad on the side. I also added a lovely garlic-flavoured potato mash (mashed potato) with it. A light white wine will make for a great drink to go with the meal.

A lovely Jacob’s Creek Chardonnay, some country music in the background, a few sways in the kitchen, a lovely sit-down meal, followed by a cosy nap! A perfect end to the weekend!

Lockdown Recipes, Non-vegetarian Nonchalance, Sumptious Main Courses

Roast Chicken

Image January 18, 2014 Alvito Fernandes 6 Comments

There’s nothing better than a piping hot, straight from the oven, moist, tender, gloriously golden-brown, aroma-filled roast chicken on a bed of roasted veggies!

“A hen is only an egg’s way of making another egg.” – Samuel Butler

The Fact: Gainesville, Georgia, in the United States, is the “Chicken Capital of the World”. There, eating the meat with a fork is considered illegal.

The Inspiration: I love chicken! My entire family will vouch for it. To me, chicken is an indulgence; an experience all by itself. I can eat it in any form and any combination, although, on some days, nothing can ever beat the straight from the oven, piping hot, moist, tender, gloriously golden-brown, aroma-filled, roast chicken served on a bed of roasted veggies.

I’ve been making and eating, actually, eating (thanks to my mum and mother in law) and making chicken all my life. But in my household, somehow, a majority of the time, we ended up combining chicken with some gravy and eating it with our staple, rice. I’m not complaining, like I said, I love the bird. But ever since I got married, experimentation has gotten so exciting, with my favorite guinea pig, Ally (my husband) and me for samplers. So trial and error is my thing now, and that’s exactly how I stumbled on to this glorious recipe. It’s something I created in my kitchen on Easter Sunday with whatever I could find in my kitchen. I do hope you enjoy this recipe!

The Ingredients

1.5 – 2 kg chicken (whole; with skin) Switch the chicken with turkey for a beautiful Thanksgiving meal.
2 medium-sized onions
2 carrots
2 tomatoes
5 – 6 baby potatoes
150 gms mushrooms
1 big apple
1 orange
2 sticks celery
1 bulb garlic
Olive oil or melted butter (use olive oil for a healthier meal)
2 lemons
1 small bunch fresh thyme, rosemary, bay or sage, or a mixture
Kosher or coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 feet of twine

The Method

Buying your chicken

Since chicken is an easy-to-find ingredient in my locality, I simply run down to the local chicken shop or the supermarket and pick up any whole chicken, with the skin intact and the insides cleaned. I also look for a chicken with thighs that have that perfect swell to them. This usually means a higher fat content, which also means a juicier and a more moist chicken. The breasts are too lean for my taste; however, this is something that’s up to you—based on your liking and your health.

When it comes to picking the right size, simply weigh your chicken. I prefer a 1.5 – 2kg chicken, which suffices for about 4 – 6 people, and also leaves a little for when you get home late with a growling stomach.

Preparing your chicken

Before you begin, wash your chicken thoroughly—inside and out, and also under the skin. Then, drain the chicken.
Ensure that your chicken is kept at room temperature—either fresh or refrigerated, but kept out of the fridge for at least 30 minutes before cooking. This is important to prevent your chicken from cooking unevenly or drying out. If you cook cold chicken, the heat dries out the meat on the outside before the inside is done. Room temperature meat cooks more evenly and fewer juices leak out or evaporate during cooking.
Preheat your oven to 240°C/475°F.
Take a tray or baking dish that has enough space to hold your chicken along with all the vegetables. Also ensure that your tray is hollow enough to hold all the juices that ooze out while your chicken and veggies are cooking. If not, all the juices will spill over and you’ll have quite a task after your chicken’s done.
Break the garlic bulb into cloves. Peel about 10 – 12 cloves and leave the remaining cloves unpeeled. Roughly smash the peeled cloves. I used a mortar and pestle; you can smash it any way you like. Add the juice of 1 lemon and about 2 tbsp of melted butter to the mashed garlic. Season this concoction with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Dry your chicken with a kitchen towel. Don’t ignore this step. Then, using a fork or a skewer, prick the bird all over. This will help any marinade or seasoning to easily seep into the meat rather than stay on the surface. Place your chicken in the baking tray or dish.
Pour 3/4th of the garlic concoction all over the chicken and using your fingers, rub the marinade in; don’t forget to go under the skin and into the chicken cavity as well. The more the seasoning seeps in, the tastier your chicken will turn out. Leave your chicken to marinate for about 20 minutes.
Take all your veggies (along with the apple; not the orange), but don’t peel them (except the onions of course); I know I didn’t. Wash your veggies thoroughly under running water, along with a soft brush if required, and then, roughly chop them. Note that you can throw in any additional veggies you like or can skip the ones you don’t quite fancy.
Take the tray in which the chicken is resting, lift the chicken and pile in all the veggies (under the chicken), along with some of the unpeeled garlic cloves. Drizzle the remaining garlic concoction and about 2 tablespoons of olive oil (or melted butter) over the veggies. Then, place the chicken over the pile of veggies.
Prick the remaining lemon all over, using the tip of a sharp knife or pop it into the microwave for about 30 seconds. (This will bring out the lemony flavour). Place the lemon inside the chicken’s cavity, with the bunch of herbs.

Trussing your chicken

Trussing or tying up your chicken snugly is an important part of roasting chicken. While a lot of chefs prefer to leave this out completely, which is also alright, I prefer to truss the chicken for several reasons—it makes for better presentation and prettier photos, it makes the chicken more compact and helps it cook evenly (by retaining heat and moisture), and it also prevents the tips of the wings and legs from burning.

Place your bird with the breast upwards. Place the twine horizontally under the tail bone or the end of the cavity. Then, hold the legs together, cross both ends of the twine across the chicken and pull the twine tightly. Now, taking the twine ends upwards, towards the neck of the bird and away from you, cross the twine around the wings and completely across the neck as well, tie the twine beneath the neck. Honestly, you can truss the chicken in any way you prefer, as long as the wings and legs are held close to the body of the chicken.

Cooking your chicken

With the trussed chicken placed (breast upwards) on top of the vegetables in the roasting tray, cut your orange in half and squeeze some fresh orange juice over the chicken and the veggies. Pop the tray into the preheated oven. Turn the heat down immediately to 200°C/400°F and cook the chicken for 1.20 hours, which is the ideal time to cook chicken. A lot of chefs prefer to add the potatoes a little later, but on trying their method, I found my potatoes slightly undercooked. So I suggest tossing them in right away.

After about 35 – 45 minutes, check on your chicken. You will notice a lot of juices collected in the tray. Open your oven door and scoop up the juice, only to pour it right back over the chicken and the veggies. Keep doing this until the chick looks nice and moist. Don’t let too much of the heat escape while doing this, so hurry. If you notice that the veggies look dry, add a splash of water to the tray to prevent them from burning.

After 1.20 hours, remove your tray from the oven. Alternately, using a meat thermometer, check if the temperature of the inside of the bird has reached about 70°C/160°F. Remember that your chicken will continue to cook even after you remove it from the oven. Its temperature will gradually increase to 74°C/165°F, after which, it will start to cool. At this point, transfer the chicken to a board to rest for 15 – 20 minutes. Resting the bird allows the juices that were released to be absorbed back into the meat, which is the lovely flavor that you do not want to forego. To retain the heat, cover the bird with some tinfoil.

Making the gravy

Although I love serving the roast chicken just like this, as you can see in the picture, you could also keep the chicken aside and use the veggies to make a lovely gravy.

For the gravy, sauté all the veggies in some butter, along with about 1 tablespoon of flour. Preserve some of the veggies and mash the remaining, finally, passing the mash through a sieve. Bring this liquid to a boil while seasoning it with salt and pepper.

Carving your chicken

Remove any twine from the chicken. Using a carving knife, cut down between the leg and the breast of the chicken. Then, cut through the hip joint and bend the leg backwards until the hip joint pops out. Repeat on the other side.
Next, cut off the wings from both sides.
Next, cut through the drumstick-thigh joint on both pieces. You should end up with four portions. Now, angle the knife along the breastbone and carve one side off, then the other.
Place the carved portions on a serving platter. Pour some of the homemade gravy over the carved portions and serve hot.

To see how this is done, check out this link: http://www.wikihow.com/Carve-a-Chicken, or look it up on YouTube.

Note: Throwing the remaining carcass away is a sin. Using your fingers, pull all the meat off. Don’t forget to turn the carcass over and get all the juicy bits from underneath.

And while the fight for the ‘prized’ chicken leg continues at my Easter dinner, please tuck in. Bon appétit!

This one’s hands down, one of the simplest, can’t-go-wrong desserts! It’s simple, basic, uses 4 everyday ingredients and goes down well on hot summer days or cool winter afternoons. Give it a go if you’ve got time on your hand!

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My all-time favourite cake! It’s best eaten warm in any weather. It’s rich, moist, full or flavour, and is the prettiest cake I’ve ever seen!

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The perfectly moist, heavenly, rum-packed Christmas fruitcake! You have to try it to believe it! 🙂

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The perfect pie crust is golden brown when baked, buttery, soft and flaky, and practically melts in your mouth when you bite into it. Can you taste it already?

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Happy Easter and welcome back! So, this Easter, while I decided to send all my readers on that delicious roast chicken chase, I decided to go fish. And what a lovely dish it turned out to be!

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I swear by butter and cream and milk too; buttermilk was new and certainly was a welcome change!

#1 Super easy, all of 10 minutes, but rather watery kinda buttermilk

#2 Easy, perfect and yummy, but takes 1 – 2 days to make kinda buttermilk

#3 Not-so-easy, the best, but takes about 5 days to make kinda buttermilk

#4 Easy, quick, not the best, but makes butter and buttermilk

#5 Insanely easy, super quick, only for drinking kinda buttermilk

Not everybody loves bananas the way I do. I eat them plain, slice them for crepe filling, mash them in pancakes, whisk them in milkshakes, fry them as fritters, and as the title says, bake them in heavenly, moist, pound cakes!

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I believe in kicking off the winter with this crunchy-crusted, warm, moist, and totally droolable apple pie. And so should you!

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Some find a little bit of heaven in their red velvet cake; others think it’s overrated. My thoughts—I love red. I love cake. So, why not?

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Grilled chicken cooked with the combined fragrance and flavour of freshly ground black pepper and freshly squeezed lemon… hmmmm…

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There’s nothing better than a piping hot, straight from the oven, moist, tender, gloriously golden-brown, aroma-filled roast chicken on a bed of roasted veggies!

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I did it my way