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Passion fruit cordial

My parents lived in the outskirts of the city in our farmhouse for a few years, while I was studying in boarding school. Even though I never got to be home for long periods of time at a stretch, I clearly remember really looking forward to going back there for the holidays. Our house had… Read more »

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Cinnamon French toast with stewed apples

I think this is my first breakfast dish on here. Which when I think about, doesn’t make any sense since I’m that person that loves to eat breakfast foods at any time of the day. No strict time restrictions in my head. A full English breakfast for lunch? Oh yes, please. Dosa for dinner? Hell… Read more »

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Lime & Basil Iced tea

I have an affinity for iced teas. Living in a city with soaring temperatures and oppressive humidity all year round, that doesn’t come as much of a surprise. My favourite would have to be the plain lemon iced tea closely followed by this peach version, but of late I’ve been trying a few other variations… Read more »

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Apple tarte tatin & an anniversary

I know I’m treading on the territory of culinary arrogance when I say this, but I don’t understand why the Tarte Tatin has been regarded as an insurmountable feat for an amateur cook. Sure, the caramel is a blink-and-it’s burnt kind of ordeal but other than that, it’s literally just some minor pastry action (shop-bought one at… Read more »

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Spiced baked figs with Vanilla mascarpone

I’ve recently discovered a part of myself that I never knew existed..an inherent need, a kind of maternal instinct if you will, to feed my family with an extra dose of fruit and vegetables. I’m not getting ahead of myself here, I’m still talking mascarpone, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be the kind of mum… Read more »

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Nectarine crumble

Brace yourself for this. I may just have the simplest, quickest recipe for you which actually looks like you put in a whole load of effort (says the same person who layered lemon curd over fresh fruit and made it a dessert), so you know I’m onto something here. This crumble can be used as… Read more »

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Peach iced tea

We know that iced tea is synonymous with summer. It’s not often that I find peaches in my market, and the mere sight of these plump beauties had me so excited! For something that doesn’t grow locally, I expected them to be tart and almost inedible, leaving me with the only option of cooking them…. Read more »

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LEMON CURD PARFAITS

This is more of a good idea than it is a recipe. Honestly, it happens to be no more than an assembly job, really. Not having to pull out heavy machinery in order to make a sweet something is always a good sign in my book, and I’d jump at every opportunity to get the… Read more »

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BAKED STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE

Vanilla and strawberry have had a love affair for as long as I can remember. Look in the dessert section of any restaurant menu, recipe book, or café window, and you’ll see them canoodling joyously like little else matters. But who’s to disapprove? This relationship was meant to be. Cheesecakes have taken over the world,… Read more »

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Cointreau-glazed orange bundt cake

Today, we’re talking oranges and orange-flavoured liqueurs (again). We seem to have a bit of an unplanned theme going on here! In my post about Orangecello earlier this year, I’d talked about using liqueurs to spruce up a cake or a pudding. Here’s a go at that from my end! The Cointreau was, however, a bit… Read more »

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VANILLA BEAN PANNA COTTA WITH PASSION FRUIT

Panna cotta at this time of the year? You want to be hearing about hearty, comforting desserts and warmth-inducing drink recipes. Unfortunately, Chennai as we know it has a completely different season shift – hot, hotter, hottest. We are at the moment slowly but steadily gliding from the ‘hot’ to the ‘hotter’ threshold, with the… Read more »

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ORANGECELLO

I love the combination of orange and vodka. In this case, aesthetically, and taste wise. This is a spin on the traditional Limoncello, an Italian liqueur made using lemons and had as an after-meal digestivo. Orangecello has a very intense orange flavour and you’d be surprised at how much flavour from these citrus beauties gets… Read more »

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PLUM CLAFOUTIS

If you’re not familiar with clafoutis, you’re in for a real treat! I think it may be best described as a baked custard dotted with fruit, traditionally made in a cast iron skillet. A sort of pancake-meets-flan type affair. Fabulously versatile and very adaptable, this dessert can be made using whatever fruit is in season… Read more »

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BERRY FILLED CUPCAKES WITH VANILLA CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

I ended up engaging in some “insider trading” of my own with these cupcakes, by scooping out the center and filling it with a gooey mixed-berry preserve. Seeing that it was Martha Stewart’s recipe, I just HAD to point out the irony! (Read : Martha Stewart – Insider trading scandal) Personally, I think a good cupcake… Read more »