Interstellar Food - A Meal with the Stars

This is one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Neil Armstrong said this and started jumping around on the moon. Whenever I watch this video, I feel as if in the end, everybody loves ‘space’ to jump around (pun intended!). Let it be on earth or on the moon.

Astronauts stay in space for days and sometimes even months. It’s like a home away from home but just ‘too’ far away. So the question which always grills my mind is - WHAT DO THEY EAT IN SPACE? Though I knew that they used to have those toothpaste like tubes to have the food from times are changing and so is the ‘Interstellar Menu’. To keep the food edible for longer missions, it is dehydrated and packed in a solid form. Imagine taking a ‘bite’ of your chicken stew. All the fluid items like milk, soup etc. are dehydrated too in a powdered form. 

 

Thanks to the NASA scientists, who made it possible to hydrate the food by mixing hot or cold water when in space and make food a ‘bit’ tastier. But no matter what, the mesmerizing aroma of the food drifts away before it can stimulate an astronaut because of almost zero gravity. So the exulting sensation of the food felt by the tongue and the nose is absent. But these men and women, do all this ‘in the name of science’. I respect these guys because if I would have been an astronaut, my kitchen would’ve followed me. Since food is important, astronauts are invited for tasting session where they can recommend the dishes for future missions. Though these days they have freeze dried sausage patties and much more but there is one thing Buzz Aldrin enjoyed in one of the missions - “Shrimp Cocktail”. From the word cocktail, I remember that I am very fond of preparing hot or warm cocktail recipes. He had something to say about it- “they were chosen one by one to make sure they would be tiny enough to squeeze out of the food packet, and they were delicious!” Let’s try this appetizer for our brave astronauts ‘in the name of science”.

SHRIMP COCKTAIL

Ingredients:-

For Court Bouillon:

1 lemon,

2 bay leaves,

1 diced onion,

5 sprigs thyme,

2 diced carrots,

1/2 bunch parsley,

10 cups cold water,

2 diced stalks celery,

5 diced garlic cloves.

For Shrimp:

Cocktail Sauce,

Lemon wedges,

1 pound rinsed shrimp,

1 tablespoon kosher salt.

For Cocktail Sauce:

1 cup ketchup

1 juiced lemon,

Hot sauce to taste,

4 teaspoons prepared horseradish,

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce.

Preparation Method for Shrimp Cocktail:

1. Add water, onion, garlic, lemon, parsley, carrot, celery, thyme and bay leaves in a pot. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Add shrimp into the liquid. Turn off the heat. Cook shrimp. Stir occasionally for 3 minutes. Drain and cool. Peel them. Refrigerate if you are not serving immediately. If refrigerated, bring shrimps to room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
3. To serve put the cocktail sauce in glasses as shown. Loop the shrimp over the edge of the glass. Top the glass with sauce. Garnish with the lemon and serve.

Preparation Method for Cocktail Sauce:

1. Combine ketchup, lemon zest, juice, Worcestershire sauce and horseradish in a bowl.
2. Add hot sauce. Mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!
   
    So do you want to enjoy food in space?

Jazz and Jambalaya - Guide to Ecstasy

It’s been two years since I have been to New Orleans Jazz fest. My love for jazz goes long back when I was in college and used to roam around with my huge discman, playing - ‘Hold me close and hold me fast, The magic spell you cast, This is la vie en rose’ - by Louis Armstrong. I have even mentioned Jazz a few times in this blog too with my cocktail recipes, the Mulled Wine etc. New Orleans has this history of people coming and going. Let it be French, Spanish or African. But thanks to this process of people passing by this city, New Orleans gave birth to a lot of new things. African workers found comfort in music after a hard days work. They used to sit in groups, sing and play instruments and create music - they were creating Jazz. This city has been celebrating this festival since 1970s. But there is a reason why a lot of people pass by this city - its port. Now if you are in a city with one of the largest ports in America, you can expect this ‘port’ on your plate.

People pass by but leave their cuisines behind. New Orleans has a mashup of various cuisines and Jambalaya proves this right. Jambalaya is a popular rice dish, especially at family get together or events like this. Even huge quantity of it is simple to make. The best part is that you can play around from seafood, sausages to red or white meat, or mixture of all. There is a small story behind the recipe. Many years ago, a traveler arrived at New Orleans, in an inn, long after the dinner time. He asked the cook to throw in the available ingredients and this gave birth to the famous Jambalaya recipe, which is a staple of New Orleans. Jazz fest begins on April 24, 2014 and this combination of Jazz and Jambalaya might be too overwhelming for you.

Ingredients:-

1 Bay Leaf,

1 chopped Onion,

2 cups cooked Rice,

1/2 teaspoon Thyme,

1 cup Chicken Broth,

2 teaspoons Oregano,

1 teaspoon Hot Sauce,

1 stalk chopped Celery,

1 pound diced Chicken,

1/2 pound diced Sausage,

28 ounce canned Tomatoes,

1 chopped Red Bell Pepper,

2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning,

1 pound cooked thawed Shrimps.

Preparation Method:-

1. Take a slow cooker. Combine in it, chicken, sausage, chicken broth, tomatoes, onion, pepper and celery.
2. Now add in bay leaves, thyme, oregano, Cajun seasoning and hot sauce of your choice. I prefer red hot sauce.
3. Cover it up. Cook on high for 3 hours. Stir in thawed shrimps. Cover and cook until the shrimps are heated thoroughly. This will take around 5 minutes.
4. Spoon the mixture over cooked rice. Serve hot!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Enjoy the Jazz Music!

Valentine’s Day Food - Sushi Hearts

The day of love is here! Everyone is undoubtedly planning to surprise their spouse with a token of love and admiration. Hope you enjoyed my Valentine’s day ideas for food. My Aunt Poly recently had an awesome trip to Japan. She had to attend her relative’s wedding. The couple planned to go for a week to utilize their visit to the fullest. I think it's a great idea. Yesterday, they came in for tea and were talking about the yummy Japanese food other than anything else. She loved sushi. It suddenly struck my mind to prepare the same for my loved one, this Valentine's Day. Sushi stands among the most popular Japanese food. Sushi is basically a cold roll of fish and rice. The ingredients and preparation methods varies from place to place. 

Day by day, the popularity of this Japanese food is increasing. This results using the recipe in numerous delectable. Some unique Japanese ingredients have been used in the recipe which are readily available in the stores nearby. Nori seaweed sheet is an edible red seaweed that is popular in East Asia. I have used wasabi paste here. Mix equal amounts of wasabi powder and water to make wasabi paste. Wasabi is a Japanese plant with thick green root tasting like horseradish. Wasabi powder is easily available in the market. I have also used sushi ginger AKA gari. This is nothing but thinly sliced young ginger marinated in a solution of sugar and vinegar. So surprise your love with something unique!

Ingredients:-

200 grams cooked Rice,

4 Nori Seaweed Sheets,

4 tablespoons Sushi Rice Vinegar,

For Seasoning:-

1 tablespoon Soy Sauce,

1 teaspoon Wasabi Paste,

20 grams Sushi Ginger (Optional).

For Filling:-

2 thinly sliced Avocados,

200 grams Fish Roe Egg,

200 grams Raw Tuna or Salmon,

50 grams Sesame Seeds (optional).

Preparation Method:-

1. Before you make sushi, prepare the sushi rice that will be used. Just mix cooked rice with 4 tablespoons of sushi rice vinegar.
2. Slice avocado and fish into long, thin strips. Try keeping the thickness of both ingredients upto 2 cm.
3. Take a sheet of nori seaweed and cut it in half before spreading cooked rice on it. Flip it over, such that rice is facing down. Place avocado slices and fish on the nori seaweed such that it’s covered.
4. Take a sushi rolling mat. Compress rolls, so that they are tight and solid. Now push the side of the sushi roll furthest away from you down with the mat so that it starts spreading out.
5. Our goal is to create a teardrop shape with the sushi roll. This will form one half of the heart piece.
6. Then carefully peel away the plastic. Press two teardrop pieces together to create one whole heart piece. Serve the finished sushi to your love.
   

Enjoy the yummzz!

Healthy and Spicy Thai Fish Curry

A delectable Malaysian fish curry is cooked with goodness of your fav veggies, infused with lemony fragrance. This curry makes a perfect dinner for the chilly weather. It is spiced enough to prompt a dizzy drowsy appetite and keep you warm. The best part is that the curry not only works with all kinda fish such as snapper, warehou, ling but also with seafood, from crabs to prawns, lobsters etc. For now, I have tried the fish recipe using my fav tuna fish. 

Fish sauce provides the essential savory flavor that is typically found in traditional Thai cuisine. I just love the aromatic amber-coloured liquid. I have also used homemade orange sauce. Believe it or not, it can be made in a jiffy using few ingredients. I’m sharing my homemade sauce recipe too. Coconut cream is similar to coconut milk. It contains less water. It has a thicker and paste-like consistency. This is a lite recipe with very low calories. I have therefore chosen it to get rid of heavy meals, that we had in abundant on Christmas and New Year holidays.

Ingredients:-

3/4 cup Water,

1/2 teaspoon Salt,

Handful Curry Leaves,

1 teaspoon Fish Sauce,

3/4 cup Coconut Cream,

3 chopped Garlic Cloves,

500 grams firm Fish Fillets,

1 teaspoon Orange Sauce

1 tablespoon Tomato Paste,

2 tablespoon Grated Ginger,

3 tablespoon Extra-virgin Olive Oil.

Preparation Method:-

1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add onion, garlic and cook over a high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to brown. Stir in grated ginger and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add the fish sauce and orange sauce. Cook, stirring for another minute. Add tomato paste, 1/2 cup of water, the coconut cream and salt to taste. Mix well. Allow the sauce to come to the boil.
3. Stir in the fish cubes into the sauce. Then cover the pan and cook for 3 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked through, adding the extra 1/4 cup of water. Remove from heat.
4. Take another pan and add oil. Add curry leaves. Sprinkle them over the curry just before serving. Enjoy with steamed rice.

 

Ingredients for Orange Sauce:-

3/4 cup orange juice,

2 tablespoons sugar,

1 teaspoons olive oil,

1 teaspoons cornflour,

1/4 teaspoons lemon juice,

2 teaspoons orange squash.

Preparation Method:-

1. Take a pan. Add oil. Add orange juice, squash, sugar and cornflour. Cook until thick, by stirring continuously. Allow it to cool.
2. Add the lemon juice. Now mix gently.
3. Taste the sauce before you use. Enjoy!
   

Happy New Year!

Enjoy Galway Oyster Festival with Oyster Stew

Fond of seafood? How can you miss the Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival then? This is a major Irish Food Festival. From September 25 to September 28, 2014, you can participate and enjoy in the events like Best Dressed Lady competition, Street Party and Guinness World Oyster Opening Championships. If you are finding the most luscious gourmet seafood along with full-fledged live music, Galway Oyster Festival is something you must never miss. 

Ingredients:-

3 cups milk,

4 tablespoons butter,

½ cup fresh Cream,

Salt and pepper to taste,

2 dashes Tabasco sauce,

2 pints shucked oysters with their liquid,

Minced parsley, sliced chives, or sliced green onions.

Preparation Method:-

1. Drain the oysters, reserving their liquor. Now, in a large pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add oysters, with liquid and simmer very gently for about 4 minutes or until the edges of the oysters curl-up.
2. In a separate saucepan over low heat, add milk, cream, and oyster liquor. Do not boil.
3. When the oysters are completely cooked, slowly add the hot milk mixture to the oysters, stirring gently. Season with Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper.
4. Remove from heat. Serve in warm soup bowls. Garnish with parsley, chives, or green onions and butter. Enjoy with garlic bread!
   
    Enjoy the Galway Oyster Festival to the fullest!

Best Ever German Street Food

Germany celebrates the victory over Brazil by moving on to the street, dancing to the beats of local music, singing songs loudly and ofcourse enjoying the yummy street food. Nevertheless, the best way to explore ethnic cuisine of any country is by tasting it’s street food. 

One can observe various restaurants, Imbiss and Schnellimbiss to relish the German food. There is a remarkable difference between the three. Restaurants have waiters to serve you and the budget may range from large scale to affordable one. Imbiss on the other hand do not have waiters to serve you. This follows the concept of indoor/outdoor seating arrangement. Schnellimbiss is relatively a small hut or portable food truck. Hence, the success ratings of any food corners is marked by three things:-

• The crowd it attracts
• The quality and taste of food
• Health safety certificate from the government

The Spicy Way - Bratwurst is the most popular among the street foods of German. Bratwurst covers the complete category of sausages (pork, beef, veal, poultry and even combinations). Some similar types are as follows.

• Currywurst - It’s a tasty pork bratwurst.
• Weisswurst - This is a finely-ground sausage paired with a sweet, Bavarian mustard.

DONER KEBAB (Kebap) - This includes spicy meat that's sliced and wrapped in a flat-bread, pita or roll accompanied by lot of raw veggies. Yummz :P 

Reibekuchen - These are German potato fritters, AKA Kartoffelpuffer.

Fischbrotchen(Fischsemmel) - This includes seafood wrapped in crunchy roll.

Flammkuchen - Bread is covered with Gruyere cheese, creme fraiche and bacon. It is somewhat pizza-style treat.

Pommes Frites - Enjoy French fries served with mayonnaise.

The Sweet Tooth Way - Not only for kids, but the people of all age groups love satisfying the sweet tooth. Let's see what is covered under the popular sweet German street food. Pretzel is the first word that comes to our mind while talking about German street food. Pretzel is a unique knot-like shape sweet bakery product. 

There are various forms of Pretzel.

• Berliner - Authentic pretzel, not including any variations.                     
• Laugenbrezel - Special pretzel made only from wheat flour, malt, salt, yeast and water. It’s mild in taste.                              
• Brezel - This is sweet pretzel coated with cinnamon sugar.

Gebrannte Mandeln or Gebrannte Nüsse - These are crunchy street-roasted nuts coated with sugar and cinnamon, and are irresistible.

EIS or Eiscreme - You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice-cream (Eiscreme). There is difference between the normal ice-cream that we eat and German Eiscreme. This is typically made up of sugar, egg-white, salt, lemon juice, variety of fruits and nut flavors.

Buck-up Germany!!

FIFA World Cup 2014 Special - Secret behind Neymar Junior's Built

Hey fitness freaks, how are you? I know you all are over-excited about FIFA World Cup 2014. Isn't it? I am desperately waiting for the same. I'm sure you are in love with Neymar Jr. the 22 year old Brazilian forward/winger, who came out with flying colors in FC Barcelona. He is now inspiration for many regarding agility, jaw-dropping dribbling skills, unbelievable crosses plus clear overhead shots. Today I'll be writing about the secret diet behind his fit and fine body plus a healthy recipe. 

I am very particular about health. Hope you liked my blog, “Tips to quit smoking on anti tobacco day”. Let’s check out what keeps Neymar fit and fine. Neymar loves to eat lentils and whole grains. Among the vegetables, spinach and beet is what he likes to consume. He is fond of clams among the seafood. He is fond of pasta as well to consume right amount of carbohydrates. So lets try a brand new 'Pasta with Basil and Clam Recipe'. Well I made it yesterday for dinner and everyone simply loved it. 

Pasta with Basil and Clam Recipe

Ingredients:-

Sea salt,

1 pound pasta,

1⁄3 cup olive oil,

1⁄2 cup dry white wine,

8 minced garlic cloves,

4 dozen littleneck clams,

4 tablespoons basil pesto,

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper,

1 teaspoon minced red hot pepper,

3 tablespoons minced basil leaves,

3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley.

Preparation Method:-

1. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan on medium heat. Add garlic and cook until light brown, for 1 minute.

2. Add wine and clams to it. Cover tightly. Cook until clams open-up, for 8 minutes. Shake the saute pan occasionally.

3. Remove clams as they open, setting them aside in a bowl. Throw away any clams that are chipped or fail to open.

4. In the mean time, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until tender. Drain pasta and add to clam sauce in a pan.

5. Add parsley and basil. Season to taste with salt, freshly ground black pepper, red pepper and toss with pesto.

6. Now transfer to a large serving bowl. Arrange the clams on top, sprinkle with fried garlic slices if desired.

Enjoy the treat!!