Caramel Peach Upside-Down Cake

Upside down cakes are my weakness.

Especially the pineapple ones. For upside down cakes, sliced fruits along with a sugary syrup is placed on the bottom of the cake pan before the cake batter is poured in. Once the baking is done, the cake is inverted so that the fruit side comes on the top. The plus point is that you can eat the cake without any icing or frosting. You may also serve it with a dollop of ice cream or cool whip, but the cake itself tastes great with the caramel fruity topping.

This was my first attempt with peaches. I followed the recipe from Food Network Kitchens(linked below) with slight variations. You may visit the link for the exact recipe. But here are the variations I made:

1) I didn’t use corn syrup. I added an extra tbsp of water for caramelizing, and after I spread the caramel on the buttered pan, I sprinkled a tbsp of molasses. The recipe says to add corn syrup to the sugar. But I wasn't sure of adding molasses to the sugar before caramelizing.

2) I didn’t have allspice berries. Instead of that I added powdered cinnamon and nutmeg.

3) Instead of old fashioned grits, I used the quick cooking kind.

4) And the recipe says you do not have to peel the peaches. I peeled them.

The verdict: The cake was a tad gritty. The recipe has grits, so maybe that’s how it is supposed to taste like. But it was not a problem at all. Just a little difference in the texture from the cakes we usually make. That’s it.

And yes, the leftovers make a yummy breakfast!

For AFAM:Peaches hosted by Mansi Desai of Fun and Food.

Recipe Courtesy: Food Network

Asparagus Bhaji/Pakora (Spicy Asparagus Fritters)

Bhaji aka Pakora is a spicy Indian snack usually made with vegetables. The vegetables are first coated with a spiced besan/gram flour batter and then deep fried until golden brown.

To make asparagus bhaji, cut asparagus(take as many as you want) into bite size pieces.

Make the batter. I don't measure anything when I make the bhaji batter. So here is the approximate measurements of ingredients.

Besan/Gram Flour - 1/2 cup
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp, optional
Asafoetida - a pinch (or use a tsp of ground garlic)
Salt - to taste
Some people also add a little rice flour to the batter.

Mix all these together with just enough water. The batter should have a consistency of thick idli batter.

Heat up oil for deep frying. Dip asparagus pieces in the batter and add it to the hot oil one by one. Fry a little at a time without overcrowding the pan. Fry until golden brown and drain on paper towels.

Serve hot with your favorite dip.

When my camera met Mr.Egg!

Bullseye is a term my mom uses for an egg cracked directly into a hot pan and cooked until just done. And seasoned with salt and pepper of course. One quick and simple way to eat an egg. Egg is partially cooked in this type of preparation. Since I am afraid of consuming raw eggs, I would cover the pan and cook a little more.

Here I am adding some natural color, flavor, and nutrition to the good old bullseye. Enjoy!

Heat up oil in a very small pan, preferably cast iron pan. Add a tbsp of onion slices and seasoning salt. Cook it for a couple of minutes. Then add a handful of chopped bell peppers. Use different colors to make it colorful. Continue cooking for a couple of minutes more.

Then move the peppers to the sides of the pan and make some room in the middle. Crack egg into this place. Sprinkle salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle some cheddar cheese and chopped parsley.

Cover and cook on a low flame until the egg is done, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve hot.

Some eggs are posing..........

She had this weird look when she saw me photographing eggs! But she agreed to model for me.

And she was delighted when I let her play with a raw egg as a reward for modeling! I managed to get it back from her right before she squished it. Phew!

I am going to send the first picture(the one with 3 eggs in the red background) to Jugalbandi's brand new event- Click. Any objections? :)