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I wish all our supporters and visitors a very Happy Diwali………And a Happy Ramzan.

Not restricting ourselves to Indian cooking, i stumbled upon this article about Andalusia, a quaint and beautiful town in Spain. The author talks about the beauty of Andalusia and its culinary traditions.

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Andalusia is the largest region of Spain, situated in the south of the country it stretches along the coast from Almeria through Granada, Malaga and as far as Gibraltar. Inland Andalusia reaches as far as Cordoba and Jaen.

Andalusia represents the most famous images of Spain; the romance and passion that stems from gypsies, flamenco and bull fights, flowered patios and ancient Moorish palaces.

The region is so vast that a journey throughout Andalusia will take you to golden beaches, white washed hillside villages, beautiful coastlines and rugged mountainous landscapes.

Andalusia is a land of extremes, bitterly cold, dry winters high up in the hills, to hot sultry summers close to the coast.From this diverse landscape, comes a variety of cultural experiences affecting every aspect of life and especially the food. You can experience everything from freshly caught sardines cooked on the beach, to the famous Serrano or mountain ham, traditionally cured in caves high above sea level.

Not only is the food here so special, but in Andalusia offers a unique way of eating. Andalusia is the birthplace of the tapa and the region of Granada is the only place in Spain where tapas are still served free with your drink. In most other places you will generally be asked if you want a tapa with your drink and if you do, then you will be charged a little extra. “Ir de tapas” means bar hopping but it is totally different from what the British call “a pub crawl!”

The Andalusians eat later than people of other Spanish regions and it is not unusual to have lunch at 4 o’clock or dinner at midnight. Because of this the tapas are an important way of life for the people of Andalusia, they are very social people and they can indulge their love of mixing with friends over a drink without getting drunk! Having small portions of food throughout the day also keeps them going until the main meal at home.

This culture of eating a variety of different small dishes extends into the home as well. Since being in Andalusia, I have gradually started to adapt to this way of eating and instead of a plate piled high with meat and two veg, separate little dishes are brought out which is the tradition in Spanish homes. This gastronomic culture means the conversation flows during eating as everyone is not tucking in to a huge plate of food at the same time. Of course this also means that meal times last longer; another feature of Andalusian eating habits.

Andalusia is made up of 8 different regions and each region brings to the table its own speciality that makes Andalusian cuisine so far reaching and diverse.

Almeria, famous as the location for many spaghetti westerns is a region dominated by dry, barren, rocky and almost lunar landscapes. However, littering the area are pockets of paradise, lush oasis providing year round fruits and vegetables. Being on the coast means Almeria has an abundance of fresh seafood which is brought in to more inland regions.

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Ganesh Chaturthi” is an occasion or a day on which Lord Ganesh makes his presence on earth for all his devotees.

It’s not the birthday of lord Ganesh. The festival for Hindus is observed in the Hindu calender month of ‘bhaadrapada’, starting on the ’shukla chaturthi’ [fourth day of waxing moon period).

While held all over india, it’s most elaborate in Maharashtra. The festival lasts for 10 days,ending on anantha chathurdashi.

Ganesha Food and Recipes

Update:

The main sweet dish during the period are modaks, also known as kozhakattai in south india. It’s a sort of dumpling made from rice flour with a stuffing of coconut, jaggery and some other condiments. It can be either steam cooked or fried. A Karanji is also similar but has the shape of the 4th day moon. In Karnataka, Karjikai is made, which is similar to the South Indian Kozhakattai, but here it’s crisp on the outside and with a coconut filling on the inside.

Rituals:

During the festival,a household worships an idol of Ganesha. The worship happens for one day in South India, but in western states of Maharashtra and Goa, the worship may last from 2 to 10 days. There are also public celebrations of the festival,with local communities vying with each other to put up the biggest idol. This fest is the time for a lot of cultural activities.

Story behind the festival

The story goes that, Lord Ganapati  was created by goddess Parvati, wife of lord Shiva. Parvati created Ganesha out of the sandalwood paste that she used for her bath and breathed life into him. Letting him stand guard at the door she went to have her bath.however, while parvati was taking her bath, lord shiva happened to come there and as ganesha didn’t know him, he didn’t allow him to enter the house.

As a result, lord Shiva got angry and severed the head of the child and entered his house. But after realizing that he had beheaded his own son, lord shiva fixed the head of the elephant in place of Ganesha’s head. In this way, Ganesha acquired the image of an elephant-headed god.

The Poojas and the offerings

Ganesha is invited with special phrase and with material and verbal offerings, the puja begins; it involves milk,curd,ghee,honey and jaggery with which god’s icon’s washed,cleansing with water in between. Ganesha is then given a red garment and sacred thread-saying it’s silver.

He’s then smeared with red sandal paste and offered some red or yellow flowers. A lamp is lit, bells chime, and food is offered in six symbolic mouthfuls.

He is also offered special leaves 21 of each and white durva grass.The Ganesha mantra is chanted, followed by a ganesha prayer.at the end of the day’s puja, the idol is taken with all flowers and leaves to be immersed into the water.

So shed all your worries and have a Great Ganesha Chaturthi this weekend! and don’t forget some of the special recipes that go with it.

Chefs.com, a popular food site has announced the “Treasured recipe” contest. The rules are simple: submit a favorite family recipe and send an interesting story along with it. If you are lucky you stand a chance to win $10,000 grand prize in big money. Now whoever paid that big award in prize money.

According to Chefs.com promoters:

We are eager to hear the stories that are associated with these recipes, because together tell the history of our nation.
This recipe contest is unique, because a well-crafted story about the significance of each recipe is as important as the recipe itself in determining winners. When submitting a recipe, be sure to submit a story about the special meaning associated with it.

• Is it the naan bread recipe that’s been passed down through your family for generations? Share your memories.
• Describe what makes your recipe truly authentic.
• How has your family brought different traditions together for a new expression in this special dish?

Cooks can enter online or get information about entering by mail by visiting http://treasuredrecipes.chefs.com. Entry deadline is November 8, 2006.

So grab your pens now and send that recipe now!

Though many of you might have come across the term ‘chocolate fountain’ while browsing the net, you may not have ventured to learn more about it.

Though not popular or even known in India, chocolate fountains are a hit in western parties and weddings. So read this brief write - up by guest author, Joseph Thento know more.

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Links of Interest: Chocolate fountain for hire . Make you special occasion a special one with a chocolate fountain and pure cascading chocolate.

Yay! Apparently one of the largest selling newspapers in Estonia, has a mention about Indan food Kitchen. The article discusses about Indian cooking and recipes and has a link to our Rotis and Breads page. The mention is small, but we consider that an honour

COCONUT ORDEALS
Using skimmed milk powder made into a paste with water can be used as a substitute for coconut for thickness.

STORING GREENS
If they have some roots, dip those in a small container of water and keep in the refrigerator. Put them in a brown paper bag (before washing), seal and keep refrigerated. Wash, wipe off or drain off excess water and seal in a plastic bag. Wash, wipe off or drain off excess water, wrap in a towel and refrigerate. Even if curry leaes turn dark the flavor stays.

FREEZE PEAS
Peel, blanch, drain and pack in air tight containers and store in the freezer.

STORING PEAS
To store peas for a few days in the refrigerator-Refrigerate them without peeling. Should last 4-5 days.

RETAINING THE COLOR OF PEAS
To retain the color of peas, when you saute the peas, do not cover them. Cover them only once the mixture comes to a boil.

STICKY JACKFRUIT
Oiling hands and knife helps in reducing the stickiness while cutting and washing Jackfruit.

VEGETABLE ENHANCEMENTS

To make the onion brown & crispy fast just add a little bit of salt while cooking!After blanching green vegetables like French beans, spinach, green peas, plunge them in cold water to retain their colour and crunchiness.

ANT-FREE SUGAR

A few cloves in the sugar jar will keep ants at bay.

GARLIC SKIN

Soak the garlic flakes in water for five minutes before peeling - this keeps the garlic skins from sticking to the hands.

LONG LAST THE LEMONS!

Lemons last longer when refrigerated.

PICK LEMONS

The best lemons to pick are the ones that feel heavy and have a smooth, but a tight and coarse skin.

FRESH LEMONS

To get the maximum juice out fresh lemons and oranges, first bring them to room temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen slab before squeezing them.

RAW ONION SMELL

If you want to take the sharp smell of onions, and wish to use it as an accompaniment for an Indian dish. Sprinkle some salt, red pepper and lemon, and put it in the fridge for a few hours.