Month: July 2011

Watermelon Vodka Cooler

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It’s a Friday and what better way to kick start the weekend than with a nice drink. My alcohol choices have become milder and milder as age catches up (sob sob). No longer can I knock down multiple shooters and wake up with my head on my shoulders. So now I have to be satisfied with a drink that knocks my head off with flavor rather than the alcohol content. In college, we used to cut a chunk out of the watermelon and then pour vodka into it. Refrigerate the whole fruit for a couple of hours then cut up the watermelon into cubes and you have a boozy party fruit!! College always had a way of making even the good ones bad! Of course no one ever complained! So to go down memory lane (albeit in a milder more grown up way) I give you the watermelon cooler. Have a great (Hic!) weekend! Watermelon Vodka Cooler Prep time: 10 mins Makes: 4 cocktails What you need: 2 cups fresh watermelon juice 1/4 cup fresh …

Happy Birthday – Food for Swaps turns TWO!!

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Happy Birthday to you… Happy Birthday to you… Happy Birthday dear FoodforSwaps…. Happy Birthday to you! So we enter our terrible two’s today 🙂  I must say, the journey has been supremely fulfilling. What started out as a way to document all the things I tried out in the kitchen has now turned into something that inspires me to try out things! It gives me a space to play out my food obsession and my photography. It’s my little window to the world of foodies – you guys, who stop by the blog and send me little words of praise, encouragement and new ideas. So today, I just want to leave you a comment – Thank you for rocking this party for so long! I have a few additions to the blog, to mark the anniversary. An ‘About’ page – yes I know, I do like to wax eloquent. And a ‘Food Blog searcher’ – more foodies more fun! So enjoy and keep stopping by!

The world’s best Hot Wings!

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I know people exaggerate when they say something is the world’s best. You’re thinking, a.Their world is really small or b. They have false ideas of grandeur. I have fallen prey to both statements many many times, but (and this is a big BUT) Not this time!!! Firstly, I can say with conviction that if there is a restaurant I have visited and they list hot wings on the menu – I have tried it. And I eat out very often. So my world of hot wings is not small. Secondly, I am in no way partial to any food, so if something blows my mind – it firmly earns it’s place in my heart and taste buds! As these Hot Wings satisfy the above criteria – they are, according to me (and my entire clique of hungry friends and family) The World’s Best Hot Wings!  Hot Wings/ Buffalo Wings Prep + Marinating time: 1 hour Cooking time: 20 mins Makes: 20 wings What you need: 3/4 cup All Purpose Flour 1 tsp Salt ½ …

Penne with Bell Peppers Roman Style

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I had two lovely yellow bell peppers in my fridge. After four days of racking my brains to come up with a mind blowing recipe, I chickened out. I could not see them go to waste for my lack of creative genius. Thanks to the gazillion cook books I own, (yes, I am cookbook cuckoo!) finding a recipe was a breeze. I would like you to believe that I put in considerable amount of effort picking and choosing just the right recipe, but the truth is I like a good gamble. So I closed my eyes and put my finger on the peppers list in the index! I give you here – Pasta with Peppers Roman Style. The Roman bit is because I had a crush on Julius Caesar. Ok, am playing with you now! Traditionally, tiny black wrinkled olives grown in the Lazio region of Italy are used in this roman dish. But I used Spanish olives. Oops! Don’t declare a war till you’ve tried it. iBuen Apetito! Penne with Peppers Roman Style Prep …

Minted Pea Soup

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Is it a guy thing, to be repulsed by the idea of green food? No seriously, even before tasting my pea soup the co-resident faked fullness of the belly, courtesy a late lunch. The office mate nearly choked on his food before being forced to try it. The other colleague acted like he was part of a science experiment before gingerly licking the back of the spoon! Men I tell you… gutless, literally. That said, they all concluded that it was ‘not so bad – for pea soup’! And as an afterthought grudgingly added that it was actually (gasp gasp) tasty! I for one, love this version , cause the mint really uplifts it and its really easy peasy! Minted Pea Soup Prep time: 5 mins Cooking time: 25 mins Serves: 4-6 What you need: 2 Tbsp Butter 1 large Onion, coarsely chopped 1 Tbsp all-purpose Flour 500 gms frozen Peas 5 cups (1.25 lt) Vegetable/ Chicken Stock ½ tsp Sugar 2 large Mint Sprigs Salt and Black Pepper Shredded fresh Mint for garnish What …