tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post6467957782370382487..comments2024-01-29T19:23:58.553-07:00Comments on Indian Food Rocks: Doing the Secret Santa RoundsIndian Food Rockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-47635188915598170262007-12-24T03:37:00.000-07:002007-12-24T03:37:00.000-07:00Hi ManishaVisiting your blog for the first time an...Hi Manisha<BR/>Visiting your blog for the first time and, i must say, you have kept it nicely. I loved the content and will visit it more often.<BR/>Am a fellow blogger from Botswana and a cake lover. Do visit the blog, when ever you can.<BR/>In the mean time, happy holidays.Anamika:The Sugarcrafterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16503344208166219475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-3768905991764672512007-12-24T00:13:00.000-07:002007-12-24T00:13:00.000-07:00They certainly look great! Lemme see if we are abl...They certainly look great! Lemme see if we are able to replicate them in our kitchen. Thanks for sharing and Wish you Happy Holidays and a Very Happy New Year!Shantanuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10775725512802702601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-18494878989262801922007-12-20T08:37:00.000-07:002007-12-20T08:37:00.000-07:00Love the cookies!Missing your daily posts... :)Love the cookies!<BR/>Missing your daily posts... :)Vilma Bergstromhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06097517633841739885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-11817470177907541462007-12-18T02:52:00.000-07:002007-12-18T02:52:00.000-07:00Your cookies look awesome Manisha. Love the look ...Your cookies look awesome Manisha. Love the look & the pics are greatShellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18256466443356154608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-6771850857636980132007-12-17T18:31:00.000-07:002007-12-17T18:31:00.000-07:00Your cookies are perfection.Your cookies are perfection.Cynthiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-45665475678671334852007-12-17T11:59:00.000-07:002007-12-17T11:59:00.000-07:00Thanks a lot Manisha! Will ask more doubts as I st...Thanks a lot Manisha! Will ask more doubts as I start freezing things...Hemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14313402513209971155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-73221481830090779162007-12-17T06:16:00.000-07:002007-12-17T06:16:00.000-07:00The cookies looks awesome Manisha.. Love their sha...The cookies looks awesome Manisha.. Love their shape too.. Great post!<BR/><BR/>~ SiriSirihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07438643462234694246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-532561597751972332007-12-16T22:39:00.000-07:002007-12-16T22:39:00.000-07:00Padmaja, I found a book which Medha is not happy a...<STRONG>Padmaja</STRONG><EM>, I found a book which Medha is not happy about since it is about 'love'! It's a sequel to the Christmas Shoes book and is really about giving and sharing more than anything else. My husband remembered that the kids had gone berserk with our laser light + task light that clips onto a hat or pocket, when we had gone camping. And so we bought him one of that. Phew! Book and light was just over $10 which I think is fine!</EM><BR/><BR/><STRONG>Nupur</STRONG><EM>, that generosity stems entirely from Ammini. Thank you so much for your support! </EM><BR/><BR/><STRONG>Anita</STRONG><EM>, she's a smart cookie. Why do you think I worry?!<BR/><BR/>I refuse to let there be any food throwing in my home, and it's not because I fear the clean up. I don't allow cake-smearing on the face and tossing etc either. The fruitcake toss upsets me, too. I think the logic is that the food they are playing with, was not destined or headed for anyone who was hungry so therefore it is OK. The quantity of Graham crackers manufactured in this period is to meet the demand during this season. Apparently there is a beautiful tale behind building Gingerbread houses which someone had once told me. I forget the exact story but hunger was the underlying theme. It still find it difficult to correlate that to so much food being bought for the specific purpose of going directly into the trash!</EM><BR/><BR/><STRONG>Bee</STRONG><EM>, for a moment there I thought you were talking about me! The cookies say thank you!</EM> ;-)<BR/><BR/><STRONG>Sunita</STRONG><EM>, I haven't heard either ways. I guess we will find out on Tuesday! Medha is concerned that I may have already 'outed' her with this post. She really thinks the whole world reads my blog. I am still basking in that glory!</EM><BR/><BR/><STRONG>Sandeepa</STRONG><EM>, your daughter is a very lucky girl! I love it when I can make a geography or science lesson from some of the questions they ask!</EM><BR/><BR/><STRONG>Sandy C</STRONG><EM>, I am pretty sure your little angel will love them! Try them and get her to help!</EM><BR/><BR/><STRONG>Anjali</STRONG><EM>, if you let them cool completely, the parchment paper just peels off. I only had to peel it off from a couple of cookies. The others loosened as they cooled. Your experience may vary depending on your weather (humidity and temperature).<BR/><BR/>Do skip the besan if you prefer it that way. My personal feeling is that you just don't like the flavor of besan in nankatai whereas I do! That's the difference between my Mom's nankatai as I remember them and regular nankatais. I love the nutty flavor it adds! It's hard to imagine why the besan would not "bake well". Margaret Shaida has a recipe for Persian shortbread made entirely from besan and it's in the oven for 5-7 minutes only.</EM><BR/><BR/><STRONG>Kitt</STRONG><EM>, thanks for that info. Unfortunately I couldn't find <A HREF="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&c2coff=1&safe=active&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS211US212&q=site%3Awww.rajafoods.com+sindoor&btnG=Search" REL="nofollow">anything on Raja Foods web site</A> about the recall. Why am I not surprised?!<BR/><BR/>I can't imagine why anyone would ingest sindoor. We've known for decades now that it is not good to use even on the skin. Women used sindoor to make their bindi (red dot on the forehead) before the 'sticker bindis' came out and it's not like those are completely safe either! You can break out into a serious rash if you are allergic to the glue that makes it stick! </EM><BR/><BR/><STRONG>Pel</STRONG><EM>, Betty Crocker, eh?! Let me know if you ever find out!</EM><BR/><BR/><STRONG>Hema</STRONG><EM>, there are times when I make a whole lot of idli batter and then cook it all at once. I do this when I know that I am going to be very busy and we are going to need a whole bunch of quick meals. I then freeze the idlis in freezer bags. I run them under cold water and re-heat them in the microwave, covered with a damp paper towel. <BR/><BR/>You can also buy frozen idlis, dosas and medu vadas. They are not great but work as a quick fix!<BR/><BR/>Potatoes don't freeze too well, unless they have a lot of butter and cream in them! And I don't freeze rice either. Otherwise, anything is game to be frozen in my home! I freeze food in meal size portions for the three of us. I thaw as much as I can in the refrigerator. I re-heat the food in the microwave in glass or ceramic-ware as I don't like to use plastic in the microwave, even if it says microwave-safe. Hope this helps!</EM><BR/><BR/><STRONG>Shilpa, ET, Kribha and Sagari</STRONG><EM>, thanks!</EM>Indian Food Rockshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13397829480472038159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-31094575921655131432007-12-16T11:24:00.000-07:002007-12-16T11:24:00.000-07:00Hello Manisha,Have been hopping around your blog f...Hello Manisha,<BR/><BR/>Have been hopping around your blog for quite some time and m truly amazed!! But, what are these frozen idlis? How do you make them and can you also let me know about what other vegetarian dishes can be frozen like this?<BR/><BR/>Sorry if m asking for too much :-)Hemahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14313402513209971155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-70093022511578493512007-12-15T08:52:00.000-07:002007-12-15T08:52:00.000-07:00cookies look beaurifulllllll and delecious manisha...cookies look beaurifulllllll and delecious manishaSagarihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15511533910904602762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-8380084777353147082007-12-15T08:04:00.000-07:002007-12-15T08:04:00.000-07:00Beautiful cookies- haven't seen those in YEARS! I ...Beautiful cookies- haven't seen those in YEARS! I think they might be a Betty Crocker invention, though I'm not sure...I'll have to get back to you on that! ;-) But they sure is perty!Pelicanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00858951498917328458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-62105986238173631242007-12-14T19:39:00.000-07:002007-12-14T19:39:00.000-07:00Hey Manisha, can't find your email, but wanted to ...Hey Manisha, can't find your email, but wanted to let you know about this recall: <BR/><BR/>Raja Foods LLC is recalling about 280 packages of “Swad Sindoor” because the product contains high levels of lead, which is toxic if ingested by children and can damage the central nervous system. The product is a powder used in India for religious purposes, intended to be placed on the skin or hair, according to the Skokie, Ill., company. Illinois health authorities confirmed three cases of lead poisoning in consumers who used the product as an ingredient in cooked meals, the company said in a statement. The product was distributed in a 3.5-ounce plastic bag to Indian grocery stores in Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. For more information, consumers can visit http://www.rajafoods.com.Kitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16673726727402668186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-68084419056072783022007-12-14T07:53:00.000-07:002007-12-14T07:53:00.000-07:00It looks like a work of art. Good job well done.It looks like a work of art. Good job well done.Kribhahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11978204535724288270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-29310453634077803132007-12-14T04:54:00.000-07:002007-12-14T04:54:00.000-07:00BTW We loved your Nankatai recipe but I would skip...BTW We loved your Nankatai recipe but I would skip the besan and add equivalent maida in it the next time. The besan does not get baked well. If I would have left it in the oven longer the nankatai would have browned.Anjali Kolihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01461685370304758571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-18361327692422361552007-12-14T04:41:00.000-07:002007-12-14T04:41:00.000-07:00Hey ManishaThose cookies are really lovely and Ani...Hey Manisha<BR/><BR/>Those cookies are really lovely and Anita is right they would look lovely in an intricate design. But do they come of easily from the sheet. <BR/><BR/>The color reminds me of traffic signal cookies thats are made with red, yellow jam.Anjali Kolihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01461685370304758571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-11345191212110706312007-12-13T18:29:00.000-07:002007-12-13T18:29:00.000-07:00*drool* those cookies look dee-lish! I will have t...*drool* those cookies look dee-lish! I will have to try those. I actually have a few rolls of lifesavers lying around that I could use!Momisodeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06752015177628948631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-13172521613627782842007-12-13T11:32:00.000-07:002007-12-13T11:32:00.000-07:00Fabulous cookies, I am sure the little boy will be...Fabulous cookies, I am sure the little boy will be very happy.<BR/><BR/>I liked what you said about secularism in schools. The neighborhood I live in has a fair amount of Indian, Chinese etc. and so it is same at S's pre-school. This week was international festival week and everyone was asked to bring something that represents what they celebrate from their country of origin.<BR/><BR/>S took along some Diya and a photograph of Durga Puja. I liked it when she came back and told me about Hanukkah and then asked if "Isrel" is a place.Bong Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15407918137263251235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-9786249424463033022007-12-13T10:38:00.000-07:002007-12-13T10:38:00.000-07:00Those cookies look great, and your photos, ufff, s...Those cookies look great, and your photos, ufff, so gorgeous.evolvingtasteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12965307088019704302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-50518855168770671272007-12-13T09:59:00.000-07:002007-12-13T09:59:00.000-07:00The cookies look great Manisha, so cute. Well done...The cookies look great Manisha, so cute. Well done :)Shilpahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11408998869039514968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-1201901526726156452007-12-13T09:40:00.000-07:002007-12-13T09:40:00.000-07:00Your cookies look sooo festive...I'm sure the rece...Your cookies look sooo festive...I'm sure the receiver will love them...what a lucky young chap !sunitahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09176577177334401747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-5307501750663837532007-12-13T08:55:00.000-07:002007-12-13T08:55:00.000-07:00those are some drop dead gorgeous cookies.those are some drop dead gorgeous cookies.beehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18128812845273224940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-8823976466200717552007-12-13T06:57:00.000-07:002007-12-13T06:57:00.000-07:00Soon enough it will be you warning her, "he's a bo...Soon enough it will be you warning her, "he's a boy!" And she already knows the way to their hearts! LOL<BR/><BR/>The 'stained glass' is really pretty...I bet one could get really creative with it - an intricate pattern.<BR/><BR/>And I am totally with you on food being sacred and precious...there are a lot of hungry and under-nourished people in the world. I don't understood food throwing contests...throwing food for...fun?!Anitahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06002754872631420601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-83200938136788592432007-12-13T05:20:00.000-07:002007-12-13T05:20:00.000-07:00Just bought a raffle ticket for the cookbook you a...Just bought a raffle ticket for the cookbook you are so generously donating...now I have to cross my fingers and hope to win :D <BR/> The secret santa with homemade gifts is such a good idea. Those cookies look stunning. Kudos to Medha!Nupurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03890441057480820053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5156654.post-52896693985854381842007-12-13T03:11:00.000-07:002007-12-13T03:11:00.000-07:00Manisha, those cookies looks so crunchy and ya sec...Manisha, those cookies looks so crunchy and ya secret santa for boys or guys so difficult dear, For our office sacret santa, I had to buy for my manager whos a guy. It took me an couple of hrsto find one which is within the budget and good as well. Had tough time!! Your cookies will definitely cheer the little boy!! Great work!!Padmajahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16784049976224951724noreply@blogger.com