We can cook!

Thank you all for coming and totally making my day. I love doing this and meeting all the great people just adds to the whole experience! I hope everyone had a great time and learned a few things about Indian/Pakistani cooking and all spices we use. Special thanks to Pat and Ginny.. you guys rock!

The missing instructions are right here:

1. Heat some oil in a pan and brown the onions until dark brown.

2. Add the chilies, garlic and ginger and cook for 2 mins.

3. Add yogurt. (Blend)
4. Add tomato sauce.
5. Heat some oil in a separate frying pan sear the chicken on high heat for 2-3 mins.
6. To the chicken, add all the spices and roast them for about 30 sec.
7. Add the chicken to the sauce. Season with salt.
8. Lower the heat and simmer until chicken is cooked. About 10 min.
9. Add the cream cook for another 2 mins.
10. Add the almond powder to thicken the sauce.
11. Turn the heat off. Mix in the butter.
12. Sprinkle some extra Garam Masala on top (optional).

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Sacher Torte

We had a beautiful sunny day today. Had a great big breakfast at Roxy's Diner in Fremont... and came home to this! The original sacher torte all the way from Vienna Austria. It came in the cutest little wooden box and the cake had a chocolate seal on it... coolest thing ever!

A late gift for my sweetie for his 30th!

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Bean Salad with Salsa Verde

Zesty and uber delicious!

(prep time 30 mins)

(serves 2-3)

Ingredients

Garbanzo Beans 1/2 cup

Kidney Beans 1/2 cup

White Beans 1/2 cup

Garlic 1/2 tsp (minced)

White onion 2-3 Tbs (chopped fine)

Green pepper 2-3 Tbs (chopped fine)

Tomatoes 1 med (chopped fine)

Jalapeño 1 tsp (chopped very fine)

Salsa Verde 1/2 cup 

White wine vinegar 3-4 Tbs

Salt

Method

Just toss everything together in a big bowl.

Season with salt.

Let this sit in the refrigerator for a few hours before consuming.

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таратор - Tarator (Bulgarian cold soup)

Quick and refreshing, a fantastic cold soup from Bulgaria. This soup is eaten chilled and sometimes ice cubes are added to it. I served this in a cute little ice bowl, which I lined with slices of cucumbers. I think it looks fab!

Following is a basic recipe that I found over the net. Feel free to change the ratio of any ingredient to better suit your taste buds.

And if you know how to make clear ice please tell me. I double boiled distilled water and it didn't work. I read somewhere that water needs to freeze in thin layers for clear ice. Does anyone know a better way?

(prep time 10 mins)
(serves 2-3)
Ingredients

Plain yogurt 2/3 cup
Fresh Dill 1-2 Tbs (chopped coarse)
Walnuts 2-3 Tbs (chopped)
Garlic 1/2 tsp (minced)
Cucumber 1 large (peeled)
Olive Oil or Sunflower Oil 2 Tbs
Water 1/3 cup
Salt 1/3 tsp approx

Method

Blend yogurt, water, half the cucumber and the garlic in a blender until smooth.
Take out in a bowl and keep aside.
Dice the left over cucumber into tiny bits and add to the yogurt.
Add the dill and walnuts.
Season with salt.
Drizzle some olive oil on top.
Enjoy.

:-)

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Another one :-)

I really love doing this :-)

Sharing some pics from the class, thank you all for coming!

It was great meeting everyone today.

And that gal from Bulgaria (I am sorry for not knowing your name) you are off the charts sweet :-) The next post I will dedicate to you :-) something from Bulgaria with extra rose water :-p

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