BestPartyEver - An online tool for Event Management

Parties and Events bring excitement to one's life, and also makes one feel valued and appreciated. I, for one, am a huge advocate of parties and gatherings. I love to plan surprises for my friends and family (maybe I'd be better off as an Event Manager:)) In my hunt for party ideas, I was referred to this wonderful site called Best Party Ever, which is like a social network that helps people find and share ideas on Event Planning, Vendors, Recipes, party tips and more, so I thought I'd share my find with you. And if you run out of ideas or have something in mind but don't know how to execute it, this site is something that will set you on a roll. Online Party Planning Tools make it easy to setup an event, manage vendors to hire, monitor a budget, create invite RSVP lists, and create and manage task lists for the upcoming event. Check out the cool features that this new site offers!!

Before I go into the site details, I'd like to say that this is a brand new site and they have just rolled out an Alpha version. The concept appealed to me, and there's tonnes of features that they are adding, but it's new, and hence is undergoing updates every day, so not all features and functionality is working yet.

Getting Started
Even when you've been planning parties forever, there's a chance you can run out of Party Ideas, or are simply bored with the same stuff everytime and crave for some new and exciting ideas. That's precisely what best Party Ever is all about. It is a social website that encourages users to share and gain inspiration from each others ideas. Once you go and register for a free account, you can create your own profile and start browsing for event ideas and suggestions. You can browse the existing ideas and add them to your idea list, or create new ones. What I liked was the fact that you can adjust your privacy settings so that all part of your profile is not displayed publicly.

Creating an Event
You could also create a New Event, where you will be prompted to create an Actual Event that you are hosting, and which would be publicly available for anyone to see. Besides the description, you could even create an Guest List, send invitations, assign and organsie tasks in a Task List, create a budget and track your expenses. They have a bunch of more features coming up, so we know there's room for improvement. I really liked the clean look and feel of the site, and it is quite easy-to-navigate and search for stuff. You can even save some ideas that you've seen, or comment on them and share your tips. There are some really nice ideas already up there for Super Bowl, Valentine's Day, Housewarming and some themed ones like Halloween, Sweet Sixteen or a Superstar Theme Party!!

Searching for Ideas and Vendors
This is the really cool part, and perhaps something that excited me the most! it's easy to get ideas, but it's not often easy to find places or vendors from where you can get all the party stuff. Sure, party City works, but not always! This site has a cool Vendor search, so say I enter "Super Bowl" and search for stuff, it gives me a nice page full of ideas already submitted by others, followed by restaurants, vendors, and other related links. Of course, a lot of this is not functioning right now, but if they deliver on what is promised, I think it would be a cool thing as not many Event management sites offer such a facility right now! Also, it lists over 50,000 vendors including Wedding Planners, Event Planners, Caterers, Party Supply Rental, Restaurants, Limousine Rental, Disc Jockeys, Beauty Salons, and more. So you know you'll definitely find a match.

Party Planning has always been a great business to be in if you have the right attitude and the right touch. This application allows you to take your events to the next level. I think the freshness and colorfulness of this site adds to the party mood; I'd recommend to go and check out this site if you were looking for a new take on event planning.

Panchvati Garlic Dal (Mixed Lentil Soup) - A Healthier Choice

"Garlic Dal", similar to Lentil Soup, is a favored variation to Gujarati Dal, especially for the people of North India, and this particular Panchvati Garlic Dal recipe is a great wya to enjoy a bunch of lentils at a time! It is called Panchvati, because it combines the goodness of 5 different kinds of dals(lentils) and is deliciously flavored with garlic, spices, ghee, green chilies and quite a bit of cilantro. The mixture of dals gives this a nice thick texture, and the aroma of ghee (clarified butter) makes it a treat to consume even by itself, perhaps as a lentil soup! Combine the Panchvati Garlic Dal with parathas or plain Jeera Rice, and you are all set for a delicious meal!

Ingredients
I used 5 kinds of lentils in the recipe, but you can omit any of them depending on your taste and/or availability of the lentils.

1 cup toor dal (Pigeon-peas or Split Red Gram, yellow colored)
1 cup moong dal (Green Gram or mung Bean, split, without skin, yellow colored)
1/2 cup chana dal (Split, skinless black chickpeas, yellow)
1/2 cup urad dal (Black gram, split and skinless, whitish in color)
1/2 cup masoor dal (Red lentils, Split and skinless, pinkish-red in color)
6-8 cloves of garlic
2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 cup cilantro - chopped, and some more for garnish
1/2 onion - finely chopped
3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
3 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp garam masala powder (indian grocery stores should have it)
salt - to taste
lemon juice - to taste
2 tsp black pepper powder
2 green chillies - cut finely

Method
Mix all the dals and pressure cook them with 6 cups of water in a pressure cooker until 5-6 whistles. We want all of them to be thoroughly cooked. Once that is done, remove in a bowl and blend them well in a grinder, spinning for about a minute or so, ensuring that all dal/lentils are broken down and a smooth puree is formed.

Take the chopped coriander and grind it with 1 tsp salt and 2 tbsp water to form a smooth paste.

Now take a pan, add the ghee to it, add the cumin seeds, green chillies and garlic, and saute for a couple of minutes. Then add the finely chopped onions and saute again till they turn brownish and glossy.

Next add the garam masala powder, turmeric powder, black pepper and the cilantro paste. Now add the lentils and fill up with sufficient water to achieve desired consistency. Mix everything well, then add salt and lemon juice according to your taste, and let it cook covered, for about 10 mins or so. Stir in between to make sure it does not stick to the base of the pan. When it becomes thick and starts boiling, remove from flame.

Transfer the dal or soup to a serving bowl. Garnish with chopped coriander and some more fresh black pepper if desired, and serve hot with Jeera Rice!

This Garlic Dal is a great way to fill yourself with some protein and fiber, and the beautiful blend of flavors makes it apt for a Lentil Soup recipe too!

Related Recipes:
Gujarati Dal
Mix-Vegetable & Coconut Milk Soup
Roasted Cauliflower & Bell-Peper Soup

Doodhi/Lauki Kofta Curry (BottleGourd Dumplings) in Almond and Cream Gravy

Kofta Curry is a very famous Indian curry, and goes through endless variations. Though paneer, cheese and vegetables seem to be the favorites, I also like the simple koftas made from lauki, called bottle-gourd in English. This elongated gourd vegetable is quite nutritious too, especially good for your eyes and skin, and due to the rich water content, it can add to the softness in the koftas. This one is a very low-fuss recipe that comes from my mom's kitchen, and unlike the restaurant-style Malai Koftas, these dudhi koftas require minimal preparation and cooking time, and yet can make any meal special. I modified my mom's recipe to pair almonds with bottle-gourd, and also make the curry more richer by using almond and cream in the gravy. The result was delicious, and I urge you to try this bottlegourd kofta curry to serve with your parthas or simple jeera rice!

Ingredients
1/2 mid-sized bottlegourd
1/2 to 3/4 cup besan (chickpea flour)
1/2 cup blanched almonds
slivered almonds - for garnish
1 medium onion
2 medium tomatoes
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup whipping cream
1-2 cups water
3-4 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp garam masala powder
3-4 tsp red chilli powder
salt - to taste
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
chopped fresh coriander - for garnish

Method
Take the onions and garlic and blend them to form a smooth paste. Take the blanched almonds, peel off the skin, then blend them with 2 tsp water or milk to form a thick paste. Blend the tomatoes separately and keep aside.

Now take a pan, put 2 tbsp oil and add the cumin seeds. When they start spluttering, add the onion-garlic paste and sate till it turns light pinkish with a glaze. Now add the garam masala, tomato paste, salt, the remaining spices and slowly add the milk, stirring it. Now add the almond paste, a little water to make a rich gravy, then cover with a lid and allow to simmer on medium flame.

Take the bottle-gourd and grate it in a bowl. Then press it through a strain or your fingers to remove all water from the bottle-gourd. It's important to do this else the koftas will break in the gravy. Now add the turmeric powder, salt, red chilli powder, half of the slivered almonds and the besan. You can also add some lemon juice to your taste. Mix well and form small round or oval dumplings from the mixture. Add more besan flour if required to give proper texture and shape to the koftas.

Now increase the flame for the gravy so it starts boiling, then gently add the koftas (dumlpings)into the gravy. Cover with the lid and reduce flame. Let them cook for 3-5 mins, then gently flip the koftas over, taking care not to break them. Add more water to the ravy if required, then add the whpping cream. Stir gently and let it cook so the spices and flavors get soaked in together.

Once its done, gently remove the koftas first and transfer them into a serving bowl, then top it with the remaining gravy. Garnish with chopped coriander and slivered almonds, and serve hot your delicious Doodhi/Lauki Koftas with Parathas or Rice!

Similar Recipes
Malai Kofta Curry
Hariyali Koftas

Spicy-Crispy Bhindi Masala

Plan a Day Trip to Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur, California

As the weekend approaches, we look forward to the beautiful summer weather, and I have a perfect place in mind to escape the heat (or enjoy the sun!) and relax in the golden solitude of mother nature. I'm talking about the Pfeiffer Big Sur State park, located 26 miles south of Carmel on Highway 1. There are plenty of places to see in Northern CA, and most of them are great for day trips. But some of these places can get real chilly and windy, so it's always good to carry your coat! Pfeiffer is a beautiful beach, with a lot of scenic beauty and clean sparkling blue water, cliffs and trees. So I thought I'd share my experience with you, in case you ever decide to visit this lovely place.

It is believed that the name "Big Sur" is derived from the original Spanish-language "el sur grande", which translates as "the big south", and the entire coastal region between the San Francisco Bay area and the Los Angeles area comes under Big Sur Region. But the major attraction has always been the Pfeiffer beach, also a state park, or rather, the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, to be precise. It features redwood, tan oak, madrone, chaparral trees and the most beautiful McWay Falls, an 80-foot waterfall that drops from granite cliffs into the ocean from the Overlook Trail. A panoramic view of the ocean, the beach and the fall with the rocks can be observed from the top of the several trails that run around the park. Between Partington Point and McWay Creek is the Underwater Area, which was established in 1970 and is now a scuba diving area for experienced divers with special permits.

Overlook trail is an excellent place to watch for gray whales migrating southward to their breeding and calving grounds off the Baja California coast in December and January, and returning north to their summer feeding grounds in the North Pacific during march and April. Sea otters can sometimes be seen in the cove, and harbor seals and California sea lions are occasional visitors. This rocky cliff is also home to many sea and shore birds like Sleek black cormorants, seagulls, brown pelicans, and black oystercatchers also make an appearance. You can find more information about other parks at this website

There are several nice restaurants and inns overlookign the sea as you drive up to the park. We stopped at the BigSur Lodge/Restaurant featuring patio dining right next to the Big Sur river. And they had chairs running along the small creek where you could sit and relax, leaving all your troubles behind as the tingling water soothed your feet and mind. The rustic yet luxurious hotels, or the numerous campgrounds cater to your urge for a weekend getaway or the adrenaline rush for some outdoor adventure!! There are also several spas along the coast which are sure to blow you away.

So what are you waiting for?? If you are in the bay area this weekend, try making a day trip to this heavenly place and rediscover your true self!!

Raspberry Jelly (Swiss) Roll Cake

I have had a fascination for anything sweet, and especially cakes right from when I was a kid! And I had this extra-special affection for swiss rolls, those colorful, spiral cakes that tasted like heaven, and even with the minimal frosting and decoration, they always attracted the attention of dessert-lovers, including me!! I harbor this fascination even today, and the first thing I notice in a pastry shop has to be a swiss roll cake (my hubby can vouch for it:)) Swiss roll is a type of sponge cake baked in a very shallow rectangular baking tray, and then filled, rolled up, and served in circular slices. So did these beauties originate from Swiss?? Not really; although the origins of this cake are unclear, wikipedia says that these are certainly not widely eaten in Switzerland, where they are known as "Biscuitrolle" or "Roulade" . Every country has it's own version, and it is popular in US as the Jelly Roll. It finds a place at many christmas dinner tables shaped like a Yule Log, but for me, it will always be my favorite kind of cake. Here's a simple Raspberry Swiss Roll recipe, but you can use a lot of variations for the filling.

This cake is not too much about the recipe as it is about the technique. Some people think it is really hard to make, but on the contrary, I'd like to say that though it looks tough, and does need a little more work than just popping your cake into the oven, it's simpler and more fun, especially as you can allow your kids to do the filling; and as it's almost always covered with frosting or sugar dusting, the flaws are easy to hide:) If you are still nervous, these two videos at Epicurious and About could prove helpful. I followed the recipe and technique on About, as it was more simple, and easier to roll out too. The only change I did was that I refrigerated the rolled cake (before the filling) for an hour. This gave it a firmer texture so it was easier to spread the filling and cut into pieces while serving.

Recipe Ingredients
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tspn vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose
1 tspn baking powder
1/4 tspn salt
Powdered Confectioner's sugar - for dusting
2/3 cup spreadable raspberry jelly/jam (or any other filling of your choice)

Method
Heat oven to 375 deg F. Line a baking pan, preferably (15 × 10 × 1) inches, with cooking parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Beat eggs in small bowl with electric mixer on high speed for about 5 minutes or until very thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar. Beat in water and vanilla on low speed. Finally add the flour, baking powder and salt, beating just until batter is smooth. Pour into the prepared pan, spreading out well to form a thin even layer.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes (NOT MORE) until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Spread a clean kitchen towel on the platform and sprinkle some powdered sugar on it. Now loosen the edges of the cake, then turn the whole pan upside down upon the towel. Carefully remove the paper from the top. Trim off the hard edges of the cake, and while its hot, carefully roll cake lengthwise from one end to the other. Keep the roll as tight as possible, but apply very little pressure so as not to crack the cake a lot. A few cracks are normal, so don't worry. it is going to be covered with frosting later! Now refrigerate the rolled cake for 40 mins to an hour. (This was the only change I made from the About recipe video)

Remove the cake from fridge and unroll it gently and remove the towel. Beat the raspberry jelly/jam slightly to soften; it's better to use a spreadable jelly. Now spread it evenly over the cake. Do NOT use a lot of jelly as it would ooze out of the cake once you finish rolling it up again.

Now again roll up the cake, which should be fairly easier this time. If you are not ready to serve, place it in the fridge again, so it becomes a bit harder and easier to slice. When ready to serve, place it on a serving dish, with the seams facing down. Sprinkle generously with confectioners sugar, making sure you cover all the flaked ends or cracks and edges that you incurred while rolling it up. You can even cover the whole cake with chocolate icing or any other frosting. Gently slice at a 30deg angle to form beautiful raspberry swiss rolls.

These are my favorites, and I hope you enjoy these delicious dessert cakes too!

Similar Recipes
Coconut and Poppy Seed Cake
Tres Leches Milk Cake
Mango Truffle Cake

Lachha Paratha (Layered Flatbread) with Potato and Peas Curry

Indian breads are a delight to eat with any kind of curries, and adding spices and stuffings like garlic, potatoes, paneer, onions or other veggies, not only makes them tasty, but wholesome and nutritious too. Wheat flatbreads, popularly known as "Chapatis" or "Phulkas" are light and fluffy, while Parathas are more heavier and come in various shapes and flavors. One such simple variation that uses all-purpose flour is the "Lachha or Layered Paratha". Originated from the northern provinces of India, this is a very simple bread, with no spices except salt, but the beauty lies in the crust and crisp flakiness of the bread. It has several layers and is made by folding the rolled bread over and over again for a few times. It does take some time and patience to make these parathas, but they are an absolute joy to eat when they are served hot with delicious curries! Some people also have it for breakfast with their tea in the morning. Not a bad start of a new day, I must say:) These parathas are heavy, so you might be full with just one, and that saves a lot of time!

Recipe Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
Water to make dough
Salt to taste
1 cup ghee (clarified butter)

Method
Mix the flour and salt and knead into a soft dough with a little water at a time. The consistency should be such that the dough is pliable, yet not too hard, nor too watery. It might help to knead the dough with some warm water as that would help obtain a better and softer texture. Cover the dough and keep aside.

There are several different ways of doing this, but the basic idea is to create layers by folding the rolled dough over a few times. Here's how I do mine.

Divide the dough into equal-sized balls, and roll into a round over oval shape using a rolling pin and flat board. Now take a knife and cut to make long 1" wide strips. Layer all the strips on top of one another to form a stack. Then roll the entire stack from one end to the other, length-wise, just like you'd do in a jelly roll cake.

Flatten between the palms of your hands, grease with some ghee, then dip in some raw flour and roll it out again. To see a pictorial representation, click here. Don't try to be very exact in following these steps; as long as you are creating layers, you are fine. Finish the paratha by rolling it into desired shape.

Heat a flat pan on a medium flame. Then cook the paratha on each side; remember to sprinkle some oil when flipping it over so it does not stick to the pan. Cook on both sides till it turns a light golden brown in color. The layers will start puffing up, and make sure you cook it on medium flame only, too high and it may get burnt, but stay uncooked from inside.

The resulting paratha will be crisp and flaky, ready to serve with a curry of your choice!!

Potato and Peas Curry

Ingredients
3 cups cubed boiled potatoes
2 cups boiled gren peas
a pinch of asafoetida
3 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp mustard seeds
4 tbsp tomato puree
salt - to taste
sugar - to taste(optional)
lemon juice - to taste
4-5 tsp red chilli powder
chopped coriander - for garnish
3 tbsp oil

Method
Take a non-stick cooking pan. heat the oil, then add the cumin and mustard seeds and allow to splutter. Then add the asafoetida, followed by the tomato puree, and then the potato cubes and green peas. Add about 1.5 to 2 cups of water, add the salt and sugar, then cover with a lid and cook for 10 mins on medium heat.

When the curry starts simmering, add all the remaining spices. Mix well, add more water if required, then add the lemon juice. Check for taste, then allow to cook for another 5-10 mins on low flame. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish wit chopped coriander.

Enjoy a wholesome meal with the hot and crispy Lachcha Parathas with the delicious Potatoes and Green peas curry!

Similar Recipes
Paneer-Ajwain Parathas
Mung-Dal (Lentil) Parathas

Egg-Cracker - No more messy egg cracking for you!!

As a person who bakes quite often, I am pathetic at cracking eggs! Seriously, I marvel when I see chefs on TV cracking eggs in a whack without any mess, in fact, with great style! Alas, though I'm a good cook, I'm not a good egg-cracker:) But now I've found this perfect solution to my problem. A kitchen gadget that makes cracking eggs so easy it's like a dream come true. I'm sure many of you must have experienced similar problems while baking. With the recipe book open at one end, and your hand stirring the mixture in the bowl, it's convenient to crack the egg on the rim of the bowl, until you see the egg white dripping from your fingers and some small flecks of shell that conveniently find their way into the batter! You can only sigh and try to remove them with a spoon, creating even more mess than you earlier imagined. So in my quest to be "stress-free" and make my baking a little "mess-free", I found this cute little Egg-cracker which does the job perfectly. I know it's not a great find, but you'll really appreciate it once you start using it and see the results:)

The Egg Cracker from Walter Drake makes cracking eggs for any purpose clean and simple. The gadget is easy to use, compact, cute and extremely easy to clean. and great for kids to help with the cooking! Simply put in the egg in the holder, tap a little, then invert and press - the yolk and whites come out in tact, and the shell is left behind, right where it's supposed to be. Also, it's easier to separate the egg yolk from the whites when it's cracked in such an organised way.

The egg-cracker is Dishwasher safe, and pretty easy to clean. No sharp curves or blades, so it's kid-friendly too; in fact, it's a great way to let your kids help with the cooking! It is small and can be stored anywhere, and fancy enough to look good on your kitchen counter. With all the comfort and convenience, this tiny gadget comes with a price tag of only $6.99!! (from Amazon) Can't beat that one, right? Combine this with any egg-separator and you have the recipe for a perfect dessert. It's simple and efficient, nothing fancy about it, but does it's job well, and that's what makes my life easy. Try it for yourself and see, then come back to share your experiences with us!