Every Thursday, when the family would fast for the family deity, my great grandma would make naralachi vadi or coconut fudge squares for prasad or the offering to god. She would labor over a panful of freshly grated coconuts, often plucked from the tree in the backyard, stirring in clotted cream, milk and sugar and …
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Choux pastry. I made it last when I was studying Confectionery in college. That was gods knows how many decades ago. Then, last week, I was suddenly craving them, so decided to take the effort to make them at home. They turned out fabulously and were wiped out by the family in no time. These …
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After all these years of having grandmas scream down our ears that seasonal, local produce is good for the body, we now have bomb-charging nutritionists and new-age food specialists telling us how ghee, carbs and natural sugars will, eventually, do us good and how it makes sense to watch the food miles. As it turns …
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The original, Marathi version of this article appeared in Loksatta on December 22, 2012 and can be viewed here. Mumbai has never really had a winter. Somewhere in the middle of December, we tell ourselves it is getting cool enough to bring out the occasional sweater or shawl that only sees a day or so …
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A few days ago, a journalist from a popular daily called to ask if I could help her with some information for a story on Christmas Cake, and a host of memories came flooding out. Of Radha kaku and her carefully put together recipe that we would get boxfuls of every Christmas, of gaudily packed …
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My dear friend, Rhea Mitra-Dalal loves her coffee. It’s so easy to please her–a good cup of unpretentious coffee and loads of gupshup is usually enough. When her birthday arrived, however, I decided I had to treat her to a little more than just a cup of coffee. I decided to make this cake. It …
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The original, Marathi version of this article appeared in Loksatta on November 10, 2012 and can be read here. I got married on Dassera, and by the time I came back from my honeymoon, it was time for Diwali. I had always been fond of everyday cooking and baking and could manage a decent job …
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