Let's Begin!
So, here we are - Mid January of a New Year! 2016.
This is my first post of the year. Where do I start? There is so much to say. Should I just take the plunge? It has to be better than procrastination, right?! Yes, I think I will just get right in.
{Deep Breaths} 1...2....3... Ok, I am ready! Are you? OK! Here we go!
Happy, Merry, Jolly Christmas with An Orange Nigella Cake
Here we are at the brink of yet another year in passing. Christmas to me marks a special time, beyond the festival itself. Sure, it is a celebration with friends and family and a time to relax and enjoy the good things in your life. For me, it is also the time I am in a forced unwind. I choose to spend this time of the year in the countryside of Ireland where I get a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday business in New York. The schedule of these few days could not be more removed from the routine of regular life.
o, here we go. I wish you a fabulous time of joy, laughter, merriment as well as courage to reflect and make good choices on the important things in your life, be it love, family or work!
Merry Christmas!
And, to celebrate the happy things in life, there must always be cake! This year, I baked you a Gluten Free Orange and Nigella Seed Loaf drenched in Ginger Syrup... I hope you make it soon and enjoy it as much as I did.
Sweet Potato and Kale Latkes
In the last year, I think I have learnt more about judaism and jewish-ness than in the last ten years! Last year around this time, I made my first ever visit to the contentious region of the Middle East. Starting from Israel, I then traveled to Turkey with the ability to compare the cultures across three distinct yet related religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
I just wanted to tell you what I was thinking when I made these Sweet Potato and Kale Latkes over the Hannukah period. Ironically, the coincidence was unconscious. Now, I see how my seemingly irrational mind rationally drove my actions. :)
Apple and Pear Loaf {Gluten Free}
This wonderfully light and moist Fall/Winter fruit loaf is one of those delights I have been making with simple alternate baking flours. Here I use my everyday staple mix of oat and almond flours for a nutty, robust and flavorful finish. Mixing cooked and grated fresh fruit makes for a moist cake that holds its flavor and suppleness for more days despite the use of naturally drier (compared to wheat) flours. The good thing about this recipe is that it does not need any binding agent other than egg and butter. So, no added gums or starches, which, for me is one of its elegant highlights.
Curried Chicken Cornbread Casserole
You can make this for your Thanksgiving table or as a way to make the most of the leftovers! Cornbread and poultry are the leading stars of the dish and everything else is simply surround sound for their tango music!