Raspberries in Cardamom Coconut Jelly

September 23, 2014 in Dessert, Food & Drink

Sometimes I come up with oddball ideas. When I run it by friends, sometimes, they make faces expressing incomprehensibility. I don't blame them. Sometimes, I can be a bit far out. A lot of times though, I still forge ahead because I am convinced that I am a genius. haha. Of course I am. Thing is, that behavior is sustained because about 80% of that playfulness pays off. I manage to cobble together something that tastes so much better than it originally sounded and some are just downright awesome. These are times, I bask in my "aha!" and "so there!" expressions.

So, as you may have guessed by now. This recipe was one of those bright sparks in my creative world that continues to shine. It was borne out of a need to use things up in my fridge, essentially coconut water and a pint of raspberries languishing from the weekend impulsiveness.

By the way, if no one has told you, when you open a carton of coconut water, please drink it within two days even if you refrigerate it. It turns rancid after that. Coconut water is notoriously perishable. That is why it is still not bottled in India and most tropical countries that the tree is native to. I remember growing up in India, you either get a freshly sawed off young coconut or not at all simply because it cannot be packaged and stored. So, honestly, I do not know what they do to get them in cartons here but surely stabilizers are added. While the stuff here tastes nothing like real coconut water, I still buy it occasionally for nostalgia and because it still has electrolytes and I think it is better than Vitamin water or other artificially sweetened

crap

stuff

So, anyway, I had this carton. I had gotten through about a third of it. And, those berries. I really did not want another smoothie. Really, really not. Fortuitously, I had just received a delivery of gelatin and decided I must use it somehow. Lo and behold, and, I smacked my head. Why had I not thought of it before! In my head, loomed the vision of a delicate translucent flesh encasing berries that would glow in luscious redness from inside. And, the whole thing would shimmy on the platter like once Nigella Lawson famously quoted "a courtesan's thigh"! Aha!

And, you know what. I also wanted it in a fun shape. It had to be something like a bundt cake. I wanted it tall and seductive. I wanted layers. Yes I did. But then, I never was good with three dimensional perspective (I barely passed my course on engineering drawing!). I had basically misjudged the amount of coconut water I had and the width of the pan. So, I ended up with a squat ranch style creation. But but but. It tasted brilliant!!

Even though I was full of confidence about my idea, I was still worried about its execution. You see, only after I had poured it into the mold, did it occur to me that it may not be the easiest task to get it out without tearing given all the ridges and funky nooks. Especially, since I wanted that quivering jelly, which, meant a soft set and that means so, so, so delicate. As it happened, sister luck decided to smile on me and a gentle dip in warm water slipped the whole jelly right out of mold just like... well...

fill in the blank with something to do with a courtesan

So there I was, looking at my creation with pride and joy. And, then it struck me. Translucence is bloody awful subject to photograph! And, it wasn't even sufficiently tall enough to be left statuesquely alone. Phase 2 of fretting began. Props, surfaces, textures. What, how, scramble. Colors. That is what I needed. The berries popped all right. Some things that look good to the eye do not always translate quite as well through the lens. That is why the human eye is a brilliant piece of evolution and makes life so much prettier, me thinks. But, I digress. Anyway. Pinkish red had to be balanced. Blue is a great color to complement and off set. I had a gorgeous plate I had not used in ages. Score!

Next, I had that gaping hole in the center from using a bundt pan. Brilliant idea at the time but monochrome imbalance in styling. Panic attack #3. Resolved when I spotted the bunch of sunflowers in my vase. They martyred themselves. Ok, they did not have a choice but they have been immortalized. so there! And, a few more touch ups here and there and I am happy with the results.

What do you think?

This is a dish of nuances. This is a dish for light touch. This is a dish that although not very tolerant of mistakes is a lot of fun to make and totally worth it!

On the taste, it is

naturally

sweet with the sweet-tart crunch of the berries. By that I mean, while there is added sugar, it is not a sweet sweet bite. The reason being that coconut water is a very mild flavor that can be easily overpowered by sugar. As it is, the sharpness of the raspberries really work beautifully with the subtlety of the young coconut and make for a lovely alternating bite of sharp and light. For that reason, I would recommend being not too heavy handed with the berries. I also use the cardamom to enhance the illusion of sweetness. Btw, it is a surprisingly good pairing with the coconut.

One Year Ago:

Raw Summer Slaw Salad with Green Yogurt Dressing

Two Years Ago: I was thinking raspberries then too!

Raspberry Icebox Cake

Three Years Ago:

Raisin and Almond Scones

Four Years Ago:

Cardamom Peach Buckle

Raspberries in Cardamom Coconut Jelly

{Notes: Like I had originally envisioned, I think this will make a striking presence in a taller stature. So, I would recommend either using a 5 inch mold or doubling the recipe and set it in two steps to create a double later}

3 cups coconut water

1 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

a good 1/2 cup of raspberries

2 envelopes of gelatin

2 cardamom pods crushed

In a cup, bloom the gelatin in about 3/4 cup of coconut water. Set aside.

Boil the sugar and water and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Add the gelatin with the coconut water and cardamom and mix thoroughly to remove all lumps. Add the remaining coconut water and stir to mix.

Sprinkle the raspberries on the base of the mold and pour the liquid on top.

Place in the fridge for about 4 hours or overnight to set the jelly.

To remove from mold, run a paring knife gently along the edge of the jelly tracing the natural curves of the mold. Meanwhile, warm a pot of water and pour in a bowl large enough to place the mold in.

Immerse the loosened jelly in mold in the warm water and let sit for 30 seconds. Place a plate on the lip of the mold and reverse. It should come out in one smooth motion. If it seems stuck, place in water again to loosen it more.

Slice and enjoy as is or with more fruits.

Plum and Cherry Almond Layer Torte

August 25, 2014 in Dessert, Food & Drink

Lately, I have had a craving for cakes. Biting into cloud like sponges moistened by fluffy frosting and smelling of Summer high into the heavens. Mostly I want someone to bring me a thick slice of it with tea like my own personalized high tea service.

Perhaps this is a little too much Downtown Abbey watching. Hey!, a girl is allowed her fantasies. What else but that makes hope fun ;) Anyway, seeing as this is really a fantasy, I figured I may as well butler myself to those cakes that I may as well bake myself.

Let me tell you, there is an unique joy in making a lovely cake by yourself. There is even more of it, in cutting yourself a mega slice (without sin because you earned it), steeping a nice cup of tea and enjoying every tiny crumb of it!

Just because I have been grain free has not kept my cravings or my cakes away. Fortunately, pastry's best and most reliable friend is almond and I just happen to love the flavor of the nut. Paired with my other favorite of the season, stone fruits, you can bet I wanted to recreate that picture I painted above, over and over again.

Except, my unadulterated joy was pricked by that I had to share the cake. Sadly. I baked it for a dinner and it was pure struggle to not slice into it before the event. And, after there was little left, not more than a sliver! Sigh... The things you do for friends...! :)

With that, I leave you with a moist awesome Yogurt kissed Almond Torte dotted with fresh, juicy ripe fruits. I used stone fruits as they are abundant now. You can use any soft fruit that catches your fancy! Btw, another interesting things about this cake is that it uses leftover granola for added depth. You can substitute with plain oat flour.

And, before I sign off, I have some links for you..

Read about a cooking demo I hosted in my kitchen recently via FOODLY along with a recipe for a brunch salad

A funny caricature of living in San Francisco I feel cheated. Nobody spent this much money raising me! And, why I am glad for it.

I am not a barista but I still want this apron!

Do you write on Medium? I wrote my first post and I am not sure what to do next! Tips?

Let's get lost more!

This is a beautiful read with lots of pearls in there.

Plum and Cherry Almond Layer Torte

For the Cake:

100g almond flour

100g granola (or oat flour)

2 small eggs

2 tsp psyllium husk

1 tsp baking soda

3 pods of cardamom, seeded, ground

1/4 cup oil

1/3 cup strained yogurt

For the Frosting:

1-1/2 cups strained yogurt

4 pitted dates, finely chopped

zest of 1 lemon

2 plums, sliced

handful of cherries, pitted

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grind the granola to a fine powder. Sift together the dry ingredients.

Whisk together the eggs, oil and yogurt. Pour into the dry flours and whisk briskly to create a batter.

Pour into a prepared 8 inch pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until browned and springy to touch.

Cool the cake completely before slicing in to two horizontally.

Whisk together all the yogurt, dates and zest for the frosting.

Spread half the frosting on the bottom layer. Arrange slices of plum and cherries. Place the second cake layer on top and spread the remaining frosting and fruit.

Chill until 30 minutes before serving time. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

It is always ice cream time!

August 07, 2014 in Dessert, Food & Drink

Hello, I am back. Yes, I know I had promised to keep this space updated for the two weeks that I have been absent. Honestly, I fully intended to. I even bought the airline wifi package for just that purpose. But, alas, I was lured by the wiles of the California coast and found myself whittling my time in sheer bliss. The laptop ended up being dead weight and here I am not even apologizing for the step-motherly treatment. The thing is, I am not really sorry, after all. This was my vacation for the year and I was having a jolly good time. Surely, you will not begrudge me for it?

Having said that, I have to confess that when I boarded the flight in NYC, I was still not ready to go away. The days before the departure are a blur to me. So many things to get done, a magazine to design, put together and publish, posts that were due for other platforms, recipes to be tested and shot. I didn't think I had time to stop. I was running and I fleeting even thought that the vacation had come at the wrong time. I mean really. I was fatigued, stretched, sore and in general not in a mood to go have fun. My mind was stressed and wired and filled with dire thoughts of incomplete projects and jumbled feelings.

In an effort to distract, I signed up for the on board wifi and feverishly plodded away on my to-do list. Because, not doing so, meant spending time with some unfathomable feelings that were stirring within me. I should have known better. My inner self is not the kind that can be coddled away with distraction. Eventually, as I took the CalTrain into Mountain View from the SF airport, I gave in. Once I set foot in the expansive West and breathable California air where I could walk without being jostled, I succumbed in spirit and soul to simply being present. My mind quieted and being back for just a couple of days now, I have to say, I needed that vacation. I needed to step away and not be so connected all the time. I need the breathing space to hear myself and enjoy.

All it took was a relaxed dinner with friends to put me into that space of consciousness. A walk to the peaceful and oh-so-quiet Shoreline Bay the next afternoon only helped. It was quiet there people! There was city behind me but here all I could hear were the sea birds and lapping water. Remember the photos from the last post? That was from there. Not miles away from civilization with nothing around but a mere stone's throw away from a golf course and a public park. The tone of the next few days was set for me. I literally felt stress draining away from inside. I chilled. I sat at the golf course restaurant, drank a beer and read a totally chick-flicky novel and loved it.

After that came San Francisco, a marathon that I did not run after all, several coffees and more wines in Sonoma. But, that is all for another post. Today, I am back at my desk in a brief stopover at home before flying again. My stresses are also back but I am learning to keep them at bay and just be present. It isn't easy but I am trying to go easy on me. That is perhaps, the most ironic thing ever. I'll learn I think. Very slowly. I have time, it is all mine. So we'll see how it goes.

This Summer I have had cravings for ice cream. It does help that I live very close to an Italian gelato shop for quick fix. Yet, there is something about hand churning ice cream that is so satisfying and deeply satiating. I made this coconut milk ice cream before I left for the vacation. This was another of my psyllium experiments that I have to say was more successful than I had expected it to be. The thing I have found with vegan ice cream recipes is that they tend to be icy as the fat content from the cream is missing. Often you'll find starches bring used to thicken and correct the texture of the thinner nut milks. Psyllium does a similar thickening trick and cutting through some of the icy-ness that may result when frozen.

I also used coconut milk that has a higher fat content than nut milks. Also, it helps to use only the cream part of the coconut milk, that part that floats onto the top inside the can, and discard the watery bits. I am usually a bit skeptical about using coconut products as I grew up with the notion of its distinctly clingy flavor. Unless you like the strong taste of coconut, unrefined coconut products can very easily over power the subtler notes in a dish, especially, those with delicate fruits. Surprisingly, I found that the coconut cream was much more of a manageable and refined note in this ice cream. I had already cut into the coconut-ness by infusing it with thyme. Roasting the peaches made them a touch more bolder and able to stand up to the other flavors.

This is not a blended ice cream and it tastes as such. You get to taste every flavor with integrity. I used only 2 teaspoons of ground (by hand) psyllium husk in this recipe and the ice cream but creamier than without but still a little icy. I would recommend doubling the amount of husk and reflect that suggestion in the recipe.

For the recipe, please

click here

Incidentally, the

current issue

NOURISHED magazine

, carries a full feature on the history of ice cream along with some delicious seasonal frozen dessert recipes.

Gluten free experiments with Psyllium + Rice and Millet Poached Pear Cake

July 15, 2014 in Dessert, Food & Drink

My new love is psyllium husk. I have been experimenting a lot with it. The husk is actually native to India and yet, I had only heard of it a year ago. It has for time immemorial been used, as a home remedy, to treat a sticky gut issue, otherwise called constipation. Due to its high fiber content, it is recommended as a everyday supplement (sometimes in the form of metamucil) for those with dietary issues and diseases of the gut.

More recently, it has becoming more the talk of the town in gluten free cooking, as its ability to soak high volume of liquid and bind the solids around it is being leveraged for the lack of gluten in the cooking. It all makes sense and you would think it would be easy to incorporate it. By all accounts, it should have been the darling of this culinary niche.

Yet, when you search for what people have already done with the husk, there is precious little variety. This made me very curious. Why has there been limited use in traditional baking or otherwise? Xantham gum, a processed product from corn, works as a thickener and is more commonly used. I would have thought there would be a greater demand for an entirely natural product such as psyllium, at least within the GF community.

So, as you would, I decided I must fill the void. I have always been sort of a chemistry geek and this idea reeked off novelty and a lot of fun; irresistible combination for me. The science behind how the husk works is simple. Husk (or ground) absorbs water, expands and binds to neighboring molecule. But, as I worked with the additive, I realized that it was not all that straightforward.

Reality Check #1: Psyllium is available as the whole husk or in powdered form. It has pale beige color, like wet sand. Either can be used but the choice is sometimes aesthetic. For bread, it does not matter but try making panna cotta and it can look quite off putting. In its whole form, it is a obviously visible and makes a textural difference if used with smooth liquids. A powdered form, possibly, works better for such preparation but I have not tried that yet.

The real issue is that the husk and powder are NOT a one to one substitute. Although I am not entirely sure of the chemistry behind it, I would speculate that the larger surface area of the husk allows for multiple molecular binds while the powder form breaks down some of that efficiency.

Nevertheless, this plays a big role considering Reality Check #2.

Psyllium does not bind the same way to different agents. So, this means it is not a simple x gram of psyllium to y ml of liquid. The amount you need also depends on the what

other

ingredients are going into the mixture. For example, you may need a certain quantity of it with whole oats and a completely different amount with oat flour for the same amount of liquid. I know this because, I had a few learnings along the way.

Now, imagine the degree of complexity of working with psyllium in real food. Every dish needs multiple iterations and a lot of trial and error. It is no wonder now that there are few actual recipes out there using it. It is far easier to use anthem gum, starches and other stuff that are more predictable and less eccentric.

However, after the effort I have already put into it, I feel that there is real potential in finding ways of using this natural ingredient in our diet. I prefer to use as little processed as I can, even with such additives. That in of itself is incentive enough to keep me going. As an added benefit, even though the amount of it I was taking it was marginal, on days I consumed an item with psyllium, I did notice a beneficial impact on my system.

As I proceed with my research and quest, I will share the successful recipes and gleaning from the failed ones here. I am, honestly, kicked to be doing this!

The question, I can see, riding on your mind is how to substitute for the flours and other ingredients that you have on hand.

As long as the textures are all the same, that is flour to flour or whole grains to whole grains, you can substitute keeping the overall volume constant.
Yes, I said volume here, because the weight is irrelevant for the science of this to work. It is all about the surface area.
However, note that some flours are inherently drier than others and may need tweaking in the fluid content and baking time.
Also, marginal increases in fluid content are tolerated well by the psyllium.

Rice and Millet Poached Pear Cake

{Important Note: the recipe calls for 'ground' psyllium but this is not pre-ground psyllium. It is that amount of husk ground using a mortar and pestle by hand. I do that because everything else in this list is ground and the ground version helps blend through better}

1 cup rice flour
2/3 cup ground millet
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp psyllium husk, ground by hand
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup simple syrup or poaching liquid (in this case, I used the poaching liquid from the pears)
4 T butter, room temperature
seeds of 1/2 vanilla pod scraped
1 tsp grated nutmeg
2 whole poached pears, sliced in half.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and incorporate. Blend in yogurt, simple syrup and vanilla.
Sift together the remaining dry ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients the wet in three parts and blend well with each addition. The whisking action enables the binding reaction and the more you whisk, the more the bind builds and the batter will start resembling the gluten bonds and pull.
If it get too thick, thin with a little milk or water.
Pour batter into a prepared pan and arrange the pears on top.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the cake is springy to touch. Do not over bake as rice flour tends to dry rather quickly.

Consume within 48 hours.

A lesson learnt

June 20, 2014 in Dessert

Every day that I am engaged with the world of food I learn new lessons. They are usually humbling and always inspiring.

There are times when I meet chefs and food servicers who just blow me away with the breadth and depth of their knowledge as well as their passion. People have moved states and countries in a quest to quite simply put food on their family's table while choosing to stay true to their food calling. And, despite many of them having faced obstacles, they remain optimistic and well grounded in the confidence they have in their skill. It is indeed an aura that radiates positivity. To be in close proximity to such energy is use to bad pun enervating. It is a high that can be nearly addictive with a desire to become as gracious, as giving yet as humble.

Every time I talk to a chef, I walk away with a new respect for the independent food service sector.

I am decidedly avoiding the word 'industry' here because that includes the behemoth corporates not driven by any passion for anything other than keeping their stock price on an uptrend. I say independent because I do not refer to chain restaurants in this category either. When was the last time you say that person flipping burgers or assembling your sandwich do anything but the littlest needed to get their pay check. Heck, most of us simply avoid eye contact with those who make the food because well, what do you talk about?!

But, coming back to the cottage industry of single restaurants and food service providers. It isn't an easy life. The market, especially, in major cities is intensely competitive. To differentiate is half the game. The survive and sustain is an entire another one. What comes of it as learning is that real food is hardly profitable. It is pursued for the pure joy of sharing it.

As I venture out in my own ways into entering this what-looks-from-outside closed community, I find that they are warm, approachable, and, encouraging of each other. More importantly, each encounter for me is a grounding one that reinforces the choices I have. I am in it either for the long haul or not at all. Because this is one area with a long gestation period and one that tests your commitment and desire for fair length of time before it decides to reward with whatever you are seeking. It is kind of like family, which, makes sense given food is at the heart of every family.

Every time I have a disaster in my kitchen I think about the wisdom. Times, when I ambitiously set about making a concocted recipe with full confidence of its success only to realize that the dish may be bold in flavor but kind of failed on a structural aspect. This happens when I don't fully think through some practical bit in the recipe. This is when I am made aware that food may be art but there is whole lot of common sense on which it rides. Times, when I look the outcome and feel like an idiot. Then, I tell myself, hey it's ok. Even the pros have been trying, failing, learning and succeeding for ages. The idea is continuous learning and there are bound to be bumps along the way. Besides, as long as I didn't poison myself, or you, it is all a bit of laughter and fun :)

This strawberry pockets things that I attempted to make was one of those moments of truth. I completely failed to take into consideration how much water strawberries contain. The effect of baking them as such in a pastry shell without thickeners or anything to absorb the juices was that they shrank significantly and they was huge space between bottom and top crust. Plus, the crust got a bit unevenly soggy from the overflowing juices. It was edible but far from enjoyable.

Oh well! Lesson for next time. When baking with berries, use some sort of topping that settles with the shrinking fruit (like a crumble) or use some thickening agent like flour or starch to bind the fruit and water in an fluid emulsion.

Also, don't be afraid to experiment and enjoy food!