Chickpea Pumpkin Tajine With Coconut Couscous & Coconut Chutney

Sometimes I think I might be getting old! I am, of course, but I always thought my personality and way of thinking still remained on the young side. I will be 36 in June however, I by no means feel like a 36 year old woman. Sometimes, I am surprised at the age myself and wonder in disbelief "Really? Am I 36?"

Ok so how is a 36 year old supposed to act and behave and feel? I have no idea. I just know that I have felt really good about the way I am - on most occasions.

Last Saturday though, I did question the fact if I was getting old in the way of my thinking too. A few of my girlfriends and I decided to go out on a ladies night out. On most occasions we will go have a nice dinner somewhere and then for a round of cocktails. I really enjoy these evenings and my group of girlfriends are all between the ages of 30 and 36, so we kind of float on the same wave length. Almost all of them have kids and work, therefore have a busy daily schedule, which makes us enjoy and savor these evenings even more.

This Saturday our evening started out in the same way as always. A nice long dinner with wine and a lot of laughs and gossip. Around 11 we decided to check out a disco called "Over 29", targeting that special age group. I had never been there and am always in the mood to go dancing. However a few of my friends warned me that it would be nothing like I have probably ever seen. This only made me more inquisitive and I could not wait to check this place out.

I have to say this about my friends, they are always warning me and giving me advice about this or that. Apparently they think because I have traveled and lived in so many different places, they need to warn me ahead of time if they think something will not meet my expectations. But with me it is totally the opposite. Because I have lived in so many different places, I never expect anything to be like the other and I often go into these kind of things without any expectations. I purely look forward to experiencing something new.

Well it was quite an experience. I have never been to a disco where there was such a wide span between the ages. There was everything from 22 year olds to 60 year olds. I swear, it was funny and touching all at the same time. Touching, because I found it cute to see a few 50+ couples dancing on the dance-floor like "in the old days". Brilliant - instead of spending a Saturday night in front of the T.V. - dancing is the way to go! It was funny because I have never been hit on by a 50+ year old man!!!

I guess there is a first time for everything! Then there were a few of those typically loose type girls. I believe that they were our age, which was rather horrifying to see the way they were dressed and at their behavior. Honestly, next to them I felt I was dressed like a nun. I mean, what they thought of as a mini skirt was a wider belt in my books! It was also quite vulgar the way they seemed to be throwing themselves at any man that took notice.

I am certainly no prude, however I honestly do believe the finer qualities in a lady are in the way she presents herself. Her class, style and modesty are among her best assets. It's not something I recently started to believe in, it's something I have lived by from my teenage years. Whatever happened to the pride and countenance? As these thoughts were running through my head, I wondered if my friends thought the same. I was very relieved to find that we shared the same sentiments.

What are your opinions on this? Is it "old" or "prude" of me to think women should present themselves with a bit of class? I'd also love the hear a few opinions from the men out there - what do you find more attractive?

Sexy, classy and full of intriguing flavor is this tajine. Chickpeas and pumpkin are prepared with wonderful aromas of cumin, coriander and chilies. Served with a coconut chutney and couscous, this meal presents itself with perfect harmony and an explosion of aromas to tease the senses. It is a modest looking dish at first appearance but a closer look reveals delightful ecstasy for the taste buds.

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Reminder!

This month I want you to be caring, loving and comforting to yourself. I want you to make your favorite Comfort Foods and bring it along to my mingle. Look forward to seeing all there! Deadline is February 4th.

 

 

 

 

 

Eating fresh? Well share your fresh winter produce with us in the seasonal event Eat Fresh. Hope you join the fun!

A slight change to the deadline of Eat Fresh: Although I initially decided not to put a deadline on this, I was advised by a few of you that it would be better to do so. Therefore, a deadline till March 31st has been set. Please send in your emails by this date.

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Ingredients
Printable version of recipe here

For the Tajine
1 onion - finely chopped
1 garlic clove - finely chopped
300 g pumpkin - peeled and cut into small cubes
300 g chickpeas - canned
3 tomatoes - coarsely chopped
1 red chili - finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon black cumin seeds - crushed in a mortar
1 tablespoon ginger - finely chopped
300 ml vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce

For the Coconut Couscous
100 ml vegetable stock
100 - 120 g Couscous
100 ml coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 lime - zest and juice

For the Coconut Chutney
Ginger - about 1 cm - finely chopped
1 garlic clove - finely chopped
1/2 green chili - finely chopped
1/2 bunch coriander/cilantro leaves - finely chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
1 lemon - juice
50 g grated coconut - fresh or dried
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

 

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Method

For the Tajine
Heat the oil in a pan, then add the crushed cumin seeds, onions and garlic and sauté for a few minutes. When the cumin starts to become fragrant and the onions have become transparent, add the pumpkin, tomatoes, ginger and chilies. Carry on sautéing for further 5 minutes.

Pour in the vegetable stock and season with the garam masala, salt and pepper. Simmer the mixture for approx. 10 minutes until the pumpkin is cooked through. You do not want a mushy pumpkin but rather one that still has bite so make sure you check the tenderness of the vegetable. Add the chickpeas and allow to simmer for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and a dash of soy sauce.

For the Coconut Couscous
Bring the vegetable stock to a rolling boil in a medium sized pot. Add all the ingredients, cover and remove from heat. Allow the couscous to steam for about 10 minutes then loosen with a fork.

For the Coconut Chutney
In a small bowl mix all the ingredients together. Allow all the flavors to infuse with each other before serving - about 10 minutes.

Serve the tajine with the coconut chutney and couscous.

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Verdict

This would be a typical kind of meal we enjoy on a weeknight. I love the way all the flavors come together in perfect harmony. This creation gets its impulses from several different countries, like Morocco and India and offers a lovely international flair to the meal. Tom and Soeren loved the way the zesty chutney paired so well with the spicy tajine.

From The Archives:
Chickpeas Masala
Minty Humus
Vegetable Couscous
Pumpkin Feta Tart
Turkey Breast with Roasted Pumpkin
Coconut Tropicana Cream with Summer Berries
Coconut Mango Soup

This is going over to Marta of An Italian in the US who hosts the monthly event Fresh Produce of the Month. A lovely event, which I love taking part in. However, due to time restraints I was unable to take part in the last couple of events. This month she chose Squash as the star and as I love the vegetable could not miss it.

 

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Technorati Tags: pumpkin,squash,chickpeas,coucous,vegetarian,coconut,Indian,spices,food,recipe,photography,nikon D70s

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All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First

A Tangy Lemon Meringue Pie

Daring Bakers January 2008 Challenge - Something Tangy

The number 10 in my opinion is quite memorable and a number to celebrate. So, I'm celebrating my 10th Daring Bakers challenge this month. And what an awesome challenge it was.

The lovely Jen of The Canadian Baker was our hostess and her challenge was to make a simply irresistible lemon meringue pie.

After the challenge last month my family and I left to celebrate New Year's with a few friends in Switzerland. We had a ball, and for our New Year's party we made two lemon pies! So, you can imagine my smile when I returned to find I'd be making another one so soon.

Every lemon pie is different. The crust, the intensity of the lemon flavor and the topping are all versatile and depending on how you like it, this pie can be varied slightly. To increase the difficulty level a notch, Jen wanted us to top the pie with meringue.

Meringue is not always my best friend and I try to avoid it whenever and where ever I can. I don't know why, I have never really had a falling out with the meringue, but simply the fact that things could go very wrong with it, intimidates me. Normally when I make the lemon pie, I sprinkle the top with brown sugar and then brulée it under the oven grill. The result is a fantastic caramel crisp top, which cracks beautifully to allow you to discover the softness of the lemon curd.

But I am a Daring baker and I had to get over my intimidation of the meringue. As we did last time, Hilda and I had planned to do this one together again. It was all set, however, Hilda unfortunately caught herself a nasty cold, which put her out for a few days. So, I rolled up my sleeves and decided to tackle this by myself.

On the whole, I found the pie easy to make. The details were very clear and I experienced no catastrophe while making it. Not even during the making of the meringue. Phew!

This months challenge requirements were simple. Jen wanted us to keep the flavor - lemon.

Allowed Modifications:

1. We could make either the pie or tartelettes
2. We could complement the pie with a sauce, like a raspberry or a white chocolate sauce.
3. We could use a piping bag to apply the meringue.
4. We were free to decorate the pie as we liked. Lemon zest or fruit were totally acceptable.
5. High altitude modifications were allowed as long as we stayed "true" to the recipe.
6. Conversion for certain dietary restrictions like gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan etc. was allowed.
7. Recipe ingredient exception allowed only if allergy or an ingredient not available or cost prohibitive in our region.

I made one larger pie and a few smaller tartelettes. I was not too happy with the crust. The one I normally make is a bit different and more flaky. This was more on the chewy side and it seemed to absorb the moisture from the curd very quickly. The crusts on my previous pies were not like that. The curd itself was great. Lemony, tangy and refreshing, I'll be keeping this recipe for sure. As for the meringue, well it did nothing for me really. Besides look nice, I kind of found it was simply in the way of the better stuff below. Although it did turn out wonderful, fluffy and airy I could not resist picking it off the pie to put it aside so that I could get to the more delicious curd.

So, come celebrate my 10th challenge with a wonderful lemon meringue pie.

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Lemon Meringue Pie
(from Wanda's Pie in the Sky by Wanda Beaver)

Ingredients
Printable version of recipe here

For the Crust:
175 g cold butter; cut into 1.2 cm pieces
250 g all-purpose flour
50 g granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
80 ml ice water

For the Filling:
475 ml water
200 g granulated sugar
60 g cornstarch
5 egg yolks, beaten
58 g butter
180 ml fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Meringue
5 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
150 g granulated sugar

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Method

To Make the Crust:
Make sure all ingredients are as cold as possible. Using a food processor or pastry cutter and a large bowl, combine the butter, flour, sugar and salt. Process or cut until the mixture resembles coarse meal and begins to clump together. Sprinkle with water, let rest 30 seconds and then either process very briefly or cut in with about 15 strokes of the pastry cutter, just until the dough begins to stick together and come away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and press together to form a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 20 minutes.

Allow the dough to warm slightly to room temperature if it is too hard to roll. On a lightly floured board (or countertop) roll the disk to a thickness of 1/8 inch (0.3 cm). Cut a circle about 2 inches (5 cm) larger than the pie plate and transfer the pastry into the plate by folding it in half or by rolling it onto the rolling pin. Turn the pastry under, leaving an edge that hangs over the plate about 1/2 inch (1.2 cm). Flute decoratively. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180ºC. Line the crust with foil and fill with metal pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Cool completely before filling.

To Make the Filling:
Bring the water to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan. Remove from the heat and let rest 5 minutes. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Add the mixture gradually to the hot water, whisking until completely incorporated. Return to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. The mixture will be very thick. Add about 1 cup (240 mL) of the hot mixture to the beaten egg yolks, whisking until smooth. Whisking vigorously, add the warmed yolks to the pot and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in butter until incorporated. Add the lemon juice, zest and vanilla, stirring until combined. Pour into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the surface, and cool to room temperature.

To Make the Meringue:
Preheat the oven to 190ºC. Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, beating until it forms stiff, glossy peaks. Pile onto the cooled pie, bringing the meringue all the way over to the edge of the crust to seal it completely. You can also use a piping bag to pipe the meringue onto the curd. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack. Serve within 6 hours to avoid a soggy crust.

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Verdict

I used chopped pistachio nuts to decorate the pie. I loved the contrast of the yellow lemon curd again the green/purple colors of the nuts. Although the crust was not much of a bringer, we loved the way the lemon curd tasted. Soeren liked the fluffy meringue on the pie too. He said they almost tasted like marshmallows. Tom and I were in the opinion that the meringue is a bit of an overkill for the pie.

Would I make this again?
We love our lemon pie. I will most probably use the lemon curd recipe here again, however I prefer the crust recipe I normally use, so I will be combining both the next time I make a lemon pie. As for the meringue - I came and I conquered - but it will be not a regular on my lemon pies.

What did I learn from this challenge?
That a crust can get so soggy so fast!!! The crusts for the tartelettes were ok and did not go from being crust to being mush as fast as the larger pie did. That was a bit disappointing. I learned that there are huge differences when making crusts - even if at first glance the recipes might look similar.

Jen thanks for this one. It was a nice easy paced challenge and one I enjoyed making. If you are looking for more refreshing lemon curd and sticky meringue, I suggest you visit the Daring Bakers Blogroll and browse through the 450+ lemon meringue pies across the blogesphere.

I would really like to recommend you to visit one particular fellow Daring Baker. It's her first challenge and she was a bit nervous making this. Shilpa, thanks for the sneak peak and your lemon meringue pie looks awesome. Well done on your first challenge.

Check out my previous challenges:
April 2007: Chocolate Crepe Cake
May 2007: Gâteau Saint-Honoré
June 2007: Real Honest Jewish Purists Bagels
July 2007: Strawberry Mirror Cake
August 2007: Chocolate Caramel Tart
September 2007: Sticky Cinnamon Buns
October 2007: Bostini Cream Pie
November 2007: Tender Potato Focaccia and Bread Rolls
December 2007: Bûche de Noël/Yule Log

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Technorati Tags: lemon,lemon meringue pie,lemon curd,Daring Baker,pie,tart,recipe,food,dessert,photography,Nikon D70s

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All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First

Photography: Liquid Comfort

It's Teatime - for Click & Still Life With

This month both Click and Still Life With... challenged us with a rather difficult theme.

Jai and Bee were looking for Liquid Comfort while Lara shouted out "Cheers!"

Personally, I have always found taking pictures of drinks rather difficult and very challenging. My collection of Drinks & Cocktails are nice but uneventful.

What I mean by that is that they are nice enough pictures but I personally find the WOW! factor missing in some of them. Yes, I am very ambitious and aim to improve myself with every effort I make. So, although I cursed under my breath when I read the themes for both my favorite photography workshops, I was nonetheless driven by my aspiration to do something a bit bolder and shoot motives I have not quite tried yet.

I have always found pictures of moving liquid very fascinating. My previous attempts were rather poor and I was not happy with them. This time I was determined to take more time, put more thought and effort into these shots.

It's Teatime above, was very challenging and if any of you saw me taking this shot they would have been down on the floor cracking up at the site of me. As I always shoot in natural light next to a large window where the light comes in from the right, I use a bounce to light up the left side. My bounce is a simple piece of white styropor which I hold in my left hand. My right hand is for clicking. For this shot I needed another hand to do the pouring!

After thinking about it for a while, I moved up a chair next to the table where my motive was positioned. I then taped my bounce to the back of the chair and positioned it in such a way that the light reflected directly onto my motive without me having to hold it, leaving my left hand to do the pouring. Phew!

After focusing and a test set of shots where I got used to pouring with my left hand and actually managing to get the tea in the cup, I was ready. The result was really fantastic. At least, I was happy with it.

Even though I am judging this round of Click, the challenging theme was something I needed to conquer.

Details

• Camera: Nikon D70s
• Lens: Nikkor 18-70mm
• Tripod: Bilora 1211
• Focal Length: 60.0mm
• Exposure Time: 1/80s
• Aperture: f/4.5

Liquid Red for Still Life With

Liquid Red is my second shot for Still Life With - Cheers. This was a fun shot as I got to play around a bit. As I did not have an open bottle of wine and was in no mood to open one at 10:00 AM in the morning, I simply used cranberry juice. I used a big wine glass, tilting it against a white colored egg cup. Can you see it in the picture?

In Photoshop I played around with it a bit, by rotating it in different angles. This shot I liked the best because it gives the impression that one is looking into the glass and the liquid is splashing onto one side.

What do you think?

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Technorati Tags: liquid, tea, wine, drink, cheers, photography, Click, SLW, Nikon D70s

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All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First

Chocolate Cranberry Tart

2008 is going to be a good year! That's what my dad promised me when I visited my parents in October.

It's not like 2007 was bad year, but it certainly will not go down as one of the best in my life. There were a lot of ups and downs and when 2007 bid farewell, there was not much of a love loss on my side. Yes, in a way I was glad it was over.

Counting down the last few seconds, I secretly wished that my dad's words would be heard from that higher force somewhere up there.

I lost my grandma in 2007 and that really put me down for several weeks. It jolted me out of my dreams and ideas I always have floating around in my head. It made me face the cold hard truth. And it was not one I liked. She never got a chance to meet Soeren and I carried that guilt around for ages. I still have it!

I had a hard time dealing with the loss and it made me change many things in my life. I decided to quit my job, to give my head time to think of what I want in life. The last few months have been good for me.

I feel a new positive energy getting stronger in me and that negative energy seems to be loosing the fight.

It also really does seem like 2008 will be a good year. There are signs at least.

Like in the second week of this month a friend, D. and I went to the movies to see the premiere of P.S. I Love You. The movie was showing at a CineLady special - targeted for ladies of course. So, we got glasses of free champagne and little snacks before the movie started and there was a raffle draw. I was just saying to D. that I never win anything, as in the very same second my seat number was called out!

I was baffled for a split second and the entire movie theater seemed to be waiting. I checked my seat number again and then timidly put my hand up. I did win - nothing big but still a sign. I won two free tickets to the next CineLady. And that is where my second sign came in. At least I believe it to be a sign.

I love Jane Austen. She is my heroine in many ways. I love her writing style, her characters and the way her stories take an unexpected turn. I have read all of her books, some even two or three times and so when the tickets I won was to go see the premiere of The Jane Austen Book Club, I just wondered if someone was trying to tell me a secret message.

Then there was the great fact that Liz Craine from Culinate contacted me and was interested in featuring me and my blog. I was stumped. This week Culinate is featuring What's For Lunch, Honey? You can read the article here. I am rather chuffed about it, especially since one of my pictures is also featured on their home page. I join a few other great bloggers, like Ilva and Pille, who have been featured in the past.

OK I know I could go on through this whole year looking for signs, but I am thinking positively because there have been other things that are showing me things will be good this year. Things that are have not matured yet for me to tell you. But I will in due time. But for now, I just wanted to let you know - my dad never breaks his promises.

This tart also does not break any promises. It's simply seductive in every way. There is rich and sweet chocolate and tangy cranberries infused with a slight hint of ginger, and with the creamy and smooth mascarpone, it promises to be addicting!

The tart is based on a recipe from Epicurious.com with a few slight modifications on my side. Hope you enjoy it!

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Reminder!



This month I want you to be caring, loving and comforting to yourself. I want you to make your favorite Comfort Foods and bring it along to my mingle. Look forward to seeing all there! Deadline is February 4th.








Eating fresh? Well share your fresh winter produce with us in the seasonal event Eat Fresh. Hope you join the fun!

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Ingredients
Printable version of recipe here



Cranberry Topping
120 ml cranberry juice - divided use
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
340 g fresh or frozen cranberries
150 g sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon peel - finely grated
1 teaspoon fresh ginger - peeled and grated
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons candied ginger - finely chopped

Crust
200-250 g chocolate cookies - finely ground in processor (I used simple butter chocolate cookies)
150 g plain milk chocolate - melted (I melted a Milka candy bar in the microwave)
50 g sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
90 g unsalted butter, melted

Mascarpone Filling
250 g mascarpone cheese
65 g powdered sugar
120 ml chilled whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Method



For cranberry topping
Pour half of the cranberry juice into a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over it. Let stand until softened, about 15 minutes.

Combine the rest of the cranberry juice, cranberries, sugar, lemon juice and peel, ginger and salt in medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Reduce heat to medium and simmer until cranberries become tender. Do not let them pop and make sure the remain plump, about 5 minutes. Strain into bowl and set the cranberries aside.

Add the gelatin mixture to the hot juice in bowl, stirring until gelatin dissolves. Stir the cranberries back into juice. Chill until cranberry mixture is cold and slightly thickened. This will take at least at least 8 hours or leave overnight. This mixture can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Stir chopped candied ginger into cranberry mixture.

For crust
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 200 degrees C. Combine chocolate cookie crumbs, sugar, and salt in medium bowl. Add 5 tablespoons melted butter and stir until crumbs feel moist when pressed together with fingertips, adding remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter if mixture is dry. Pour the melted chocolate into the crumbs mixture and stir to coat.

Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and up sides of tart pan. Bake chocolate crust for approx. 10 minutes until beginning to set and slightly crisp, pressing with spoon if crust puffs during baking. Transfer tart pan to rack and cool crust completely before filling. Place in the refrigerator for a few hours to allow the chocolate to set.

For mascarpone filling
Using electric mixer, beat all ingredients except ginger in medium bowl just until thick enough to spread. Do not over beat or mixture may curdle. Spread filling in cooled crust. Cover and chill overnight

Spoon cranberry mixture evenly over mascarpone filling. Chill at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours. Cut tart into wedges and serve cold, drizzled with chocolate sauce.

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Verdict



Sensational in every way. Crispy, chocolaty crust with a soft creamy cheese filling and the icing on the cake, literally, is the tart cranberry topping with a delicate flavor of ginger. This dessert really promises you everything you craved for. I promise ;-)

More promising desserts on WFLH:
Cantuccini Plum Cheesecake
Bostini Cream Pie
Panna Cotta with Blackberry Sauce
Chocolate Caramel Tart
Banana Brioche Pudding with Bailey's Caramel Cream


This is for this month's Sugar High Friday being hosted over at CandyRecapper with the interesting theme of Candy. My Milka chocolate bar in the crust helped make the crust crispier and chocolaty.

Latest Daily Tiffin Articles:

• Recipe: Oh Bananas
• Fitness: Be As Strong As Your Resolutions
• Cooking With Kids: Making your own Sushi Kit
• DT Exclusive: The Simple Life
• Tiffin Tuesday: Happy Egg
• DT Exclusive: Girls Are Mean

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Technorati Tags: chocolate, candy, tart, cranberries, dessert, mascarpone, cake, SHF, food, recipe, photography, Nikon d70s

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All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First

Say it with love!

Red Rose

I spent a part of last week taking lovely shots for a few cards for Valentine's Day. It was fun and now looking back, also kind of sweet. Just thinking that in a few weeks time Valentine's Day will be here really put me into a romantic mood, causing me to do all kinds of mushy things when Tom was around - no details, but I think he was wondering if I had done anything wrong and needed to make up for it LOL!


That's why I love Valentine's Day. Although it might be true that we do not need a special day to celebrate love and affection for our partner, I often find that when one has been in a partnership for so long - and we will be celebrating 10 years this September - the daily routine does take over a better part of our lives. Tom and I try often to break away from that routine and try to do something special on a few occasions but, I just love the idea of having a special day to celebrate being in love.

The day gives me reason to be mushy and sentimental and dress-up and eagerly wait till the doorbell rings and my prince is standing tall with a bunch of roses, ready to sweep me off into an elegant, glittering evening of fun and romance.

Even if it does not quite happen just like that the anticipation is a lot of fun.

So, this week as I was shooting my pictures, I was in the best of spirits and, as you probably can imagine, full of anticipation.


Boxed Love

My aim this year was to take shots for elegant cards. Designs that will make the person reading the card feel the anticipation of what is to come.

It was important to me that all these cards have a certain pure and elegant feel to them and I wanted the picture to express just the way one would feel. Be it a bold red colored rose, for those who know exactly what they want to say, Red Rose will be the perfect way to express those bold feelings.

Sometimes a picture says exactly what our heart feels. It's hard to let those feelings out to truly show the other the intensity of our affection or love. Boxed Love will motivate some to let those feelings out.


Caress

Pure and delicate, this card is one of my favorites. Just like a delicate budding rose our feelings need to be cared for and caressed. Caress will help others to find the right words for the right person.


White Rose

Finally, for those who would like to show those feelings with a pure and simple charm, White Rose is an elegant way to bring over the perfect message.

I hope I was able to fill you up with a bit of warm, mushy feelings and if you want to express them to someone special, maybe the one or the other card here will help you say those perfect words.

You'll also find several other motives and products in my gallery, so have a great time browsing through it.

Special Offer
Right now you can order any of the cards and get a 30% discount. This offer is applied to orders of one or more greeting cards or note cards and applies to the price of the product, not to shipping, taxes, and other charges. The coupon code LOVECARD2008 must be entered during checkout to receive the offer. Offer is valid from January 10, 2008 at 11:59pm PST through February 14, 2008 at 11:59pm PST. Your order must be placed during that time to qualify for this special promotional pricing offer.

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All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First

Roasted Vegetables on Garlic Bruschetta

Bruschetta [brusˈketːa] is most definitely my absolute all time favorite snack. I love making several variations of this wonderful and versatile Italian appetizer not only when guests are over but often I will whip some brushetta when Tom & I decide to have a movie evening.

Fact is however, my bruschetta is most popular amongst our game night friends.


Every now and then we have game nights, when friends come over and we all simply spend an evening playing boardgames, like Scrabble, Monopoly, Pictionary or, our favorite, Settlers of Catan. I love these evenings as they give me a deeper insight to many of my friends inner characters and personalities.

So, I have learned that a certain friend of mine, who almost always stays cool in every situation, can really blow the fuse when we play games. Or I see how a rather quiet friend mutates into the most talkative person one can imagine. Then there is the friend I always thought of as very rational, but when we play these games, boy even we women would consider him to be totally illogical ;-). Of course watching the partners bitch between themselves is always an added highlight. Oh we do have a blast on such evenings!

Food always plays a role on such evenings. It seems like we eat double the amount as we normally would, feeding our mental spirit and nervousness to a hopeful victory. Chips, chocolates and co. are often a part of the usual food repertoire served on these occasions. However, I do prefer offering more nutritious, tasty and filling snacks. Bruschetta almost always makes it to the list of snacks, when we are hosting game night.

Bruschetta has no ends to its creativity. You can just about use anything to top the bruschetta - simple tomatoes and basil or a more elegant crab meat variation, your imagination can go to almost any extents.

Normally, one would use a larger sourdough bread, however I have made bruschetta using several different types of bread - from pumpernickel to baguette. The basic bruschetta is simply bread that has been grilled, if possible on a charcoal grill, otherwise a grill pan or even your oven-grill is close to perfect. It is then rubbed with some fresh garlic and lightly drizzled with your best extra-virgin olive oil. This is the basis of your bruschetta so do not skimp on the quality of the olive oil or the ingredients you use. Nothing like using fresh vegetables and cheeses to make a super scrumptious bruschetta.

In my version I have used beautiful fresh vegetables from my CSA box, which were gently roasted in the oven, sprinkled with some herbs and lightly tossed in balsamic vinegar. The goat cheese is like the icing on a cake. It does not have to be - but it simply tastes divine when it is there.

One of the ingredients I used here was fennel, a vegetable I totally love.

Fennel



Fennel is the wonderful white or pale green bulbed vegetable with green stalks, which are topped with feathery green leaves. It is very popular in the Mediterranean cuisine, often associated with Italian cooking. Fennel adds a wonderfully refreshing and slightly sweet flavor to any dish and is so versatile that it can be prepared raw in a salad or sautéed in olive oil then tossed in some pasta, thrown into soup, but it tastes best when roasted.

The bulb, stalk, leaves and seeds of the Fennel are all edible. Fennel belongs to the Umbellifereae family and is therefore closely related to parsley, carrots, dill and coriander.

The aromatic taste of fennel is very is unique and strikingly reminiscent of licorice and anise. It is often mistakenly referred to as anise in the marketplace. Fennel's texture is similar to that of celery, having a crunchy and striated texture.

Health Benefits
The seeds, leaves, and roots of the fennel have been used as medicinal agents as far back as ancient China. Used for congestion, conjunctivitis, stimulating appetite - which, by the way, is why most Italians serve fennel as an appetizer, and increases the flow of breast milk. It has also been used to treat colic in infants. Fennel also serves as prevention against muscle spasms and helps to relieve gas and an upset stomach.

Fennel seed is used for treating digestive problems such as bloating. Fennel syrup is used for the upper respiratory tract. Externally, the oil eases muscular and rheumatic pains. Fennel and its juice contain some valuable properties. The nutrients are similar to those in celery, which belong to the same family, but it is the essential oil that promotes relief for an upset stomach. It is also used for cancer patients after radiation and chemotherapy treatments to help rebuild the digestive system.

As you can see, the fennel herb has a variety of medicinal properties and adding fennel to your dietary program will help you to promote good health. While fennel has long been associated with Italian cuisine, it has now become one herb growing in popularity across many cultures.

Selecting & Storing
Look for good quality fennel with bulbs that are clean, firm and solid, without signs of splitting, bruising or spotting. The bulbs should be whitish or pale green in color. The stalks should be relatively straight and closely superimposed around the bulb and should not stray out to the sides too much. Both the stalks and the leaves should be light green in color. Make sure that there are no signs of flowering buds as this indicates that the vegetable is past maturity. Fresh fennel has a fragrant aroma, smelling subtly of licorice or anise. You will find fennel in season from autumn through early spring.

Fresh fennel should be stored in the refrigerator crisper. Here it should keep fresh for about four days. However, it is advisable to consume fennel soon after purchase since as it ages, it tends to gradually lose its flavor. Although fresh fennel can be frozen after first being blanched, it does seem to lose a lot of its flavor during this process, therefore I would not recommend it. Dried fennel seeds should be stored in an airtight container in a cool and dry location where they should keep for about six months. Stored in the refrigerator they will last longer.

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Ingredients
Printable version of recipe here



A few slices of your favorite bread - I used a baguette here because I wanted to use it up. You can also use a ciabatta for this.
1-2 garlic cloves
1/2 fennel bulb - cut into pieces, approx. 2.5 cm
1/2 yellow bell pepper - cut into pieces, approx. 2.5 cm
1 green bell pepper - cut into pieces, approx. 2.5 cm
1/2 zucchini - cut in half and then sliced
120 g herb flavored goat cheese
Handful of basil leaves - finely chopped
1 teaspoon oregano
Olive oil
Few splashes of balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

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Method



Basic Bruschetta
Cut large bread slices in half. The slices should be approx. 1 cm thick. If you are using baguette, like I did, simply cut in half to give you two open faced sides. Then cut them in smaller pieces.

On a charcoal grill or using your grill pan, roast the bread slices on both sides. You can also use the grill function of your oven to do this.

Cut the garlic cloves in half and rub each slice generously with it, then drizzle with some olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.

Brushetta Topping
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C.

Toss the vegetables with the basil, oregano and a good drizzle of olive oil. Season to taste. Spread the vegetables out on a baking tray and bake for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are a wonderful caramel color.

Take out and allow to cool. Finely chop the vegetable mixture - you can use your kitchen machine for this but I prefer using my sharp knife. It should not be too mushy but still easy enough to spread on the toasted bread. Splash a bit of balsamic vinegar and mix well.

Spread the vegetable mixture over the pre-prepared toasted bread slices. Tear off some pieces of the goats cheese and place on top of the vegetables.

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Verdict

Cannot get better than this. Crispy, garlicky bread smothered in fresh roasted vegetables topped off with soft creamy cheese - here you are experiencing the full flavors of each ingredient. Perfect for any night!

More Snack Ideas:
Pesto Spirals
Caramelized Vegetable Tart
Fritatta with Fennel and Zucchini
Italian Oven Vegetables
Potato Cakes with Smoked Salmon


I am taking this over to Mansi's great Game Night Party. As I made plenty I would also like to share these with Sunita for her Think Spice event. This month she chose Garlic. Sunita, finally I get the chance to be a part of your wonderful event.

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Technorati Tags: snacks, bruschetta, Italian, fennel, vegetables, vegetarian, appetizer, recipe, food, photography, nikon d70s

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All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First

Eat Fresh - Wonderful Winter

Winter brings in wonderful fresh bounties of great, colorful and interesting vegetables in my CSA box or at my Farmer's Market. Root veggies are in right now. Parsnips, beetroot, turnips or pumpkins and sweet potatoes are all being used up in my kitchen to prepare some great meals.

Ever since I mentioned the quality seal in my recent About Me page, I have been receiving many emails asking me what exactly comes in my CSA box each week.


So, I thought I would do something special. I am sharing with you a typical week of certain types of fruit and vegetables I get from my local CSA organization.

I am lucky to have a fantastic local CSA organization that take special care in their products. They are very transparent and offer a wide range of not just vegetables, but also fruit, diary products, meats, breads and other items from local, regional and national farmers. They also have European organic farmers in their organization for fruit and vegetables that are not typically grown in Germany. Immersatt.de allows me to choose between several different types of boxes.

We get the usual "guess what's going to be in the CSA box" box, where one does not know what will be in the box until it arrives. Then we also can choose a box specially put together for pregnant or nursing women these boxes have specific vegetables that are nutritious, omitting produce that are not allowed during this time. Then finally we have the box that you put together yourself. This is what I go for each week. I have a few items that I get delivered each week, like eggs, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, pears and apples. Then I choose other produce that I require in the week depending on what I want to cook. This week, I additionally had beetroot, pumpkin and sweet potatoes all to make a few great dishes.

I figured if there were so many people interested in my fresh produce just think how cool it would be to see what others have in their weekly baskets. I am very nosy and wanted to know so, I decided to make an event of it!

Eat Fresh - Wonderful Winter

This will be a seasonal event and will take place 4 times a year - once for every season.

Here is what I want you to do: simply take a photograph of your weekly fresh produce. It could be your CSA box, your Farmer's market basket or even your grocery bag. Let us see what's in season in your part of the world. Imagine what lovely fruit and vegetables Cynthia would find at her Farmer's Market over in Barbados or Joey in the Philippines. So you see I am hoping to create a wide and diverse list of fresh produce from all over the world.

How you can enter this event: once you have written your post simply send me an email. I do not want anything in the email - no link to the post, no pictures NOTHING! All I want is your email address and in the subject of your email enter "EAT FRESH - Wonderful Winter". Once I have your email address, you will be invited to collaborate on a Google spreadsheet document I created for this event. When you receive the invitation, log into the document and fill in the fields as specified. It's pretty basic stuff and you all should have no trouble with it. Do not forget to save the document before you leave it. Please link back to this page and/or use the Eat Fresh logo you see here.

Send in your mails to: blogmeeta@gmail.com

That's it.

Updated: Deadline is now March 31st!

You will easily be able to keep tabs on the list by clicking Eat Fresh - Wonderful Winter. This will also be available for easy reference on the sidebar in the events section.

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Technorati Tags: Eat Fresh, produce, CSA, organic, fruit, vegetables, diary, seasonal, local, Farmer's Market, food

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All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First

Drop In & Decorate Roundup & MM 17

It often takes a person with a big heart to do something for others, the much more needy. My mum often told us, when we were growing up and were "wanting" or "needing" or "could not live without" this or that because one or the other friend of ours had it, we should look to those below us instead of above us. By saying "below" she was not segregating anyone into a cast or level - she chose those words carefully to make an impact on us. It was her way of showing us that there are times when we should look at those who are less fortunate, but are happy and other times we should be inspired by those who are well off and set our goals accordingly.

It always worked. We stopped whining and re-organized our priorities.

I did not realize it was so hard to teach such lessons until now. As a parent myself, I am horrified when my son seems unhappy with a certain gift or thinks he deserves something just for being good. So, I have started to teach him a few of those lessons.

Twice a year we collect food for our Food Drive and bring it to the people there. Last year the entire school got involved and parents and kids collected canned food, pasta and other food stuff for two weeks. Just before Christmas we donated everything we collected to our local food drive.

Drop In & Decorate was another opportunity for us to do something for those who need it more than us. Not only that but our own cookies baking session was so much fun that we are planning to do it more often. It encouraged me to dedicate a whole Monthly Mingle for this.

It was a cosy mingle this time, with seven people joining in on this wonderful event. I thank you all for your kindness and big hearts.

Before we get into the roundup let's see what I have in store for you this mingle.

Monthly Mingle January 2008 - Comfort Foods


After all the big fancy meals we have been eating the last few months, wouldn't it be simply great to go back to the simple, undressed-up charms of comfort foods? I keep finding myself creating simpler foods right now. Food that hugs me from the inside out!

It's the type of food that picks us up when we are down, warms us when we are feeling lost and cold and blurs out the bad mood. The first mouthful takes us straight back to the familiar, the good; to the time when all was well. That is what I am looking for this month. Your very favorite comfort foods. Comfort food is not to be confused with favorite foods though. Favorite foods are more fancier like a lemon tart, mousse au chocolat or a Chateaubriand steak. Comfort foods are often simple, no frills and easy to prepare kind of foods. So, do something good for yourself and bring over your Comfort Foods to my mingle this month.

Here's how it works:

1. Create a dish that fits this theme. Blog about it anytime from now till February 4, 2008.
2. Email your entry with
   • your name
   • the name of your blog
   • name of dish
   • your permalink
   by February 4th, 2008.
3. In the subject field of your email please state "Monthly Mingle - Comfort Foods"
4. In your post please include a link to this post and/or the MM logo, so your readers get a chance to mingle with us.
5. Please send only one entry per blog. If you do not have a blog, simply email your entry, with a picture (if you would like me to add a picture) to meetasmingle@gmail.com.
6. Although it's great to get entries from all over the world I have to insist that they be in English. If you have a Blog in another language I would kindly like to request you to post your entries in English as well.

Please make note of the new email address for the Monthly Mingle!

I'd like to remind those taking part to please check these guidelines carefully and when you send your emails to make sure all the required details are included. Also please check the permalinks you are sending and take a note of the deadline. You will find a comprehensive guideline and event etiquettes for event participation here.


And now the lovely Drop In & Decorate roundup!

1. Half Baked - Drop In & Decorate Party
2. Foodies Hope - Festive Cookies
3. Tartelette - Sugar Cookies for a Good Cause
4. Saucy In The Kitchen - Gingerbread Cookies
5. Dine and Dish - Strawberry Valentine Cookies
6. Spice and Curry - Carrot Cheddar Cheese Cookies
7. What's For Lunch, Honey? - Lime Kisses

If I've missed your submission, please forgive me! Just send me an email and I'll be glad to update the roundup. If you too have had a cookie party and you would like to share it with us add it to the comments section of this post.

See you all next month!

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All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First

Pain Crevettes: Fancy Words For Shrimp Sandwich

Being grown up does have it's perks! There is no one to tell you to clean up your room, be back by 11 or eat up those veggies. You decide what you want to do and when you want to do it.

Take sandwiches for instance. I love sandwiches and could really eat a sandwich for each meal in the day - without having a guilty conscious. My hot (I do not know if he is hot but he sure writes like he is one hot dude!) friend over at Blood Sugar recently called it Man’s most incredible culinary creations, which I totally agreed with. However, while Graeme's very manly sandwich contained manly ingredients like tomato and ham and of course Chinese leaf, I decided to make a woman's sandwich.

Is this the war of the sandwiches? No, it certainly is not! It intrigued me to see the ingredients used by Graeme. You see I can swear to you that when Tom makes us sandwiches, he too will almost always go for the ham, tomato and lettuce combination, although hats off to Graeme for using that Chines leaf. When I make the sandwiches I am using ingredients like avocados, tuna, shrimp, rocket leaves and goats cheese. I have nothing against ham, lettuce and tomato, I actually love a good HLT sandwich. That is not the point here - the question that I had in my head was:

Do men make different sandwiches then women?

I never came up with the answer - so I will leave the question here for you to discuss and debate.
What do you think?
What is your favorite type of sandwich?

Graeme also asked us if we were so weird that we would eat a sandwich for lunch, dinner AND breakfast! Well I guess I belong in that weird category. And as I am all grown up now, I can choose to do so without feeling bad about it. Yes, it certainly is liberating to be an adult. So gimme that sandwich - man or woman!

The sandwich I am sharing here is one that we all really enjoy. Most of the ingredients come fresh from the Farmer's market or my CSA box. I often make it for a quick lunch for myself or a light dinner for all three of us, varying a few of the ingredients for a different combination of flavors. This one has lovely steamed shrimps, cucumbers and tomatoes with an added bite of rocket leaves and radish.

One does not really need instructions to make a sandwich but often it helps to have it written down so that it can be re-created. So, I hope you all enjoy it!

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Ingredients
Printable version of recipe here



200g steamed shrimps
Juice of half a lime.
2 rustic baguette rolls
1/2 cucumber - sliced
2 small tomatoes - sliced
Handful of radishes - sliced
Large handful of rocket leaves
100g Herb flavored quark or sour cream
Salt and fresh cracked pepper

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Method



Cut open the baguette using a sharp knife. Spread a thin layer of the quark or sour cream on both sides of the baguette. On one side of the baguette, arrange a few rocket leaves, tomato, cucumber and radish slices. Toss the shrimps in some lime juice. Scatter a good helping of the shrimps on the baguette and then add a dollop of the quark or sour cream. Sprinkle with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Close the sandwich with the other half. Gently press down.

Serve immediately otherwise it will get soggy.

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Verdict


Sandwiches rule - whether made by a man or a woman. No doubt about that. This one is always a pleasure because it combines the shrimps and crunchy cucumber with the sharpness of the radish and the herby rocket leaves making each bite a flavorful experience.

From The Archives
Garlic Shrimp & Eggs on Bagel
Calzone's Super Veg Sandwich
Pitta Parantha Fusion
Cheese Quesadillas with Two Salsas

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Technorati Tags: Sandwich, Bread, Shrimp, Rocket, Tomato, Cucumber, Radish, Food, Recipe, Photography, Nikon D70s

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All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First

Lime Kisses

It's what I think I will call these wonderfully tangy sandwich cookies. Calling them macarons is too scary. It was my first attempt to make such Parisian pastry. But I think I did not do 100% justice for them to be actually called macarons. So I'll be going back to the drawing board or in this case the whisk and the whites to have a few more goes.



In the meantime thought I would tell you about a fantastic little get together we had just a few days before Christmas.

Ever since Soeren started pre-school at the International School in August, I have had the pleasure of meeting and making friends with a wonderful woman - A. Her daugther, J., is in Soeren's class and we see each other often outside of school. She runs a home for physically and mentally abused children. The home is actually a kind of a farm with horses, goats, rabbits, hens and other animals. It's a wonderful place for children from all kinds of backgrounds and we have had the great opportunity to meet a few of the caretakers that work there.

One day when we were all sitting down in their huge kitchen with some of the children and the caretakers I mentioned Lydia's fantastic cause where people get together, bake and decorate cookies and then donate them - Drop In & Decorate. As I was explaining this to them a light bulb seemed to go on in my brain. At the same time I saw A.'s eyes light up.

We both had the same idea. Wouldn't it be great to get the all the kids together and have such an event right there in the home?

The kids loved the idea and soon we were planning the best day, looking up recipes for cookies and making shopping lists. We decided to go for Lydia's Sugar Cookies and her great and easy Royal Icing. These were simple enough and would be fun to make.

Once again I really have to point out what a gift these fantastic caretakers have. They were so comforting, loving and amazingly cool. Some of the coolness rubbed off on me too and with a kitchen-load of 8 kids and 4 adults we set out to bake out own Drop In An Decorate cookies.

We made an impressive batch of cookies and each one was proud of the part they played. We were well organized and followed the tips and tricks I had written a little earlier in the month about Baking with the family on The Daily Tiffin. It really made things easier.

In the end the idea was for these lovely kids to keep the cookies for themselves and for those who were to be going back to their parents over Christmas they were to give them the cookies as a gift. But these kids, as hard a life as some of them have had, were incredible. They all decided to take the cookies to the children's ward at the hospital and donate them to the children suffering from many serious illnesses.

It was incredible to see smiles on all the kids. Soeren and J. were estatic at the thought of being a part of this. Somehow I felt proud of Soeren for simply taking part in the event. The kids at the home were excited to be the ones actually doing good for others, who they thought needed it more. The kids in the hospital - well they were simply over-joyed at not only recieving sweet and beautiful treats but also to have a whole lot of kids to play with for an afternoon.

Pictures? No, I kept my camera in the bag. Somehow I felt this was simply a moment to enjoy without having the stress of taking pictures. I think it might have also tensed up things if I had taken my camera out and started taking pictures. It was a quiet and lovely time we enjoyed.

Hope you all come back here on the weekend to check out all the other great Drop In & Decorate sessions that were happening all over the world as part of the latest Monthly Mingle event.

In the meantime I share with you some delicious and zesty lime kisses. A fantastic combination of crunchy shells, while being moist and chewy on the inside and the zangy lime buttercream filling that finally rounds up a wonderful macaron-like experience. Kisses - not macarons! From me to you!

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Ingredients
Printable version of recipe here



35g almonds - skinned and finely grounded
1 1/2 organic limes
2 eggs
Pinch of salt
170g fine sugar
50g butter
25g confectioner's sugar

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Method



Pre-heat oven to 120 degrees C. Line a baking tray with some baking paper.

Wash the limes with hot water and finely grate the peel. Squeeze the juice out of the 1/2 lime.

Beat the egg whites with the salt untile stiff, then slowly add the sugar. Beat until glossy peaks have formed. Carefully fold in the almond powder and the zest of 1 lime.

Fill the mixture into piping bags with a plain tip and pipe out small circular dots on the baking tray.

Bake in the oven for 60 mins, making sure they do not brown. Bake the baisers until crispy. Allow to cool.

In the meantime whisk together the confectioner's sugar with the butter until a thick, smooth and creamy mixture is formed. Add in the remaining lime zest and 2-3 tablespoons of lime juice.

Assemble the cookies by spreading the lime buttercream on the bottom of a baiser and then close with a second. Gently press together.

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Verdict



These were refreshing treats. Tangy, zesty and simply delicious. Leaving them for a day gave the aromas the chance to infuse well and created a softer and chewier cookie. These were very different to the other type of cookies we baked simply because of the wonderful fruity flavors.

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Technorati Tags: photography, cookies, macarons, lime, almond, nikon d70s, sweet, bake

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All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Albrecht unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First

Hey Dude - This Blog Clicks!

A Greener Shade of Purple

Finally I get to adorn my blog with one of these awesome badges. I am totally exhilarated! "A Greener Shade of Purple" was my entry to December's theme Nuts.

It not only got me going nutty over several different types of nuts but it also got my backside moving to finally put together a fantastic Nutology I have been meaning to do for ages now.

There were several fantastic entries, the gracious judges probably had a tough time choosing the winners. In the end I was honored to have secured third place for the category "Spectra". Out of all three categories this is my favorite one and whenever I am not judging (this was the first time - LOL!) this is what I aim for.

The judging for SPECTRA is based on:
Composition: Aesthetics and production values
Craft: Technical merit
Communication: Overall Impact

I thank all the judges for your efforts and of course all my readers who constantly motivate me.

Click in January takes on a rather challenging theme of Liquid. I along with a few rockin bloggers will be judging. So get your cameras out and start clicking - deadline is January 20.

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Technorati Tags: photography, click, nuts, pistachio, green, nikon d70s

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All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Albrecht unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First

Allow me to introduce ...

Photo: Daniela Müller

... myself!

Welcome to my official about page for What's For Lunch, Honey?. I launched this blog in 2006, and it transformed into a vital platform connecting me with like-minded bloggers. At that time, food blogging was still a niche endeavour. Through this blog, I discovered the art of photography and styling, becoming a self-taught photographer. Over the past two decades, my blog has been instrumental in shaping my journey as a food photographer and stylist. I am passionate about capturing visual narratives and creating vibrant, uplifting imagery that showcases the beauty and emotional bonds of real food. When I'm not behind the lens, I’m on an adventure, discovering my next favorite dish or fulfilling my wanderlust. "What's for lunch, Honey?" was a powerful catalyst that shaped my journey as a teacher and mentor. Over the past 18 years, I've had the privilege of organizing bespoke workshops and retreats around the globe, while also offering comprehensive individual online courses.

Who am I?

Meeta - a name given with love by my dad! I was born during a beautiful summer day in 1972 in Bombay, India, practically delivered in a hotel that became the backdrop of my father’s life and career, infusing me with the essence of hospitality. This vibrant hotel lifestyle opened doors to the world, allowing me to immerse myself in diverse cultures, learn various languages, and embark on countless adventures.

Following my father's footsteps, I pursued Hotel Management with a focus on Marketing and Guest Relations, and trained in one of the world’s finest luxury hotels in Doha, Qatar. It was there that my love for food blossomed, igniting a spark that continues to fuel my journey.

Now settled in Germany with my wonderful husband Thomas and Soeren, my delightful son of 5 6 7 11 16 23! years, I have charted a course away from hotels. My career led me through advertising, architecture, design, and software firms, a journey that unfolded in unexpected yet enriching ways.

Residing in Weimar, I finally feel grounded, having discovered a true home. Yet, the wanderlust within me still whispers, urging me to explore where life may lead next.

My love for photography has always been present, but it blossomed through my blog, unveiling the captivating realm of Foodography. This transformative experience has allowed me to capture moments that tell stories, inviting others to feel the vibrancy of each scene and savor the essence of the experience. I invite you to join me on this journey and see if I am succeeding!

What's with the Food Blog?

Arriving in Germany, I found myself yearning for the tastes of home—the earthy warmth of Indian curries, the vibrant mosaic of Arabic spreads. Each dish was more than mere sustenance; it was a vessel of memory, a thread connecting me to my heritage. This longing ignited a passion within me, transforming simple nostalgia into a profound journey of culinary exploration.

Delving into food history became my obsession. With each recipe recreated from my grandmother’s notes, my mother’s whispered instructions, and the treasured wisdom of countless “aunties,” I wasn’t just cooking. I was preserving stories. I began to play with ingredients, layering flavors until each bite tingled with discovery. I wanted to share not just recipes, but that moment of delight when taste transcends the ordinary.

What began as a private digital kitchen, a quiet space where family could gather virtually, soon grew into something more. Encouraged by those closest to me, I opened the doors to the world. What’s For Lunch, Honey? was born.

Today, this humble blog cradles over 800 recipes. It is a tapestry of tradition, experimentation, and invention. From cherished classics to bold new creations, each dish carries a piece of my journey. Over two decades, this space has blossomed beyond anything I once imagined. Every award, every mention, every photograph published, and every word written has been a quiet triumph. It is a testament to how passion, when shared, can find its place in the world.

In February 2009 Times Online UK selected What's For Lunch, Honey? as one of the World's Top 50 Best Food Blogs.

Yup - you bet I feel good about that one!

What's with the name?

Photo: Daniela Müller

The name has a simple, spontaneous story behind it. I created the blog in just a few minutes, almost without thinking. At the time, I had something baking in the oven, and as my two boys wandered into the kitchen asking, “What’s for lunch?” it clicked. That simple question felt perfect. It was honest, everyday, and full of warmth. Right then, I knew it would be the name.

My first post now seems wonderfully naive. But like being thrown into deep water, I learned to swim quickly, and on my own. Back then, I had no idea so many food blogs existed across the globe. Discovering this world was like uncovering a hidden community. It has since given me so much: friendship, support, motivation, and genuine joy. For that, I am deeply and continually thankful.

What’s For Lunch, Honey? has become far more than a place to share thoughts, experiments, or musings. It has grown into a creative platform where I’ve developed my true passion: food photography and styling. My favorite days are spent in the kitchen, tinkering with a recipe I’ve been dreaming up. Then I carefully plan a photoshoot to capture the dish in just the right light.

Through this space, I strive to share that passion and preserve these moments. I do this for myself to look back on, and for anyone who visits. And in the process, I’m still learning something new almost every day. I hope I never stop.

Quality Seal

Naturally, the heart of this blog is food. For me, the journey to good food begins by knowing exactly where it comes from. The quality of my ingredients matters deeply. Most of the fresh produce, dairy, meat, and other fresh products I use are organic or fair trade. This commitment is part of a larger philosophy: to be mindful of the environment I live in today and the one I will leave for my child.

Of course, sensibility is equally important. I believe in sourcing regional and seasonal products that honor both the earth and the budget. Cooking with ingredients that are thoughtfully chosen makes every moment in the kitchen more meaningful and worthwhile.

Several posts, regularly include a section about a specific product, which takes a closer look at the product from a health and nutrition point of view and gives helpful tips on selecting and storing. You will find many fresh products in my Ingredient and Food Know-Hows category.

Recipes

Every recipe you find here is assembled with love, care, and deep passion. My sources are wonderfully varied: a clipping from a newspaper, a page in a magazine, a cookbook passed down, a whisper from my grandmother, a tip from a friend, or sparks of my own imagination. Inspiration comes from everywhere.

I never copy a recipe word for word. Most of the time, I adapt, adjust, and refine until it feels like my own. When I prepare a dish from a cookbook or an online source, I always credit the original, recommending the book or linking back with gratitude.

These recipes are posted with thought and time, and my tweaks often reflect our family's tastes. Still, if something in a recipe doesn't seem quite right to you, please let me know. I will gladly look into it and appreciate your note.

Posting & Commenting

Maintaining a blog is rewarding work, but it is not without effort. Each post follows a careful process, from photographing a dish (often after it has been safely tucked away from hungry family members) to writing and polishing the final words. By the time a post is ready—usually after a few focused hours—I feel a true sense of accomplishment.

Your comments are invaluable to me. They are my most meaningful feedback and help me understand what resonates with you. I read every single one, though I can't always reply individually. When possible, I respond to comments in thoughtful clusters, usually within a day or two of publishing.

I welcome respectful discussion and differing viewpoints, and I do not delete comments simply because I disagree. However, I do not tolerate personal attacks, insults, rudeness, or promotional content. Such comments will be removed.

Please stand behind your words by commenting with your name. Anonymous comments are not welcome here. This space is built on openness and respect, and I ask that you engage accordingly.

Thank you for being part of this community, for your thoughtful feedback, and for sharing in this journey with me.

Reviews & Advertising

I want to be fully transparent with you about the recommendations I share here. If I ever mention a product, ingredient, or cookbook, it is because I genuinely believe in it and have chosen to use it myself. Every recommendation comes from a place of honest experience, not from paid partnerships.

In the past, I accepted products and cookbooks for review from publishers. I remain an honest and straightforward person—my reviews will always reflect my genuine opinion, whether positive or otherwise.

You may have noticed that there are no longer any advertisements or affiliate links on this site. I have chosen to remove them all. I now cover all the costs of the blog myself to preserve its integrity and keep your experience focused entirely on the content.

My commitment is and always has been to share what I truly love, to inspire with authenticity, and to keep this space genuine. Thank you for being here.

Copyright/Photography

All content on this blog—including text, photographs, and recipes—is created by me and is protected under copyright law. All rights are reserved unless otherwise stated.

If you would like to share or republish any portion of my work, please contact me first for permission. You may not use my content for commercial purposes, alter it in any way, or reproduce it without my explicit consent.

This applies especially to my photography. The images on this site are not free to use, republish, or redistribute in any form, whether for personal or commercial projects. A simple email to request permission will prevent potential legal issues and is the respectful way to engage with my work.

You are welcome to share my posts on social media using the provided share buttons or by sharing a link directly to the blog post. When doing so, please do not screenshot or download my photos to repost—instead, use the original link so proper attribution remains intact. Republishing full posts or recipes on other websites, even with credit, is not permitted without prior written agreement.

I am open to collaboration and licensing opportunities. For inquiries, please email me at meeta@whatsforlunchhoney.net.

Thank you for honoring the creativity and effort that goes into what I share here.

Beyond the Blog: Food Photographer, Educator and Visual Storyteller

While this blog is my creative home, my work extends far beyond these pages. I am a freelance food and lifestyle photographer available for commissioned shoots, commercial projects, brand collaborations, and editorial assignments. With a distinctive eye for light, composition, and narrative, I specialize in creating images that are not only beautiful but purposeful—whether for cookbooks, branding, restaurants, or products.

In addition to commissioned work, I license a curated selection of my images for stock and commercial use. My photography archive includes thousands of professional food, travel, and lifestyle images—both those seen here and many more from my personal portfolio. If you are looking for authentic, storytelling visuals, I invite you to browse my available work or request a custom curation.

Some of my work can be viewed in my portfoilio.

Sharing Knowledge Through Teaching and Mentorship

My passion for photography is matched by my commitment to teaching it. I offer tailored photography workshops, online courses, and one-on-one mentoring for individuals and businesses. Whether you’re a beginner wanting to master your camera, a food entrepreneur looking to elevate your brand imagery, or a restaurant team wishing to improve your social media visuals—I create personalized learning experiences to meet your goals.

I currently offer:

• One-on-One Mentoring – Personalized coaching sessions designed around your specific needs and creative goals. Learn more here.
• The Refresher Course – A focused 4-hour workshop to sharpen your skills and refine your visual style. Explore the details.
• Custom Workshops and Corporate Training – Tailored sessions for teams, brands, and hospitality groups focused on food styling, photography, and visual storytelling for digital platforms.

I welcome inquiries about photography commissions, image licensing, teaching engagements, or custom workshops. Each project begins with a conversation to understand your vision and needs.

For rates, portfolio samples, or to discuss a collaboration, please contact me directly at:

meeta@whatsforlunchhoney.net

I look forward to hearing from you and exploring how we can bring your visual story to life.

*Please note that this post is subject to additions and changes as it grows and develops.

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All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2026 Meeta Albrecht unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First