T&T - Tastes Like Home (Round-Up)

Hey everyone :-)

Last week, my lovely tiny miny blog turned 1 :-) Today, I am turning 26. Tompa took me to London, where we have been celebrating ever since. I am having a great time! However, similarly to my last post, this one is not about me neither. It is about you, but fore mostly about Cynthia of Tastes Like Home - our Blog Of The Month in Tried And Tasted.

I am very excited to share all the entries I received with you. Guessing from all the entries, it has been a busy month for you guys, running around kitchen throwing in a bit of Caribbean tang. I myself have had a lot of fun re-creating few of her delicious dishes. So here is the moment, when Cynthia is surely quite anxious to hear:

HOW TASTY IS TASTES LIKE HOME?

Well, well, well ;-) .....

Generally speaking, Cynthia´s blog is an absolute feast and not only for one´s eyes. Each and every participant commented not only on its picturesqueness, but equally on flavors, aromas, colors, freshness, .... in one word beauty, that only reflects author´s personality.

Let us have a little look at statistics:

Number of participants: 29
Number of recipes tried: 32
Number of entries: 45

And now let us see who was responsible for all this:

Firstly, let us have a look at the winners...

1. Flaked Roti - the most popular dish that has been re-created by 5 bloggers. Following Cynthia´s step-by-step detailed slide show, even kids can make these and as only flour and water is needed, everyone can afford them. We were all amazed, eh? Peek at our lovely flatbreads, from our kitchens to yours - by Asha of Aroma, Margot of Coffee and Vanilla, Kittie of Kittens In The Kitchen, humble me Zlamushka´s Spicy Kitchen and our very first non-blogger Shundel, a true Cynthia´s fan: "Being a native of Guyana like Cynthia it warms my heart and makes my mouth salivate each week I visit her page". For this event, she made 36 rotis, can you believe that? And only one survived :-)

2. Peanut Punch - another reader´s favorite. Despite several complains from lovely Cynthia about her porridge nightmare in her childhood, her recipe for this filling drink was definitely a digg-in. Uma of Essence of Andhra, Jai and Bee of Jugalbandi and Lyra of Rice And Beans ... all three (or four, Jai ?) were on the top of the happy hill with this one.

3. Coconut-Cilantro Rice - another reader´s favorite gaining the best reviews. A lady with a lovely name Pintoo of Zaayka, Srivalli of Cooking 4 All Seasons and my most favorite Ayi Christine of Kitschow were equally impressed by the surprising taste of this simple fresh combination.

...followed by the delicious rest:

* Snacks And Appetizers *

4. Channa - a simple snack reminding Cynthia of her childhood has been a great inspiration to Jen of Real Good Taste and Deeba of Passionate About Baking.

5. Parmesan Crisps - party time! Cynthia announces. Everyone grab your aprons and get cooking. Cheesy crispy munches.... no wonder TBC of The Budding Cook did not have to be asked twice.6.Dhal Puri - lovely lentil flatbread, a great breakfast, snack, side dish or ,... pretty much on any occasion you can imagine yourself. Margot of Coffee And Vanilla shall tell you more.

7. Cheese Wafers - adored by Lisa of Vegetarian Kitchen. Crispy, soft, warm, slightly crumbly - a magnificent treat, in Lisa´s own words. On the very last day, Nirmala of Amma´s Special showed up with another batch of these lovely treats. Better late than never, eh?

8. Cheese Scones - I just realised that a few entries ended up in my junk box. What a shame, I almost did not notice. Fortunately I did and I am proud to present these gorgeous love-scones baked by Namratha of Finger-Licking Food.

* Main Courses *

9. Egg Curry - a fantastic hearty lunch idea straight from Margot´s Coffee And Vanilla, flavored with Cynthia´s home-made curry paste (below) and a bit of potatoes.


10. Spinach Channa - a wonderful combo of spicy spinach and salty chickpeas. I at Zlamushka´s Spicy Kitchen enjoyed this soft and crunchy light dry curry with some roti and white wine.

11. Chicken Curry - talking about side dishes? Well, what with them? Visit Margot of Coffee and Vanilla, she has made a whole feast of Caribbean food.

12. Baked Eggs - this lovely baked omelette fascinated Happy Cook of My Kitchen Treasures so much, her daughter was scrapping the last bits until clean. How cute :-)

13. Eggplant Channa - a lovely fusion with heaps of fresh European herbs. I at Zlamushka´s Spicy Kitchen even took it a step further, adding a splash of wine while sautéing the chickpeas and a few drops of Worcestershire sauce at the end.

14. Fried Salt Fish - an absolute favorite of Kittie of Kittens In The Kitchen. In her own words: "...deeply spicy, lovely chunks of salt cod simmered in tomatoes and onions. And a spoonful of scotch bonnet sauce (below), of course."

15. Eggplant Paneer - another one of my favorite dishes featuring my favorite vegetable. I at Zlamushka´s Spicy Kitchen used tofu instead of paneer, added some cumin powder and was left speechless. Tofu was packed with flavor and coated with fresh herbs.

* Salad *

16. Buljol - a wonderfully refreshing salt fish salad bursting with flavors of raw onions, bell peppers and tomatoes. Kittie of Kittens In The Kitchen, has once again created a gorgeous looking must-try.

* Side Dishes *

17. Cook-up Rice - a new keeper of Arundathi of My Food Blog who has discovered this traditional Guyanese dish and made it already twice. I am sure she will not hesitate to make it again. Glenna of A Fridge Full Of Food has toyed with the original recipe and ended up with a whole dinner feast.

18. Potato Choka - has also not been forgotten. While Jan of What Do I Want To Cook Today? stayed true to the recipe, Pintoo of Zaayka has been very creative with this one by adding Pepper Jack Cheese, creating a satisfactory fusion dinner.

19. Guyanese Bakes - wonderful deep-fried dough, a great accompaniment to curries and stews. Kittie of Kittens In The Kitchen has enjoyed a whole pile of them.

* Pastes And Relishes *

20. Curry Paste - there is nothing as warming as a spoonful of a nice homey spice curry raising from a small jar of home-made curry paste. Ask Margot of Coffee And Vanilla for more details.

21. Tamarind Relish - a wonderfully sour, sweet, fruity, juicy, spicy and refreshing, a lovely Caribbean chutney happily enjoyed by Nupur of One Hot Stove, and myself at Zlamushka´s Spicy Kitchen.

22. Eggplant Choka - Choka is referred to the actual method of making the dish. Basically a choka is roasting, pounding and grinding an ingredient till the consistency is just right. Meeta of What´s For Lunch Honey? made the one with her favorite veggie.

23. Tomato Choka - re-created by Namratha of Finger-Licking food. A wonderful relish to any rice or curry dish. The simplest she has ever made, yet packed with flavor. Those are my favorite - real deals!

24. Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce - a naughty fiery spice-kick that will definitely get your nose runny and eyes watery, another favorite of Kittie from Kittens In The Kitchen. I am yet to make this little diablo sauce ;-)

25. Souree Sour - innovated by Indosungod of Daily Musings by adding mango instead of souree, a picturesque post accompanied with a few green tips to tickle everyone´s eco-awareness.

* Desserts *

26. Shortbread Coconut Cookies - fancy something sweet? Lots to choose from. Stop by over at Aparna´s Diverse Kitchen and indulge yourself. cannot you smell them already? So smooth, soft, chewy....

27. Coconut Ice Cream - ...I hope catches your fancy. It certainly did, for Aparna has once more invited her taste buds to Carribean and re-created this gorgeous snow-white wonder.

28. Salara - This extremely shiny rolled bread cannot flee anyone´s attention. Laavanya of Cookery Corner went crazy with the filling, added raisins to the original recipe, resulting into a festive eye-catching juicy roulade.

29. Cassava Balls - a completely new cooking experience for Sangeeth of Art of Cooking Indian Food., who has thanks to Cynthia discovered the goodness of cassava.

30. Chinese Mooncakes - I have been longing to make these gorgeous treats for ages. After my trip back from London I ended up with a lovely cake mould, but it was not until a peek into Tastes Like Home, Zlamushka´s Spicy Kitchen proudly presented it´s first batch.

31. Rice Pudding - this time with raspberry sauce has been re-created by Gloria of Canela´s Kitchen Recipes. Additionally, she suggests different serving ways, making this lovely dessert more versatile.

* Drinks *

32. Cinnamon-Bay Leaf Tea - A wonderful marriage of aromas transferred into your favorite cup. Meera of Enjoy World Food can only underline its great taste.

Thank you everyone for participating, this has been a great month. I really hope you had fun exploring fellow blogger´s cooking skills and will continue cooking with us in June as well.

And now Cynthia - I am happy to stamp your blog, here is one, just for you :-) Thank you so much for volunteering. You have been a great laboratory rat ;-)