Banana Chocolate and Pistachio Loaf Cake

Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Watermelon Popsicles

So I was in Kuwait last October and in my usual visit to IKEA, while my eyes scout for stuff I don't have, there in a big metal bin lie these gorgeous blue and green, yellow and pink Popsicle molds. I mean without even a flicker of doubt on whether I need them? will I use them?! didn't even arise, they went straight for billing... lest I changed my mind you know later maybe......
So during the summer hols me and my lil one put them to use by making some watermelon popsicles. Ooh!!! I tell you there is no limit to the joy in licking on a popsicle and giving them all the attention - you know childish fun!!







Ingredients:
[Yields 12 popsicles[
Watermelon - 2 cups, de-seeded and diced
Sugar - only if required about 2-3tbs
Lemon Juice - 2tbs

Blitz everything into a blender and pour into the molds. Freeze them overnight and they are ready.

Jam Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Pepper and Garlic Pork Stir Fry

Karimeen Moily ~ Pearl Spot in Spicy Coconut Milk

White Chocolate and Pistachio Buns

Tintin and Snomy Cake for the 6th Birthday

It was my son's 6th birthday and I seriously wanted to do his cake this year-phew... finally. I haven't mastered the icing technique but yes I know which icing tip for the what, why, when, and the know-hows. Even if I'm not all that good with my hands I still wanted to do it. After a night full of events, like power - cuts while baking, I stamped my no.18 wilton star icing nozzle, I still managed to complete and accomplish this cake somehow in time for the party. I'm happy with my outcome though I admit I could have done a slightly more neater job. But hey I managed to somehow do the icing with some stashed away star tip.

I baked two chocolate cakes stacked them up with a layer of buttercream in between. And for the Tintin I resorted to buttercream icing rather than fondant coz these kids peel the thing off and eat only the cake - and seriously I'd feel sad for the efforts that goes into all the kneading and the tinting and making to bring the cake to life.

Ever since the Tintin Movie release, my son has been hooked onto it, watches an episode of Tintin on the discovery kids and makes me read the comics as his bedtime story. And when he saw the cake he just went "Wow Mama - I love this". I mean that makes up for all the emotions I went through. I'm happy with my imperfect cake for this year, I hope to get better with each one each year!!!

California Pizza Kitchen Small Cravings Festival

Thai Chicken Satay

California Pizza Kitchen introduces their Short Eats, Small Cravings festival which kick started on the 5th of March and is on till the end of the March. And since then some of the short eats remains on the menu. CPK is a chain widely known for its innovative  and non traditional pizza, they also serve various kinds of pasta, salads and desserts. The last month the fest was all about showcasing a set of 8 appetizers which are not on their menu. The idea is to bring their discerning patrons a taste of the best the professionals at CPK have innovated.

Bocconcini & Cherry Tomato Bruschetta

The Pan Asian Style Chicken Cakes, are crunchy little morsels and goes well with your drinks. The Crispy Mac and Cheese is a good twist to the kids menu. The regular Mac and Cheese which is then made into small b little balls, coated with panko bread crumbs and then deep fried. Anything deep fried is a definite hit for anyone in general, and this appetizer just made us go for a second.

Chicken Taquitos

Crispy Mac & Cheese

The short eats festival had the following dishes to try Bocconcini & Cherry Tomato Bruschetta a good bite into a soft boncoccini against the tardiness of the tomatoes with a crunch. Black Bean Quesadillas, which  is a simple. Thai Chicken Satay, an appetizer, where I found the peanut dip too good to resist with the perfectly grilled chicken. The Serrano Cheese Toast, which were pretty ordinary cheesy toasts with a bite of the chili and onion and nothing really to rave about.

Serrano Cheese Toast

 The Chicken Taquitos are plateful of crispy rolls with a filling of chicken served with a dip of a good salsa. All these appetizers come at a price of INR149. And after all the samplers we had on the table, one cannot end a meal without going for a slice of pizza. We had the

Black Bean Quesadilla

The desserts at CPK are worth not only a mention but worth a dig, because you'd be licking your spoon with an indulgence that would leave you in nothing short of a "sugar high". The CPK signature Red Velvet Cake and Tiramisu are their fastest moving and I wouldn't disagree on that. The Red Velvet Cake are layers of red cake with a creamy vanilla cream cheese frosting.

The Tiramisu beckons to all Coffee and Chocolate lovers. The tag line of this dessert is "pick me up" is an indulgence of Italian Mascarpone, with lady fingers soaked in Kahlua and espresso, topped with a Coffee sabayon and grated chocolate. This is my personal favorite due to my chocolate and coffee inclination above all flavors.

Two new entrants to the dessert menu is the White Chocolate Praline Mousse, bound to be a hit. The praline base is enriched with  pistachio and then covered in a decadent chocolate ganche. CPK goes tropical with the other new dessert which is the Coconut Banana Cake another goodness of the coconut and banana creme with a side curlicue of whipped cream.

Now if you were to not go on a gastronomic high then for sure I'd be lying! Try CPK for their new entrants on the menu and enjoy some excitingly new flavors this year! I'm sure to hear great reviews for CPK, let me know your experiences too!!!! Cheers.

California Pizza Kitchen 
284, 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar

Tel: 080 64048888, 080 64058888

Valet Parking Available

Barleyz ~ A Restaurant Review

Barleyz is known as the Beer Garden. It was crowded with the HIPPEST crowd on a Saturday night, just like it should be. And no wonder it's one of the 'places to be'.  Barleyz is situated in Koramangala opposite the Sony World Signal and spread over 30,000 sq ft across two floora. The place is stylish in its own way with a starry sky above you just to set you to a relaxing evening.There are, however, wooden benches, islands of greenery, examples of handsome garden furniture, soft lights and grills for a barbecue to add to the overall fun night.

 I was surprised by the kind of crowd that came by, you have the ones that have come to a place for the perfect family outing with the kids. They get to enjoy a nice kids play area that will keep them occupied for sure. The bar menu is rather limited for now as the microbrewery license is yet to come, and when it does what is expected to be a hit is the fruit beer that will be infused with local flavors such as coriander, jaggery, coconut, apple cider, along with the English and Belgian Style Ale. But you could still be spoilt with the
available choices. We that is me and my husband tried the Bar Man Special Mocktail which was a refreshing kiwi aerated drink.
The food emphasis is largely what people order with their drinks. Their BBQ non vegetarian and vegetarian starters or finger foods like the Lamb Seekh, Paprika Chicken, Harissa Fish, Garlic Prawns, Murg Dhaniya Tikka, Stuffed Tandoori Mushrooms, Paneer Saunfiani Tikka are all subtly flavored.

The Malai Brocolli, Chatpate Aloo,Thai Crispy Vegetables were also relatively simple yet flavorful  By the time the starters were done we were sort of done in our tummies. Yet the Chef insisted we try the Coca-Spanish Pizza with Chorizo, tomatoes, prawns, manchego cheese baked and topped with pepper aioli. It was indeed a delight and a piquant mix of flavors and textures to the palate.

Of course there are other options when it comes to the mains such as the Chicken Biriyani, Dal Makhani, Tandoori Breads, Punjabi Lamb Curry which all seem rather pedestrian as compared to their starters and in all fairness could give this a miss. From the small bowl section of the menu, we tried the Spaghetti with the Mascarpone cheese and Bacon rashers - an absolute hit and definitely a lasting memory for me. And for dessert not that we had too many choices and we tried the chocolate mousse, now one couldn't go wrong with that. And with that Chocola-tey goodness in our mouths that brought us to the end of a fabulous weekend night out...

Barleyz
Barleyz Junction, Above KFC and Pantaloon, Sony World Crossing, Koramangala

Tel: 080 6716 9610, 6756 999

Opening Hours: 6:30pm onwards

Valet Parking Available

Omelette Curry (Motta Poricha Curry)

Chocolate Ganache Tart for the Potluck!

Braided Bread

“The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight...

[Breadmaking is] one of those almost hypnotic businesses, like a dance from some ancient ceremony. It leaves you filled with one of the world's sweetest smells... there is no chiropractic treatment, no Yoga exercise, no hour of

meditation in a music-throbbing chapel. that will leave you emptier of bad thoughts than this homely ceremony of making bread.” ― M.F.K. Fisher, The Art of Eating

Ingredients
All Purpose Flour - 2 cups
Yeast - 1/2 tbs
Salt - 1 tsp
Oil - 4 tbs
Egg - 1
Caster Sugar - 1 tsp
Warm Water - 1/2 cup

For the Filling
Shredded Chicken - 250gms
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Cilantro - 2 tbs, finely chopped
Black Pepper Powder - 1 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
All Spice Powder - 1 tsp
All Purpose Flour - 2tbs
Butter - 2 tbs
White Sesame Seeds
An egg lightly beaten for the egg wash with 2tsp of water and pinch of salt.

Mix the yeast into some warm water with the sugar and keep aside for about 10 minutes. Then into a food processor add the flour. In a slow and steady stream pour in the oil, egg, yeast mixture till it comes together to form a soft dough. If more liquid is required use more warm water to form a soft dough. Once the dough is formed take it out and put it into a well oiled bowl, cling wrap and allow the dough to rise for an hour.

In the meantime, the filling can be made. Into a frying pan, add the butter and saute the chopped onion till pink. Add in the ginger garlic paste and saute for about 2 minutes. Then add in the shredded chicken and cook. Tip in the all spice powder, and the black pepper powder and saute. Once the chicken is cooked, add the flour and cook for another minute and keep aside.

Check on the dough and once risen, punch it down divide the dough into 2 balls or more depending on how big you want the loaves. Roll the dough into a rectangle Spread half the chicken filling down the center section, leaving 1" free on all sides of the filling.

To form the braid, cut 1" crosswise strips down the length of the outside sections, making sure you have the same number of strips down each side. Beginning on the left, lift the top dough strip and gently bring it across the filling diagonally. Repeat on the other side with the top dough strip, so that the two strips crisscross each other. Continue down the entire braid, alternating strips to form the loaf. Repeat the rolling, filling, and braiding steps for the second piece of dough, using the remaining chicken filling. Set both loaves aside, lightly covered, to rise for 45 to 50 minutes, or until quite puffy

Preheat the oven to 180C. Brush the loaves with egg wash (one lightly beaten egg, 2 teaspoons water and a pinch of salt), and sprinkle with coarse sparkling sugar, if desired. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

 Tip: You can use the following below image to make your braid. This is from My Culinary Adventures.

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Banoffee Cupcakes~ Banana and Toffee Cupcakes

As a part of the Republic Day Dhamaka that was celebrated, this was the second flavor of cupcakes that I made - Banana Cupcakes with a toffee layer with Chocolate hearts. These were made for the slightly healthy conscious who didn't mind indulging in a little bit of a sweet tooth!!

Ingredients:

Unsalted Butter - 1/2 cup

All Purpose Flour - 1 3/4cup

Chopped Almonds - 1 cup

Cinnamon Powder - 1tsp

Bananas - 3, very ripe (mashed yielding to about 1 1/2cups)

Eggs - 2

Baking Soda - 1/4tsp

Salt - 1/4tsp

Baking Powder - 1tsp

Granulated Sugar - 3/4cup

Topping

Dulche Le Leche- 350gms (refer to my Banoffee Pie on how to make Dulche Le Leche -)

Chocolate Filigree Hearts - 30

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Line a 12 cup bun pan with paper liners or butter or spray with a non stick spray. Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Let cool and then chop coarsely. In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nuts. In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky. The important thing is not to over mix the batter. You do not want it smooth. Over mixing the batter will yield tough, rubbery bread. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins. Bake about 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for five minutes and then remove cupcakes from pan. 

Chocolate Filigree Hearts: The How-To 

These make a delicious garnish for your cupcakes. Trace the inside of a 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter onto parchment 30 times using a pencil. Flip parchment, and transfer to a baking sheet. Melt 4 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler or heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Let cool slightly. Transfer to a parchment cone (or resealable plastic bag). Snip a tip to make a small hole.

Pipe chocolate into hearts, following outlines (be sure squiggles are at least 1/4 inch thick so hearts won't break when removed). Freeze hearts until set, about 15 minutes. Remove hearts using an offset spatula.  You would get about 30 hearts.

To assemble
Once the cupcakes are cool. Smooth a teaspoon of the dulche le leche over the surface of each cake, but don't worry about completely covering it, then decorate with a chocolate heart in the center. The cupcakes are best eaten the day they are baked, they stay upto 3 days in an airtight container.

Trader Vic's Mai Tai Lounge ~ New Menu Review

My day began with the Monday blues and to hit the blue show on the road, I went to Trader Vic's Mai Tai Lounge to review their latest Menu additions. Mai Tai is a fine place to dine, its a perfect getaway during the weekdays and more so on the weekends. Located by the lake at Bangalore's newest lifestyle mall -The Brigade Orion Mall, Mai Tai sets itself apart from other lounges in the city. So for my Monday afternoon, this was the just the place I needed to be.

The menu hosts some interesting dishes 'From the Wok'  such as the Mango Chili Tenderloin, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken,  Bbq Vegetables and Tofu, Thai Red and Green Curries, Noodles and Fried Rice. The other new section which is New is 'From the Grill'  and  I chose the grill over the wok, my decision was bound. The menu has been expanded on requests made by loyal customers, is what I was told on my little chit chat with Mr. Priyank Chouhan the Area Manager for South India and Mr. Gautam Yadav the General Manager for Mai Tai Lounge. Mr. Priyank mentioned "that when customers go through the menu they look for something they are used to, thus there was a need created to expand and do a little tweaking so that we give what customers look for".  

My de'jeuner started off with an absolutely refreshing drink the Queen Charlotte Fruit Punch, a luscious fruit drink, highly recommended for non-alcoholic drinkers for an afternoon for the rush of the fruit and the fizz that's in it.

Along with my drink I was served the appetizers such as the Huli Huli Chicken, a Hawaiian preparation of succulent morsels of chicken with a tangy flavor skewered and grilled to perfection. You'd get a sweet, tangy  and a slightly spicy note at the end of it along with crunch note from the grilled green pepper which  just makes it even more desirable by the bite.

Huli Huli Chicken

Next up was the Cilantro and Scallion Prawns which was tinged with the charcoal taste, the prawns were moist with the right amount of cilantro and scallions paste coming through and served alongside a wasabi mayo dip. I rate this dish as mediocre especially because my mind was biased on the chicken I tasted.

Cilantro and Scallion Prawns

Another memorable appetizer was the Island Corn Cakes, again bite sized corn cakes served on a piece of buttered toast. The corn cakes are creamy with the sweetness of the corn kernels against the much need crunch of the toast. Another appetizer were you couldn't stop at one!.

Island Corn Cakes

For the mains, by far the best I have had was the Senor Pico Chicken which was a boneless piece of chicken served with some good mashed potatoes on a fiery pepper coulis with a corn salsa. All in all I'd give the dish a 10/10. The condiments were just right on the plate against a good portion of the chicken.

Senor Pico Chicken

 And to end my lunch affair, I had the Coffee Creme Brulee, the flavor was bang on, but would have loved a bit more crack to the sugar. But seriously, it really didn't matter,the bitterness of the sugar and the coffee creaminess beneath, and being the coffee lover that I am, anything with coffee is fine by me. And that ended my afternoon by the poolside at Mai Tai, but I'll be back for more especially to check out more 'From the Grill'.

Coffee Creme Brulee

Mai Tai Lounge is open on all the days of the week from 11am to 11:30pm

Happy Hours: 4pm to 7pm 

Trader Vic's Mai Tai Lounge

Upper Ground Floor, Orion Mall, Brigade Gateway,

Dr. Rajkumar Road, Near Yeshwantpur, Malleshwaram,

Bangalore

Tel: 080 22682037, 080 22682038

Parking Available at Orion Mall

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting ~ Republic Day Dhamaka

Chocolate Cupcakes are a favorite and for a our Republic Day Dhamaka in our Apartment, these were the first flavours to run out in my Cupcake Sale. These are my personal favourites too. So apart from this flavour making way in my stall there were three other flavours were featured, which was Vanilla with Royal Frosting, Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and a Banoffee Cupcake which is Banana and Toffee, for which the pictures will soon be posted! So stay tuned!

Ingredients:
Recipe Source: Joy of Baking
All Purpose Flour - 1 1/3cup
Baking Powder - 2tsps
Salt - 1/4tsp
Hot Boiling Water - 1cup
Cocoa Powder - 1/4cup
Unsalted Butter - 1/2cup
Eggs - 2
Granulated Sugar - 1cup
Vanilla Extract - 2tsp

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Shortening or Butter - 1cup
Unsweetened Chocolate - 3 (1 oz squares each or replace with 3/4 cup Cocoa Powder)
Milk - 3-4tbs
Vanilla Extract - 1tsp
Icing Sugar - 4cups, sifted

Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly butter, or line 16 muffin cups with paper liners. In a small bowl stir until smooth the boiling hot water and the cocoa powder. Let cool to room temperature.In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.Then in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat only until incorporated. Then add the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.Fill each muffin cup about two-thirds full with batter and bake for about 16 - 20 minutes or until risen, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. (Do not over bake or the cupcakes will be dry.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing. You can either spread the frosting on the cupcakes with a small spatula or if piping, use a large Wilton 1M open star tip to make lovely swirls. These cupcakes are best the day they are made, but can be covered and stored for a few days.

For the Frosting: In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add cocoa and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Re-whip before using. 

Pasha Bar and Grill, Alila Hotel Bangalore ~ A Review

When you walk into the lobby of the Alila Hotel everything you set you eyes on is vainglorious. Alila Hotel is line of 5 star business hotels located in Whitefield and overlooks the Varthur Lake. I was promptly escorted to the 5th floor, right to where Pasha Bar and Grill is located. Once you step out of the elevator your mesmerized by the pool that's open to the sky which is all an extended part of Pasha.

So quick exchange of greetings with the Director of Food and Beverage Mr.Rahul Makhija and he took me around on a quick tour around Pasha which basically caters to the IT crowd around Whitefield area and also to the posh gated communities that are in the surroundings. Pasha presents an opportunity of that after hour work pit stop as well as a sit down dinner indulgence. I liked everything about Pasha, its modern , stylish and a perfect destination for any occasion  What particularly interests me is their long spread out bar counter - "the spaciousness" unlike other places where the bar counter is rather a restricted portion of the restaurant. There's variety of seating that is offered, by the poolside, outside on the deck, inside the bar with rounded tables or on the bar stool by the bar counter.

The menu is quite limited, to be a lot more precise, the menu which is Indian hosts Indian Kebabs, rotis, rice, vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries with the combinations changing for 6 days of the week. So what you have on Monday night is what you'd get if you return on Friday in the same week. I must say the meal I had was flavourful, unpretentious capturing the taste of  the Delhi -UP region. The drinks menu here is extensive and there's no mistaking that it's a bar.We started with a round of kebabs the Sarson Mahi Tikka,  Cottage Cheese Rolls, Chicken Yogurt and Silver Leaf Kebab and the Griddled Lamb Kebab. The spice levels for each of the non vegetarian kebabs were just right and rightly went my drink a strawberry and vodka drink called the Twins which was pink, fancy, sweet with a hint of heat from the chili right in your throat. And not to mention the kebabs keep coming while you still enjoy your conversation, and by the way if you have second and third round of kebabs they are still warm to one's satisfaction. We then moved onto hot basket of rotis, phulkas and naans paired with some rich Murg Awadhi  Korma which just did it for me. I also got to taste the Nihari Gosht which were tender and spicy. Along with your curries, the lentils are served, I'm a huge fan of Dal Makhani which is simply heavenly with hot rotis. Next up was an aromatic biriyani the Hyderabadi Murg Dum Biriyani which was very needed after all the protein, fragrant and making it a treat to the palate. Coming to its wake, an interesting end to the meal which left me in total satisfaction was the Coffee Kulfi, if not a satiation. An interesting end to a pleasant food experience. 

Pasha Bar and Grill is open for Dinner from Monday to Saturday from 6pm onwards

The Dinner is priced at INR999, exclusive of taxes

Pasha also opens to a scrumptious buffet brunch on a Lazy Sunday from 11am to 4pm which includes a dip in the pool while enjoying yourself to an elaborate carte.

The Lazy Sunday Brunch is priced at INR 1200 plus tax, inclusive of soft drinks

INR1500 plus tax inclusive of alchol beverage

INR1700 plus tax inclusive of sparkling wine

Pasha Bar and Grill

Alila Hotel and Residences

Varthur Main RoadWhitefield

Tel: 080- 2854444

Valet Parking Available

Blueberry Whoopie Pies

Piri Piri Chicken~ The Jamie Oliver Way!

For the Potato Accompaniment:
Potato - 1
Sweet Potatoes - 2
Lemon - 1/2
Red Chili - 1 fresh
Coriander Leaves - 1 bunch
Feta Cheese - 50gms

Wash the potato and sweet potatoes and halve length ways  Put them into a large microwave safe bowl with 1/2 a lemon. Cover and cling film and put into the microwave for about 15 minutes on full power. Finely chop the coriander leaves and red chili on a board, mixing as you go. Add the feta and keep chopping and mixing. Check the potatoes are cooked through, then use tongs and squeeze over the cooked lemon. Add the coriander mixture and mix in everything. Season, then take to the table