I met two of them through their blogs and one of them while researching a recipe.
I started out trying out their recipes and the results made me appreciate what they share through their blogs...their taste buds and mine get on like peas in a pod.
Their recipes and the stories that go with them not only entertain me; they inspire me to get into the kitchen and start cooking...so when I'm suffering from 'the cooking blues', I just go to all 3 blogs and read till I have compiled a list of dishes to try. Sometimes I just go through them and get inspired to make my own dish!
A personal message to these great cooks:
I'm so glad I know you three through your blogs. Thank you for the enjoyment I get reading your stories and making your recipes. You've earned my trust.
I made one recipe from each site and here they are, with my shortcuts and tips.
Orange Marmalade from Cynthia Nelson's Tastes Like Home.
Click on the above link for the original recipe.
I always loved orange marmalade as a kid. Even now a piece of toast with a little butter, a teaspoon of marmalade and a hot cup of tea is a near perfect breakfast. To my surprise I couldn't find any marmalade in the States, with that slight tinge of bitterness that makes it perfect for me.
When I saw Cynthia's write-up, I had to ask for the recipe and try it. It really has that slight tinge of bitterness I expect in a good marmalade.
Success at last... and this was truly spoon licking good.
My shortcuts: I grated the orange peel in a food processor using a large hole grater and the pieces (top right) came out like matchstick pieces.
Then when I read 'cook for two hours', I got out my trusty old crockpot and let it cook down there...if you go this route, stir every half hour.
The smell of this marmalade cooking was out of this world and the end result was as shiny as Cynthia's recipe said it should be.
What a great find this recipe is...
Beetroot Thoran from Malabar Spices.
Click on the above link for the original recipe.
My variation: I fried some of the chopped beetroot leave I got with my beets in a tsp of ghee with the masala and added it to the beetroot.
I pre-cooked beetroot in the microwave and then let it slow cook on stove for ten mins on very low heat.
I love the masala used for this dish and the flavor it lends the beetroot.
Excellent, scrumpilicious recipe.
Pazham Pori (Fried Ripe Plantains) from Cheenachatti
Click on the above link for the original recipe.
Don't laugh at my brown bits and the bubbles on the fritters...think the oil got too hot.
I made no changes to this recipe; just made my batter like the thicker version stated in the recipe.
Absabloominglutely delish.
Couldn't stop eating them...can't wait to have them again.
Again, thanks to you amazing trio of great cooks.
