Let's cook. And eat.

It’s a simple-quick recipe.  https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/asparagus-soup-with-lemon-and-parmesan.html I did not have stock/broth so I used water. And I added cashews for some creaminess. Master S lapped this one up with gusto. 

What I really liked about this recipe was how quickly the paneer tikkas that go into the roll came about. There was no marination required - hence no planning beforehand. Added bonus was Master S and I enjoyed grilling the skewered kebabs on the flame stove. This one is definitely a winner. We used store bought methi theplas to make the rolls.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKF1F6XfgrY

At the very beginning of the quarantine, my neighbor Mr. M (we’ve talked about him before) came to share some happiness in a jar. It was a sourdough starter. Many months prior, I had mentioned to him that I would like to bake with a sourdough starter. I forgot soon after but he remembered. Not only did he share the starter, he shared with me a zillion videos and tips. The process itself seemed so intimidating I bugged him with my questions for almost 2 weeks before I decided to venture a bake with the starter.  These are the 2 links/videos I followed. The first is a start to finish recipe by Patrick Ryan. And the second is a list of tips for sourdough baking.  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2FVfJTGpXnU https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BJEHsvW2J6M&t=168s The results after the bake: Update (7/29/2020):  Patrick Ryan's recipe is working great for me so far. There are a couple of changes I have been doing that have resulted in better and more consistent results.  Ingredi...

A gracious neighbor shared some home grown plums, so I went looking for a  plum torte recipe and found this.  Followed it to the tee -  https://www.teeniecakes.com/rustic-italian-plum-almond-cake-torta-di-prugne-e-mandorle/ Somehow my plums sank to the bottom during the bake - after I had poured the batter in, I realized that I had put the spring form of my pan top side down. Ah well. It did taste wonderful though. 

One of my favorite things to do with left over pizza dough is to make pizza rolls.  You break up the dough into small balls of flour, roll it out. Put some filling, pinch back together and then bake. And then eat it with some marinara.  For filling this time I modified an Ottolenghi recipe - a little bit of sour cream, a small piece of Brie, some chopped basil, a couple of semi dried tomatoes and topped with a Parmesan.  (Semi dried tomatoes - take cut grape or cherry tomatoes, toss them in oil and salt, and bake them cut side up at 375 F for about 45-50 minutes) Put the balls seam side down in an oil sprayed  pie dish. And brush them with butter infused with garlic salt. Bake at 425 F for about 20 minutes. 

Kanda means onion, bhaji means pakoras or fritters. The beauty of this recipe is how easily it comes together. It was shared by my friend, and I was drooling just looking at the pictures. Shredded potatoes (2), shredded carrots(1-2), shredded bell peppers (1) - squeeze in a piece of cloth to drain our water. Add thinly sliced onions (1-2), besan 1 cup(chick pea flour), salt, cumin powder, chaat masala, turmeric, red pepper - basically any dry masalas to your taste. Make round flat tikkis or patties and heat them in oil on medium heat till dark golden brown.  For the chutney, take hung yoghurt 1 cup with some cilantro and mint - half cup each. Run in a blender. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Risotto is a complex dish. Though it may seem easy to make, to get a good risotto requires some skill (and a good recipe). But when done right, its a flavorful dish - not too heavy, with vegetables that still have the crunch a bit, the rice is al dente and there is a sprinkling of parmesan on top. So trust me (and save yourself some heartbreak) when I say this is a winner recipe. Its by a dear friend - we will call her Lady S. What you see below is an exact copy-paste of the recipe she shared. And true to her wonderful self, right after sharing the recipe she made a fresh pot for us for a weeknight dinner. Lady S is really something! I have known her for almost 18 years now. And every time I meet her I learn something new - She taught me how to peel garlic easily and I have never peeled it any other way since. Here is her recipe: Set IP (Instant Pot) on sauté and add: - 1 Tbsp olive oil - Red pepper flakes to taste - 1/2 shallot diced - 2 cloves garlic minced - Sauté for 30 ...