Black & White Wednesdays # 158 Gallery

My thanks to Cinzia of CindyStar who currently administers  one of my favourite events online, the  Black and White Wednesdays. Created by the very talented Susan, The Well Seasoned Cook. Tiffin Carrier Antic/que's! hosted the BWW #158 event. Here are the lovely vignettes captured in the timeless shades of black and white.

Black and White Wednesday # 158

Entries



Three sets of Orange Pekoe Tea

 Lata Raja, the immensely talented lady behind Flavours and Tastes sends in the of three sets of Orange Pekoe Tea.



Painted Pony Beans

Black and White Wednesday # 158 : Puli Inji / Kerala Tamarind Chutney

Tamarind Pods for Puli Inji/ Tamarind Chutney for BWW #158

 

Thank you! to Cinzia who blogs at Cindystar and Susan, The Well Seasoned Cook. Tiffin Carrier Antic/que's! is honoured to host the Black and White Wednesday # 158.

 

This goes to the Black and White Wednesday #158 hosted here.

Puli Inji/ Tamarind Chutney

 

Traditional Valluvanad Puli Inji/ Traditional Valluvanad Tamarind Chutney

 

Hosting Black and White Wednesday # 158

Tiffin Carrier Antic/que's is honored to host the current gallery of  the Black and White Wednesdays event. Created by Susan, The Well Seasoned Cook and currently administered by Cinzia of Cindystar Blog.

 

Black and White Wednesdays # 158

 

 

Please send entries from your blog posted from today, February 18, 2015 - March 3, 2015.

 

Email entries to tiffincarrieranticques AT gmail DOT com with the following details:

• Your Name
• Name of your Blog
• URL of Blog post
• Approximately 500 x 700 px photograph with title as attachment.

Further details about BWW participation can be accessed here.

I will receive entries until midnight Eastern Standard Time-US of Tuesday, March 3, 2015. 

BWW #158 Gallery will be posted on March 4, 2015.

 

Onam Sadya Vibhavangal : Pazham Nurukku / Jaggery Stewed Plantains

Part of the traditional Onam Sadya/ Onam Feast

This goes to the Black and White Wednesdays # 142 . Created by The Well Seasoned Cook managed  and hosted this week by Cindystar.

Figs...

This goes to the Black and White Wednesdays Black and White Wednesdays # 141.

Created by and hosted this week by The Well Seasoned Cook, managed now by the Cinzia of Cindystar.

Surrealism: Dali's Busto Restrospectivo De Mujer at the Botero

Dali's Busto Retrospectivo De Mujer at the Botero Museum, Bogota

Dali at the Botero, Bogota.

This goes to the BWW # 140, created by The Well Seasoned Cook, organized by Cindystar and

hosted this week by Aparna of  Stories from the Mahe Coast.

Barro Negra/ Colombia's La Chamba

Black pots made with micaceous clay found in central Colombia on the banks of the Magdalena river : baked, rubbed with river pebbles, blackened on a bed of hot leaves.

Memories of Bogota, Colombia

Promise of renewing this space with  a treasured memory...

Black and White Wednesdays #138 created by The Well Seasoned Cook, now organized by Cindystar  and hosted this week by Cafe Lynnylu.

Vishu...

BWW #125:  Cucumis Sativus/ Kani Vellari for Vishu/ New Year

Vishu Greetings....

Black and White Wednesdays # 125 created by The Well-Seasoned Cook  now organized by Cindystar and hosted this week at Pocket Full of Spices.

Vishu 2013

Black and White Wednesdays: Something old and something new.....

This is for The Well Seasoned Cook who created the  Black and White Wednesdays # 100, hosted this week  by Cinzia.

Black and White Wednesdays # 94 : Indian Long Beans from the garden...

First crop of Indian long beans...

This goes to the Black and White Wednesdays # 94 managed by Cinzia, created by The Well Seasoned Cook and hosted this week by Lynne. 

Black and White Wednesdays # 93 : Peaches...

An annual favourite trip, westwards  to the mountains...Charlottesville and the nearby mountains have  been places growing local produce for many years. This year we chose to visit this place, one of the Century Farms designated by  Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. It is a sister concern of another favourite orchard. 

Fuzzy Peaches!

However, this year, we could barely pluck peaches; they were either not ready or were already mushed with the rains. So we plucked a couple of them. Had our favourite Peach ice cream...

Divine Peach Cider Doughnuts: An annual indulgence!

 

Selected some which had been plucked and kept for sale in the barnhouse... Bought a dozen Peach Cider Doughnuts and were shocked that we were able to eat so many!!!!!

This goes to Black and White Wednesdays # 93 managed by the lovely Cinzia, created by The Well Seasoned Cook  and hosted this week by Satsuki.

Black and White Wednesdays and An Ode to Bacchus: Oceanus Dish

An Ode to Bacchus....

A visit back to the city, during late spring, beautiful weather and a glimpse into Roman Britan's decadance! A visit to a favourite musuem which had just opened its exhibits of the Mildenhall Treasure. As usual, one was left wanting for more, greedy for more time in the city...

This goes to  lovely event, Black and White Wednesdays managed by Cinzia, created by The Well Seasoned Cook,  hosted this week by Simona of Briciole.

Black and White Wednesdays: Summer Tones and Flavours

Just a tiny smudge of colour!

:-)

Plums  with a bluish black and wine red tones.....

For Black and White Wednesdays hosted this week by The Well Seasoned Cook.

A touch of colour for the blog again! :-)

It has been a very  busy few months with several  pending food related posts.

Here is a glimpse into the summer tones  and flavours.

With an extended long-weekend, today called for some of our simple favourites:

Roma Tomatoes, Basil and Garlic with a dressing of olive oil 

&

 Lightly toasted , crusty bread with mozzarella cheese slices, tomatoes, fresh lemon-basil leaves,  drizzles of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.

May Memories

For two special ladies!

Cakes in May, this year was a store-bought one: White Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake turned out to be perfect!

An airy chiffon layer, raspberries, white chocolate mousse and dark chocolate coating. White-chocolate and raspberry curls.This goes to  that lovely event, Black and White Wednesdays - 86, managed by Cinzia, created byThe Well Seasoned Cook and hosted this week by Deepali.

Black and White Wednesdays: Why you shouldn't be 'surprised' at fermented foods

Not just a " an eloquent protest against the homogenization of flavours and food now rolling like a great undifferentiated lawn across the globe..."

We often come across articles educating us lesser mortals on which food is good for us and why it is good for us. Most of them in the tone of a new discovery, of something we might have been too ignorant to know for our uninitiated, bad-eating-habit selves. After  one starts reading, one realizes that it is yet another 'American' / western discovery. One that many, 'looked-down-upon'  parts of the world take for fresh, normal, healthy, seasonal,  usually sustainable, locally sourced  food and eating habits. Since 'ancient times'.

Idli with a touch of seasoned Tomato and Onion Chutney

Of course, the implication here is that nobody should wrinkle up their noses on foods like Bread, Cheese, Beer, Wine, Chocolate, Coffee and Yogurt. These being gourmet foods that powerful nations and cultures have exalted to an elite status. Plus this food is so good that there is not even a tiny whiff of 'fermentation', and it is far  removed from the important word which is implied here. The very dirty one, 'rotten'. You  will and should however be pardoned for wrinkling your nose and sniffing at foods,  that are fermented and that do not belong to above seven categories and the cuisines they represent in the popular consciousness.

Mostly, food with an entirely different flavour profile, one which has  nourished very different cultures. What comes to your mind? 

Fresh batter poured into idli moulds and a batch of steamed idli's.

This goes to the Black and White Wednesdays # 78 originally created by The Well Seasoned Cook  and hosted this week by My Diverse Kitchen.

For me, it is the humble Idli, made from a ground paste of soaked rice  and black gram. In the hot, tropical, humid climate of the monsoons, our palate quickly adapted to fresh  food, fermented ground pastes steamed into nutritious vegetarian entrees, buttermilk and yogurt  whisked into easily digestible curries, chutneys and cooling summer drinks. It is  unsurprising then that,

We do not have to 'try to bring back' fermentation

We do not have to 'try to revive' an ancient tradition.

It is part of our living culture and tradition.

And it is alive.
And we are not afraid.

And no pun intended.

Plus,  we perhaps do not need a 'Guru' to teach us that!

Again, no pun intended.

In many ways, this reminds me of the  underlying humour regarding Kerala cuisine which touches on the traditional, Malayalee comfort food of sour, coconut-buttermilk chutneys like the Kaalan, Moru Curries and pulisseri's. The Kaalan would never go bad, it would only turn more sour. To balance out the sourness, one just added fresh coconut paste and vice-versa. This back and forth process would end  only when with the curry got over!

So  while experts foment and flog whatever is current and trendy, there are many food traditions and recipes that have  survived the onslaught of over processed, homogenized, frozen, left-over, cliched, fizz and foam! They could perhaps look at something like the Idli... to rise up and leaven, gently ripen to a perfect, tart, sourness and then  be steamed into something truly piquant. Effortlessly. It need not be contrived and unsavoury. The magic is alive. Just check.