A for Apple Crumble

I love baking, and I love baked food. When I'm bored, I watch videos of cinnamon rolls being baked, or cheese melting in an oven, or cookies rising ... you get the drift.

Happy was the day that I discovered that Apple Crumble is really easy to make - and I didn't have to make the trip to Sandy's just to have one of my favourite desserts.

The best part? The Apple is a fruit, which makes it an almost guilt-free dessert to bake.

So here's the recipe that I use: [It's found in multiple sites, and it's too basic, so I've not added any attributions, and writing down the steps as I make them]

Ingredients:

For the Apple Base:

1. Apples - 3 to 4 medium sized
2. Cinnamon - 1 piece/ Cinnamon Powder - 1 pinch
3. Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
4. Brown Sugar - 2 to 3 Tbsp (based on how sweet you prefer it)
5. Water to boil
6. Pinch of salt

For the crumble

1. Butter - 3 Table Spoons
2. Flour - 3/4 cup
3. Brown Sugar - 3/4 cup 

Method:

• Peel and cut the apples to a small size (do this just before you're ready to boil the apples - to prevent browning and softening)
• To boiling water, add the sugar, pinch of salt, cinnamon - give it a stir to mix. Add the apples to this mix and let it simmer for 7 mins.
• Drain the excess water, remove the cinnamon if you've added it as a piece, and transfer to baking dish. I prefer to fill this up to 3/4 to 1 inch high
• In another dish, mix with a spoon the butter, flour and brown sugar - mix with hand only, don't use beaters - You will have a coarse powdered-biscuit kind of mixture.That's the crumble.
• Add the crumble to the top of the apple which is in the baking dish. Be generous so there's at least 1/4 to 1/2 inch of crumble atop the apple.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes at 180 C. It does bubble sometimes when it's being bakes - which is completely normal.
• Enjoy with ice cream. Or just eat it straight off the baking dish ;)

Bon APpetit! 

Poompuhaar Craft Cafe

They made me eat GREENS!
And I liked it too! *Shock* *Pleasant Surprise*

Have you ever wanted to eat authentic Tamilian Vegetarian Food and have had only the Bhavans as choices? Ever wondered what a South Indian - Tamil Veg Thali tastes like? Well most of us have had yummy South Indian Spreads in weddings. But the 'meals' at restaurants are more about the quantity and the number of dishes rather than the quality and taste.
So what does one do when you want to eat good Home Cooked Quality Tamilian Food?

Head to Poompuhaar craft cafe I say!!

So I got this invite to a bloggers meet, at Poompuhar Craft Cafe. Being a craft enthusiast, I thought it's a place where we'll get to make stuff and even get some food.

But we end up there - There being this quaint tucked away quiet location, bang in the middle of the city! - A cafe-restaurant, with Poompuhar. I love my veggies at home, but when I head out, I prefer meat. And I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this oh-so-veg-and-so-yummy Thai!


A little bit of background.
Poompuhar craft cafe is a joint venture by Sanskriti Crafts  (who are mainly into gifting solutions) and Poompuhar (who promote craft and handicraft) in chennai.


The Place:

What are craftsmen and handicraft promoters doing in the food business? And how would it be you ask?
They are providing an artistic, utterly relaxing dining experience.

Located right adjacent to Poompuhar, with an entrance of its own - it is quite easy to fine. They've got car park facilities, very comfortable! Though in the centre of the city, you don't feel the pollution or hear the noise. Fully surrounded by Bamboos and peppered metal ornaments and craft display, even the decor is yet another classy combination, which surprisingly but effortlessly works!

It seats about 30 to 40 at a time. And can go up to 50 if it's going to be a buffet. There is an open space dining area, where patrons can dine amidst bamboo, art and water. Or a smaller AC hall, decorated by craft.

Everything was spotless and well maintained. Loved that!

 The food:
We were greeted with some refreshing lemon mint cooler. Yum. But that was just a teaser for what was to come.

They pride in almost home cooked food. The cooks have been home cooks for a long time, and have come to Chennai especially on Sanskriti's request. The cutlery is good old solid copper bottoms. It adds just that little extra flavour in the water and food which I love!

Ah! The food! Finally, we come to the food :)
There was rice, of course! Surrounded by the Tamil specials of Sambhar, Rasam, Phulka, Vatha Kuzhambu, Keera Poriyal, Coconut Rice, Cauliflower Fry, Potato side dish, and Payasam!
I'm drooling just remembering all that.

My favourite was the Vatha Kuzhambu, It was such a brilliant take on the classic - too good! But the best part about that thali was everything was so good !! The coconut rice. Potato - as always, lived up to its promise. The Cauliflower Fry - we were shameless and asked for a whole plate more AND finished it! The phulka and keera was such a delicious combo! I don't - I repeat, I NEVER eat greens outside of home (unless palak paneer counts) and I actually totally enjoyed this!

And the feather on the cap - the cherry on the cake - was the Payasam! So much goodness and happiness in that little bowl. *Happy sigh in remembrance*
I think if I said anymore about the food, I'd drool all over my keypad. So just go and try it for yourself!

 Bon Appetit !!!

Viveks Big BIG Warehouse Sale ~!!

It's been a week since Viveks BIG warehouse sale. #ViveksWarehouseSale so to say ;)

I deliberately waited a while since the sale, keeping my ears close to the ground to hear about what the population had to say about the warehouse sale. And boy has the feedback been great!!!

Well, I guess Viveks being the consumer durables company that originally introduced the concept of "New Year Sales" much before those things became a matter of course, the success was to be expected by default.

Viveks is a chain of consumer durables predominantly in South India - mainly Tamil Nade. Since their modest inception about 51 years ago, they have grown astronomically and firmly rooted themselves in the Home Appliance and Consumer Durables market. Their range of product offering is ever growing, but their dedication to customer satisfaction and towards providing a holistic customer experience is growing much faster!  They have become more trusted than the brands they sell. 

With the much-increased buying power of the customer - especially in the cities, and at a time when competition is fighting tooth and nail to grab the market's attention, Vivek takes pride in standing strong.

Initially, when I heard that Vivek was holding a "warehouse" sale, speculations flew. The sale also coincided with the sale conducted by other prominent players - at the Chennai Trade Center. Though initially intrigued, I definitely was able to appreciate their guts in inviting their customers right to their home base - their warehouse.

A quick background on the location, the Viveks Warehouse (the one stop from where all the Viveks stores get their supply) is located in Mugaliwakkam. For many, it may mean nothing. But for those who went near the place during the Chennai floods last year - they must know that the place was completely submerged during the floods. So Viveks boldly coming forward and daring their customers to visit the Warehouse and see that

1. All flood affected goods have been completely handed over to the insurance company. ABSOLUTELY NONE of the flood affected goods were kept, even to sell at discounted prices during the sale
2. The sale had ONLY NEW STOCK
3. Their warehouse has been completely refurbished and no one needs to worry about goods being stocked at a flood affected location

That being established, now to the amazing part of the sale that I got to be a part of - A Walk through with the big boss, the CEO, Mr. Srinivasan himself!

The personal touch that they so proudly ensure was both surprising and touching. The CEO not only stayed well past the time he was supposed to, he even took us on a personally guided tour of the sale, recounted all these lovely memories - which I guess are stories and cornerstones of the organization, and stayed to dine with us - all the while answering a million questions that the group of us bombarded at him.

One of his beautiful memories that really stood out were:

A few years after the introduction of the Viveks New Year Sale, when their sale had been just for the 1st of January, (This was back when there were no online shopping sites, no sales every other quarter, those kind of days!) - one fine New Years Day, in the wee hours of the morning, there was a huge queue of people waiting outside the store. Even before the store could open, so they could get in first. 

Even the staff hadn't arrived, and the folks inside were busy setting things up for the crowd to come in and enjoy. And lo and behold, came thunder, lightning and then rain. The organizing team was ready to face disappointment at having a bad sale day - but were astonished to realize that the people outside were choosing to wait it out IN THE RAIN, for the store to open! Not many had umbrellas. There were not enough staff in attendance at that time in the morning to be able to cater to the people if allowed inside. Team Viveks knew not what to do. So they stepped out and told all the people "Please do come back tomorrow, we'll hold the sale tomorrow instead"

But no! The customers didn't want to leave. For them, the Viveks sale had become a New Year sentiment. A way to start the new year with new things - from Viveks!

How proud a moment must it be for a store owner to have customers assuring him that they don't mind waiting out in the rain till the store opened!

Viveks eventually started having 3 days New Year sales, on 31st December, 1st and 2nd of January - to make it easier on the customers. And that just became a new tradition.

They trust the customers had in them, and the trustworthy steps they take - Like inviting all the customers right to their warehouse to experience the range of their product offerings in all its entirety and with great discounts, without compromising on quality, time of delivery or customer experience!

The bond that Viveks has forged with its customers is no simple thing. And it is that bond and their dedication to keeping it strong that keeps them strong despite the strong competition from e-stores and brick and mortar stores.

And today, a week after the big sale - One would think that customers have probably had their fill of consumer goods ... but NO! I crossed a Viveks store on my way back from work, and it was still jam packed. 

Go check it out for yourself! The hype is totally worth it :)

Keep it going Viveks!!!

(My loot from the Warehouse Sale : Awesome stuff to cook and bake with, and a kitchen mat ;) )

Sea Food Etc ...

As part of Chennai Blogger's Club, about 20 of us visited Etc - a restaurant and cafe to review their seafood - prior to their Sea Food Fest. So here goes!

Location:

Located a little of Khader Nawaz Khan road, the restaurant is centrally situated, and easy to find with google maps.

Ambience:

Etc has 3 parts - the well decorated, but relatively normal Restaurant, A themed dining area out back and another themed cafe on the first floor.

The Restaurant:

Comfy seats, good lighting, walls with strong colours, all good. Space is a little economical.

4/5

The Themed Dining area:

Tucked away in the back of the restaurant is a charming space which has 3 tables each with a different theam. Done up with an artistic eye, definitely worth a check out! We all loved it, the boats, the murals, the water fountain, right till the handwash which was cleverly routed through a tea drum on a cycle - the old fashioned tpe.

The Con - Too humid as the space wasn't properly air conditioned

4/5

Cafe:

LOVED IT !!!!!

There are board games, table games (Ludo, connect the dots ...) and even wall games - Snakes and Ladders. Guests are welcome, and even encouraged to play. There is even a mini library.

The decor is beautiful, and makes it a fun destination for groups of people to hang out and spend a great evening!

4.8/5 (The food at the cafe - I didn't try it - but it seemed a tad pricey, but well worth the experience!)

Food:
The Sea Food 4 course set menu had a range of sea food dishes that will satisfy even the most hard core sea food fans. There were clever sea food variations of everyday dishes, which made eating them a whole new brilliant experience! As most unlimited menus, the starters were given the most priority. There were of course a few misses, but more than enough hits to make up for them and some!

I'm go through some of those dishes that really stood out for me:

Misses:

Fish fingers - something basic was made too salty because of the sauce. The chef was however very receptive of the feedback, and promised to correct it
SeaFood Spring Roll - A little too oily for my taste
Octopus and Prawn Pasta - I ended up with a full baby Octopus on my plate, which rolled over to the side and bounced a bit, scaring the bejeesus out of me! I couldn't even bring myself to eat the dish (let alone enjoy!) due to the fear factor. Probably would taste good to those going in knowing what to expect ;)

Hits:
The Crab cake - Absolutely the best! I had to keep myself from licking my fingers (gave in and did it anyway) A sprinkling of corn gave it an added crunch!
Fish Samosas - Who knew that such a simple twist in the samosas makes such a big difference! Yumm!
Fried Fish - Very south India, very very delicious! A beautifully crisp skin and perfect seasoning. Loved!
Calamari - Best eaten crisp :)
The Desserts - Despite the bursting stomachs, the Baklava and Chocolate Mouse all but demanded to be eaten. We complied! I was initially just going to taste, but I doubt if even traces of sauce were left on the plate after. Really really good! The White chocolate cake was a pleasant balance :) 

Over all food rating : 4.2/ 5

The Damage: 

Rs.999 + Taxes

A little steep yes, but sea food is expensive and the food was GOOD!

Sea Food lovers - a Must try!

How it all began :)

Helllooo !!

I finally got around to starting my food blog :) So excited!

The love of food comes naturally to many of us. So I don't think I ever to explain it ;)

I haven't always been a foodie. At least not in the go out a lot / try many cuisines type of girl for a long while. I guess I was just  so content with the great home food that was always available that I never felt the need to go out to meet the need.

It all started when I went away to stay at a hostel in a different city while doing my MBA. There's something about regimented eating that really gets to one. It got to me for sure, and that's when I started exploring the world of cuisines and food types that are available outside the immediately accessible dining room.

Trichy (In Tamil Nadu) ...or more like the outskirts of that little city is an interesting place to get started as a foodie. Home to numerous colleges and universities, it by default also houses some of the cheapest food outlets in the country. It used to be a place where we could get 100gms of fried chicken for Rs. 25 and scoops of ice cream at Rs.3 to 4 ...yes, I'm talking about 5 years back, not 50! (Micheal's ...I heard they recently increased their cost to 8 or 9 rupees per scoop) Some of the best road side soup stalls, and so many more!

Any doubts anyone could have had on my love for food was wiped away completely, when during my stay at Korea for 2 month, I found myself relishing Beef Sashimi (yup, that's raw beef) and totally loving dog stew (don't judge me please ;) ) as much as I enjoy Biriyanis and Burgers!

I've also started cooking a lot at home (master chef inspired !) and baking as well (Amateur level)

With the number of photographs I take of food, and share .. it felt like a logical step to end up here where I can document my love of food.
I mean, one might fall in and out of love with your high school sweetheart, but the love of food - it's like finding your soulmate... the keeper ... and this blog, it's gonna be my form of PDA ;)

Bon Appetit!
Jen