The Fusion Table

The last month and a half has been super hectic because I had my exams and that's partly the reason why I haven't posted anything in such a long time. Not being able to give time to cooking as much as you want to is so difficult ! I never realised how used to i have gotten to making something every other day ,even if it is the same thing .

Its always fun to bake or cook something and do a photo shoot and that is exactly what i plan to do for the next month. i have some interesting recipes in mind , till then enjoy this delicious eggless chocolate cake adapted from Deeba Rajpal's blog. i have made half the recipe and I served it with a scoop vanilla ice cream and some warm salted caramel ! it was absolutely delicious. Enjoy !

INGREDIENTS

11/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup hot water

1 tsp instant coffee powder

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon vinegar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD

Heat your oven to 180c and spray a 9*2inch circular baking tin with some cooking spray.
Whisk together the flour , sugar , cocoa powder , baking soda and the salt.
Combine the water , oil , vinegar , coffee and vanilla together and add this to your flour mixture.
Transfer to your baking pan and bake for 30 minutes or till a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

09:26:00

It's safe to say that dark chocolate is almost everyone' guilty pleasure. It's such a beautiful ingredient which, although divine in itself, pairs gorgeously with caramel. And I personally love this combination. The silkiness of the caramel paired with the ganache makes the mousse rich and gives the texture a lush lift.

INGREDIENTS

SERVES 4

For the Caramel

1/4th cup granulated sugar

20gms butter (cubed)

1/4th cup cream

For the mousse

100gms dark chocolate (chopped)

200gms cream

METHOD

For the caramel

Add your sugar to a heavy bottomed sauce pan and let it melt. do not stir it.
Once it starts to turn golden on the edges give the pan a swirl and keep doing this till the sugar is completely melted.
Once the colour becomes amber , turn the heat down and whisk in the butter till it is fully incorporated.
Take it off the heat and stir in the cream. Set aside.

For the mousse base

Heat the cream till it just starts simmering and then turn the heat off.
Add you chopped chocolate to this and stir till it has fully melted.
Let this come to room temperature and then whisk it till soft peaks form.
Fold your caramel in and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving!
Enjoy!

01:46:00

This post has been due since a long time and that's because I'm a shy person and don't usually tell people about everything I do. So naturally , blogging was a subject that I rarely talked about but it feels like its about time people know , So here it is.

Those who know me know that I'm an aspiring chef and plan to go to a culinary college next year to pursue further studies. but all that is a year away and I refuse to wait that long to start doing something that I love and this blog was a result of that impatience which turned out to be something that I love writing and that I look forward to every week now !

But just blogging didn't seem like it was enough , so I started my own label just last December while I was completing 11th grade. It all started with an order for a family member and when I got a great response I decided to start my own label and it has been amazing! It's a unique experience and I've never felt so stressed and happy at the same time. Sure , I get nervous every once in a while but the satisfaction that you get when someone tells you that they love what you do makes you feel that all of it was worth it and then some more.

The only hard part is balancing my studies and these hobbies that have given shape to my desire for getting my culinary degree, and that's the reason why these last 6 months have been super hectic. And since this year is the most important year for my studies, scoring well while blogging and completing orders will be a task that I surprisingly look forward to.

11:50:00

This Oreo Milkshake is the bomb! Its perfectly thick and not super sweet and that's because of a secret ingredient : SALT. Yes , Salt. As weird as it may sound , it elevates the chocolate flavour to another level and balances the sweetness. I usually use my Oreo Icecream for this so i skip the additional coffee but vanilla works great too ! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

SERVES 2

10-15 oreo biscuits

2 cups chilled milk

4 scoops vanilla/oreo ice cream

1/2 tsp instant coffee powder

pinch of salt (optional)

METHOD

Simply blend everything together and you're done!

03:45:00

I made these burgers the first time during my exams to satisfy my midnight hunger pangs and I absolutely fell in love with them ! They taste so light and fresh and are just spicy enough to get your taste buds tingling.

INGREDIENTS

500gms minced chicken breasts

Salt to taste ( about 1/2 tsp )

2 tsp schezwan sauce

2 tsp fresh lime juice

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

Some chopped coriander

1/2 tsp chopped garlic

METHOD

Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl.

Set aside for 15 minutes

Make small patties and grill for 2-3 minutes on each side and you're done !

It pairs perfectly well with some chipotle and sweet chilli dressing. Enjoy !

09:45:00

Another Ice Cream recipe ! I thinks it's safe to say that I'm totally obsessed with them. Making Ice Cream Is so easy and so fun that you won't be able to stop yourself from making batches frequently.

This one came to my Mind while I was in school and yes, I usually daydream about what I want to make during most of my classes. Well I don't mind it cause some of my best ideas have come like that only. The combination of cheesecake and ice cream is absolutely phenomenal and why wouldn't it be ? You're combining two of the best desserts ever ! I hope you enjoy this one :)

INGREDIENTS Makes 700ml

For the ice cream base

300 ml cream

100 ml condensed milk

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

For the ganache

200 gms dark chocolate

200 ml cream

For the crumb

10-12 digestive biscuits

2 tbsp melted butter (salted)

For the cheesecake

100 gms cream cheese ( at room temperature )

50 ml cream

2-3 tbsp castor sugar

Method

First you need to make your chocolate ganache. Chop your chocolate into small pieces. And heat your cream till it simmers

Pour your cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 mins.

Then stir this mixture till you get a smooth ganache. Set aside to cool in the refrigerator.

Next , whip all the ingredients for your cream cheese filling till combined and let it set in the refrigerator.

For the base ,

Whip your cream till soft peaks form and then fold in the condensed milk and the vanilla essence.

Take out your ganache and whip till soft peaks form.

Now fold the base mixture in the ganache till combined.

Crush your biscuits and mix them with the butter. Then fold this through your base.

Put this mixture in your tin and then drop spoonfuls of the cheesecake filling over it and use a toothpick to swirl it around and freeze for 4-6 hours !

PS~ I would suggest that you double this recipe cause you'll run out of it very fast !

06:46:00

You know how when you visit a foreign country and you eat their local food and it stays with you ? Well Lebanese is a cuisine that I started to love even more after I visited Dubai a few years back. Eating falafel and shawarmas from a local shop near our hotel was amazing and even better than most of the stuff at the restaurants. Local food is the best to learn about any cuisine and I plan to eat it more often on my trips to understand the true flavours and you should too! So I made these falafels for dinner and they were very similar in taste ! It's gonna be a regular dinner for me for sure ! Enjoy.