One fine day, I was reading a newspaper article on blogs, when a thought crossed my mind-why don't I start writing my own blog.Express my thoughts..share it with the world and make new friends. I toyed with the idea for long and almost forgot about it for sometime.Laziness could be accountable for this.. (head hanging in shame).
For the benefit of my new readers; I dabble in quite a few things in life--adventure sports like bungy and sky diving, travelling, trekking, painting,craft work,playing my guitar,singing, gardening, reading (I may be called a book-worm), writing my heart out, capturing nature through my lens etc etc. So I had to zero in on one thing, for starters. However,I decided on something new that I had started doing--cooking!
I have never really visited a kitchen other than mine own (after marriage), except ofcourse when the frantic cries of my mum demanding that I help her in the kitchen and her constantly reminding me that I could not feed my husband and in-laws (in the future) solely on the know-how of making Maggi/instant noodles; did I ever set foot (read 'dragging my feet') inside the kitchen. So after marriage it was mostly experimentation...(and whatever little knowledge I had gained while helping mum) in my kitchen...my lab...and my hub,my lab-rat. (Pardon me Darling!)
When I started cooking ,quite surprisingly I found joy in it... revving up dishes for my dear hubby and watching him enjoy those dishes were worth all the effort I put. So I started challenging myself and making things he liked or were his favourites...any dish..any cuisine..any drink! This desire went onto a different level altogether after a couple of months...and I decided to share my passion and new found joys with the rest of the world...hence the blog Zaayeka.It means 'taste'...the taste of life!
This post goes out to all who helped me when I was starting out this blog. Although I am still fairly new (just over two months old) and taking baby steps, I think I have learned to crawl on my own. I would especially like to mention a few friends who were patient and kind enough to bear with my no-tech knowledge self and guide me through.
Sudeshna (Here I Cook), Deeba (Passionate About Baking) and Arundhuti (Gourmet Affair) are few of them, who literally held my hand. There are others who encouraged me, stood by my side, awarded my efforts and complimented me, I would always be thankful to them. A need to mention those lovely souls who followed me, subscribed my blog, my readers....the very reason this blog is what it is today. Guys you know I am indebted to you!
Hope I keep getting the love and support and I promise to give back ten times more ! :D
I would also like to thank those who have been kind enough to award me-Sudeshna, Andhra Flavours and Usha.
Food Buzz accepted me on its roll...an honour! Jenn had been kind.
On another note- Are any of you having trouble with my blog page loading taking quite some time, or you are unable to comment as its showing some error message. Do let me know please!
I ask because I have made some HTML chnages like disabling the right click option, with all the blog-lifting thats happening around ( a few friends who have suffered), I want to be safe than sorry!
To celebrate the beautiful friendships I made Blueberry and Papaya Syllabub today.
'Syllabub is a traditional English dessert, popular from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century. It is usually made from rich milk or cream seasoned with sugar and lightly curdled with wine or cider.'
Blueberry and Papaya Syllabub
Ingredients-
1/4 cup washed blueberries
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbsp dessert wine ( I used a dash of citrus infused vodka)
1/3 cup caster sugar (depending on the level of tartness u want with the blueberries)
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
1/2 cup cubed/diced ripe papayas
Method-
Combine the sour cream, wine/alcohol, sugar, lemon rind and blueberries in a bowl. Whisk well.
Place half the diced papayas in a serving glass and spoon over half the blueberry syllabub. Continue layering with remaining papaya and syllabub. Serve chilled.
I am sharing this sweet syllabub, which was inspired/transpired while chatting with an English friend now residing in Georgia, so off it goes to Ruth (of Ruth's Kitchen Experiment) for her ongoing Bookmarked Recipes.
