TINY OWL TO THE RESCUE

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FOOD FIX! Ah ha! This reminds me of my friend when she was in very dangerous and yet funny fix and I came gloriously to the rescue! I am indeed a superhero!

So let me weave you the story, It happened so that Lita (a good friend of mine) called over a bunch of her colleagues for lunch at her home. Her parents were out of town that day and so the party! Lita does not live too far away from my house and that was the only reason she is alive today! Lita is a very fun and experimental person she loves to watch travel and living shows, cooking shows and what not. BUT does not know the 'C' of cooking at all!! She cannot cook up a meal to save her life. But this time she wanted to cook them some sizzler- Isn't that a little too much to cook for first timers? Yes, that is exactly what I thought. OK! So she says that it did start off well, however later the sizzlers sizzled a little too much that it burnt off all the food and even the platter off!! HAHA!! Yes, the platter was on fire when I reached there! Lucky for her I was just outside her house as I wanted to stop by to say hi as I did not meet her for a long time. She was crying in one corner and I pushed open the door and threw some water on the stove to put off the fire. It was not that bad, but the smoke made it look more scary! Oh, I missed the main part--Lita was so stupid that she put the wooden platter on the stove. She was stupid enough not to know the consequences. LITA, OH LITA I TELL YOU!

So I called myself the hero, not actually because I put off the mini fire, it because I cooked up some pasta for her in 30 minutes. And damn it tasted good. She also had some wine at home and that worked well with the pasta. So she was sorted and I was the Hero of the day. Of course she took the credit and said she cooked the meal! LITA I TELL YOU! But then what would have she done if I was not supposed to be there in her food fix situation? 

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TINY OWL!! Yes, If I am not there around to fix your food fix situations you could count on Tiny owl. This is one awesome fix to all our burnt food, cravings, sudden house party. From Dal to Donut, Pulav to Pasta. You name it, they have it! All the way from the restaurant to your stomach, is it now possible through your phone on the Tiny Owl app. FOOD IS JUST A TAP AWAY!

The best part of this app is that is can make food come to you! No, but seriously, this app is just the Baap of all apps. Besides, it has your favourite dishes from thousands of menus available for delivery and place your order.

Here below are few of the features that I personally love.

Detects your location and shows restaurants around you.

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Order food with just a few taps here and there.

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It Suggests exclusive orders and deals which helps you save money. Also tell you the best dishes in your locality.

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Offers both card and cash on delivery options for payment.

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Get a friend to to know about Tiny Owl app and its greatness, make him join too and you can earn Tiny Owl Money.

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Download the app today!

Android and iOS 

Del Monte Pasta in Crema Di Fromaggio Paprica: *MY Pasta Recipe (My Secret Ingredient Revealed)

 Federico Fellini (Famous Italian film director) once said, 'LIFE IS A COMBINATION OF MAGIC AND PASTA'. I couldn't agree more.

PIZZA & PASTA= ITALY isn't it? 

These two dishes scream ITALY. Italians are known for their gesticulating actions while talking. One of my favorites has to be Mamma Mia! This means, my mother, this term is used to express everything from anger to wonder. And I mostly love to use this term when I eat PASTA!!

Besides pizza begin my first love, Pasta hits the second spot right after. Pasta is a simple dish and also versatile at the same time. Put it in a soup, bake it, add to a nice salad or just add some ready made sauces to it and in no time you have a yummy pasta dish. Nothing is more comforting than a plate full of my favorite pasta on a lazy Sunday accompanied with a glass of my favorite wine.. This is what I call MAMA MIA!

Italian cuisine is incomplete without some cheese and wine. However, in my recipe I prefer to keep away from wine because I like to make it more available for others sharing the dinning table with me and to make up for wine in food I add more cheese instead..yummy... I love to cook in my spare time and my passion for cooking comes from my Mom after all Indians love our Mommies, that's one more thing we have in common with Italians beside our passion for food.

I was feeling ''ITALIAN'' the other day after watching way too much of NIGELLISSIMA. Gosh! I need to stop..I told Mama that Papa and I will be taking over the Kitchen for the afternoon. I know that there are so many variants of pastas, but I always used penne and spaghetti whenever I made pasta at home as most common and easy to find. This was the first time I used DEL MONTE Spirali pasta. I made it just the same way I make my other pasta which I learnt from my Mom, but mine always turns out very different than hers (HEY! In a good way, OK!). I love to cook my pasta than buying it off a restaurant because it's the simplest pasta recipe to make. Italian cuisine is also known for its simplistic character, 5-6 ingredients and a dash of love is all it take for the dish to get ready.

Enough of Rambling, It's now time for some yummeh Pasta!! Oh yea!

Rules to make *MY Pasta

1) There are no rules!

Please, do not follow my recipe.. This is just the way I make it. This is just the way I love it. This is just the way it comforts my soul. So be creative and inventive and try a combination of your own after reading and watching my simple recipe.

I call my recipe "The *MY pasta recipe" (Yes, you said your pasta recipe) it is very important to make your food the way you want it, it's your pasta when you are making it, so be experimental. You do not need fancy veggies or herbs, use what is available at home and most importantly have fun..

Ingredients used for My Pasta.

-DEL MONTE SPIRALI PASTA- 250 grams (you can choose any pasta you like, they have a wide variety to choose from)

-DEL MONTE TOMATO SAUCE- 2 tbsp
-WATER- 2 ltrs

-BELL PEPPERS- 1 GREEN, 1 RED, 1 YELLOW- 200 grams

-MUSHROOMS- 50 grams

-PAPRIKA-  to your liking (After all we Indians love our food HOT and SPICY)

-DRIED OREGANO/ DRIED MIXED HERBS-  to your liking

-CHEESE- to your liking

-MILK- 1 cup

-GARLIC- 5-6 cloves

-OLIVE OIL - 2 tbsp

-CORN FLOUR- 3 tsp

-MILK- 200 ml 
-BLACK PEPPER- to your liking
-SALT TO TASTE

OPTIONAL: BOILED CHICKEN(or any meat of your choice) - 150 grams *save the stock*

Prep Time: 15 Minutes.

Cooking Time: 15-20 Minutes.

*Recipe Serves 2

(approx 220grams per serving)

MY SECRET INGREDIENT: ADD TONS OF LOVE 

-Nothing better than the taste of love! shhh...THANK ME LATER! ;)

The cooking method is very simple, to make it easier I have added step by step animation GIF images.

 *I have made a video too which is fairly simple to follow. Scroll to the bottom to watch the video instead*

1) Wash all the vegetables well and then julienne the beautifully colored bell peppers.

2) Cut mushrooms the way you like them to be.

3) Ground Black pepper and crush garlic.

4) Shred the boiled chicken.
HOW I BOILED MY CHICKEN: I marinated the chicken with ginger-garlic paste, seasoning and left aside for about an hour and then boiled it until it cooked. I also saved the stock for later.

5) On medium flame heat olive oil, then add the garlic, paprika, mushrooms and bell peppers. Mix well. I have used the same non stick vessel I used to boiled the chicken as I did not want to waste the flavors present in it.

6) Add a little less than half of the DEL MONTE spirali pasta to boiling water and seal the rest with the re-closable seal it comes with.

7) Check your pasta after 5-6 minutes and put off the gas after you think it is almost cooked. Great thing about this pasta is that it did not stick to each other.

8) Add the chicken stock and milk to the partially cooked veggies. Turn the fire to low heat.

9) Add oregano and slurry made of cornflour and water to the sauce to make it a little thick.  *make sure you are continually stirring the sauce while pouring the paste to avoid lumps.

10) Add cheese (don't feel shy with the quantity you add in) and then add the chicken and mix well. This tastes equally great without meat too.

11) Taste the sauce and season it with pepper and salt to your liking, add Del Monte tomato ketchup for that subtle tangy flavor and finally add the pasta and mix well. 
And we are done!!

12) Final step, EAT!! BUT....
OPTIONAL: If you feel fancy then plate it in fancy cutlery and garnish it with more cheese=more love, fresh herbs like basil, flat leaf parsley and ready made sauces of your choice.
*I have plated my pasta with fresh herbs, homemade chilly sauce and homemade herb seasoned mayo.

MY TIPS TO REMEMBER WHILE MAKING PASTA

- LET THE FOOD COOK ITSELF- As you know we have chicken and other veggies do not stir/mix it too much let it infuse flavors on its own, we do not want to melt down the textures.

-PUT OFF THE STOVE- The trick with pasta is that you do not want to over or under cook it. When you know the pasta is almost done (let's say 90-95%) put off the stove and let it cook in its heat. OR if you happen to cook it fully just run it under a cold water tap this will stop the pasta to cook further in its heat.

WE LOVED HOW IT TURNED OUT!

Mama was very proud of Papa and me! Del Monte tomato ketchup added a super quick tangy flavor which went very well with the cheese. The best part was that the flavors were locked within the spirals of the pasta which is why my pasta was not as saucy as always, but it did work perfectly well for me, with every bite there was a burst of flavor. It tastes fantastic with a glass of white wine. Del Monte Pasta is definitely going to be my re-purchase for next months' grocery stock. 

MOST IMPORTANT

*BE CREATIVE, THINK LIKE A CHEF & ALWAYS REMEMBER LOVE MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER*

http://www.delmonte.com/

 To know more about Del Monte like their Facebook Page.

https://www.facebook.com/DelMonteIndia

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More about DEL MONTE Authentic Italian Gourmet Pasta 

Each packet is a family size pack and usually retails starting from Rs 225/- for 500 grams. The pack comes with a Re-closable seal for easy storage after opening. Also 100% vegetarian. Their Pastas come in many shapes and I cannot wait to try them all. Some of which are as follows.

1. Spaghetti 
2. Spirali 
3. Spirali TriColour 
4. Chifferi Rigati 
5. Penne Rigate
6. Penne Wholewheat 
7. Farfalle 
8. Tagliatelle
9. Conchiglie 
10. Pennoni Rigate 

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Also Del Monte made Italian home cooking even more easy peasy!

Their Italian range also has Pizza Pasta Sauce, which are tasty and ready to use sauces that helps you make perfect pizzas and pastas at home. There is quite a variety in their range of sauces. Yuuummmm..

1. Pizza & Pasta Sauce
2. Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce
3. Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce

WATCH THE FULL VIDEO HERE
*Do Not Be Surprised If You See A Handsome Italian Man*


#ItalianEscapades

Go Cheese World Tour

Hey honey bunnies! 

Recently I offered to join a team to visit the go cheese factory on a weekend and had to say no due the work load I had back in office(I know right?). I was very disappointed as I love anything related to factories, field trips and when I knew it is a cheese factory I literally cried I that I could not make it.. Fortunately for me! It was a bad weather day and they had to postpone the trip.. YASS!!

They called us again and I was like, Hell yes I am in this time! The bad weather the other day was very much on my side and so I could make it the following week. I also asked Frank if he could join me there. He said yes! PERFECT! 

Finally the day arrived; I met Frank and the other tourist at Dadar which was one of the meeting points. We had an air conditioned bus arranged for a comfortable road trip. After several head counts and after sipping on some chai the journey began!!! It felt like a school field trip just like the old times.

Yes, I was pretty enthusiastic about the whole trip, but the long bus travelling had to put me to sleep. I fell asleep in no time as I had gotten up early that morning.. Oh! I almost forgot now that it's all gone down my tummy.. We had a yummy breakfast arranged for us in little bags. I had all of it and yes there were Gowardhan products, this too was one of the reasons I fell asleep during the road trip.

Finally, we reached the venue after a good 3-4 hours journey-Manchar a small town located in the district of Pune. A Yellow and white structure awaited our presence amongst the greenery surrounding it ' The Gowardhan Factory' which belongs to Parag Milk PVT LTD. We were greeted in the cutest tradition and never experienced way. There were two men playing the tabla and one man at the entrance greeting us with the royal Shringa. I felt so special when we were marked with the tikka and put on bead necklace when we entered the premises. And then we were made to sit on a chair and they wrapped around a Pheta around our heads for a picture! Isn't that so awesome? I really was taken aback with the smallest of details and efforts they put into making us feel nice and I also felt highly honoured to be there.

Then there was a young Man who knew a lot about Gowardhan, he took us through some stats which really surprised me how India is the largest milk producer but does not count in the top 20 list of milk product producers like cheese, flavoured milk, etc. There were a lot of other facts and stats he presented over a PPT which were really interesting to know. I feel educated!

Finally the time came to visit the cattle farm. I was very excited to be there, WHITE AND BLACK they were all lined up very disciplined and clam they stood and took their turns to give their love, in the form of MILK of course. I have never seen so many animals together living in perfect harmony and so disciplined because I have only been to a zoo. They were Holstein Friesian breed of Cows a breed originally from Netherlands/Germany known for the best quality of Dairy. We also tasted the milk right after the milking process. Hmm... well, I am not into Milk so I was like -maybe I must not drink this!, but I did it for the experience and let me tell you it was not bad. The best part of the field trip at the cattle farm was that they let us meet the young cattle. I was very happy to play with them for the very less time they let us spend with calf's right from 2 days old to 20 days old.

Then we headed to bread for lunch. I was anyways stuffed with the breakfast I had while on my way to this factory so I did not eat much. But all I know the food was yummy. Actually, I was more excited forwhat was up next, the Go cheese World!! Soon after lunch we walked to the cheese factory, OMG its place was enormous! We were firstly made to wear lab coats and made to remove all jewellery and accessories like watches other basically anything which can fall into the products. Soon after which we saw how the whole process of making cheese is all computerized and the entire process can be done without any human intervention after it has been staring. Only the packing part of the production involves human involvement in the entire process. I was very happy how the milk like forces to be cuddled and then how it is refined and aged and basically how the final product is manufactured. We toured through almost all the departments and I was pretty overwhelmed about each and every machinery and human efforts are put together to bring make our living cheesy!! After which we got to taste and see all of their products which are produced by Gowardhan. If it weren't for that heavy breakfast I had in the morning I would have gotten to try all of the variants, however, I just could not taste all as I was too stuffed with food. 

I was very happy to be a part of this tour and I would love to Thank Gowardhan let me learn and tour the GO CHEESE WORLD and also take back some yummy chessilious goodies.

Here are some of the pictures taken at the event.

EGGLESS OREO MUG CAKE RECIPE

Hey Sweety Pies!

Okay! It literally took me 10 minutes to make this oh so yummy Eggless Oreo Mug cake! I was craving for cake this afternoon and I was like, why not make one. I keep stumbling upon so many of these DIY on pinterest that I decided to make my own.

Ingredients

-2 tbsp Maida

-2 pinches of Baking Powder

-Less than a pinch of salt

-1 tbsp Cocoa

-1 & 1/2 tbsp powdered sugar

-2 tbsp un salted butter

-3 crushed Oreo's

-Small Dairy milk crushed

-3 tbsp Milk

Method

-Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mug. Make sure to take a mug large enough as your cake is going to rise and you do not want your cake mix to spill over in the micro wave.

-Now add all the wet ingredients in the same mug and mix this really well to make a cake mix batter.

-Now pop it in the Microwave for 2 minutes 60-70 watts. And keep an eye on it.

-Pull out after and stick in a toothpick and pull out if it comes out with come cake batter on it then put in again for a minute or so/ If it comes out clean ''PRAISE THE LORD''.

GRAB THAT SPOON AND TRY TO WAIT TILL IT COOLS DOWN! 
I know you are too excited to eat it..but you do not want that tongue to be brunt.

I also used some icing to add that extra sweetness. It is very simple to make it.

powdered sugar,butter and milk. Mix until pastie consistency and start decorating!!

Thank me later..

Best cocktails at night clubs in Delhi

Hey Divas,

I am here to share some really important details you may find useful. It's when you are in Delhi for the first time and you find no place around to go dance? Wait what? Yes, I am serious..  you may find this info really helpful if you are in search of best night clubs in Delhi. I am listing a long chart which are meant to be one of the best night clubs in Delhi. Call them the best discotheque in Delhi or great restaurant these places are the best places to be when in the North.

The Blue Bar - Taj Palace Hotel

Location: Chanakyapuri 

Taj Palace Hotel, Diplomatic Enclave, Sardar Patel Marg,Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

This is said to have the best out door bars with a great view of the blue pools. with the perfect weather this place will just be the best place to be at night with your boyfriend on a date or just if you are hanging out with friends. 

Cocktails to try
MINT JULIP: a cool blend of Woodford's reserve bourbon flavoured, with a hint of angostura and a punch of Mint. This cocktails is the drink for the hot season to cool off.

SEX ON THE BEACH SHAKER: a favorite for the drink for the fruit lovers. blend of Vodka, peach schnapps, cranberry and pineapple.

Priced: High

Kitty Su - The Lalit New Delhi

Location: Connaught Place

The Lalit, Barakhamba Avenue, Connaught Place, New Delhi 110001

As soon as you enter this clubs it immediately set you in the party mood with the good music and youthful ambiance.

 Cocktails to try
OLD FASHIONED: Large measure of woodford's reserve bourbon muddled with brown sugar and maraschino juice. YUM!

MANHATTAN:Served up straight up on the rocks with maker mark bourbon and sweet vermouth.

Priced: High

The Mansion

Location: Saket 

Shop 13-17, Gate 3, Garden of Five Senses, Saidul Ajaib, Saket, New Delhi

One of the finest clubs in town, right at the center of 5 garden senses. Has great Music and a good crowd which surrounds you. The service lags but a very good place to party hard. Best place to enjoy EDM.

 Cocktails to try
MARGARITA: Large measure of tequela with your own choice of flavour, personilsation cannot get fun than this.

MARTINI:Served up straight up on the rocks with either gin or vodka and serves you wither dry, dirty and added extra dry.. now that calls for a party.

Priced: High

CENDOL IS MY FAVORITE DESSERT #FarMoreSingapore

It is true! I am on a SINGAPOREAN SEA FOOD DIET, when I SEA SEE IT, I EAT IT and I do not SHARE!

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SINGAPORE is a diverse country, with its many languages, religions, cultures and variety in food. FOOD ah! Singaporeans believe dining is the country's national pastime. The diversity of food is a representation of the country's multiculturalism. The food in Singapore particularly reflects the Chinese, Malay and Indian food which is clearly defined, however, there is further hybridization of the food wherein two cuisines are mixed to invent a new dish. This globalization phenomenon on the cuisine of Singapore proves to be  a significant tourist attraction.

I liked to be called a foodie and in the food I love dessert, and I would anytime of the day pick desserts over savory meals. One of my favorite Singaporean desserts is the CENDOL pronounced as"ess-chen-doll". It is a quintessential dessert, even found in the tiniest lanes down Singapore. It is a refreshing dessert almost comparable to our INDIAN FALOODA, but very distinct in taste. Oh! YUM...

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Making Cendol at home is very simple. My boyfriend had made this for me after he was back from his vacation to Singapore and cendol made it to the top of my favorite dessert list ever since.

Here is my recipe.

All you need

- 1 cup of rice flour

- 4 cups of plain water

- Green food color

- 2 cups of coconut milk

- 1 can of evaporated milk

- 500 grams of ground brown sugar

- Pandan essence

- Ice

Method

-Pour some water into a large bowl and add plenty of ice.

-Pour another 4 cups of water into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Slowly add the rice flour, stirring constantly. 

-Add the green food coloring.

-Once the mixture is thick and paste-like, stir in the pandan essence and remove from the heat. 

-Push the paste through the holes of a colander directly into the ice bath to form short noodles. The noodles will harden in the water and can remain there for a while.

-Add some brown sugar and stir it in a small amount of hot water to make a dark syrup.

-Shave or crush some more ice.

To serve, layer the ingredients in a tall glass, starting with the cendol noodles, then pour in some coconut milk and evaporated milk, lots of shaved ice and drizzle with a little brown sugar syrup. Serve with a long spoon and straw.

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I know I must have got you drooling already, If you are planning a trip to Singapore? Then you must visit the link below

http://discover.stayfareast.com/

Are you a foodie? FAR MORE EAST got you covered!

ARE YOU A VEGETARIAN? 

CLICK HERE--> http://discover.stayfareast.com/post/113238361068/going-green-5-outstanding-vegetarian-restaurants 

LOOKING FOR PLACES TO WINE AND DINE ALONG THE RIVER?

CLICK HERE--> http://discover.stayfareast.com/post/113247284913/5-places-to-wine-and-dine-along-the-singapore

LOOKING OUT FOR INTERESTING EATS IN SINGAPORE?

CLICK HERE--> http://discover.stayfareast.com/post/113247284913/5-places-to-wine-and-dine-along-the-singapore

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