David deSouza

Healthy Whole Grain Pizza Dough Recipe

2012-02-08T08:18:00.002+05:30

After several attempts at different recipes, I have found my favourite! A healthy whole grain option for Pizza dough.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon white sugar;
1 1/2 cups warm water (45 ° C);
1 tablespoon dry yeast;
1 tablespoon olive oil;
1 teaspoon salt;
2 cups whole wheat flour;
1 1/2 cups flour.

Healthy Whole Grain Pizza !

Preparation:

In a large bowl with hot water, melt the sugar. Stir in yeast and let it stand for about 10 minutes until foam is formed.
Stir in olive oil, salt, whole wheat flour and 1 cup flour. Knead until dough is smooth, about 10 minutes. Brush on dough surface with oil, cover and let stand for 1 hour in a warm place until it doubles its volume.
After allowing to stand, either divide the dough into 2 pieces for 2 pizzas with a thin base, or leave whole for a rough body. Knead well again and then let it rise for about 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220 ° C. Make your pizza shape and place on a baking sheet pizza.
Toppings in the order listed are tomato sauce/Salsa sauce, cheese, sun dried tomatoes, ham, gypsy salami, onions, olives, artichokes and pineapple and mushrooms.
Bake 16-20 minutes (depending on thickness) in the preheated oven, until crust is crisp and golden at edges and that cheese has nicely melted.

This dough recipe works with a bread-maker too. Just follow the same steps and let the bread machine do the hard work.

A weekend in Buffalo, New York

2012-01-13T11:03:00.003+05:30

Shopping never ceases to end in this part of the world. The surprising part is that you never seem to get done with it. Canada's Boxing day sales now stretch over a week and even run into the New Year! So there's only so much you can shop till you drop. Unless you decide to drive some hundred miles and shop in another country! Buffalo, New York sure has some amazing shopping options.

We managed to get a glimpse of the beautifully lit streets, part of the Niagara Falls Winter Festival of Lights before we crossed the border. The big debate about which country has the better of the falls at Niagara seems pointless. They both are breathtaking!

CAA Winter Festival of Lights Niagara Falls

American Falls, Niagara Buffalo, New York

There wasn't too much time to go sightseeing, I wonder if there is a lot to see to start with? Most of our time went shopping and tasting the local cuisine.

Beef on Weck, also called Beef On Wick is a unique staple of Buffalo, New York’s bars and taverns. It's a roast beef sandwich on a salty kummel'weck' roll, a Kaiser roll topped with lots of pretzel salt and caraway seeds. It's served with horseradish, kosher dill pickle slices on the side, and extra beef juice served straight from the roast.

And of course washed down by a locally brewed ale!

The next stop was at the famous Anchor Bar established in 1935. It's said to be the birthplace of spicy chicken wings, known outside the Buffalo area as Buffalo wings. Teressa Bellissimo is credited with it's creation when she deep-fried some wings and covered them in hot sauce and margarine. They were truly delicious!

Beef on Wick, a staple of Buffalo, New York’s bars and taverns

The birthplace of Spicy Chicken Wings at the famous Anchor Bar

Fat Bastard! - A Christmas special!

2011-12-23T05:13:00.000+05:30

Fat Bastard!

Meet Fat Bastard, our one legged Turkey. He had us rather confused and caught up searching for his missing leg. At first I wondered if he migh be your yoga flexible sort but I was wrong. However he turned out to be quite delicious!

Ingredients:

A young turkey, 6 kg;
Soft butter;
Salt, pepper;
Olive oil;
Juice and zest of 2 lemons;
3 cloves of garlic;
A handful of chopped fresh parsley;
1 onion;
1 Grapefruit;
Bay leaves
Smoked bacon.

Procedure:

Sepearte gently the skin from the body, so you can fill with the prepared butter mixture.
In a bowl mix the butter with salt, pepper and olive oil.
Add zest and lemon juice, garlic and parsley to the butter mixture
Season the turkey inside with salt, pepper and place chopped onions and grapefruit inside Fat Bastard along with the bayleaves.
Push the butter under his turkey skin while massaging him so as to spread evenly across his torso.
Place a little of the butter mix on the outer skin as well.
Drizzle with oil and place in an oven heated to 220 ° C (430 F) for 10 minutes. You wanna zap him for a crisp brown exterior.
After the first 10 minutes of baking, remove the bugger from the oven and cover with the released juice in the pan. Coat him neatly with slices of English bacon.
Now place him in the oven again and bake about 3 hours (half an hour per kilo) at 180 ° C (360 F).
Keep pouring the juice on him every 20 minutes to keep him nice and moist
Cool him down and serve.

Fat Bastard! - A Christmas special!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Time is Here!

2011-12-19T06:32:00.005+05:30

The best time of the year is here! Christmas preperation is now in top gear. Lot of exciting posts to come during this festive season so stay tuned!

Our first snow is here!

The Christmas tree is up!

The Gingerbread men lead the sweets preperation

Our spirits are higher than ever! The new cellar is getting equipped :)

Home baked bread recipes | Bread maker recipes

2011-12-11T23:11:00.003+05:30

Here are three of the nicest bread recipes yet. It's amazing how much you can throw into your loaf of bread! If only your local baker were to do the same but then again, this is more fun!

Ingredients:

a) Whole wheat bread with seeds (900 gr.)

2 / 3 cup water;
1 / 2 cup milk;
2 tablespoons butter;
2 tablespoons honey;
1 1 / 3 teaspoon salt;
2 1 / 2 cup flour;
1 / 2 cup whole wheat flour;
1 / 3 cup multi-grain flour;
1 1 / 3 tsp dried yeast;
1 / 3 cup sunflower seeds;
2 tablespoons golden flax seed;
1 1 / 3 tablespoons sesame seeds;
1 1 / 3 tablespoons black sesame seeds;
2 / 3 tablespoons fennel seeds;
2 / 3 tablespoons poppy seeds;

b) Dark whole wheat bread (900 gr.)

1 1 / 2 cup water;
1 / 3 cup powdered milk;
1 3 / 4 teaspoon salt;
1 / 4 cup liquid honey;
3 tablespoons vegetable oil;
3 1 / 4 cup whole wheat flour;
1 / 2 cup multi-grain flour;
1 / 2 cup organic Kamut flour;
1 1 / 2 teaspoons dry yeast;
1 / 2 cup flax seed;

c) Cheese Bread with jalapeños:

1 1 / 3 cup water;
1 teaspoon Tabasco;
1 / 4 cup powdered milk;
1 1 / 2 teaspoon salt;
2 tablespoons granulated sugar;
3 1 / 2 cups flour;
1 cup corn flour;
1 tablespoon crushed dried Jalapeño peppers;
2 / 3 cup grated cheddar cheese;
1 1 / 2 teaspoons dry yeast.

Procedure:

Choose on of the bread recipes above.
All material (except seeds at the end of the list) should be put into the breadmaker's pan in the order listed. Make sure the Yeast does not touch the liquid.
Set breadmaker cycle to "Whole wheat" bread cycle for bread A & B and "Sweet" for bread C.
After the breadmaker prompts you to add seeds (at the end of the kneading cycle), stir in the bread seeds for A & B.
Once the breadmaker finishes it's cycle, use gloves and remove the bread from the bread pan.
Let the bread cool down for 20 minutes before serving

Lazy Susan at her best!

2011-11-27T20:40:00.000+05:30

A Lazy Susan is a rotating tray, usually circular, placed on top of a table to aid in moving food on a large table or countertop.

Jalapeño Cheese Bread

2011-11-17T21:48:00.007+05:30

Jalapeño Cheese Bread

Here's an excellent recipe taken from 250 Best Canadian Bread Machine Baking Recipes by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt. A great way to inaugurate the new bread machine!

Ingredients:-

1 1/3 cups water 325ml
1 tsp hot pepper sauce 5ml
1/4 cup skim milk powder 50ml or 1 cup milk and adjust the water accordingly.
1 1/2 tsp salt 7ml
2 tbsp granulated sugar 25ml
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour 875ml
1 cup conrmeal 250ml
1 tbsp crushed dried jalapeño peppers 15ml
2/3 cup shredded old Cheddar cheese 150ml
1 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast 7ml

Our spanking new bread maker

Preparation:-

Place all the ingredients into the bread maker.
Choose the sweet cycle program

Winter Tires for Honda Accord 2011 | Downsizing from 225/50R17 to 215/60R16

2011-11-09T12:19:00.001+05:30

Which winter tire is best for the Honda Accord 2011?
The 2011 Honda Accord EX-L Coupe comes with all season tires size 225/50R17 and 17inch rims.

When switching to winter tires It is advisable to buy rims for them as well. This reduces the damage that can occur due to repeated tire rim changes over winters and also is cheaper from service charges for tire changes.

Downsizing from 225/50R17 to 215/60R16
It is advisable to consider downsizing to winter tires size 215/60R16 with 16inch rims.

Michelin X-Ice Xi2 are one of the best winter tire options out there.

Though not so 'cool' from the looks of it, this tiny difference in the dimension will greatly reduce your cost while increasing your vehicle's winter traction.

Halloween Special | Pumpkin Soup Recipe

2011-10-31T00:09:00.001+05:30

Ingredients:-

Pumpkin, 800 gr;
Olive oil, 70 ml;
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar;
1 onion;
3 potatoes, 200 gr.;
Water, 700 ml;
Whipping cream, 150 ml;
Ground nutmeg;
Salt and ground black pepper.

A Halloween Special - Pumpkin Soup

How to make Pumpkin soup:-

De-seed the pumpkin and cut it into cubes. The flesh can be used in soups or in a mixture of pancakes.
Sprinkle the cubes with oil, vinegar and salt.
Bake the cubes in a tray lined with baking paper for about 15 minutes at 180 ° C
In a large soup pot, fry the finely chopped onions.
Add peeled and diced potatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add the baked pumpkin and water to the pot. Cook until potatoes are soft.
Add cream, salt and pepper and blend to a smooth texture.
You can serve this delicious soup with some croutons.

Halloween 2011

2011-10-30T17:05:00.001+05:30

Picking up our Pumpkin at the Farmer's Market

Halloween pumpkins

All set to make Pumpkin Pie

Chinese Bitter Gourd Egg Burji

2011-10-10T19:29:00.002+05:30

Chinese Bitter Gourd

Ingredients

1 Onion chopped

2 Sweet paprika diced

1 Chinese Bitter Gourd diced

1/4 tsp Garam Masala / Kitchen King

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

4 eggs

Preparation

Chinese Bitter Gourd Egg Burji

Fry the onions in olive oil with sald and turmeric powder.

Once the onions are transparent, add the chinese bitter gourd and sweet paprika.

Cover with lid and cook on slow fire for about 10 minutes till veggies are done.

Add garam masala and eggs and stir till eggs are done.

Indian Meat Ball Curry - Goan meat ball curry recipe

2011-10-03T01:53:00.000+05:30

Meat ball curry has been one of my all time favourite dishes. The recipe is suprisingly simple and very tasty! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Ingredients

Gently fry the meatballs till the meat seals

Lean ground beef 500gm;
3/4 tsp Red Chilli powder
2 onions
1/4 tsp cinamon
1/4 tsp clove powder
4 cloves of cardamon
salt, garlic and ginger paste
1 egg
1 lemon
Tomatoe puree 80ml;
Tbsp chopped mint
2 Tbsp of chopped coriander

How to make Meat Ball Curry

Indian Meat Ball Curry!

Marinate the ground beef (minced) with a spoon of garlic and ginger paste, an egg and one lemon.
Shape into meat balls the size a bit smaller than a golf ball.
Fry the meat balls in a hot pan with olive oil.
Set aside the meatballs in a cooking pot.
Fry chopped onions in the same heated pan.
Once the oinions are golden brown add them to the cooking pot
Add a small can of tomato puree and a cup of water to the cooking pot and set it on a low flame.
Add cinamon, clove powder, cloves of cardamon, red chilli powder, coriander and chopped mint.
Simmer for about 20 mins and you've got the tastiest meat balls ever!

Roasted Duck with Dumplings and Cabbage | Pečená Kachna s Knedlíkem

2011-08-22T06:00:00.010+05:30

Ingredients:

A duck;
Ground cumin;
Boiled potatoes, about 750 gr.;
2 eggs;
1 head of red cabbage;
1 large onion;
olive oil;
ground black pepper;
salt;
Semolina 100gr.;

Procedure:

Wash and dry your Duck. Season well with ground cumin and salt inside and out.
Place Ducky in the roasting pan, breast up and cover with foil or a lid.
Bake at 120 ° C for 4 hours without opening the lid / foil.
If you like a crunchy skin, leave the last 1 / 2 hour without the lid / foil.

How to make dumplings (Prepare the dough for about 3 dumplings)

Cut the potatoes into chips and boil them in water for approx. 20 minutes or till soft.
Mash the potatoe and add semolina, eggs and salt,Prepare the dough.
Put in boiling water and cook about 25 minutes.
Drain the dumplings once done. you can check if they're done by piercing with a toothpick.

How to prepare the Cabbage

Finely chop the onion and red cabbage into thin strips.
Fry onions in oil until golden brown.
Add cabbage, salt, and add ground cumin.
Pour a little water and simmer about 40 minutes.

Chinese Spicy Hot And Sour Soup

2011-08-12T06:26:00.002+05:30

Ingredients:

10 Shiitake mushrooms 椎茸、シイタケ;
2 teaspoons sesame oil;
1 onion;
3 cloves garlic;
1 cm ginger;
3 chili peppers;
2 chicken breasts cut into strips;
1 large carrot cut into sticks;
5 cups water, 1 l;
3 tablespoons soy sauce;
2 tablespoons white vinegar;
1 / 2 cans of sweet corn, 100 gr.;
tofu cut into strips, 200 gr.;
3 spring onions;
2 eggs.

How to make Sweet and sour Chinese soup

Place the dried mushrooms in boiling water and let it stand for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile chop the onion, garlic, ginger and chillies.
Fry the vegetables in oil.
Cut the Chicken and Carrots into long bits and add to mixture.
Chop the Shiitake finely. Add to pot along with the juice of mushrooms.
Pour water and stir.
Add vinegar and soy sauce and cook for about 15 minutes.
Thicken with corn (or cornstarch).
Add beaten eggs and tofu and cook for a minute.
Serve garnished with finely chopped spring onions.

Chinese Spicy Hot And Sour Soup

The Best Birthday Cakes !!

2011-07-16T22:23:00.001+05:30

Salsa on St. Clair Street Festival | Dancing Salsa on the streets of Toronto 2011

2011-07-09T23:12:00.003+05:30

The 2011 Salsa on St. Clair is Canada’s largest Latino-themed festival. We headed there to check it out on Saturday July 9. Dancing in the streets in the hot sun with lemonade and live music!

Now in it's 7th year, Salsa on St. Clair has attracted over a million salsa lovers to the streets of Toronto since its launch in 2005!

Here are pics from that festive day!

African , Bachata , Belly Dance , Brazilian , Kizomba , Reggaeton , Salsa , Samba

Pride Toronto 2011

2011-07-04T04:37:00.003+05:30

Had a blast at Pride Toronto, one of the largest organized gay pride festivals in the world, featuring several stages with live performers and DJs, a large Dyke March, and the Pride Parade. These people sure know how to party!

Spicy Ground Beef Tacos

2011-06-26T21:41:00.002+05:30

This is one great healthy recipe option which is so easy to put together. Spicy Ground Beef Tacos!

Ingredients:-

1 lb ground beef
12 medium hard taco shells
1 cup water
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 large or 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup sour cream
shredded lettuce
Olive oil for frying
pickled peppers
salt and pepper

Directions: -

Brown beef in skillet and drain off fat. Add a cup of water and some garlic, pepper and herbs for seasoning. Stir it together and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time.
Warm up tacos according to package directions. 10 mins in a preheated oven
Spoon beef and the toppings (cheese, lettuce, tomato, salsa, sour cream, peppers) into the tacos and serve.

Murtabak, Martabak or Mutabbaq, (Arabic: مطبق‎)

2011-06-22T07:45:00.001+05:30

I recently enjoyed watching the preparation and finally relishing the famous Malaysian Murtabak.

Murtabak, Martabak or Mutabbaq, (Arabic: مطبق‎) is a popular road side snack or appetizer that includes minced mutton, along with garlic, egg and onion and is often served with curry for dipping.

This has got to be one of the tastiest street food I've sampled in a while. Reminds me of Bade Miya situated in a bylane at Colaba famous for their kababs and rolls.

Palak Paneer | Indian Cottage Cheese with Spinach पालक पनीर

2011-06-18T07:18:00.000+05:30

Palak Paneer - Indian Cottage Cheese with Spinach पालक पनीर

Ingredients:-

Paneer 250 gr;
2 packs frozen spinach;
2 diced onions;
tomato puree 150 gr;
3 chili peppers;
1 teaspoon sugar;
3 tablespoons olive oil;
1 / 2 tsp turmeric;
4 cloves garlic;
ginger, 1 cm;
1 teaspoon ground cumin;
1 teaspoon garam masala spices;
12% cream to taste.
salt;
Naan bread

How to make Palak Paneer:-

Assuming you have thawed the Spinach, cook it in little water for about 5 minutes.
In the meantime cut the Paneer into small cubes and fry in a pan with oil.
Remove the Paneer and set aside. You might want to wash the pan but that's optional.
Fry the diced onions in the pan with oil. Add chopped chili peppers and cumin.
Add garlic, ginger, turmeric and tomato paste and simmer for about 5 minutes.
K zmesi pridáme špenát spolu s 1 pohárom vody. To the mixture add the spinach with 1 cup water.
Add the fried Paneer, garam masala spice, sugar, salt and cook until the mixture begins to simmer.
Add a little cream to thicken and create a rich creamy texture.
Serve with hot Naan bread.

2011 Black Honda Accord Coupe High Resolution Pictures

2011-06-04T07:20:00.008+05:30

2011 Black Honda Accord Coupe

Rear view : 2011 Black Honda Accord Coupe

2011 Honda Accord Coupe - Black

Gordon Ramsay inspired Delicious Pork Sirloin with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Parsley

2011-05-28T23:45:00.002+05:30

Pork Sirloin with the Ingredients

Ingredients:

Pork sirloin, 1 kg;
Lemon Zest;
Fresh Parsley;
2 cloves Garlic;
Sun Dried Tomatoes, 50 gr;
Salt and Pepper;
Olive oil;

Straight from the Oven.

Procedure:

Cut pork tenderloin lengthwise from one side so it an be stuffed.
Add some freshly chopped parsley, salt, pepper, sun dried tomatoes and lemon zest in between the meat.
Sprinkle some virgin olive oil.
Roll it back and secure with some thread.
Chop some potatoes which can be baked along with the pork.
Bake in a preheated oven for about an hour on high.
After baking, leave to cool and then remove the string.
Cut into slices and serve.

Gordon Ramsay inspired Delicious Pork Sirloin

Scarborough Bluffs Trail

2011-05-23T21:46:00.005+05:30

Scarborough Bluffs or Bluffers Park starts off at the foot of Brimley Road in Scarborough. The bluffs are actually quite impressive with it's nice walking trail below the bluffs that lead through the park as well as some of the naturalized areas between the cliffs and the park.

Scarborough Bluffs

The Scarborough Bluffs are about14km along the Lake Ontario shore rising upto 65m above the water. Definitely a lovely escape from the mad traffic rush.

Scarborough Bluffs Trail

Mexican Enchiladas with a vegetable sauce

2011-05-20T00:09:00.004+05:30

Ingredients:-

4 whole wheat tortillas;
2 cloves of garlic;
Juice of 1 / 2 lemon;
1 green pepper finely chopped;
1 large onion finely chopped;
Chopped fresh coriander;
White yogurt, 300 gr.;
Olive oil, Salt and Colored ground pepper;
Canned corn, Chickpeas and Olives;
Chicken, 500 gr.;
1 chili pepper;
Diced tomatoes, 400 ml;

How to make Mexican Enchiladas with a vegetable sauce:-

First, prepare the sauce. Fry in oil, 1 / 2 onion, garlic, chili pepper and paprika. Add crushed tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes.
Season with salt, add the chopped coriander and lemon juice.
In another pot prepare the filling for tortillas. Fry the onions with chicken and pepper. Add corn, chickpeas and olives. Stir in yogurt and cook a minute, until sauce thickens.
Fill tortillas with mixture, roll up and put on baking tray. Sprinkle with tomato sauce and leave for about 15 minutes.

Muscle & Fitness Recipe inspired Mexican Enchiladas with a vegetable sauce

Gemista - Traditional Greek Stuffed Tomatoes And Bell Peppers Recipe

2011-05-05T08:38:00.000+05:30

Gemista is a very traditional and staple dish in many Greek households. It's usually made with bell peppers and tomatoes but you can also try it with onions and eggplants. It's delicious!

Gemista - Greek Stuffed Tomatoes And Bell Peppers

Ingredients:- (for 3 persons):

Minced beef, 330 g;
6 medium sized bell peppers with a flat base;
6 larger tomatoes;
3 tbsp olive oil;
1 onion chopped, 100 g;
3 / 5 cups rice, 150 g;
chopped parsley, 80 g;
tomato puree, 500 g;
salt, ground black pepper.

How to prepare Gemista:-

Wash vegetables. Cut the tops of the peppers and tomatoes like a hat for them.
Scoop out the insides of the tomatoes and keep it for the main mixture of rice and meat.
Set the hollow bell peppers and tomatoes aside.
Fry the onions till golden brown and add the ground beef, tomato extract, rice and spices and cook on a low flame till the rice is 80% done.
Fill the bell peppers and tomatoe with this meat rice mixture and place on a greased baking tray.

Put the lids of the vegetables and bake for an hour. You will need to keep adding water so they do not dry and burn.

Gemista - Traditional Greek Stuffed Tomatoes And Bell Peppers Recipe

No Pork at all

2011-04-29T01:43:00.003+05:30

Gordon Ramsay's Red snapper with chilli, tamarind and lime sauce recipe

2011-02-22T03:06:00.001+05:30

This has got to be my Recipe of the Year 2011 !!! Simply delicious, easy to make and so rewarding! Thanks once again to the amazing Gordon Ramsay.

Ingredients:-

4 red snapper fillets, about 100-120g each.
Sea salt and black pepper.
2 tbsp vegetable or groundnut oil.
Rucola Salad

For the sauce:

1½ tbsp vegetable or groundnut oil.
4 long red chillies, deseeded and chopped.
6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped.
4 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced on the diagonal.
2 tbsp lime juice.4 tbsp tamarind paste (or lime juice).2 tbsp soy sauce.
2 tbsp fish sauce.
2 tsp palm sugar (or soft light brown sugar).
2 tbsp water .

How to make red snapper with chilli, tamarind and lime sauce

For the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add the chillies and garlic and stir frequently for about 1-2 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients, stir well and simmer gently for about 5-10 minutes until the sauce thickens. If it thickens too much, add a touch more water to thin it down.
Season the red snapper fillets with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Fry the fish fillets, skin-side down, for 90 seconds until the skin is light golden brown and the fish is cooked two-thirds of the way up. Flip the fish over and cook the other side for about 30 seconds just until the flesh turns opaque and feels firm.
Season the Rucola (Rocket salad) with virgin olive oil, Balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper

Gordon Ramsay's Red snapper with chilli, tamarind and lime sauce recipe

Gordon: "This is my take on a dish I enjoyed in Thailand several years ago - a whole crispy fried pomfret smothered in a delicious sweet, sour and hot tamarind sauce. Utterly divine. My healthier version uses red snapper fillets, but you can use any firm white fish for this recipe."

Recipe from http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/chefs/gordon-ramsay/red-snapper-with-tamarind-lime-sauce-recipe

Steak with Caramelized Onions and Snow Peas

2011-02-21T22:35:00.006+05:30

Here's another great Steak recipe inspired by Gordon Ramsay's Caramelized Onions and Seared Beef.

Ingredients:-

Boneless Sirloin steaks

2 boneless sirloin steaks (a pound each and about 1/2 inch thick)
1 large clove of garlic, minced and mashed into a paste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 red onions, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/3-inch-thick wedges
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
A bag of Sweet Baby peas(young/early)
2 tablespoons butter

Preparation:-

Caramelized Onions

Rub the steaks with garlic paste and 2 tablespoons oil, coating completely and place aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium- high heat until hot and just starting to smoke.
Reduce to medium heat and fry the onions until golden brown
Add sugar, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons water; simmer, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender. keep the flame down to minimum now. It should be done in 3-5 minutes.
In the meantime season the steaks with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a steak skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking.
Cook steaks until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board, and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
In the meantime fry the Sweet Baby peas in butter.

Gordon Ramsay inspired Steak with Caramelized Onions with Sweet Baby peas

La Salsiccia | Italian Sausage with Couscous and Vegetable Stir Fry

2011-02-09T21:08:00.002+05:30

Grill Italian Sausage La Salsiccia with thyme and oregano. Make sure you poke/pierce the sausages with a fork so that the fat can escape. It shouldn't take more than 10 minutes on the grill each side.

Heat up some water in the kettle and get your Couscous ready. That's a no brainer.

Stir Fry Vegetables are always easy. Chop some Cabbage, Onion, Mushrooms, Capsicum and Red Chili.

Italian Sausage La Salsiccia

Italian Sausage La Salsiccia with Couscous and Vegetable Stir Fry

Chicken Hakka Noodles Recipe | Indian Chineese Hakka Noodles

2011-02-07T01:05:00.005+05:30

Here's one classic Indian Chineese preparation of Fried Noodles. Chicken Hakka Noodles best served with Chicken Schezwan or Chicken Manchurian.

Chicken Hakka Noodles.

Ingredients:

2 cups Flat Egg Noodles (also called Hakka noodles); boiled and strained
4 chicken thighs boned
1 Table spoon of Garlic Ginger paste
3 Red Chineese Chilies
2 Spring Onion
1 small Capsicum (sliced)
1/4 Cabbage
1 big Carrot
1/2 tsp Vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp Oil
1 1/2 soya sauce
1 small Onion
Hoisin sauce
Salt to taste

Chicken Hakka Noodles Ingredients.

How to make Hakka Noodles:-

Marinate the chicken pieces in soya sauce for about half an hour before you start.
Heat oil in a pan, add chili, chopped onion and garlic ginger paste and fry for a minute.
Add the chicken pieces and let the meat cook a bit.
Cut the carrot into this long matchstick shapped bits and the cabbage into this strips
Add the chopped carrot and cabbage.
Try and time the capsicum so it gets cooked along with the chicken.
Now add the boiled and strained noodles and salt (to taste) and mix well.
Add vinegar and soya sauce and some Hoisin sauce and mix it well.
Put the chopped spring onion right at the end and switch off the wok. You want those spring onions nice and cruncy.
You can fry an egg or two and place on the top. That does make it more exciting :)

Chicken Hakka Noodles.

Travel South India | Planning a trip through Tamil Nadu

2011-01-31T13:30:00.005+05:30

Tamil Nadu is a state in Southern India known for its temples, architecture, food, movies and it's classical Indian dance and Carnatic music. The languages spoken here is predominantly Tamil but you can get away with English especially in the larger cities and the capital Chennai.

Here is 5 day travelogue of our journey around Tamil Nadu. We started our journey in Madurai, the oldest city in Tamil Nadu also known as the Athens of the East. And then on to a lovely traditional wedding in Trichy, Tiruchirapalli, the city of Rock Fort and Temples, Kodaikanal, Ramanathapuram to Rameshwaram, the birth place of Rama and all the way to the Land's End at Dhanushkodi.

Day 1: Madurai மதுரை | Meenakshi Amman Temple, Tirumalai Nayak Palace and Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam

The Meenakshi Amman Temple or Meenakshiamman Kovil is one of the most important places of Hindu pilgrimage, located in the heart of Madurai. It was built by Kulasekara Pandya in the pre-Christian era and is an outstanding example of Vijayanagar temple architecture. I shall upload a post just on this temple and it's 1000 pillar chamber.

A km from the Meenakshi Temple lies the Tirumalai Nayak Palace which is worth checking out as well.

Five kilometres east of the Meenakshi temple is the Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam. At the centre of the tank is an idol of Lord Vinayaka or Vigneshwara installed on a platform.

You need two days at least to cover Madurai and a vehicle for sure. That's how we did it. Your best bet is to get a tourist vehicle at your hotel who knows the layout or you might land up needing a week just to figure things out :)

A close up of an entrance to Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple.

One of the Entrances to the Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple.

Thirumalai Nayak Palace, built in the 17th century by King Thirumalai Nayak, one of the Madurai Nayak rulers in 1636 AD is right in the heart of the the city of Madurai

During the 17th century the Kingdom of Madurai had many Portuguese, Dutch and other European traders, missionaries and visiting travelers. Tirumala Nayak is believed to have recruited the services of an Italian architect to build his Palace. The original Palace Complex was four times bigger than the present structure.

Thirumalai Nayak Palace had two parts, Swargavilasa and Rangavilasa. In these parts, there were the royal residence, a theatre, a shrine, some apartments, an armoury, a palanquin place, a bandstand, a pond and garden.

Tirumala Nayaka was the greatest of the Nayaka rulers. The Nayakas of Madurai ruled South India as the Governors of Vijayanagar emperors and gradually became independent rulers as the empire began to fall.

Thirumalai Nayak Palace

Vandiyur Mariamman Teppkulam

Day 3: Kodaikanal கொடைக்கானல் | Coaker's Walk, Bryant Park, Kodai lake, Kurinji Andavar Temple and Rat Tail Falls

Kodaikanal is one of India's most beautiful hill stations. Situated at an altitude of about 2,133 m, Kodaikanal is a beautiful getaway from the heat in Tamil Nadu. The drive from Madurai to Kodaikanal is beautiful along the winding Western Ghats with several viewpoints along the way.

Do not miss the beautiful Dum Dum viewpoint to the the Thalaiyar Falls, also known as Rat Tail Falls located in the Palani Hills

The breathtaking view from Coaker's Walk which runs along a steep green wooded slope.

The star shaped Kodai lake created in 1863 by Sir Vere Hendry Levinge who was the collector of Madurai.

Kurinji Andavar Temple, a famous shrine dedicated to Lord Muruga.

Bird of Paradise at the Bryant park

From Dum Dum viewpoint, the Thalaiyar Falls, also known as Rat Tail Falls located in the Palani Hills of Dindigul District in Tamil Nadu.

Day 4: Ramanathapuram இராமநாதபுரம் | Pamban Island and Rameswaram

Heading down the Indian Peninsular to an Island that seperates India with Sri Lanka, Pamban Island which falls in the Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu has some breath taking scenery AND some life taking smells :)
Pamban, situated at the western edge of Pamban Island, is a fishing village and harbour which is the main point of entry for the pilgrimage centre of Rameswaram

Fishermen in the Bay of Bengal.

Pamban Bridge.

Pamban Island.

Rameshwarm's Ramanathaswamy temple

Rameshwarm, situated in the Gulf of Mannar at the very tip of the Indian peninsular is considered to be one of the holiest places in India for the Hindus. According to the legend, Lord Rama built a bridge Ram Setu (also known as Adam's Bridge) across the sea from Rameshwaram to Lanka to rescue Sita from Ravana.

There are around 22 fresh water wells located within the Rameshwaram Ramanathaswamy temple. It is believed that by bathing in the sea followed by a bath in each of these wells can get rid of all the sins committed during a lifetime.

The water in each of the wells taste different despite being located next to each other.

Rameshwaram Ramanathaswamy temple

Pilgrims for Sabarimala at Ramanathaswamy temple

The pilgrims for Sabarimala usually wear a dark blue or black dhoti, tulasimala (a necklace made of tulsi or basil), a marking on their forehead with bhasma (ash) and uncut hair and a beard. These are devotees of Ayyappa.

Getting a shell engraved. These guys were hilarious!

The sea is known to be quite still here and homes some rather interesting coral in these parts. According to the legend Rama had Adam's Bridge built from floating rock and I happened to see one of them myself.

The small village of Dhanushkodi, at the southern tip of Rameswaram island is just 15 kilometers from Sri Lanka.The Dhanushkodi railway line running from Pamban Station was destroyed in the 1964 cyclone. Now mini trucks transport people to the Lands End.

Day 5: Dhanushkodi தனுஷ்கோடி

Dhanushkodi has the only land border between India and Sri Lanka. It is one of the smallest in the world at just 50 yards in length on a shoal in Palk Strait

According to the legend, Lord Rama built a bridge Ram Setu (also known as Adam's Bridge) across the sea from Dhanushkodi to Lanka to rescue Sita from Ravana.

Land's End, Dhanushkodi தனுஷ்கோடி

Fisherwomen bringing in the catch at Dhanushkodi

Little fisherman

The food in South India is definately another highlight! Spicy with a lot of coconut in just about everything. You can even expect a spicy breakfast. If that isn't all there's even an airline that serves these spicy meals on bard. Spice Jet :) Imagine an aircraft scenting of all those Sambars, Idlis and Wadas. There's a way to eat food down south. Read about the Traditional way of eating in Tamil Nadu

Raclette recipe ideas

2011-01-25T17:24:00.000+05:30

Almost anything goes with a raclette dinner. This time it was Chicken Tikka, Salmon in Parampara Fish Fry (Green) marinade and the usual vegetables and of course that yummy raclette cheese!

The table is set.

Raclette cheese makes those veggies go down.

Chicken Tikka on the grill.

Greek Avgolemono Soup

2011-01-24T05:32:00.002+05:30

Avgolemono (broth and lemon), a Greek traditional recipe is possibly the most famous of all Greek soups. This soup, usually served as a first course is surprising simple to make.

Ingredients

1/2 cup uncooked white rice
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 egg, beaten
3 lemons, juiced
2 Chicken Bouillon cubes

I had to add this picture. These are just 2 eggs!

Preperation

Boil the rice in 3 liters of water with 2 with the Chicken Bouillon and 1/2 Tablespoon of salt amd some pepper. Let it simmer over low heat for roughly 20 more minutes, or until rice is tender.
Turn off the heat once the rice is cooked. Your soup is almost ready. almost :)
Whisk the eggs with the fresh lemon juice in a bowl.
Add one ladle full of hot broth into this egg mixture slowly so that the eggs don't curdle.
Gradually whisk in more broth until the egg mixture is heated.
Now pour the egg mixture back into the soup, stirring briskly so you get a creamy looking soup.
You can season it with some more salt, pepper or lemon juice to your taste.

Greek Avgolemono Soup.

Beef soup with duck liver dumplings

2011-01-20T22:26:00.000+05:30

Ingredients (for 6 servings):

water, 2 liters
bony parts of duck
1 carrot
1 parsley
cauliflower, 50 gr
leeks, 30 gr
2 kale leaves
1 / 6 celery
salt, pepper to taste
1 beef bouillon cube

For the dumplings:

1 duck liver
1 egg
1 / 2 medium sized onions
fresh parsley
breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon flour
salt, pepper.

Procedure:

Boil the duck parts in water with salt, pepper, celery and beef bouillon. Remove any foam that forms.
In the meantime For the dumplings:

Mix an egg, onion and finely chopped parsley, salt and pepper.
Thicken the mixture with flour and bread crumbs.
Shape them up into balls.
Let it boil for about 15 minutes in the soup along with additional chopped vegetables.

Beef soup with duck liver dumplings.

Now that's a good soup!

Down the river Mandovi - Cruises in Goa

2011-01-19T02:53:00.003+05:30

I had to take these pictures when I passed the Mandovi River by Panjim. The Casino cruises so brilliantly lit catch your attention even when you're facing those blinding headlights of oncoming traffic.

Casino Carnival is very fashionable and packed with entertainment.

Casino Pride, is one of Goa's latest, largest and most luxurious casinos offshore.

Gordon Ramsay Sesame Crusted Tuna with Endive salad

2011-01-15T03:19:00.002+05:30

Ingredients :-

Tuna
600g fresh tuna steaks, about 2.5cm thick
8 tbsp soy sauce
5 tbsp Wasabi 和佐比 paste
60g sesame seeds (or mix of white and black sesame seeds, if you like)
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad
2 Endives
Rucola

Salad Dressing
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tbsp soy sauce
Juice of one lemon
1 tbsp honey
3 tbsp sesame oil

Preparation :-

Pat dry the tuna steaks. Pour some soy sauce into a wide, shallow dish.

600g fresh tuna steak!

Dip the tuna fillets into the soy sauce and coat thoroughly. With a pastry brush, gently brush over some wasabi paste so that it covers the fillets.

Tip the sesame seeds onto a flat plate with a little salt and pepper. Roll the tuna fillets through the seeds and coat them evenly. Chill them until ready to cook.

Tuna coated with Wasabi and Sesame seeds

Now's a good time to prepare the salad. Make sure you keep one third of the salad dressing for later.

Heat a wide frying pan with a little oil until hot. Make sure you check and feel the heat rising from the pan.

Sear the tuna steaks for approximately a minute on each side. Cover with the lid and leave them to cool slightly.

Thickly slice the steaks into 2-3 generous portions. Divide the salad amongst the plates in neat piles. Arrange the tuna slices on top and spoon over a little extra dressing.

Gordon Ramsay Sesame Crusted Tuna with Endive salad.

New Year Celebrations in Goa on Candolim Beach

2011-01-01T10:55:00.000+05:30

Sun, Sea, Sand at 26 degrees!, Goa! there's no better place to spend New Years!! The amazing fireworks all along the coast on the beaches of Goa were awesome! Here are some pictures taken on Candolim beach where the famous Sunburn festival took place.

Christmas cake recipe

2010-12-24T09:52:00.001+05:30

Here's an amazing recipe for Christmas cake. You can call in the 500 gram mixture as most of the ingredients are in equal proportions. Merry Christmas!

Ingredients

8 eggs 500 gr.
Flour 500 gr.
1 tsp Baking powder.
Butter 500 gr.
Sugar 500 gr.
1 cup rum.

Fruit mixture

White plums 100 gr.
Black currants 100 gr.
Dates 250 gr.
Dried ginger 50 gr.
Candied fruit peel 50 gr.
1 cup flour 200 gr.

Caramel

Sugar 200 gr.
Water 200 ml.

Procedure:

First prepare the caramel. Melt sugar in a frying pan till it turns brown. Add the water and stir well and then switch off the heat and let it cool.
Next prepare the fruit mixture. Mix the dried fruit with a cup of flour.
Mix the remaining flour with 1 tsp baking powder
Whisk egg whites in a seperate pan to a thick snowy consistency
Whisk the butter together with the sugar and egg yolks.
Add the cooled Caramel to the butter egg yolk mixture.
Stir in the flour and egg whites into this mixture
Add the candied fruits and the rum to this mixture and stir gently
Set it to bake

Christmas Cake Recipe.

A traditional method of eating a Tamil Nadu meal '' Saapad ''

2010-12-22T16:46:00.001+05:30

A traditional method of eating a meal in Tamil Nadu also called '' Saapad '', where your food is served on a cut banana leaf!

You're expected to sprinkle water on the leaf and wipe it clean.

Once the leaf is sprinkled and wiped clean, you wait for a spoon of payasam which is followed by vadai, two kinds of dry vegetable, a cooling pachadi, one koottu or stew like dish with coconut, a pickle, banana chips, paruppu, rice and ghee.

Only when the first bowl of sambar is poured on your rice can you start eating.

Do not touch any of your food with your left hand.

You are also not supposed to bite your vadai or sweet but breaks pieces off with your fingers. Drink from the top pouring water into your mouth rather than touching your lips to the vessel.

A traditional method of eating a Tamil Nadu meal 'Saapad'

Evidently eating from a banana leaf is considered hygienic and healthy. Not too sure about that but It's definitely a wonderful experience eating on banana leaves!

Mehndi, Mehendi, Mehandi, Heena, those many names for a hand tattoo

2010-12-22T15:52:00.002+05:30

Getting ready for those parties and weddings in India around christmas! I'm seriously thinking about Mehndi for my bald head! :)

Mehndi is applied in a matter of minutes by these experts!

Mehndi, Mehendi, Mehandi, Heena

Hungarian Goulash Soup Gulyasleves Recipe

2010-11-21T19:00:00.002+05:30

Here's a spicy beef soup flavored with Hungarian paprika, chilis, and caraway seeds. You can use sweet paprika instead if you're not man enough.

Ingredients:

Cayenne red pepper
Hungarian paprika
1/2 kg cubed, boneless beef chuck
1 medium onion, cut in thin slices
1 large carrot diced
4 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon fresh black pepper ground
3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds

Preparation:

Mix 4 tablespoons of the paprika with the beef and fry the beef cubes in bacon fat. Remove and drain.
Pressure cook the beef for about 10 minutes unless you have too much time on your hands
Add the onions to the oil and saute until they brown.
Place all the ingredients in a large pot, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the vegetables and meat are very tender and start to fall apart. Add more water if necessary to thin to desired consistency.

Gulyasleves Hungarian Goulash Soup

Gordon Ramsay's Bacon-wrapped Chicken legs stuffed with Pork and Pistachios

2010-11-01T15:48:00.000+05:30

Here's a Gordon Ramsay inspired recipe. Well it's basically Gordon Ramsay's Bacon-wrapped Chicken legs stuffed with Pork and Pistachios BUT with a few alterations.

Ingredients:
3 boned-out chicken legs or thighs
Sea salt and pepper
Approximately 15 pieces of rind-less streaky bacon
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vinegar + 2 tbsp sherry wine OR 1 tbs sherry vinegar
1/2 cup of chicken stock

Stuffing:
350g good-quality pork sausage meat
A handful of cleaned pistachio nuts
2 thyme sprigs, leaves stripped and chopped
Handful flat parsley, chopped
Pepper and chili

Preparation:

Start by making the stuffing. Mix the sausage meat with the pistachio nuts, thyme and parsley, salt and pepper.
Layout tin foil large enough to serve as a wrapper for one chicken roll.
Apply olive oil, sea salt and pepper on the surface and Place 5 bacon slices laterally across with a slight overlap.
Flatten out the chicken on top of the bacon and place appropriate amount of filling so you can just about make a decent roll.
Make sure you have the roll tightly in foil, twisting the ends to seas. Roll back and forth to even the shape
Repeat for the other two rolls.
Poach these 3 foil packages in a large pot of boiling water for 25 -30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.
Remove from heat and cool them down and then refrigerate for 15 minutes - this helps the bacon to set around the chicken.
Remove the foil and drain out any excess liquid.
Heat olive oil in a large frying pan and carefully sauté the chicken rolls until the bacon is brown and crisp on all sides.
Set the rolls aside in a warm place and now add the sherry wine, vinegar and then the stock. Let the sauce thicken and adjust the seasoning.
Pour the sauce on the rolls and serve with baked potatoes

A mixture of chopped chicken, pork sausage, bacon parsley and some seasoning makes a great starter!

sausage meat with the pistachio nuts, thyme and parsley, salt and pepper.

Wrapping the stuffed chicken in bacon

Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken rolls

Gordan Ramsay's inspired Bacon-wrapped Chicken legs stuffed with Pork and Pistachios

Char Siu Chinese Red Roast Pork Ribs and Fried Brussels Sprouts

2010-10-24T01:17:00.001+05:30

This has got to be the best ribs I've cooked so far! You know you've got them right when the meat just glides off the bone. This time the ribs were marinated with Char Siu, a Cantonese roasted pork recipe. Not your usual side dish but none the less an excellent combination!

Ingredients:-

1 kg pork ribs. Pork spare ribs ideal
Char Siu Chinese Red Roast Pork marinade
A packet of Brussels Sprouts

Preperation:-

Mix the Pork ribs with Char Siu Chinese Red Roast Pork spice and water and set to boil. To get those ribs nice and soft, it's best to let them cook 80% of the way.
If you want the spice to get to the meant, you might want to let the ribs cool off and marinade for a couple of hours. If you're in a hurry you might want to skip this step.
Set the oven to 200 degrees on the Grill and get those ribs nice and crispy.
Clean and Chop The Brussels Sprouts in halves and fry them in olive oil with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon.

That's about it. You can always add a little red chilli powder if you need the extra bite!

Char Siu Chinese Red Roast Pork Ribs

Fried Brussels Sprouts

Grilled Goat's Cheese Salad with Walnuts and Honey dressing

2010-09-28T19:36:00.009+05:30

Grilled Goat's Cheese Salad with Walnuts and Honey dressing

Ingredients (serves 2 persons) :-

2 tomatoes
1 red pepper
A mixture of lettuce (Lollo Rosso, Roman, Rucola)
1 Red onion
2 portions of Goat's Matured Cheese, 100 gr each
Wall nuts to sprinkle, 20 gr.
Salt and pepper

Make a Dressing of:-

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive oil
2 tablespoons of Balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey.

Preparation:-

Grill the cheese till it starts to melt.
Fry the nuts and coat them with honey.
Cut the vegetables and arrange them in a circular fashion and place the cheese on top.
Pour the dressing.

Spicy Caramelized Baked Chicken Wings

2010-09-13T00:03:00.006+05:30

Here's a nice alternative to those standard barbequed buffalo wings.

Ingredients

1.5 kilo chicken wings
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1 cup honey
1 tablespoon red chilli powder
3 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Preperation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Place the chicken wings in a big baking dish.
Mix together the oil, soy sauce, ketchup, honey, garlic, chilli powder, salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken.
Bake in preheated oven for about an hour until sauce is caramelized.

Spicy Caramelized Baked Chicken Wings

Can I be funny? funny. how funny? funny enough for Anna Amenova?

2010-08-25T01:06:00.003+05:30

My name is Miss Slovak Republic

The very beautiful Anna Amenova at her funniest :)

Change SMS service center number on HTC Touch Diamond

2010-08-20T14:08:00.003+05:30

To change the sms service center number on your htc touch diamond
Go to Settings> Personal> Phone> Services> Voice Mail and Text Messages
Click on Get Settings
You can now change it to another SMS center. Use this only if you want to change your default SMS center.

Banana Fritters

2010-08-15T18:12:00.000+05:30

Here's a quick recipe for Banana Fritters.

Ingredients

(serves 2 people)

2 bananas
1 egg
1/2 cup white flour
A small pinch of baking powder
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
A pinch of Cinnamon

Preparation

Mash up all the ingredients into a thick paste
You can prepare the fritters in two ways. Either fry them in a little butter on the pan or on the grill in molds.

Flat banana fritters made in a pan

Banana fritters without oil / butter

Hummus, stuffed pita bread with Harissa, salad, grilled chicken and Dolmades

2010-04-18T03:06:00.009+05:30

It's Arabic dinner tonight. Hummus, stuffed pita bread with Harissa, Salad, grilled chicken and Dolmades (Stuffed Vine Leaves)

First let's get started with the Hummus.

Ingredients

4 spoons tahini
6 spoons lemon juice
2 spoons olive oil
2 big flakes of garlic
1 can of chickpeas
1/3 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/5 teaspoon red chilli powder
2/5 teaspoon ground cumin
3/5 teaspoon salt

Preperation

Grind the tahini,black pepper,chilli powder,cumin,salt and garlic to a paste.
Add the olive oil,lemon juice and chick peas and a little water till you get to a thick consistency

Now onto the Stuffed Pita with Harissa and chopped onions.

Harissa is a North African hot chilli sauce commonly eaten in Morocco whose main ingredients are Piri piri chili peppers, tomatoes and Paprika.

Cut the Pita bread in half and apply some Harissa paste on the inner surface.
Add some of the chopped onion inside and grill it.

Chop up a nice salad, grill some chicken with indian spices.

Another great addition is Dolmades stuffed grape leaves. These were ready made. I hope to make them sometime soon.

Hummus, stuffed pita bread with Harissa, salad, grilled chicken

Gordon Ramsay hamburger recipe with Bill Granger fries

2010-04-05T04:10:00.008+05:30

Time to beef it up! The choice was Hamburgers with fries. When searching for recipes, two popular names often pop up. Gordon Ramsay, a footballer turned chef and famous for Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, and Bill Granger a self taught cook from down under. So it was to be Gordon Ramsay's hamburger recipe and a superb recipe from Bill Granger for fries/chips

Gordon Ramsay hamburger recipe

Ingredients:-

The caramelized onions:-
2 red onions, finely chopped

50 grams butter

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Burger filling: -

1 kg minced beef bio
salt and freshly crushed pepper
Olive oil

Burger dressing:-

4 large hamburger buns sprinkled with sesame seeds

4 large pickled gherkins

2 large tomatoes, cut into slices

1 lettuce

Grated Parmesan cheese

1 large red onion, cut into fine slices

Preperation:-

- Fry the onions till golden brown and caramelized. Do i need to spell such a simple process out?
- Let the caramelized onions cool before mixing it up with the burger filling.
- Form them up into round balls and then flatten them into discs.
- Fry the burgers on a saucepan.
- Once done dress them up with the ingredients shown above.

Bill Granger chips recipe

Ingredients:-

4 large potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sweet red peppers
1 teaspoon chilli powder
salt

Preperation:-

Cut the potatoes up, mix the ingredients up and Bake em!

Gordon Ramsay hamburger with Bill Granger fries

Niagara Falls

2010-04-03T04:58:00.000+05:30

Desi Chicken Liver - Indian spices

2010-03-13T02:21:00.000+05:30

Here's a quick recipe for that last minute magic.

Ingredients

1 tablepoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tbsp oil
10 chicken livers
1 Onion

Preperation

Heat the oil in a frying pan and mix the above ingredients all together with the chicken liver and onion rings in a pan and cook stirring from time to time till the liver is done.
Add Salt at the end.

Serve Desi Chicken Liver with Steamed rice and sliced Beetroot

Duck Backs - Stuffed Jacket Potatoes with Spiced Chicken and Cheddar

2010-03-04T03:44:00.002+05:30

Hennessy Cognac Cheesecake!

2010-02-15T19:54:00.000+05:30

I haven't made dessert for a while now. Well time for some Hennessy Cheesecake!

Soak some raisens in Hennessy Cognac. Have a shot of Hennessy too as this ain't gonna be that easy :)

Ok let's start off...

The Ingredients
150g Butter
250g Cottage cheese
400g Dark chocolate
250g Whipped cream
Chocolate biscuits
Hennessy Cognac

Layer 1
Crush Chocolate biscuits in a baking tray and settle it into a base with melted butter.
Stick in in the fridge.

Layer 2
Beat up cottage cheese with cream and melted 200g of dark chocolate
Apply once done on layer 1 and stick it back in the fridge.

Layer 3a
Add a layer of Hennessy soaked raisens

Layer 3b
Heat up whipped cream and melt 100g of dark chocolate which will form the final glazed layer and mix it with layer 3a and stick in back you know where :)

Pimp out your Windows Mobile device with SPB Mobile Shell 3.5

2010-02-14T19:14:00.000+05:30

A great shell for your Windows Mobile device. Love this skin with it's custom widgets. It makes my beaten up HTC diamond like a brand new device.

Shehabake Pastry an Karachi Chicken

2010-02-10T22:19:00.015+05:30

Shehabake Pastry

Ingredients:-

- Spicy sausage

- Pizza Cheese

- Sliced Ham

- Herbs de Provence Mix

- Pastry

Preperation:-

- Arrange the ingredients on two layers of the patry and bake it.

Karachi Chicken

Ingredients:-

- 1 kg chicken pcs.

- 1/2 cup oil

- 3 teaspoons salt

- teaspoon ground cumin

- teaspoon tumeric

- teaspoon ground coriander

- 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds

- teaspoon cayenne pepper

- teaspoon garam masala

- 2 onions chopped

- tablespoon garlic minced

- tablespoon ginger minced

- 2 teaspoons chilli pepper

- cup of chopped tomatoes

- tablespoon lemon juice

- 2 tablespoons fresh coriander finely chopped

- cup of plain yougurt(or sour cream)

- 1/2 cup water

Preperation:-

- Heat oil in a large saucepan and saute onions
- Add salt,cumin,tumeric,ground coriander,ground fennel seeds and cayenne for another 5 minutes.
- Add water,tomatoes,lemon juice and yougurt and mix to a paste.
- Add garlic,ginger and jalapeno and mix.
- Add chicken and stir until all meat is coated.
- Place lid on pot and simmer for 10 minutes check
- Continue until meat is cooked and sauce has reached desired thickness.
- Garnish with freshly chopped coriander and garam masala.

Crispy Duck Breast

2010-01-25T22:08:00.009+05:30

Not had much time to go shopping or come up with anything special. None the less here's a quick and easy way to make excellent Crispy Duck Breasts with those basic ingredients and maybe drop in a few extras.

Ingredients:-
Red chili

Salt and pepper
Garlic and Ginger paste
Lemon grass
Honey

3 onions chopped fine

Preperation-

- Immerse the duck in 2 cm of water, drop in the ingredients cover with a lid, turn the oven heat to 150 ° C for approximately three hours.

- Dab some Honey on the skin towards the end when the duck is almost ready.

That's about it.

Pepper Steak with Oyster Mushrooms

2010-01-03T03:17:00.006+05:30

And here is the first cookout for 2010.

For starters:-

Baked Hermelin with Habanero chili and onions.

Be prepared to have your lips burn out! But if you do have an apetite for spice then this may just be for you.

And some good red wine to go along with it.

* You might also want to bake the potatoes in the main course with the starter. Scroll down for the details.

Main Course:-

Pepper Steak with Oyster Mushrooms

Ingredients

• A packet of Oyster mushrooms

• Two Sirloin steaks

• 1 dcl white wine

• 1 dcl beef broth

• 100 grams butter

• salt and pepper

• 4-5 potatoes cut into small pieces

• 1 large onion

Cooking instructions

• Marinate the steaks in Olive oil and pepper overnight

• Chop the mushrooms to a manageable size

• Melt the butter in a pan and fry the mushrooms till golden brown

• Add the beef broth and white wine to this and let it simmer till it thickens a bit. Your sauce is ready.

• Cut the potatoes into wedges and bake them in the oven.

• Fry your steaks in a pan without oil on a medium flame for 4 mins each side.

This was definitely one of the best cookouts till date. A great start for 2010!

Forgot to include the perfectly done potatoe wedges. Guess I'll have to cook this again :)

Traditional Czech Fried Carp and Potato Salad

2009-12-22T18:40:00.007+05:30

Christmas festivities have begun! The morning was quite exciting, shopping with Tom for a whopper 5kg Carp at a fish farm. Imagine a 5kg small pig like fish jumping around aggressively. Merry Christmas fat fish, I'm going to eat you!

Chopping up the Carp was unnerving. It kept bouncing and rustling it’s 5 kg body with every stroke of the knife, while it’s head watched the fun from the other end of the cooking counter.

Marinate the Carp

It was a sigh of relief once the Carp was spliced into a dozen pieces. Some salt and lemon was added to the slices and left in the fridge to marinate for a couple of hours.

The ingredients for the Potato Salad

1 Celery root,

3 Parsley roots

10 Potatoes

4 Carrots

3 Onions

1 can of Peas

1 mid size bottle of Mayonnaise

Salt & Pepper

Preparing the Potato Salad.

- Boil the Celery, Parsley, Carrots and Potatoes together with salt. Cook them till they are slightly soft but still firm. Cool them peel them and dice them up into small cubes.

- Cook the peas separately or if you have a can of boiled peas even better.

- Boil a couple of eggs as well. You want hard boiled eggs and no runny yokes here.

- Chop the eggs up and mix them up with the diced vegetables and peas in one big bowl. Add a bottle of Mayonnaise, some pepper and stir it all up.

There you go. You’re potato salad is ready. Into the fridge with it!

Preparing the Carp

We decided to create two versions of the Carp. The first was the traditional version of breadcrumb coated Carp. Dunk the slices in flour,eggs and breadcrumbs in sequence, standard procedure.

The second version was a spicy Reshad version of Carp. We made a mixture of red chili, crushed cumin, vinegar, olive oil, cloves and garlic, not your typical Reshad but turned out great!

The breadcrumb coated carp was deep fried while the Reshad version slowly cooked on the pan. Both versions turned out just great. I'd like to actually combine the two on my next attempt. I guess i need the spice :)

Dobrou Chut' Bon Appetite!

Slow-baked Lamb Shoulder

2009-12-18T20:50:00.025+05:30

Christmas time is here! Here's a fantastic and simple lamb recipe. You need a good 3 hours to babysit this one but it's definitely worth it!

Ingredients

- 1 lamb shoulder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 onions, thickly sliced
- 1 head garlic,
cloves separated and peeled

- 1 glass white wine

- 500 ml chicken stock
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Cooking instructions

Rub lamb with salt and pepper. Put oil in a high-sided roasting tin or heavy pot big enough to take the lamb. Add onion and garlic and cook over gentle heat until soft and golden, 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Lay rosemary sprigs in tin or pot and place lamb on top. Pour in wine and stock. Cover tin or pot with a piece of foil and place in oven. Immediately reduce oven temperature to 150 C (300 F) Gas 2 and leave to bake for 3 hours.

Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and steamed, buttered carrots.

Slow-baked Lamb Shoulder

Recipe source http://www.sheepdrove.com/378.htm

Working out tracks from our Guitar Heroes

2009-12-18T14:09:00.001+05:30

It's hard work and more of patience than anything else to play tracks from guitarists like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai etc.. I guess this Youtube user has summed up pretty well what most of us amateur hobbyist guitarists sound like when attempting these works. haha!!

Baked chicken with creamy Herbs de Provence sauce

2009-11-28T03:49:00.004+05:30

Time to cook something apart from my regular over spiced cuisine :) Cooking without chilli is unexplored territory for me. I kept my chillis within reach in case I'd need to fall back. Surprisingly didn't have to.

To maximize my kitchen time I decided to prepare chicken with creamy Herbs de Provence sauce along with Chicken with the legs up There's a long story behind the name. I'll save that for another post :)

Back to the creamy experiment. Despite the simplicity of this recipe it turned out rather amazing which is why it's worth a mention.

Mix the chicken with 3 Tablespoons Cream, 1 tsp salt, sprinkle some Herbs de Provence spice mix and set it to bake. That's it!!

Now why didn't I think of that before!

Baked chicken with creamy Herbs de Provence sauce

Chicken with the legs up

Road Trip to Kalote Lake - pictures

2009-10-19T02:56:00.009+05:30

I was browsing through old snaps and came across some rather interesting and funny pics from our Kalote road trip

That's all the grilled food you're gonna get.

Speedy digestion?

Drink more and you'll float better!

Set up your Zoom G7.1ut with your Home Based Recording setup

2009-10-12T18:39:00.009+05:30

The Zoom G7.1ut can be set up with your laptop / PC in a matter of minutes to integrate into your Home Based Recording setup

#1 Firstly download the ASIO driver from Zoom

http://www.zoom.co.jp/english/download/software/g71ut.php

#2 Set your recording inputs and outputs in the Audio setup of your HDD based recorder to the newly configured ASIO ports.

You're set now. Make sure you are monitoring from the Zoom G7.1ut outputs and not your hard disk. Remember the G7.1ut serves as an external sound card!

Good luck!

Ubuntu Tweaks

2009-09-19T19:23:00.000+05:30

Start up XAMPP or LAMPP automatically on Ubuntu Server

sudo ln -s /opt/lampp/lampp /etc/init.d/lampp
sudo update-rc.d -f lampp defaults

A Home Recording Studio setup for Guitarists

2009-09-19T05:33:00.005+05:30

Further to a friend's request, here's how to kick start your home recording studio!

All you really need is your guitar, an audio interface, a keyboard with a built in sequencer or a midi-keyboard and hook it up to a computer based sequencer and finally an audio track recorder.

So here's how I've gone about it. I use a Korg Triton, an Ibanez guitar, the Line6 GuitarPort with GearBox and a multi-track Hard disk based recorder.

Depending on your preference you could pick one of these well known recording softwares viz Ableton Live, Adobe Audition, Apple Garage Band, Steinberg Cubase or Cakewalk

You can visit http://www.myspace.com/daviddesouza to hear some of my music on this setup

I've also written a post on how to sample guitar on your keyboard sampler

VPN-1 SecuRemote/SecureClient does not work on Vista

2009-09-10T14:57:00.005+05:30

Supposedly VPN-1 SecuRemote/SecureClient NGX R60 HFA2 is supported on the Windows Vista 32-bit operating system. So I tried installing VPN-1 SecuRemote/SecureClient NGX R60 HFA-02 on a 32-bit Vista Ultimate but it would keep crashing.

I tried both the available downloads listed below but got the same result. The secureClient would not even start and the secureClient diagnostics would crash

Finally I found another update, NGX R60 HFA-02 Supplement 3 but this don't work either!

Customers & Administrators: NGX Auto-Installation Extended View MSI

Would appreciate if anyone knows how to get this fixed.

Another fun day with the buggers

2009-09-03T21:44:00.012+05:30

Today was one of the Ganesh Visarjan days. I was hoping to catch a few of the processions and immersion of the idols in water but due to the heavy rain I just stayed home. I later head out with the guys for The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 which turned out to be pretty ordinary.

The Arcade gaming turned out to be quite hilarious! Just like the good old days! I was dared to eat the chilis at CHETTNAD. It has definitely burnt a hole in me :)

What dangerous buggers. lol!

Basketball Berts

Air hockey can get violent!! :)

Haha! Don't know when I last played these games.

Getting ready for spicy CHETTNAD authentic south indian cuisine!

Ganesa celebration

Ganesh Visarjan

14 years at AD

2009-09-02T09:17:00.009+05:30

Another great evening at AD. It's been over 14 years now... Still the best option.

Kingfisher still your best option

Chicken Pahadi kebab

Chicken lollipops with Schezwan sauce

Boiled eggs with salt and chili

Over a decade and still going strong

Mahuli Trek

2009-08-30T19:47:00.018+05:30

Berts and myself made big plans to go trekking to Mahuli this morning at 4:50am.

Mahuli which is close to Asangaon is a relatively unknown destination but has been recently gaining popularity being the highest point in the Thane district and a sought after trekking destination. The forest surrounding Mahuli has been declared as a sanctuary.

After convincing Berts to get up at 4am which is usually very unlikely, I landed up getting up at 830am :) Turns out Berts actually did get up at 4!

It was 9am by the time we met and decided to still give Mahuli a go.

Ticket counter at Kurla station.

Asangaon fast local.

The nearest railway station to Mahuli is Asangaon. We managed to catch a fast Asangaon Local from Kurla and reached Asangaon in just over an hour.

The trek begins.

All packed for the trek!

A stop for water and Parle-G biscuits.

The beautiful countryside.

It was a 5 Km walk from Asangaon station to the start of the trek, a small temple where we met Baba and his five wives/daughters ? :) Baba pointed to a thin path just behind the temple.

We were on our way. It would be a 3 hour trek to reach the summit. Hopefully...

A storm awaits us.

A lovely waterfall near the start of the ascent

It started to rain quite heavily and somehow this path we had taken was not too convincing. There are no signs at all and a dozen rough narrow trails that all seem to be going in circles.

An hour later we were lost.

The things that came to mind at this point were insect repellent !! We got bitten by flies, mosquitoes, bees and scratched by thorns to say the least. And now the sun was out and beating down making in unbearable.

Mahuli, this is as far as we'd get today.

Two hours or so into the trek we reached a spot where I managed to get some he nice snaps of the peak. This was also as far I wanted to go knowing we had absolutely no route planned nor a compass nor GPS to help us. It would also most probably take us longer finding our way back.

We followed a couple of wrong trails but to our surprise made our descent in half the time it took us to get up. We had gone right across the mountain!

A little shrine midway along the trek.

Just a few miles to go.

With the village kids.

On the outskirts of Asangaon.

We got back on course thanks to this tractor's tracks .

Mahuli

An unusual dog.

Heading home on the CST fast local.

Having slept for only 3 hours the previous night I was exhausted and covered with insect bites
and now very hungry.

I have to say we were very lucky with the trains. We got the CST local as we got to the station.

90 minutes later we were back and head straight for dinner.

I think i'll definitely return to Mahuli but with a guide and make it to the summit. And i'm definitely carrying an insect repellent!

Fried Sole fish and Sardines

2009-08-29T13:58:00.005+05:30

Mom can cook!

Crisp Bombil Fry

Sole fry and Sardines spicy as hell :)

Canon PowerShot A480 macro

2009-08-29T13:35:00.005+05:30

Here are some macro samples taken in our garden with the Canon PowerShot A480 digital camera.

Setup Linksys WRT54G wireless router with MTNL ADSL broadband on Windows Vista

2009-08-27T12:41:00.008+05:30

I have a standard MTNL broadband ADSL connection which goes wired into my PC. To unwire this setup I decided to stick in a Linksys WRT54G wireless router. I didn't expect that the wireless setup could be such a #$%

Well after several attempts here's a recap. This ought to save a lot of time.

There are a zillion guides how to configure all those additional features on your Linksys WRT54G so i ain't gonna bother with that. You might want to get those out of the way first (setting up your security,passwords, network name etc)

Setup MTNL wireless broadband access

Ok let's begin;

Vista does not include the TCP/IP protocol stack under the adapter by default. You might face an error if you try to add the TCP/IP protocol stack (at least with my installation )

Here's a screen cap of my wireless network connection properties. Coming from XP this seems crazy but relax, It ain't a problem.

Your MTNL ADSL broadband assigns you an IP address via DHCP. Usually a 192.168.1.x

So firstly login to your Linksys WRT54G wireless router and under Basic setup reconfigure your local IP address to 192.168.100.x

Setup a static IP under your Interent connection type and key in your last IP address which was assigned to you when you were connected direcly into the ADSL modem.

Here's a screen shot which will help

Now the most important thing! Restart your ADSL modem, Wireless router and your Computer.

The reason i wasted so much time was I'd keep forgetting to restart one of the 3 and was too hasty.

It was a power cut at the right time which helped :)

Good luck!

Rambling around Mumbai city center

2009-08-26T23:24:00.004+05:30

While you sleep

2009-08-25T16:20:00.002+05:30

A second attempt at the Floyd Rose Floating Tremolo

2009-08-07T16:30:00.000+05:30

I think it's time to knock the block off :) (read the post below) Lets see how far i get this time

The Ibanez GRG 270B Floyd Rose Floating Tremolo system is a total nightmare!

The Ibanez GRG 270B has a comfortable 24 fret neck, a locking bridge, floyd rose style tremlo, a 5 position pickup selector that switches the two humbuckers and one single coil pickup. The guitar was set up well when I bought it, the action way better than the slightly higher priced range. I was quite happy.

All that changed when I went from gauge 9 to gauge 10 strings.

As expected the Tremelo now tilted forward with the added tension of the thicker gauge. There are different opinions on how to rectify this. Is an extra spring required or not?

Will three springs suffice OR do you need the fourth?

Despite all the effort to tweak the 3 springs on the backplate the neck still tilted forward.

My conclusion; The fourth Spring is Required! - If you have a difference of opinion do let me know.

In the meantime a quick fix is to use a block of wood to convert your floating tremelo guitar to a fixed bridge. the size of the block could vary depending on your configuration so the best way to size it up is to try to fill the gap when the tremelo floats perfectly parallel to the body. The block takes the weight of the strings. Now dont be silly and keep tugging at the tremelo bar :)

Michael Jackson's Beat it! sing along

2009-07-21T19:03:00.001+05:30

Hilarious stuff!

Zoom G7.1ut Patches

2009-07-20T19:18:00.001+05:30

Just got the Zoom G7.1ut ! I've been using the Line 6 Guitar Port for over 2 years now more for the software riff tracker which makes riff recording real simple and effective.

Still to figure how I can get the Zoom into the equation as I like the riff tracker capability. If you stumble on this post and know of any do drop me a line.

Zoom G7.1ut Resources:

Here is a great resource for Zoom G7.1ut patches.

Download the Zoom G7.1ut Manual

Dream Theater Live!!

2009-07-08T00:08:00.006+05:30

It was an awesome experience to see Dream Theater Live! Perfection is all that comes to mind! John Petrucci was amazing and sounded as good as the record. Infact each and every one of them were amazing. Few musicians out there ever can match their recordings but these guys did!

Standing closer to Petruccis monitors I could hardly hear Jordan Rudess apart from his occasional leads. To hear Erotomania, Voices and Hollow Years live after almost a decade made my day!

They also played a couple of tracks from their new album Black Clouds & Silver Linings

Dream Theater

An amazing documentary on Mumbai

2009-07-02T13:59:00.005+05:30

Here is an amazing documentary on Mumbai definitely worth watching. Right from the Public transport system to the 6 sigma dhabbawalas delivering approximately 200,000 lunches every day! The Bandra Worli sea link and more...

Joomla error on XAMPP 1.7.2

2009-05-11T16:12:00.002+05:30

Problem:-
"Warning: Parameter 1 to modMainMenuHelper::buildXML() expected to be a reference, value given in C:\xampp\htdocs\Joomla\libraries\joomla\cache\handler\callback.php on line 99"appears under the Main Menu, Resources, and Key Concepts.

Cause:-
XAMPP 1.7.2 contains PHP 5.3.0. Joomla! is not certified to work with PHP 5.3.0. You have to use a lesser version of PHP (e.g., PHP 5.2.9).

Solution:-
Download XAMPP 1.7.1 from http://sourceforge.net/projects/xampp/files/ and install it.

Barbecue or Barbeque or BBQ or Bar-B-Q or Bar-B-Que?

2009-05-05T00:28:00.003+05:30

One of the first Barbecues of this year. Spicy king prawns, pork ribs in two marinades, Steaks and Chicken Tandoori of course with a lot of wine and beer!

Trying hard not to blur the snaps :) Snaps should always be taken first!

Almost dropped the camera in. lol!

What's in the Oven buster!

2009-05-05T00:13:00.005+05:30

Time to clear the Hard disk of all the clutter. Here are a couple of no-frill pizza recipes

Onion base with Spicy sausage, Cheese, Tomatoes, Green Olives, Capsicum, Oregano.

Salami, Cheese, Green Olives, Capsicum, Oregano.

Smoked Ham, Cheese, Broccoli, Oregano.

Asangaon - The Mahuli Trek - Pictures

2009-05-04T16:36:00.000+05:30

Duck Liver in Red Wine and Veil with Bacon and Spinach

2009-04-23T03:10:00.006+05:30

This was an unplanned last minute cookout which turned out to be one of the best so far.

For Starters; Duck Liver in Red Wine and Brown Sugar

Duck liver fried in olive oil and salt. Once done set aside and prepare the sauce.

The sauce is basically a blend of red wine and brown sugar. Pretty simple but very effective!

Once the sauce thickens, put back the duck livers so they get well coated by the sauce

Duck Liver in Red Wine and Brown Sugar

For the Main Course; Veil lined with Bacon served with Fresh Spinach

Add salt and pepper to the slices of veil on both sides.

Line the veil with strips of bacon. Affix it with toothpicks so they stay together.

Fry the bacon lined veil in olive oil for approximately 2 minutes each side

In the meantime immerse the fresh spinach in boiling water for a couple of minutes

Veil lined with Bacon and Fresh Spinach

Chippendales

2009-04-01T15:46:00.000+05:30

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Rechad Fish, Prawn Masala and Prawn Curry Rice

2009-04-01T13:48:00.006+05:30

This time it was a Goan special for dinner. Prawn Curry Rice as you know is a must. What goes better with Prawn Curry Rice than a good Rechad Fish Fry!

I was out of Rechad Masala but my friend decided to make his own. I didn't believe it at first but I have to say the Rechad came out pretty damn good!

Rechad Masala is a very common Goan spice preparation used to stuff fish, squid and other sea food. It is spicy tangy and irreplaceable!

I made a Prawn Masala from the left over onion and garlic. And of course a heap of Red Chili powder!

Ingredients for Rechad Masala

L-R Prawn Masala and Rechad Masala Fish

I need to cut down on the Red Chili i use when cooking. I can't have every home cooked dinner ending up in tears. This is becoming a habit now :)

Fiery Eggplant, Aubergine or Brinjal

2009-03-26T15:06:00.009+05:30

The initial intent was to make Eggplant pickle. But lacking some essential ingredients we decided to go at a tangent with a lot of red chili!

This ain't you're conventional recipe. You need a pretty strong stomach to handle this.

Here's a spicy ruthless pungent twist with Brinjal

Take 1 kg Eggplant, Aubergine or Brinjal. Cut it into 4cm cubes and put 120 grams of salt and keep it for an hour or two.

Heat a cup of oil and fry 25gms of finely chopped garlic and then 25gms of ginger on a low flame.

Add 40 gms haldi powder, 1 heaped tsp jeera (cumin) and 120 gms red chilis.

Add 3 tbsp of vinegar and about 8 cubes of sugar to this mixture before dunking in the bits of Brinjal.

Cook for about 5 minutes and let it cool.

Have a bottle of Yoghurt set aside just in case :)

The Ingredients

Fiery Eggplant, Aubergine or Brinjal

Here's a snippet from me killing time waiting for the darn thing to cool down.

Pomergranate NS08 from Nova Scotia.

2009-03-24T21:27:00.008+05:30

Pomegranate NS08 smartphone features an HD projector, an electric shaver, a coffee maker, a harmonica and a voice translator.

I could definitely use a translator and the electric shaver on the go!

Oh wow! sure had a lot of people excited. I wonder for how long...

Evidently this viral marketing has caught on pretty big. the top five traffic locations are United States, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

The campaign's interactive website,www.pomegranatephone.com, has a series of videos promoting the "product." It's only when you click on the "release date" that you get the punch line which is: "Someday you'll be able to get everything you want in one device. Today you can get everything you want in one place." The site then transitions to a website focused on Nova Scotia, featuring information on the province's lifestyle, business, education, and culture, as well as vignettes of local entrepreneurs.

main article can be found at http://www.gov.ns.ca/cmns/pom-news.asp

Fish with a Chorizo crust

2009-03-16T17:19:00.009+05:30

No I don't want a new phone or a new Laptop. I want more accessories for my kitchen!

I've been real busy! as always ;) I met up with my friend and we've cooked a couple of dishes since the Raclette dinner but nothing really Blog-able.

After scoping this great recipe by Simon King and David Myers from The Hairy Bikers, I finally had a reason to unpack my new PHILIPS mixer/blender. I'm lazy! I need justification for everything!

-1- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
-2- For the fish, pour the lime juice over the fish fillets. Leave for half an hour while you prepare the crust.

-3- For the crust, cut the bread into chunks and place in a roasting tin. Place the chorizo on top of the bread.
-4- Transfer to the oven and cook for 15 minutes. As the heat increases, the fat from the sausage will run into the bread chunks. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

-5- Once cool, place the bread and sausage into a blender or food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add the garlic, lime zest, parsley, parmesan and freshly ground black pepper. Process again to combine the ingredients.

-6- Place the fish, along with the juices, skin-side down in a roasting tin. Press on a thick layer, about 0.5cm/¼in;, of the crust.
-7- Cut the butter into small cubes and dot over the crust.
-8- Tightly cover the roasting tin with foil and bake the fish in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.
9. Serve with chips or new potatoes and a rocket salad, and the lime wedges.

Recipe source http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/savourychorizocrustf_85450.shtml

Best mobile photo i've taken in 2008

2009-03-10T18:06:00.004+05:30

Walking down a deserted road, headed homeward, I was intrigued to heard kid's laughter in the distance. As i kept walking it grew louder..

On a by lane I noticed a little bonfire so I changed course to check it out. Around the fire a bunch of happy carefree kids enjoying the little crackling fire they sat around.

It was one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I've been to. I was overwhelmed to see so much joy and happiness.

A great pointer for most of us to appreciate the lesser joys of life. Maybe the best things in life are free...

This is undoubtedly one of the richest and warmest photos I've taken on my phone.

Pike Fish with Caraway Seed and Raclette for dinner

2009-03-02T14:55:00.008+05:30

Another weekend well spent! Can't believe we're already in March! Time does fly.. Haven't had much of a chance to blog of late. I know i've yet to upload several pics from Goa, Matheran, Kalote and Mumbai. Will do so soon :)

Pike Fish with Caraway Seed with Roasted Potatoes and Garlic

Raclette with Potatoes, Bacon, Cherry Tomatoes, Capsicum and ofcourse some good White Wine

Duck Tikka Masala recipe

2009-02-28T13:28:00.003+05:30

Duck Tikka Masala

Marinate the duck overnight with you're usual Tikka Masala. If you want to get creative mix up one.

Immerse the duck in 2 cm of water, cover with a lid, turn the oven heat to 150 ° C for three hours and forget about it.

Duck Tikka is just awesome! Try it!