Foodialogues

04/05/2024

It was a Sunday afternoon of boredom which lead to this simple snack mimicking a margherita. The process was made simple and quick with a spiced mozzarella cheese slice and packaged pizza sauce. Daksh enjoyed the creation and sought the final approval from his little sister. She deconstructed the dish based on her knowledge of ingredients and expressed her approval. 😀

Do you know that it was sheer boredom of eating gourmet food lead to the creation of margherita pizza?? Yes the poor Neapolitans daily meal of a flatbread with toppings was transformed into a delicacy by Raffaele Esposito the most famous pizza-maker in Naples. The Queen of Italy summoned him to make something new and interesting since she was bored of eating French gourmet every day. A pizza, inspired by the colours of the Italian flag met the queen’s approval and thus Margherita Pizza was born. 🍕😀

Here's the delicious homemade "Margherita Bread Pizza" Preparation video 👇😋

https://youtu.be/xdiwKf0rTAA

It was a Sunday afternoon of boredom which lead to this simple snack mimicking a margherita. The process was made simple and quick with a spiced mozzarella c...

01/05/2024

Happy Labour Day 😊

26/04/2024

Summer holidays—the magical time of the year when school bells fall silent, and the world becomes a canvas of endless possibilities for the little bundles of energy. With the sun shining bright and the days stretching long, summer holidays hold the promise of adventure, relaxation, and cherished memories waiting to be made. This Sunday afternoon my little “D” rolled up his sleeves and donned his chefs cap. Veggie meal he said and we began planning. We settled on a fireless and knifeless cooking after long arguments and negotiations for the next Sunday.

I chopped the vegetables under his stern instructions and was also given a briefing on videography. “I will do the talking” he said and” please don’t shake the mobile”. .We set the kitchen counter with all necessary ingredients for a veggie meal and my little chef began his preparation of a vegetable sandwich and salad. The preparations were simple. He used his creativity and imagination and went about like a pro. This video is special…..it’s not about the product….it is not a culinary master piece… but Daksh’s enthusiasm, his cooking adventures and the family bond forged on a Sunday afternoon makes it very endearing. 😃

The joy of having created something, the sense of accomplishment and the happiness when the “splendid veggie meal” passed the taste test will remain a cherished memory for all of us. Culinary creativity and exploration thrives within the heart of every child. All that we adults have to do, is to be an enthusiastic mentor. Measurements, fractions, chemistry, physics, biology, history, geography…all can be learnt in the kitchen. 😃

This video is special…..it’s not about the product….it is not a culinary masterpiece… but Daksh’s enthusiasm, his cooking adventures and the family bond forg...

24/04/2024

Staying hydrated in hot summers is important but very challenging. Here is a natural cooler using whey residue after making paneer at home. 😀

Link for the Summer Special "Masala Whey Cooler" recipe with preparation video is here https://bit.ly/3whiWDv 👈

23/04/2024

The pride and joy of Punjabi cuisine is the tall earthen kulhar of fermented refreshing smoothie … the lassi. The hot summers day in every Punjabi household begins with this cooler made from fresh curd churned with either salt or sugar and topped with a clot of cream. The salt variation known as the salt lassi and the sweet variation known as the sweet lassi are popular drinks which have evolved into myriad variants today.

Lassi or the ‘curd smoothie “is said to have originated in India as early as 1000 BC. Milk was set into curds in huge earthen pots overnight and the next day would be mixed with water and consumed with a pinch of salt or some sugar. This drink would energize both the young and old to carry on with their activities of the day.

Another variant is where the curd would be churned into butter. The remnant liquid was consumed as “chaas’ or “chaati ki lassi” or buttermilk after adding a pinch of black salt. Later this fermented drink included addition of herbal flavors such as mint, coriander, ginger, curry leaves etc. Ayurveda lauds this fermented drink as very important for gut health. Ayurveda claims that both lassi and buttermilk help to restore the beneficial gut microbes thus crucial for the process of digestion.

Today lassi and buttermilk have several popular adaptations, the recipes of which have been given below. Lassi is loaded with protein and calcium. The nutritional load and flavor increases with the fruit, nut and spice additions.

Link for the Summer Special "Mango Melon Lassi" 🥭 recipe is here https://bit.ly/3W9apNy 👈

22/04/2024

Have you heated milk at home and let it boil for long?? …. Payasam, rabdi, palkhoa, kulfi… If so you would have noticed that the milk turns slightly brownish in colour and the taste also changes. This change is referred to as the Maillard reaction or non-enzymatic browning. It is named after French natural scientist Louis Camille Maillard and is one of the most important chemical reactions in the food industry.

Sugar and protein in the milk combine in the presence of heat and result in a brown aromatic liquid. A variety of aromas and flavours are developed depending upon the intensity and length of heat applied.

Here is a beautifully browned milk with flavours complemented with a sprinkle of green cardamom to make a delicious creamy malai kulfi. 😋

Recipe link here https://bit.ly/3UcnAuq 👈

20/04/2024

Frank Epperson, an 11-year-old accidentally invented the ”popsicle“ way back in 1905. It was a freezing night in San Francisco. The soda powder and water with a stirring stick that he left outside the house turned into a delightful summer treat.

Here is a no-sugar chill treat that can be relished by all….the watermelon popsicle with Indian flavours. 😀🍉

Link for the Summer Special "Watermelon Popsicle" is here https://bit.ly/44fvurF 👈

19/04/2024

Kulfi /Qulfi is a traditional Indian ice cream with Mughal origins. Traditional flavours include malai, mango, kesar, elaichi, and rose. A nonwhipped ice cream this is a dense frozen dessert which has evolved into several variations such as orange, avocado, strawberry, chocolate, and many more.

Recipe Link for the Summer Special "Mango Kulfi" is here https://bit.ly/3JrsbUC 👈🥭

17/04/2024

Auspicious Srirama Navami…. The day that denotes the descent of Lord Vishnu as avathara purusha Rama on earth. The Rama Principle is a combination of the divine in the human. 🏹🙏

Rama’s philosophy was doing good to the people. He also said that there is no greater adharma than causing others to suffer. When people do not perform their duties according to their dharma, they do not get the right results. Out of ignorance, they blame the cosmic scheme for their misfortunes.

Preparations for neivedyam are a Simple fare of panagam, neer more, and vada paruppu… healthy and quick-to-prepare recipes. 😀

Recipe links here https://bit.ly/4aYVHgc 👈

14/04/2024

இனிய தமிழ் புத்தாண்டு நல்வாழ்த்துகள் ☺

04/04/2024

Eat them raw and crunchy, cooked and soft or fluffy in a cake... Carrots... Bugs Bunny's favourite is celebrated today..... International Carrot Day. 🥕😀

Foodialogues shares exclusive recipes of this vegetable. 🙂

Recipes Link here https://linktr.ee/foodialogues 👈

26/03/2024

A weekend trial with my grandson… Potato Smiley made from scratch. After shaping the first smiley I left the dough in the creative hands of the little one who fathomed how he can make the potato mash to smile and was also able to reason out as to which patty smiled the best. His creative side also brought out an impromptu limerick. Not a great fan of fried stuff he enjoyed helping his “paati” not only with the smileys but also the video.

A patented product of McCain’s, this ‘Angrezi Aloo Tikki “originated around 1990 if we go by the YouTube commercials.” Grin-shaped mashed potato bites with the crispy outside that will get kids (and parents) asking for more’ says McCain USA. ‘Dil mange more’ seems to be their tagline too thus shaping up nearly 19.7% obese kids. Yes …these happy faces are carbohydrate and fat-loaded. They are addictive yet have a positive side if eaten in moderation.

A piece or 2 gives instant energy boost and potatoes possess complex carbohydrates which has an edge over simple starch. Research shows that frying can increase resistant starch and potatoes are definitely more satiating when compared to rice. Thus these smiling faces can be made into a healthy meals if combined with “chole” or a peas masala. A fresh salad along with the smileys and a dash of Indian Chutneys make a quick and tasty meal…but remember just a smiley or two.

Being my first trial I used some Maida roux for the binding which can be easily substituted with whole wheat flour without a change in texture or taste. The little cornflour dusted finally while kneading gives it the crisp finish on frying. I used Italian spices that come with Pizzas for seasoning the dough. Chilly flakes, finely chopped coriander, green onion shoots can be used in the dough as flavourings with a liberal sprinkle of chaat masala after frying. Two big potatoes weighing totally around 200g can yield around 15 smileys which can be frozen and fried whenever required.

For recipe click the link in BIO 👆