Zlamushka Spicy Kitchen

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Puffed Rice Salad
2007-10-24 20:10:00
I remember long time ago browsing through the recipes of Nandita´s Saffron trail and one of them immediately caught my attention. I couldn't remember last time I had puffed rice. As a kid, mum used to buy it because it was cheap. She would throw a handful into our breakfast cereals. Me and my sister were not really fond of it, for the rice would get all mushy the second it hit the milk. Bleh... So that must have been the last time, I guess.Now that I saw puffed rice again, (but this time truly crispy and firm), I just HAD TO give it a try. I must admit that I have never had true Sukha Bhel as she calls it, but I know that I am a total nuttie about her own healthy re-creation. I became so addicted to it that kept making it a week in a row every night for dinner.Now, it is time to share my own simplified version:PUFFED RICE SALAD(Sukha Bhel)prep time: 15 minutesserves: 2 people1 tbsp oil1 dried red chili pepper2 cups puffed ricepinch turmeric2 cups chopped or shredded vegetables (on...
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Saffron Rice
2007-10-21 19:55:00
I have always admired a bowl of plain rice served with curries in Indian restaurants nearby. And it was mainly because it wasn't just a bowl of plain rice (like the one I used to always make in our house). Tossed with beautifully orange colored grains with whole spices thrown in here and there, it makes a wonderful festive accompaniment.Each time I eat out I am swearing to myself - This rice looks so pretty, I am totally making it tomorrow... The famous "tomorrow" never happened, though. Until.... Sunita of Sunita´s World decided for saffron being this month´s Think Spice cooking event. I have tried to participate twice, but failed to do that, so I just HAD to. This was the perfect opportunity for my lazy bum to lead its way to the kitchen. Thanx a lot for the kick, Su ;-)At first I thought that there were two bowls of rice, one plain and one (smaller one) cooked with saffron mixed together. Later on, when I researched several genuine recipes, I learned the trick. Let me show you...
More About: Saffron , Rice , Saff

Steamed Semolina Idlis - no fancy gadgets
2007-10-18 10:19:00
For a very long time, I have been reading about you guys posting tons of recipes for idlis. I have never ate or made those myself. Not that I wouldn't want to, but I was always put off by all those lovely idli makers you guys have and I don't. Then I went to Japan two weeks ago to see my Tompa who was there doing beez-nees and I bought myself a gorgeous South Indian Vegetarian cookbook. Those tempting pictures and fabulous curries just had me wrap my apron around me and get cooking as soon as I stepped off the plane.I mean just have a look for yourself. And when I saw those idlis, I was like "I gotta make these and the fact that I have no idli maker will not stop me".Then I finally asked Bindiya of In Love With Food for a suggestion. She was so sweet and suggested cup cake forms or muffin forms. I was very pleased with her helpfulness but then I realized. Oh... I don't even have separate muffin forms in the house... Argh.BUT! From having a closer look at the picture I knew it w...
More About: Gadgets , Semolina , Steamed , Fancy

Polish Carrot Cake and Healthy Substitutions
2007-10-16 05:47:00
A week ago, for the first time, I ran across Joanna´s The Heart Of The Matter food event. It struck me so much to read about the pain in her family that I immediately decided to participate. The reason why I started cooking was mainly due to the change of attitude towards food in my diet. I am sure a lot of people are this way. It is difficult to eat ready-made or fast food if 90 % of its ingredients gross you out.I love being healthy and I love good food. But most of all, I like being my own chef (play on words here... Lots of languages use the word chef as in 'boss´). So cooking has become my addiction, a way to feel good and know myself better. Listening to what the body needs and satisfying what taste-buds like.After reading Joanna´s heart-friendly baking ´restrictions´, I thought to myself: Wow, I´ve never thought of that, but I am a real heart-friendly baker. Even though I have tons of sweet recipes in my mind right now, I wanted to come up with something special and el...
More About: Cake , Carrot , Healthy , Subs , Substitution

Mushroom Wine Risotto
2007-10-14 12:35:00
Lately we have been eating out at our favorite Indian restaurants quite often. That might be a reason that while at home, I felt like cooking something (still spicy), but something rather non-Indian.Sathya and Elizabeth of The Baker & The Curry Maker are hosting their Risotto Relay this month. This was when I realized, Gosh, I haven't made risotto in decades (I am 25, so I am not quite sure how this fact contributes to the credibility of my statement ;-)Anyway, Tompa thought it was a great idea, I had all the necessary ingredients in the house, so I went for it... Aaaaah was that finger-licking gooooood ;-) So spicy, fragrant, herby ....MUSHROOM WINE RISOTTO:prep time: 1 hourserves: 41 handful dried mushrooms600 ml broth100 ml white wine3 tbsp oil1 onion2 cloves garlic1 fresh red chili100 g fresh mushrooms250 g rice (I used Jasmine)1 tbsp dried oregano *1 tbsp dried basil *1 tbsp dried marjoram *black pepper to tastesalt to taste* Note: I, of course, substituted all the herbs f...
More About: Wine , Mushroom , Mush

Traditional French Ratatouille
2007-10-11 08:51:00
Ratatouille is a simple vegetable medley with its juices cooked and baked in wine. A delish aubergine-zucchini-tomato combo from Provence garnished with traditional French herbs or even better - Herb de Provence. I have prepared this dish many times and it never went wrong. Perfect on its own or as a side dish to meats and fish.The recipe is very forgiving, which makes it easier for me never to get bored of it and leaves a large place for my kitchen experiments. So please, have a spoonful:TRADITIONAL FRENCH RATATOUILLE:prep time: 60 minsserves:42 tbsp olive oil1 onion1 red chili (my provocative contribution ;-)3 cloves garlic400g eggplant400g zucchini1 tbsp Herb de Provence 1 bay leaf100 ml red wine400 g tomatoes2 tbsp tomato puréesaltHeat the oil in a pan and brown chopped onions, chili and garlic. Add cubed eggplant and zucchini and mix well (I threw in some chopped mushrooms today, too). Top with herbs and continue frying on low heat for about 5 minutes.Add the wine, tomatoes, t...
More About: Ratatouille , Traditional

My Fridge MEME, New Poll and Cooking Games
2007-10-09 15:55:00
The first thing that popped into my mind when Madhuli of My Foodcourt tagged me with What´s Your Fridge MEME was: `Thanx God, it was about the time to clean my fridge...` I just couldn't be asked. But now that I did it, it doesn't actually look that bad. And I also had a chance to throw out crap that was way useless just taking space in there, you know what I mean...So, here is a fridge of a spice lover:It has a freezer down there, but it doesn't contain anything special. Frozen veggies, fruit, okara and coffee. Oh, and ice cubes, of course...But back to what you CAN see:1. Top shelf - stuff to spice up your meal : Cooking wine (it s there only because it is way too big for other shelves), fermented bean curd 豆腐乳(something like blue Cheese, very stinky, but great), HP Sauce (behind it, never understood what it was actually doing there), Chilli Oil, Rapeseed oil flavored with French herbs, Vietnamese Chili Sauce and Pickled Green Chili.2. Second shelf - spice up your cookin...
More About: Meme , Games , Poll

Home-made (Seasoned) Tofu
2007-10-08 08:13:00
Many of you guys seem to be very impressed by me making tofu at home. Well, not that I wouldn't be pleased to hear it (my favorite is : `I thought tofu came form a SOY COW´ ;-), but my modest ME urges me to reveal the truth: Making Tofu from scratch is NOT A BIG DEAL! Trust me, if I can do it, YOU can do it (dramatic music in the background).I know why you re still hesitating. There are tons of recipes that advise you to have all kinds of thermometers, special dripping containers, ...etc, but my input on those is, unless you are about to win Pretty Tofu Contest this month, don't worry about those...So, there are two ways of making tofu:Long process (when you start from plain happy soy beans).Short process (when you start from ready-made soy milk).Either or, you end up having a nice smooth yummy block of warm fresh Tofu:I have already blogged about making Soy Milk (there is also slide show available), so I will stick to the quick version. (a recipe is easy to multiply, since one l...
More About: Home , Made

Soy Bean Yin-and-yang
2007-10-06 08:48:00
Today, I felt like sharing something very peaceful, health and traditional, something that would combine two of my latest news. The sad one was that I returned from a wonderful trip to Japan :-( which is still on my mind and the good one is I am recovering from a whole week of being variously sick (it sounds even more sick, I know)...So, I decided to go for a simple healthy ingredient, that has become my everyday friend - Soy beans. I have large daily intakes of soy, whether it is soy milk, tofu, yuba, okara or soy flour.... Since I am not much of a meat eater (and even less of a dairy eater), soy is my ´daily bread´.I made this dish a while ago, when I still lived with my sister and we first started to experiment with home-made tofu and soy milk and had tons of fun with it. Today, I look at this dish and I smile. I remember being indecisive about which recipe to make, and since they were so simple we were like, ....eh, let´s just make both of them.And then we did it, visually pr...
More About: Bean , Yang , Yin and Yang

Stinging Nettle - Remedy or Food ?
2007-10-04 09:33:00
My passion for herbs has always urged me to participate Kalyn´s Weekend Herb Blogging event. I use herbs in each and every one of my recipes, so that is not the problem. I just felt like all the herbs has been already blogged about, with some great detailed info, which I wouldn´t come up myself. I was looking for something unusual. Trying hard, I realized the only thing I needed to do is go back to my native Slovakia and there they are, growing wildly all over the place....Besides parsley, dill or celery leaves, stinging nettle (Žihľava or Pŕhľava - hard to pronounce, I know) is one of the most common and widely available herb in Slovakia. There are enormous ways of utilizing it, whether dried or fresh, as a remedy, a cooking herb, as a tea or even as a cosmetic item. I will not go into the details, since they are more profound articles written about it, I will just outline some of my personal usage of stinging nettle.Being a great anti-rheumatism, my dad would always cut a b...
More About: Food , Remedy

A SPOONFUL OF CHRISTMAS
2007-10-02 12:30:00
Ever since I gave my sister a spice collection as her wedding present, and subsequently started my Monday Spice Series about how I did them, I couldn't stop thinking about the magic of FOOD as a GIFT.Now that I finished the serial, I somehow feel like those four entries were just notenough. Not that I plan to get my little sister to re-marry, so I can satisfy my cooking cravings…. It’s just… I feel like, of all of us, foodies, WHO, once in a while, wouldn't play with the idea of giving somebody a nice jar of home-made jam, pickles or his/her favorite spice mixture?The lack of ideas, though, could be an obstacle. This, and also the fact that giving presents is always a nice gesture of friendship (regardless of Christmas , one’s birthday or other events), made me more and more convinced that a blogging event dedicated to the ´food as a gift´ theme could be of everybody’s interest.Therefore, I am very proud to announce the beginning of my own A SPOONFUL of CHRISTMAS food e...
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Dhansak Masala
2007-09-24 08:40:00
I have always been fond of vegetable seasonings and spice mixtures. You might say, well,.. any kind of masalas can be added to vegetables instead of meat. True, BUT! There are certain types of spices that just go better with meat dishes... Such as star anise (badyan), cloves and cinnamon combo. Somebody says that out loud and first thing I can think of is pork.... and stuff alike. It s not that I stick to the ´rules´, its just that sweet fragrant combo doesn't do well with me. That is why I am quite helpless when it comes down to using my Five Spice somewhere else rather than in baking spicy cakes. So, if you guys know any other usages (fish or veggies), please let me know...So, learning about dhansak was very interesting to me for two simple reasons:1. Dhansak in Parsee (where it comes from) is a type of dish that combines DHAN (means ´lots´in Gujarati, or ´rice´in Parsee Gujarati) and SAK (=vegetable). So, my humble translation would be LOTS OF VEGGIES on RICE.2. It is a s...
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Monday Spice Collection (Part 4) - Wedding Apron
2007-09-23 07:29:00
The last part of my Monday Spice Coll ection Series, as promised, is somehow non-food oriented. This whole series started as a wedding present for my sister, and a part of the *hand-made* section was actually a sewn Wedding Apron. My Sister loved it, as you can see:WEDDING COOKING APRON:prep time: 4 hoursbaby blue materialbaby pink material20 cm red ribbonblack thick gobelin threadneedlescissorssewing machinea small wooden spoonOk, first we need to realize one fact. The apron is double-sided. This means that it is pink from one side and blue from the other (the wedding pattern is on the blue side only, though).So first, we need to cut an apron shape. Cut the apron from both - pink and blue cloth according to the drawing below (add 2 cm extra for sewing from each side):(This sketch is one sided, so we have to make everything doubled, ok ? )Then cut the po 25x20 pocket again from both materials.Then four of 50 cm stripes for tightening the apron around your neck and four 80 cm for arou...
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Raisin Stuffed Chili Pepper Pickles
2007-09-18 08:23:00
This is a very unusual pickle recipe that I got from my dad who claims to have it from a lady that used to babysit me thousands years ago.... He accidentally ran into her last week (after considerable amount of time he still seems to remember her) and was talking pickles with her. (This is not a pick up line, mum :) Right now, there is a pickling season in here (did I mention I was down in Slovakia again?), so preserving and canning is "in" right now. So, when meeting old accuaintancies talking pickles is more inventive than talking weather.PLUS! This type of small talk is lot more productive, since you happen to learn lots of unusual recipes. Just like:RAISIN STUFFED CHILI PEPPER PICKLES:(zavárané feferónky s hrozienkami)spice ladder: ****prep time: foreverbig chili peppersraisinspickling solution (1:1:1 ratio)watervinegarhoney* Note: We used jalapeno and these little round ones, we call them peperoni. I couldnt the word for them in English, not even after consulting it with thi...
More About: Raisin , Pepper , Chili , Pickles , Pickle

Monday Spice Collection (Part 3) - Five Spice
2007-09-17 10:30:00
After all the savory spices I ve made in my Monday Spice collection, it is a time to spice up our sweet tooth for a change - a traditional Chinese Five Spice powder.Most of you might assume that a five spice powder consists of five ingredients. Not necessarily true. Five spice, in traditional Chinese "yin and yang" (food) philosophy is lot more than a random choice fo five different spices. It is, foremost, a unique well-balanced combination of five basic cooking flavors: sweet, salty, savory (pungent), bitter and sour.This highly fragrant spice mix is achieved by combining an equal amount of some traditional Chinese spices, such as Sichuan Black Peppercorns (typical for their "numbing" aftereffect), Star Anise (also known as Badyan), Cassia Bark (Chinese cinnamon), Fennel Seeds and Cloves.Often, there are other "sweet" spices added to the spice mixture (ginger, nutmeg...), known as "Seven Spice" mix or other. You should experiment with all of them, depending on the ingredient that ...
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Aglio Olio e Pickled Jalapeno
2007-09-14 08:25:00
To be completely honest, I am not always up for pasta dishes. For one simple irrelevant fact that they usually come with rich heavy cream, cheese or meat sauce. That is it for eating out. As for home cooking, this is a different story. Tompa is the chef when it comes to cooking pasta (hope you all have tried his awsomely awsome mushroom red wine sauce). But now that he is gone to Japan and I am sitting here, jealously alone, I became all of a sudden, pasta-homesick.Not having much to do, but being lazy enough to go to the store, I decided to go for the simplest, but delish Italian Classic :AGLIO OLIO e PICKLED JALAPENO:(Garlic Oil And ...)spice ladder: ***prep time: 15 minutesserves: 1 lonely soulpasta of your choice3 garlic clovesolive oil2 pickled jalapeno pepperssalt Cook the pasta according to the instructions (you want it Al Dente, meaning "just done", not soggy and not raw). Slice the garlic and chop the jalapenos (with some liquid, too, no need to squeeze it out). In a wok, h...
More About: Olio , Pickle , Jalapeno

Monday Spice Collection (Part 3) - Cajun Spice Mix
2007-09-10 06:20:00
After all that wonderful response I got from you guys on my previous herb and spice mixture entries, I am just more and more motivated to keep on writing this series (too bad I didnt give my sister a couple of more mixes as her wedding present)...So here we go, after Herb De Provence and a simple but roasted Curry Powder, it is my pleasure to bring in something with a bit of a spice-kick. Even though my sister is not really keen on heat on her plate (I know, dont ask me why, but yes, we are sisters :), I decided to add a little bit of what I like to her spice collection. After all, she can only use a little bit at the time... Cajun cuisine originates from the French-speaking Acadian or "Cajun" immigrants "deported" by the English from Acadia in Canada to the USA. It is what could be called a rustic cuisine — locally available ingredients predominate, and preparation is simple.The aromatic vegetables bell pepper, onion, and celery are called by some chefs the holy trinity of Cajun ...
More About: Part , Monday , Part 3 , Spice , Coll

African Spicy Harissa Chili Sauce
2007-09-07 06:31:00
Harissa is a simple chili sauce widely used in Moroccan, Tunisian, Lebanese or Algerian cuisine. I have to admit myself, that this sauce is probably the one that I make most often, probably because (1) it is ready in no-time, (2) there are countless ways of using it and (3) a simple reason - everybody loves it. There are many varieties of this sauce available, all depending on their usage or spiciness, however they all have couple of ingredients in common: Chili es, garlic, olive oil, coriander seeds, cumin and salt. I would like to present the most traditional one and some varieties on usage on the bottom:AFRICAN HARISSA SAUCE traditional:spice ladder: *****prep time: 10 minutesmakes: 1/2 cup12 dried chilies1 tbsp coriander seeds2 tsp cumin seeds3 garlic cloves1/2 tsp salt5 tbsp olive oilRemove the green tops from the chilies and soak them in hot water for 30 minutes. Meantime dry fry the seeds and crush them in a mortar.Grind garlic together with salt, add the chilies and process t...
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No Fat, No Sugar Chocolate Nuttie Spread
2007-09-05 19:29:00
Honeyyyyyy? I would like something sweet! No, not a chocolate, that´s ....hm... way too heavy right now.....Something.... I dont know, something sweet, but not really... no, not THAT... Dried fruit? That´s so booooring... Nuts? No, too ...hm... dry.... Well, I want something little, but I dont wanna put on weight.... But I dont knooooow, what do YOU think :(.... fine... Forget it, then ... (storming out of the kitchen)(exerts from a conversation with my helpless Tompa on some long boring evenings with nothing better to do than roaming around the kitchen)BUT! This was happening BEFORE I actually found my favorite combo: Sweet´n´guilt-free :)Here is the secert (come closer to the screen and (looking around to see who is peeking) ....shhhh):Two tiny-miny wholegrain digestive cookies with a generous teaspoon of Sooper Dooper Choco late Nuttie Spread are so wirdly good, your loved ones will wonder (raising their eyebrows): Hey, where is the cranky YOU tonight?.....Sooo, without much f...
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Zucchini Cream Soup
2007-09-03 20:29:00
I know it is not winter yet, but there has been such a cold weather in Sweden that in the evenings, there is no better idea than slurping a cup of hot soup. My absolute favorite soups are those thick pureed ones. Therefore, when Tami of Running with tweezers announced her Super Soup Challenge Rematch, I couldn't resist...The following soup is one of my absolute favorites, particularly for its creaminess. The original recipe calls for a combo of zucchini and carrots, but I have used different “creamy” veggies, such as parsley, broccoli, potatoes or cauliflower. Great as a soup together with fried breadcrumbs, or as a dip for crackers or kuftas:(This beautiful spoon I got from my Russian friend Natascha, while we still lived in China...)ZUCCHINI CREAM SOUPspice ladder: **prep time: 30 minutesmakes: 4 bowls2 onions3 tbsp olive oil3 zucchinis2 carrotsvegetable brothsalt and pepper1 tbsp curry powderhandful of parsleyChop the vegetables, onions finely and zucchini and carrot roughly...
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Monday Spice Collection (Part 2) - Roasted Curry Powder
2007-09-02 19:23:00
The word "Khari" from which "curry" is derived, comes from Southern India and refers to a sauce of any kind. "Curry powder" was developed by the British, who wished to take the taste of Indian food home, without having to utilize fresh spices. As a result "curry powder" in the Western world has a fairly standardized taste, but there are literally millions of curry flavors in India....(cited from Wikipedia) ...It wasn't actually until for about two years ago when I was in Dubai and bought my currently most favorite cookbook '50 Great Curries Of India' written by Camelia Punjabi. I am sure you all are super familiar with her a-m-a-z-i-n-g curries. It was her that taught me how to cook Indian food and recognize different spices and flavors . And it was also her that made me realize, for the very first time, that curry powder actually means 'gravy powder'. How silly... :)Anyway, Gravy Powder is and always will be a part of our busy lives, regardless of how many zillion types of it ...
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Celebrating My First MEME With Cuban Mojito
2007-08-30 10:03:00
First, let´s get drunk and then, I ll tell you a bit about myself. For this particular occasion, I chose :TRADITIONAL CUBAN MOJITO:prep time: 10 minutes60 ml White Rum (I used Havana Club Aňejo Blanco)2 tsp brown sugar1 fresh lime15 big fresh mint leaves1 cup ice cubesIn a mortar, crush the sugar with mint leaves. Cut the lime into four parts and add to the mortar. Lightly crush, until the juices come out. Add the rum and mix well. Transfer to a big glass. Crush the ice cubes in a mortar and add to the glass. Stir and enjoy.(Cannot decide which one is worse. Gosh, we were out there, when we were making these, right Tompa?)So, why all this fuss? Well...First of all (standing up, raising my cup), I would like to toast to Meeta of What´s for lunch, honey? and her Monthly Mingle Food Event, whose this month theme 'Liquid dreams' came right in time... Great event idea, cannot wait for the round-up to enrich my cocktail recipe collection.Secondly, I´d love to toast to Saju of Chach...
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Slovakian Cucumber and ´Cucumato´ Salad
2007-08-29 06:36:00
Just came back from my little cute home country and I can still taste the flavors of my childhood. I took pictures of all of the dishes I ate there and would like to share a few recipes with you. Let me start with my utmost favorite - Cucumber Salad . I know, it is a very easy recipe, which I was taught by my dad, who is an expert at making it. A typical man in the kitchen: no measurements, lost of flavors. Here is the ´recipe´:CUCUMBER SALAD:(Uhorkový šalát)prep time: 25 minutesmakes: as much as you wishcucumbergarlicsaltdressing :vinegar *sugarblack pepper* NOTE: On the picture, you might wonder, where the vinegar is. I didn't have one last time I was making it, so I used tamarind juice instead (its pulp is on the bottom left corner, yup, that gobble of brown stuff). Not Slovakian, but VERY tasty for a substitute.First, wash the cucumber and grate it into thin slices (do not peel). Chop the garlic cloves and add to the cucumber slices. Sprinkle with salt and let sit for at le...
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Monday Spice Collection (Part 1) - Herb De Provence
2007-08-27 11:24:00
As promised in my previous posts, I am now revealing the very first recipe of Wedding Spice Collection, I created for my sister as her wedding present.Herb de Provence is what I jokingly call an 'artificial' mix. The reason why I say so is because it is not a traditional French herb blend, as one might think, but a commercial ready-made seasoning package. The ingredients are, of course, genuine and represent the traditional way of cooking in southern France, however, the ancient grandmas never heard of it. Back then, they carefully picked and used each of the local herb separately and only combined them prior to cooking, accordingly.BUT!!! In the world of modern grandmas, who would abandon a nice dried commercial herb mix that, after all, has the same effect on the dish? Busy as we are, too many spice blends are never enough :) The most common ingredients are thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, marjoram, fennel and lavender flowers, but there are several other ones added, depending on ...
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Traditional Spanish Paella
2007-08-25 16:19:00
My dad came in one day and asked:´Hey, do you know what Paella is?´I said, I did.He confessed he already bought all the necesary seafood and asked whether I could cook it for him.I was puzzled. As much as he loves seafood, my dad hates the sight of rice (He says, jokingly, it reminds him of a wedding).I wasnt sure how many paella recipes were out there, so I had to ask whether he meant the same thing as pretty much every Span ish grandma.´You know that paella is a rice dish, right?´He just waved me away (which roughly translates into: Yes I do, but let us not discuss that...).So I went to the kitchen and did my best... We ate it and we all agreed that it was great. (Dad, being a rice-hater, just coughed chokingly and left. He has hard time admitting that something like RICE could actually taste well) .That was half a year ago. I left for Sweden and forgot all about it. Last week I came back for my sister´s wedding and once everybody has gone, my dad came into my room again.´The...
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Wedding Ceremony And The Monday Spice Collection Series Announcement
2007-08-22 20:50:00
As written couple of days ago, I was honored to participate my sister´s wedding. Not only participate, but also to be her witness ... AND her best maid. The wedding, of course, was a lot of fun and excitement. I have never been to a wedding before (let alone one when I was a little girl who hasnt remember much), so for me this was something completely new and unheard of. Plus, I am a big city girl, what do I know about village (ok, little town) traditional marriages.... BUT!No words will say more than those I wrote down in order to explain those 48 pics I took that evening. But here, have a look for yourself: ... or watch it on the ´big screen´. Wasn´t that just great? I just love all the symbolism and the overall ´happy´spirit. Let my little sister stay like this for the rest of her life :0) (hugs)As for the wedding gifts, I (of course) could not have helped myself but spice up her marriage from the very beginnig. Following the good ol´Love Goes Through The Tummy saying, I ...
More About: Wedding , Series , Announcement , Monday , Ceremony

Wedding, Engagement And More Blogging Awards
2007-08-16 06:36:00
I have been very, very busy these days. Not as much working as entertaining myself and family. My sister got married on Saturday and I still cannot recover (from both, alcohol and the fact that my LITTLE sister is now officially a Mrs.... weird).Anyway, this is an event that is definitely worth writing about. Not only one post, but the whole series. Having decided so, for the next month, each Monday I will post a recipe for the Wedding Wok Spice Collection I made (together with a real Chinese Wok and a home-made apron) for my sister and her hubby to spice up their marriage.(Note - this collection is a mild one, we dont want to scare our traditional salt´n´pepper type newly-weds with too strong or fancy hot-butt spice explosions).I have also prepared a slide show from the wedding explaining a traditional Slovakian church wedding. (This will be posted later this week, still waiting for more pics from the family). Meantime, I would love to share couple of happy news here with you...1...
More About: Awards , Blogging , Engage , Engagement

Thai Shrimp Fried Rice
2007-08-15 21:19:00
It has been really hot out here lately, so I was not very keen on cooking. Our dinners have so far consisted of mostly salads or chopped up watermelons. However, if cooking, Thai cuisine remains my summer favorite. The dishes are light, juicy and refreshing. When Mallugirl of Malabar Spices announced her Summer Express Cooking, this was the one that popped into my mind immediately. I just needed a little push to make it. Tomorrow, I was going down to Slovakia for my sister´s wedding last week, so it had been a fridge clear-up week. Trying to use up all the rice and veggie leftovers, I could not think of a better excuse for a simple fried rice and a carrot salad. That was a final push for making a great Thai meal - Shrimp fried rice and Som Tam Thai Salad.Here is a detailed explanation of how to make both in less than 30 minutes, without stressing out too much or multi-tasking. There is only one think to be time-cautious about. Chopping, slicing and grating...First, prepare ingredie...
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Salsa With Nachos, My Name Day and DMBLGIT Award
2007-08-12 12:54:00
Yesterday was my name day. Let me explain. In Slovakian calendars, we have names assigned to particular dates. This means, once a year, you get to be celebrated again ... (yes, we have birthdays, as well). So, yesterday (August 11th), the calendar called for my real name, Zuzana.Having that in mind, I had a pretty good day. And then, it got even better...I updated my blog event list and checked back on those I participated.... And there it was....Sarah of Food And Paper published the Winners of July´s DMBLGIT... And there was I... and my tadka... proudly occupying the 3rd place :) Out of 88 pictures !!!So congratulations, Zlamushka, this one goes to you :So that much for my first name day present.The rest of the day day went by in a very easy mode. We were partying on Friday, so the whole morning was 'recovery' time.... (slept through the most of it)... After some home-made sandwiches, Tompa and I we went to a coffee house nearby and read books. I am nuts about science fiction, ...
More About: Nachos , Award , Salsa , Nacho , Nach

Same Hummus Different Flavors
2007-08-11 08:35:00
I love spreads!As simple as that, I decided to make hummus today. It is real hot, so cooked hot food is out of question. Plus, it is not a dumb idea to make a kilo of it to enjoy as the days go by. (This is an idea that occured to me AFTER I was done cooking)... So, for the next time, Zlamushka (I sometimes talk/write to myself), you make ten times as much, and each day you take out a bit, add something different and you´re set for lunch. Here is the secret:SIMPLE HUMMUS SPREAD:spice ladder: *prep time: 70 mins + 8 hrs soaking timemakes: as much as you wantdried chickpeasgarlic (roasted if you want)paprika (or cayenne pepper) powderlime juiceolive oilsaltpepperI realize that this is a recipe without specified quantity. Well, I figured we all know how much garlic, salt and pepper we like. So, therefore...However, the quantity itself might be a of a concern. We are using dried chickpeas, so one might wonder how much chickpeas is enough. The simple mathematical pattern would be:100 g ...
More About: Flavors , Diff