Love and Calories!!

The thing I most miss in the UK is the sound of "Taka Tak" made by the street food vendors on their tava while making pav bhaji, aloo tikki, patties etc. Aah! Especially after living so many years in the hub of street food (Delhi & Mumbai), I seriously get disappointed when I am unable to go out after 6 pm. You have only two options, either go sit in a pub or have a proper dinner at some expensive restaurants. There is no in between thing. And I have started hating the American fast food joints like KFCs, McDs & pizza outlets. My stomach gets bloated and   I gain 2 kilos just by the look of it. That's when I miss my Indian Street food. Its not just about the food, its the whole idea behind it. Go with your family and friends, get your hands dirty, eat while standing and haggle with the vendor saying..."Bhayya ..Aur Theeka karo na", Bhayya, ek aur papdi"!! :)  Thanks to London, I have already discovered some Vada Pav shops & Chat restaurant...

Its already September and the evenings here are turning chillier & chillier. That's when you think of making a  Chicken Pie, the most comforting English food I have ever tasted.. When you crush those  golden crispy puffed pastry top  with your spoon  to get that delicious mouthful of piping  hot  creamy chicken on a chilly night, you know you are going to settle down in your couch for the next couple of hours.  Last Wednesday, I enjoyed my "Pie night" alone as Arun had a party to attend that night. I cooked up my pie in a jiffy, brought my throw from the bedroom, switched on the TV and relaxed on the couch until the door bell rang at 11. I really really enjoyed some "Me" time that night!! :) So you try making this chicken pie & see how comforting it is to sit back, relax and have a pot pie once in a while. And don't worry about the pastry, I used the frozen sheets to make my pie. You can cheat sometimes, you know!! Ingredients: 50 gm...

So I decided to bake something to check out how my new oven works. (Oh! Did I not mention that we shifted to  another location a month back??). Thanks to hubby dear's job, I get a new kitchen every couple of years. And to get used to the new location, new home and most importantly new kitchen, takes time. But am not complaining this time as I got my favourite gas burner (how I used to curse the hot plates before) to cook all my Indian stuff. :) I planned to bake a bread this time and  it took an entire half day to bake one. I struggled so hard with my yeast to foam up and later knew that the yeast had already gone dead. So I quickly decided to go to a superstore to buy some yeast before I changed my mind to not to "Bake a Bread". But patience paid off as soon as I saw the result (the pic below). And I can't even explain what it feels like when you bake something and it comes out just perfect!!  "Focaccia"  is an Italian flat bread which resembl...