I tried...

So I crushed mint leaves with some powdered sugar in the pestle & mortar to get the flavours out...inspiration from an Alice Medrich recipe where the sugar & citrus zest are rubbed together to enhance the flavours.

Made a thick chocolate ganache & stirred in the crushed mint.

Went a step further, crushed some more mint & flavoured the buttercream to top the little devils with!

Have been making chocolate cupcakes with cocoa ever since I can remember. Will sound strange, but it wasn't until 2 years back that we began getting any kind of baking chocolate here! The supply is still very limited & often you will find the slabs all gone. People like me habitually buy them in bars of 1 kg & use them in a miserly fashion. Chocolate chips are unheard of in most shops!!! Hmmmmmmmmm...

Powdered sugar - 1 tsp

• Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Stir in the cream & mint. It should all come together. Divide it into 12 equal portions & keep aside as filling.
• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Line a 12 muffin tray. I made 12 mini muffins in addition too from the batter that got left over.
• Sift the flour + cocoa + baking powder + baking soda + salt. Keep aside.
• Cream the butter & sugar till light & fluffy. Beat in the eggs one by one, followed by the vanilla.
• On low speed, beat in the flour mix in 4 goes. Finally on low speed, gradually beat in the boiling water.
• Put a tbsp of batter into each muffin case & top with mint ganache. Put in batter over this & fill it up to 2/3 rd's full.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes till done.
• Cool on racks completely.
• Buttercream: Beat 3 tbsps of butter with crushed mint + 1 1/2 tbsps of cream. Add in enough powdered sugar to get piping consistency.
• Ice as desired with buttercream. Garnish with fresh mint leaves. Chill well & serve.

I had fun icing these beauties & loved the colours...deep chocolate & fresh, lively green. The buttercream was pretty too, speckled with bits of mint; tasted fresh & exciting too. The lily in the background is one from my garden & is my current passion.

Check it out...it went from bud to bloom in a matter of 2 hours!

A delicious, crisp biscotti!

Method:

• Preheat oven to 150 degrees C.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat sheets.
• Sift the flours + salt + baking powder.
• Beat the olive oil with the sugar.
• Add the vanilla extract + eggs + coffee & beat well.
• Stir in the flour mix; & gently turn the almonds into the dough. Mix in.
• Transfer the dough to your parchment lined baking sheet and form into 2 logs, about 12” X 3 ½”. The dough is sticky, so you may have to dampen your hands to form the log.
• Bake for 35 minutes, or until firm to the touch & light golden brown.
• Remove from oven and cool for about 10 minutes.
• Transfer the log gently to a cutting board and cut diagonally into 2 cm slices with a sharp serrated knife.
• Reduce oven temperature to 135 degrees C. Place the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes, turn slices over, and bake for another 8 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove from oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container.
• Makes about 20 - 24 biscotti
• Note: Roast the almonds at 180 degrees for about 10 minutes, till the skin begins to crack open. Allow to cool, & then chop. Roasting brings out the sweetness & flavour in almonds. Can be done in advance.

This is a healthier version of the biscotti which I normally make. Have substituted some of the plain flour for whole-wheat flour & was quite pleased to see the kids enjoy them as much as we did. It's always a good idea to gradually substitute plain flour with a portion of whole-wheat flour to increase the nutritive value...these are good, healthy cookies with no butter. Made with olive oil & full of nuts, they're headed for Ivy @ Kopiaste & Ben @ What's Cooking US for an event we can't do without...Fat Chefs or Skinny Gourmets? (an event co-hosted by 2 of my fave bloggers). The call is to make something that you consider Diet Food for its nutritious value (high in vitamins and other nutrients and low in calories). I think we all need a little nibble at tea & this quite fits the bill!

Beans & Lentils...Naturally beautiful!

FULL OF BEANS...

The theme for May 2008 is CLICK Beans n Lentils

BEAN there, done that!

Took a handful of those, & found myself reaching out to other lentils on the shelf. Settled for chick peas & horse gram too. I thought the combination was beeeeeeeeeeeeeeautiful! I'm putting the post together for CLICK first, & will hopefully post the 'Sprouted Moong Dal Salad' sometime soon.

Day 1 & then Day 3

• Found this really interesting article about sprouts on Oprah.com, sprouts are called Superfood No. 9.

"Sprouts are a highly nutritious food. Grown locally year round, sprouts are a good source of protein and vitamin C. A sprout is produced when a seed starts growing into a vegetable. Sprouts can grow from the seeds of vegetables, grains, legumes, buckwheat, and beans. Sprouts vary in texture and taste. Some are spicy (radish and onion sprouts), some are hardy and often used in Asian cuisines (mung bean), while others are more delicate (alfalfa), and add texture and moistness to salads and sandwiches.

Also found something very interesting at Indira's blog @ Mahanadi. She's calling for mango based food art...for a creative event called Mango Manthram.

In her words, " The color and shape of the mango are an artist’s dream. Mango tree, mango leaves, mango fruit in various stages of development, and the scrumptious dishes we can prepare with mango - the magic of mangoes is a timeless tradition that is steeped in art, history and romance. Bring your own touch, and interpret your mango memories and experiences through Food Art. The field is wide open". So you can see how carried away I got. Had the time of my life; was transported back to gleeful childhood where I remember making fishes out of dal! Here I tried my hand making mangoes using the same dals! Was relieved when the boy said "Nice mangoes Mama", which meant they remotely resembled mangoes, & the daughter declared them COOL!!

My entry for Mango Manthram @ Mahanadi

Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., (American diplomat)

Made some Roasted Garlic & Bell Pepper Focaccia again the other day. This very versatile Italian bread has become quite a staple at home since the kids LOVE it. It's a gratifying feeling that they enjoy garlic & basil as much as we do...which just means that meal times are simpler & fun to plan too. They enjoy home baked breads of all sorts. For me, it's therapeutic. The mixing, the kneading, the rising & finally the aromas that waft through the whole house makes life just seem more worthwhile. I made a double batch of focaccia, & served up the second batch the next day as grilled 'SANDWICCIAS'...my coined phrase for focaccia sandwiches, which quite takes sandwiches to another level altogether. They were obviously quite because they were polished off in next to no time. The kids said they tasted just like pizzas, but better!! So here you go...presenting some cheesy grilled 'SANDWICCIAS'!

• Cool the focaccia completely, & then slice horizontally to get 2 flat slices.
• Spread a layer of cheese spread, followed by slices of cheese, then sliced tomatoes, salt & freshly ground pepper, fresh chopped basil leaves & some grated cheese. (Add any filling of your choice).
• Grill the focaccia sandwiches on a lightly greased pan for about 3-4 minutes on each side, weighed down with a panini press if possible. (I use a metal plate with a weight on top).
• The cheese melts & acts as the glue, holding everything together well...& the flavours of the focaccia come through really nicely.
• Quarter & serve warm, with potato wedges & a salad / pasta.
• I served ours with 'roasted garlic & pesto' oven-baked potato wedges, & fusili in a light cream coriander sauce with red & yellow bell peppers.

This yummy sandwiccia is off to the Sandwich Festival 2008, an event hosted by Anupama @ Food n More. In her words..."I love bread and am constantly looking for ideas to make different kinds of sandwich creations. They are great in lunch boxes and perfect food when you are on the go. They are also a healthy option when you are too tired to cook and whatsmore a sandwich is something that even husbands can make on their own without grumbling too much. "

I agree with her... I'm always game for creative sandwich ideas too. Am now beginning to go a step further; I sometimes try & make the bread too! This 'sandwiccia' was the result of one such culinary adventure...one that was very satisfying!

Full of flavour...ENJOY!!

CITRUS is Tartelettes' chosen flavour for this months' edition of Sugar High Fridays , a monthly event created by Jennifer of The Domestic Goddess. One of my favourite flavours, I find myself using 'citrus' , mostly lime, every single day, in one way or another. No day is complete with a squirt of lemon, or a splash of orange. It's quite amazing how international a flavour citrus is. We're talking marinades, salad dressings, desserts, chutneys, cookies, cakes, sauces, pickles, preserves...the list seems endless. For me, it's fascinating to find CITRUS in so many avatars in blog land...lemon preserves in Moroccan stew@ Mike's Table, pretty Lemon Madeleines @ Tartlettes, Marinada Davita @ Familia bencomo, Lime Green Chili Pickle @ Konkan World, Orange & Asparagus Salad @ No Special Effects, Candy Ravioli in Orange sauce @ Dhanggit's Kitchen are among a few I can remember off the top of my head.

These are snapshots of some favourites from my blog & some yet to be posted...

Crystallized flowers from my winter garden added to the high...all ready to go off for SHF!!

The cake before it got dressed up... with a dusting of sugar

All dressed up & somewhere to go...

The recipe as adapted from Readers Digest 'Cakes', pg 22

Crystallized fresh flowers ( see post here)

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180degrees C. Grease & flour an 8" ring cake tin. I lined the bottom as well.
• Sift the flour + baking powder + salt. Keep aside.
• Cream the butter & sugar till light & fluffy.
• Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition, followed by the vanilla & lime extract.
• On slow speed, gradually beat in the flour mix + milk + lime juice + lime zest.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared tin & bake for 25-30 minutes / till done.
• Meanwhile, mix the Castor sugar + lime juice + food colour to get a thick syrup.
• Once the cake is done, cool in pan for 10 minutes, & gently turn it out onto rack.
• Poke the hot cake with a wooden skewer, & pour the syrup uniformly over it. Immediately place the flowers or garnishing & allow to cool completely on the rack.

This morning I found these pretty seeds on the 'currypatta' tree; the leaves of which are very popular in Indian cuisine. I enjoy looking for ways to use fresh flowers etc from the garden as a centre piece for the table. I brought in a bunch for the table; thought they looked remarkably like speckled eggs!

The view from above...

• KPTV.com FOX 12 Oregon
• TheIndyChannel.com Indiana

Irish Proverb Mango Fruit Salad with Apricots, Melon, Cherries & basil

It's the month of May, & MANGO, the king of fruits, rules the roost here in India. As far as the eye can see, it's mangoes all the way. In the midst of this, Arundati @Escapades is hosting this month's Weekend Breakfast Blogging (WBB) #22; it's has been aptly christened 'May Mango Madness'. As she dramatically states, "Melting moments of May have turned up the heat a notch higher…WBB, the event started by the lovely doctor at Saffron trail, stops by at Escapades this month." With mangoes going for less than a dollar a kilo here, it is complete madness. To add to it, the Escapades lady has been on my case to send her an entry & soon. SMSing, googling, calling...I am now stressed enough to post this immediately! Oh, the pressures of modern day existence & blogging are enough to give me sleepless nights; throw in the IPL cricket matches day after day & you lose track of time!! That's my life, but since my conscience has now got the better of me, here we go...

What a great beginning to the day this was...a treat for the eyes too!

These days North India is seeing an abundance of the 'Safeda' mango, which is juicy & absolutely delicious. Alphonsos, Safedas, Banganpalli, Neelam, Dusheri, Totapuri, Langra can be seen across local markets during the mango season. These are all local varieties & one variety eases the other out of the market as days go by.

When we were young, we would visit family friends in Benares, a holy town on the banks of the river Ganges, almost every summer. Summer being prime mango season, every meal would begin or end with mango in some form. Breakfast was usually mango pureed with a small amount of milk or cream, served chilled in porridge bowls...absolutely delicious. Lunch & dinner would be wrapped up with each of us being given individual platters, knives & mangoes (which were chilled in huge tubs of ice water), & we would devour them with great excitement....with no one particularly concerned at the juices dripping or the royal mess we created.

Luxuriating in a walnut wood bowl that my mother got from Srinagar when we visited the 'Paradise' decades ago...

Now for the recipe...very simple & full of flavour.
Ingredients for the dressing
Water - 1/3 cup
Sugar - 1/3 cup
Zest & juice of 2-3 limes
Grated fresh ginger - 1-2" piece

Method:

• Boil the zest + water + sugar + ginger & simmer it for 3-5 minutes.
• Take it off the heat. Add the lime juice & let it rest for 20-30 minutes for the flavours to marry!!
• Strain & chill until ready to use.
• Chop up 3-4 mangoes, deseed & quarter 10-15 apricots, pip the cherries (I didn't) & 'ball' the melon (I did).
• Chop up a handful of fresh basil fine. Gently toss everything together in a big bowl, drizzle the dressing over the fruit & toss again gently. Chill well & serve in individual bowls with a sprig of basil each. Top with chopped crystallized ginger if you like.

There you go Arundati...this is for you @ Escapades!! Thanks for pushing (read stalking) me to stretch my limits. A sweet thought on the side, this bowl makes for delicious dessert too, served with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream. We tried that too (obviously!!!).

Delicious, both to begin, & end the day!! Howzzat for a 'bowlful of mangolicious options'?

"Any food not fit to wear is not fit to eat."
Jim Rosenthal

'Better Cake than Cream Brownies'...Chocolate Overdose

I picked Cocoa Butter Body Butter...a Body Shop product which is full of 'brownies in another form'!!

Picture courtesy Body Shop, UK
"Doubly rich for extra dry skin with a yummy chocolate-and-vanilla scent. An excellent moisturizer that melts at body temperature, leaving the skin feeling soft and silky smooth. "

With ingredients similar to what makes this delicious body butter, my 'Better Cake Than Cream Brownies' are on their way to Diva's delicious feast!! Do stop by at the Sugar Bar to read her hilarious & interesting tales that spell the background for her event. It's well worth the visit!

Triple Chocolate Brownies...better eaten than otherwise!!

16 slices of delicious brownies...

Crumbs!!

Rightside up...

... & Upside down!!

• Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C. Grease & line bottom of an 8" Victoria sandwich tin or round baking tin, or 9" square baking pan.
• Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl and set aside.
• In saucepan, bring butter, sugar and water just to a boil. Remove from heat and add the dark chocolate & vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.
• Place chocolate mixture into a mixing bowl. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each egg.
• Blend in flour mixture. Stir in remaining chocolate chip morsels and the chopped walnuts.
• Sprinkle the biscuit crumb evenly over the base of the tin. Gently turn the batter over the crumbs & spread evenly.
• Bake for 30 minutes. Cool in tin for 10-15 minutes, then turn out on rack & cool completely.
• Cool and cut into pie slices or as desired.
• Note: I think the original recipe used almonds instead of walnuts.

Brings me back to the point of the matter, which is...

"At some point of our lives, I’m certain we have played with our food. Turning our food into some sort of externally nourishing product (since you eat food and it provides nutrients internally) comes under that category too. As you can see, the links between cosmetics/beauty products and food are intriguing. It seems almost instinctive to make that link. Fact is, all beauty products somehow or another capitalize on food because it’s what is natural, has a lot of (sex) appeal and yes, food is good for you!".

Let's see what the rest of us can think of...all you men bloggers included!