Last-Minute Mascarpone Parfaits

Mascarpone cheese is so vesrsatile it can be used in soups for creamy thickness, in custard batter for quiches and tarts, and most especially in desserts such as this spicy tirimisu as well as last-minute parfaits layered like tirimisu. I like the taste of these parfaits better after a couple of hours in the fridge but they can also be eaten right-away if you can't wait! Just make sure you have some mascarpone cheese stored in your fridge at all times along with some lemons (also very versatile for cooking and cleaning).

Cucumber and Lime Raita

I always have a tub of Greek yoghurt in my fridge; it's just so versatile. I eat a bowl for breakfast with pieces of whatever fruit I have at hand, topped with either honey or maple syrup for sweet goodness. Dessert is similar; after a big meal try either this pomegranate and pecan pudding or the cutting corner's Kulfi (ice-cream) for something light. 

Greek yoghurt is also great for making quick and simple raitas which are fresh yoghurty sides that go really well with  hot curries. The blow of the heat is cushioned against the raita's creamy lightness, giving you extra protein for the road. Alternatively use this as a dip for dunking large pieces of bread or carrot sticks in.

Radish Greens with Potatoes



Apero time with a bunch of French Breakfast radishes, washed and eaten raw with a pinch of sea salt. Not one to waste food, I hung on to the radish greens and used them to make a wholesome veggy dish such as 'Saag-Aloo' (spinach and potatoes), except I substituted the Saag for the left-over radish greens.

Tirimisu with a Hint of Spice

An Italian student recently told me a story about tirimisu that went something like this: the working girls of Venice would work up such an appetite that they needed a quick-fix to satiate their hunger. In combining mascarpone, eggs and coffee they had come up with the ultimate 'pick-me-up' cake needed to continue working into the night.

Cutting Corners Kulfi

                                               

        

Cutting Corners Kulfi

I call this my cutting corners Kulfi because having slaved over the authentic recipe which aside from being time-consuming (cooking the milk until it is reduced) is also frustrating. Example, after an hour of freezing you had to break up the crystallized milk with a whisk which, in my case, meant that the milk solids would get stuck in the metal wires and rattle inside there.                    

The Habanero Chilli



 Habanero chillies can look a lot like their larger cousins, bell  peppers. But don't be fooled by their petite size and elegant shapes: round, lantern-like, or oblong - these little creatures will bite!