Joie De Vivre - Page 9 of 38 -

Obsessing Over

I’ve been meaning to do this for ages, and have finally got around to sharing with you all some of the stuff that’s responsible for stealing my heart {time and again} over the last few months, and this is why:

1. Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi

I have experimented (rather successfully, might I add) with Ottolenghi’s recipes, including the succulent Sweet Potato Cakes and his phenomenal Hummus, both from Plenty. So when Plenty More released late last year, it was an obvious and rather staunch desire to get my paws on the book. And indeed, I did. The aim is to give his Tomato and Pomegranate Salad a go, along with some other yet-to-be-devised options for a lunch soiree this weekend. Maybe as an accompaniment to some quinoa black bean burgers with sour cream tzatziki, yum. But in general, what I truly respect about Ottolenghi, is his approach towards vegetables, and the unique combination in which the recipes are conceived and executed, each so different yet so fantastic.

2. Citrus Sunshine Kettle by Kitchen Aid India

I love the fun bright as well as classic colours that Kitchen Aid regularly doles out. I almost always want to but the same appliance in different colours, you know, to suit my mood for the day, or for some other similar lame reason, because they’re all so dam gorgeous!
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February 24, 2015 | 0 comment

Beverage, Cuisines, Entree, Savoury

Truffle Salt Scented Champagne Risotto

To make up for my shamefully long absence, I tried to make something so distractingly decadent and drool-worthy that my hiatus will hopefully be quickly forgiven! This risotto was conceived as all fantastic recipes – while discussing something completely different! We were sitting at my parents home, and having a chat with my visiting Italian brother-in-law about bhel and sev puri, and somehow reached the conclusion that a champagne risotto with parmesan would be incredible.

That just stuck.

All I did was add some truffle salt and sliced truffles.

One of the many fabulous characteristics of this recipe is that it involves absolutely no fresh ingredients (unless you count one small white onion ‘fresh’). It is just a fabulous way to use up that almost over bottle of champagne (yeah, because that always happens. NOT!). You can always spruce it up with some fresh spears of asparagus, or swap the champagne for merlot and then add some beetroot.
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February 12, 2015 | 1 Comment

Joie De Vivre

Happy 2015!

2015 has been a year of many changes and improvements for Joie De Vivre, all of which have really shaped the future and aspirations for this blog. The overwhelming support I have received has been tremendous, and I hope to continue to please and surprise my readers, with favourites as well as with inspiring new experiments in the culinary world.

I wish you all a bright and prosperous year ahead!

Valrhona Bundt Cake with Fresh Strawberries

It’s mid-December, and it’s HIGH time that I get down to those strawberry centred recipes! Quite honestly, I have been busy travelling and attending weddings or doing wedding planning, the former being more fun than the latter! Over the last weekend SS and I were in Bangalore to celebrate a college friend’s wedding, and it was so wonderful to see people again after 7-8 years! The weekend was fabulous, and we even got to sample some authentic Karnataka food, my favourite being their popular shallot-based curry and dry roasted whole chillies which have this amazing pungent spice, yet isn’t fiery.

It was also so humbling to meet people after ages, and the first topic of conversation being Joie De Vivre, and how it makes people salivate, and want to eat/cook some themselves! [Predominantly it was the eating!] Now that being the case, I feel like committing sacrilege by constantly professing my love of strawberries and not translating that into anything on the blog. I’ve actually made this cake a couple of times already, and they’ve managed to gain Read more…

December 19, 2014 | 0 comment

Fruit Inspired, Pies & Puddings, Sweet

An Apple {Crumble} A Day

Boy, have I got the perfect mid-week pick me up for you! Its called, the Apple Crumble, and is bountiful in its use of apples. It’s so addictive, you’ll want to have an apple {crumble} a day!

My masi (mum’s sister, the youngest to be specific) always has one question to ask me whenever we chat about our routines and basic lifestyle – whether or not I consume a mandatory apple everyday. My answer every times revolves around the fact that I am not loyal to one single fruit (well, TBH I would be to berries, if they were perennial) and like to eat what’s in season. Her maternal response always goes back to the mighty power of the apple, and how despite sampling seasonal fare, I must must must eat an apple everyday.

While her version of ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ never envisaged an apple crumble, I feel absolutely no guilt whatsoever in following her orders, with a little tweaking from my side! 🙂 This fail-safe recipe works not only on apple, but on peaches, berries, and

Granola Bar Goodness

I am actually a little surprised at myself for not putting up a post using my OCD ingredient of strawberries. Firstly, because despite not posting about it or taking pictures and spamming my instagram feed, I actually did already use strawberries a few times already. The first was in a boozy strawberry jalepeno margarita, followed by this gorgeous Valrhona Bundt cake with the centre piled high with fresh fresh strawberries. After that, there was the baby spinach and roquette salad with fresh strawberries, blushing tomatoes, crumbled goats cheese in a balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

Instead of any of those – we have these super amazing energy filled tasty granola bars.

Now truth be told, I’ve made granola bars before, and absolutely loved them. It is strangely comforting having control over what actually goes into your health bars, instead of the processed and sugar loaded store-bought varieties available out there. The other option is to purchase granola clusters or bars from home bakers at the various pop-ups, farmers markets and food events around town, but I definitely feel that those versions are unregulated and there is actually no real way to verify the ‘healthy’ sticker they come with.