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Namaste and welcome, Diwali festivities and food, and a great business podcast.

Eugenia

Updated: Dec 5, 2020


Namaste and welcome


I’m starting today’s newsletter with a greeting from India. It’s one year today since I arrived in Delhi for a colourful four week adventure which culminated in the marriage of my daughter to a young man from Assam.


Today is also the eve of Diwali, a Festival of Lights and one of the main religious celebrations listed on the Indian calendar. Diwali is a celebration of new beginnings, and of good triumphing over evil, however it is much more than that, importantly, it is an opportunity for people to come together for joyful celebrations with family and friends. The celebrations are often peppered with twinkling lights, fireworks, dancing, music, the exchange of gifts, sweets and sharing delicious food. Much like our Christmas, Diwali is celebrated over 4-5 days and Indians will put everything on hold to enjoy one big party.



A welcome to India gift presented to my husband and I when

we were greeted by our host at Indira Gandhi airport, Delhi.


Eating


As a nod to the Diwali festivities, today I visited a favourite neighbourhood bakery called Flour Shop to purchase a flaky Chai spiced slice with boozy rum cream, and a buttery Danish topped with ‘Shrikhand’, a creamy cardamom yoghurt and freshly sliced mango. Both of these decadent delights were enjoyed during a summer afternoon hailstorm, and for a moment I felt like I had been swept up in a torrent of Indian monsoon rain. If only I could get my hands on a cooked deep fried Jalebi coated in sugar syrup, my afternoons indulgence would be complete. If you’d like to go on a visual journey of some more of these bakers indulgent treats, you might like to follow along on Instagram @flourshopau


Tomorrow I will celebrate Diwali and a birthday with my family at Masala Theory, a hip cafe in Surry Hills. This cosy restaurant showcases India’s whimsical side with colourful wall murals depicting scenes from India, stacked metal lunch containers, an illuminated bicycle, and signs written with Indian sayings. Traditional Indian food is given a modern twist in the way it is served with a touch of creativity. It is both a cultural and visual sensory feast and a dancing delight for the tastebuds. The infamous ‘curry bombs’ are not to be missed and can be seen along with many other beautifully presented dishes on Instagram @masalatheory


Listening


During the week I listened to an episode of a great business podcast called My Daily Business Coach hosted by the lovely warm and friendly Fiona Killackey. In this episode Fiona chats with Vatsala Murthy from Indian Goods Company about what Indian design means to her, some of the ‘costs’ associated with running an ethical business, and the importance of sharing stories about contemporary Indian culture and art through her products. You can listen to this episode (46) of the podcast here.


Recipe


Last, but not least I would like to share a simple recipe for sweet fudgy Coconut Laddoos you might like to prepare as a gift or treat for yourself or a friend to celebrate Diwali. The recipe is a culinary creation by Reethika Singh, an award winning food photo journalist and recipe developer living in Bangalore. Reethika can be found on her Instagram account @cupcakeree where her feed is a sensual delight of beautifully styled photographs of food she creates in her home kitchen.

The recipe for Coconut Laddoos, containing only four ingredients, can be found here.


Until next time, may your days be both serendipitous and enjoyable.


Eugenia




Comments


Blog 40 Image F.jpg

Sour Cherry & Turkish Delight Rocky Road

Deliciously Decadent

This is one of those recipes that

is ridiculously easy - more of

an assembly job, than actual

cooking. But it is also one that is

somehow more than the sum of

its parts - really just a collection

of delicious things bathed in

chocolate. But with tart sour

cherries, roasted pistachios and

gloriously pink Turkish delight,

what could go wrong? A word

of warning though - cut it into

small pieces, it is rather rich.

 

Ingredients:

360g good quality dark

chocolate, roughly chopped

100g marshmallows, cut in half

200g Turkish Delight, chopped

roughly

100g dried sour cherries

75g roasted pistachios

15g freeze-dried raspberries

(optional)

Method:

Line an 18cm round tin (or

similar) with baking paper,

leaving plenty of overhang to

allow you to easily remove the

rocky road from the tin when set.

 

 

Method:

Melt chocolate in a heat-proof

bowl set over a saucepan of

simmering water. Remove from

heat and allow to cool slightly.

Place marshmallows, Turkish

Delight, sour cherries, and

pistachios in a large bowl,

tossing to combine. Pour over

melted chocolate and stir gently

until all ingredients are coated in

chocolate.

Spoon into prepared tin,

squashing down and smoothing

lightly with the back of a spoon.

refrigerate until set (at least 3

hours).

Slice into portions with a hot

sharp knife and serve with tea or

coffee. I like to wrap individual

wedges in cellophane and ribbon

to give away as gifts. Rocky Road

will keep in the fridge for up to 2

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