Decadent Indulgences

Back in grad school every weekend me and my friends would plan to get together for wine and food. We would take turns making something. It didn't have to be anything spectacular. I have some very fond memories of those times we spent together and all the good food. In an attempt to try and re-create some of that spirit in my new house on Capitol Hill I decided to bake a cheesecake last weekend. The simplicity of the process has encouraged me to put it up here. Along with a picture.

Ingredients:

2 cups finely crushed honey graham crackers
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened (philadelphia cheese)
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup milk
2 slightly beaten eggs

1. For crust, in a bowl combine honey graham crackers, and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter. Press crumb mixture onto the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch spring form pan. Set aside.

2. For filling, in a large bowl beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, flour, and vanilla with an electric mixer until combined. Beat in milk until smooth. Stir in eggs.

3. Pour filling into crust-lined pan. Place pan in a shallow baking pan. Bake in 375 oven 40 to 45 minutes for an 8 inch pan, about 35 minutes for a 9 inch pan.

4. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Using a sharp small knife, loosen the crust from sides of the pan; cool for 30 minutes more. Remove the sides of the pan; cool cheesecake completely on rack. Cover and chill at least 4 hours before serving. I usually let it chill it for 24 hours before serving. 


As garnish I added freshly cut strawberries which I had added some sugar to on top of the cheesecake.

Go ahead and enjoy this with your friends and a glass of wine :)

Aloo Dum!

I had a vegetarian friend visiting me for a few days. I racked my brains about things to make him and never thought about the easiest thing in the book. This dish goes great with everything from rice to paranthas and puris and rotis. Its a personal favourite because its one of those dishes that is really easy to make and genuinely tastes delicious. So here is what you need:

1. 1lb of very small potatoes
2. One large onion finely chopped
3. 1.5 large tomatoes finely chopped
4. Plain Yogurt - 3tbsp
5. Pinch of turmeric
6. 1tsp chilli powder (depending on your spice tolerance)
7. 5 finely chopped Thai chillies
8. 1 tbsp garlic paste
9. Cooking oil

Peel the raw potatoes and par boil them. In a wok heat oil and add onions till they caramelize. Add in the chilli and garlic paste soon after. Once they are all caramelized you can add the tomatoes and let it cook till the tomatoes are pureed and mixed well with the rest of the ingredients. Then add yogurt, spices and salt. Let it cook for about 5 mins till you see some oil on top of the gravy. Add in potatoes and cook till potatoes are boiled. Your end result should look something like this: