Dry Spicy Indian Sauteed Okra & Potato & Bhakri (Maharashtran, Simple Indian Flat Bread)

Blog Awards & Happy Year of the Rabbit!

Asian market sno pea sprouts

I was so honored but at the same time so reluctant to approach the subject of this post for months now. Initially I really felt I got so many friends with so many wonderful blogs so how on earth could I narrow it down and give the blog awards only to some. I guess it is a sign of maturity when I let ideas simmer and don't give in to impulse or feeling indebted or in a hurry to reciprocate to drive me, I do plenty of that some other times, does not take much to provoke me:). I didn't want a hasty response. I do adore you my friends and your laborious work of love that goes into your blogs. You inspire me every day and are all winners in my book. When this promising college bound young girl, Rachel, awarded me this honor you can see her award post here, and asked for it to be passed on, Lora here as well as Brian's sunshine award post here and here, my wonderful friends, I didn't know how to tell you my response will be delayed. I am happy to say that I achieved and arrived to that junction, say my blog's rite of passage, to pass along the honor bestowed upon me by you, my thoughtful friends, and recognize others who inspire me.

Mache, Blood Orange and Pomegranate Salad in Citrus, Sumac and Champagne Vinaigrette

Speaking of resolutions, another one I made was to re-instate Meatless Mondays and Farmers Market postings. This post combines both in one. The mache in this post is from a local farmers market. I love the idea of soup and salad or panini and soup, Panera style. Sometimes, I like my own version of it. Healthy, organic when possible and beautiful in season ingredients make lunching an elated experience.

I have my go to vinaigrette you can find here but for months now I've been playing and experimenting with different combinations for vinaigrettes. When I saw these gorgeous firm crimson blood oranges their skin all blushed at whole Foods, first in years that looked like they were just plucked from the trees in the orchard, my game plan shifted to citrus vinaigrette. We grew up on citrus and Jaffa oranges. Blood oranges we peeled and ate just like any other citrus that came into our house. Not much cooking with it. This blood orange was delicious on its own, I forgot how distinct and unique its flavor and aroma are relative to other citrus. While Meyer lemons were all the rage with me last year and will be classic for years to come, this year I choose blood oranges. You can find a list of my Meyer lemon posts here.

Machi, Fish Curry with Lemons and the 411 on Kokum

One of my 2011 resolutions was to portray more of the foods I grew up on. Just before I proceed, I really wish to take a moment and briefly reflect on the year past. If you told me a year ago about all the doors this blog of mine would open for me, I would have said 'right!'. Most importantly the friendships I made through chatter of food and life are indispensable. You my friends are the best support group any one can wish for and you've been with me, holding my hand, through some tough moments in 2010. If it weren't for you I would end up in an asylum, I know, I am trying to get a rise out of you, or in a much needed countless hours of therapy. I do appreciate you being my in-house shrinks and sound boards or as some would say analysts, and by you, you know who you all are. I like it when we share moments when we are simply happy, I don't want to get too sappy! So on that note, I wrap up just like a quick goodbye and not a drawn out one at the airport, but you all know what is in my heart!

Malida, Sweetened Poha Breakfast Cereal or Ceremonial Offering?!

I was agonizing over what my first post of 2011 should be?! I could have posted about my victory over macaron. These elusive, as I once thought glorified meringue, would be a perfect subject matter. I was doubly challenged, as I needed to replace the almonds with another pantry ingredient.  The sheer challenge is fascinating but macarons are French, or better yet Italian origin, and my ancestral roots are in the East. I will give you an account of my, at first unsynchronized, attempt and how I, slowly got into a seamless, rhythm of the macaron some other time.

Meyer Lemon Butter Cookie Sandwiches with Jam

The task on baking cookies is daunting and extremely frustrating to me. The thought of it makes me flustered. Chilling the dough, forming shapes, then freezing before baking. Flouring surface but not too much, working the dough but not over working, glazing, piping with all those tips and apply pressure while piping but just so. Such finicky little cookies that they are! For years now just before Christmas time when the rest of the world around me prepares for Christmas, one Christmas tradition I was taken with, and romanticized about over my years in the States, is the holiday cookie baking. I never wished for a Christmas tree, though I must confess, every year I brush my hands against the miniature rosemary bush shaped as a pine tree, as I pass by and love the lingering rosemary scent on my palm. If not for fear of killing it over the winter indoors I would have gotten the rosemary bush, but what I really wished for were the holiday cookies.

Romanesco Floret Fritters in Beer and Honey Batter

My apologies in advance I absolutely love photographing raw ingredients. Narrowing down shots to be published is a tough decision. Take for example this intriguing and statuesque subject matter, the Romanesco. Every snap shot, and I took many, came out perfect. I have not altered and photoshopped the snapshots at all. My initial photos a couple of months ago, came out terrible, hence the delayed post with a new batch. I know some won't be able to relate but think of it like a baby or a pet in which whatever angle you shoot, you go aww, and are so very proud. I did write in the past how I connect with these inanimate subject matters, for me they come alive! Even if snapshots seem repetitive it has some degree of movement and changes in angle ever so slightly. It was important to me to showcase it and at least I didn't subject you to dozens of these two degree movements

Moroccan Veal and Beef Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms

I just came back from the grocery store and realized I have not picked up basic staples like sugar, we completely ran out, unless you count confectioner's sugar. I also forgot to buy baguette, not just to have at home in case of emergency sandwich dinner, but also for this dish of stuffed artichoke bottoms. I wet some of the baguette, squeeze it dry and cut into tiny little pieces to give these meatballs stuffed into artichoke bottoms some fluffiness and lightness. Plan B was set into motion, my friend Shoshi just mentioned she had a dinner party, and she made a similar dish, but she grates potato instead of adding bread to the mix to achieve the desired lightness to the meatballs. I have made these stuffed artichoke bottoms for many years now, some like to add cinnamon and nutmeg but the flavors come out incredibly pure without it as well. As you can see I do not even add the optional cumin in the ingredient list. If you wish to add these flavors they certainly do not detract from the dish. The result will be just as delicious but different!

Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms and Garlic and SOS! The Six O'Clock Scramble GIVEAWAY!

Last, but not least, of the blogiversary cookbook giveaways is SOS! The Six O'Clock Scramble by Aviva Goldfarb. Aviva is another nationally successful local Washingtonian cookbook author. Her book is for the super efficient moms and dads and families on the run! For a quick, delicious, and nutritious homemade meal with seasonal ingredients. I who act mostly on impulse and not much planning need to learn a thing or two from her brilliant menu planning, so that, Jonathan and I won't have those mid week uh-oh moments when all my energies I focus on making Sufganiyot-Israeli Jelly Doughnuts for Chanukah and shooting it from every angle. It is a helpful guide to mainstream a family to run an efficient plan ahead menu, grocery shopping so you can get your kids after a busy day at the office, to soccer practice, a piano lesson, and still manage to gather around the kitchen table for a meal together.  The Six O'Clock Scramble is cleverly planned cookbook with a chapter on the well stocked kitchen: the scramble staples list and another one with a seasonal guide to fruits and vegetables.

Sufganiyot - Israeli Jelly Doughnuts

Speaking of the Chanukah's miracle of oil, which lasted for eight days, this doughnut is a Chanukah miracle all on its own. As throughout the last few weeks I pulled many doughnut recipes, familiar and new. I collected many to embark on a doughnut extravaganza this Chanukah! Cider doughnuts I've seen a year ago @DeliciousDish I was planning on making, some other versions of Israeli doughnuts, which the secret is in the dough, strawberry jam and dusting of confectioner's sugar. We had it every morning for breakfast, with a bag of shoko from the little grocer in the neighborhood, as we were running late for school. Bite the tip off and squirt with a bite of doughnut for childhood memories. My favorite shoko is to the right from Kibbutz Yotvata in the Arava Dessert a last rest stop as you drive down to Eilat on the Red Sea.I wished to embark on American doughnut making as well with the hole in the middle, glazed and coconut are my favorite. I've made in the past Moroccan sfinge (svinge) that are tricky but as you get the hang of the forming technique it becomes a

Lemon Crostata, Holiday Sugar Cookies and a Double Holiday Giveaway!

Thanksgiving is yet to be a faded memory and Chanukah is already welcoming us this coming Wednesday.  Before I embark on a weeklong Israeli, American, cider, baked and fried doughnut making extravaganza, let's backtrack.  This past Thanksgiving I made a classic Lemon Crostata from Domenica Marchetti's  Big Night In. I was at awe at the flavor intensity of this no fuss lemon curd. It paired beautifully with the sweet pastry (pasta frolla) crust. The remainder of the dough I used for holiday sugar cookies, sprinkled the dough with naturally dyed sugars, some finicky kids as well as the adults could not stop munching on those. These both are classic elegant lemon dessert and cookies for every day and the holidays.
To show the versatility of this dough, Lora @cakeduchess, a wonderful baker and a great twitter friend, put another twist to this wonderful sweet pastry dough and made chocolate hazelnut cookies you can find here.  Both Lora and I are doing Domenica's Big Night In  giveaway. We thought to publish a double giveaway simultaneously to double your chances at winning this wonderful Big Night In cookbook and enjoy it for the Holidays. Please visit Lora's post and enter your comment here as well for doubling your chances.