The Icing On The Cupcake - Romance Mystery & Cupcakes??

Romance Mystery Revenge & Cupcakes??? It all sounds confusing, right? But that's precisely how it all comes together in Jennifer Ross's latest cookbook The Icing on the Cupcakes. Yes, I am talking about an actual cookbook about cupcakes, complete with tonnes of beautiful and unique cupcake recipes that will win your heart over. But rather than creating yet another cupcake cookbook that lists page after page of recipes, Jennifer Ross takes cookbook writing to an altogether new platform, by presenting it in the form of a Novel!

In this delectable novel, which also features delicious cupcake recipes, intertwined with the story of a young woman, Jennifer introduces us to someone who takes upon the challenge of being successful and fulfilling her dreams, one delicious cupcake at a time.

This is a story about Ansley Waller, who is a typical Southern belle from Dallas, with the ultimate goal of getting married to a rich and loving husband, raising his kids, and gracing parties and banquets in Southern style. But when her fiance unceremoniously kicks her to the curb and cancels their upcoming wedding, Ansley's world is all topsy-turvy, and she decides to head to New York City to live with her recently widowed and wealthy grandmother, Vivian, so she could forget her sorrow and get rid of ugly memories. But in turn, Vivian gives Ansley a no-nonsense ultimatum: Rather than wallow in misery, either get a job or go back home.

Then begins Ansley's journey to gather her nerves, put her MBA coursework to practice, and find a place for herself in this world. She decides to open a Cupcake shop with an endearing wish to bake the most exquisite cupcakes that any New Yorker has ever had! But unfortunately for her, New York is not a safe haven as Dallas - everything here is different, and Ansley has to go through her fair share of hard work, misery and sleepless nights before she can fulfill her dream, not to mention the fact that someone might be trying to sabotage her business, even before it opened!

Amidst this chaos, Ansley also has to find out why her grandmother had estranged her daughter, Ansley's mother at the tender age of 5, and never came back for her! Vivian is a great baker too, and Baking helps the two women to come closer and forge the bond that they never knew existed. What's the dark secret of Vivian's past? Who's trying to ruin Ansley's life? Was Ansley able to open her cupcake shop? You'd have to read this book to find out the answers.

All I can say is, Ross does a beautiful job of developing her characters and creating suspense in this book, finding space to end each chapter with an appropriate cupcake recipe. Plus, read the pages carefully and you'll also be able to find some serious baking tips that could turn a novice baker into a chiseled one!
The Icing on the Cupcakes is a lovely book that marries drama and cooking in an enticing way. For a small price tag of 11 bucks, this is one book that you'd love to add to your cookbook/novel collection.

About the Author: Jennifer Ross is a former Wall Street Journal and Dallas Morning News reporter, and the co-founder of the movie production company Brick House. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband, children, and her two Papillions, Navette and Ruby. You can find more about her on her website, or check her out on Twitter

Mango Ice Cream with Condensed Milk

Mango is undoubtedly the King of fruits, at least for me, and I bet several others would agree with me on this one! With a beautiful color, rich creamy pulp and unbeatable taste, mangoes hold a special place in every recipe. Though they are great to just consume by themselves, they do add a special touch to the food they are paired with, especially desserts. So here's a household favorite - rich creamy Mango Ice Cream, made without using an ice cream maker! And I add a hint of Cardamom to the recipe, which is a taste I developed after trying it for my Peach Melba with Vanilla Cardamom Ice Cream recipe. The Condensed milk is indeed the second star ingredient which lends the smooth texture to this ice cream.

Back when I was a young kid in India, helping my mom in the kitchen we did not have the convenience of fancy kitchen gadgets. It was hard to find a proper baking oven in most homes, as some of you might recollect, so having an Ice Cream Maker was definitely not treated as a valid expense!:) But that does not mean we did not get to enjoy creamy dense ice cream at home - it just meant you had to add in a few extra steps to develop that smooth velvety texture, and this Mango Ice Cream is proof that you don't always need gadgets to do things right!

Eggless Mango Ice Cream Recipe using Condensed Milk, and Flavored with Vanilla & Cardamom

Ingredients
Makes about 6 servings

1/2 litre full-fat milk
4-6 medium sized ripe mangoes
100 ml (small can) of sweetened condensed milk
additional sugar - add to taste
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
3/4 tsp ground cardamom powder

Method
Boil the milk till it becomes a little thick and creamy, about 12-15 mins, then remove from flame and add condensed milk to it.

Allow the milk to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, de-seed the mangoes and blend the pulp in a mixer to make thick mango pulp. Do not add water or any other liquid.

Once the milk is cool, add the mango pulp to it and blend well. Check for taste and add more sugar, if needed. Now transfer the mixture to an ice cream pan; cover it with cling-wrap, then put an inverted baking dish over it, to prevent ice from forming on the top of the pan. Freeze the mixture for a couple hours.

Remove the mixture and transfer to a mixer again. Add the cardamom powder and vanilla essence, then blend well, using the Whisk/Froth setting on the Blender.

Again freeze it for an hour, then repeat the blending process again, one more time. This may sound strenuous, but it is what you need to do when you are not using the convenience of an Ice Cream maker! But don't worry, its totally worth it - the freezing/churning process will ensure that your ice cream becomes nice and creamy, and sets well to give you same texture as an ice-cream maker recipe.

Now put the ice cream pan in the freezer, again, covered with cling-wrap and freeze for another 3-4 hours, or until ready to serve.

When you want to serve it, remove the pan from the freezer and let it thaw for 5 minutes. Then take an ice cream scooper and dish out as many scoops as you like in a bowl. Garnish with some fresh fruit and mint leaves, more mango pieces if you like, and serve immediately. You can also use pistachios or other fresh fruit like berries as a topping.

I like my Mango Ice Cream plain, but adding a few raspberries makes the presentation look much better:)

Related Recipes
Eggless Anjir (Fig) Ice Cream
Vanilla Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries
Easy Mango & Mascarpone Mousse

Fight Obesity With A Low Sodium Diet

Its no surprise to see the growing awareness among people to switch to low-sodium alternatives, as they understand how high sodium intake is related to weight gain, hypertension as well as heart diseases. Salt increases fluid retention in the body, leading to excessive weight gain and edema. I have done a precious post about the benefits of a low-sodium diet, but this time, we focus specifically on how it can help control weight gain. Obesity is on the rise in the US, and it is our responsibility to evaluate where we stand in our dietary choices so we can avoid obesity in our families.

Sodium & Obesity
A person who gains weight has a higher calorie requirement. There are two reasons for this. Having to carry a greater mass around and service a more massive body uses more calories. And having a bigger surface area means greater heat loss, since heat lost is proportional to surface area. - A greater calorie requirement results in greater appetite/hunger, so, really, overweight people need to eat more than people of normal weight. If the overweight eat insufficient calories (i.e. if they 'diet') they may lose weight, but it is at the cost of being hungry. There has never been the slightest evidence that the practice of fewer calories in and more calories out by way of exercise reduces obesity! - It is often confidently stated that fat will be lost by doing this. - Sadly, what is more often lost is lean tissue, usually an irreversible adverse effect.

Contrast this with the right way to lose weight - by eating less sodium. - Eating less sodium releases some of the excess sodium and water held in the blood stream. This lowers the blood pressure and, significantly, lowers the weight. - Weighing less results in a lower calorie requirement so very gradually less food is eaten and this becomes a virtuous circle because less food eaten results in lower sodium intake.

How Much Sodium Do You Really Need?
Most people who are following a weight-loss diet tend to watch out for fats and sugars but often neglect to think about the sodium content of foods. Most health authorities suggest limiting sodium to between 1,500 and 2,400 milligrams a day. (The body only needs about 400 to 800 milligrams of sodium a day.) Yet most Americans eat closer to 3,500 milligrams a day. A single meal at a fast food joint can easily contain well over 1,000 milligrams of sodium.

Most sodium we eat is from salt (sodium chloride), but sodium is also present in MSG (monosodium glutamate), in baking powder, in bicarbonate of soda (aka sodium bicarbonate or baking soda) and in a few other compounds which are sometimes added to food or to drinks. So its important to read food labels carefully, so you can keep an eye on the sodium content. On labels, more than 0.5g of sodium (1.25g salt) per 100g is high, less than 0.2g sodium (0.5g salt) is low.

Sodium Substitutes in Cooking
If you find it hard to cut down on salt, do it gradually. Your taste will gradually change. Try using pepper, herbs such as basil, chives, lemon grass, rosemary or coriander, spices such as chilli or ginger, balsamic vinegar or lemon juice, rather than salt, to add flavour to your food.

If you feel you must use salt in cooking or to sprinkle on your food, you could try using LoSalt or Solo Low Sodium Sea Salt. - These mineral salts contain only about a third of the sodium present in ordinary salt and taste very similar to salt. This is still a high proportion of sodium, so use as little as you can manage and try gradually to reduce the amount you use.

There is ample evidence to prove that high sodium intake leads to several problems in the human body. And certain groups of individuals, like babies and children, pregnant women with high oestrogen levels, older people, people on prescribed medication or steroids are more prone to hypertension and obesity caused by salt sea diet. I always say its good to be prepared than sorry - so if you still have any doubts about benefits of low sodium diet, and how its linked to obesity or weight control, I hope this article helps clarify some issues.

The next time you try to grab that packet of ketchup to slather on your fries, think about what you are getting into your system, and stop right there! Of course, you can use some hummus or fresh vegetable yogurt dip instead!

How To Make Fondant Icing

Image courtesy of The Wedding Chicks

Have you ever sat admiring the beautiful cakes that the team of Charm City Cakes create for their beautiful events!! And I bet you have spent more than a few minutes admiring the beautiful wedding cakes that you see these days, with exquisite flowers and pearly designs adorning the smooth and shiny base. Much of this magic is created using Fondant Icing. Sounds familiar? Yesterday I posted a recipe for Cherry Blossom Chocolate Cupcakes on Fun and Food Cafe, and I got several responses from readers, admiring the cupcakes and also the power of Fondant Icing! Some of you also requested a post on how to Make fondant at home. Whether you are a baker who knows how to work with fondant, or are a novice who wants to dabble at making fondant icing yourself, just so you can decorate your cakes and cupcakes, here's a tutorial that will serve as a set of guidelines whenever you want to work with Fondant Icing.

What is Fondant Icing
Fondant Icing is an alternative to butter-based Royal Icing, and is used to decorate cakes and petit-fours. It includes gelatin (or agar-agar in vegetarian recipes) and food-grade glycerin, which keep the sugar pliable and creates a dough-like consistency, that makes it easy to roll out, then use to cover the cakes, rather than slathering it on like regular frosting. It can also be made using powdered sugar and melted marshmallows. It is definitely not as tasty and creamy as Royal Icing, but rolled fondant can be used to cover the cake, giving it a smooth appearance, and also to make more decorations sticking to the base.

How To Make Fondant Icing
Here is a basic recipe that I learnt during my Wilton Cake Decorating classes. it is fairly simple, and I'm sure a novice baker should be able to follow instructions and recreate the recipe.

Ingredients
1 tbsp unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tbsp glycerin
4 cups powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)
oil or cornstarch

Method
Add the gelatin to a saucepan of water. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water, and allow it to sit for 5 minutes to let it bloom. Simmer the gelatin under low heat, and stir until dissolved completely in the water. Be sure to use a low flame so as not to boil the water, as this can create lumps in the fondant icing; cover the gelatin and keep warm.

Pour the confectioners' sugar into a mixing bowl. Create a medium sized well in the center of the sugar. Add the glycerin and light corn syrup, and do not stir the mixture. Pour the warm gelatin into the well, and then stir the mixture until well blended.

Continue stirring until the mixture becomes stiff. Be sure to stir in one single direction only - switching directions can cause air bubbles to be trapped in the final fondant. Grease your palms with some oil or cornstarch and knead the dough until all of the sugar mixes completely into the fondant.

Now sprinkle cornstarch on a flat surface and knead the fondant on that surface. The cornstarch will prevent the fondant from sticking. Continue the kneading process until the fondant becomes smooth and shiny. Add a few drops of water if the fondant is dry or starts to crack.

Next step is to roll the fondant. For best results, roll the fondant into a ball, wrap it with a plastic wrap, and wait for at least 30 minutes until you roll the fondant out to place it on your cake. You can even refrigerate your wrapped fondant for some more time so that its easier to work with it when decorating your cake.

Adding Color to Fondant
Decorating cakes is not much fun unless you add some color to the end product, right? When you want to color your fondant icing, the best time to do this is when you have rolled the icing into a ball, but not refrigerated it. Get your fondant on your counter and smash it out a bit. Using a toothpick dipped in food coloring gel, add a small glob of the Wilton color on the white fondant. You can also take a golf ball size of fondant and use that to smear the food coloring around on the fondant. Put the ball in the middle, fold the fondant over it and knead the big gob of fondant until all of the color is evenly mixed in. You might need to add a bit of shortening to your hands and counter to keep the fondant from sticking. If it is still too pale, use the same procedure to add in more color. Remember that it is easier to add color than take it out. Start with small amounts of color and add more as you need to.

How To Decorate with Fondant Icing
You should always refrigerate your fondant icing before using it to decorate your cakes. This makes it easier to form shapes with the icing. Remove your icing from the fridge, sprinkle some cornstarch on your countertop, then roll out your fondant on it using medium-pressure and long strokes on a rolling pin. Roll it out till it is 1/4th inch thick, and slightly bigger than the size of your cake that needs to be covered.

Fondant as a Base
To cover a cake, flip over the rolled fondant and stick it gently on the cake, covering all sides evenly. Cut off any extra fondant using cooking scissors and trim the edges. Remember to flip your rolled fondant - the side facing the counter-top is shinier, and this should be on the top of the covered cake.

Fondant Decorations Over Fondant Base
To make small decorations, use the rolled fondant technique, then use different shaped cutters to make your own designs. You can even form 3-D sculptures using your hands and some oil or cornstarch to make shapes. In order to stick the fondant decorations over a fondant base, take a paint-brush - dip it in water and apply it to the smaller decorations. Then gently press it onto the fondant base and hold on for a few seconds so it sticks to the base. Remember to not use too much water as this can cause the color of the icing to tint and mix with one another - just a drop should work just fine!

I bet you know more about Fondant Icing now that you've read this tutorial! So are you ready to try your hand at Fondant decorations? Then start with these really simple Cherry Blossom Cupcakes - perfect for upcoming Mother's Day celebrations!

Happy Baking! And do come back and share your experience with us!

Homemade Chocolate Easter Eggs

Like any other holidays, Easter is celebrated within US with equal gusto, as it heralds Spring into most parts of the country. However, Easter is always extra special for kids, as they have lots more activities to do compared to some other festivals. Right from Easter bunnies to Easter Egg Hunts, to colorful costumes and flavorful candies, there are tonnes of family activities to engage your tiny tots, the most preferred one being Making Chocolate Eggs! Though its customary to dye egg shells, kids are more excited to make Chocolate eggs which they can relish at the end, rather than make painted eggs. This simple recipe is a great way to start your kids on early in the Easter fun! [photo courtesy of Woman's Day magazine]

How To Make Chocolate Easter Eggs

The basic recipe calls for using baking chocolate and some egg-shaped moulds to make your chocolate eggs - a great way to use up some wholesale chocolate, by the way! Then how you decorate them is all your choice. There are tonnes of edible Easter decorations available in markets today - you can just buy whatever suits your theme and stick them onto your finished eggs. From flowers and birds to simple candy dots and sticklers, you will definitely find something to suit your budget, and your child's fancy. So let your child's imagination run wild, and help them create their edible Easter masterpieces!

Instructions
1. Melt the Chocolate first by placing it into a small bowl which you place inside a larger bowl which has some hot water in it (double-boiler method) Be careful not to get any water into chocolate as this will make the chocolate go wrong and not set properly.

2. While the chocolate is melting clean out the Chocolate Egg mould using a small amount of cotton wool.

3. When the chocolate is melted and has no lumps, pick up the large brush and start painting the inside of the Chocolate Egg moulds. Once you have coated the whole of the inside of the mould with chocolate, place it into the fridge for five minutes. Repeat as many times as you like, forming a thick layer inside the mould. Leave it in the fridge for at least 10 minutes to set firmly.

4. Once set, you can remove the egg from the mould. Place the mould upside-down onto the table and give a gentle tap on the top. Then gently lift the mould and the egg will stay back on the table.

Decorating the Chocolate Eggs
Mix up some royal icing in a pot, add tints of colors to make leaves or flowers, and then fill this into separate icing bags. Use proper icing attachment and pipe your desired shapes onto the chocolate eggs. You can also stick some ready-made edible Easter decorations by sticking them onto the eggs using royal icing as glue.

Methi Palak Muthiyas (Low-Fat Snack)

There's nothing like a plate of hot Palak-Methi Muthiyas with a cup of Chai on a rainy evening! And as its been pouring down here since quite a few days, we got a chance to enjoy some lazy yet delicious food that can help you lift the gloom! These Muthiyas are made with spinach and fenugreek leaves, which are then mixed with some flour, spices and onion, then rolled into logs, steamed and cooked, and finally sauteed with some seasoning. Garnished with chopped cilantro and shredded coconut, these steamed dumplings are packed with flavor, and are really high in nutrition! You can choose not to saute them at all, in which case, you can feast on a satisfying oil-free snack which any diet plan would be proud to include! They taste fabulous with Chutneys on the side, but I love having them with a cup of sweet and spicy Masala Chai!

Ingredients
1 bunch spinach leaves, chopped
1/2 bunch fenugreek leaves (methi) - chopped
1 1/2 tsp green chili-ginger paste
4 tbsp whole wheat flour
2 tbsp bengal gram flour (besan)
2 tbsp semolina (rawa)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/4 tsp soda-bi-carb
3 tbsp oil
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp finely chopped onion (optional)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp fresh cream
2 tbsp chopped coriander
salt to taste

For Garnish
shredded coconut
2 tsp mustard seeds
chopped cilantro
2 tbsp oil

Method
In a bowl, combine the fenugreek and spinach leaves. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt, mix it well and squeeze out all the liquid (if using frozen and thawed). Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and knead into a soft dough, using warm water. Do not make it too liquid; somewhere between a cake batter and a cookie dough.

Apply a little oil on your hands and divide the mixture into 3 parts. Now roll each part into a log. Then take a steam cooker (idli-steamer) and place all 3 logs into it. Steam for about 15-20 mins, till the outer layer becomes a little hard, and a toothpick inserted into the center of each log comes out clean.

Alternately, use a regular large pot filled with boiling water; place an inverted stell bowl inside, and balance a steel plate(thali) on the top, then place your logs on the thali. Cover with a lid, and allow to get cooked with the steam.

Once done, remove the logs and let them cool a little till they can be handled by hand. Now slice them into 1/2 inch thick oval slices or rounds.

Take 2 tbsp oil in a wok; add some mustard seeds to it. When they start spluttering, add the steamed muthiya slices to the wok. Toss around to coat evenly, then sprinkel with some shredded coconut and chopped coriander.

Serve the Palak-Methi Muthiyas with hot Tea or green cilantro chutney for a delicious light low-fat snack!

How To Choose the Best Espresso Machine

Ask any true coffee-lover worldwide about the best cup of coffee and you'd most likely get an answer "The Espresso!" This one tiny shot of pure coffee adorned with foam at the top gives a kick-start to many of us, awakening our minds and bodies and making us fit to survive through the rest of the day. Most people who haven't had a good cup of espresso typically say they don't like it because it is bitter. If espresso is bitter, it most likely hasn't been made properly as it is supposed to taste like a cup of molten bitter-sweet chocolate. It doesn't need sugar; it is naturally sweet. This belief is true at least for US, while in UK and India, the opposite might be true. In any case, so many of us depend on Barista, Starbucks or Peet's and other cafes for our daily dose of caffeine, that it's easier to invest in a high-quality espresso machine and brew your own cup, which I'm sure would not only save you a lot of "moolah", but also give you immense satisfaction! The million-dollar question though: "How to choose the perfect Espresso Machine? and How to Brew your Coffee the right way??"

The sad fact is, outside of Italy and the other Latin espresso-making countries, few people have had real espresso. Most cafés sell overpriced hot milk with coffee flavoring, and the majority of the mass market home espresso machines are designed to produce the same. So for most of us who insist on good espresso made with organic coffee beans, the only option is to make it ourselves.

Espresso is made when water is forced through a puck of ground coffee at 9 bar of pressure to extract 2 ounces in 25 seconds. However, good espresso is not easy to make — it takes practice. But with the right tools, the best java beans, and a little technique, you can enjoy this bliss at home. When buying a new Espresso Maker, ask yourself these 4 questions:

1. Does this machine produce exceptional espresso?
2. Does this machine have the steaming ability to make outstanding foam?
3. Would I be proud to use this machine in my home to serve cappuccinos and lattes to my guests?
4. Is this worth the price I pay for my coffee everyday?

These essentially translate into the following criteria:

Quality: How consistent was the machine? How good were the shots of espresso it produced? The layer of foam at the top of a shot is called the crema—how thick and well-formed was this layer? When I poured some sugar on it, did it take more than a second or two for the granules to sink through? And how well did it foam milk for cappuccinos?

Convenience/Usability: How difficult was the machine to master? How easy was the machine to use on a daily basis? How long did it take to disassemble and clean? How quickly did it heat up? Espresso cups should be warmed before use—did the machine have a cup warmer? And, for those living in cramped quarters and cooking in cramped kitchens, how much countertop space did it occupy?

Looks: Making a good cup of espresso is something of an art form, and the best espresso machines are themselves works of art. As well they should be, given how much they cost and how much time you'll spend using them (not to mention looking at them sitting on your kitchen counter). All of which is to say that, when it comes to espresso makers, looks count.

Value: On an average, a cup costs 4 bucks, and 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year gives roughly 1500 dollars per year that you spend for just one cup of coffee per day. So accommodate this in the price of the machine you are looking for, and also the added value of being able to use it anytime at home or work!

I'm sure you can find a wide variety of machines of different brands in the market. For beginners, try Saeco or Krupps. Make sure you check out some true reviews for a machine that you've seen or liked before jumping into buying it. Select ones that others have rated high based on personal experience.

I hope this write-up helps you make a suitable choice. After all, this is the first cup of morning caffeine that we are talking about, and our body deserves to be given nothing but the best and the perfect, right?!!