Can you tell I love happy colours?

Am back from a wonderful holiday…time spent with family (so what if they are the in laws) and a short trip to Udaipur…. i also had the chance to meet the very friendly Tejal… we yakked and yakked and the only reason we stopped was because i had to leave…and yes… i love shopping… but i did really very little of it… this is it!

hey!! don’t judge me…. i went to gujarat and rajasthan… its like sending someone to vegas for a holiday and telling them not to gamble!! plus i have friends, who always get me stuff when they travel…and it was all calling out to mama to take them home mostly for gifts…and reasonable…and i came back with no extra piece of baggage cos i stuffed it all into my bags because i didnt buy much in the first place…

my shopping list in the order of when and where i bought it

• assorted chai (at the airport cos the flight was delayed by 3 hrs and i was bored the flavours were unique)
• hand crafted coloured glass jewellery at tara’s in ambawadi, ahmd
• one kurti from tara’s in ambawadi, ahmd
• small handmade potlis (bags) to gift jewellery and stuff from tara’s
• 2 cushion covers from tara’s
• 4 kurtis and 2 harem pants from anokhi, ahmedabad
• banana shaped erasers and rainbow hued pencils from pintoo store in ahmd
• cloth covered notebooks with hand made paper from shop near the city palace, udaipur, rajasthan
• wooden and lac thorans with camels and elephants from shop near the city palace, udaipur, rajasthan
• wooden and lac birds and animal decorations from shop near the city palace, udaipur, rajasthan
• 5 pairs of hand embroidered jootis and chappal, shop near the city palace, udaipur, rajasthan
• 5 terracota foot scrubbers from nathdwara enroute to kumbhalgarh fort, rajasthan

the stuff i bought for my SIL and niece is not on the list… this is what i brought back…

Any foodbloggers game to meet in Ahmedabad?

I will be spending a week in Ahmedabad starting tomorrow, would love to connect with any foodbloggers who’re from here… just drop me a line her on this post, or email me at arundati.rao@gmail.com

Tutti Fruiti Cake (Eggless)

I can’t remember the last time K asked me to bake something for him. Usually he hates the way the house smells when I am baking!! weird i know… but then… that’s him… quirks and all… So when a few days ago he asked me to bake “that kind of cake you get in these small bakeries, with the coloured tutti fruiti” I was determined to make it the best damn cake he’s eaten in that category! After all I had a point to prove… “ask and you shall receive … don’t just turn your nose up at my baking….” Is this making sense? I thought not…. Anyways then, over to the cake, I browsed a few recipes and then decided, pound cake it was going to be. I usually bake with vegetable oil, but since K asked, I was going to use “real butter”. I recall a pound cake calling for equal quantities of everything… so i just went ahead and made it up.

The batter was simple enough to make, but horror struck me when 10 minutes after popping the cake into the oven, the power went off!! i sent out an SOS to three baking pros. They all responded with a “let it stay in the oven, the texture may suffer and may sink a bit, but other than that no major damage”. So much for wanting to do all of this for K!! anyways, an hour later the power was back on and i extended the baking time by 5 minutes. The cake turned out fabulous. The texture was crumbly and yet rich with all that butter, I tasted and realised I’d really forgotten what baking with real butter tastes like!! I would definitely reduce the amount of butter tho, because it was too much for me!

K came back late that evening and forewent his dinner for a big piece of cake, and the next morning he wanted it for breakfast. I will surely be making this again considering the response it got! Try this one out…. its a winner!!

Eggless Cake with Tutti Fruiti -(makes 8 -10 slices)

(I made a really small portion, but feel free to double the ingredients)

1 cup All purpose flour (maida)

tiny pinch of salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 teaspoon baking soda

Sift all of the above together

2/3 cup butter at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar, powdered

1 teaspoon vanilla extract i made my own from this recipe

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed mixed with 2/3 cup warm water

1/2 cup milk at room temperature

2/3 cup mixed tutti fruiti and glaze cherries, chopped small

In a mixer or manually with a whisk and a bowl, Cream the butter and the sugar till smooth and fluffy, add the flaxseed mixture, vanilla extract and mix thoroughly. Add the flour in about 2-3 portions alternate with the milk, mixing well to incorporate it. Add the tutti fruiti and mix with a spoon or spatula. Grease a 6 inch baking dish (i used a bundt / tube pan). Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake for 20-22 minutes in a preheated oven at 185 degrees celcius. Check at 20 minutes with a cake tester and increase baking time by 4-5 minutes if required. Mine was done in 22 minutes. Cool in the pan completely on a wire rack (i forced mine out and hence it didnt come out clean). Slice and serve. i suppose this can be stored in the refrigerator, mine did not last for even 24 hours!!

Chocolate Making Class on 9th Jan 2010

Start the new year with a Chocolatey indulgence…. Sign up for the chocolate making class in hyderabad on 9th jan 2010…. email me at arundati.rao@gmail.com or leave a comment

Another year comes to a close… Adieu 2009

The most lasting feeling  of the year 2009 is that it went by too fast… i just cant get over the speed at which it whizzed past…. seems like just yesterday i was bidding farewell to 2008….

I’ve not been too regular with blogging this year… because of work, travel, health and other things that make this life spin around… also, everyday cooking was reduced to just one meal a day because of my bad shoulder, that was sort of the death knell of creativity…at the end of a day, with an aching shoulder, the last thing i wanted was to cook something interesting, relying on the mundane and easy (and the already posted!). And when i did actually make something blog worthy, it ended up not being photographed.

Three significant trips this year have been to Ahmedabad, where i discovered the older parts of the city, Kerala and experiencing Jew Town earlier this month, and the most beautiful and yet humbling trip trekking upto the Valley of Flowers with K in July…..These three have been unforgettable ones…. As i discover places, old and new, they’ve each taught me something new and have a lot and put me back in touch with myself…..I’ve done a year end post on Random Thoughts

K and I have started on a business venture that is one step closer to following our dreams… so far, its been great to see the hard work pay off, but there’s so much more to accomplish in the new year… Wish us luck my dear friends….

I’ve no regrets or disappointments with this year…. but hope that the new one, will be better, brighter, happier more successful and safer for us all as we say farewell to 2009….

I wish you the love of friends and family,  much laughter, peace, love & joy, the friendship of true friends and the courage to face all else that life brings with it……cheers to everything that 2009 was and all the hope that 2010 brings.

Happy New Year….. Lets have a good 2010

Merry Christmas!

To all of you who stop by here… family, friends & readers of this blog……. a Very Happy and Blessed Christmas. May the peace and joy of this season be upon us and with us always….With much love and thanks for reading Escapades………

Arundati

Egg fried rice

this is a post that (uncharacteristically) comes straight to the point. egg fried rice is a firm favourite and can be made with whatever veggies you have on hand and is a great way to use up leftover rice. I however used freshly cooked rice. Its especially great if its eaten on its own, cos it really doesnt need anything on the side to “dress” it up.

Egg Fried Rice – Serves 2/3

3 cups cooked rice – the grains should be separate, use leftover rice straight from the fridge

1 cup thinly shredded vegetables of choice (i’ve used cabbage, green beans and baby corn)

1 medium onion, sliced thin

2 medium eggs

1 tablespoon soya sauce

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon garlic paste

freshly crushed pepper

salt to taste (if needed, check after adding the soya sauce)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

in a pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil, break in the eggs and scramble with salt and pepper to taste. Cook till just done, do not overcook. transfer to a plate.

heat the other tablespoon of the oil, saute the garlic till the raw smell disappears, add the vegetables and cook on high heat till they are cooked but retain a crunch. this can be made out when the vegetables still retain their bright colour. add the rice and stir well to incorporate. add the soya sauce, vinegar and salt if needed, stir in the cilantro and eggs. toss well to combine. turn off the heat. Check for seasonings and serve hot.

Sinfully Awesome – Double Chocolate Butterscotch Fudge Brownies

ok that’s a mouthful….and dont let the pictures deter you. This is by far the best brownie i have made/ eaten…and that’s saying a lot, Since the family favourite is this one……

I did a chocolate class on saturday…. had a blast and had some leftover melted milk chocolate that i needed to use up. Normally, most people are chocolate crazy…. in my house, its ghar ki murgi dal barabar… since its so easily available… there are hardly any takers… so i knew keeping the chocolate as is would be a waste….after lunch, i logged in to check my mails, and saw my namesake’s status – double chocolate almond butterscotch brownie…. i knew i had my calling….

i have this habit of keeping unused stuff till it cries and dies, my packet of butterscotch chips, went from chips to slab all because i’d left it unused for ages longer than i should. It was in the fridge, each time i opened to get milk or something else, i’d guiltily look away… now this was a brownie that promised to make up… so i got the recipe from her blog….and read it… then decided that i could remember it and needn’t write it down…

When i got to the kitchen all i remembered was 2 eggs and 1/2 cup melted butter…. i decided to use just one egg as i cant stand eggs in cakes/ bakes…. funny cos i love eggs otherwise!! lets just say that was the end of following a recipe… too much chocolate cant be bad for anyone right? so i made up my own… and boy oh boy… is it fabulous or what… weight watchers, just look at the picture and leave… cos there is serious sugar coming your way!!

Double Chocolate Butterscotch Fudge Brownies

1 cup chopped cooking chocolate ( i used milk, but feel free to use dark/ bitter)

1/2 cup melted butter or oil

2/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 egg

1/2 cup butter scotch chips

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/3 cup sugar (reduce if you dont want it too sweet)

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

in a heat proof bowl, melt the chocolate and the butter/ oil for 1 minute in the microwave oven. take it out, add the sugar, coffee powder and cocoa powder and stir with a wooden spoon till the sugar has melted and mixed in well. leave to cool for 5 mins. When the butter, chocolate mixture has cooled, beat in the egg. beat this well so that there are no traces of unbeaten egg. Add the butter scotch chips and mix well. slowly add the flour, 1-2 tablespoon at a time till it begins to look like a giant ball of fudge. grease and line a 9×9 inch square baking pan and pour in the mixture, smoothen the top with the back of a spook. Bake for 20-22 mins in an oven at 200 celcius. Check for doneness with a skewer. let it cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into squares, dust the tops with powdered sugar… serve with whipped cream or plain vanilla icecream, or enjoy on its own.

Verdict: this is a very gooey in the centre, chewy on the top sweet brownie. the butterscotch chips add an extra crunch. you can reduce the amount of sugar if you dont have a very sweet tooth!

Chocolate Making Classes – 5th Dec, Hyderabad

Hear ye Chocoholics,

register for the next class of basic chocolate making on 5th dec at hyderabad. Leave a comment on this post and i will get back to you. seats on a first come first saved basis only.

Learn to make Exclusively Handcrafted Chocolates in assorted flavours at the Culinary Escapades Workshop.

Location: Hyderabad

Duration of workshop: 2 1/2  hrs

Varieties of chocolate: 12 assorted (dark, milk, white, dry fruits, nuts, flavoured, soft centred)Workshop takeaways: Recipe Booklet, samples of all the chocolates made (250 gms per head)

it is a fully hands on workshop.

Its that time of the year again……..

So, I’ve done the senti post…. I’ve also done the total recall post….all i can say now is… Damn!! where did one more year fly by? Were we flying at each other’s throats, or having so much fun that we didn’t notice?? Whatever it was…. it was damn good!! So my darling K (I will spare you the indignity of squirming from all the mush), whatever hit me on my head that i realized, in that one moment, of having known you all those years, that i wanted to spend my life with you, i just wish it had hit me earlier! Love you Sweetheart… Happy Anniversary!