DAY 118 - FOCACCIA

So who does not like being in love...
I don't know anyone, who does not like that feeling..
Unless of course it is unrequited, but then..
Life is unpredictable ..
S@/#* Happens !!!

But that's another blog...ha ha ha

So let's get back to being in love..
I love it ..
Totally and truly..
And what I love most ,is that big fat smile, that just does not go away..

In life I feel it's very important for love to be part of your life..
Whether in the form of people, animals or a passion..
It just makes life a better way to live..

There are a few people that I completely love in my life, but I'm not going to give you any names, because I don't want to be politically incorrect , I'm trying to not always put my foot in my mouth..this year ..

Then there is Taz my 16 year old mix-breed doggy-love-muffin,  who is a cross between my Golden retriever Betty-Boo and my Boxer Ninja..

NINJA & BETTY-BOO

TAZ TIGI WARSI

I love him, like totally love him, and I know he has not too much time, because he is really old and has arthritis, and he has to go one day, and he will, till then I will just love him to bits..

Then , the other love of my life is travel, and that is something that I plan to do voraciously, for the rest of my life.
 

     To go to a new place and find my way around with a map, or just get lost and discover paths, old structures full of history and their food culture is one of my most satiating joys..Oh and of course shopping ha ha ha ...Then there is running that I do, really well, physically and mentally..ha ha ha

And then of course there is food..
That I fell in love with very very organically ,and have discovered so many nuances about myself , and about the art of making "Food Glorious Food" ..
That I realised that it is one of my happy places..

I also realised that sometimes, love is all about timing..
And timing and me , are old friends , that have always missed one another..
And on the occasions that we were able to meet..
It has been totally magical..
I have a lot to thank God for ,and I do..

I think saying Thank-you is the most amazing thing you can do in life, not only because it is a good thing to do , but also because, it acknowledges the kindness and love in the other person...

Ok so ,for starters I'm over the moon, that I'm interning in a Patisserie near my home.
It's called "Petits Plaisirs Patisserie ", and Chef Javed is just the most talented and patient and generous Chef I have met.

Chef Javed

This is the first time , I'm actually working in a kitchen , and I hope to work here for a good amount of time.
I would have liked to go back to school , but that is really not possible anymore, and so my pastry school is going to be this Kitchen.
And I have a really wonderful set of talented pastry Chefs in the making , that I get to work with everyday.
Saachi, Niyati, Chef Ajit, Amit, and Swapnil...
And then there is Chef Javed, who has such a positive , quite, generous way of running his Patisserie, that I feel totally lucky to be part of their everyday craziness in the kitchen.








So today I'm going to share with you something that I have wanted to make since my Friend Shalini, took me to this Bakery somewhere off Jersey, and introduced me to this totally yummy Focaccia..

It was light , totally tasty, had a layer of apples on its crust and was served with a drizzle of a balsamic reduction..
And , it has been haunting me ever since I bit into its yumminess in May.

So last evening after work , all I wanted to do is make this , and eat it ..
So here it is

FOCACCIA...
INGREDIENTS

All purpose flour- 260gm
Yeast - 10 gm
Water - 150 ml..but don't pour all in together.
Olive oil - 4 tbsp
Chili flakes- 1 tsp
Mixed herbs - 1 tbsp
Rock salt - a sprinkle
Apples- 1 ,thickly sliced
Olive oil- 1/2 tbsp
Butter -1 tsp
Cinnamon - a pinch

METHOD

Mix the yeast into 100 ml of water and keep aside, for 2-3 minutes, then add 11/2 tbsp of oil to the water and yeast mix.
Add the above mixture to the flour and very slowly bring it all together, add the remaining 50 ml water to the flour , and see to it that the dough is not too sticky.
Over turn this mixture on to a little flour and knead it well for about 5-7 minutes.
Leave it to prove, in a bowl , which  you have nicely smeared with the remaining oil.
After about 40 minutes to an hour , it will have doubled in size,(I left my dough in the fridge overnight ) knock it down , add the remaining oil , from the bowl and all the herbs, knead it all into the dough, and shape it in to a nice circle , not more than 5 inches inches in diameter , and leave it to prove again.
Then after 25 minutes when it has proved again, just very gently press it flat with your finger tips.
Now arranged the cooled cooked Apples on to its surface, and sprinkle it with rock salt,  and leave it to prove for another 25 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees and bake the Focaccia for about 18-20 minutes.

Apple topping 
Heat a non stick pan and then add the oil,then the butter and as soon as it sizzles , add the apples to the heated pan and  let it cook for about 3 minutes on either side .
Sprinkle with cinnamon and leave it to cool 

Serve it with some balsamic reduction or just plain olive oil and Balsamic vinegar will also do ..


And so this morning , after I had baked my bread, I most greedily bit into it while it was really hot .

And all the different flavours, just burst into me like a rainbow in the sky..
Yes please have it with a little Balsamic and olive oil emulsification..
The soft herb bread, the sweet apples , the sea salt and the balsamic , together is just a party that you will not want to stop .

You know in life , it takes all kind of experiences to make life well lived.
The bad to appreciate the good, and the Good to get over the bad.
That is the circle of our life and I bet you , that no one single person can escape this.

It takes all kinds of interactions in life to bring out the best in you .
And yes , I do believe that , everything you want does come to you , at the time it is supposed to .
And sometimes it just does not ..
Well at times like that , just go for a run ,cry your heart out..
And get back to getting used to the fact , that life gives you almost everything , but keeps you wanting ..
And if you are able to let go of the wanting ..
You eventually find your place of peace and happiness..eventually ..

Ok in my opinion, things can make you happy for a bit ..
People for a while more..
But ultimately things break ..
And people break up with you ..

Just don't give up on your own little fire that shines so bright ..
There is so much love inside us ..
But it's funny how we are always looking out ..
No one can make you feel loved or make you happy
Unless you yourself are not in peace and a little in love with yourself ..

I'm serious, don't laugh ,I know it sounds weird ..
I'm sure you think I'm cuckoo..
And of course you are right ..
But just think about what I said ..

While I just bite into this really yummy piece of flour ,that has magically transformed itself in a fluffy piece of Focaccia, after it has been , beaten and pounded and had to also go through fire ..
Well that's the way life is ..

Home-made Apple topped Focaccia

  I

I really loved my Focaccia , please do try and bake it, and please do send me photos at my Twitter handle @mariagorettiz..

With much love from "Maria's Kitchen"
See you all again soon , as soon as I fall in love with another incredible morsel of food ..

DAY - 110 CHEESY BREAD ROLLS

 You know the best relationship you can have in life ...
Is with yourself..
Yes love does make this world go around..
But do you know any loving relationship that is just all about only love and only love ..
Well ...

We go through so many phases in life..
The single want to be in a relationship ..
The ones in a relationship wonder whether it's better to be single..
The ones who have no kids, look with longing at the ones who do ..
And the ones who do , just want a break some times..

So yup it's just human to want what you don't have or can't have ..
But what's important in life , is to try and find happiness where you are..
If you can be happy with yourself..
Single, attached, on holiday, at work, pregnant, without kids, with kids, friends or just reading a book under your bed..
I think you will then be just fine..

I sometimes feel like running away ..
Have you ever felt like that ..
With just a book and some money to travel..
Where I'm going to go , what I'm going to do ..
Without a plan..
And that's what makes the whole thought so adventurous..

But I also know that it's really stupid and not practical at all...

A lot of people who are in love with one another..
Run away with one another..
And then real life catches up with them..

Which is why most of the amazing love stories in the world end in a tragedy..

Seriously ..
What does this say about love ..

I'm not a cynic..
I'm all for love and its myriad complications...
I'm also impulsive and mercurial..
Not at all a good combination at all ha ha ha ...

And so with life I have understood a few things..
To get to the top of the mountain, you need to walk up, the view will get better slowly..
Very slowly ..if you try and race to the top, your body does not acclimatise ....
you just have to take it slow..
You cannot make someone love you , even if you want them too..
But you can love who you want to , there is no tax on that ..
Sometimes it's nicer to walk away than spoil what you have in a relationship..
Sometimes it's very very imperative that you speak your mind..so you have no regrets..
Kids will be there own person, not an extension of you (note to self)..
As a caretaker we have to keep them safe and bring them up as good caring human beings...
And so on and so forth ..

I grew up believing in star signs, then one day I read I'm not Sagittarius but some new star sign called Ophiuchus....
Whaaaaat ?
 I mean really ..So does this change my entire chemistry with other star signs...
So do I get along with the earth sign or are we not supposed to ..
Is the water sign not going to douse my spirit ..
Will the air sign be there to fan my flames ..
Fire was me ..
Now I am ...what ?

So yup the world sometimes confuses you ..

"Gosh Maria,I never expected this of you "
Oh really ..???
I want to say ..!!!

Why do I have to live up to anyone's expectations ..!
When I have not yet put up a chart for myself..!
I'm me..
I'm just supposed to live ..
I'm supposed to dream , chase my dreams , make mistakes and start all over again..
Alt- Ctrl-Del...
That's just a computer application ..

But yes , I know that in life we get along with some like salt seeps into water ..
And some people are like chalk and cheese..
And then there are still some that are like balsamic Vinegar and Extra virgin olive oil..
That look like they were never meant to be together, but when they emulsify, you just can't separate the two..
It's like soul mates..
It does not really matter post that..
Because that taste of the emulsification just stays..

Oh gosh I'm really getting soppy ..
Ha ha ha..
Ok today I want to share with you ..

http://youtu.be/hEeWG81dOZ0


This is just the nicest combination of ingredients ..
And gives you a bread that is beautifully soft , and the flavour of the cheese and the butter , just seals the deal..

Oh yes sometimes you eat bread..
And sometimes you go on a no carbs ways of life ..
Basically it's your life ..
Do what you want with it ..

I'm just going to bite into the softness of this home-made soft cheesy bread that has a healthy dousing of butter , and it's filled with love from me to you only from "Maria's Kitchen"...

DAY 111 - DOUGH BALLS

I love DECEMBER and all that comes with it ..
It's the month of Christmas and  my birthday month..Yeeeeeah...

I love birthdays..
Mine and everyone else's..

And every year on my birthday I just thank God for keeping me blessed and for giving me such amazing people in my life..

Right from my parents to my puppy Taz...
I'm happy for every single person who has walked into my life..

And stayed..

Or walked out, because I'm just too much to handle ha ha ha

I know that nothing in this life of ours happens by chance..
It's all, is a long drawn plan..
By God , who has just the naughtiest sense of humour and has such finesse with timing sometimes, that he can really test your patience..
Well he does mine..

So whether certain people or situations in life are fantastic or terrible..
Or whether it makes no difference at all..
Just remember that it all moves ions and neutrons from the deepest corners of your soul, even if you don't believe in jargon like this ..
And yes, you will never be the same ..

Am I the same girl I was a year ago ..
Yes mostly..
A little kg here and there..
One more wrinkle as I smile..
A strand of grey in my hair that I love..
But this is just the outside..
That may or may not be visible..

But my insides..
Are the same..
I don't know..

But I feel a peace inside my soul that I may have never felt before..
I am able to forgive ,eventually, because I know I'm not perfect either..
I try to forget,between buckets of tears and pillow cases..
I try and keep life as real as possible..
I try and keep my mouh shut, most times, unless I really have to just say what I want to say..
I never give up easily..
I'm still irritatingly impulsive..
I sit quietly sometimes..
I sing loudly in the shower..
I fight for the people I want in my life, until I feel they do not anymore want me in theirs..
I apologise..
I explode..
I dance..
I throw tantrums, if I know it will work..
I drink wine..
I sleep ..
I run..
I love..

I feel that in life...
If we can be a little accepting of what life throws at us..
It brings us , just a little closer to who we actually are..

You don't just find gold..
You have to dig deep for it ..
And then it has to go through fire to bring out it's purity..

I guess we are all like gold...
How we deal with life ..
When you are riding a high or a low..
Really shows us who we are..

Some are honest
Some are brave
Some are accepting
Some are fighters
Some are meek
Some are rigid
Some are malleable

Some just laugh through it 

Some become somber 
Some throw in the towel too soon...

What ever we do , there is no, one perfect way, to live life..
We have to just make the most of what each day throws at us , without losing our true essence..
The thing about our true essence, is that, its like 24 carat gold..
When you put gold through fire, it comes out Gold and shiny, it does not change into some other metal..
Unless it is some other metal, with a rinse of gold..

And so today ,I'm sharing with you a recipe, that I use to make a whole lot of things with..
It's a simple dough , but every time I make it , I do something different to it..
(Why? ...because its fun)
And that changes how it looks and feels, and with the right additions also how it tastes when you bite into it..

http://youtu.be/wU58kUUZbl0

We need to be like this simple dough, that is a accepting to change and also absorb new things in life..

So today that I'm a year older, I don't want to preach to you ..
Because I know very little about life myself..
I think I have just about tasted the tip of the iceberg of life..
And have a long way to go ..

But I know one thing..
No matter what you may go through good or bad..
Say thank you to the universe or if you believe in a God..
Then thank him...

Because I know that no matter what road you walk on or through,and no matter who you meet and talk to for a while or a life time..
At turns and detours most unexpectedly, you will feel a beautiful corner in your soul just opening up..

So if someone makes you smile..
Please go ahead and pass that smile forward to some one else..
If someone makes you cry..
There is something that the universe is trying to teach you ..
So learn that lesson ..
Don't harden your heart..
Hearts were meant for love..

It's just that ..
We all live in a crazy maze..
Sometimes there is so much electricity that you can light a whole city with it ..
And sometimes, the wires just fuse..
The point is sometimes, it can be repaired and sometimes, it has burnt itself out..
You always know YOUR reality deep inside you ..You have all the answers you are searching for..
So look inside not out..
(I'm feeling very intelligent right now, just wish I followed my own words all the time ha ha ha )

Whichever way your life travels..
Always remember..
This is how it IS supposed to be , whether you like it or not..
Share the happiness and swim through sadness to the other side..

So go with it..
And be like the dough that converts into crisp pizzas, bready calzone or then the softest dough balls..
Without losing its essence..
Which is not its taste
But its ability to go with the flow...

Like in the words of the Penguins of Madagascar, "Looks don't matter, it's what you do that counts"

So while I bite into the softest morsel of bread loaded with this cream cheese dip..
I'm thinking...

Please add 2 tbsp more of Nutella and 1 table spoon more of the  condensed milk..
Don't laugh I'm serious...
It will taste better..

No you are not going to put on weight with one extra bite..

So I just want to say thank-you, to each and everyone who sent me Birthday wishes yesterday..
A big Thaaaank you , with much love from me to you, only from "Maria's Kitchen "..

So does getting a year older make me any wiser..
Ha ha ha I don't think so..
But yes it does tell me, time maybe running out ..
So grab your moments of joy....
And stay happy ...

DAY 108 - LACCHA PARATHA...

I

I feel in life it's very easy for us to ignore the ordinary and run after all , what we deem special, that's just human nature.
But it is only through the most simple things in life that greatness is achieved.

Like we all started with crawling, before we could walk and run..
We needed to learn the alphabet , before we could write or read..

And the one thing I have learned is that we need to learn how to forgive before we can love..

Love is quite a leveller in life.
One minute you are soaring through the clouds and the other you may just be unable to get up from your bed ..
What we need to be like..
Is like , "whole wheat flour"..
Yeah , common , to say the least , so easy to find in any shop and so easy to use ..
But can change form and shape and be a friend to almost any kind of food..
This does not mean it has no depth, it just means it is well adjusted, and sure of who it is..

It's amazing how much you learn about life from food..
I learnt that , you should not starve, eat everything you like in the right proportion , and indulge yourself when you feel like..

And do not ignore the little stuff..
Drink enough of water everyday.
Eat at least 2 fruits, 2 raw vegetable and eat your Roti and rice..
No the gluten from your roti and the sugar from your rice won't kill you ..

And yes, our parents and grand-parents, never used the word "Diet" ...
They ate everything and worked hard, and that's why , we need to heed their words of wisdom.

Today I'm going to share something with you , that's so basic that every one should learn to make it, so incase you are in a situation , where you need to fend for yourself, you can at least make yourself some wholesome, hot "Roti"

http://youtu.be/uaeKPL3HNjY

I never knew how to make rotis , till a few years ago, and everytime my mom said we need to learn , we laughed at her, my sister and me.

But, Boss, at the end of the day, do you want to rely on help for something so basic..
I think you should all go try this, it simple fun and a good activity to do with friends and family..
Nothing bonds people like cooking together..
And for those who pray, well praying together..

Something so basic ..
That completely satiates you ..
Can I make a perfectly round roti...
NO, NOT AT ALL...
But that's not the end of the world..
Can you make , "Pansette de Gerzat"????

Ha ha ha I'm sure you are wondering what that is ...
Well just want to tell you, whatever it is neither can I , I just googled it , ha ha ha

But we can all try and live life , with our basics in place ..
Pray ( or don't) , love ( or don't) , eat ( or starve)
Frankly to each her own..

So as I take a bite of this beautiful crunchy "Laccha paratha," loaded with ghee also known as clarified butter..
I'm filled with a warmth and happiness about the fact that only simple things actually do permeate your soul..
With much love from "Maria's Kitchen"...

DAY 102 : EVERYBODY'S FREE TO EAT DOUGH-BALLS...

Oh yes most of the time, I end up doing exactly what my heart pleases.
And 4.5% of the time! I let my brains take over! and sometimes, just sometimes!
I act with caution.
But most of the times, caution is thrown to the wind, and I just run the risk of completely going turntables all over the country side.
But that is also fun , because then you get a look at life , from all different angles.

Thanks for this photo Amito and Eefa for teaching me how to do a headstand...

I was not like this in my growing years.
I mostly did what I thought would be the right thing to do, because I never wanted to go wrong, or upset my parents.
I still do not want to upset them ..

But as I grew up , I realised that I was a rebel..
And I softly turned my life upside down , and once it was all out of the box , and I had stretched myself from the shell that I was in.
I suddenly wondered , why I  sat in a shell for so long.
I realised , it was because I was not really willing to accept myself, the way I was , but had accepted myself in the perception of others.

The best part I think about finding yourself along the way.
Is that you start seeing everything in a brand new perspective.
I realised that there was not just a black and white, but a beautiful grey..

Oh yes we should all have an opinion, but we need not be judgemental.
We need to know what we want to do, but know that if someone else does the opposite, he need not be wrong.
And I have realised, that the way someone treats me , is more often because how the person is feeling at that point of time in their life, and I happened to cross them at that point.

Do I fret, yes I do..
I fret deeply , if I get hurt.
Or if I have lost a friend, or if I feel, something is amiss.

But I have learned that "what is...IS"
And "what will be, will be"
Sometimes when everything is not alright.
Everything is awry.
Sometimes you fall apart, sometimes you fall together, but fall we must, because there must be something down , that we are supposed to find.
Most of the time, I have realised , I have mostly found a piece I never knew was missing..
It's quite lovely in retrospect actually..

So now that I have digressed from the cooking that I have done..
I think it's time I get back to the "piece de resistance"..
These lovely dough balls..
The first time I tasted them was on a cold London evening with my friend Sanjay, who insisted that if I tasted one, I would not be able to stop..

Sanjay..

Well he was right, it was nicest piece of bread I had eaten..
And with one of the sweetest persons i know...
It's just the right size, and so you never can stop eating it easily.


DOUGH BALLS

INGREDIENTS
Fresh yeast - 20 gm
Flour- 200 gm
Sugar-1/2 tsp
Luke warm water - 120 ml
Oil - 3 tbsp
Pinch of salt

METHOD

In a big glass bowl, blend the yeast, with sugar and a tbsp of the water.
And leave it , till it bubbles and gets a bit frothy.
Then add the rest of the water and blend it properly

On a clean table top , or another bowl, sieve the flour , add the salt .
And make a well in the center , add the oil, add the water and slowly mix it to form a dough.
Knead it really well about 6-10 minutes, till the dough is nice and soft and springy.
Bring it all together in a shape of a ball, cover it with a damp muslin, and leave it to prove.
Till it is double in size.

Then add some flour on your work table , and knock the door , and flatten it.
Then roll it into a cylinder and make small even sized balls, I got about 18 pieces.
Leave it to prove about 30 minutes, till it has doubled in size and then brush it with some milk, and bake it in a pre-heated oven , at 180 degrees  for 10 minutes , or till it is a lovely brown .
Then just serve it with some hot, with some homemade garlic butter, or then Nutella straight of the jar ..


That's what the kids and me did ..
We are kinda addicted to Nutella ..

While making them dough balls today I thought of my friend Nikhil .Chinnappa..
I met him at the MTV VJ Hunt.

He was just the most lovely guy ...
He was smart , courteous, good -lookin, confident, quirky, had his head on his muscular shoulders and had a beautiful warm heart, and that bit is what made me want him as my friend .
And that's what we became over that one week at the Vj hunt many many moons ago .
He was just awesome at work and a wonderful person even when the cameras stopped rolling .

And we are still friends, but do not meet that often..bloody hell..
But some people always stay part of your life, whether you meet often or not and he is one of them.
He is the guy who taught me how to host a live event, when I was with MTV..
How to handle huge crowds..
He is by far one of the most amazing guys I have met, he also introduced me to "Everybody's free to wear sunscreen" the song by Baz Luhrman..
"Paris Brest " at Sunny's in Bangalore.
Gun-powder from off M.G Rd in Bangalore.
Allepey fish curry and appam in Chennai..
And filter coffee..
And was an amazing co-host ,friend and knight in shining armour all rolled into one.
He always knew what he wanted , and was also clear how he is going to realise his dreams.
Something that I'm still learning.
He always pushed me to do better, and was a complimentary host to work with.
He has a tattoo of a wizard on his arm, so I remember, looking at it and saying,"Merlin?" and he said, "Gandalf" ..
I did not want to say  "who?"..so I said , " well he looks like Merlin" ha ha ha ..
He spoke a language I sometimes did not understand..
Was filled with music I never heard, trance, progressive house and the likes..
Were concepts I learned from him..
And I have seen him work a crowd like no other...

He is truly "FANTASTIC"...(Which is also his favorite word, at least it was then...)


Well I do not see him often enough, nor his lovely prettier half Pearl..
There's is a beautiful love story..
And some days , I miss the madness , that we all lived together in..
We have all come such a long way ..
I have kids, he travels the world with his music ( I'm so jealous, about that)
My kids know his name, because he is "Famous"

Why am I telling you about Nikhil..???

And Warsi cooked for us a meal on the trek...

During a trek we did for a show called "Chill-Out"..Cyrus, Me & Nikhil..

Bath after 4 days on the trek..

I don't really know..
But I am ..
Because I guess, every time he walks through my mind, it explodes with memories of happy times, and I always break into a smile ..
He is one of the smile bringers in my life..

Mini & Nikhil ....smile bringers....

So in life I hope I'm a smile bringer.
It's not that we need to live life in a way that we need to make an impression.
But if we can live in a space that does not hurt someone ..
It's a good way to live..

Sometimes we touch peoples lives unknowingly..
When we do , what we bring to them , does impact their life in tiny or big ways.

So I try and keep this thought inside me.
Maybe I'm not always successful with doing the right thing.
But more often than not.
I do not say stuff I do not mean.
I realise that's the easiest thing to do .
But at the end of the day how you treat someone is far more important than what you say to them.

A lot of people say a lot of things to me.
That I may or may not take seriously.
But what if I do believe everything you say to me or insinuate..
And if your actions did not match your words ..
Then how would I feel ?

So how you  treat me, how you make me feel , how my insides truly feel , even if my smile does not betray me..is what actually matters..

So today while I served the kids hot dough-balls, from the oven , with home-made garlic butter and a jar of Nutella..
And the kids were chatting about, what they are going to do in the holidays..
I was looking at these soft delicate dough balls, and thinking this is exactly how our hearts are , soft and like putty..
And most of the time, when we open ourselves to the people we love, we let them handle our heart..
So remember this while you handle someone else's ...

And so I bite into a warm bite of this little piece of bread, dipped in delicious garlic butter, made with Amul and a few dunked into a jar of Nutella.

I am thinking ..
Life could not be better...
Soft dough-balls on the table, with butter and Nutella ..
And laughter all around..
Some things and people are meant to be part of your life ..

So keep on walking, but stop to smell what's in the oven..
Because if you do not reach in time, it may burn..
And keep the ones you love in your life , close to you, if you can ..
And tell them you love them and more importantly show them..

People will walk in and out..
That's their prerogative ...
They may walk in and out sometimes because of their own fears and sometimes, because of you ..
So try and be the reason people walk into your life for..
and not otherwise..

Was not able to shoot the baked dough balls, as they got devoured, before I had a chance to take a photo..

So here's presenting, "Everybody's free to eat Dough-Balls"..
Fresh , simple and just the perfect size to fall in love with..
Just like me ha ha ha ...