Sunday, July 18, 2010

garden salad with buttermilk dressing

There's something very comfortable in the thought that one can just walk into his backyard and pick a salad. As S knows more than anyone else, I have a love-hate relationship with garden salads. I still, at times, need to convince myself that a bowl of uncooked vegetables/greens can be food. Nonetheless lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, blueberries and pickled artichokes with a few sprigs of chervil and sour grass and buttermilk dressing can be very quick (read 15 minutes to pluck, wash, chop and arrange) and surprisingly delicious. My favourite bit in this is the buttermilk. It's light on fat, and has a nice delicate taste with a light smoky finish.

Friday, July 16, 2010

We belong to the sea

One of those songs which I'd caught a long time ago by chance on some TV show and which stayed in my mind. Lene Nystrom is, as usual, stunning.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Caprese Sandwiches


My version of the Caprese Mini Sandwihes , that Elise did on my favorite food blog , Simply Recepies. I love the Idea, and since In India we make "Roti's"/Flat Bread at home evry day, his is a easy no brainer.

I used, frozen dough that I had made a few weeks ago for making Pot sticklers and what ever was available. Getting the mise en place ready is the trick as every thing is assembled over the flat girdle/Tava used for making the breads.

Frozen Dough , Thawed, Rolled into Flat Breads - 100 Gms
Grated Mozerella Cheese, I used Kodai Cheese - 2 tbs
Basil, Oregano, Crushed Chilly Flakes, Coarse Sea Salt- By Taste
Zero Oil !!

Elise suggests that we marinate the Salad, and I have done that version too, and its delish, but usually i just assemble this in under 15 mins. I just went ahead on an instinct, and just to complete the mean, I added a dollop of hung curd, which is almost the consistancy of ricotta with drizzled honey.

I have been trying to eat light and well, and in the last six months, lost 10 kgs ( Checked today morning, it still stable at 10!!), and I just don't understand why people eat cardboard tasting meal supplements, when all they need to do is learn how to create a simple easy and quick meal.

Tried doing multiple images on this post , including a Collage with the step by step

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Monday, July 5, 2010

Lavash or Hogwash!

Hogwash! I cried at the posh counter at Maison De Gourmet. If you are a foodie and In Chennai you could not have escaped this store. It is one of the few that will stock Fleur De Sel, EVOO, Balsamic, so you get the drift. I don't know much of how the business works , so have no comments about the mark ups. But I do know when you are being swindled.

Rs.150/pack for less than 200 grams of day old Lavash! For those who haven't got an idea of what I am talking , Lavash is a thin middle eastern bread, more like crackers, most times with a sprinkling of spices, like Zatar or seeds, and is made of Flour, Water, Shortening , and yeast. I use this on the Mezze or with Humus I am making a lot these days. So essentially, not very different from your basic bread, save its rolled, generally made in a Tandoor, but I suppose easily done in an oven too!

A, will be squirming in his seat (Psst- He's been baking, but will not show his breads here)! I know, they will price it according to the demand ...and supply, which is non existent in Chennai. But I think its time folks just waked out ..this is hogwash!!

Also - Scary was the complete lack of labeling and information on the product, including the price.

Some recipes from the blogosphere : A, Try some and let me know if this works well. I wish I had an oven!





Tomato Salad with Aioli and Herbs

Easy does it! Just like this Salad I did a few days ago for lunch..Ripe tomatoes quartered, in an aioli, some dried basil and oregano, a dash of tang from a lime, frozen cold meats crushed, cools the salad, as you plate and serve.

Oh, the salt has to be Kal Uppu, or Coarse Sea Salt, none of the flakiness and chemicals from free flowing Iodised salt ..I can't afford Fleur De Sel , so have been using this traditional salt as a finishing salt or just salt, and you can feel the difference.

The Aioli, Salt, Garlic, Extra Virgin Olive Oil , and a whole lot of work on the pestle and mortal as you slowly trickle down the oil. I do not like to add anything else, most folks will add eggs, but does reminds of Mayo, and I am not a big fan.

The Dash of green you see, is some left over pesto, I had done a few days ago, just completes the composition, Don't you think so ?

Enjoy!
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