Rhubarb and Cardamom Cake

The morning rays stream in abundance through her kitchen window where she and her humble three burner stove stands. Her henna colored white hair glitters like gold, the untamed golden sun makes her lines and wrinkles even more visible. She leans forward for her almond shaped marble mortar and pestle, never placed an inch further from its designated place.

She pulls her spice drawer and picks out the glass jar, labelled 'elaichi' in indecipherable Hindi writing, not that she ever reads or requires labeling.  But most treasured spices always got a glass jar and a label. The rest, found their fortune in plastic containers.

Flaky Blood Orange Tart with Salted Caramel Sauce

Friday brings mixed feelings to surface every single week. It is the only day of the week we get to spent together. Yet, before the day starts, fear of the day ending too fast starts evading my mind. The idea of sleeping through the day without having talked enough, cooked enough and done enough just scares me. Friday has to be special, something I can hold onto all week and look forward to the next.

Baked Dulce de leche Yogurt - Mishti Doi - Guest Post for Indian Simmer

Today’s recipe is inspired from a traditional sweet recipe from the city of Kolkatta called Mishti Doi, which M has childhood memories of. Mishti Doi is also called Lal doi meaning red yogurt due to it characteristic reddish color. It is made by caramelizing milk and then setting fresh yogurt in earthen pots. Considering I always have dulce de leche on hand, sweetening my hot chocolate and drizzling it over everything I bake, I figured it will work great for adding that caramelized flavor for Mishti doi. 

Chocolate Clementine Mousse with Caramelized Clementine

 

Eating fruits somehow always makes me nostalgic. Every season, after every meal, we would sit around my mother while she meticulously peeled and chopped the fruits for us. Summer were often more labor-some for her as she sliced oranges and watermelons for a family of six. In winters though, we each would be handed a custard apple, clementine or  tangerine right after the meal.

Saffron and Almond Custard

I hope you all are as excited about 2012 as I am. I wanted to end this year on a sweet note and wish you a very happy new year. I can't thank you enough for being generously supportive over the year. But I'll try - thank you!

Chocolate Cinnamon Date Truffles (Sugar Free) and Eid Al Adha

In this week, Eid Al Adha will be celebrated by Muslims all over the world, to comommerate Ibrahim's devotion to God and his willingness to sacrifice his own son when God commanded. But just before he was to do so God replaced his son with a ram, and revealed to Ibrahim that his sacrifice has already been accepted.

The Italian Breakfast, Spelt Flour and Cocoa Ring Cake - Guest Post by Giulia of Juls Kitchen

Italian cuisine has always fascinated me and as much as I love it, I must admit my knowledge about it is quite limited. For more than a year now, I have been following Giulia's blog Juls Kitchen, who blog's from the beautiful Tuscany, bringing authentic Italian recipes to the virtual world. She is also the author of the cookbook My Grandma's Recipes featuring classic recipes of the Tuscan culinary tradition. I'm so happy she is on Journey Kitchen to share a fabulous homey and traditional Italian cake with us.

Saffron Pistachio Kulfi - An Indian Ice Cream

Most of my memories of India are from the times we went on vacation to India from Kuwait. As a kid though, the hot dry climate of Rajasthan wouldn't really get me excited. Not that Kuwait has any better climate, but we have been spoiled with central air conditioned environment all day long whereas the small town I come from, doesn't even have good supply of electricity. 

Two Ingredient Ice Cream (without an ice cream machine) - Cheesecake Brownie Ice cream

We all need easy desserts for days when nothing seems to go right. When all you remember about the day is a sigh. And I have been sighing a lot lately. I have ended up burning a dozen eggs this week, wore wrong socks to work and broke my favorite oil jar for instance.

My Favorite Chocolate Brownies

Baking is not a widely used method  in Indian cooking. Most of the cooking happens on stove top or tandoor when things are to be cooked at higher temperature. Even though growing up my mom baked a lot of savory food, sweet baking was rather rare. My mother in law on other hand never baked. When she was recently visiting us, she was completely fascinated about baking. I was pleasantly surprised, I didn't think she would take a liking to it immediately. But she did. I wrote tons of recipes for her to go back and try.

Double Nutella Chip Cookies

Lately M - the husband is threatening me.

Coconut Sandwich Cookies with Lemon Curd Filling

Raise your hand if you as a kid licked the filling off the cookies. And raise your hands if you still do it.

Lemon Curd

When life gives you lemon, make lemon curd. 

Lemon Panacotta with Lavender Cream

I think its time to look through my pantry. Its true, I have a compulsive disorder. Its not diagnosed by any doctor yet but I know if I went to one, they have a special name for people with my kind of disorder. Like compulsive food hoarding disorder, food insecurity disorder, may be something like war times disorder. Well, isn't it true, during wars people stock food?  I don't know. Its not like I ever witnessed war. Or may be I did when I was 3 years old, the Gulf war of 1990's.

Meghli - Lebanese Rice Pudding

I love Lebanese food ( Did I say that before?). Living in Middle East gives you access to wide range of Middle Eastern food from Iranian, Iraqi, Syrian, Jordian to Lebanese to name a few. As a novice, you might not notice the difference in there cuisine. Kebabs are Kebabs. Baklava is Baklava. Yes they taste different from different restaurants but the search is always for good food, good Middle Eastern food. It was not until I started this blog that I started being more aware of what I was eating and  where it comes from. 

Orange Cheese Cupcakes with Nutella

Dulce de leche Cheesecake

What kind of person tries to use up old stock to prepare an anniversary meal ?

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

Look at me! I'm the thickest, chewiest and yummiest chocolate chip cookie!

Kheer - The Indian Rice Pudding

Mango Cup Cakes with Cream cheese frosting