Potato - Thanks to this modest vegetable

I write about desserts, cakes, travels..but somewhere owe it all to this humble vegetable. My paternal grandparents, when they were farmers grew potatoes. I am just fascinated by this vegetable. For a simple reason that it blends with a lot of other stuff without losing its own essence, be it meat, chicken, eggs or other veggies. You’ll find this an integral part of Indian, European, American cuisine, though I am not sure of potatoes being used too much in Chinese food. It adapts itself beautifully with the other ingredients. I wonder will we humans ever be like that, adapt and accept each other beyond race, caste, gender while maintaining our own soul. I see potatoes as world citizen, a reflection of my own dream, where one day there will be no boundaries, no discrimination, no racism..so until this foolish hope and too good to come true dream keeps me going, I will continue to mix and match potatoes and eat it own its own. I am heading home for a few days and it is the harvest month of potatoes when the farms will be filled with fresh potatoes dug out from the earth. Waiting to see that sight again! Hoping to learn some more traditional, rustic desserts like peetha, thekua and many more and come back and share them with you. This time I am going home to learn and see the same things which I grew up with in a new perspective. So until I see you again, I shall leave you with this-

We shall not cease from exploration

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time - T.S. Eliot

Mocha Cake with Baileys Irish Cream topping

 

We had travelled to Ireland last year and tried Irish coffee and Baileys Irish so here I am with a Baileys cake. Google tells me that in the old days, one way to cure upset stomach was to mix whiskey and cream together but the mix lasted for a very short time. Apparently it took three years of work for the team to come up with Baileys.

                            

                                           

                                                                        

The cake is a mocha cake with little chocolate and Baileys & cream topping. It’s got a toned down coffee taste, not to sweet with a creamy liquor that complements the flavours. This cake and a book makes a rainy day just as pleasant!         
                       

    

 

Pavlova - Australia/New Zealand dessert

Pavlova - Australia/New Zealand dessert

Hoping to travel to New Zealand someday and have their native dessert Pavlova.  Actually it is still not clear whether it is from New Zealand or Australia. Never mind. Food knows no boundaries. It connects, forms a bond. For all of you who have travelled in 2^nd class compartment of Indian Railways in the pre no frills flights era would know, how meals are shared, recipes are tracked..so before I go off the track, I don’t remember when was the first time I ate Pavlova but it did take me a number of efforts, permutations and combinations to get it right. This meringue based dessert has a crispy top with hazelnut, soft inside, topped with cream, sauce and seasonal fruits, its divine. This light airy dessert is as comforting as it appears. Pavlova was named after a Russian ballerina and choreographer Anna Pavlova after her visit to New Zealand and Australia. When I researched, I came across a whole list of food named after people like banana foster, ceasar salad, eggs benedict, nachos etc. Interesting!

Giant Cupcake

Giant Cupcake-Red Velvet with White Chocolate Ganache & sugar and marzipan decorations

Honey I blew up the cupcake!

That's what comes to my mind when I look at giant cupcakes. A multiplied, oversized version of the humble cupcake. Everyone seems fascinated by them. My friend and guide Pratishtha, showed a lot of faith in me and asked me to make this cake for her. Design was of her choice. It took days of ideation, efforts and patience to make this. I was extremely worried since I didn’t have the right mould but I must admit, I enjoyed working on every bit of it. Everything that you see on the cake is handmade, homemade and edible, from the flowers to the cat’s muffler. My friend Koty, who has studied and is an expert at packaging, came up and customized a perfect box for this cake.

New to the blog world

Be My Guest-The name stuck with me and stayed with me so here I am with this name extending an invitation to all to be my guest in my travels and bakes. Would love to hear your stories, fables, comments, criticism..