Announcing Monthly Mingle - Appetizers & Hors'Doeuvres

After the fabulous roundup of Bollywood Cooking, its now time for another round of Monthly Mingle, an event started by the lovely Meeta of What's For Lunch Honey? This time, I get to play the hostess, and as all of you know that I love entertaining, this week's theme should not be a surprise! We'll try to spice it up this time with Appetizers & Hors'Doeuvres. "Hors'Doeuvres" is the fancy french name for what is referred to as "Appetizers" in English. These are served as starters before the main course, and are often the only highlight of cocktail parties. These are the tasty bite-sized servings that are always a favorite at any party or gathering. Unlike main course dishes that are rich and filling, hors'doeuvres are light and petit, and can be sweet or savoury!

For this monthly mingle, we'd like you to share some fancy vegetarian appetizers. Cook something that's pretty to look at and tasty to bite in, something that looks good on a plate and is irrestible to your guests! You can find several ideas for appetizer recipes on this site, and now, for some rules:

1. All entries must be vegetarian (no meat or seafood); eggs and cheese is allowed
2. It can be sweet or savoury, as long as it is petit and crudite, fitting to be an hors'doeuvre.
3. Entries must be received by June 9th at the latest.
4. Email your name, blog name, permalink to recipe with your picture to mansibshah[at]gmail[dot]com
5. Please include a link-back to this post as well as Meeta's blog to encourage more readers to join in the fun.
6. Feel free to use the beautiful logo above that Meeta has designed for us!

And now everyone, please get cooking and start entertaining! I hope to get your continued response for this month's Mingle too!

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Spago Beverly Hills Restaurant - A Celebrity Destination

Wolfgang Puck is a name not unknown to anyone. Spago Hollywood on Sunset, originally known as Bistro Garden and a favourite with all hollywood celebrities, has been re-surrected as Spago Beverly Hills, the latest venture by chef Puck, and remains to be a cherished dining destination for the people of Los Angeles. With its beautiful ambience, shaded patio with tall trees and the inviting open-kitchen architecture, Puck and his wife have truly created an upscale restaurant in the already star-studded Beverly Hills. Standing the tests of time and taste since 1997, Spago is undoubtedly one of the best in terms of cuisine, standards and style! Romantic yet affable at the same time, and featuring the creativity of celebrity chefs, there's no way you can go wrong with Spago!

The interior is aesthetically done and carries the sophisticated, elegant and warm touch that is a bit uncharacteristic of designer Barbara Lazaroff. At the center of the sophisticated restaurant is the old Bistro Garden's romantic patio, beautifully designed and shaded by tall pepper trees. It offers a relaxing outside venue for a lunch. A fountain inscribed with the word "passion" (in various languages) stands next to a pair of 100-year-old olive trees imported just for Spago. But the highlight has to be the spectacular kitchen, which can be viewed through a giant wall of colorful, etched glass. The dining room is striking, with colorful tiles, vibrant stained-glass windows and wildly colorful carpets. Spago is a place where you can expect to be given the red-carpet treatment; it does not matter that you are a "somebody" sharing the space with the hollywood stars! Original artwork and jeweled details surround the dining room and add to the beauty of the restaurant, which also offers two private dining rooms with a separate bar for receptions and functions.

As Wolfgang Puck's flagship restaurant, Spago remains at the forefront of L.A's dining style. Executive chef Lee Hefter's menu features such signature dishes as the deservedly famous salmon and creme fraiche pizza. Using the finest ingredients and his artistic flair, Hefter creates culinary masterpieces. It's difficult to list the best dishes, but we had the Risotto with oregon Porcini Mushrooms and the famous Sweet White Corn and Mascarpone Agnolotti, followed by the Giant Farmer's Cheese Ravioli, and I have to tell you everything about the dishes, from taste to texture to presentation, was simply fabulous! They have several daily specials with cheese and seasonal produce, and the salmon dishes, variety of salads, pasta and noodles, everything is a classic. Actually, I was surprised to find so many choices on the Menu- there's something for everyone to enjoy! But the nightlight, and also the primary reason we visited Spago, was the classic desserts by Pastry Chef Sherry Yard. I own her cookbook and marvel at her creations, and though the luscious Tiramisu and the buttery Apple Streudel was all we could eat, you'd want to sample every entry on the menu!!

They also have an extensive wine list to suit the rest of the menu. You can easily expect a tab of $70-100 for a couple, but that's pretty competent with other upscale restaurants like Tantra Indian Restaurant and La Fondue, and definitely worth the quality of food and service. You are sure to enjoy your time at Spago, with the added bonus of sighting your favorite hollywood celebrities, and you'll leave feeling culinarily blessed! If you are looking for an upscale romantic and memorable lunch or dinner destination, Spago at Beverly Hills will not disappoint you!



Address:
176 North Canon Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310)-385-0880
Spago Beverly Hills

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Counting Calories for Weight Loss

As the awareness for staying healthy and fit increases day by day, more and more people are looking towards ways to achieve healthy weight loss, and the most important step in doing so is to count your calories and create a deficit or increase to achieve your target healthy weight. No matter how much time you spend at the gym, if you consume more calories than you burn, you'll never lose weight. But as daunting as it may sound, there's a formula to measure how many calories you should eat based on your BMR(Basic Metabolic Rate), and its advisable to choose a good diet and fitness plan based on this figure so that your weight-loss plan is more meaningful and successful. (img credit)

What is BMR(Basic Metabolic Rate) and how to Calculate it?
BMR is the amount of energy your body needs to function. We use about 60% of the calories we consume each day for basic bodily functions, and this number is based on your height, weight, age and sex. There's a general formula that can be used for adults to calculate your BMR:

Adult Women
BMR= 655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

Adult Men
BMR= 66 + (6.3 x weight in pounds) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

Activity Factor
Sedentary = BMR X 1.2 (little or no exercise, desk job)
Lightly active = BMR X 1.375 (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk)
Mod. active = BMR X 1.55 (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk)
Very active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)
Extr. active = BMR X 1.9 (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job)

Maintenance Calorie Level = BMR x Activity Factor

Calorie Deficit to Lose Weight = 15%-20% of Maintenance Calorie Level

How Many Calories Do I need?
Depending on your physique and work, the above number indicates the amount of calories you can eat every day to maintain your current weight and work demands. In order to lose or gain weight, you'll need to take in fewer or more calories than this number. Keep re-assesing your new BMR as you see a change in your weight, then re-calculate your calorie target accordingly. But remember, there's always a minimum calorie threshold that you should meet so your body can function without feeling weak. Dropping down to a very low calorie intake can make you anorexic! You will lose weight very fast, but that is NOT Recommended. Do not cut back to fewer than 1,200 daily calories for women or 1800 calories for men without medical supervision, as it can lead to serious health problems. There are several online calorie-counting tools to estimate how many calories are there in your food. Use these or consult a nutritionist to get a rought estimate of your daily intake and decide how to plan your diet to meet the calorie target.

Creating a Calorie Deficit for Healthy Weight Loss
The basic law says that 3,500 calories is equivalent to one pound. So, if you create a deficit of 500 calories a day, you should be able to lose about one pound per week. But this deficit can be created by a combination of cutting back on food and burning the remaining calories by working out (such as cut back 250 calories in food & burn an extra 250 calories in the gym). However, keep in mind that Muscle weighs more than Fat. So when you do strength-training, you may see that your weight increases, but that's actually your fat being converted into muscle, which is good, nothing to worry about. Even when your weight increases, you'll lose inches and be more toned than before.

Example:
Your BMR is 1339 calories per day
Your activity level is moderately active (work out 3-4 times per week)
Your activity factor is 1.55
Your MCL = 1.55 X 1339 = 2075 calories/day
Target Calories for weight loss = 2075 - (15% of 2075) = 1764

The easiest ways to cut calories from your food is by using simple substitutions. Leave out the condiments, use skimmed-milk instead of whole, wheat-grain instead of all-purpose flour, eliminate all white foods(cakes, cookies, muffins), cut back on sugar and sodas, and stuff yourself with vegetables,fruits and lean meat. Space your meals correctly, and you won't even feel like you are dieting!

Rapid Weight Loss is not Healthy Weight Loss
A healthy weight loss goal is to lose 0.5 to 2 pounds per week. Losing more than 2 pounds per week will mean the weight is less likely to stay off permanently. Its easy to stop eating for a week and see your weight drop 5 pounds drastically, but as soon as you start eating again, those pounds will come back, much faster than you expect, and you'll have more fat in your body, which in turn will be harder to burn! So stick with a target of losing maximum 2 pounds (or 1000 calories deficit daily) a week. As you can see, this by itself is a difficult goal to achieve! But keep a diary of your progress, re-evaluate your goals every month, and change your calorie target accordingly.

Achieving healthy weight-loss by counting and cutting back on calories is not something that should scare you. Just by understanding how the calorie-counting works, and then defining your diet and exercise regime accordingly can help you maintain a healthy body, and you'll feel happy and satisfied as your weight loss will be permanent. Hope these tips guide you in achieving your target weight-loss!

Disclaimer: Please consult your doctor or nutritionist before changing your diet or starting a new exercise regime.

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Vanilla Tea Cupcakes

Tea parties are one of the most easiest ways to entertain on a bright summer afternoon. Some crackers or cookies, vanilla cupcakes and a pot full of simmering hot tea or coffee and you are all set to make your friends feel at home and enjoy a quiet afternoon, reliving fond memories. Vanilla is such a universal flavor it can make anything taste better, and cupcakes are one of the simplest contenders! But here, we adapt a simple cupcake recipe for a tea-party by adding some spices and orange zest, and decking them up with a dollop of jam and some sprinkling of powdered sugar. Pulled out of mini-muffin pans and placed on a party platter, these vanilla tea cupcakes will surely make it worth your while!

Ingredients
Makes about 12 mini cupcakes

1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp all-spice (or nutmeg, cinnamon,dry ginger and star anise pwd)
1/2 tsp orange zest
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tbsp unsalted butter - softened
4 tbsp confectioners' sugar - to sprinkle on top
4 tbsp jam (raspberry or strawberry works best)

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, the baking soda, the spices, and a pinch of salt.

In another bowl, cream together the butter and the granulated sugar, beat in the egg, till its light and fluffy. Add the oil and whisk together.

Slowly combine the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients, beating well after each addition. Finally add the vanilla essence and orange zest to the batter.

Divide the batter among 12 paper-lined mini-muffin tins and bake the cupcakes in the middle of an oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.

Turn the cupcakes out onto a wire rack and let them cool completely. Whip up the jam mixture with 4 drops of water. Drop a tiny spoonful on the top of each cupcake. Dust with some confectioner's sugar.

The spices do balance well with the orange zest and vanilla...so there's a little bit of everything without any of it being overpowering..and the jam and sugar on the top makes it worth serving at a party!:) No need for frosting!! Serve these Vanilla Tea Cupcakes at a tea-party and dazzle your friends and guests!

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Tandoori Paneer Tikka with Mango Dressing

I've said it before and I'll say it again; if there's one thing you'd want to make and serve to your guests without thinking twice, its Paneer! No matter how you serve it, there's hardly a chance you'd go wrong. One such crowd favorite is the Tandoori Paneer Tikka, succulent cubes of paneer marinated and grilled or baked in a "tandoori oven", then served with grilled vegetables. But here, I have tried to take it one level up by making a spicy yoghurt marinade, then serving the Paneer Tikka with a home-made sweet and tangy mango dressing! Sounds inviting, right? Just wait till you've actually tasted it, maybe you wouldn't like leaving any for your guests!

When Meeta announced the theme of Bollywood Cooking for her Monthly Mingle, she expected us to to dish out something that is fit for the stars. Bollywood is synonymous with "Masala", which means it is a full-fledged entertainment medium with something for everyone. From emotions to humour, from family values and inspiring themes to hollywood-style action to 4 min songs with actors dancing to a choreography that can only be seen in Bollywood, it's something that no Indian can live without! and we owe it a lot to our talented actors, so I decided it would be good to serve them the sizzling Tandoori Paneer Tikka, which is something that's hard to resist!

I used the basic yogurt marinade recipe, but added some spicy pickle to it to induce more flavor. Also, rather than serving it simple, I notched it up by drizzling them with some sweet and tangy Mango Dressing which I made at home. Baking them in an oven on a sizzler plate with some onions and bell-peppers, this beautiful and tantalizing dish will surely win you a lot of favors!!

Ingredients
Fresh Paneer - cut into thick cubes
1 large bell-pepper - diced into squares
1 large red onion - diced into thick slices
Cooking Oil

Tandoori Marinade
1/4 cup yoghurt
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli powder or paprika
1 tbsp tamarind paste
2 tsp pickle(achaar) - optional
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp orange food color(optional, I did not use it)
1 tbsp tandoori tikka masala (or garam masala)

Mango Dressing
1/4 cup mango puree
4-5 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice (or white wine vinegar)
2 tsp honey or sugar - if required
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper

Method
Take the paneer cubes and add them to 1/4 cup of water along with 1/2 tsp turemric powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Soak them for at least 10 mins.

Now take the yoghurt and pass it through a muslin cloth, removing all water content and leaving only the firm yoghurt part. Add all the Marinade ingredients to it; mix well, adjust spices according to taste and set aside.

Now add the marinade to a zip-lock bag, then add all the paneer cubes(remove from salt water) into it, shake it arund so all pices are coated with the marinade, then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours (or maximum overnight).

Baking
Preheat oven to 400 deg F. Now grease a cookie sheet with ample amount of coking oil, then place the marinated paneer pieces on the tray; remove the yogurt sticking on the pieces as it would stick on the sheet while baking.

Apply some light oil on each piece with a brush, sprinkle some more tandoori masala on top, then bake for 10-12 mins. Then flip them over, apply oil on the other side and bake again for another 10 mins (depending on yoor oven, it may take longer) Check after 15 mins to see if the pieces are cooked through evenly.

Turn oven setting to BROIL and allow it to broil for another 2 mins.

Meanwhile, take a pan, add 2 tsp oil to it, and add the cubes of onions and bell-peppers. Saute them on medium-flame till they are semi-cooked and turn glossy. Add some salt and lemon juice according to taste.

Turn off the oven and gently lift the pieces, arrange them on a serving plate. Add the sauteed bell-peppers and onions to the plate, and garnish with some Mango Dressing and chopped coriander.

Grilling or Shallow-Fry
You can cook the paneer and veggies by arranging them on a skewer and grilling it on a hot barbecue grill. Use the same procedure as above, just use grill instead of a conventional oven. Shallow-frying the paneer pieces, just like the veggies is another quick option, but you may not get the smoky, grilled look with this method. But you can choose any method depending on your convenience.

Sweet and Tangy Mango Dressing
Mix the mango puree with all the other ingredients for the dressing and blend well to form a smooth liquid sauce. If its too thick, add some more orange juice; it should be thinner than normal mango puree, but thicker than water.

Arrange the grilled paneer and vegetable on a platter. Top with some Mango Dressing and cilantro. Serve hot as an appetizer or a side dish!

We always order Tandoori Paneer Tikka in restaurants, but now that I have mastered the art of making it at home, we often enjoy it as dinner, just by itself! The addition of Mango Dressing was a winning brainwave, and the basic recipe for the sauce as well as the Tandoori Marinade can be used for any other tikka recipe.

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