Guest Hosting Bake Fest #11

A   look at my place and you know I love baking.

Though I cook out of necessity I bake as I love baking, the challenge it represents!  

Since I do not follow instructions, even with the blessed recipe lying in front of me, I manage to skip steps. If I try and memorise the recipe, I cannot. I lay out all the ingredients in front of me in the order it is needed but manage to forget something important!! So baking a challenge as tall as the Mount Everest for me.

My earliest recollections about baking are beating sugar and “benni”, unsalted homemade butter in a big bowl with a ladle. The edges of the ladle hurt for I used to beat continuously for 15-20 minutes. Then the charge of beating it went to my sister who did it for another 15-20 minutes... hard muscle work but the thought of the cake kept us going and try and beat longer and better that the other.

Then in Enid Blyton we, sister and I, read about licking the bowl clean... J  ! You guessed right we started eating the batter raw after it was transferred to the mould, on the sly! Because Amma would have had our hide for licking bowls and ladles! J

After all this you may be surprised that I have never guest hosted a bake event. 

Well that is to change now for  the ever popular Bake Fest is to be guest hosted by me this September!

Do check out the rules and send me many entries.

1. Send in any recipe which has been baked / broiled.

2. Only vegetarian or vegan recipes please. I normally accept eggs in baking and hence eggs are allowed.

3. Usage of the logo is appreciated as it helps spread the word.

4. Link toVardhini's Bake Fest announcement and this page is mandatory. If sending an old entry, it needs to be re-published with the links.

5. You can send in any number of new entries and a maximum of 2 old entries.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content are copy-written @The Mad Scientist’s Kitchen!! unless mentioned. Please Ask First
 

Mere Attithi Series #3 Cherry Cookies

One of my first chats on emerging out of cocoon of anonymous blogger was Nisa Homey. You do know Nisa right? She blogs at Cooking is Easy that she says” happened in March 2010” and she does make it look easy!!

Let me tell you a bit about her, as she is my guest in this series today!

Lemon Coconut Bread

If you guys are wondering where I have disappeared it’s just that I am sooooooo overworked that I do not want to sit on the computer in the evening.

So I have been tardy in acknowledging your post and   those that have been posted at the event I am guest hosting. Please bear with me. It’s just this month (hopefully) then I am free.............. J

  Now coming to today’s post...

When I saw this month’s Egg-less baking challenge as Dimah’s Lemon Coconut Bread I was surprised at the combination. Never in my wildest dreams considered lemon and coconut as a combination in bread.

I also had a sinking feeling, as I know for sure this is something my girls will not like. I did consider sitting it out this bake but then that will never open my daughters to newer options, if not today, tomorrow, someday they will be interested in this combo! Live in hope!

Anyway now when I am posting this I was thinking that a dash of chilli in the mixture that is used as filling maybe they would have enjoyed it more.

Next time maybe, right now all my cakes are being looked at with a little bit of suspicion!! Don’t blame them……!

Vegetarian Chilli For Taste & Create

When I signed up for Taste & Create I was just hoping to make newer friends. But till now I have not contacted my partner Carol @ NO REASON NEEDED.  Will rectify the problem soon but right now I need to tell you that I am amazed at the stuff that Carol has done, not just cooking but from skydiving to horse riding!! My I really need to broaden my horizons!!

There were a few recipes like the no bake cookies, banana muffins and of course Chilli that caught my eye. Will use them shortly.

I had to try making chilli for it was a long pending demand. Must say I enjoyed it. Carol has used the slow cooker and beef ,since I do not own a slow cooker I used the regular kadhai/wok and in place of beef used rajma or kidney beans.

Cheese Stuffed Rajma Cutlets

When I buy some ingredients for my pantry I get carried away. I know that there are some things that we read family will not eat but still I buy it, hoping that at least this time they will eat.  

I end up losing each time, one such ingredient is rajma or kidney beans. Not only they refuse to eat it not even consider it as a healthy option. Why I do not know but they just don’t like it. So last time I stuck the soaked & boiled rajma in the freezer and was wondering what to do with them.

Reine de Saba avec Glaçage au Chocolat: Chocolate Almond Cake

We love chocolate, coffee and cakes so this amazing recipe by Julia Child is a treat for us all. Today is the first day when we Baking Partners are posting our first venture and being Julia Child's birthday  Swati has chosen this beautiful recipe. Thanks Swati!

If truth be told before I started blogging my world revolved around Sanjeev Kapoor and Tarla Dalal’s recipes. Then I discovered new amazing chefs like Anjum Anand, Nigella Lawson to name a few.

 But there is no end to learning. When I first heard the name Julia Child I was not too curious but about the same time Swati sent this amazing recipe for baking partners I googled for Julia Child.

 The write-up on her is totally impressive and the video that I saw and I was sold.

Instant Gratification~~Maggi Noodles

 My girls are big fans of noodles especially the instant kind. The other day as I was bringing back the kid no 2 from her classes in the evening she kept on telling me that she was hungry and she wanted something warm, hinting hugely at the packet of magi noodles I had brought.

 Normally the packet is for the days I am not around and they come back from hungry and my cupboards are bare (which is the happening too often these days). Finally instead of facing the uphill task of convincing her to have something else I made the stuff.

As I went on making it and adding stuff to it I could not help but remember my days in hostel.

The day we had lunch with sweets the mess was closed and my roommate and I made Maggi. Of course we did not add any veggies to it as we never had any in the room and neither of us went doing regular shopping for fruits or vegetables “Kon buy karega?” in fact as we did not want to maintain separate bottles (they were glass bottles then) of oil for cooking and hair oil we used the same coconut oil for cooking.  Eeek! How could we?  But back then we were happy with our solution.

 As I started making Maggi noodles I could help but think how much I have changed now. I want my kids to eat healthy even instant noodles. Here is what I did.

Initially I stared out with 2 blocks of Maggi and 3 cups of water but even after the requisite 2 minutes ticked away to 5 the water level was not coming down. My elder daughter came in and told me more the water should have been just 2 cups and not 3!!

Ingredients:

3 blocks of maggi noodles with the taste maker

Water as needed

½ cup corn kernels, boiled

1 cube cheese

1 tbsp sambhar masala (adjust as per taste)

¼ tsp kolhapuri masala (optional but recommended)

Coriander to garnish

Method:

1.     Bring the water to boil with the tastemakers and the cheese.

2.    Add corn kernels, masala.

3.    Add the noodle blocks cook stirring occasionally.

4.    Once the water evaporates transfer to a bowl , garnish. Kid wanted a butter on hers.

5.    And ENJOY!

Sending this to Shama’s Fast food Noodles Series.

Gayatri's WTML event guest hosted by me.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content are copy-written @The Mad Scientist’s Kitchen!! unless mentioned. Please Ask First
 

Garam Golpapdi

Ek tha Bachpan when Amma used to make Gul Papdi.

In case you do not know what it is then it's a sweet powder make out of wheat flour and jaggery. We used to put a big spoonful in the mouth and say “Fufi” and the powder came out in puffs! Silly I know but fun, just imagine girls in STD VIII, IX &X doing this!!

  

Then I forgot all about it. When I saw this recipe that I had copied from Tarla Dalal it revived all those carefree days. How I miss them now!!

Celebrating with French Onion Soup

 I  was featured in the print media. 
I need to thank first Almighty for all blessing he has given, always!

Then my husband for encouraging me in doing what I do. My daughters my who listen to all my mad ranting when things do not go my way and try and help me, my FIL for eating all the failures and my successful dishes.  My father and brother who keep telling me new dishes that they have tried… I need not necessarily make them but they update me, of course my bro is my IT expert.

Now can I forget you guys? That is not possible. You the reason that I blog about with the support of 200 friends, yes I have 200 friends now, it was a logical conclusion!

Thanks a lot for the support and for just being there for me!!

Last but not the least I need to thank Patricia and Vincent for the lovely piece that Pat wrote on me and Vincent for the flattering picture of me. Thanks guys!

The Mad Scientist’s Kitchen in print media!!

The Mad Scientist’s Kitchen in print media!!

I was featured in the local paper Herald yesterday 02/08/2012.  Check it out!!

I am so excited!  

Thanks Patricia!! The Peas Kheer that is featured is my best  experiment!!

Baking Partners: A new Baking Group

Baking Partners: A new Baking Group

A group of home bakers helping each other to achieve perfection.

Baking a home made Baking a homemade bread, cake or cookies will give the best outcome. However in order to achieve the best results, a perfect recipe and right techniques are required.

We are a small group of home baker friends, who love and want to learn more about the nook and corners of baking.  We are planning to try out recipes from books/magazines and cooking shows.  Every member gets a chance to present their choice of recipe and share important points with the rest of the group.

Main purpose of this group is to learn the techniques, critic the procedure if there are ways to improve, and to eat a delicious food.

Rules are simple, we will choose one recipe and send it out to the group by 16th of every month and the reveal date will be 15th of the next month. On that day we will blog about it. A linky tool will be open during that time and each member can link their post.

First month we are going to do a recipe, 2nd and 3rd month will be a theme and the 4th month we will be back at a recipe. By doing in between recipes, we will able to learn more.

All enthusiastic bloggers interested in baking are welcome, please email Swathi  at favoriterecipes12@gmail.com.

We will appreciate the use of logo or worded link that will help to spread the word.  A bunch of thanks to Tina for designing this beautiful logo

If you   want to make it a gluten or vegan free diet, you can do those modifications also.

Baking a homemade bread, cake or cookies will give the best outcome. However in order to achieve the best results, a perfect recipe and right techniques are required.

We are a small group of home baker friends, who love and want to learn more about the nook and corners of baking.  We are planning to try out recipes from books/magazines and cooking shows.  Every member gets a chance to present their choice of recipe and share important points with the rest of the group.

Main purpose of this group is to learn the techniques, critic the procedure if there are ways to improve, and to eat a delicious food.

Rules are simple, we will choose one recipe and send it out to the group by 16th of every month and the reveal date will be 15th of the next month. On that day we will blog about it. A linky tool will be open during that time and each member can link their post.

First month we are going to do a recipe, 2nd and 3rd month will be a theme and the 4th month we will be back at a recipe. By doing in between recipes, we will able to learn more.

All enthusiastic bloggers interested in baking are welcome, please email me   at favoriterecipes12@gmail.com.

We will appreciate the use of logo or worded link that will help to spread the word.  A bunch of thanks to Tina for designing this beautiful logo

If you   want to make it a gluten or vegan free diet, you can do those modifications also.

Baking Partners are

1.    Reeni (Cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice)

2.    Julie Erivum Puliyumm

3.    Tina  ( Pinay in Texas Cooking Corner)

4.    Priya (Priya's Versatile Recipes)  

5.    Suja ( Kitchen Corner Try It)

6.    Archana  ( Tangy Minds)

7.    Reshmi  ( EasY Cook)

8.    Prathibha ( Cook Ezee)  

9.    Priya R ( Cook Like Priya)

10.  Sweatha ( Tasty Curry leaf)

11.  Vidhya (  A Portion to Share)

12.  Usha Rao ( My Spicy Kitchen)

13.  Divya Prakash( Divya’s Culinary Journey)

14.  Swasthi Blank ( Swasthi The Health Freak)

15.  Sanoli Ghosh ( Sanoli’s Kitchen)

16.  Pam Capone ( Live Ranch Delux)

17.  Mirellie( Gourmet Global Creations)

18.  Joythi( This and That of food and life)

19.  Reshwani( Daily Cuppa)

20.  Peachy  ( The Peach Kitchen)

21.  Anjua  (Simple Baking)

22.   Aparna  Mis(S) adventures of 3 cookies)

23.   Archana( The Mad Scientist’s Kitchen)

And

24. Swathi ( Zesty South Indian Kitchen)        Creator and Owner

 

Guest hosting Walk through the Memory Lane -WTML

“Memory is the diary that we all carry about with us.”

-Oscar Wilde

True is it not for as we walk down the path of life we collect... memories good and bad. Some that we remember a lot and some we forget.

  Generally good times we remember the rerun in our minds. Like I love to remember my courtship days, the day we got married, our days as newly married, our first fight, when I first realized I was pregnant…..

Bad times grab up as you would rather not remember them. You may have some of your own so I will not run mine up here.

Some memories tease you like the elusive gold at the end of the rainbow….

Get the general idea…

Life is all about memories and how we deal with them, what we learn from them.  So

I want you to share with us    your memories associated with the recipe, not just the recipe.    

Here are the basics that we, Gayatri and I expect from you

·        While posting the recipe please give a link to this page and Gayathri's Announcementpage.

·        Usage of logo is optional. This will be useful to spread the word. 

·        There are no restrictions for the number of new entries.

·         If you are linking an archived entry, please update it with the link to this page. 

·        Two entries from the archives are accepted. 

·        Only Vegetarian recipes accepted. Eggs not allowed.

·        Non-Bloggers can also send in their entries by sending the recipe to my mail ID themadscientistskitchen@gmail.com with the subject as WTML. I will include it in the round up. 

·        This time I am making it easy to share your recipes with me. I am giving a linky tool for easy linking of your posts. So you need not go through the lengthy process of drafting a mail and sending it to me. 

Gayathri will select an entry through random selection and give away the book for the selected entry. I request all my readers to help me in making this event a huge success.
Note that the books Gayathri gives are not sponsored and it is her own contribution to the event. The book she chose is Gujarathi Cook Book by Tarla Dalal. I am not eligible for the give away.

On the first of September, Gayathri will select a lucky winner and send a mail. After receiving her mail, you can give an address to which she has to ship the book. She will ship the book within India so if you reside abroad, please give an address in India for her to ship.

So what are you waiting for, write about your memories for remember
 Charles Dickens said,

 ” Lord, keep my memory green.”