Travels for Taste

Tales of travel and food with a touch of spice

London Review Bookshop, Cake Shop – Review

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Old buildings, browsing free entry museums and loosing myself in the beautiful by-lanes of London City are  things I love to do. Considering that I am either doing 2-3 part time jobs at once or a very tight schedule full time project at other times, time is always at a premium so on free days I love setting out armed with my backpack with a few home made sandwiches, a bottle of water, low cal (joke!) crisps and if I am lucky then a small piece of cake. I do try and carry a thermos with hot water for making my own tea but that only in the summer when I want to walk up Box-Hill , read a book , catch a snooze and watch the clouds make funny patterns in the sky.

Now that I am blogging from home (full-time) , I have to think hard and save lots before I allow myself even the occasional treat at a quaint cafe.

On one beautiful summer afternoon last year ,when my dear ma-in-law was visiting us ,(ma – who is also a good listener  and knows how to soothe frayed nerves and lighten me up when I am hyper -which is almost always), decided to go see the British Museum. With my absolute lack at being able to use the many apps I have on my smartphone (apparently even the owner has to be a tad smart- sigh..) I managed to totally confuse her and we ended walking almost for 40 minutes before we finally reached the museum. Ready to fall dead myself and with a huge guilt conscience at the torchure I had just inflicted on my poor sweet ma (who is well into her 60’s) ,I decided to treat her to some tea and cakes. Funnily enough the only other time I had been to the London Review Bookshop nestled in a lane bang opp the British Museum was when she last visited us in 2011 – weird or what!

Back then we had ma’s foodie and very sensible friend P with us who is much more intelligent than I shall ever be. So we had managed to see a fair bit of the museum and then stumble into the bookshop after a fairly short bus ride from Kings Cross.(!!! when will I learn to navigate around London using the many apps on my phone – NEVER ?!! And to think P doesn’t even own a smartphone – yet – says a lot about how smart she is !)

Anyway, by the time we sat down at the table at the Cake Shop in the London Review Bookshop, we were severely dehydrated and needed some sugar to pump some energy back into our systems.

What better way than to order one of Terry Glover’s brilliant cakes? And yes two – yes yes you read that right two pots of Tea. To say that the London review Bookshop is neighbours with Le Cordon Bleu which has its own little cafe’ attached is no small matter. I must say the Le Cordon Bleu has a highly distinguished neighbour 🙂

Cosy reading nooks

A bookshop and a cafe’ – two of my favourite places to be in

So after indulging ourselves in a heavenly pot of tea from Sri Lanka called ”chai-tea” ( I will rant about why it irks me to see 2 words with the same meaning used to name a variety of tea and fast becoming an acceptable ways of referring to Indian tea – NO folks chai is tea in Hindi – ”simples”!!) with a generous amount of honey to sweeten it , we were ready to face the world – or win a war whichever came first.

The bookshop is a treat for any self respecting book lover and a must-visit place,they have a basement reading room of sorts which is super quiet and a great cubby hole to loose yourself in. Perfect for when you want to switch off from the world outside – which I would like to very often.

So I managed to buy this book for a friend who loves and knows her tea,Tea by John Griffiths.

And ma got herself the most amazing – Sharks Fin and Sichuan Peppers by Fuchsia Dunlop- (If you love food you MUST read this book) .Really wanted to buy ,One Night in Winter by Simon Sebag Montefiore but was broke by then.

A bit of tasty tidbits about the Cake Shop owner, taken from her bio on the London Review Bookshop website :

”Her signature style fuses Japanese and French influences, clinched with a chilli kick.

Terry finds inspiration in meeting the people behind the produce – growers, suppliers or cooks – who invest love, knowledge and personality in their food.”

The perfect excuse to indulge

I love how the many floral teas are displayed in these huge glass jars in this corner , apologies to the unknown person who happens to be in this picture , I only wanted the jars but you were so lost in reading I didn’t have the heart (or the courage  tehehe) to disturb you!

Cake Shop at the London Review Bookshop is another of those cafes that I would want to visit several times over and I know I would enjoy each visit like a different flavour of tea or cake perhaps.Well that’s one tick off my must see places in London for sure.

That’s ma’s happy face after her tea, by the way she has written a guest post for me in a series of posts about Irani Cafes in Mumbai,Pune and London , which you can read here and she also is the author of a blog called Retro-Reflections, which has been  silent  for a few months now as she had a Valve replacement Open-Heart operation back home in Bombay.She is back to her cheerful self now ,thank god and her blog will see some action real soon.

I would love to know what you thought about this review , ma’s blog and our series on Irani cafes, I love reading all comments and it makes me immensely happy to share with all of you –  my love of food,travel and all the little things that make life worth while.Thanks for reading 🙂

P.S: If you are as badly technologically challenged as I am and need directions of how to get to this gem of a place click here , the website has detailed directions of how to get to cafe without breaking into a sweat after walking for 40 minutes  and having to think you might actually need to dial the emergency services!

Verde and Company Ltd, London – Review ( permanently closed )

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What I love most about London is the abundance of quaint cafe’s , no matter which part of the city you choose to wander around in, you are certain to stumble into at least one really pretty ,local cafe that is just begging you to walk in and have a cuppa and that tempting slice of cake or two 🙂

On one sunny and wonderful afternoon last year my two foodie buddies S and N decided to wander the streets around Spitalfields after a glorious lunch at DISHOOM- Shoreditch (review to follow soon!), after a browse through the many pretty shops around we had to rest our tired feet and there it was Cafe Verde with these beautiful wicker baskets hanging on the walls outside calling us in, our feet automatically moved towards the place – honest!

The first thing I noticed when we were inside was this brilliant display of bottled jam jars and a bust with a backlight , it looked so divine…

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Everything about this tiny cafe was warm and welcoming including the polite staff at the counter.I couldn’t stop taking pictures at this cute cafe with some really stunning displays!

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The optimum utilisation of ever nook and cranny of this compact little cafe is really impressive

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We did manage to curb our desire for more cake but it was very difficult – I mean just look at that cake !

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We pretended that we were on holiday in Paris and posed outside the cafe for pictures…errmm no way ..am not sharing those pictures 😉

If you are around Spitalfields for work or pleasure and need time to recharge your batteries then THIS is the place !

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Tartine Artisanal Cafe’, Tooting – A Review

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I love  stealing some me-time at a quiet cafe’ and am always on the look out for ones that call out to me . I am quite a fan of ”Euphorium” at Angel,London but its quite far and I become very lazy in winter , so travelling far away is ruled out.Interestingly enough for the past few months on my way to Tooting Broadway where I go and buy my Indian groceries every week I have been noticing the Tartine Artisanal Cafe and silently promising myself that after am done with the shopping I will treat myself to a cuppa, but then with heavy shopping bags for company all I want to is take the next bus home…sigh…

Finally last week when I met my friend for a dosa lunch at ”Dosa and Chutney” which has somehow become our new lunch haunt , we decided to go and have a relaxed cuppa at the Tartine.

As soon as you enter through the doors the whole manic high street outside seems to disappear , you wouldn’t know after a while whether you are actually in Tooting …I love when that happens , an added impetus to dream away …

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Its the kind of place where you loose track of time…

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Where you can sit for hours and watch the world go by …or even lose yourself in the infinite reflections of the beautiful .soft cafe’ lights onto the street outside.

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Everything about the decor is just so right – the brick wall at the counter, the fireplace, the plush brown sofa that you can sink into, the chairs with street names in a nice font, the cushions mimicking jute bags in which coffee is packed, the coffee cake placed on the cake stand with a glass dome ( I so want one for myself but simply have no place to keep it, another reason to move real soon)

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My favourite bit is this wall behind the plush sofa , it has a beautiful wallpaper etched into the brick wall ,it is the kind of wall that can help one start imagining stories.Simply amazing.

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I love ordering a pot of tea and since am trying hard to cut down on both salt and sugar , a  Chamomile leaf tea which is fast becoming a real favourite with me was apt. But my defenses broke down at the sight of the coffee cake – we just had to share one piece 😉

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I plan to come here alone one afternoon with a good book and myself for company multiple tea pots of Chamomile or maybe even one of the tempting Lunch offering from their menu sound good …I am currently in love with grilled cherry tomatoes and root vegetables…they are so good especially in the winter.

Sometimes I think I get my best ideas when I am totally relaxed ,warm and cosy in such a cafe , a part of the world , yet away from all the madness, watching the world go by from the glass windows…the window somehow managing to slow down all of that as well….at such times…time seems to stop and I can move from one plane to the other , countries even, walk through the rooms in my memory palace , savour memories of times spent laughing with an old friend ,in a simpler phase of life perhaps…

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Oh and yes they have a branch in Balham too..goody !

Vangyache Bharit- वांग्याचे भरीत (Baingan ka Bharta) (Smoked Aubergine)

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I have noticed that I have become a bit more inclined towards celebrating festivals after coming to London, maybe it is out of being homesick during festive times and also to ensure that I remember the traditions involved I guess. ‘Makar Sankrant’ is a Hindu festival celebrated by my community ”Maharashtrians” with great pomp and enthusiasm as it heralds the season of Harvest. Similar to this festival is Lohri which is celebrated by the Punjabis in the North of India, Pongal in the state of Tamil Nadu, Uttaryan in the state of Gujrat. One festival so many names and so varied ways of celebrating! It is not only in India that this festival is celebrated it’s also welcomed in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Laos amongst others!

My mother always used to make a smoked aubergine vegetable dish called Vangyache Bharit – written in Marathi as – वांग्याचे भरीत on Makar Sankrant so I decided to make it too for Sankrant this year which was on the 14th of Jan’14. We also exchange small ladoos made of sesame seeds and jaggery called ”Tilache Ladoo” and wish each other by saying तिळगुळ घ्या गोड गोड बोला -‘Tilgul ghya god bola. It means that we shall forget and forgive any past bitter exchange of words and start afresh with this sweet offering and only speak sweet words of love. Til stands for sesame and Gul stands for jaggery in Marathi, so TilGul means a sweet made using sesame and jaggery as the main ingredients

The recipe is modified in various regions of the state of Maharashtra and also the variety of vanga/eggplant/aubergine or brinjal as we know it in urban India, is different in various parts of the state and in various states of India, of course differing due to climate and soil. Aai ( meaning Mother in the Marathi language – my mother tongue) always looked for the light green vanga or eggplant with white stripes on its skin which she rightly said tastes way better than its darker purple-skinned cousin.

Aai’s recipe which I will share now is how we have always made this dish at home. There are several variations and styles depending on which part of Maharashtra you hail from and also various sub-cultures and availability of local ingredients and palates.I guess what makes this recipe so special is that it brings back happy memories of childhood, festivity, celebration and the unmistakable smoky and rich vanga (eggplant/aubergine) taste with the crunchy red onion and a slap of hot spicy green chilli mixed in between, all balanced so well with the various masalas that go into this bharit Ummm!

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Image Credit WebDunia

Vangyache Bharit- वांग्याचे भरीत (Baingan ka Bharta) (Smoked Aubergine)

Traditional Indian Smoked Aubergine dish
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 portions
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Large vanga/baingan/eggplant/aubergine
  • 1 Large Red Onion
  • 3 Green Chillies
  • 6 cloves Garlic
  • 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
  • 1 tsp Cumin / Jeera
  • 2 tsp Garam Masala
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 tsp Hing / Asafoetida
  • 1.5 tsp Turmeric
  • 1.5 tsp Red chilli powder
  • 3 tbsp Oil
  • Fresh Coriander/Cilantro leaves to garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Knife
  • 1 Chopping Board
  • 1 Tongs
  • 1 non-stick heavy bottom saucepan with lid

Method
 

  1. Roast the eggplant on a gas hob over a naked flame, completely turning it on the side and moving it up and down so you don’t miss any bits. Refer to my recipe notes if you would prefer to do this in the oven or on a BBQ.
  2. Allow this to cool and then charred skin will come off easily.
  3. Roughly mash the aubergine using a fork.
  4. Finely chop one large red onion.
  5. Remove the skin from the garlic cloves, place garlic and green chillies into a mortar pestle and ground into a rough paste.
  6. Heat the saucepan and add oil, when the oil is hot, add asafoetida. Then add the mustard seeds and wait for them to splutter, then add the cumin.
  7. Now add the garlic and green chillies, chopped red onion and cook on low heat until the onions sweat.
  8. Then add the red chilly powder, turmeric and garam masala and stir well, follow it up with the smoked aubergine.
  9. Mix well and cook until done.
  10. Garnish with finely chopped coriander/cilantro.

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Recipe Notes

  • The beauty of this dish lies in the deep and rich smoky flavour of the eggplant, I would love to use charcoals and do this bit on an open rustic fire but well I make do with my hob. You could use the oven but it will take much longer but directly on the hob – though a bit messy, it’s quicker!
  • While roasting the aubergine on the hob ensure you monitor it closely and use tongs to turn it over. Cooking over a flame on a gas hob directly should be done very carefully. Use the overhead extractor fan so that the smoke does not set off your fire alarm.
  • For oven cooking, make some cuts in the aubergine using a sharp knife, rub lightly with some oil and wrap tightly with foil and place on a baking tray, and roast in a preheated oven for about 8-10 minutes at 180-degree celsius. Allow to cool completely before unwrapping and peeling off the skin.
  • My Aai does not add tomatoes to this dish and at times uses some Goda masala as well as it has dry grated coconut which can really alter the taste. Many people add chopped tomatoes.
  • Serve with hot rotis or steamed rice and dal.
  • We also enjoy this cold, cool completely, and serve it with a generous helping of set curd/ yoghurt.
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  • Mash with your hands in a smooth mass of soft cooked, smoked eggplant.
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Vangyache Bharit- ????????? ???? (Baingan ka Bharta) (Smoked Aubergine)

LEARN HOW TO COOK WESTERN COASTAL INDIAN CUISINE FROM THE C.K.P COMMUNITY WITH MY EASY-TO-FOLLOW RECIPES.

FIND BELOW A LIST OF INDIAN RECIPES ON MY BLOG, SOME TRADITIONAL, SOME FUSION, AND MANY REGIONAL FAVOURITES!

Healthy Baked White Fish with a mint and spice dressing

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Ladies this one is to be bookmarked and is perfect for any day when you want to treat  your taste buds and yet not load on the calories.

Serves:2  Prep Time:5 Minutes Marination time :20 minutes In the Oven: 15 – 20 Minutes

Ingredients:

  • Fry Lite or olive oil 4 tsp
  • 2 thick white fish fillets – I use Haddock
  • 2 tbsp mint and coriander dressing
  • 2 heaped tbsp ginger garlic paste
  • 2 tsp red chilli  powder
  • 2 tsp turmeric powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tsp coriander powder
  • 2 tsp cumin powder
  • Handful of finely chopped spring onion
  • Handful of chives finely chopped
  • Freshly cracked black pepper to garnish
  • sea salt for garnish
  • 1/2 lemon juice for garnish

Method:

  • Wash the fillets and place on a large dish to apply the marinade.
  • Sprinkle the red chilli powder, turmeric,coriander,cumin,salt and along with the ginger garlic paste and mint and coriander dressing mix well and totally coat the fish.
  • Marinate the fish for 20 minutes to allow the flavours to seep in and develop.
  • In a baking tray use just 4 sprays of fry lite and spread evenly across the tray, add the chopped spring onion and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
  • Place the marinated fish on this and sprinkle the finely chopped chives on the top.

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  • Pre heat the oven to 200°C and bake for 15- 20 minutes.
  • Garnish with a generous squeeze of lemon juice.
  • Serve with a side of salad leaves and cherry tomatoes and a soft crusty baguette.

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I know the photographs here look terrible but honestly by the time I got the fish ready on Sunday it was almost 3pm, had a lazy start to the day and by then the light was gone so even after cleaning up the image it is quite sorry looking and is no way doing justice to this awesome dish! I do hope that I can get better pictures next time!

I do hope you enjoy this recipe and share your thoughts if you make it! Cheers!

Just in the nick of time, I have entered this original recipe creation in the #Cookingwithherbs challenge by Karen Burns-Booth on her blog Lavender and Lovage. The theme for January 2014 is citrusy and herbs, this fish definitely has it all and a citrusy bang! I wonder why I haven’t entered this challenge in the past, most of the dishes use so many herbs especially lime, oh well, here’s to a fresh start!



Cooking with Herbs








Smoky Chorizo and Chives baked  Eggs in Pots


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Of all the crazy boxing day sale shopping I am most happy with what I found for my kitchen (of course!). Amongst a few things the best buys are a massive Denby cast iron crock pot which doubles up as a slow cooker and I plan to use it real carefully,maybe even pass it down as a family heirloom, and then there are the beautifully dark burnt orange mini cocotte from Le Creuset. I couldn’t think of a better way to inaugurate the cute mini cocottes than by making baked eggs.





I created this recipe for Baked eggs and decided to give it a twist with laying a base of wafer thin potatoes, they give this dish a whole new dimension and are like a secret surprise at the bottom of this miniature stockpot of goodness!





  

    

      
    

    

      

        Manjiri Chitnis
      

      
Smoky Chorizo and chives Baked Eggs in pots

      

      
      

      
      

      

        Print Recipe
        
        
      

    

  

  

    

    
Prep Time 10 minutes 
Cook Time 20 minutes 

    

    
Servings: 2 people
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Fusion

  





  


















 Ingredients
















 Method

  

    

      
Ingredients
  
 
  • 5 Eggs
  • 2 large tsp Cream Cheese
  • 1/2 Red Onion finely chopped
  • 4 Spicy Chorizo Sausages chopped
  • 5 – 6  Chestnut Mushrooms
  • 2  tbsp Butter
  • 2  tsp Red Chilli Flakes
  • 1/4 Potato thinly sliced
  • 2  tsp Olive Oil
  • A small bunch of chives finely chopped
  • Coriander to season
  • Sea Salt
  • Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

      
    

    

      
Method
 
  1. Beat the eggs in a large bowl and add the cream cheese, finely chopped chives,the chopped mushrooms, finely chopped coriander, sea salt and red chilli flakes
  2. In a saucepan add the oil and sautee the red onion till they go soft and juicy and then add the chopped sausages, and cook on a low flame for not more than 2 minutes
  3. Grease the mini cocottes and place the potato slices at the bottom, add the red onion and sausage mixture and then pour the egg mixture on them
  4. Pre-heat the oven to 220° C and place the mini cocottes on a tray, bake for the first 10 minutes withlid  and then wait for 5 minutes then open the oven and bake again for 15 minutes without lid

      
      
      
      

      
    

  







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It’s super to watch the egg puff up and form the most perfect brown crusty top.I spent so much time getting the setting right that they collapsed by then – gaaaahhh! but still I am so happy with the results of this taste experiment!Serve with hot buttered toast and a large pot of English Breakfast tea.





This  is the perfect indulgent breakfast for a Sunday morning, you could prepare the pots at night if you want to make them in large batches for a big weekend  brunch.Simply cover and store in the fridge with lids on.






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Mind you these may look like tiny pots but one of these and you feel stuffed!!





WHY NOT TRY MY OTHER RECIPES WITH EGGS AS THE STAR INGREDIENT?









I VISISTED A BUSY EGG FARM WHERE HENS ROAM IN RURAL ENGLAND, HAVE A READ AND BROWSE THROUGH SOME PICTURES FOR A VIRTUAL TOUR





Behind the scenes at an Egg Farm


Chai Concentrate


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Its been a very hectic year and I was really looking forward to a festive break. In the run up to Christmas I was gifted some really tempting edible gifts. I then took to Pintrest to find something that called out to me and ask me to make go make it ! I found a beautiful photograph of Chai Concentrate here .  It was an easy to prepare recipe and so I started to get all the ingredients together and wasn’t able to get my hands on orange pekoe tea bags so I decided to make a few modifications of my own.


Ingredients:


    

  • 6 cups water
    • 

  • 5 English breakfast tea – tea bags
    • 

  • 5 mulled wine spice  bags
    • 

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
    • 

  • 12 whole cloves
    • 

  • 9 cardamom pods split open and the seeds powdered
    • 

  • 8 coriander seeds or 1/4th tbsp of ground coriander powder
    • 

  • 2 cinnamon sticks
    • 

  • 2 star anise pods
    • 

  • 1 vanilla bean sliced in half
    • 

  • 1.5 tbsp orange zest
    • 

  • 1 inch piece of ginger,skinned n cut into thin strips
    • 

  • 1 tbsp honey
    • 

  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
    • 

  • 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
    • 



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Method:


    

  • In a large sauce pan bring the water to boil and reduce the heat to a minimum
    • 

  • Add the spices, tea bags,orange zest and ginger and cover with lid and let it simmer for 25 minutes.
    • 

  • After 25 minutes take the saucepan off the flame and let it stand for 10 -15 minutes.
    • 

  • Then add the honey and stir it in along with all the beautiful spices which have steeped in well into the mixture.
    • 

  • Let this cool completely , the  strain the chai concentrate through a large sieve lined with a fresh cheesecloth. The spices are to be discarded.
    • 

  • Add the strained chai concentrate into clean glass bottles.
    • 

  • Decorate the glass bottles with pretty tape and add a small name tag with a bit of coil.
    • 

  • This mixture stays for 2 weeks in the fridge and can be had as hot winter drink with 1/3rd parts concentrate and top it off with hot milk, it also is good with a glass of cold milk and ice with a dollop of honey stirred in!
    • 

  • I loved the idea that the chai concentrate can be added into cookie dough for an extra zing – I am going to try that soon!
    • 



After making this gift I feel so good inside that I have taken an extra effort to actually create something unique, I think am going to make a habit out it and make delicious little treats for birthdays and anniversaries too! 


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Red Lentil Soup


 by  6 Comments 
I tried to write this blog post sometime after ma came home from the hospital but things were a bit topsy turvy but here it is now!


Sometime in November in India…..


”My ma’s bff’s have been pampering her a lot and have been a bunch of real sweethearts. One of her friends who we shall call Aunty A, came over last week and got her some heartwarming veg soup among some other goodies.


All the medications have killed ma’s taste buds and her appetite to an extent so this soup was a wonderful new bouquet of mild but delicious flavours for her. AM has agreed to share some of her other recipes as well including one which helped her the first prize in a cooking contest! Whoops! How I love all of ma’s buddies – all such passionate foodies 😉


Ok so here’s how you can create this Masoor dal or Red Lentil Soup


Ingredients:


    

  • 1 cup red lentil dal
    • 

  • 1/2 a red onion
    • 

  • 1 tomato
    • 

  • 1/2 a potato boil
    • 

  • Salt as per taste
    • 

  • Pepper to garnish
    • 

  • 1/2 tbsp ghee/clarified butter
    • 

  • Few whole cloves/lavang
    • 

  • 1 cinnamon stick/dalchini
    • 

  • Water as required
    • 

  • some unsalted butter to slather an accompanying slice of toasted brown bread
    • 



Method:


    

  • In a vessel add the lentils and roughly chopped onion, tomato, and potato(peeled and roughly chopped) and add enough water to soak them.
    • 

  • Boil the red lentil ,onion ,tomato, and potato in a cooker. Give it 3 whistles
    • 

  • After the steam releases from the cooker  and the lid comes off easily, allow the mixture to cool down completely.
    • 

  • Puree in mixer/food processor , add some more water to adjust to a soup lile consistency and garnish with salt n pepper.
    • 

  • In a saucepan add 1/2 a tsp of ghee /clarified butter ,on a medium heat ,add dalchini/ cinnamon stick and a few whole cloves/lavang.
    • 

  • Reduce the heat to a minimum and now the tadka is ready, carefully pour the puree from the food processor/mixer into the clarified butter and spice tadka as it may sputter.
    • 

  • Serve the soup hot with a lightly buttered slice of brown bread ideally with unsalted butter.”
    • 



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I am entering this delicious and healthy Red Lentil Soup recipe into one of my favourite foodie link up’s hosted by Jacqueline Meldrum of Tinned Toms and Lisa of Lisa’s Kitchen aka Food and Spice alternatively. It’s easy peasy just go to Lisa’s blog as she is the host for May 2015 and add in your recipe post to the linky, then link to both Lisa and Jaq’s blogs as I have done and add the No Croutons logo to your post, all done! Any Salad or soup will do but only one post per blogger, also watch out for the round-up done after the 28th of each month.


no+croutons+required


Red Lentil Soup


Easy Tasty Magic – Harvey Nichols magic gift box of festive sparkle


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Looking for a perfect Christmas Gift for everyone on your list is never easy ,especially when there’s a maddening variety of gift sets to choose from. I do know it’s really tempting to just grab a few of the pre-packed salt and pepper or honey and chilli  jars packaged brilliantly but honestly  it’s for someone you really want to treat then sparing just a tiny moment of thought will go a long way.





Even if your friend is not a connoisseur of fine and exotic food, the Harvey Nichols Alchemic larder – Easy Tasty Magic – Christmas gift box set with 16 tiny jars of  exotic,beautifully colorful  ingredients will be a very welcome gift!This box of exotic beauties is packaged so beautifully  that I can imagine a wild shriek of happiness when the wrapping paper has been ripped off to reveal these jars full of stardust,shine,sparkle,fiery flavours and even a promise of paradise!






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I must say it didn’t take me much time to decide on the  Alchemic Larder – Easy Tasty Magic -to review after glancing through the list of products that I was invited  to choose from by Harvey Nichols. It is impossible to resist this Laura Santtini creation of ”Spell Binding Flavours” – a power packed box of ingredients with endless possibilities and as the box says some ”notions for potions”!






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For those who may be thrown off balance by names such as furikake ,sumac ,devil’s penis chilli and grains of paradise amongst others , worry not , the box comes with a little note about how one can set about using the magic potion from each jar.






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L-R : Grains of Paradise, Devils Penis Chilli and Furikake.





I decided to spice up a dull Tuesday afternoon meal by putting on my wizard hat (!!) and firing up my  cauldron err oven and got busy in the kitchen.Some White Mischief powder as a rub onto a Tilapia  fish which then went into the oven and sent crazy delicious aromas wafting through my kitchen !






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For dessert it was Mediterranean Lavendar sprinkled with just a tiny hint of sugar and a generous slosh of gin onto a handful of blueberries, am not sure I can stay awake much longer after this meal.






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While I am off to catch an afternoon nap why don’t you head to the online shop and order some a few  Easy Tasty Magic Alchemic Larder gift boxes from Harvey Nichols and make someone happy – very ,very happy this Christmas?! 🙂 Priced at £29.95 this is a fabulous addition to any kitchen and can get even the most unenthusiastic cook hooked. After all ,fine ingredients sourced from around the globe all packed into these handy jars which by the way have awesome re-use value ,can inspire anyone to dish up a feast,no? Harvey Nichols also has a large selection of Food and Wine as gifting options apart from their many Christmas gift hampers .





Disclaimer:I was sent this fabulous  gift set box to review by Harvey Nichols and was not compensated monetarily.Like all my previous posts about events and reviews, ALL opinions expressed here are entirely my own. For more fabulous recipe ideas there is a tiny card with information inside the Alchemic Larder box.


Sweetcorn and Paneer Bhaji/Sabzi


 by  2 Comments 
In March I had rushed to be by my mothers side when her recovery post a double knee replacement surgery which was supposed to give her a new lease on life went badly wrong.


She was put on a very strict diet and asked to avoid more food stuff than she could eat, besides the heat in Pune was killing and the numerous medicines made her terribly hungry and moody. Not to mention the times when she was in so much pain I regularly went in the room next door and sobbed my guts out into a pillow…


On one of the better days when she really wanted to eat something tasty and refused all the options I gave her my maushi (that’s we call mum’s sister in Marathi language – my mother tongue) saved the day by making her this simple yet delicious vegetable which was packed with flavour in-spite of having on onion,no garlic and no tomatoes which mum was not allowed at all…If you have someone at home who is being given blood thinner medicines to avoid blood clots you may be asked to avoid foods that contain Vitamin K which is a natural blood coagulant.


Since this was only for one person we took a handful of each ingredient and used spices as we thought appropriate to suit her taste buds dead with all those medicines. Please feel free to amp up the spice if you wish.


Serves  2 as a side or 1 as a main


Preparation of veggies and Cooking Time:45 minutes


Ingredients:


    

  • Cauliflower florets 150 gm
    • 

  • sweet corn 50 gm
    • 

  • carrots chopped into tiny cubes 50 gm
    • 

  • green peas 50 gm
    • 

  • Paneer cubes/Cottage Cheese 50 gm
    • 

  • 2 bay leaves
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  • salt as per taste
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  • a pinch of red chilli powder
    • 

  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
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  • 1 teaspoon cumin and coriander powder mix
    • 

  • a small pinch of ground clove powder
    • 

  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 

  • Finely chopped fresh green coriander leaves -just enough to garnish.
    • 



Method:


    

  • In a pan take 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and sautee the bay leaves, clove powder and cumin and coriander powder for about 30 seconds.
    • 

  • Add the sweet corn and cook for about 3 minutes with spritz of water on a very low flame with lid to allow the corn to cook well.
    • 

  • Add the chopped carrot cubes and add water and cover an allow to steam for 2 -3 minutes on a low flame.
    • 

  • Reason for cooking the sweetcorn first and then the carrots is that they will take longer to cook than the cauliflower and peas which will become mush in the vegetable if all these are added at once. To save time you could used boiled sweetcorn and carrot. Avoid canned and ready to eat variety.
    • 

  • When carrots are almost cooked add the cauliflower florets ,green peas and season with the turmeric and red chilli powder and salt.Mix Well.
    • 

  • Add very little water just enough to allow the veggies to cook well.
    • 



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  • When they are almost cooked after not more than 5- 8 minutes , add the soft paneer cubes and mix well and serve hot with a chapati fresh off the pan.
    • 

  • Garnish with a tiny bit of fresh coriander leaves finely chopped.Ensure they are washed thoroughly to ensure no muddy bits are hiding between the delicate leaves.
    • 



Needless to say aai loved the bhaji and after almost 15 days of bland food she was really upbeat. Soon after she really began to recover at a desirable pace and was coming up with many of her own ideas to make delicious food with less oil, minimal spices and without any tomato. Cheers to you aai , you are a very brave person to have come out of such a bad health situation only a few months ago, to a point where you are 100% independent and cheerful as ever.God bless all those that stood by us and the few special people who came to help me in the hour of need, no questions asked, you know I love you people tons right ?:)


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Disclaimer: Please note this is a true account of what my mum had to eat with her many food restrictions and is not meant to be treated as a medical advice for anyone following a diet where they have been asked to stay off Vit K .Please always consult your doctor before eating anything that is out of the ordinary for your condition.









		

		
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