Recap ~ Best of 2012

I am back to do one of my favorite round up, Best of year 2012. It's wonderful to catch up with what the bloggers have been doing the year that passed, be it either the delicious recipes, beautiful presentation with drool worthy pictures. One major aspect of food blogging that has grown tenfold, would be the quality of pictures that are been shared. Gone are days when one takes forever to learn about great pictures. The blogs that have sprung during the recent times, have great pictures and you can loose yourself in the way they appeal to you.

It's been a tradition doing this event, where I get to read the wonderful experience bloggers who send in their recap.

First to send in was Champa, my wonderful friend from Versatile Kitchen. Seeing her recap, I almost thought she a year long bakeathon! She highlights those recipes that were popular in each of the month. And the list is great list of recipes that you can surely attempt! I could see many that I can bookmark.

Then you have Usha from Veg Inspiration, contemplating on the year that passed away quite quickly. I had the same feeling as well. Though I remembered and thought of making the best of each day as it passed, the days flew. Though her blogging had been sporadic, nevertheless she has made up her mind to be more regular. Looking forward to her blogging more!

Another blogger whose recap I eagerly look forward is Graziana from Erbe in cucina. She always makes sure she sends in her recap. She does a very pretty collage of all the dishes/posts that she did over the year. If you are interested in gardening, this is one blog you should surely check out.

Next was from Rajani, my BM member. As I always enjoy her BM Posts, this was no less. She is witty and humorous and the humour comes across effortless. Reading her posts I always think why I don't write so witty. Read on to know what she was doing the year that went by, with pretty pictures that brighten the post so well..

Another blogger who never misses doing a recap for me, is Priyanka of Asan Khana. She is one happy person seeing all her resolutions for the year 2012 were met. Now I wish I could say the same..:)

Pavani sends in her collection of beautiful pictures and posts that made it to the top last year. Her pictures always makes me want to grab them right off the screen. It was wonderful reading her post and looking at those delicious pictures again.

For a person who started during January of last year, Preeti has surely come a long way in terms of the number of recipes.. She has actively been participating in many blogospere events. She comes up with a variety of dishes for a person who is still in college!

Another person who never misses to be part of this event, is Jaya of Spice and Curry. She just manages to do a recap, which listed some very pretty pictures. I surely want to try some of them myself.

Next comes a wonderful account from PJ, who gives such a detail account on how each post were received. It's always good to check out a blog that's very versatile in so many recipes.

And finally from me, my own collection of dishes and emotions that played high during the year that went by. I hope I get to do much more this year in terms of learning and doing things different.

I hope you enjoyed reading all the entries. Do take time to drop in a word at their spaces!

Tried & Tasted Event Round up ~ My Diverse Kitchen

When I choose Aparna's My Diverse Kitchen for Tried & Tasted, all I thought were those beautiful pictures she puts up for each dish of hers. Seriously I never looked beyond those pictures as they were very tempting on themselves. I will drool drool, thinking I should get back checking on the recipe soon to make. But that time never came.

So I grabbed the first chance I got and wanted to try from her diverse collection of recipes. Can you actually believe excepting couple of them, all entries were different! And needless to say her baked list topped the chart!

Not only was I happy knowing I was right in selecting her blog, from far and wide everybody conveyed they were happy trying from her blog. Wow, I was sure so elated over that.

I would like to thank Lakshmi for this wonderful opportunity, and Zlamushka for having thought of this lovely event to celebrate the oneness of being in a community!

More than anything else, I would like to thank Aparna for having created such an excellent space for so many people to learn and admire. Your work is truly commendable, and the feeling that many expressed while writing about each one they tried can only be felt by reading each of them again. I strongly recommend each entry to be read in leisure, for each one share a story, of joy that comes from cooking to please their dear ones.

****************************************************************

Before I get on with other entries, I want to mention one special person who made this round up very special. I feel very happy saying not only is she a wonderful blogger, a lovely person whom I had the fortune to meet and know more personally. It was a pleasure knowing her family too. More than anything else I envy their gardener and driver who get to partake all the yummy food she dishes out..:) And she is a god sent in helping me for ICC. Almost every other month I turn to her for trying out a recipe before I announce for the members. So Lataji, thank you very much for being the person you are!

She completely floored not only me, but Aparna too by trying not one, but 12 dishes and dedicating a day for cooking from breakfast to dinner all from Aparna's blog! 

Her rendezvous in Aparna's Kitches ended up with her making Vellayaappam & Mixed Vegetable Stew for Breakfast.

Then for lunch a thali that has Keerai MulagootalTomato Rasam, Varatharaitcha Vendakkai Sambhar & Vendakkai Vathakkinathu

For evening tea, a delicious looking Vanilla yo yo Biscuits. Followed by a dinner of Laadi Pav with Bhaji


With these not enough she takes on a tour from goa to ghana to try some lipsmacking Pear and Raisin Chutney & Spicy Tomato Jam


Finally with a sweet note Lataji ends this by making Parippu Pradhaman from Aparna! Phew!

***************************************************************

Aparna Mallya had many reasons not to miss trying something from Aparna's MDK. Not only they share a name, she gets many tips and tricks on baking from Aparna. Though she had many in mind, she finally settled to bake this beautiful Whole Wheat Garlic Rosemary Crescent

When Danny saw the beautiful Baked Namakpare at Aparna, she was all for it. And she got the perfect amount just for her and her husband.

Another baking lover I know personally is of course Divya Kudua, she sends not one, but three

lovely bakes from Aparna - a Shortbread Cookies Bundt Cake last but not the least an Onion and Paneer Calzone

Which by the way caught another fancy, this time Jayasri who makes Onion and Paneer Calzone from Aparna's

I loved what Jayasri had to say, "Another day another recipe from her kitchen to mine", wow that is really inspiring to read that her kids simply loved the dishes she made from Aparna, including this

Savoury Spring Onion Paneer Rolls that she made from this creation

Usha Nandini says she has three reasons to love this Eggless Condensed Milk Cake after trying from Aparna, I am sure when you read you will say the same too!

Then we have Priya Srinivasan rushing in excited that she finally made it to the round by maing a Eggless Chocolate Chips and Banana Squares from Aparna's Eggless Chocolate Chips and Banana Squares

Another blogger to whom I am eternally thankful is Priya Suresh. The energy this lady has is unbelivable! She sends in a Anza Biscuits, a No knead Bread, finally a Potato Focaccia from Aparna's Anza Biscuits , No knead yeasted Banana Cardamom Bread & Potato Focaccia Pugliese

Browsing through Aparna's site, motivates Sangeetha to bake something right away. So it is no wonder she ended up baking this simple yet rich mava cake!

Satya has bookmarked many wonderful recipes from Aparna. So this event gave her the perfect chance to try some. This Jumbo Pistachio Cookies were just too awesome! and those tempting Laadi pav to name some!

I had fun reading what Suma says about "see now and try next moment", that is - to be precise before her lil one gets back home! So she was excited trying from Aparna whose blog Suma simply loves..So these Confetti Cupcakes are perfect example of how sweet things turn out!

Then we have a simple Baked Apple chips from Swapna who got hooked to it seeing it on Aparna's place!

It was heart rendering reading how things change for each of us over years. And Sweatha so sweetly mentions each of them who had motivated her in the path of baking and what not! I am sure if she had time, she would have sent many more. On the whole I immensely enjoyed reading through her Shortbread Squares, those Hearty Banoffee Cupcakes and finally beautiful ButterFlaps And Aparna's each of them make you drool too! Check out her Banoffee Cupcakes, Coffee Chocolate Shortbread Squares and finally her beautiful ButterFlaps. I was so hooked to this that I even went back to the original post and read Cynthia's story!

***************************************************************

Then we have to wonderful dips one from Jayasri a Marinara Sauce that she made along with the Calzone.

Then PJ sends in the Kothamalli Podi that she tried from Aparna . Checking her site, PJ was stumped in deciding which one to make, But as she was in a hurry she had to settle to this south indian special!

******************************************************************

Clap Clap Clap guys for we have a first timer! Not only is this blogger passionate about blogs, she fantasises about reading them! My, this is a serious sign of evolving as an addited blogger. Well I don't have to talk about dianogsis to this Doc. But she sure is hilarious in writing how she assumed her last TEN days were enough to make exortic dishes from Aparna, finally on the last minute forced to make a Ribboned Finger Sandwiches! Which also proved to be rough and tough for her, but she managed it beautifully! Char, wish you will participate in many more events..:))

For Divya Kudua it was a case of memories flooding at her when she saw this Pesarattu and knew she had to recreate it at home. Her picture perfect is a proof she enjoyed it all the way!

Mujadara, what? Well thats exactly what I asked when I checked in Jay's entry and agreed it sounded very exotic

Then we have Jayasri making another Fusilli With Roasted Red Pepper And Tomato Sauce from Aparna, I am sure her kids enjoyed this one pot meal!

Another wholesome meal comes from Pavani who makes these delicious Misi Roti

Finally comes a Curried Pasta from Priya Mitharwal. She was only sad she couldn't attempt at all the other bookmarked recipes from a diverse kitchen!

**************************************************

Finally some specials from Aparna's South Indian spread!

Bhagyashri sums everything so neatly when she talks about the diversity she found in Aparna's blog. She feels that Aparna ensured she made sure the blog name lived upto expectation by dishing out such a variety! The Parippu Vadai she tried from Aparna, sure goes a long way to the traditional palakkad iyer recipe!

Then comes a Erisseri from Usha Nandini, who says she loves visiting Aparna.

I was ROFL when I read Nive's statement that she has bookmarked the entire blog itself for baking! What a fantastic feedback. Nive saw fasinating and inspiring ideas for baking but she is still taking baby steps in that arena. So for now she settles down for a Spicy Baby Potatoes with Sesame, then ended up making a Chickpea and Cabbage dry Sabji from Aparna knowing she never tried a cabbage with chickpea!

Then finally I tried Beans Mulagootal with Parippu Thogayal from Aparna, I even wanted to capture the Beans Mulagootal in that exact angle, but it wasn't as near pretty as the original. Now when the taste was great, why should I worry about my picture!

************************************************************
I remembered the time when Aparna posted this Cabbage Payasam, so I wasn't surprised when Shobana says she was literally off the chair reading it! Being an ardent fan of this blog, she knew she had to send in at least one! Well I would have been happy in getting many too..:) But yeah she said no unsuspecting person would ever guess what it is made from, for the delicious taste it rendered!

Now this was one dish I surely wanted to make for a long time, I am sure I will make one of these days. But I was so glad that it made it to the roundup! Vidhya Arvind made these Neiyappam for tiffin and enjoyed.

***********************************************************

Update:

Not only was Jayasri in a hurry to cook so many from Aparna's, I was in a hurry that I completely failed to check out the entries again. So sorry Jayasri, how can I not accept your entries when you took so much efforts!

Seeing that Aparna has a lovely pickle and a korma made with Green Tomato, Jayasri had to make them. And it becomes easy as she has her own garden. How lovely!

The Green Tomato Pickle and Green Tomato Khorma looks so delicious, I am sure these are hard to miss! She made a pickle, and when she found some excess, she had to make that kurma too!

Eggless Red Velvet Cupcakes that she adapted from Aparna, talks of a cake that can stop traffic. Read on the story to know what it means!

Thank you Jayasri for taking time even in your busy schedule to cook so many wonderful dishes from your favorite blogger..:)..means a lot!

***************************************************************

I had absolutely great time reading through all the entries and again reading through Aparna's. Thank you everybody for sending across such lovely dishes. Now I am seriously planning to bake those bookmarked ones for sure. If I have missed out any entry, please accept my apologies and let me know. I will update it right away!

Want to know about the next edition? Well Ria is hot on a Sindhi Rasoi, yep my dear friend Alka takes the hot seat, I am sure everybody is going to enjoy a Sindhi feast at home!