Last week, I had some long time friends over for dinner. It had been aeons since we'd seen each other and I owed them a dinner at my house. We have known each other for a long time, longer than I have known my husband! We always have a great time when we do get together and that's got a lot to do with the fact that they love to cook and eat as much as we do. I know that when I go over to their house, there is always something delectable and enticing on the table; warm, charred kebabs right off the grill or creamy, mango kulfi dripping syrupy goodness. They informed me that they have just bought a smoker and we should be ready for an invitation as soon as they have perfected the art of smoking! I can't wait. So, last week was my turn to entertain and I had to pull out all the stops. They love Indian and Pakistani food so I decided to treat them to some typical Indian foods that we eat in my family. My family originates from Hyderabad which is in Central/South India. The Hyderbadi cuisines takes its influence both from North Indian cooking (rich, creamy kormas and kebabs) and also from the South (vegetarian, tangy tamarind laden sauces with lots of peanut and coconut use) ... continue reading...
Harissa Chicken and Vegetable Tagine
Lately, it seems that everywhere you turn (at least in a good kitchen store), it's all about tagines and Moroccan flavours. Almost every respectable kitchen store has a handmade clay tagine, the traditional cooking vessel of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. The tagines are placed on a prominent end cap of the store with artfully arranged Moroccan cookbooks and jars of harissa precariously stacked. Don't get me wrong, I love Moroccan and Algerian food and flavours; some of my favourite people are Moroccan and Algerian (one particular 11 month old with big brown eyes and long, lush eyelashes that would be the envy of any woman, has totally stolen my heart.) I noticed, since I've been getting the BBC Good Food magazine, that Moroccan flavours are becoming very popular in the UK. Maybe some of my British friends would like to comment on this trend. I am all for flavourful trends and love a good bandwagon to jump on. I have been in love with The Maghreb flavours for a while now, even before this bandwagon came along. I've had Moroccan and Algerian friends and was introduced to their cuisine a while back and have loved it since. I love the sweet and spicy flavours of their tagines, the ... continue reading...
BBQ Chicken Picnic Loaf ~ Giant Calzone
From chicken salad for school lunches to various after school snacks, it's been all about the children lately. It is so hard to come up with original packable lunches and after school snacks that aren't boring. My family prefers sandwiches to hot lunches because they have such a short time to eat and hang out with friends. However, that means that when they get home around 3/3.30 they are starving and ready to scarf down anything in sight. I like us all to eat dinner together once my husband gets home but for them that is eternity. If they eat fruit or granola bars, they are back in the fridge and store cupboard rummaging for something else like animals in the wild. When I am trying to cook dinner, there is nothing more annoying than the constant whining and shuffling about in the kitchen. So, lately, I've taken to preparing a more substantial snack that feeds them into quiet submission and I can have my mind and kitchen back to create in peace. The other day, when I poached the chicken for the salad, I had one extra breast left over in the fridge. I decided to make their favourite BBQ chicken pizza but in a loaf or giant calzone. It comes together really quickly if you have some ... continue reading...
Chicken Salad
Back in the 90's my parents owned a tearoom in Houston and this chicken salad was one of the most popular item on the menu. Our main business was for lunch time since we were surrounded by a lot of offices and within driving distance of NASA and many of their contractors. I was lucky enough to meet a few of the commanders of the space shuttles and we used to host a dinner for the wives of the astronauts. They were all such gracious people. I even saw HM The Queen as she was driving to NASA on one of her state visits. I was on the side of the road waving frantically and she and HRH Prince Philip waved back very majestically. Thinking back on it now, the tearoom was a great little place but my interest wasn't really in helping my parents run a restaurant. I did help and was cook, baker, caterer and hostess at various times, but back then my interest lay in Engineering and not in visions of billowing mounds of meringue or French pastry making techniques. How things change! Once in a while, I did get that surge of enthusiasm and creativity and I would whip out a cookbook and create something. My profiteroles were a hit with many a dinner party we catered and I even attempted a ... continue reading...
Texas!
So, I haven't quite mustered up enough energy to get back in the kitchen with a purpose. I am choosing to cook quick, easy meals because I am so tired still! I didn't even go half way across the world like Uru from Go Bake Yourself, but driving to and from Texas has finally taken its toll! I am impressed with Uru for actually baking and then posting it too! Today, I decided to just share some vacation photos from my trip with you. There is no recipe today! It was an awesome trip and we had so much fun with family and friends. Everyone was so kind and fed us constantly. I think I put on 10 pounds! We drove down to Fort Worth where my cousins live and spent a couple of days there. We chose to go to Texas in the winter for tolerable weather conditions, but oh my! Fort Worth was freezing! I don't think the temperature went past 41℉ (5℃) the entire time we were there. Our outdoor trips were considerably shortened! After the Stockyards, my cousins treated us to a delicious lunch at an Italian restaurant called Fortuna in Fort Worth. Here's our lunch: After lunch, it was a short trip to see the Fort Worth Water ... continue reading...
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