Pepper 'n Spice

Biscotti is an Italian biscuit which is baked twice; first in the slab form and then in the elongated biscotti shapes. This is done so that they are crisp and crunchy. I dunk it with my tea. In Italy, it is traditionally served as an after dinner dessert and dunked in a wine called vin santo. At our local favourite coffeeshop, we get one tiny biscotti with our cappuccino and it's finished with one dunk :-( Now that I have biscotti at home, I only have to perfect the art of good coffee making :-) Biscotti and my midnight book : The Silent Patient. by Alex Michaelides.         Alicia has murdered her huband. What for? Why? Nobody knows. Because she has become silent ever since and has communicated only through a single painting that she made after the murder. She attempted suicide and so she being nursed in a psychiatric hospital. Enter Theo, a psychotherapist who wants to decode Alicia. A thriller, unstoppable once you delve into the characters of Alicia and Theo. ...

Apple pie is a comfort food and it is unofficially a symbol of America. I used almond flour which is made by blanching almonds, removing their skins and then grinding them to a fine powder. This flour is wheat-free and gluten-free. Wheat has a protein called gluten, which helps the dough to become fluffy on baking. For individuals who have an allergy to gluten, wheat can cause bloating and tiredness because of the autoimmune response of the body trying to remove gluten. So almond flour is a good alternative then. The backdrop is the dense forest called Poongavanam surrounding the Sabarimala temple. This forest is part of the Periyar National park and wildlife sanctuary known for its elephant and tiger reserve. Ingredients for the pie are, For the pie crust, Almond flour - 2 and 1/2 cup Granulated sugar - 3 tsp Salt - 1/4 tsp Unsalted butter - 2 Tbsp For the pie filling, Unsalted butter - 5 Tbsp Almond flour - 2 Tbsp Water - a splash Granulated sugar - 2 Tbsp  Apple - 1 and 1/2...

Samosa is very popular in Kerala as a tea-time snack. The local bakeries have vegetarian ones filled with potatoes, peas, carrots, onions; non-vegetarian ones filled with chicken or beef, and spices. They are triangular in shape with a thin fried pastry dough which contain the fillings. Punjabi samosa which is common in North India is a bigger version, filled with potato, peas and spices. We have our samosas with ketchup, but mint coriander chutney and tamarind chutney are the usual accompaniements. Samosa is deep fried, but I have made a healthier samosa by baking them. The Rajasthani handmade marble plate depicts an Indian maharaja on an elephant. It is a miniature painting done with water and oil paints, and a lacquer finish. The colors used in the panting are made from natural vegetable and mineral dyes. This one is an acomplishment gift given to my hubby from his workplace. For the samosas you need, Samosa dough sheet - 5 Water Olive oil - 2 tsp + for brushing For the filling, Bea...

Biscuit cake is usually made with digestive biscuits. I used Marie and Parle-G biscuits. It was interesting to read that Prince William requested the Royal Kitchens of Buckingham Palace to prepare a chocolate biscuit cake for his wedding. The photo with the mushrooms on the bark was taken in the woods on the outskirts of Skane, when we went on a hiking trip with one of our friend's family . Skane, the Southern province of Sweden was originally part of Denmark until the 17th century. After the Second Northern War Denmark had to give up Skane to Sweden.  Ingredients for biscuit cake are, Marie biscuits or Parle G biscuits - 10 For coffee mix : Instant coffee powder - 3/4 tsp  Caster sugar - 1 Tbsp All purpose flour - 1 3/4 Tbsp Milk - 1/4 cup For chocolate mix : Butter - 20 g Caster sugar - 2 Tbsp Cocoa powder - 1/2 Tbsp Drinking chocolate powder - 1/2 Tbsp To make the cake, Prepare the coffee mix. Dip each of the biscuit in the coffee mix for a second and stack them on tin foil...

Lasagne is an Italian dish made up of alternating layers of ragu(ground meat and tomato sauce) and flat pasta, and topped off with cheese. My ragu has ground chicken and vegetables in tomato sauce. Lasagne is great on its own or with some bread as a side. The picture book is a gift from my client when I was working in Rejkjavik. It is a very scenic place. Like "lagom" in Sweden, the typical Icelandic philosophy is "petta reddast", which means sometimes it is better to let go as it will all work out in the end.  Lasagna sheets - 4 Green zucchini - 1, peeled Button mushrooms - 100 g, sliced Spring onion, leaves - 100 g, chopped Chicken, minced - 150 g Rosemary, dried - 1/2 tsp Oregano, dried - 1/2 tsp Red chili flakes - 1/2 tsp Salt - 3/4 tsp Peppercorn, freshly crushed - 1 tsp Cheddar cheese - 6 strips Pasta sauce - 4 Tbsp Boil lasagna sheets with a pinch of salt and a drop of olive oil until al dente. Drain. In a bowl, add mushroom, peels of zucchini, spring onion, ...

Guacamole is a  Mexican dip; a a dip for veggies, nachos and as a spread on toast. It is made from ripe avacado. I ripened the avacado by wrapping it with paper. In two days, it became a dark green color and soft. Once the fruit is cut, the flesh will brown on exposure to air. So immediately sprinkle lemon juice on the flesh after peeling. Avocado is full of good fat (monounsaturated fat) which help reduce bad cholesterol levels in your blood. The coins signify the year of the rabbit when my hubby was working in Beijing. It is the year my baby came into our life. The element of her Chinese zodiac year is metal. And as her fortune says, she is full of energy and creative.    For the guacamole you need, Avocado, ripe - 1 Lemon - 1 Green chili - 1/2, minced Rock salt, crushed - 1/2 tsp Peppercorn, crushed - 1/2 tsp Halve the avocado. When you feel the pit, twist and separate. Remove the pit and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Pour the juice of a lemon on it. Mash with a fo...

The cake has a nice lemony taste and is really soft.   The background photo was the view from our Stockholm apartment. Fir trees are very common in the forests of Sweden. In the countryside, Swedes get their own Christmas tree from the woods. More than half of their land area is covered with forests. Some traditions that I remember from Swedish Christmas are Advent, St. Lucia, Lussebullar, Kalle Anka and the rea on all the stores.  For the cake, you need, Dry ingredients : All purpose flour - 1 and 1/2 cup Baking powder - 2 tsp Salt - 1/4 tsp Lemon zest - 2 tsp Wet ingredients : Granulated sugar (or organic jaggery) - 1/2 cup Organic eggs - 3 Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp Yogurt - 1 cup Olive oil - 1/2 cup For the lemon syrup, Granulated sugar - 2 Tbsp Lemon juice - 2 Tbsp Combine the dry ingredients. In another bowl, add sugar, eggs and vanilla. Whisk till foamy. Add yogurt. Stir to combine. Add dry ingredients to the wet bowl in batches. Stir with a rubber spatula until all...

Kappa is tapioca in malayalam. It is the long root of the casava plant and has a brown outer rind. It contains mainly carbohydrates and almost nil proteins and fat. This starchy food can replace grains. In Kerala, where I live, kappa grows on any soil. It is abundant in the interior regions. Whenever we go to our hometown of Mallapally, we get fresh organic kappa. When the root is cut, a good kappa will be pure white inside. The bronze uruli is from Mom's ancestral home. This is the traditional vessel used for cooking and serving. There are very large uruli's that are used for cooking large quantities, for example, for a wedding. Nowadays, uruli is used as a decorative piece; filled with water and with flower petals floating in them. For Vishukkanni, mom places all the vegetables and fruits (golden cucumber, lemon, coconut), rice grains and yellow konna flowers in the uruli. This is what we see first on Vishu day. Ingredients for kappa dish are : Kappa - 1/2 kg For the masala, ...

Momos are popular in Tibet, Nepal, China and North Eastern India. They are traditionally filled with minced beef or pork, and steamed in a bamboo basket. My dumplings are filled with vegetables, chicken, coriander, spring onion and a lot of spices.  The background is a Chinese paper art on silk scroll that was gifted to my hubby during his Beijing work. The red color is for good luck and prosperity. Jianzhi is the Chinese folk art of paper cutting that dates back to the 6th century AD. Ingredients for the outer covering are : All purpose flour - 1 cup + 4 Tbsps for dusting Water - 2/3 cup Salt - 1/4 tsp Ingredients for the filling are : Peas, frozen - 25 g Beans - 25 g, ends trimmed and chopped small Cabbage - 1/4, thinly sliced Minced chicken - 1/2 cup Freshly ground pepper - 1 tsp Green chili - 1, minced Onion - 1 small, peeled and thinly sliced Garlic - 2 cloves, peeled and minced Ginger paste - 1 tsp Chicken masala - 1/2 tsp Apple cider vinegar - 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder - a pin...

Casserole is a baked dish typically with meat or fish, vegetables and a carbohydrate component like pasta or potato. This omelette casserole has egg and vegetables. The Dutch Delft blue cow is eyeing the omelette ;-) For the vegetables : Peas, frozen - 50 g Beans - 50 g, ends trimmed Cabbage - 1/4 Green chili - 1 Onion - 1 small, peeled Garlic - 3 cloves, peeled Ginger paste - 1 tsp Chicken masala - 1/2 tsp Apple cider vinegar - 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder - a pinch Salt - to taste Olive oil - 2 tsp + for greasing the pan For the omelette : Organic eggs - 3 Milk - 1/4 cup Rosemary, dried - 1/2 tsp Salt - 1/4 tsp Coriander leaves - a few Chop beans and cabbage into small pieces. Thaw peas. Marinate the vegetables with minced chili, ginger paste, chicken masala, turmeric powder, salt and vinegar. Stir to mix well. Let the spices soak in for 15 minutes. Mince garlic. Chop onion into thin slices. Heat a saucepan. Add 2 tsps of oil. Add garlic and onion. Saute until the onions are translucent. ...

Kofta is a fried cutlet shaped like meatballs, usually served in a creamy gravy. I made the vegetarian version with peas, beans, cabbage and potato. We ate it dry, with paratha. The red pixie sleeping on her back is made of ceramic. It is a product of Nittsjo Keramik, a pottery firm founded in Sweden way back in 1843. To make the cutlets, you need, Peas, frozen - 150 g Beans - 100 g, ends trimmed Cabbage - 1/4 Potato - 3 medium Green chili - 1 Onion - 1, peeled Garlic - 4 cloves, peeled Ginger paste - 1 tsp Chicken masala - 1 and 1/2 tsp Apple cider vinegar - 1 tsp Turmeric powder - a pinch Salt - to taste Olive oil - 2 tsp + for brushing Coriander leaves - a few White bread - 6 to 7 slices Organic egg - 2 Boil potatoes until soft. Peel. Mash with the back of a fork. Keep aside. Chop beans and cabbage into small pieces. Thaw peas. Marinate the vegetables with minced chili, ginger paste, chicken masala, turmeric powder, salt and vinegar. Stir to mix well. Let the spices soak in for 15 m...

I tasted cold thandai for the first time when me and my badminton buddies met at Anu Garg's home to celebrate the "festival of love" - holi. We had lot of fun putting colours on each other.  Christian Bjorn's tealight candleholder from the lighthouse series is inspired by the lighthouses along the Scandinavian coast, which give hope, comfort and warmth to the saliors. Made from porcelain and stainless steel, it has a simple, elegant yet sturdy design.   For this cold drink, you need Almond - 1 Tbsp Cashewnut - 1/2 Tbsp Raisins - 1 Tbsp Pepper - 4 Organic jaggery - 2 tsp Water - to soak Milk (cold) - 1 glass Place almond, cashewnut, raisins and pepper in a bowl. Add water just enough to soak.  Keep aside for 1 hour. Add jaggery. Blend the mixture to a fine paste. Add 1 Tbsp of the paste to a glass of cold milk. Stir. Top with almond slivers. Recipe ref : cure.fit and inspired by Anu Garg

Millets are rich in protein and dietary fiber. Chinese style cooking involves soya sauce, vinegar and stir fry. The vegetables are tender and crunchy as they are cooked quickly on high heat.   Monica Ritterband's resting node is contemplative. It is when we rest that we are really ourselves. We should give thought to where we use our time and if we have meaningful relationships. The musica figurine reminds me of the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen. The bronze statue is based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, about a mermaid becoming human.   For the recipe, I needed  Millets - 1 cup Water - 1 and 1/2 cup Olive oil - 1 tsp Beans - 100 g, ends trimmed Red capsicum - 1, deseeded Yellow capicum - 1, deseeded Cabbage - 1/4 Green chili - 1 Ginger paste - 1 tsp Soya sauce - 2 tsp Apple cider vinegar - 1 tsp Salt - 1/2 tsp Onion - 1, peeled Garlic - 4 pods. peeled Coriander leaves - a few To prepare, Soak millet for 30 minutes. Wash. Cook 1 cup millet in 1 and ...

Uthapppam is a breakfast dish made from dosa batter. Unlike the crisp thin dosa, uthappam is thick and has onions, tomatoes and chili. I saved up my 3 days sourdough discard just for this. The green and clear glass bowl is a part of the kivi set by Finnish designer Pertti Santalahti for Humppila in the late 70's.  Ingredients are : Sourdough - 527 g Onions - 2 medium, peeled Green chili - 1 Salt - 1 tsp Pepper - 1/4 tsp Mint leaves - a bunch Olive oil - for brushing the pan Combine all the ingredients.  Warm a saucepan. Brush oil. Drop scoops of batter. Cook for a few minutes. Flip. Cook until both sides are lightly browned. Recipe inspiration - my hubby

The banana bread was very moist and nice with my evening cup of tea. Mom had bought a variety of bananas - robusta, njalipoovan, palayankodan and nendra pazham. I waited a day for them to ripen. The recipe recommends overripe bananas, but ripe ones are good enough too. The cobalt blue spatter glass bowl and wooden knives were gifted to my hubby by his Swedish colleague. I am in awe of its beautiful finish.  Ingredients for the bread are... Wet ingredients : Ripe banana - 375 g, weighed with the skin on (3 medium size) Organic jaggery - 200 g Vanilla essence - 1 and 1/2 tsp Organic eggs - 2 Sourdough - 100 g Dry ingredients : All purpose flour - 250 g Salt - 1/4 tsp Baking soda - 1 and 1/2 tsp Olive oil - 125 ml Milk - 60 ml Mash bananas with the back of a fork. Add jaggery and vanilla extract. Mix well. Add eggs one by one, stirring after each. Add starter. Stir to combine. It is okay if there are some small banana lumps. In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the dry in...

Sunday is a slow day. All of us sleep in. Breakfast was sourdough crumpets prepared by my better half and junior. Crumpets with mint leaves and chopped onion. Almost like onion oothapam. Yummm.  Pic credits to my kiddo. It was her idea to have a chicken dish featuring a chicken! Again one of our glass keepsake from Sweden. We saw glass being blown by a glassmith at Skansen, the world's oldest open air museum. This rooster is a venetian murano glass. Murano is a group of islands in Italy connected by bridges, known for glassmaking. This art was born when the Venetian Republic fearing fires destroying their wooden buildings, ordered the furnaces of glassmakers to be moved to Murano.   Ingredients for the chicken dish are : For marination : Chicken, boneless - 500 gms Turmeric powder - a pinch Chili powder - 1 tsp Salt - 3/4 tsp Apple cider vinegar - 1 tsp Olive oil - 1 Tbsp Onion - 2 medium, peeled Garlic - 3 or 4 pods, peeled Green chili - 2, slit Fresh curry leaves - a sp...

 Quinoa is an edible seed. In 1 cup of quinoa, there is 8 gms of protein and 5 gms of fiber. Its also gluten-free. It has antioxidants and a high content of manganese and iron. A pretty good carbohydrate I must say! Soak the quinoa in water for 30 minutes before cooking. I cooked it in chicken stock which gave it a nice flavour. I also marinated the veggies about half an hour before preparation. The tealight candleholder is from the 2006 collection of Steninge Slott. A colorful light emanates through the glass when a candle is lit. Steninge Palace is on the outskirts of Stockholm near Lake Malaren. Swedish life is 'lagom'; living slow and enjoying the moment.  Ingredients for quinoa : Quinoa - 1 cup Water - 2 cups Chicken soup cube - 1 Salt - 1/4 tsp  Ingredients for the veggies : Carrot - 1, peeled Yellow zucchini - 1, peeled Mushroom - 5 or 6 Garlic - 3 or 4 pods, peeled Green chili - 1 Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp Red chili flakes - 1/4 tsp Salt Olive oil - 2 tsp Corian...

Its a very rainy day. Landslides and floods are predicted in parts of my state. All of us are cooped up indoors. To brighten the mood and atmosphere, my husband has lit candles on our Swedish candleholders. He has also put a few drops of lavender oil in the candle wax. The fragrance from the oil is pleasing and uplifting and also helps keep insects and bugs away that are plenty this monsoon season.   In my younger days, my family's favourite eatery was a Chinese restaurant called Mallaya. I used to like their Chinese fried rice and noodles.     For this recipe, I marinated the vegetables in soya sauce and spices, which helped reduce the cooking time and retain their crunchiness. Ingredients for the noodles are : Broad noodles, dry - 100 gms Water Garlic - 4 or 5 pod, peeled Carrot - 1, peeled Yellow zucchini - 1/2, peeled Green capsicum - 1, deseeded Mushroom - 4 or 5 Salt - 1/2 tsp Pepper - 1/4 tsp Red chili flakes - 1/4 tsp Soya sauce - 1 tsp Apple cider vinegar - ...

Egg muffins with peas and spinach, toast with hummus and cut fruits were our breakfast platter. These breakfast egg cups are easy to make. And it is low carb and high in protein.  The tomten are porcelain figurines from Naasgransgarden, a design by Ruth Vetter. Its a Swedish belief that the jultomten comes in through the front door to give presents to the children on Christmas Eve. The holiday season begins with Advent. In Lund, where we were, all shop and home windows look beautiful with Advent candelbra at this time. The gatans are decorated with Christmas lights. Inspite of the early sunset (which happens in the afternoon!), the lights brighten up the streets. Ingredients for the muffins : Organic eggs - 4  Green chili - 1 Garlic - 1 clove, peeled Salt - 1/4 tsp Green peas, frozen - 200 gms Spinach leaf, fresh - 1 Olive oil - for brushing the muffin tins Break eggs into a bowl, Whisk till fluffy.  Mince garlic and chili. I used a spicy chili. Chop spinach into small pi...

Hummus is a savoury spread made from chickpeas. It can also be eaten as a dip for crunchy vegetables like celery, cucumber and capsicum. We spread it on our toasted sandwich along with slices of boiled eggs and tomatoes. The money plants in the glass pots are from my grandmother's garden. I like to have my morning cup of masala chai among them, leaning on the charupadi (the traditional built-in wooden back rest running along my balcony)       Ingredients are :     Chickpeas - 2 cups, soaked overnight Sesame seeds, white - 2 tsp Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Garlic - 1 clove, peeled Salt - 1/2 tsp Lime - 3 Cold water - 1/4 cup Pressure cook the chickpeas with water and a pinch of salt until soft. Strain and keep aside to cool.                 Toast sesame and cumin seeds.            Add cooked chickpeas, garlic, sesame seeds, salt, cumin seeds, water and juice of lemons in a blender. Blend to a smoo...