Comfort Foods and Heartwarming Company

So there is this crazy cold/allergy that directly correlates to the Bangalore pollen/pollution that I have been dealing with for months now. After multiple hesitations, three rounds of antibiotics, a surgery scare, etc., I have finally succumbed to the idea of going for a homeopathy treatment for all my ailments.

Considering my overall mood, I decided that I needed some comfort company and food – not necessarily in that order J.

The company of thoughtful and wonderful friends is the easiest way for me to uplift my mood. I had a friend drop in for tea with the most thoughtful gift from USA of a measuring spoon set that helps us measure pinches, smidgens, drops, etc. How absolutely adorable!! Then another friend and I were contemplating where to meet up for a lunch date and we finally ended up eating simple, home cooked meal at her home and chatting about the complexities of stepping out of our comfort zones.  To tell you the truth the friends who make you feel special, sane and are always there for a quick pick-me-up-coffee are worth their weight in gold.

 

Coming back to the topic of comfort food, a quick browsing through my pantry showed me that I had some tinned and sliced pineapples. Deciding that it was meant to be, I started on the path of cooking myself some upside down pineapple cake. This is one dessert that tastes amazing when it is warm and whereas the preferred mode of eating it would be with some vanilla ice cream, I decided to make some warm vanilla custard to accompany it (remember, I have a cold!!).

A well recommended online recipe seemed the ideal way to start. I made a few modifications to made it work for both my taste as well as the limitations of my pantry. (http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/5562/pineapple-upsidedown-cake).

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

 

The only tweaks I made to the original recipe were to add pecans instead of cherries and reduce the sugar to 90gm in the cake. I have added my step by step pictures to get you to rush to the kitchen and make your own :).

 

I arranged the tinned pineapple slices on the creamed mix of  brown sugar and butter. And added pecans in the gaps.

 

Honestly, I literally just plopped all the cake ingredients together in a bowl and mixed it up with a whisk.

 And the results came out just fine :).

 

Then it was a matter of topping up and evenly spreading out the cake mix on the pineapples.

The cake definitely came out looking like I created a crater full moon - however, once I upturned it (giving it a 5 minute breather and a circling around of the edges using my handy butter knife).......

It looked something like this.....not bad eh!!

I plated it as soon as I could with my slightly warm vanilla custard........to enjoy a piece of heaven....comfort food at its best!!!!





 

Start of a New Chapter....

So why does one become a blogger? Is it out of an odd sort of a need to express oneself and get ratification from others on our thoughts/opinions or is it for the simple pleasure of expression for the sake of communication with like-minded/wider reaching audience?

For myself, I can say, that the name of the blog gives a pretty good hint on why I am here...."diva" and "delicious"......sort of my motto in life......
 

After living in Minneapolis for slightly over ten years, we decided to move back to India....the city of choice was Bangalore or Bengaluru as it is now called. It has been close to three years since the move and I am discovering the joys of living in a city which offers the best of most culinary delights.

 

Food has always been inspiring for me, but, I realized that its a lot more satisfying when accompanied with scintillating conversation between friends and new acquaintances. Entertaining family and friends with uniquely flavored dishes, well thought out menus and listening to interesting escapades and impromptu witty remarks make me feel truly happy.

 

Entertainment happens for a variety of reason - special occasions, lets-just-catch-up-since-its-Sunday, book club meetings, pot-luck get together and so many more. I am just thankful that we are blessed with friends who range in age from 30-65, and have varied tastes (from being avid painters to wine connoisseurs, to closet singers etc.), and grateful that they all seem to appreciate our company!

 

A good start to this blog would be with me sharing a recipe that was always a hit - whether in the US or here......

 

     Mango Avocado Salsa
 

2 large sized ripe avocados or 3 small ones (roughly chopped)

1/2 cup chopped ripe mango

1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
 

      3-4 tbsp onions - chopped fine

     3 tbsp green bell pepper - chopped fine
 

2 tbsp cilantro - chopped fine
 

2 tbsp lemon juice

1-2 cloves of crushed garlic
 

1/2 tsp de-seeded jalapeno - finely chopped (to taste)
 

1/4 tsp of cumin powder

pinch of cayenne pepper
 

salt and crushed black pepper to taste

 

Mix all the ingredients in a colorful bowl and presto...your appetizer is ready. All you need to do is surround the salsa/dip with your favorite tortilla chips (my favorite combinations were either the extra cheesy variety or the spicy tomato one).

Whereas the above is a very basic recipe, you can always modify the same with the following options:

· Substitute the mango with pineapple and add red chili powder instead of the black pepper powder

 

· Add 1/4 cup pomegranate and a pinch of sweet paprika powder to replace the black pepper powder
 

· Serve with chilled, crunchy, sliced and peeled cucumbers instead of chips

 

Serving food in a creative and fun way is just as important, as enjoying its taste and aromas!

Happy entertaining!