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Thursday, April 3, 2014

Adios 2012 My top 5 this year

While every year is filled with tons of memories, there are a few moments that you happily recall when the year comes to a close. These are what I think my top five of 2012 were...

One
Started writing for BBC Good Food India

Two
Was lucky to be one of the few people selected to attend the artisan bread making workshop with Maurice Chaplais

Pic courtesy: Breadworks/ Maurice Chaplais

Three
Being a part of this parody music track that went viral

Four
Got my first opportunity to be a part of a TV show

Five
Bloggers unconference at Kanatal

I wish you and your loved ones much peace, joy and fulfillment in 2012.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Oreo Brownies It doesnt get more sinful than this

Im not a fan of Oreo cookies at all. I once even tweeted that they taste like sweetened cardboard and I found a lot of people agreeing with my sentiment. For me, the best cream biscuit will always be Britannia Bourbon. It was my favourite treat as a kid, we waited for someone to get it home as it was never a frequent buy. Now, I have all the freedom to eat Bourbon biscuits with tea every afternoon, but my diet consciousness prevents me from doing so.

But yes, once in a while, I love to indulge in the joy of eating my favourite biscuit. OOPS, I nearly forgot that this post is about Oreo Brownies. These brownies actually redeem the Oreo cookie for me. The catchy ad line in Hindi "Twist Karo, Lick karo, Dunk Karo" has suitably appealed to my 4 year old, who thinks of Oreo has a great treat (thankfully, treat only). So I decided to bake these for his birthday party, both for the parents and kids. I baked them a couple of days in advance and put them in the out of reach refrigerator so it wouldnt get raided well before the party :) And they were MUCH loved by everybody.

The Oreo patterns on top of the brownie not only make them look stunning, different, but also add a great texture when you bite into them. Let me tell you a secret, the cookies are both inside and on top of the brownie. Inside they become soft and chewy and on the top they turn crisp.

Try them with your favourite chocolate cream biscuits - Dark Fantasy or Bourbon for the same effect. These are not healthy brownies. Insanely rich, wicked, FULL of chocolate, very little flour - these are meant to be shared with a crowd. The recipe says 16 pieces, but feel free to cut each square further into half. Its *that* decadent. If you are home alone on a weekend, feeling blue in the mood and you bake a whole tray of this - you are not going to stop at one, and then youll blame that Saffron Trail blogger for busting your weighing scales. Dont say I didnt warn you!

Recipe for Oreo Brownies

Makes 16 x 2"square pieces

Recipe source

Printable version of recipe

Youll need:

8" square baking pan

165 grams unsalted butter

200 grams dark chocolate (chopped finely)

4 eggs

16 Oreo cookies, cut into quarters

3/4 cup light brown sugar

3 tbsp flour

1 tbsp cocoa powder

Pinch of salt (omit if using salted butter)

How to make:

Line a 8x8 square pan with parchment paper, coming up to the sides, for easy removal once baked. Grease with butter, keep aside.
Preheat oven at 180 Celsius.
In a heavy bottomed pan, melt butter on a low heat. Once nearly melted, remove from flame. It will melt fully in the residual heat. Add the finely chopped chocolate to this and stir till the chocolate fully melts in the heat of the melted butter. Keep aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the 4 eggs with a balloon whisk or electric whisk until nearly tripled in volume.
Add half the sugar along the sides so as not to knock out the air from the eggs. Whisk gently until incorporated. Repeat the same with remaining sugar until the sugar no longer feels grainy to touch in the egg mixture.
Add the chocolate-butter mixture to this. Whisk gently to combine well.
Add 1/3rd of the quartered Oreos to the batter.
In a small bowl, mix with a fork- the flour, cocoa and salt and add this to the above mixture. Whisk well to combine everything together.
Pour this into the greased parchment.
Top this with the remaining Oreos arranged in a single layer all over.
Bake in the middle of a 180 C oven for 40 minutes, until a tester poked into the center comes out nearly clean.
Remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes. Pull out with the parchment intact and cool on a wire rack for 2-3 hours or overnight. Cut into 2" squares (16 pieces) and peel off parchment. Refrigerate for a few hours for a great texture.

Note to self : Dear Nandita, Ditch the diet plans. Make these with Bourbon biscuits for your birthday!

Feedback from those who tried this recipe:

Oreo brownies just out of the oven. Thanks for the inspiration and the recipe @saffrontrail twitter.com/livetimefe/sta…
— 5x7 (@livetimefe) December 24, 2012

The sinfully delicious Oreo Brownies. Thanks @saffrontrail for the recipe :) twitpic.com/cr37zn
— ParavaMunima (@Muneema) May 17, 2013

Monday, March 24, 2014

This Will Cheer You Up

Welcome to Depression Cooking with Clara. Clara is 91 years old, and since she experienced the Great Depression first hand, shes decided to show the country how to cook her favorite childhood meals, you know, just in case.

With the state of the economy such as it is, and fears of another depression looming, you would think these videos would be rather disturbing, but theyre not. As she cooks the food that kept her and her family going, Clara shares her memories of those very hard years, but she does it with a twinkle in her eyes that leaves me optimistic. Enjoy.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

This Little Piggy

Ill be heading back to San Francisco on Sunday after a short, but enlightening visit to Iowa. I got to tour the Willis family hog farm on Friday, and attended the Niman Ranch Farmers Appreciation Dinner on Saturday. I have lots of photos and thoughts to share, but just couldnt wait to post this precious shot of San Francisco chef Alexander Ong passing a newly born piglet back to Paul Willis. Stay tuned for a full recap!

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

This Lamb is My Lamb This Lamb is Your Lamb… Grilled Lamb Chops with Orange and Fresh Mint Sauce

As you know Im big on cooking fresh, local food whenever possible. But, there are times when you have to make exceptions, and these lamb chops are a great example. While browsing the local market I saw a sale on Australian lamb chops. They were perfectly trimmed, exactly the same thickness, and neatly packaged in one-pound containers. These lamb chops are basically the same cut as a beef T-bone steak, with a strip loin on one side, and a tenderloin on the other. In this chefs opinion, they are the ultimate cut for grilled lamb.

I decided on a mish-mash of Mediterranean herbs and spices, with the secret ingredient being a small dash of cinnamon. There is something about cinnamon that really pairs perfectly with grilled lamb. I also love mint jelly on grilled lamb, but I have a reputation to worry about, so instead of the green stuff in the glass jar, I made a quick, homemade version that you will love. This was the best tasting lamb Ive had in a long time, and while it wasnt local, it was damn good. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 lbs lamb loin chops
3 clove minced garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp cumin
pinch of cayenne
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp dried mixed herbs - Italian, Greek, or French blend
salt as needed

Sauce:
1/4 cup orange marmalade
pinch of hot chili flakes
1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp chopped mint