mayurisjikoni

Food Blogger Recipe Swap -November Partner :Luca - Simply Delish Eats    Its my first time to post a recipe for the Food Blogger Recipe Swap . I've always been interested in trying out recipes from other bloggers blogs. I wanted to join the Secret Recipe  Club but it shut down. I came across this group by chance and requested Amber Dawn who blogs at Simply Made recipes  to enroll me as a member. My first post and I'm a bit late but then better late than never. The other participants posted their recipes before Thanksgiving Day.     How does this group work? Well, its quite simple. Every month (except during holiday time), Amber will ask who would like to participate in the event for that particular month. We add our names and she pairs us up. We then visit our partner's blog and make something from there in our own way, style and post it on our blogs and linking it to the original recipe.    Luca lives in California (that's so far from Mombasa!). She works in the Fashio

Assam - The Red River State    November is when the Shhh Cooking Secretly Group visited Assam. Assam is a state in the North East of India. Its strategic location makes it the 'Gateway to the Seven Sister States of North East India'. Assam's history goes way back to the ancient times, having been mentioned in the Mahabharata, was known as Asham during Aurangzeb's time and the British developed the tea estates  during the British Rule. Assam is well known for its flora and fauna and the famous tea estates. Assam itself has nearly 500 varieties of orchids. Its also known as the state of the  Red River due to the presence of the Brahmaputra. Its a state rich in culture and traditions. Coming to the Assamese Cuisine, Assamese are by and large non vegetarians. The staple food is rice. Their food is not too spicy or oily but is still rich in taste. They make use of naturally growing herbs and vegetables which is used in making fish and meat dishes. Most of the dishes prepare

COLD DAYS = SPICY DRINKS      Bangalore cannot make up its mind weather wise. Its cold sometimes and hot over days. We are in the winter month and its not as cold as it used to get some years back. However, I'm not really complaining as I'm enjoying the weather. Yesterday was one of those chilly days and just the right time to have a hot comforting drink. Usually a hot cup of spicy tea does the trick. However, I made Pumpkin Spice Latte to ward off the cold. A hot drink cupped in our hands and watching a 'girlie movie' was a Sunday well spent.    The coldest weather I've ever experienced is 0°C in Chandigarh and at Lake Louise, Alberta. Both experiences were totally different. When hubby and I went to Chandigarh we didn't know that it would be so cold. I'd wear my leggings and jeans, a vest, top, sweater and a shawl. At night once I was under the thick quilt, I didn't want to move even an inch in case the cold air got in! The tiny heaters that the hotel

Delicious Dumplings    A visit to Phoenix Mall, Bangalore is like a dazzling visit to Fairyland. Only thing is that nothing is free, you need oodles of money to buy whatever you want. I remember when I was studying in India in the 70s, nothing much was available and relatives and friends would have a long list of things they'd want us to bring for them from Kenya. Tables have turned, everything is available in India right from Rin soap to Audis. For a girl who comes from the supposedly second biggest city in Kenya, the malls are like paradise for me. Visiting Foodland is a foodie's dream but unfortunately everything from lettuce to wheat pasta is overpriced. Eating healthy is an expensive habit. Wonder why?? Healthy foods should be pocket friendly. Anyway we can argue about food prices world wide endlessly and get nowhere. Lets face it food is expensive.    Daughter and I were at the mall to catch a movie. Have you seen what PVR charges for popcorns??? For a handful of kernels

Cheese Stuffed Garlic Pull Apart Bread#BreadBakers Theme: Pull Apart Breads   Pull Apart Bread has been on my 'to do' list for a long time. I've done mini ones in a muffin pan, but wanted to bake one in a bundt pan. However, the bundt pan part didn't really work out but the pull apart bread got baked.    My daughter keeps on insisting that she's not going to eat much carbs, so initially I tried baking half the recipe to give a small loaf. First all, its the first time I'm halving a basic bread recipe so forgot that I should add less salt. The small miserable looking loaf didn't come out too well and it was salty. However, my daughter liked the idea of tiny pieces of bread stuffed with cheese so she insisted that I bake one for her to take to work. That was a relief as I now could bake the normal 3-3½ cup flour bread. I used a small cake tin and the shape came out much better, the rise was good and yes it wasn't salty.   Pull Apart Breads is the Novembe

So comforting    On 4th Nov 918 kg of khichdi sets Guinness World Record. 125kg rice, 45kg moong dal, 6.5kg salt, and several kgs of millet and barley was used to make this khichdi at the World Food Event in New Delhi cooked by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor with the help of a 50 member team. Check details here.    Khichdi very much originates from the Indian Sub Continent. Its basically a mixture of rice and lentils cooked in water with salt and turmeric powder. That's the basic khichdi that most households cook whether they are poor or rich. Its considered one of the most healthiest food, filling, comforting and nutritious. Depending on the regions khichdi is made with a mixture of different kinds of lentils, rice and other grains like millet, amaranth, barley etc.    If one is sick, a gruel like khichdi is given. Light and yet filling. Old people who have denture problems are given khichdi, babies are given khichdi. Any time is khichdi time, be it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I know tha