In one moment

Eternity; that moment before the storm;
Of anticipation, dread, and change

That single hesitation before the arrow leaves the bow
and that last thought that flickers in the eye, before it hits the heart

a Lifetime; That moment before the earth shatters into half;
of peace and acceptance and fate

That one in drawn breath before the world sets on fire
and that last hope of life, before it turns to dust

An entire life lived in one single moment.

Crash 'nd Burn - Epic Kitchen Disasters....

*Photo from here. Let me know if I'm violating any copyrights, and I'll take it off.

Anyone who's given me a patient sympathetic ear in the last few months, knows that my oven isn't exactly in the best of health. It blows a fuse after maybe half an hour , and then after every five minutes or so. In the throe of it's tantrums, it's also managed to blow the microwave oven, with constant voltage fluctuations.

So I try to stay away from the oven, it's been ages since I've baked anything, and with a sigh that would make a martyr proud, I longingly stare at all the beautiful things that the world around me is baking, and go into a dream world where there are no bratty ovens and no circuit trips.

But yesterday was different, my Hulk-esque bug for baking finally took over, and I decided to make cookies that I had bookmarked since almost 3 months. So, I mixed the flour, cocoa, baking soda and sugar , shut down all other electrical equipment and nervously started preheating the oven. Added the butter...rolled out half the cookie dough, scrounged around for a small round bottle lid and cut cookies. Put 'em on my blue cookie sheet, and shoved 'em in, breathed a sigh of relief, so far so good. Then a little more confident, I started playing around with the other half of the dough, adding chocolate chips, rolling, re rolling.....and then that ominous burning smell! I was so happy that the oven still hadn't given up, that I forgot to check the cookies, and the first batch was burnt to cinder!!! So much for the oven not shutting down on it's own!!

Of tortillas and wraps....

Most of my decisions on food start off with a random ingredient that I spot during grocery shopping trips. So recently when I found a can of re-fried beans, I started imagining spicy and tangy, and I just had to pick it up.
Initially I wanted to make Enchiladas, but then common sense returned, when I realized that I had never made tortillas before and that if the tortillas got messed up, I'd be left with chilli sauce and a can full of fried beans.

So I made wraps instead!

The best part about the wraps is of course the Tortillas. These are flour tortillas, soft and delicate, and look really pretty! I think I see Enchiladas on the horizon soon!!

The recipe is from here  with slight quantity changes in the oil and baking powder. It is also adapted for 6 tortillas instead of 8.

Flour Tortillas Recipe: (for 6 tortillas)

1.5 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
3 teaspoons of oil
1/2 cup warm milk

Stuffed Indian Bread with Cauliflower (Gobi Parantha)

Paranthas are extremely versatile and filling food, and transforms boring veggies into delicious breads.
All you need is some pickle, or a bit of yoghurt, or even tomato ketchup. Ofcourse a hot finger burning Parantha doesnt even need that, as long as you have a nice spoonful(or 2-3) of white butter to go along with it.

I love making paranthas, they are easy, and can be stuffed and rolled in different ways. The rule of thumb I use for any parantha is the same, the softness of the dough should be the same as the softness of the filling. A too liquidy or soft filling, and it won't spread to the edges, and will make rolling out sticky and messy. A harder filling, and it will tear through the dough. Also if you are adding raw ingredients to the stuffing like onions and garlic, they should be very finely chopped.

Gobi Paranthas require the stuffing to be cooked till the cauliflower becomes soft and dry.