Teachers Day

~ Happy Teachers Day ~

I am indebted to my father for living,

but to my teacher for living well.

- Alexander The Great

September 5th is celebrated as Teachers Day in India.

The day commemorates the birthday of the great Indian teacher

Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan for his contribution towards

our education system . Today's post is a tribute to all the

efforts & love our mentors have put in to shape our

careers & make us what we are today .

Say it with Flowers

Flowers are the best way to say Thankyou ,better still

if they can be touched , smelled & also relished till the

last bite. These edible flowers on stick are quick to make.

Gift them as individual sticks or bunch these into a beautiful

edible bouquet. The little ones will surely enjoy creating

these gifts of love.

Truffle Flower sticks

Makes 8-10 truffles

Ingredients - 8-10 seedless dates, 4 regular cookies or any of your

favorite chocolate cookies crushed coarsely with a rolling pin, 2 tbsp

finely chopped nuts ( almonds, cashews, figs, raisins , apricots -

the choice is yours) 2 tsp nutella or any other chocolate spread .

For dipping & decorating - 100 gms chocolate & few colorful

sprinkles, some lollipop sticks or skewers .

For assembling - colorful craft paper , scissors, cling wrap & some

non- toxic craft clay, some florist tape & paper leaves ( opt)

Tip - adjust the Nutella as per requirement , buttery cookies will

require less while wholegrain / low fat cookies need a bit more.

Method- Grind the dates till pasty. Mix in crushed cookies, nuts &

Nutella. Roll into small balls & keep aside. melt the chocolate in a

double boiler or for 30 secs in a microwave. Dip one end of the lollipop

stick in it & skew in the prepared truffle. Refrigerate for a min .

Remove from the refrigerator , hold the stick & dip the truffle into

melted chocolate, gently tap to remove excess. Top with sprinkles

& refrigerate for 5-6 mins or till chocolate sets. Cling wrap .

For Assembling - Cut out flowers from craft paper .Pass the wrapped

truffle stick through the centre of the flower. Put some craft clay below

the flower to make it stable. You could also cover the stick with some

florist tape & stick a few paper leaves.

If lack of time bothers you pick up some market made candy

lollipops , dip in chocolate & put sprinkles or skip the dipping part ,

just cling wrap & proceed further .

Truffle Card

For making a truffle card- Stick the flowers & leaves on a

thick sheet of paper . Put some double sided tape on the center

of the flower & stick the cling wraped truffle balls . ( Skip the sticks

for this version )

If you have still not joined me on Facebook , this is especially for you.

Check out my fun food article- Treats For Tutors in Hindustan Times

Live Mint ( click to read the e- paper) Sep 1st , 2012 .

Go Green

~ The Power of Green ~

In the 70 's when Kermit the frog - the popular muppet of

Jim Henson sang ' Its not easy being Green '- little did

people would have realized how times would change &

the green revolution would be a rage - going green would be

the hottest talk of the town , from kids to adults from

gastronomy to couture , from palettes to interiors

everything would crave for a slice of green .

Green is the color of nature , fertility & life . It is

also the color of growth , prosperity & harmony . Owing

to its soothing properties its still one of the most used medical

colors . The green in our tricolor ( flag ) beautifully

reflects the soul of our agricultural economy .

Of all the greens I'm addicted to the green of fresh

fragrant herbs .Living on a 7th floor apartment in the city offers

a picturesque view but limits passion of gardening to planters

pots & balconies. Basic herbs like cilantro( coriander) , mint

fenugreek (methi ) & dill can be picked up easily from local

markets - but growing & relishing your own gives a different

level of satisfaction .

The herb produce from my tiny lil garden beautifully

pampers our home made specialties. The heady fragrance of

mint , basil, lemongrass,marjoram, carom , dill , fenugreek

cilantro & celery are enough to turn my kitchen into

a foody's paradise and my pretty Nigella inspired

Mezzaluna perfectly releases these magical aromas.

Home made Focaccia

This flat dimpled Italian flat bread loaded with lots of

homegrown herbs is surely a treat to the palate . Much like

its near cousin - Garlic bread, its is crisp on outside & soft

aromatic inside. The best part of baking at home is that one

has the reins of the ingredients.

Bake it with refined flour or a mix of whole & refined , add in your

favorite coriander or basil & top it with olives, tomatoes, grapes,

mushrooms, peppers or just cheese ahhh the list is endless......

Olive & Basil Focaccia

Ingredients - 1 cup whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta), 1 1/2 cup

refined flour (maida) , 1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast , 1 tsp sugar ,

1 cup luke warm water ,2 tbsp finely chopped basil(or 1 tsp dry),

8- 10 sliced Delmonte black olives , 2 tbsp olive oil ,1/2 tsp dried

rosemary , salt & chili flakes to taste, 1 tbsp milk for brushing

Method - Soak the yeast along with sugar in warm water for

8-10 mins. Once the froth develops , gently mix in oil & salt .

Slowly add in both the flours , along with chopped basil & knead

for 8-10 mins till the dough is smooth . Place the dough in a

large greased bowl , cover with a cling wrap & keep in a warm

place for 1-2 hrs or till it doubles. Punch the dough & place it

inside a greased baking tin , cover & leave for another

10- 12mins. Make a few dimples on top & lightly brush with

olive oil & milk ,top with chili, olives & rosemary.

Bake in a preheated oven at 190 C for 32- 35 mins or till

golden . Cool for a couple of minutes , slice & serve.

(Whole wheat flour results in a bit denser bread , you

can opt 100 % refined flour version too. Brush the top

with egg for a brighter golden crust. )

Isn't it nice to have a multi-use baking dish , this pretty little

stoneware from Zansaar beautifully doubles up as a piece of

decor post baking .

Sending the recipe to Del monte's

http://www.facebook.com/worldfoody

Also sending to Yeast Spotting

Magical Yellow

~ Charismatic Yellow ~

In Indian mythology yellow is the color of Gods !

Nothing here is complete without a dash of yellow.

A bride to be adorns yellow, a new house is decorated

with yellow, festivals are incomplete without yellow

marigolds , sunflowers & a smear of turmeric.

In our culture yellow means a new beginning & a

sunshine of love, warmth and happiness.

After completing 3 yrs of blogging Little Food Junction

returns in a new avatar,with an easy to connect Facebook page,

lots of new fun foods , loads of colorful pictures & last but

not the least many more recipes definitely with a healthier

twist for our tiny lil eaters ...... Isn't it nice to add a tinge

of yellow to a new beginning ...............

When God gives you Lemons ........

(Go ahead & make some Lemon rice ....)

When the little ones are craving for something tangy

& there is some cooked rice in the refrigerator

sharing space with lemons ..... then just wear on

your apron & get ready to salivate those tiny taste buds.

As the name suggests Lemon rice is a South Indian

delicacy with freshness of lemon juice, crunchiness of roasted

lentils & aroma of fragrant curry leaves.

Cook with fresh rice or utilize the leftover rice in the refrigerator

either ways the tanginess will leave you craving for more ......

Lemon Rice

Ingredients - 1 cup boiled rice, 1tsp vegetable oil, 1/2 tsp

split black gram( urad dal), 1/2 tsp bengal gram ( chana dal)

1/2 tsp mustard seeds, pinch of turmeric, 1 dry red chili, 2 tsp

lemon juice, a few curry leaves & salt to taste .

Method- Heat oil in a pan & splutter mustard. Add the dals,

red chili & curry leaves & roast for 30 secs till crisp . Mix in

turmeric, rice, salt & lemon juice. Cook for a min & serve hot.