The Coconut Grove

Hello Again.

2006-08-12T23:28:00.000-05:00

I am back after a extended hiatus from the world of blogging . I have, though, been actively keeping up with my favorite blogs. Been busy with settling down into our new home & getting used to my new role at work.

It is still going to be quite the challenge for me , considering time management is not one of my strengths, more so since I am in the process of prepping for Business school. I plan to take my GMAT towards the end of September & start grad school in April 07. Nonetheless, I am excited about getting back into the mode of blogging about everyday endeavors.
After all, it’s the simple things that make you smile.

Thanks for stopping by.

2006-02-05T18:21:00.000-06:00

Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Pesto Panini with Pear and Arugula Salad topped with caramelized Walnuts.

The past few days, M and I have been eating unsubstantial food - Eating on the go while finishing off chores. It just did not feel right.

While shopping this afternoon at the local store, we came across freshly baked warm artisan subs and the idea of lunch came together around that.

I had a bag of pre-washed bitter greens from Trader Joe's along with a few ripe Pears. My overflowing freezer had an unopened pack of roasted red peppers, again from TJ while Basil Pesto was not too hard to locate since it is a staple at my home. and this gave me a chance to use one of my favorite kitchen appliances - the Breadman Panini maker. It took all of 30 mins to prepare the Panini and the Salad.

Pear and Arugula Salad topped with caramelized Walnuts.

Dressing-
Balsamic vinegar - around 4-5 Tbsp
Fruit Juice Concentrate 2-3 Tbsp ( Instead of buying Raspberry vinegar, I like to mix a little raspberry concentrate with my balsamic vinegar - tastes better to me)
Crushed Black Pepper 1/2 tsp

Salad-
Your choice of bitter greens ( Radicchio , arugula etc. The bitterness provides a great contrast to the sweetness of the pears)
walnuts - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 tsp
1 Pear

Method-

Heat a frying pan . After the pan is thoroughly heated, add the walnuts and dry roast them for over medium flame 2-3 mins. Spray the walnuts with a non-stick cooking spray and add the 1 tsp sugar. Continue heating until the sugar melts and coats the walnuts ( around 2-3 mins). Take the pan off the flame and allow the walnuts to cool.

Meanwhile, peel and slice the pears. Add the greens to a large bowl. Pour the dressing ingredients over the greens and toss well to coat. Top with the warm caramelized walnuts and serve.
Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Pesto Panini

Ingredients-

1 large sub / 1/4 French Load
Couple of slices of Roasted red pepper
Basil Pesto to taste
1/2 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
Red pepper flakes for heat( Optional)

Method-

This is very simple. Heat the panini maker or the grill. Meanwhile, slice the sub / French loaf. Spread basil pesto to taste. Add the roasted red pepper and top with Mozzarella cheese and red pepper flakes. Coat with non-stick spray and place it in the panini maker and press down the lid. Grill until the golden crust is formed. Serve with the salad.

Definitely a "repeat again" no-fuss meal for me!

2006-02-05T12:14:00.000-06:00

The Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago is located in Lemont, a suburb of Chicago. The wooded surroundings add to the serenity and tranquility of this temple.

There are two temples that are linked by a hallway. The temple's website further elaborates - "The Rama temple is built to specifications in the authentic style of the Chola dynasty (a 10th century dynasty of Indian Kings). The temple’s architecture is a perfect blend of the ancient with the modern. Its magnificent 80-foot tower (Gopuram) is a potent symbol of Hindu spirit. A large hall in the lower level of the temple has facilities to stage cultural events. A smaller temple north of the Rama temple is the Ganesha-Shiva-Durga temple. This temple is built in the architecture style of the Kalinga dynasty (1st century B.C.)."

The temple also has a small library , among other facilities. I found many "Amar Chitra Katha" comic books that I absolutely adored as a kid! Bought back some wonderful memories...

The temple "cafeteria" is suprisingly very good!! Modest and unpretencious dishes that are pretty close to what home cooked food would taste like , and the prices are unbelievable!!

I am not very ritualistic but visiting this beautiful place makes me feel that I am not alone or too far away from home...

2006-02-04T22:08:00.000-06:00

Its been more than a month since I blogged - I have been tied up with House hunting , here in beautiful and cold Chicago. But I decided its time to get back into the swing of things :-) M ,especially, is looking forward to my blogging since this way he can atleast look forward to a couple more home-cooked meals.

This year, I would like to focus on , among other things,

Cooking healthy & well balanced meals.
Making a gradual transistion to organically grown food
Getting rid of the Teflon coated cookware & moving to Stainless Steel.
Getting more organized and getting rid of the clutter that I save around the house ( Like the collection of "Self" magazines from 2001)
Learning about the art of photography
And Blogging regularly!!!

So stop by & share your thoughts!! Thanks for reading!

2005-12-17T21:23:00.000-06:00

Coconut Milk Rice Pudding

M has a major sweet tooth, being the quintessential Bengali that he is. This was the perfect excuse to make some rice kheer, albeit, with a little twist..I used a good amount of coconut milk along with condensed milk. Using coconut in kheer is not a new concept; Coconut Payesam (Pudding) was prepared as a "prasadam" ( Offering to god) on certain auspicious days at my home. But adding coconut milk added a very delicate flavor to this pudding.

Ingredients

1 can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
~ 4 cups of water to thin the condensed milk
1/2 can lite coconut milk ( You could also use 4 tbsp of coconut milk powder , mixed with 2 tbsp of water)
1 cup uncooked Jasmine rice ( Using a rice which has more starch content results in a creamier pudding)
1/2 cup of frozen shredded coconut, thawed ( Add ~ 1/2 cup of water to the frozen coconut and microwave for 1 minute)
~ 8 - 10 Cardamom seeds powdered(Optional)

Method

Heat the 4 cups of water in a pan. Add 3/4 of the condensed milk to the water, stirring well. Add the washed Jasmine rice. Let the rice cook on a medium flame, stirring around every 3-5 minutes. Add more water if necessary. Once the rice is nearly cooked, add the rest of the condensed milk along with the coconut milk, thawed shredded coconut and powdered cardamom. Stir well and continue cooking till the rice is done. Serve chilled.

2005-12-17T17:54:00.000-06:00

Hari Gobhi (Green Cauliflower)

This dish can turn around cauliflower haters! I made this for M who has an aversion to all veggies except eggplant....It takes a lot of creativity on my part to push other veggies down his throat :-).

Here's the recipe

Ingredients
1 medium cauliflower
1 Tbsp oil
1 tsp Jeera
Juice of 1/2 a lemon/ lime
Salt to taste

Dry Masala
1/2 - 1 tsp Garam Masala (optional)
1/2 - 1 tsp jeera powder ( Cumin Seed Powder)
1/2 - 1 tsp Dhania powder ( Coriander Seed Powder)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Wet Green Masala
Bunch of coriander leaves
~1 inch piece of ginger
1 Green chilli

Method
Wash & break the cauliflower into seperate florets. Pulse this through a food processor till the cauliflower is finely chopped.

Grind the coriander leaves, ginger and chilli coarsly in a blender or a food processer to prepare the green masala.

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and roast it for about 10 - 15 seconds. Add the chopped cauliflower to the pan and roast for about 2 mins. Add the dry masala and mix well. Cover the pan and cook the cauliflower until tender-crisp. Add the wet masala, lemon juice and salt to taste & mix well.

Continue to cook for 2 more minutes.

Serve with Roti or Naan and Dal.

Hari Gobhi can also be used as a stuffing for Parathas or Sandwiches (Look for the recipe in my next write-up)

2005-11-30T19:35:00.000-06:00

List of my Cookbooks

My Family keeps complaining about the number of cookbooks I have & it always surprises me coz I don’t think I have nearly as many as I should! (My opinion changed after I finished generating this list :-) )

Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking
Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking
Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker
125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes
Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian
Madhur Jaffrey's World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking
The Art of Tofu (Art of Tofu)
Silk Road Cooking: A Vegetarian Journey
Vegan World Fusion Cuisine
Weight Watchers Versatile Vegetarian
Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons
A Beautiful Bowl of Soup: The Best Vegetarian Recipes
New Vegetarian: Bold and Beautiful Recipes for Every Occasion
Vegetarian Table: France
Vegetarian Table: Italy
A Passion for Desserts
Millennium Cookbook: Extraordinary Vegetarian Cuisine
The Candle Cafe Cookbook
Fresh Food Fast: Delicious, Seasonal Vegetarian Meals in Under an Hour
The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen
Vegetarian Sandwiches: Fresh Fillings for Slices, Pockets, Wraps, and Rolls
Dakshin: Vegetarian Cuisine from South India
Samayal: The Pleasures of South Indian Vegetarian Cooking
The Best of Samaithu Paar
Cook and see (Samaithu paar) VOL 1, 2 ,3
The Vegetarian Lunchbasket
The Roasted Vegetable
Real Vegetarian Thai
The Best Of Cooking Light
Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2005
Student's Vegetarian Cookbook
The New Vegan Cookbook: Innovative Vegetarian Recipes Free of Dairy, Eggs, and Cholesterol
Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
The Rancho La Puerta Cookbook : 175 Bold Vegetarian Recipes from America's Premier Fitness Spa
Sanjeev Kapoor's Low Calorie Vegetarian cookbook
Sanjeev Kapoor's Khazana of Vegetarian Indian recipes
Vegetarian Mughlai Khaana
Vegetarian Maharashtrian Cuisine
Zero oil cookbook

The following are all books by Tarla Dalal, an author who is extremely popular in India. Apart from her amazing books on regional Indian cooking, she has good books on “Indianized” version of a few other cuisines.

Fusion cuisine is pretty big in India. Many international recipes are often adjusted to suit the Indian palate. For example, the Indo-Chinese cuisine. This kind of cuisine is thought to have evolved in the early 1900's when many Hakka Chinese migrated from Canton Province, China to Calcutta, India, to escape from opium warfare and other political issues. This fusion cuisine is extremely popular even in small towns and chances are, when an Indian talks about loving Chinese food, it’s this fusion they are referring to.

I personally prefer this version of Chinese food to the version commonly available in the US. Both Chicago and Atlanta have a restaurant named "Hot wok" which serves out of this world Indo-Chinese cuisine.

Tarla Dalal's " Easy Chinese cooking" lists out many such Indo-Chinese recipes.

Now Getting back to my list .....:-)

Complete gujarati Cookbook
Complete Rajasthani cookbook
Desi Khana
Ice Cream and Frozen desserts
The complete Italian cookbook
Tava Cooking
Chaat
Rotis & Subzis
Mexican cooking
Sizzlers & Barbeques
Eggless Desserts
The chocolate cookbook
Chinese cookbook
Easy Chinese cooking
Healthy heart cookbook
Cooking with 1 teaspoon of oil
Microwave Snacks and Desserts
Swadisht Subzian (Delicious Vegetables)
Low calorie healthy cooking
Soups and salads
Microwave Desi Khana (Microwave Indian Recipes)
Mithai
Delicious Diabetic Recipes

2005-11-30T19:28:00.000-06:00

For an individual with IT background, I have been a very late entrant to the blogging phenomenon. But seeing the wealth of “blogged” information finally inspired me to start my own little blog! I think of this as a great way of sharing little details of my life with my family and friends while making new ones.

Just to give a brief background, I was born and raised in Nagpur, India. I moved to the United States six years ago, completed my degree in Computer Science and joined the IT Leadership Program of a Fortune 100 company. I am currently based in Chicago & work in the business intelligence arena & I love my job!

I count reading, traveling and cooking among my hobbies (or as my family complains, I love to collect cookbooks more than I love to cook!). Love to play racquetball when I can – its one game that I truly enjoy.

Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read. Hope to see you again!