Cherryonthecake!

All of us have read about the story of Jack & the bean stalk, and might I add that it was one of the best stories I have read. It showed how a humble bean, changed the life for Jack. Somewhere, it has changed my view on savory food as well. A humble bean just fitting in every cuisine and every dish... be it Indian, be it Mexican or even Japanese but a red kidney bean is just a humble ingredient. But hang on its not just one type of bean, its some 100 million types. And using it in so many ways is just innovative and creative. A beautiful ingredient, so versatile and beautifully textural. The way Philipinoes use it in a Bipinka and the way my mom uses it to make Rajma Chawal, I am beginning to experiment with it in Mediterranean cuisine... something with maybe an Aubergine or maybe with some zing of Za'atar, or even with the tangy taste of Sumac. Isn't it exactly how life is... being versatile and fitting in every situation. Humble being, a friend that I have met... a pe...

A drink at the end of the Week, or even a sip with my meals daily. A glass of wine has its own textures and its own variations. Its one of the most versatile additive that has been used since the very many years of cooking... the versatility of this element has opened the doors to the world to experiment with it on every front. I scrutinized with it my own style because after all, the proof is in the Desserts!!  Its what reminds me of how different my poached pears taste when I poach them in red wine or white wine. Love how this element just plays on the minds when we start to consume it at any time of the day at different temperatures. Be it at the normal temperature, or I deglaze something with it, adding it to even a sauce makes a difference to the dish. Just reinstates the fact, why the greatest poets and writers have mentioned wines in their work. It brought out the nature of how it flows in a seamless fashion from one aspect to another, from one texture to another. Coming fr...

Hi to anyone who's reading this, This is after a long time that I am blogging but I could not resist it any longer. I have been experimenting with the 80% dark chocolate and while I am an absolute fan of the bitterness, not many people I know are. The chocolate melts in the mouth and tastes of nothing but sheer and pure cocoa, which somehow makes a human brain feel a hormone of sheer bliss. The dark chocolate maybe bitter but sometimes it is the best one to have, the cocoa flavour that stays and lingers in the mind and the mouth. A hint of sweetness just perfect enough to make you want to have another piece. A perfect sinful dessert which is low on cals and guilt. Many of us, come across this even in our lives... but guess what, its this piece of Bitterness that seems to make us stronger and feel better later. The bitterness of the situation or of an incidence may feel bad and horrible at first, but just the way the chocolate melts and we get a hint of the sugar coming through, ...

To all of you out there who love to bake cakes, you know exactly what i mean when i say a cake spring is what we need to confirm, that the time, efforts and patience put into making that cake batter  has finally paid off. Baking is an art not everyone can muster,  and only the true heroes are able to understand the reactions between every ingredient with each other. Only a few can give so much of love, attention and care to those ingredients and only then do we get a perfect cake spring. The art comes from life, but unlike humans and emotions its easier to understand a Millard Reaction, or an M- Fall of a Cake. Why the Gluten doesn't react the way it did earlier? why did the melted butter make so much of a difference in the texture of the cake? Now, i understand why Chefs have their personal lives so hectic, cz if i were there i would rather spend my time nurturing the yeast and knowing that it would not disappoint me rather than having to place my bets on a human and be...

As the world progresses towards social media and interaction virtually more than face to face... the foods are moving into another dynamic environment. The Food world is as volatile as the Stock Market and maybe much more innovative. I say that since it is the only industry that has the innovation of the Tech happening in Silicon Valley, the trends of a Stock Market and the addiction in an alcohol industry.  That's what I exactly aim to do, combine the alcohol and desserts which people and the millennials are trending with. This is what its trending to, and this is the addiction we aim at.  A tiramisu isn't a real tiramisu without the rum and the Coffee Kahlua. The sensual sense arousing when the Rum and Kahlua along with the mascaporne goes down the tongue. When the Rum and mascaporne burn in the throat yet you want to go for more and just one more bite to finish it all off. That is food. That is the true sense of food and love for food. The foods are getting mo...

Often we come across the ever so sinful part of a meal, The Dessert! The sugar cravings at the end of the meal, that have been developed by our ancestors and age old traditions give us a run for our money. The desserts end being the last course of a meal but the taste of the dessert is what lingers on. And hence I chose to pursue the same... the taste of desserts lingering for minutes and enticing all the 5 senses is what I call a perfect dessert.  Keep following this space for some real scoop on some delicious and mouth watering desserts!!!

Its that time of the year, when I return home to my folks. From living a lonely, depressing life in a hostel far far away, this seemed to be the only respite. Whatever one eats in whichever part of the world, but the food, which comes out of a mother’s kitchen that truly brings a smile to your face and takes you down the memory lane.  Coming home after a few months feels like heaven. The stresses of life disappear as soon as the first bite of the mother’s dish enters my mouth. Her white dhokla’s with particular chutney that she serves it with. The whiff of the cooked dhokla’s made me forget all my worries. Thats when I realized this were just the beginning and how much I had missed this. My home was the only constant in my ever so volatile life. The time when I needed to come back to the roots and realize how I liked myself. It was the place to forget all my worries and be myself again. I missed being with my mom. One hour in the kitchen with her, while she whipped up some delic...