Fall is one of the special times of the year. The vibrant colors, the sparkling sun (which is very very soothing after the the burning summer sun of Texas), the light breeze with an occasional nip which reminds you that winter is not far away but at the same time makes you breathe in and soak up the warmth of the daylight, that sudden rustle you hear that gathers up all the fallen leaves to a heap at the corner – it is like the nature is whispering and planning to make everything around look and feel beautiful!
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Update: (June 13th, 2009) – This was one of the winner recipes in the Pasta Sauce contest sponsored by Foodbuzz & Buitoni! (Read about it).

Thanks to the Foodbuzz’s Tastemaker program that I got these awesome Buitoni’s Wild Mushroom Agnolotti delivered to me.  These are “generously filled with fresh portobello & crimini mushrooms, imported Grana Padana & Parmesan Cheeses & fresh roasted garlic.” Actually I cannot wait to buy more of these! I am not usually a big fan of filled pastas, but this did beat anything around. These were just delightful, bursting with the earthy tones of mushrooms & garlic. The mushrooms  & the roasted garlic were really some serious business here, &  unbelievably delicious. I could just eat them boiled.

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This dessert is an adaptation of some pretty well known names..  Mousse,  Panna Cotta & the Shrikhand. It is light like a mousse, creamy like a panna cotta & flavored like a shrikhand with the ingredient here being the yogurt. I love mousse & panna cottas but if I really think about making those my everyday desserts, I have to think twice. All the eggs & cream that goes in there do not suit my kind of life style… & my sense of reason & guilt overpowers the desire to enjoy.

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Rich in  history, flavors & sensational tastes, Moroccan cuisine is one of the most exotic food in the world. The recipes are simple and easy to prepare. Even the everyday salads and vegetables take on an immediate exotic flavor when it comes Moroccan recipes and cuisine.

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Last week I was at the bookstore, just browsing & I came across this Book called “Fresh Moroccan” by Nada Saleh. I immediately got drawn to the beautiful picture of a heap of Saffron on the cover of the book. I started looking through it, & my heart refused to come back home without the book. So I listened to my heart & bought it home…Having cooked Moroccan food before, I knew I was not going regret buying this. It is a wonderful book – full of colors of the food & culture, with equally colorful, healthy & easy to cook recipes.

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This is one special recipe I learnt to make this from a very dear friend of mine. Once during a friends meet my dear friend F walked in with a big bowl of something so aromatic that I immediately uncovered to see that it  this beautiful orangish yellow cream speckled with green & white nuts was. She smiled & said “It’s Firni, & the color is the color of Saffron“! I wanted to skip food & dive in to  this right away…. But we waited & waited till dinner was over…finally when we did get to have this I was totally floored, needless to say Firni was the star of the evening… it tasted divine. Thank you so much dear one for introducing this to me, for this is one of our top favorites now.

Firni is a kind of Rice Pudding, made with Powdered Rice. It is similar to what we call “kheer” or “payasam” in India, but unlike Kheer/Payasam, it does not use whole rice grains. Firni is flavored with lots of Saffron & Cardamom & adorned with a lot of Nuts & sometimes Dry fruits too.

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Or A Non Traditional Shrikhand …

Shrikhand is a delightful Indian sweet dish (esp. In the Western Region of India) made with strained creamy yogurt,  often with fruit pulps or pieces of fruits added to it. Saffron, Cardamom & Sugar are used  to enhance the taste & flavor. It is very easy to make, with very little ingredients, most of which one would always have at home. Here is some information from Wiki…

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Are we ready to go back to healthy eating after all those cakes, cookies & holiday dinners? I am. I have indulged, baked a lot & my clothes are not too happy with how they fit:-) So how about a bowl full of soup? no not bland… the soup which spells flavor & sensations! Bursting with sense awakening taste with every spoonful…I am talking about Harira… The Traditional Moroccan Soup usually served during the month of Ramadan to break the fast. It is also served during any special celebrations like weddings. Usually lamb or beef is added to the soup, but it can be done without meat too.

Well it does not have to be eaten for an ocassion… it can be savored anytime, for it does taste really really good. It is a dish by itself, as it contains all the wholesome goodness of lentils, chickpeas, vegetables, rice or pasta & above all tantalizing spices & herbs… the taste & aroma which is hard to forget & make you crave for more.

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And a Sweet Little Incident… Here it goes:

The other day we were going out for dinner. For once there was some peace in the car. The 2 kids were not fighting, each of them busy doing thier own things. I noticed that my 2 year old had been looking out of the window for quite sometime, when she cried out ”the moon, the moon! mama the moon is broken. Someone broke the moon…” She was definitely very upset about it. A few days back she had seen an enormous orange full moon, and now all of a sudden it was just a  slice. I wish I had an as imaginative an explaination as her beautiful mind. Later on she herself figured that the cloud must have bitten a piece out of it, since the cloud is the only thing that can reach it!!

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This is a refreshing drink as good as a dessert. Try it as a healthy & nutritious breakfast drink too.

Ingredients:

1. 8 Almonds soaked overnight and peeled.
   

   Almonds

2. 4/5 strands of saffron
3. 1 teaspoon honey & 1 teaspoon sugar ( can be substituted for all honey OR all sugar)
4. 5 oz fat free milk
5. Seeds of one small green cardamom (crack the cardamom open and take out the seeds from inside)
6. 1/2 cup ice

Preparation:

Soak the saffron threads in the milk for about 15 minutes to release the color and flavor.

Add all ingredients including the milk and saffron in the blender and blend till frothy.

Note: The longer the saffron soaks, you will get a light yellowish color.

Enjoy!