Chocolate pizza: A sweet treat with a difference!

Pizza, a highly revered food preparation throughout the globe and chocolate, a food ingredient that is desired by millions around the world. How would chocolate on a pizza base taste? Well, even I was set wondering after coming across the unusual chocolate pizza. It was nothing like I had ever tried before so it piqued my curiosity; after all, it was packed with nuts and chocolate.

Now, are you thinking of preparing this extraordinary pizza? The task is simple and the result yummy. So, go ahead, prepare this tasty pizza and indulge your taste buds.

Ingredients:
Butter - 100 gms
Granulated sugar - 100 gms
All-purpose flour - 150 gms
Baking powder - ½ tsp
Egg - 1 nos.
Vanilla extract - ½ tsp
Bittersweet chocolate (chopped to pieces) - 100 gms
Thick cream - 100 ml
White chocolate shavings - ½ cup
M&M’s/ Cadbury’s gems - ½ cup
Roasted almonds (chopped) - ½ cup

New-fangled "anti-ageing" pizza or classic pizza: What is your pick?

The mention of pizza and all you think about is a crispy crust covered with mouth-watering, rich tomato sauce and topped with meats spiced desirably and vegetables as per an individual’s wish along with generous sprinklings of mozzarella cheese. The spectacle of extra cheese, fried chicken pieces, pepperoni, sausage or ground beef on a pizza base would give many health pundits or weight watchers a fright. Nevertheless, millions relish it despite its junk food status. Now, Eugenio Luigi Iorio by inventing the anti-ageing pizza has given pizza lovers a new treat to indulge with little less guilt you could say.

Iorio, a nutritionist and biochemist at the University of Naples along with Cosimo Mogavero, owner of a restaurant called La Fabbrica dei Sapori (The Taste Factory) restaurant created the exceptional “anti-wrinkle” or “primula” pizza using smart variations to the usual pizza recipe. This remarkable pizza makes use of ingredients such as whole meal flour, tomatoes, rocket, garlic, courgettes, basil, mushrooms, carrots and spinach. All these together make the pizza a storehouse of anti-oxidants that are beneficial in slowing down ageing.

The replacement of refined flour with whole meal flour has been the prime reason for improved nutritional profile of this one of a kind pizza. It is said that the bran and endosperm in wheat contributes antioxidant compounds to the whole meal flour. With the right determination of fermentation and baking times as well as baking temperature, the anti-oxidant levels are enhanced. The selection of veggies for sauces and toppings is also done keeping in mind their individual anti-oxidant properties. This combination of veggies and dough results in a pizza that is three times higher in its fibre content than its classic counterpart and has higher levels of magnesium and iron to offer.

Now, everyone should be happy with such a pizza? However, this pizza has not gone down well with the members of the True Neapolitan Pizza Association, who allege that the use of whole meal flour does not give a characteristic crust that an authentic pizza should have. This is the reason why they are not in approval of this new anti-ageing pizza as they consider it an insult of the authentic pizza.

Now, what you want from a pizza is your choice- authenticity with little or no health benefits or trade-offs in authenticity with age defying benefits? Pick is yours!

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Chutney pomfret: A gastronomic treat

Well, my best pal’s mother is one heck of a woman when it comes to cooking and I have had the opportunity to relish the food cooked by her on several occasions. From delicious crab curry to crispy fish fry to fried idli to delicious chicken to yummy veggies, I have eaten and enjoyed it all. An amazing fish preparation that she churns out is the chutney pomfret. The pomfret is flavored with coriander-green chilly chutney in addition to a paste of turmeric powder, red chilly powder and garlic before being rolled into rice flour and semolina and deep-fried to give a yummy, crispy delight.

Now, if you have been tempted to try it out for yourself then simply go ahead, follow the recipe given below and tickle your taste buds a bit with this gastronomic delight.

Chicken curry or chicken appetizer? One recipe, two options!

Yes, you have read the title correctly; you can indeed churn out a yummy fried chicken appetizer or a lip-smacking chicken curry using this convenience recipe. The key here is the preparation of marinade comprising curds, ginger-garlic paste, garam masala powder and other spices. A specified period of refrigeration for chicken in the marinade mixture is carried out to bring out flavors of all ingredients used. Following this, the chicken pieces can be deep fried to give a crispy chicken appetizer or the chicken can be cooked with the entire marinade to give a delicious curry that can be enjoyed with rotis or naan.

Here is how the recipe goes.

Ingredients:
For marinating the chicken:
Boneless chicken breasts (made into small nuggets) – 500 gms
Thick curds – 250 ml
Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder – 1 tbsp
Red chilly powder – 1 tbsp
Dhaniya (coriander seed) powder – 2 tsp
Salt to taste

For preparing the appetizer:
Oil for deep-frying

For preparing the curry:
Onion (finely chopped) – 1 large
Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
Bay leaf – 2-3 nos.
Oil – 2 tbsp
Finely chopped fresh green coriander for garnishing

Method:
1.) Mix all ingredients listed for marinating chicken in a large mixing bowl. Refrigerate this for 2-3 hours.
2.) For preparing the appetizer, lift out chicken pieces from the marinade and deep fry until crisp and reddish brown in color. Serve these hot with chutney or sauce.
3.) For the curry, heat a saucepan on medium heat. Add oil and fry onions until golden brown. Pull out the onions after frying but let the extra oil remain in the pan on the heat.
4.) Now add bay leaf to the oil and fry for a minute. Next, add the red chilly powder and fry for another minute. Pour in the entire marinade with the chicken and cook until chicken is done.
5.) Once chicken is done mix in the golden brown onions. Pull off the stove and garnish with green coriander.
6.) Serve the curry piping hot with naan or roti.

Pateti special: Patra ni macchi and chicken farcha

Today, Parsi households across our country will be celebrating the festival of Pateti with their near and dear ones. With prayers and yummy food preparations, they will bid adieu to the bygone year and usher in a new year. Now are you curious to know what goodies will be churned out in a typical Parsi household to hold a feast for all loved ones in the house? Well, Parsi cuisine is unique and has exceptional food preparations such as patra ni macchi, chicken farcha, jinga nu pathio, pulao dal, salli boti, ravo, sev, falooda, mawa fish among the many that will be dished out on the occasion of Pateti.

Therefore, today I bring to you two yummy recipes that you will surely enjoy like all the Parsis do on the auspicious occasion of Pateti.

[I] Patra ni Macchi
Ingredients:
Pomfret fillets (clean and washed) - 500 gms
Vinegar - 1 tbsp
Groundnut oil - 2 tbsp
Banana leaves to wrap each fillet
Salt to taste
Lemon wedges for garnishing

For paste:
Fresh coconut (chopped) - 5 tbsp
Fresh green coriander (chopped) - 3 tbsp
Green chillies - 5 nos.
Garlic - 1 tbsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Lemon juice - 3 tbsp
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Salt To Taste

Chicken chettinad: A fiery treat for your taste buds

From the land dominated by members of the Chettiar trading community comes a cuisine that is characterized by mouth-watering aromas and a lot of piquancy. By now, you must have guessed it that I am talking about the Chettinad cuisine from the arid Chettinad region in Tamil Nadu. Chettinad cuisine is not for those who cannot tolerate spicy food. The food preparations in this cuisine are hot enough to give your taste buds a burn.

The cuisine is renowned for its use of fresh ground masalas, sun dried meats and salted vegetables. The meats consumed are fish, prawn, lobster, crab, chicken and mutton. Beef and pork are not eaten. Famous recipes the cuisine has to offer are varuval, poriyal, kuzambu, idiyappam, paniyaram, vellai paniyaram, kozhakattai, adikoozh, kandharappam, masala seeyam and kavuni arisi among the many. These are eaten with rice preparations like idlis, dosais, adais, appams and iddiappams. However, the yummiest dish according to me from this cuisine is the chicken Chettinad curry.

The recipe for the mouth-watering chicken chettinad is given below. Follow it and give your loved ones a treat they will never forget.

Ingredients:
Chicken (chopped to pieces, cleaned and washed) – 500 gms
Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Onion (finely chopped) - 1 large-sized
Tomatoes (finely chopped) – 3 medium-sized
Fresh coconut (grated) – 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Red chili powder – 2 tsp each
Poppy seeds – 1 tsp
Fennel (saunf), coriander and cumin seeds – ½ tsp each
Red chilies (whole) – 3-4 no.
Cinnamon (one inch stick) – 1 no.
Green cardamoms – 3 no.
Cloves – 2 no.
Star anise – 1 no.
Lemon – 1 tbsp
Curry leaves – 6-8 no.
Oil – 2 ½ tbsp
Water – 1 cup
Salt To Taste
For garnishing fresh green coriander leaves (finely chopped) – 1 tbsp

Method:
1.) In a pan, heat about two teaspoon oil on low flame and roast together whole red chilies, grated coconut, poppy seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, fennel seeds in it.
2.) Transfer the contents of the pan to a mixer and grind to a paste.
3.) Heat a skillet on medium flame and add remaining oil to it. Stir in the onions and fry till they are golden. Now add in the curry leaves, ginger-garlic paste and the ground paste. Fry for 1-2 minutes.
4.) Stir in the tomatoes, red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well.
5.) Add the chicken and fry for 5-7 minutes. Now add 2 cups of water and lemon juice.
6.) Cover with lid and cook until chicken is tender.
7.) Serve hot garnished with fresh green coriander leaves. Enjoy this with boiled rice.

Induction cooktops: The most energy-efficient method of cooking

Energy crisis is the most important environmental issues of our times that needs to be addressed promptly. The threat of depletion of many energy resources looming large has many scientists working round the clock to devise ways of coping with the energy crisis. Changes and innovations on large scale are possible only if we begin work on the smaller scale and what better way to begin transforming the world than by introducing changes in your very home itself. By slightly modifying the cooking methodology, you can indeed make a difference to the environment.


So what change should you adopt in the cooking methodology? Well, I would suggest using induction cooktops as a step towards energy-efficient way of cooking. Although on the expensive side, the technology is worth it. Hazardous fumes or chemicals are not released into the air because of the use of these innovative cooktops. The benefits offered are that electricity consumed is less than even half the amount required by electric cookers, safety, higher thermal efficiency almost in the range of 84% as compared to 40% for a gas cooker and faster cooking.

So, what are you waiting for? Get started right away in your very home to deal with the problem of energy crisis using this environmentally sound technology of induction cooking.

Make your kitchen bacteria-free with style!

With style creeping into every aspect of our daily life why not give our kitchen a stylish clean up as well? Now you think I sound crazy? Well, I am not crazy you can indeed get down to doing away with the so called bacteria or fungus or even your pet cat’s puke stains within moments and that too using chic state of art technology. I am talking about the Culinary Prep, the Lotus Sanitizing System from Tersano.

What is this exceptional sanitizing system after all? This one of a kind device is built in such a way that a blast of ozone from it works to eliminate any bacteria, fungus that a surface in your kitchen or water or raw foods may be harboring. The device is environment friendly and works on the basis of a chemical reaction. Air is taken into the device and subjected to an electric current this causes the conversion of oxygen molecules to ozone. It is this ozone that on coming in contact with any surface or organism reacts with it. The eventual effect being the organisms are killed.

To help you out a squirt bottle is provided in which you can collect water that has been infused with ozone. The whole process of obtaining a bowl of ozone infused water should take you about just four minutes. It is claimed that using this water to wash up your veggies or fruits or tabletops can help you get rid of 99% of the microbes plaguing their surfaces. The ozone infused water is said to be effective for as long as 15 minutes.

Many would be wary of using the appliance owing to the possible harm ozone could cause human beings. However there is nothing to worry as the machine gives out small amounts of ozone to be of any danger to humans. As a precaution, people are advised not to drink out of the squirt bottle. The by-product given out as well is harmless as it is mere oxygen molecules.

Well, so now you have a clean kitchen and appropriately washed veggies and fruits thanks to the lotus sanitizing system. However, do you know how much did that just cost you? The home ozone generator will draw you a bill of $169.99. Therefore, style does come at a price!