Signature Concoctions

taking a break

Vasanti — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 04:21:44 +0000

In the meantime, give some of these concoctions a try!

…so long Montclair

Vasanti — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 05:50:14 +0000

Montclair has been our home for 6 years now. But all good things must come to an end…..so long Montclair!

It was a great run and I will always cherish all the wonderful memories we have made living in Montclair. I still remember us driving into Montclair’s little downtown several years ago while we were exploring towns closer to my new workplace. We were so taken up by the cozy clutter of eclectic restaurants and antique shops, the hilly, windy roads, pretty parks set against dueling Franco and Anglo architecture from when it was smaller villages called Cranetown, Speertown and Watchung.

I have seen Montclair grow in leaps and bounds during the real estate boom but thankfully it hasn’t crashed and burned like some other neighborhoods. Now, more than six years later, it is time for me to move on and away from Montclair! In the last few weeks, I’ve been busy packing up boxes, keeping the pantry lean and refrigerator clean as we prep for our big move. And today, I’m sharing a few recipes that were inspired by my pantry and refrigerator clean up. The strangest bedfellows can make for some signature concoctions!

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a picnic at the Central Park

Vasanti — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 23:26:41 +0000

This Memorial day, we had another one of our quick picnics by the Lake at the New York City’s Central Park. My daughter, just like her mom, loooves Central Park and we just enjoy dragging Daddy back into the city over the weekend for a summer day in the park. While he may think it is overrated, once we head out to west, I am sure he will miss Manhattan!

We settled down under a nice shady spot overlooking the lake, amongst a thousand other picnickers out there that day. As I took my sandals off and felt the cool soft grass below my feet and in between my toes, I suddenly realized that this was probably the last time we made such an impromptu trip to the park. The next time we want to do it, we’ll have to fly a few thousand miles . Nevertheless, a picnic at the Central Park, is the best summer thing to do in the city!

While most of the time, our last minute picnic plans involved brunch at one of many awesome restaurants that line Central Park, picking up lunch from a local delis or even getting a hot dog from the street carts, this time I made it extra special by bringing homemade sandwiches with refreshing lemonade. Of course, we did to stick to our traditions; which is Nia’s entire face ate an ice cream from the street vendor and the adults went for their indulgence to the Bouchon Bakery at Columbus Circle for their famous melt-in-the-mouth macarons!

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i’m hooked

Vasanti — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 03:26:25 +0000

It has been airing only for a couple of days now and I’m loving it!

As a die-hard fan of the Food Network, I must say that it’s sister channel is pretty neat. It has some unique shows – the Rachel Allen’s show based on baking, Daryl Robinson’s mixology show, Drink Up, Everyday Exotic, where Chef Roger breaks free from the boredom of everyday meals by giving them a fantastic makeover using one new ingredient and finally an Indian cooking show by Anjum Anand. These guys are awesomely creative and very inspiring. I’m already getting a lot of inspiration and fun ideas from the shows.

I’m hooked!

constant cravings

Vasanti — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 03:05:58 +0000

The recipes that I am sharing today reflect the characteristic “Brahmin” cooking style from my native state in India – Maharashtra. The traditional cooking emphasizes on creating uncomplicated dishes in which the veggies or legumes are delicately spiced and cooked by using simple methods like sautéing or braising. I believe it is these culinary techniques that preserve the true flavor of the food and give this cuisine it’s intricate flavors, intoxicating aromas and succulent textures of home-style Indian food.

Being a Maharashtrian, it’s no surprise that these and many such authentic dishes are on the list of my “constant cravings”. Time and again, I find myself cooking this food and relishing every bite of it!

Mix ‘n’ match or pair them with steamed basmati rice or any kind of Indian breads for a well-balanced meal!

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cooking with mom

Vasanti — Sun, 09 May 2010 02:54:19 +0000

Who doesn’t like to sit back, relax and have fresh, homemade food make it’s way to you?! I sure do! It usually happens once in a while when mom comes over and takes over the kitchen.

I have to admit; as much as I love cooking, I love it more when I can get mom to make all my favorite things like lip-smacking chutneys, crunchy pohe chivda, spicy hot green chilli pickles that I can relish for a long time after she’s gone back home and not to forget her very own signature concoction. While I make all the dishes she makes, somehow they taste better when mom conducts the orchestra!

Of course, when she’s in my kitchen, I too join her and get a crash course on Maharashtrian cooking and we have our impromptu recipe exchange sessions – some old, some new, and some that are created together on the spur of the moment. Only this time, we had one more chef putting her little nose in our soup!

Now, this last trip, she got the blogger bug from me and created a few recipes that are internet ready!…So, for Mother’s day this year, I am sharing a couple of concoctions that mom whipped up, right here, in my kitchen. Join us as we have fun cooking with my mom!

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inspirations from spring

Vasanti — Sat, 01 May 2010 03:42:39 +0000

Yes it is here… and about time too!

And with it comes all that is bright, fresh and yummy. Walking through the aisles of Montclair’s weekend farmer’s market, it was very exciting to see the spring in full bloom with vibrant vegetables and fruits. I was like a kid in a candy store – grabbed a huge bunch of things – fresh snow peas, bundles of asparagus, strawberries and much more!

With a creative spirit and my seasonal discoveries at the market, a beautiful menu came together. Check out my inspirations from Spring!

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roast chicken

Vasanti — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 22:53:19 +0000

There are two kinds of roasts. One happens on Comedy Central and the other in my oven. Let’s talk about the one that tastes better!

Since I have been taking classes at ICE, many have been kind enough to offer encouragement and also have asked me to share what I learn. Perfect thing for a food blogger! So I have decided to write a “techniques series”. I have been learning so many new things at school that I thought I will try to write a little bit about the technique and how I applied it to creating my very own signature recipes. Seriously, school never tasted so good!

Roasting may be one of the easiest of all cooking techniques. My oven does all the work while I can chill. Simply put, roasting is nothing but cooking food in an uncovered pan in the oven. It is a dry cooking technique, as opposed to wet techniques like stewing or braising. The concept is that the dry, hot air surrounds the food and cooks it evenly on all sides. Large cuts of meat usually work best; whole turkeys or chickens or large cuts of tenderloins are good candidates. Roasting also works well for certain vegetables like potatoes, tomatoes, beets, and winter squash, as it concentrates their natural sugars and intensifies their flavor. Depending on the food you’re preparing, you can roast at low, moderate, or high temperatures. One important tip: Always allow for 10 to 20 mins of resting time before serving. Large cuts of meat tend to retain enough internal heat and they continue to cook out of the oven, up to an added 8 to 10 degrees. Smaller cuts that do not have enough mass will only cook more by a couple of degrees. Either way, the main reason that meats should rest is to allow the juices to redistribute. If you slice into a roast chicken or beef roast immediately upon pulling it out of the oven, all the juices would pour out onto the platter and the resulting meat would be dry.

So while, roasting itself is quite easy (and there are a ton of recipes out there to roast whatever you want!), I decided to try something “signature” with the leftovers from my roast chicken. Diced or shredded, tender juicy roast chicken is perfect in these concoctions that take it to the next level!

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lights, camera and … no recipe!

Vasanti — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 04:35:57 +0000

Life’s been busy… yeah, going to school along with a full time job can really mess up my special “blog time”. I have been busier over the weekends – good kind of busy; I’ve been going to the Institute of Culinary Education since the beginning of the year and to tell you the truth, I have been cooking up a lot of stuff there! In the upcoming posts, I’ll be sure to share some of the specific culinary skills I’ve acquired and some amazing new techniques I have learnt.

The other love in my life is clicking what I love cooking. And, yes, there’s a school for that too!! A few weeks ago I attended a special workshop - food styling and photography at ICE. Since then, I haven’t been able to stop playing with my camera! This workshop was such an eye opener for me. I have been trying my hand at food styling and photography on my own since I started writing my blog, but I never knew there was so much more to it! In the three days of that workshop, I discovered that all those little buttons on my camera can do crazy wonderful things and was trained in the black art of Food Styling. Thanks to the gurus Matt Noel, Jim Peterson and Laurie Knoop, my concoctions never looked this good.

Today, I’m sharing my initial foray into professional-level food photography and styling. A picture speaks a thousand words; you bet … these mouth-watering concoctions need no recipes!

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cupcake birthday

Vasanti — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 21:49:14 +0000

“I am 3!” said my daughter, Nia, as she raised her little fingers and counted upto three. Yes, my babygirl just turned three! I don’t know where the last three years have gone and it’s hard to believe that she’s grown up into a girlie girl who loves getting dressed, going shopping, talking incessantly all the time and even cooking tirelessly in her own little kitchen spinning out delicacies for mommy, daddy and anyone who comes over. (I secretly pray she becomes a cooking show host one day!)

This birthday was certainly different than her previous birthdays. She actually understood that the day was something special and that it was all about her. So we decided to have two parties! One at school and one at home and she had a blast at both. With all the gifts that she received, she was one very happy birthday girl! To make it even more special Mommy decided to bake her birthday cake. While I usually try to put as much distance myself and the oven, since my bake-a-thon this past holiday, I have been growing more and more confident.

So what’s more challenging (and incredibly stressful) than making your own daughter’s birthday cake?! - making her a birthday cupcake

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