Bless the sweet tooth!

 

Making a choice among the international favorites is always a very difficult proposition. It's not only the favorite part of the meal for most people, but is often the real reason for eating the meal itself. Here are the top 10 best desserts in my favorite order, although it might not concur with every body's choices it would certainly make your mouth water for more:

 
 

Tiramisu - In Italian, it means pick-me-up. It definitely does that. With its unique layers and textures, it's always a treat for those with a sweet tooth.

 
 

 
 

Ras Malai - This is a sweet dish invented in Bengal and found in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. It is a heavenly concoction where thickened and sweetened milk is the gravy in which small airy cottage cheese balls are floating.

 

Cheesecake - A classic, and rightfully so. It both refrigerates and freezes very well. You can't really go wrong with it.

 
 

Key Lime Pie - The perfect sour, yet smooth taste of this dessert fits so perfectly after a big meal. It almost feels like the meal was the appetizer for the pie.

 
 

Cannoli - You don't have to be Italian to enjoy this delicious treat. This legendary Sicilian pastry has a sweet filling, which normally contains ricotta cheese.

 
 

Chocolate Mousse - Rich and decadent, the sweet taste explosion of this classic gourmet dessert will be the hit of any party.

 
 

Baklava - Is there anything sweeter in this world than a nicely sliced piece of Baklava. It especially becomes lovelier when they put a little honey in it. It's just spectacular.

 

Chocolate Croissants - The perfect combination of a flaky French pastry with the sweetness of chocolate. Just heaven!

 
 

Brownies - So classic, yet it will never go out of style. Who didn't grow up with these treat. I can even remember as a little kid grabbing a chair to stand on, so I could get to the brownie jar.

 
 

Chocolate Chip Cookies - As American as apple pie, chocolate chip cookies are the favorite dessert of both young and old.

 
 

 
 

Donuts - May not be the flashiest dessert in the world, but I bet you can't find one single person who will pass down a freshly baked donut.

 
 

The Strings of Bliss – Different Harmonies, the Variations of Chow Mein

Chow mein is generally made of soft noodles; however Hong Kong-style chow mein is made from thin crispy noodles.

American Chinese cuisine
In American Chinese cuisine, it is a stir-fried dish consisting of noodles, meat (usually chicken, although beef, shrimp, or pork may also be used), and cabbage and other vegetables. It is often served as a specific dish at westernized Chinese restaurants with soy sauce and vegetables such as celery, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts.
Chow mein is mentioned as early as 1920, in the novel Main Street by Sinclair Lewis.
There are two kinds of chow meins available in the market: 1) Steamed chow mein, and 2) Crispy chow mein, also known as Hong Kong style chow mein. The steamed chow mein has a softer texture while crispy chow mein is crispier and dryer.

Canadian Chinese cuisine
Canadian westernized Chinese restaurants may offer up to three different types of chow mein, none of which are identical to American chow mein. Cantonese style chow mein contains deep-fried crunchy golden egg noodles, green peppers, pea pods, bok choy, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, shrimp, Chinese roast pork (char siu), chicken, and beef, and is served in a thick sauce. Plain chow mein is similar to Western chow mein but contains far more mung bean sprouts; some recipes may be up to one-half bean sprouts. Hong Kong style chow mein is similar to plain chow mein but is always served on a bed of deep-fried crunchy golden egg noodles.

Caribbean style
Many West Indian people include chow mein in their cuisine, especially peoples from islands like Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica which include a significant ethnic Chinese population. As well, in the South American country Guyana the culture and cuisine is similar to Trinidad's. This chow mein is cooked in a similar manner, with green beans, carrots, peas, onions and sometimes other vegetables. Meat used is mostly chicken and sometimes pork and/or shrimp. The main difference is that local spices are added, and the dish is often served with hot Scotch bonnet peppers and/or pepper sauce.
In Cuba, aside from the foreign owned tourist hotels which often serve Western-style Chinese food, local Chinese restaurants can be found in Havana that offer a distinct Cuban style.

The Strings of Bliss

Do you at times feel like letting go and allow yourself to be pulled by strings that do not actually bind but set you free? Then you must have tasted the stringy Chinese delight that the world reveres and savors by the name of Chow mein. Chinese invented the noodles and changed the way we eat, that's not an overstatement. Chinese noodles are used a lot in everyday cooking. Chinese noodles are versatile and there are so many ways to prepare them–stir-fry, pan-fry, boil, blanch, soup, gravy, or dry. In short nobody could ever get bored of noodles. It's one of the easiest foods to prepare at home, and the end results are always satisfying.

One of the most popular Chinese noodles in the US is chow mein or literally "fried noodles" in Cantonese dialect. Chow mein is also a favorite Chinese take-out item. Some shredded vegetables; some protein–chicken, pork, beef, seafood, or combination–and you will have a perfect chow mein that is cheap, filling, and sinfully gratifying.

Chow mein is truly speaking the Indian version of the Chinese noodles and was originally developed by the Chinese population of Kolkata in India. Chow mein falls under the genre of Indian-Chinese cuisine and is flavored with coriander, cumin sometimes uncharacteristically with turmeric. These spices are not used in traditional Chinese cuisine and but have now been incorporated into the chow mein. It is a popular dish in India and is often sold by local fast food joints. The Indian-Chinese community in North America is also familiar with the chow
mein recipe which includes fired and shredded vegetables like carrots, beans, onions and peas along with the noodles.
It is usually offered Hakka or with gravy. Catering to vegetarian diets, there is an Indian variant, vegetable chow mein, which consists of noodles with cabbage, bamboo shoots, pea pods, green peppers, and carrots. In the New Delhi area, chow mein can sometimes include cottage cheese with the mixture of noodles and vegetables.

 

 
 

 

Wrapped in Caring in so many ways – the variations

 
 

Though dosa normally refers to the version made with rice and lentils, many other adaptations of dosa exist and are popular in varying degrees. This is sometimes specific to a region in India. Other types of dosa include:

•    Egg dosa - a dosa spread with an omelet.

•    Chilli dosa - chilli powder is spread on the dosa.

•    Onion dosa - chopped and sautéed onions are spread on the dosa.

•    Ghee (thuppa/neyyi) dosa - ghee is used instead of oil while frying the dosa.

•    Butter dosa - butter is used instead of oil while frying dosa and topped off with a small amount.

•    Roast - the dosa is spread thinly and fried until crisp.

•    Family roast - a long dosa which can be spread over 2 or 3 feet.

•    Paper dosa - a long and very thin delicate dosa which can be spread over 2 feet.

•    Green dosa - a dosa stuffed with fresh vegetables and mint chutney.

•    Chow-chow dosa - a dosa stuffed with (Indian flavored) Chinese noodles.

•    Cheese dosa - a dosa stuffed with cheese.

•    Masala dosa - a dosa stuffed with spiced potatoes (famous in South India)

•    Rava dosa - made with rava or semolina, which doesn't need fermentation.

•    Wheat dosa - made with wheat flour, and served with coconut chutney,mysore masala dosa

•    Vella dosa - a sweet dosa made of jaggery with ghee/neyyi.

•    Ragi dosa - made of ragi or millet flour, usually considered "a poor man's fare".

•    Muttai dosa - eggs are added to the regular batter; the word muttai in Tamil means "egg".

•    Set dose - a popular type of dosa in Karnataka, which is cooked only on one side and is served in a set of two, hence the name.

•    Benne dose - similar to masala or set dosa but smaller in size.

•    Cabbage dosa - a dosa made out of cabbage. Paste is prepared with rice, red chillies, Asafetida and Turmeric. Once the batter is ready, chopped cabbage is added to the paste and left for about 30 minutes.

•    Neer dosa - a dosa prepared from rice unique to Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts.

•    Pesarattu - a dosa prepared from moong dal; Andhra special and are usually served with chutney made from Ginger and Tamarind.

•    Adai - a dosa made from a mixture of dals namely Urad, Channa & Moong dal.

•    70 MM Dosa - Similar to Masala Dosa, but it is bigger in size, about 60 cm in diameter.

 

Wrapped with Caring Filled with Fun – Masala dosa

 

Though sometimes considered a breakfast dish, dosas are also eaten at other times of day. Those with wheat allergies or gluten intolerance will find the dosa a nice addition to their diets. They can be stuffed with vegetables, meats and sauces to create a quickly prepared meal.

The ubiquitous Indian dish masala dosa has its origins in Udupi, Karnataka. A masala dosa is made by stuffing a dosa with a lightly cooked filling of potatoes, fried onions and spices. It wraps the dosa around an onion and potato curry or sabji.

Dosa is supposed to have had its roots in the Temple Streets of Udupi, Karnataka.

Before it was invented, plain dosa was served with potato curry (batata bhaji) without onions in a separate cup. During a shortage of potatoes, method was created where potato was mashed and sauteed with onions together with other spices. This was then placed inside the dosa instead of a separate cup. This was done to hide the onions which are not eaten by orthodox Hindus and Jains. People accepted this new version of the dosa with delight. So "Masala Dosa", from the sautéeing of spices (masala) during the preparation of the bhaji, was born to conquer the gourmet world.

 

Dosas of all kinds are typically served with a variety of side dish which changes according to regional and personal preferences. More common side items include:

    • Sambar – A lentil curry preparation.

    • Wet chutneys, often coconut chutney — a semi-solid paste usually made of coconut, dal, green chilies, and mint or coriander (cilantro)

    • Dry chutney pudi or powder of spices and desiccated coconut

    • Milagai podi, fry dry chillies, lentils, asafoetida, salt and grind coarsely

    • Muddha Pappu(dal) with large amount of ghee (the traditional way of eating dosa in many parts of Andhra Pradesh)

• Curd with chilli powder topping

• Indian pickle

• Chicken or mutton curry (commonly served in non-vegetarian households in Tamil Nadu and Kerala)

        

Wrapped with Caring – Dosas

What is light on the pocket, full of nutrition and taste, exotic, and versatile yet simple to make? Well, the dosa is as near to perfection as a food as can be. The Dosa or Dosay is a crispy savory pancake or Indian style wraps. It is a south Indian delicacy originated in Karnataka. Dosa is made from rice and black lentils. It is a typical South Indian food, eaten for breakfast or dinner, and is rich in carbohydrates and protein. It can be had alone with a few accompaniments or can be wrapped around a vegetarian or non vegetarian filling of your choice making it as light or heavy a meal as you want. You can even dip it into some kind of sweet syrup to make a different kind of dessert.

Regular Dosa batter is made from rice and split, skinned black lentil bean (urad) blended with water and left to ferment overnight. A modified form of the same batter can be used to make idlis.

Characteristically the rice is very finely ground; more so than in idli batter. Furthermore, the rice to lentil ratio varies in both. The rice can be uncooked and/or parboiled. The urad bean and rice can be replaced with highly refined wheat flour to make a maida dosa or semolina for a rava dosa.

The batter is then ladled in small amounts onto a hot greased flat girdle, where it is spread out into a thin circle and fried with oil or ghee until golden brown. This is the case in a very short time. The dosa may then be folded in half and served or rolled as in a wrap, but in both cases it is cooked on a single side. Alternatively, it may be flipped to cook on the other side and then served.

Dumplings of Love

 

Are you really unsure if the world is actually a global village where most of humanity lives under more or less the same conditions everywhere with similarities in culture and more importantly in food habits? Look no further than the innocuous Momo. Momo also known as momo-cha, is a type of Tibetan, Ladakhi and Nepali dumpling, similar to the Mongolian buuz, Chinese jiaozi, or Central Asian manti and is very closely related to the Russian pelmeni or Italian ravioli. Its one of the most healthy filling foods available.

Momos are made with a simple flour-and-water dough—white flour is generally preferred—and sometimes a little yeast or baking soda is added to give a more 'doughy' texture to the finished product. The filling may be one of several mixtures described below:

    • Meat: Diverse kinds of meat filling are accepted in different regions. In Tibet, Nepal and North East India, goat, buffalo, chicken, yak meat, and pork are the most accepted, in Ladakh lamb and yak are common, while in other Indian cities (e.g., Kolkata), goat and chicken would be the most popular meats used in momos. Minced meat is mixed with any or all of the following: onions, shallots, garlic, and cilantro/coriander. The mixture is seasoned with salt, pepper, and often ground cumin. Some people also add finely puréed tomatoes, and many variations are possible.

    • Vegetarian or mixed momos are becoming increasingly popular in India and Nepal.

    • Potato, similar to Indian samosas, with small dice of firm potato in a tomato based sauce.

    • Cheese, usually a fresh cheese, this variety is common in Bhutan and Sikkim.

The dough is fashioned into small circular flat pieces. The filling is then enclosed either in a round pocket or in a half moon shape or crescent. The dumplings are then cooked by steaming over a soup (either a stock based on bones or tomato-based), which is served with the dumplings, as well as chili sauce. The dumplings may also be pan-fried or deep-fried after being steamed. They may be accompanied by an Indian pickle depending upon individual tastes.

Momos are a traditional delicacy in Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, and Ladakh. They are the most popular fast food in Kathmandu valley, Nepal. They are also common in places with noticeable Tibetan population, such as Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, and West Bengal (particularly in Darjeeling). Over the last decade momos have seen their popularity as street- food rise in many Indian cities.

There are different varieties of momos. Most common are C-momo, Kothey momo, and fried momo. C-momo is momos in a hot and spicy sauce consisting of onions, capsicums, etc., usually served in a bowl. Fried momos are prepared by deep frying the steamed momos, and Kothey momos are pan-fried. These are some of the most common items served in Tibetan and Nepalese restaurants.