Posted in Food, Stories Around the World

Of Simplicity, Elegance and Canapés

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Entering into the football and cricket season, weekends involve having the family and friends for the collective cheer and match-viewing. While for the first few days, quick snacks like crisps, fried pakoras, fritters, tater-tots provided immediate sustenance during the game hours; alternatives were required for the semi-finals and final game nights. Consequently it was tiny sandwiches and canapes for the remaining days.

One of the types of hors d’œuvre, a canapé is a small, prepared and often decorative food consisting of a small piece of bread (sometimes toasted), puff pastry or a cracker topped with some savoury food, held in the fingers and often eaten in one bite. The technical composition includes a base (bread, pancake, fresh vegetables or even crackers), the spread (compound butter, flavoured cream cheese, thick cream); the main item (meat, cheese, fish, relish, purees, caviar, foie gras) and topped with garnish of choice. The latter can be varied, from finely chopped vegetables, scallions, herbs or even truffle oil).

Source:https://preppykitchen.com/easy-canape/
Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/easy-springtime-ritz-cracker-canapes-recipe/

Quiet interesting is the fact that canapes weren’t an overnight invention. Savory protein on bread or pastry combinations (croutons, crustades) were a gradual adaption and evolution of the cuisine through Middle Ages. Though the “Canapes” of today, had originated in France. They were initially offered to the guests of the French fêtes (18th century) and this practice was adopted by the other cuisines around the world especially the English. Although the concept of making canapes have evolved, today they are also known as finger foods (not vice versa) or savouries. Though the larger canapes often border close to being labelled as open sandwich.

The beauty of making canapés is that subtle variations can affect a distinct difference in taste and style. For instance, the base can be changes to crackers, toasted bread pieces or even flat vegetables seasoned, deep fried or sauted cut into interesting shapes and sizes. For the kids, canapés can be decorated with sugar sprinkles, gems or even different coloured icing for an added touch of colour.

[1869:Paris]
“Anchovy canapes.
Cut some slices of crumb of bread, 1/4 inch thick; cut these in pieces 2 1/2 inches long, 1 1/2 inch wide; and fry them in clarified butter, till a nice golden colour; When cold, spread the pieces with Anchovy Butter; Steep some anchovies in cold water; drain, open, and trim them; Place 4 fillets of anchovies, lengthwise, on each piece of bread, leaving three small spaces between the fillets; fill the first space with chopped hard-boiled white of egg; fill the middle space with chopped parsley, and the third with chopped hard-boiled yolk of egg; Dress the canapes in a flat china boat, or small dish, generally used for all these cold Hors d’oeuvre.”
—The Royal Cookery Book, Jules Gouffe, translated and adapted for English use by Alphonse Gouffe [Sampson Low, Son & Marston:London] 1869 (p. 409)
[NOTE: This source also contains recipes for shrimp canapes, caviar canapes, crayfish tails canapes, lobster canapes, and smoked salmon canapes.]

Source:https://www.seasonedkitchen.com/benedictine-cheese-canapes
Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
SourcE:https://www.pinterest.ch/pin/509821620312097505/
Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://geniusglutenfree.com/en_gb/recipes/toast-basket-canapes
Posted in Life, Personal Musings, Quotes, Reflections

To own Beat

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“To live is to be musical, starting with the blood dancing in your veins. Everything living has a rhythm. Do you feel your music?” Michael Jackson

During the early years of college, there was the responsibility of holding a musical to commemorate the founding day of the institution. It was usually held along similar lines of a Broadway play, complete with music, drama and script. Consequently when it was turn of own class, the decision was to do something different. That alone, resulted in a simple play being scripted to be held on roller-skates. When a group of twenty year old, some of whom have never seen a roller-skate in their lives, decide to collectively act, direct, choreograph as well as sing; it involves plenty of learning along with “the aches and ouches”. As intended the show did go well. As years passed on, it is that one single musical that still keeps the class in fits, groans and fun memories.

Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments

“What are heavy? sea-sand and sorrow.
What are brief? today and tomorrow.
What are frail? spring blossoms and youth.
What are deep? the ocean and truth.”
― Christina Rossetti

To venture out and try something new is not in the daily routine. More than courage, it requires immense faith in own plan and the belief that something different can be made to happen if we put in an effort for the same. That entire musical mayn’t have happened, if not for a bunch of people, who designed, motivated and helped each other as well as the whole lot to put on their own skates and learn to move, sing and shout. As each one of us found our own rhythm and danced to the music, it was those couple of “game changers” who had turned the push to shove, to make the event happen.

Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://vk.com/public138314547
Source:https://vk.com/public138314547

All of us have our own set of wonderful, seemingly impossible, interesting or even crazy ideas. Some of them we foster and grow them, others we neglect. The same we do for others. It is these “crazy ideas” that bring a wide reckoning, forcing all to sit up, take note and add on tot the few drops to make a collective change for the better. We need them all. The rule-breakers, the game changers, the followers, the questioners, those with blinders on and off. For with all of them, like in a potpourri can the fragrance be released and music made.

Learn to appreciate yourself and the differences in and around us. It is the collective effort of all, that makes the next day brighter than yesterday, a change from the mundane and something new to learn and experience as well. Life is all about finding our rhythm. And let all those crazy ideas out. Somewhere along we will learn to dance to the rhythm and beat of our own music.

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” Rob Siltanen

Source:https://vk.com/public138314547
Source:https://vk.com/pub_mdmas
Source:https://vk.com/slideshowarts
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Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Posted in Christian, Daily, Family and Society, Reflections

Perfect by His Time

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

While trying out a new cake recipe for the weekend, it involved getting the ingredients and their measures as well as mixing the batter to the right consistency. Finally the batter in the cake pan, the oven was set to preheat and then the baking was on. Reflecting back on the success of the experiment, it was getting the proportion of the mix and the timing right, which mattered the most. If either went imbalanced, the outcome wouldn’t be the expected.

“The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” (Isaiah 58:11)

Source:https://vk.com/veruj
Source:https://vk.com/veruj
Source:https://vk.com/veruj

Our regular days are a lot similar. We gather the ingredients, proportion them, mix and get the final outcome. The latter may at times be as expected or a little better or maybe worse. Cumulatively looking at all the incidents, the timing may be perfect when least expected or things go beyond salvage even in the best possible surroundings. Who sets the time ? All of us have our own set of skills. Yet using them at the right time, place and the will to do so matters quite a bit.

“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” (Psalms 32:8)

Source:https://vk.com/veruj
Source:https://vk.com/veruj
Source:https://vk.com/veruj

Getting things right or going on the right track mayn’t always be a smooth ride. Along with own self-discovery, discernment of gifts, limitations as well as the determination to forge ahead, is the attitude to rectifying mistakes and re-proportioning the ingredients along the journey. It is never easy to accept own mistakes, acknowledge losses and learn from them. Instead it is easy to transfer the blame and guilt to circumstances, luck and fate. While they may have a role to play or not, knowing if one could have done something better than the present try is what makes the huge difference in perfecting the dream. While all things mayn’t be possible at one shot, with plenty of faith, Hope and His Grace the heart gets the courage to go on, the spirit strengthens itself when weak and one receives a glimmer of light in the direction of the present turn. And that is the beauty of life.

“What man is he that feareth the LORD, him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.” (Psalms 25:12)

Source:Source:https://vk.com/slideshowarts
Source:Source:https://vk.com/slideshowarts
Source:Source:https://vk.com/slideshowarts
Source:Source:https://vk.com/slideshowarts
Source:Source:https://vk.com/slideshowarts
Posted in Food, Stories Around the World

Platter of Warmth and Pasta

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Informing my other half, that office hours would extend on till late evening resulted in the first reassurance whether everything was ready for dinner or not. Unfortunately the planned ahead wasn’t in order. Consequently it was a day of either ordering in for the entire family or an immediate quick meals ensemble or emergency cooking. With the sudden downpour, it was the latter that won the toss. Instead of the ever filling mac and cheese, it was pasta and cheese for dinner. While it mayn’t be as close to di Lelio’s “fettuccine alfredo”, it was a dish made of family love, that made the evening one of happiness, warmth and peace.

Tracing the roots of the famed fettuccine alfredo, would an interesting read. Serving fettuccine (flat thick pasta made of egg and flour) with butter and cheese can be found in the 15th century recipes for macaroni romaneschi (Martino da Como, Rome). Here the noodles are cooked in broth or water, butter is then added along with good cheese and varied sweet spices. Variation of the above ingredients with the fresh fettuccine being tossed with butter and Parmesan cheese, the latter forming a smooth rich sauce coating the pasta as it melts leads to the present day “Fettuccine Alfredo”.

Source:https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a55312/best-homemade-fettuccine-alfredo-recipe/
Source:https://vk.com/po.recepty
Source:https://vk.com/po.recepty

As per family accounts, Di Lelio made it for his wife Ines, in order to entice her to eat after giving birth to their first child. Named as fettuccine al triplo burro initially, for the extra butter added while mixing up the fettuccine together. The initial recipes included the use of three ingredients: fettuccine, young Parmesan cheese and butter. As legends go, the original recipes have believed it’s secret lie in the oil added to the pasta dough or the noodles being cooked in milk. Whichever it may be, this dish had caught with the generation then and has been carried over since.

Interestingly as important as the taste, was the tossing of the fettuccine with the cheese and butter; such that the entire procedure was an art in itself. No matter how busy or dull the day may have been, Combining the essence of warm plate of homeliness, love, comfort food as well as warmth makes this dish; be it the homemade version or the dining out in-style brings out the best feelings within.

“This act of mixing the butter and cheese through the noodles becomes quite a ceremony when performed by Alfredo in his tiny restaurant in Rome. As busy as Alfredo is with other duties, he manages to be at each table when the waiter arrives with the platter of fettuccine to be mixed by him. As a violinist plays inspiring music, Alfredo performs the sacred ceremony with a fork and spoon of solid gold. Alfredo does not cook noodles. He does not make noodles. He achieves them.” — George Rector (1933)

Source:https://vk.com/po.recepty
Source:https://vk.com/po.recepty
Source:https://vk.com/po.recepty
Source:https://vk.com/po.recepty
Source:https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/fettuccine-alfredo-leeks-peas-bacon-recipe
Posted in Daily, Family and Society, Life, Quotes

Gift of the Music

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

During college days, going home every weekend meant boarding the only bus that would go straight home without a change of buses during the transit. While waiting for the bus, one could observe the flow of people on the streets across. In front of the shop direct across the board was the street musician, who was the regular on most evenings for an hour or two. On some days it was the guitar, other days the flute or the violin; either way there was music played. Just as evening drew close, there were those among the passing crowd who had stopped for the music.

“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.” Edward Everett Hale

On regular observation, many of the faces used to life with the sheer joy and pleasure of the music, waiting each day for the heartening performance. Watching this each weekend evening brought to the mind the realization that each of us have something to offer to this word. From good memories to pleasant feelings, while one mayn’t deem oneself important, your presence may be the significant point in someone else’s life.

Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments

“Everyone on Earth is a solution to someone’s problem,” my wise grandmother once said. I was very surprised at her words. “You are the solution to someone’s problem,” she repeated. And she explained: “The gift that was given to you may not be needed by everyone, but it certainly is simply necessary for someone — your smile, your love, your strength.”  ( Quote Source: vk.com)

On the journey made regular during those two years, the memories of the music used to linger till the final stop. Whether the music was being played for the cash or for the sheer joy of it, it brought out smiles in the hearts of all. For some like me, it was sweet beginning for a blessed weekend, while for others it signified the pleasant end of the day. While the effect mayn’t have been big, the memories made beautiful still linger and light up the dull moments in each of our lives.

“Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.” Minor Myers

Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://vk.com/public138314547
Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://vk.com/slideshowarts
Posted in Daily, Personal Musings, Quotes, Random Thoughts

To Catch the “Now”

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

After school hours saw pairs of little legs running in the ground near home. An unexpected cloud burst resulted in these tiny legs scampering back into the shelter, while frantic adults made their way to the clothesline to grab and rush the dry linen back to safety. As the hours had passed and the sun had decided for an early night, the little legs balanced themselves cross-legged on the porch making little boats, listening for the croaking of frogs and catch a few droplets on the little palms. As the night grew stronger, the night meal was in tune with the stories of the stars above. The entire evening had a feeling of completeness, contentment and unclouded happiness.

“I always think of each night as a song. Or each moment as a song. But now I’m seeing we don’t live in a single song. We move from song to song, from lyric to lyric, from chord to chord. There is no ending here. It’s an infinite playlist.” David Levithan

Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments

Happiness arises from the simple things of life. Seeing through those little eyes, on learns to appreciate the simple pleasures, gifts as well as beauty of the present day, in those basic minutes. From grumbles of early rising to their joy in discovering that one can make a bridge with their forks to make milk bubbles to their unfettered joy on catching the lady bug on the leaf before the bus arrives, all these moments while taken in a hurry by the adult mind, later in silence acknowledge that these memories are quite priceless.

Be it the blooming buds and chirping of birds, to the tune of Spring, the hot summer days of lush green and impromptu picnics or lemonade runs, the colured piles of autumn leaves to jump into and the wintry snowfalls with decoration of the trees with multicolored lights, paper chains and pocketfuls of ginger snaps, these captured moments are what grace the memories of childhood as well as lighten the adult mind.

Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments
Source:https://vk.com/thesemagicmoments

One doesn’t need to go far to be happy. As one learns from children, happiness is always there in their own backyard. It may be in a form far from expected, but it will always be there waiting to be experienced and added to the treasure chest of memories. Isn’t it a blessing to watch it all, just to be in it and to feel the warmth of life ? To work for the love of family and prepare for the future is important. Yet the most important thing is to appreciate the present.

“Close your eyes, imagine that you are five years old, and look out the window again. Imagine that you still do not need to choose what to believe, because there is no choice – everything is one, everything is indivisible. There is no need to search for meanings, endow anything else. You still confuse “yesterday” and “tomorrow” simply because time has no cuts, it does not even last, it just is. And you just are, and this is practically invulnerable and categorically immortal. And a slice An amber melon or a mug of fresh raspberries makes you absolutely, absolutely happy … ”  E. Kasyan

https://vk.com/slideshowarts
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https://vk.com/monahos
https://vk.com/monahos
https://vk.com/slideshowarts

Posted in Daily, Family and Society, Personal Musings, Quotes

Building On

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

In the holiday-to-do projects, my nephew had drawn up the plan for a real miniature boat for the creative arts class. To call it a boat would be a little primitive. After building two models to get an idea of the specifics, he had decided to go ahead with his plan for an English galleon with the four mast type. Although the initial work of the basic models of ” the dhow” and “the cutter” were simple, the real work was for the bigger galleon. It would have been so easy to go with the basic model as submission for the holiday art project, yet he didn’t. He had wanted to his pet project and that was it. While initially masts had refused to hold up, later they did. The sense of completeness was an experience in itself when the project was finally complete.

“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” Arnold Schwarzenegger

Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:English_Galleon_Model.jpg
Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhow#/media/File:Another_Dhow.JPG
Source:vk.com/veruj

Working out the principle of “sticking on” in our daily lives, the rewards in itself would be great. Watching a fledgling gear up their wings or a novice worker with his tools, is akin to trying something new. As one learns to experiment and grow from their mistakes, the confidence within slowly builds up and plans work out. Eventually one learns to fly.

“When the world says, “Give up,” Hope whispers, “Try it one more time.” ” Unknown

We all need beginnings. When the beginnings work out, it is the staying on that matters the most. Like walking for a toddler, the first few steps maybe difficult then things catch up on being easy. One the other hand, learning to do a skilled embroidery, the first few stitches may go in easy, but as the patterns become more complicated the difficulty arises. But it’s when one learns to perfect the art through a slow and steady approach, the entire work gets done.

Source:https://vk.com/public138314547
Source:https://vk.com/public138314547
Source:https://vk.com/public138314547

The experience of achieving a dream, is something that can be felt only in the aftermath. There is always the possibility of fall in every step. Unless we gather the courage for a step, we would miss out the joys of experiencing the unknown.

“There is freedom waiting for you,
On the breezes of the sky,
And you ask “What if I fall?”
Oh but my darling,
What if you fly?”
― Erin Hanson

Source:https://vk.com/pub_mdma
Source:https://vk.com/pub_mdma
Source:https://vk.com/pub_mdma
Source:https://vk.com/pub_mdma
Source:https://vk.com/pub_mdma