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Inheritance - Chicken Dum Biryani

There are many thing that we inherit from our parents and grandparents. Dum biryani is one such...it runs in our family. Starting from my late grandfather who was a pro in making them. Usually at home mutton dum biryani is made. Be it family get together, wedding and or Diwali it has always been biryani, grandpa has led the kitchen during those times. Let me tell you, almost a decade before these biryani were always made in bronze cooking pot on wooden fire. The whole process of making this is no less than a festival at home, with whole big bunch of family around. Usually the briyani is accompanied with chicken masala, raita and double ka meeta (bread halwa) is must! We kids we were aw struck with the whole making process, all mom's in the kitchen taking care of pre-preparation step, men at backyard cutting the woods, setting the fire and getting the heating right.By the time we get to eat biryani is late after noon, we end by eating a sweet pan made by grandma. But elders always looking forward to eat biryani the next day. I have admit, now I realise that biryani taste best after its one day old.....With time cooking of biryani move to gas top, the taste did diminish a bit but the essence still remains....so this Diwali I'm here to give you chicken biryani from our family recipe. Here's wishing you a very happy Diwali, may this Diwali brighten all your lives, do have a safe one ...also try to say NO to crackers!

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Quiescent - Baked Pumpkin Soup

Last whole month I was totally on move, up and down between Belgium, Spain, Switzerland and Paris. It was exciting and wonderful trips but.....not that I'm going to complain about travelling, I thought I should have schedule at least 3 week breaks between each trip. Well, after the storm, I curled up into my den for couple of weeks recovering (much needed I say!). 

During the days of recovery only thing I was eyeing, on the way to work through fields, was pumpkins. Belgium autumn so far has been bit nice, moist, humid and foggy. Every day the density of fog amazes me, wish there were some lakes here it would have been picturesque.....anyhow last weekend I walked to Saturday market, my most favourite activity during weekend to hunt for some fresh treasure. I did come back with last few honey melon, in season corn, pumpkin, peanut and fresh fresh walnut (This is delicious!) and lots more. Nothing makes my happier when my see my refrigerator filled with happy looking fruits and vegetable saying "eat me". Very obediently pumpkin was transformed in to this delicious pumpkin soup. It did get some good grade from fellow colleagues. I'm totally in love with pumpkin soups, if you have any other version do drop a note would love to try! 

Happy spooky autumn!

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Dream - Honey Lavender cupcake with cream cheese frosting

Dream is my favourite word in dictionary. Every planned recipes, considering the fact that my unplanned recipes for blogging purpose are very rare, I dream about the prop, background, colour combinations and many more ways to make it presentable. This lavender cupcake was outcome of my long dreaming days. Wish my understanding of lighting was better few years before these pictures would have turned out more alluring. It was challenge to use flowing white and purple chiffon materials as background, which were hanged from lamp post…totally a fun photo-shoot.   

Similarly I never dreamt about the power of food blogging. The first person with whom I got connected outside work was Finla from Kitchen treasures. Even before my arrival, she checked about my arrival and all the practical help that I would be in need of. After my arrival we met in Brussels with few other food blogger. Sooner I landed at her home along with her wonderful family. Probably I was one of those few lucky people who got all the chance to eat her delicious food, and learn how to make macron from her, she is pro' in making macron. We did some good shopping together for props and kitchen; totally it was wonderful feel at home weekend. Thanks to this world of food blogging that I get to meet most beautiful people in the world, soon we are heading to Paris to meet another food blogger friend Nisha from My Kitchen antics, doesn't food blogging sound all wonderful?

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Baby shower - Carrot cake and button cookies

I have been happily busy since end of June with bbq, baby shower, meeting food blogger friends, friends from Finland and Austria....we have been enjoying Belgium summer with great chocolates and beers. I have never been a beer person, but there is something about Belgian beers, its slowly growing on me, especially the fruit and light ones!

Ok folks, until I keep enjoying with my 3rd batch of good friends who will landing this Saturday in Belgium. I will let you stroll thro' the pictures from baby shower party, which I organised (Oh it was fantastic to play with blue and white). I loved playing with fondant again after a big failure from my first trial. I'm quite happy with the results this time, though I still need to work more on the fondants.     Those butterflies were made using the fondant print and I left them to dry between the chopstick to give it a feeling of flying. For some butterflies I used single colour fondant and some I mixed few colours. (Be a baby and play!) The menu for the evening was carrot cake with orange flavoured cream cheese frosting, vanilla cupcake with mascarpone frosting, button cookies, Indian home made biscuits and lemon pineapple punch.  Note, how to turn normal use and throw cups to pretty ones, wrap a fancy tape around the cup and top with some stickers, they were adorable...Also meet my old hobby crochet. 

If you still on the sunny side of the world....happy summer and happy baking! 

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