[ The inheritance of loss ] BANG!! I lost 25 kilograms in nine months, and I am proud of it. Finally, I have come close to my goal and I can write about my journey of losing my most precious possession, my weight. The weight that I have very happily gained, eating pizzas and bowl full of rice with endless jars of pickles, café lattes, trying out pasta recipes, drowning me in a tub of ice-cream and complaining of looking like a lopsided dead pig as my sister puts it. Twelve years back, I was just this weight I am…
[ Beat the heat ] I called my friends over for a dinner before Ramzan (Ramadan). Due to the heat everyone wanted easy cool food. I made some salads, which will be featured in Bangla Hues pretty soon. But today, I will give you the Strawberry ice-cream recipe, I did for them. Well, you can call it fro-yo, ice-cream or even a cooler. It has essentially 3 main ingredients. However you can always improvise. I added two magic ingredients to make it more textured and balanced. All you need is some frozen strawberries, rich creamy Greek yogurt and condense milk.…
[ Energy steam ] After the longest interval I am back. I was busy with many personal and professional projects. Moreover wasn’t motivated enough for the blog. However, I feel as the summer has officially set in, I have many ideas, DIYs, recipes and fun things to share. So here I am, back to where I belong. This year is supposed to be one of the hottest years in the history of the world. It is crazy hot in Dhaka right now, the air contains 96% humidity. Hair, skin and overall health has gone all bonkers. We need to be…
[ Steaming goodness ] Two years back, during my sons’s activity project I had to learn making Bhapa Pitha. For a strange reason I always thought making Pitha (Bangladeshi desserts) is tough. Now that I can make an entire cake and decorate it too, I know making pitha can be tiresome but never impossible. Hence these days I make pitha at home, and don’t drive my mother in law crazy to make pithas for me. Bhapa Pitha is perhaps the most famous pitha. It is essentially a rice cake filled with molsasses and coconut. But I don’t like coconut in…
Winter is almost here, and now you will be needing to fight the cold. Minor cold and flu relating to season change will make your life miserable. It is always better to stay safe, however if you get cold you always have a way out. Aromatherapy works wonder in opening stuffy nose. If you have cold or runny stuffy nose take help from your aromatherapy alchemy and beat the cold instantly. Eucalyptus, peppermint, lemon and tea tree are the best for nasal blockage. It the cirtrus aroma helps to boost energy to your system and peppermint helps to cools the…
[ The glamorous Pav ] Watching chefs make pavlova on screen always made me want to eat. I am not foond of sweets much, hence never tried it. Few days back I invited my cousins and wanted to cook unusual food. Thus, I set my mind on Pavlova. The reason is a) it adds glamour and b) I am sick of cake. I followed Nigella Lawson’s recipe with my twist. This recipe can feed up to 5 to 6 people comfortably. Beating the egg white is a tricky thing. Remember to keep the utensils grease free for meringue to stiffen…
[ Grilled Chicken Salad ] This salad is one of my staple lunches. I like it, as it is easy, it has crunch, right balance of citrus and my favourite grilled chicken. Readers, this is the second issue of my 10 episode salad recipe. I am on a diet, and this seems to be a perfect fit for my lunch or dinner. Only time consuming factor is the preparation of the chicken. Take one piece of chicken breast, marinade well with one tea spoon Worcestershire sauce, one tea spoon lemon juice, salt, pepper and 1/2 tea spoon ginger pulp. Best…
[ A fresh look ] I was meaning to revamp my bedroom look for the last few months. Suddenly last week, being little whimsical as I always am, got new bedroom accessories and redecorated the bedroom. As Eid is just around the corner, I thought of get the ball rolling. Few months back I bought a second hand antique dressing table. Something I yearned for all my life. Detailed, handcrafted wooden dressing table in leaf green now adorns my bedroom. The mix of old and new created a stunning balance and I love every minute I spend in the room.…
This easy Ovaltine cake is a rich, malty loaf made in one bowl, ready in about 40 minutes and perfect with afternoon tea. I have recently realised that I cannot live without cake. Cake is not merely a dessert to me; it is a mood, a fragrance, a small domestic ceremony. I thrive on baking cake, eating cake and, most of all, breathing in the warm smell of a freshly baked cake as it fills the kitchen. I started baking because I loved eating cake. Now that baking is my business, the relationship has become slightly unfair: I bake more…
[ Orange blossom ] Do you like Orange? I love Orange juice, the fruit itself including the peels. Raised eyebrows? Well, I can explain. Orange peels are a great source for vitamin c, and in my family we have a secret recipe of mashed orange peels to be eaten with rice. Apart from this I like Orange peel for one another reason. I use it on my face as a pack. The fresh citrus smell is so energizing that I wish I could use it everyday. I pair it with oats. Though oats and orange peel pack sounds very easy…
