Boozy Tiramisu shots

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If you think I had forgotten you, you think wrong. Somehow life has been real busy and my laptop and hence the blog has not been able to get the time I usually have for it. But, I could not NOT post my last post for 2012.

2012 came with many firsts. I completed my first ever triathlon. The blog got its own domain name. I went gluten free for a month, raw for a week. Tried out several new recipes. Things changed for the better for two of my best friends. Travelled to New York, Allahabad, Taj Mahal and of course Delhi. Certain things became clearer, and I hope 2013 brings clarity in the other things that yet confuse me. 2012 was a year of ups and downs, but then that’s how life is and 2013 should also have its share- but here’s hoping the ups more than make up for the downs that come.

We had a gathering yesterday at my in-laws place for lunch. I had planned to make a warm apple cake and tiramisu for dessert, but since our train got delayed by 12 hours and I had managed to catch a cold during my trip, I dropped the original plan and adapted it to make tiramisu shots instead (recipe adapted from here).

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Rough Puff Pastry

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Since the world doesn’t seem like it’s ending today, and since the in-laws are at work and the husband is at the dentist, I figured its the best time to sit on the computer and post something on the blog that has been neglected for far too long now. Its been almost two weeks since my last blog post, but with my current schedule of traveling, socializing and erratic net connections, I just haven’t been able to find enough time to devote to the blog.

Today, too, its going to be a quick post. Kind of befitting the recipe that I plan to share. I have, in the past, shared a recipe for homemade puff pastry. And also made mille feuilles and aloo puffs with homemade puff pastry. But, sometimes certain situations arise where your mom invites some guests over and swears there’s store bought puff pastry in the refrigerator and asks you to make the mushroom tarts you constantly rave about, only to see that the puff pastry she so confidently had said sits in the refrigerater is actually a packet of phyllo dough. The phyllo dough is then used to make some channa dal cocktail samosas by one of the three cooks in the house leaving you, the blogger (who your mom has, of course, bragged about to the guests), to think of an alternative way to shine. True story.

Its situations like these that this rough puff pastry comes to your rescue. And you will be pleasantly surprised by the flakiness you can achieve in just a matter of few hours, as opposed to the waiting and turning and folding of actual puff pastry that takes two days to get the desired result. Of course if you want to be all professional about it, the real deal puff pastry is the way to go. But if you are short on time this rough puff pastry recipe is the ticket.

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Umeed and Bhitti Chitra

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I know I haven’t posted for a long time.

One, I am in India. That is reason enough since there is always so much to do in India.

Two, I am at my parents’ place and for a while was busy with my one year old niece who too had come down to visit her grandparents. If reason one wasn’t enough the fact that my one year old niece was with me should explain a lot. Kids have that effect on me.

Three, the kitchen at my parents place was under renovation and the make-do kitchen already had two cooks and two helpers occupying it. There was no place for lil ol me! But I did manage to revisit a few of my old recipes and make it when guests came visiting.

Four, I got sick. In fact I am still unwell and my mom thinks sitting on the computer is not the way to treat my cough. I need to rest and that means doing absolutely nothing. Of course, I am not following that advice. I have been on my feet most of the time. What’s keeping me on my feet besides the random baking/cooking for guests is a small place called Umeed.

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