Crave Bits

Author: Prerna Singh

  • The Red Velvet Cake

    The Red Velvet Cake

    Cooking is a story. Baking is another. It is chemistry. You need a great amount of skill, concentration and experience to excel at it. But, wait! You wanted to bake a cake for your mother’s birthday and the first lines of my article are kinda letting you down!? Well, in that case, you need not worry. Why fear when I’m here!Woo – ah-haha!!! (Yikes, got a bit carried away!)

    Anyways, in this article I will let you in the perfect red velvet cake with vanilla butter cream frosting recipe.So that you can bake a cake for your mom on Mother’s Day and see the surprised look on her face or impress your friends and family with your baking skills or just bake a 9- inch cake and eat it all by yourself! Just for the love of cakes! 😀

    I would definitely do the last thing!! Cakes, yum!! J

    This red velvet cake recipe is easy, super – moist, melts in your mouth with that signature light chocolat-y red velvet taste.

    Red Velvet Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting.ashx

    Red Velvet Cake

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups all purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
    • 2 tablespoons of unsweetened, cocoa powder
    • 2 cups of sugar
    • 1 teaspoon of salt
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 cup buttermilk
    • 1 cup of vegetable oil
    • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon of white distilled vinegar
    • 1-2 oz. red food colouring
    • ½ cup of prepared plain hot coffee( DO NOT skip this step.Don’t worry, you can’t taste the coffee but it just takes the cake a totally different level!)

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
    2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt. Set it aside.
    3. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and vegetable oil.
    4. Mix in the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla extract and red food colouring until properly mixed.
    5. Stir in the coffee and white vinegar.
    6. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients a little at time, mixing after each addition, just until combined.
    7. Generously grease and flour two round, 9-inch cake pans with shortening/butter and flour.

     

    1. Pour the batter evenly into each pan.

     

    1. Bake in the middle rack for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not over bake as cake will continue to cook as it cools.

     

    1. Let cool on a cooling rack until the pans are warm to touch.

     

    1. Slide a knife or offset spatula around the inside of the pans to loosen the cake from the pan.

     

    1. Remove the cakes from the pans and let them cool.

     

    1. Frost the cake with vanilla butter cream frosting when the cakes have cooled completely.( You may have to refrigerate the cakes before stacking and frosting as they are very moist.)

     

    If you are using a microwave oven then:

    1)      Heat the vegetable oil and the eggs for a minute or two and then add it to the wet ingredients.

    2)      After the batter is made, bake the cake on HIGH for 4 minutes or 5 at the maximum.

    red-velvet

     

    Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting

    Time: 10 minutes

    Makes enough filling and frosting for one 9-inch layer cake, or two dozen cupcakes

    Ingredients

    • 8 tablespoons ( 1 stick) of unsalted butter, softened
    • 4 cups of confectioners’ sugar
    • 6 tablespoons of cream or milk, plus a little more if needed
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

    Instructions

    1. Use a fork or electric mixer to cream the butter. Gradually work in the sugar, alternating with the cream and beating well after each addition.
    2. Stir in the vanilla.If the frosting is too thick to spread, add a little more cream, one teaspoon at a time.If it is too thin ( unlikely, but possible, especially after the addition of lemon or orange juice for variation) refrigerate ; it will thicken as the butter hardens.

    You can reduce the amount of sugar being used in case you want it to be a little less on calories. Also, to avoid the melting of the frosting you can refrigerate the cake for an hour or so , or overnight depending on your level of paranoia *hehe ;)* or how long you have to travel.

    So prepare this masterpiece of a cake and get ready for it to be devoured!!

  • Maltese Cuisine – The Streets

    Maltese Cuisine – The Streets

    ” Food is the beginning of wisdom. The first condition of putting any thing into your head and heart, is to put something into your stomach.”-

    –          Ludwig Feuerbach

     

    It is something you can’t resist.You NEED it.Maybe the models with a 69 cms waist don’t need it but , whatever! Food is everyone’s need and for people like me , well , its our crack!Food has had the likes of Bobby Chin, David Rocco ,Gordon Ramsay and Nigella Lawson on its fingertips.And good food is anyone’s getaway.

    So in this article , let me take you through the rocky limestone mountains, the narrow cobblestone streets,into the kitchens where all the women work and cook together like it’s cake walk ( I must warn the non-foodies that cooking is an art .Your mom must have made you realize that times uncountable….so BEWARE! :P). A place with its eclectic mix of cuisine.Lets dive into the fine culinary culture of Malta.

    Many civilizations have occupied the Maltese Islands over the centuries. Located in the relatively narrow straits that separate Sicily and the coast of North Africa, Malta is of great strategic importance, and the islands have changed hands many times throughout recorded history. The United Kingdom gained control of Malta in the early 19th century, making it a British colony.The food was no exception.And so, the vast repertoire of dishes which would be considered as making up the traditional Maltese cuisine are infused with a complex history of colonialism, trade links, and multi-cultural influence.

    Maltese cuisine does share some ingredients with the other Mediterranean countries like pasta, tomatoes, olive oil, fish, garlic, rice etc. but it has also enriched the food with its rich, regional diversity and left its mark on several dishes.

    If you want to try the local cuisine you can very well do that in any village bar. A fine Maltese vintage wine with `gbejnet ( sheep cheeses) , a dish of olives, zalzett (coriander flavoured sausage) with Maltese crackers known as galleti and some bigilla ( bean plate) ladled with Maltese bread and olive oil is bound to make your summer days a little more tasty, a little more yummy! 😀

    As for the cold days, just grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine with hot pastizzi (savoury ricotta filled pastries)!!! And who doesn’t love ricotta!? <3<3

    If you are planning a day out at the beach, do not forget to try the hobs biz-zejt, a snack made from a thick slice of crusty Maltese bread rubbed with juicy tomatoes and topped with some fresh mint, onion, sheep’s cheese and anchovies all doused with a good amount of green olive oil.

    In the mild, humid winter , restaurants with outdoor seatings bring on bowls of golden minestra which is a thick vegetable soup served with Maltese bread and oil. Fish is a consistent aspect of the Maltese cuisine and the aljotta, a delectable garlicky fish soup is savoured by many.Depending on the season, you can see spnotta (bass), trill (red mullet) and cerna (grouper).

    Aljotta

    With the globalization, the culinary tradition of a place tends to decline but Malta seems to hold onto it’s roots strongly. Nationally, the Maltese celebrate the Imnarja, a harvest festival held in June during the Feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, and the Regatta on September 8, which celebrates Malta’s victory over the Turks during the Great Siege of 1565 and Malta’s resistance to Axis bombing during World War II. However, the largest celebration in Malta occurs in mid-February during the festival of Carnival.This calls for summer villages producing street foods.The take- away restaurants too, offer sweet foods like imqaret (date pastries) and Qubbajt (nougat) which you can enjoy along with the fireworks and processions of the Carnival.

    qaghaq tal- ghasel

    The Ross fil-forn ( baked rice), imqarrun ( baked Macaroni) or timpana ( a special rich pasta baked in a pastry case) followed by rabbit or meat dishes with potatoes and vegetables are a favourite when it comes to special family meals.And the special occasions also call for desserts!Easter sees the production of Figolli which are almond stuffed pastry figures and during Christmas qaghaq tal-ghasel (honey rings) are famous. But if the occasion is none of the above, then a simple Cassata ( ricotta filled sponge with marzipan), Sicilian-style, semi-freddo desserts, Helwa tat-tork (sugary mix of crushed and whole almond) or some Kannoli (ricotta filled with fried pastries) is perfect with cup of coffee or without coffee also!Its dessert after all!! 😀

    Maltese_Timpana

     

    Malta may not be as celebrated like its neighbours for wine production but Maltese vintages are anything but spectacular. The international grape varieties grown on the Islands include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Grenache, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Carignan, Chenin Blanc and Moscato.The indigenous varieties are Gellewaza and Ghirghentina that produce some excellent wines of distinctive body and flavor.

    So, if you are ever in Malta, I can promise you that you won’t be let down by the food, the picturesque palaces and cathedrals, public squares, or the people. When you sit in front of a baroque castle, chumping away at a zalzett and watching the sunset , you make a memory and one that you definitely do not want to forget.