Happy mother's day!

At my birthday brunch, I made quite a variety of things, a nice rich omelette filled with veggies and cheese, cottage cheese pancakes with a side of pure maple syrup, a light and fluffy fruit cake, pita and hummus, chocolate cupcakes with buttercream icing, homemade lemonade (which I didn't even get a glass of! I'll just get my bhabhi to make some more next time). But the best items my parents missed out on at that brunch, were cream biscuits and chocolate dipped strawberries.

 My parents had to attend a wedding that same morning, but not before my mother caught a glimpse of me dipping huge, juicy and oh so sweet red strawberries in melted milk and white chocolate fondue. She saw me hold each strawberry from its little leafy head and dip it slowly, twirling it around the chocolate to ensure an even coating on all sides. As I slowly placed each strawberry on a parchment lined tray, I noticed my mother's mouth water. There was a pause, and within that short moment, I knew the dilemma that was going in my mother's head : Shaadi peh jaoun yan ghar mein strawberries khaoun?

Wishes and more

So I finally got around to celebrating my birthday. It all started over a week ago, when at the turn of the clock my family entered my room wearing fun party hats, little gifts covered with ribbon, helium balloons and my favorite chocolate cupcake from my favorite cupcake store in town.

Now since my birthday falls right in the middle of finals, and considering my best friend lives in another city, I had to make sure everyone would be available for the celebration that was well over a week after the actual birthday. Invitations were sent, phone calls were made, and the word had been spread about, yet no confirmations were made. See I believe that a good party involves home cooked food and desserts, and great company. I had wanted to live by the theory of "the more the merrier", and the lack of confirmations was going to transform me into one spiteful hostess. I had almost given up all hope, until my 3 closest friends (and only friends) who had confirmed all said no matter who showed up, they were there for me and for my big celebration!

After spending an emotional morning figuring out the logistics of my event, I decided to make all the food I wanted to eat and feed without taking into consideration the number of people who would be present. So there I was friday night, opening up my brand new birthday gift, and prepping for my brunch menu. I began with the cake. The cake has it's own story, for I had no responses whatsoever to this post here. Luckily for me, my sister made her decision clearly heard when I listed her the options.

Bonne fête cocotte!

It was my oldest friend's birthday/housewarming party this week and I'd say I gave her the best present of all!

Now when you know someone since the age of 5, you sometimes get amazed when you start telling people just how much you know about your friend... from her chocolate filled snacks at recess to her fudge ice cream addictions at lunch, to growing up to be the biggest marzipan fanatic I know. Now tell you me how could I possibly deny her, her biggest desires?

Cupcakes galore

I had this intense craving last year at my birthday for a carrot cake with endless amounts of cream cheese frosting decorated with chopped nuts and a bright orange carrot piped on top. But a few of my friends and my mother wanted the "wow factor". So after much consideration, I decided to make carrot cupcakes, which were offered to all under the pretense of a cupcake decorating competition. But throughout the competition, their eyes were feasting on this cuillère à sucre.

My mother, who was assigned judge by default, ended up declaring my friend Alby the winner as he'd been the most original cupcake decorator of us all. He had nibbled his way through his cupcake until it was shapped like a star! As for my chef d'oeuvre, it's the beach cupcake with the cute pink colored umbrella!

Now we all enjoyed these cupcakes so much that I had to find other occasions to make them again... and soon! So ofcourse, my sister who was all too intrigued after hearing their success story (she was too busy soaking in some sun in India) thought they would make perfect little bonbonnières for her best friend's baby shower!  

We had quite a production line going, with over 150 of them to make, my sister and I had our share of fun, not to mention our share of icing tasting, hihihi.

The cake of 2009

While I desperately await for summer to arrive at my birthday every spring, I decided to bring summer to me when I turned yet another year older in 2009.

 

My mother and I had been left alone while the rest of the familia were gone away on business and leisure traveling trips around much warmer parts of the globe. I'd wanted to do something special for the occasion, so I got my closest friends together, got my mother to provide us with her home made fantastically delicious Indian food, and I baked us a cake which promised us all a bright and warm summer!

Biscuit ou brownie?

Ever asked yourself the most troubling dessert question? If you had to live off of one kind of dessert, which would it be?

If you could only choose one and enjoy any variety from that one choice, would you choose from an endless variety of cake, brownies or cookies? You'd expect someone like me to come up with a cake filled with pieces of brownies in it topped with cookies ofcourse, and I must admit I've thought of it, but unlike some, never never quite got around to making it.

A teetotaler's toast

Nothing seems to say celebration more than confetti. They're thrown all over the bride-grooms at weddings, being popped from big balloons at birthday parties, so why not showcase them during a toast?

Seeing that I come from a family of teetotalers, we have to find new ways to toast our celebrations. Luckily for them, they have me! Never running out of ideas and inspiration, I had quite an occasion to plan for, my brother's engagement party, which was well over 3 years ago now.

Maksad of my life

I must have been programmed from birth to conquer all things sweet and edible, but the realization of this lifelong quest struck me at the age of fourteen. I remember standing in our small kitchen multiple times, taking out a large metal bowl, a fork, one egg, oil, water and most importantly a Betty Crocker cake mix! For that birthday, I had been gifted a week long culinary course by my sister which led to my epiphany! The moment of truth had finally arrived, I could at last look my cuillère à sucre in the eye and say maine banaya Betty Crocker se nahi! I had found the maksad of my life! I had vowed to myself that never again* will I use prepared cake mixes, ready to bake doughs and most importantly, ready to eat tiny desserts found in the endless grocery store aisles.