Aditi Malhotra – Page 81 – iKreate Passions

Author: Aditi Malhotra
Marketing & Social Media Consultant | Content Writer & Columnist | Events & Wedding Planner | Award Winning Home Chef | Home Baker | Artist | Photography Enthusiast

Cheap and Fun Workout Ideas

Posted on July 14, 2017 by Aditi Malhotra

Working out at the gym isn’t for everybody. While some people love the atmosphere in there, it can get a bit boring doing the same workout day after day but that doesn’t mean you have to give up on exercising completely. There are all sorts of brilliant ways to keep in shape and improve your health without having to brave the gym every time you want to do a bit of exercise. If you find that the gym is getting dull, try out some these alternatives.

Swimming

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Going for a swim is one of the best workouts that you can do. It works every single part of your body at the same time and it’s also very relaxing. It should be easy to find a local pool where you can swim regularly and it’ll also be cheaper than the gym most likely. Swimming is the perfect exercise for anybody that is just getting into exercise or recovering from an injury because it is very low-impact while still giving your muscles an intense workout. If you hate the gym because it’s too busy then swimming at a public pool might not be the best place for you.

Gardening

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Gardening isn’t something that you would normally think of when it comes to exercise but it’s actually far more intensive than you realize. You’ll strengthen your legs and abs from all of the constant bending down and standing up and heavy digging is great cardio. By gardening regularly, you can workout without even realizing it. It won’t be difficult to get motivated anymore because you’ll be doing something fun while you burn those calories.

Dance Classes

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Dance classes are one of the most fun ways to get some exercise and they’re probably as intensive as most other cardio like spinning or running on a treadmill. In the last few years, Zumba exercise and workout classes have become very popular because they are heavy-duty workouts that have also been designed to be great fun. Going to these classes is a brilliant way to get a fun workout and meet lots of new people.

Hula Hooping

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The hula hoop isn’t just a popular kids toy of the nineties, it’s a great workout tool as well. It doesn’t matter if you’re no good at keeping the hoop going, you’ll get better with time. You can burn over two hundred calories in just half an hour of hula hooping. Start off with the basic spin and when you get better you can start learning some cool tricks that will impress.

Cleaning

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Cleaning is always a bit of a pain so why not make it a bit more exciting, and burn some calories at the same time by turning it into a workout. Set a timer and put some upbeat music on and then see how quickly you can clean the entire house. Running around and cleaning like mad will burn lots of calories and you can try to beat your record every time.

Hopefully, these suggestions will help you to keep up your workout routine without having to go to the gym.

What a comic show!

Posted on July 13, 2017 by Aditi Malhotra

Bhupen and Pooja, a couple whose passion and love for comics and food, yes you read it right, their love for comics and food made them come up with this amazing idea of a comic themed restaurant called What A Comic Show. I recently went to their restaurant situated right at the beginning of GK2 M block market, this being their second outlet. The first outlet is nestled away in SDA market and has already won everyone over with its quirky theme and great food. Now with this newly launched second outlet, their all set to take the market by storm.

The decor is obviously inspired by the comic theme and hence you will find comic strips on couches, adorning the walls are posters of comic heroes and our superheroes also find space as their figurines are planted at strategic points within the restaurant and even the stair case if fully thematic. The vibrancy of the place is the first thing you notice and almost fall in love with it instantly. I mean we are a generation who has grown up reading comics and now the younger generation idolises these comic heroes on screen.

Coming to food, they serve continental and oriental cuisines, and this place having a bigger kitchen, has allowed them to add Pizzas and some more dishes to their menu in comparison to the SDA outlet.

We began by ordering Chicken Shabalay, a typical Tibetan delicacy, is like a hybrid of meat patty and fried momos, because the shape and filling is done just the way its done in a patty but the only difference being its thinner in consistency, isn’t layered and the coating is similar like that of a fried momo. Don’t read too much, don’t get confused, trust me, just go for it. Its totally worth indulging in. The chicken filling inside was so juicy and nice and the outer layering was perfectly done. I loved it. I had never eaten a Shabalay before and now I am a fan.

Next we tried some assorted dumplings which had chicken dumplings, mushroom dumplings and pork dumplings and each one of them was fantastic. Loved the preparation completely, the dumplings were so juicy, perfectly steamed and the filling was great to taste. The chicken and mushroom dumplings specially are a must try.

Up next was some assorted Sushi, though taste wise the Sushi was perfect, but I found the texture to be too sticky, but then Bhupen explained that there are different varieties of sticky sushi rice and the one they are using has this quality of being very sticky. One more thing that did not gel well with my taste buds was too much of sesame seeds, I wish the sushi wasn’t literally rolled in the seeds and just about a sprinkle would do. What I loved most was the filling.

Chicken Sausage Bacon Bites made for an interesting appetiser, served with a delicious barbecue sauce, it was done to perfection and was delicious.

Assorted Bruschetta were good too, I specially liked the one with Pesto topping. Smoked Pork Chilly was another flavoursome creating and I simply loved it. The pork ribs were tender and the sauce topped over it was awesome. Wasn’t too spicy and had a perfectly balanced taste.

For the mains, we tried Chicken Stroganoff, Penne Chicken and Mushrooms and Some BLT Sandwiches. Chicken Stroganoff was good, but I wish the rice were a little more flavoursome. Bacon Lettuce & Tomato Sandwiches were nicely grilled and can be enjoyed with a glass of Chocolate Shake or a Water Melon Cooler anytime. The pasta was little disappointing, as the flavours didn’t come through. I found it rather bland.

For desserts, please do try their Chocolate Ice Cream,, full of chocolate chips, its heavenly and definitely worth indulging in. I had super fun at this place and I look forward to a visit again. Its vibrant yet cosy, serves great food and is perfect to spend some comfortable and lazy time with friends and family. You must give it a try!

Fat Burning Workouts for Women

Posted on July 13, 2017 by Aditi Malhotra

Its a fact that women bodies are more prone to gaining fat and also it takes longer for them to lose fat. Given the current scenarios where we are always struggling for time, working out usually takes a back seat. Even when we try and work out on our own, most of the times we don’t know whats right for our body and whats not.

I came across a great and a detailed article on Fat Burning Workouts for Women, so enjoy reading and start implementing.

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In this article, we have compiled a list of fat burning workouts for women which are known for the quick results and ease of practice. But these workouts, for sure, ask for consistency. Make a habit of following these workouts at least 5 times a week and you would start noticing the results yourself. We know how desperate you are to know how to lose belly fat for women, which is why we have compiled a list of fat burning workouts for women that help to burn belly fat and to get you in shape both at home and at a gym.

Eat Delete Junior- Book Launch

Posted on July 13, 2017 by Aditi Malhotra

Following the launch of her second book in Mumbai, Eat Delete Junior, Pooja Makhija, Celebrity Nutritionist and a mother of 2 herself, also unveiled her book in Delhi at Olive Bar & Kitchen recently. The book launch at Mumbai was attended by Mira Kapoor and Karan Johar, while Shweta Bachchan, Celebrity Mother and Jamal Sheikh, Editor of Brunch Magazine, Hindustan Times.

The book focuses on healthy eating habits for children ageing from 0 to 15 years and caters to almost all needs, whether as a parent or as a child, there is something for everyone. If a mother is breastfeeding, there are tips for her, if your child doesn’t eat veggies or is a fussy eater, the book tells you how to deal with it, what changes and amendments to bring in the diet and also interesting recipes to cater to specific needs.

Highlighting the issues of obesity in children, early puberty and unhealthy eating habits, Pooja said, that inculcating healthy eating habits in children is far easier than adults but also the fact that children tend to pick habits from their parents mostly, so one needs to be careful.

Adding to this Shweta also said that children do pick some peculiar habits from their parents and it depends whether those habits are good or bad. Like she said that her children are fond of potatoes just like her, which she though wasn’t too good, but then Pooja corrected her saying that even potatoes if taken in moderation and if not fried, are good for health. Shweta also highlighted a good habit that her children have adopted from her, which is having an early dinner. She said they usually dine by 6:30 in the evening.

Jamal also highlighted the benefits of a healthy diet, and how he himself became for fat to fab. Pooja also indulged in a fun quiz game with both Shweta and Jamal and it was fun to watch them unleashing their competitive spirits.

It was a great event and it was really insightful to listen to these amazing conversations between a nutritionist author and a mother and a fitness freak. Here is a sneak peek of the conversations.

Now I know how I have to tackle with my son’s eating tantrums and if you too are a parent who deals with the fussy eating habits of your children, or if you want to know some interesting tiffin recipes, this book is for you. Also Pooja has written a book earlier for adults, which was called Eat Delete, so grab copies of both if you still haven’t, and make yourself and your child, both healthy.

Eat Delete Junior, available on Amazon for Rs 239

Happy Reading and Healthy Eating!

Kofuku- Amazing Japanese Food Experience

Posted on July 12, 2017July 13, 2017 by Aditi Malhotra

Kofuku, a new entrant in the Ansal Plaza mall is a paradise for Japanese cuisine lovers. They offer authentic Japanese food and also serve the food in a very traditional way, whether its their ambience, or seating or the style of serving the dishes. They have kept it as authentic as possible. I had a great foodie experience at Kofuku and I strongly recommend paying a visit here. Kofuku actually means happiness or good fortune and these meanings really translate into your whole experience. You feel is a happy peaceful state and yes fortunate enough to experience good food. As they say food is the biggest blessing one can have. The overall ambience of this place is quite serene to say, it feels as if you really owe respect to the food you eating. They have Tatami for sitting, which means a long or a small low table, with lower seating. One has to take off the shoes, and enter your eating space, but a wonderful thing that they have done is that they have hollow spaces to relax your feet under the Tatami, so even in a low seating you don’t really feel any discomfort. At least I got a chance to sit on the small Tatami which had this facility. They have long Tatami which can accommodate upto 16 people and small Tatami for 6 people and of course they have regular tables as well.

We began our culinary experience by having some Spicy Edamamel, steamed soya beans tossed in some spicy mix and salt. It makes for a healthy snack which is good to taste too. Next we tried Zucchini Carrapacio, a nice salad type which has thinly sliced yellow and green zucchini drizzled with light soya and yuzu sauce. It was really good and I loved it.

Cheungfun Chicken and Veg both were outstanding and I enjoyed them thoroughly. A rice paper roll that had filling of chicken chunks and crispy veggies, it almost melts in the mouth. Its so good that you can’t not try it.

Next we tried assorted dumplings and that was a real treat. It had Broccoli and Water Chestnut Dumplings, Aromatic Spicy Chicken Dumplings and Asian Green Dumplings and all three of them were great to taste. They were perfectly done and juicy. I never prefer the veg dumplings but both the veg varieties were really good and I ended up relishing them more than the chicken one.

Sushi Boat was a true delight, with so many varieties of both veg and non-veg sushis, it was almost hard to decide on which one to eat and which one to leave. I tried most of them and yes by the end of it did have a few favourites. There was Oh My God Sushi, yes thats both the reaction after having it and the name of the Sushi. It actually has this interesting story behind its name, its actually kept on a reaction OMG shared by a famous bollywood celebrity upon having it. Its a chef’s special and is made with salmon, tuna, avocado and a chef’s special sauce. It truly deserves the name it got, and is a must try. Then it had Super Crunchy Roll, California Roll, Asparagus Tempura Roll, Shitake Nigiri, Avocado Nigiri, Mango Sushi, Salmon Nigiri, Tuna Nigiri, Hamachi Nigiri and Temaki, out of all of these I loved the Shitake Nigiri and Mango Sushi. The mango sushi though obviously sweet was really delectable.

Crispy Shrimp Tempura was another scrumptious dish I enjoyed relishing. Basically tiger prawns fried and coated a nice creamy and spicy sauce, they really made for a great starter. Chicken Teriyaki was my another favourite from the afternoon. I loved the chicken strips cooked in teriyaki sauce. They were perfectly done and I am going after them again soon.

Chicken Yakitori was a delightful preparation that had most people drooling for it. Chicken Chunks and Leeks , grilled to perfection on skewers drizzled with yakitori sauce. Its a very popular Japanese dish all over. Yakitori literally means grilled chicken and the sauce is prepared with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar and sake etc.

Grilled Chilean Sea Bass, a signature Kofuku dish which has grilled fish with some chilli- ginger dressing is totally worth indulging in and again is a must try.

For the main course there was Japanese Hot Pot Chicken, which was served in a huge pot which was simmering over a stove right on our table. It had chunks of chicken, loads of veggies, sprouts, noodles and was like a stew with thin gravy made with soya and a spicy sauce. Served with Chicken Teppanyaki Rice, it served as a wholesome meal.

For desserts we tried Mochi Ice Cream in assorted flavours, vanilla, butterscotch and strawberry and I personally loved butterscotch the most. Mochi is typically a sticky rice cake which covers the ice cream and becomes a soft shell over the ice cream, rubbery and jelly like.

Then there was Dorayaki, a Japanese Pan Cake made with sweet red bean paste filling. This surely made for a nice dessert and must be tried.

This place is one heavenly experience that you must indulge in, its totally worth your time and money.

Women’s Health: What You Need To Know

Posted on July 11, 2017 by Aditi Malhotra

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Health, it’s a minefield, right? Well, as women, not only do we have all of the general areas of health to be concerned about, we also have a few specialist areas that we need to learn to master over the years. Sometimes, when you think of it all from the start, it can all feel like a bit much. How are you meant to be able to get a grip with it all? It may seem impossible, but you can not only understand your health as a woman but also master it. There is a lot to learn, that’s for sure, but it will all start to come easy to you.

If you want to be able to enjoy good levels of health, feel good in your body, and benefit from a long and happy life, you need to start taking action. But before you can take control of your own health, you have to know a bit more about what that really means. Women’s health is made up of so many different areas; it’s not always easy to understand them all. But, by getting a bit more information on each, you should start to find it easier to look after your body, be sure that you are healthy, and know what to do if you’re worried that you’re not.

General Health

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Women are human, meaning that a huge part of our women’s health is focused on everyday health. This takes into consideration things like diet and exercise, but also your mental health, stress, and also your lifestyle choices too. Read on for tips and ideas on how to get better levels of general health.

Fitness & Nutrition

For your body to be able to function properly, you need to be fueling it right and exercising. But this isn’t only good for your physical health, but your energy levels and happiness too. If you’re suffering from any kind of ailment, a good diet and plenty of exercise may not cure it, but it will make a significant improvement on how you feel.

Mental Health

But nailing your physical health isn’t all. You need to be able to ensure that your mind is in a good place too. Because mental health makes a huge contribution to your overall health levels and can affect how you feel physically. Be sure to be aware of how you feel mentally, listen to your mind and do what you can to de-stress on a regular basis to stay healthy.

Lifestyle Choices

Every single choice we make with regards to our lifestyles will also have some kind of impact on our health. So choose wisely. This concerns the alcohol your drink, whether you smoke, and even drugs. All of which can negatively impact your health. But that’s not all. You also have the places you live and the amount of stress and toxins you expose yourself to on a regular basis.

Menstruation

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From our teenage years until menopause, every woman goes through menstruation. It’s not something that we all like to talk about, but it’s a huge part of female health. Sometimes, you may have questions or fears, or even worries that you may want to work through. And to make sure that you’re healthy, you’re going to need to do that.

Regularity

What constitutes a normal period to you will be completely different to someone else. So, it’s important that you only use the information you find as a rough guide. You should get to know your body and your own flow. You need to know what is normal and regular for you, so that you can look out for any changes should there be any.

Pain

Most women will have some form of pain when they menstruate. It can be frustrating, but it’s often completely normal. Again, this will be personal to you, but you may suffer from cramping around your abdomen or lower back. Pain relief and even a hot compress may help. But if your pain is strong or persistent, be sure to speak to your doctor about prescribed solutions to ease the pain.

Hormones

Then comes those dreaded hormones. Most of us are far too familiar with PMT and the joys it can bring us. During our menstrual cycle, our bodies are filled with different hormones at different times, meaning that we can feel a range of different emotions at any given time. They’re not always easy to handle, but the first step is recognizing when you’re hormonal and accepting it, then learning to distinguish between real emotions and hormone-induced ones.

Pregnancy

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Firstly, pregnancy is not always something that some of us will experience, or even want to. But, it does make up a huge part of a woman’s health naturally. So whether you’re looking to get pregnant and want to make sure that you have a healthy pregnancy, or you want to avoid that, here’s the lowdown on what to do.

Contraception

Whether you do plan to have children at some point in the future or not, contraception is something you may want to consider. Not only will it keep you safe from getting pregnant, but some forms can also protect you from STIs. There are lots of forms to consider, from birth control pills to reversible contraception and even permanent forms. Be sure to discuss your options and which may suit you best with your doctor.

Fertility

Then there are your fertility levels to consider. If you are trying to get pregnant or thinking about it, speak to your doctor. There are things that you can do to boost your fertility, as well as different tests and checks that can be carried out if you find it hard to conceive naturally after a set period.

Healthy Pregnancy

When you get pregnant, or when you’re trying to conceive, you’re going to want to do everything you can to have a healthy pregnancy. Not only does this mean feeling comfortable and content, but you should look to eat a balanced diet that can fuel your body and help the baby grow, take your vitamins, try to stay active and even take care of your emotional health.

Menopause

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As women, we also have the menopause to look forwards to. Now, some people handle this better than others, but it all comes down to your body and how it deals with the menopause process individually.

Noticing The Signs

Whether you’re still young or approaching middle-age, it’s important to know what to look out for when it comes to the menopause. There are a lot of common symptoms that can identify the onset, such as hot flushes, so be sure to know what is normal for your body, so that you can get an indication of what’s changing.

Getting Treatment

When you do hit menopause, and you find that you’re struggling, you don’t have to suffer in silence. There are treatment options to ease the symptoms and make the process easier to live with. Types of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are often quite common, so speak to your doctor about options.

Helping Your Body

You should also aim to help your body as much as you can during this process. It’s always important to stay healthy as you age, but if you look after your body during the menopause, you may find that you can relieve some of the symptoms. In particular, you could find that a good diet and plenty of exercise helps your body through it.

Screening

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It’s important for us all to get check ups every now and again. The screening process is often something that is vital to keep you safe and protected. But you’re going to want to make sure that you do your own research and know how to make sure that you’re covered too.

The Tests Available

So, first of all, you should speak to your doctor about the screening tests that are available to you. As women, we need to make sure that we get screened for two important female cancers as a minimum – cervical cancer and breast cancer. But some of these have age limits, so be sure to discuss your options with your doctor.

Your Medical Rights

Now, at this point, you may also find that you need to find out what you are entitled to receive as a part of your medical care. Different providers will have different options, and it may also depend on the policy you have. Screening isn’t always covered. So, if you want to make sure that you can get the screening you need, you need to check out cancer screening coverage and either upgrade your policy if it’s not included, or switch if you can.

Knowing Your Own Body

As with many other areas, for screening, it’s so important that you know your own body. If you know what is normal to you, you will be more aware should anything change. When it comes to breast cancer, there are checks that you can carry out. You should also know what to look out for with regards to both breast and cervical cancer symptoms to hope to catch anything early should you be affected.

The Incredible Benefits of Garlic

Posted on July 11, 2017 by Aditi Malhotra

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Garlic is often seen as a delicious staple ingredient, something one has to have in their kitchen. But it’s also seen by many as dispensable. If you don’t happen to have any, or if you can’t be bothered to prepare it, then no big deal. But the addition of more garlic in your diet isn’t just good because of its exquisite and unique flavor; it’s also because garlic is incredibly good for your health. So here’s a productive rant about, well, garlic!

It’s good for the heart

High blood pressure. Artery hardening. High cholesterol. Coronary heart disease. Blood coagulation. These are all things that are bad for your heart – and guess what food helps fight them all? You know it: garlic. Garlic has been shown in multiple studies to improve the health of your circulatory and respiratory system – you can check out the results of some of these studies at http://jn.nutrition.org/content/136/3/736S.full. However, as with any food that’s good for your heart, you’re also going to need to give it some help by getting regular sleep, exercise, and by drinking plenty of water. Sitting around and eating garlic won’t make up for a day spent doing no physical activity.

It’s good for the skin

Garlic is filled with antioxidants. These, of course, are essential for several elements of your health, and you can read more about them at https://www.verywell.com/benefits-of-antioxidants. But they’re especially useful when it comes to promoting skin health! Antioxidants are essential weapons in the battle against the bacteria that can cause skin blemishes. Another reason garlic is so good for the skin is because it has a lot of anti-inflammatory properties! Skin conditions that are affected by inflammation, including acne and psoriasis, can be soothed with the intake of garlic. In fact, many have reported positive effects when rubbing a slice of raw garlic directly onto problem areas…

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Proper preparation

Mincing is often seen to be the easiest way to get garlic into a meal because it softens the sharp flavor really will. But something you should consider that helps protect the good elements of garlic during cooking while giving you a nice chunk of the stuff is adding slices instead of mince. Get yourself a sharp knife – you can read more at http://www.cutitfine.com/utility-knife-reviews/ – and carefully cut some nice slices of garlic. Sauté it over a gentle heat for about thirty seconds before adding the other ingredients.

Going raw?

As with many foods that are often give ‘superfood’ status, many would argue that the best way to get all the benefits of garlic is to eat it raw. Thankfully, there are several ways to do this that don’t involve simply swallowing garlic straight-up, which can be overwhelming to say the least! Again, a really sharp knife will come in handy to get the garlic into more ‘user-friendly’ portions. Putting thin slices of garlic on buttered toast, putting it into guacamole or salsa, stirring it into a cooled pasta sauce, adding them to mashed potatoes… there’s no shortage of ways to introduce raw garlic into your diet without having to deal with the overpowering taste!

Cookout Tips to Impress Your Guests

Posted on July 11, 2017July 18, 2017 by Aditi Malhotra

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It’s summer, and for a lot of us, summer and barbeque cookouts go hand in hand. If you’re planning lots of outdoor dining experiences this season, why not aim to make your cookouts the best yet?

There are lots of simple cookout tips that can elevate your barbeque from ok to AH-MAZING and make the whole process of barbecuing even easier. If you use even just a few of them, you’ll soon get a reputation as the best barbeque in the neighborhood.

Put the Doritos to Good Use

There’s nothing worse than planning to cook burgers on the Barbie, only to find out that you’ve run out of kindling and you’re all going to go hungry after all. But, if you have some Doritos in the kitchen or any chips for that matter, you will be able to go ahead and flame-grill those burgers because, chips, and especially Doritos, make for excellent barbeque kindling, due to their dryness and their high-fat content.

Coat Your Hands

If you love making burgers, and you know that your homemade patties are the best, but you hate having bits of meat stuck to your hands, simply coat them with either a small amount of cold water, or even better a thin layer of vegetable oil, and you’ll bed able to make enough patties to feeds the whole neighbourhood before your hands become a sticky mess in need of a good wash.

Keep Your Meat Moist

If you want your guests to be amazed when they bite into you burgers because of your patties are so succulent and juicy that they basically melt in the mouth, then you really do need to work at keeping the meat moist. This isn’t always easy when you’re outdoors in the heat. Fortunately, the fix is a simple one – just mix a couple of tablespoons of mayo to each pound of ground meat you use will ensure a moist burger and enhance the flavor.

If you’re cooking your meat medium rare and you want it to be perfectly pink in the middle, you could also add an ice chip in butter to the center of the burger, and that will stop it from getting too hot.

Two Temperatures

One of the best tips I was ever given was to heat the barbeque to two different temperatures, one at each side you can do this by only heating up half of the grill. That way, you can move cooked foods to the cool side to finish off without the risk of them burning.

Make Use of Muffin Trays

Barbeques are nothing without condiments, but what do you do when you don’t have enough condiment dishes to meet your needs? Do you just serve your ketchup and mustards in the bottle? No, you don’t. You serve them up in muffin trays, that’s what you do!

Use two Skewers

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If you’re cooking kebabs (and if you aren’t, why not?) Instead of attaching your meats, seafoods and vegetables onto one kebab skewer, use two instead. It stops individual chunks from moving around and getting burnt or unevenly cooked as a result. Just remember to soak your skewers before use if they’re wooden, to avoid setting your lovely food on fire.

Flavor Your Meat with Wood

No, I’m not telling you to add wood chips to your ground beef! But, using wood will add bags of flavor to your burgers and make them stand out from the competition. What you need to do is use planks of wood on the grill instead of metal. They will keep the food safely away from the flames and add a woody, smoky flavor to the food. Different woods have different flavors, so you might want to experiment a bit before you throw a cookout for the whole block, but most people find cherry wood to be very pleasant. If you’re interested, you can buy wooden planks for barbecuing at http://www.outdoorgourmet.com/plank-grilling-cooking/wholesale-grilling-planks.These planks are reusable, so they’ll help you to perfectly flavor your barbeque food for the whole summer and perhaps for many summers beyond

Season with a Salt Block

I’m going to say three words that will change your life – well the barbecuing aspect of it anyway – forever: Himalayan salt block. If you don’t know what Himalayan salt is it’s that pink salt that you often see in whole food stores. Bought in a block, it is hands down one of the best things to cook barbeque food over. Skip, the usual seasoning and just lay your meat down on a salt block over an outdoor stove (gas or electric) and you will be rewarded with the tenders, juiciest most flavorful meat you’ve ever eaten in your life guaranteed.

Lots of Lemons

If you’re having a barbeque, then you most certainly should not forget to pick up some fresh starts at www.Citarella.com/shop/lobsters-shrimp, and when you have that wonderfully fresh seafood delivered to your door, you simply must cook it over lemons. Just slice up a few of the citrus fruits and put them on top of your fish, lobster and shrimps it cooks for an end product that manages to be sweet, smoky and slightly sour all at once. Your guests will be shunning the burgers for the shrimp if you do.

Alternatively, you can make a simple marinade by combining olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic and marinating your seafood in that for a few minutes before cooking.

Spray Some Apple Juice

Apple juice isn’t just for drinking. In fact, it is perfect for barbecuing. If you spray your grill with apple juice every so often, and you do the same to your meat too, it will be browner, more tender and all round more appetizing. It sounds a bit odd, but trust me it works really well.

Brick Your Chick

We all love to eat chicken especially when it has been chargrilled to perfection, but actually cooking chicken on the barbeque can be quite difficult because of its irregular shape. Chicken is rarely the same uniform thickness, and this means that when one part is cooked, the rest might not be or it could be. A very simple hack to solve this problem involves nothing more than a brick and a sheet of aluminum foil. Wrap the brick in foil and use it to press down the chicken until it is one completely even. Then, leave the brick on top of the chicken as you cook it. The meat will be more crispy and tender than any of yore previous efforts.

Make Pizza

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Most people don’t expect to be served up freshly cooked pizza at the cookout. Sure, they might expect to see some pre-cut slices of cold pizza, but fresh, molten hot pizza – that’s something you don’t often see at a barbeque. So, why not exceed your guests’ expectations by serving them up a freshly grilled pizza? It’s really easy to do. Just check out http://ourbestbites.com/2009/06/tutorial-bbq-grilled-pizza/ for instructions. You can thank me for the tip later!

Make Veggie Parcels

Of course, not all of your guests are going to be meat eaters, and even if they are, it’s always good to serve up some veggies to healthy things up a bit, but what to cook? Vegetable parcels, that’s what. They’re so easy that they’ll take up very little of your time and because they’re cooked in foil, there’s no risk of them being contaminated by meat and fish juices.

To create delicious veggie parcels, just chop up and combine mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, corn on the cob, garlic, and sweet potato. Suasion with herbs and salt and toss on the barbeque for between five and ten minutes.

Serve Up Smoked Salt

While you’re grilling up burgers, fish kebabs and sausages on the barbeque, why not use that time to create your own smoked salt too? It tastes amazing, and you can use it to add that smoky barbequed flavor to dishes that have never been anywhere near the grill. All you have to do is light the grill, fill a pan with your favorite salt, and any other herbs you fancy and place the pan directly on the grill. It’s a good idea to use a nice smoky wood like cherry or apple to give the salt the most flavor, but you can use anything you like to get the desired flavor and ensure that you always have a smoky condiment on hand when you have a hankering for barbeque and no time to grill.

Soak Don’t Scrub

The worst thing about hosting a cookout is the clean up that comes afterwards. Luckily, I have the answer to that problem – don’t do it. If you use paper plates and disposable cups, knives, and forks, and you soak your grill in a solution of ammonia once it’s cooled, you’ll hardly have to clean anything up at all, and you can well and truly enjoy your summer evenings!

Are you a grilling or queen? What are your top tips for hosting the best cookout and producing the best barbeque food in the the neighborhood?

This TREND is here to stay..!!

Posted on July 11, 2017July 11, 2017 by Aditi Malhotra

Trend is the newest entrant at the recently reopened and established Ansal Plaza and this TREND is here to stay for sure. Brought to us by Gundeep Anand, Jaideep Anand, Himanshu and Vidit Gupta who also have brought alive brands like Tamasha and Cafe Dalal Street earlier, this one adds another feather to their cap.

Designed in a chic and classy way, it has a rustic yet modern appeal to it. Its a perfect example of cross bid between fine dining and casual dining. The cuisine is Modern Indian and focuses on the authenticity of flavours inspite of being modern. As discussed with Chef Jiten Shah, the aim of the restaurant is to provide unique foodie experience to their customers but at the same time, they don’t want to create confusions with fusions.

And now after having the food at Trend, I can vouch for it. They truly are serving different food, which you won’t find elsewhere and yet the flavours aren’t overplayed.

Now coming to what I tried and recommend, to begin with we ordered Mutton Vada Pao, Mozzarella Bread Pakoda, 3 Cheese Soufflé in Potato Cup, Chutney Chicken Seekh and Rechad Masala Rawas from the Small Plate Menu and believe you me, each and every item was delicious to the core.

The Mutton Vada Pao, was definitely one of the best I have ever eaten. The mutton inside the pao was done perfectly, it was a minced meat cutlet which was fried and yet it tasted very different, the pao was extremely soft, and for me each bite into it was a heavenly delight.

The Mozzarella Bread Pakoda, was an amazing modern take on the traditional bread pakoda. It was stuffed with potatoes and had an amazing cheesy filling which made it taste so different and yet appealing to the taste buds. Its a great dish for vegetarians but even the non-vegetarians cannot ignore its goodness.

3 Cheese Soufflé in Potato Cup is an amazing dish and paradise for cheese lovers, just dig into the creamy cheese and balance its taste with roasted potatoes. Blissful.

Rechad Masala Rawas, crispy fried fish fingers, with the fish marinated in the hot recheado masala, which is a goan special masala. The fish was perfectly done and I loved the presentation too. The Chutney Chicken Seekh also was very different from the regular seekh, it was made of thick mince and the flavours of the chutney really stood out well.

Next we tried Chicken Tikka Trilogy, which comprised of Mustard Based Chicken Tikka, Regular Chicken Tikka and Chicken Malai Tikka, and each one of the varieties of tikka tasted awesome. Though I am not at all fond of mustard flavour, but this mustard tikka was outstanding, the flavour was surely there but wasn’t overpowering at all.

Roti, Chatni, Achar is another very unique dish, which serves an assortment of 3 different types of rotis and an array of chutneys and achars, a great idea indeed. I ordered for the non-veg version which had pre-baked khasta naan, missi roti, masala bread along with chettinad mutton pickle, fig chutney, kingfish pickle, mint chutney and onions. It was an amazing tray of various flavours. I loved the fig chutney the most. This surely is a must try dish.

Mutton Gilawat Croquette was the another dish we ordered, and for me this was the most average , may be because my expectations by now were sky high. It wasn’t bad at all, but personally speaking I did not like much as I found it a little dry for my liking.

For the mains we settle for Dal Makhani served with Chur Chur Naan, Mysore Mutton Thali, Quail Dum Korma and Corn Fed Char Siu Chicken. The Dal and Naan were a perfect combination, with right taste and textures. A typical udupi masala roast mutton served with malabari parantha is a delectable dish and surely a must try. The Quail Dum Korma, needs a special mention as this is one dish you shouldn’t miss at all. Very rich and authentic flavours and soft and tender meat of a quail, what more can one ask for. Siu chicken is perfect to satiate your Asian hunger, its a char chicken glazed with celery root sauce with some sautéed greens and mushrooms and makes for an exciting dish.

Don’t forget to indulge in the desserts, you will love them. I strongly recommend Shahi Tukda and Holy Coconut. Both of them were simply amazing and I won’t spoil the surprises by spilling more details. You really have to try them.

As the place still awaits its liquor licence, make most of the amazing mocktails and drinks available. I recommend Indore Lassi, Tiramisu and Eden Iced Tea. They all were remarkable, but the best was the Indore Lassi, perfectly balanced taste, neither two sweet, and nor too thick, its was yummy and must be tried.

A special mention for the hospitality of the place, from Chef Jiten himself to the entire staff, everyone was extremely friendly and warm. The service was upto the mark and like I said the taste of food and presentation is of superlative quality. You should definitely pay a visit soon.

A Wedding Guide For The Groom

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Aditi Malhotra

Most weddings seem to be all about the bride, and while this is typically the case in a lot of weddings, the role of the groom should not be underestimated. First of all, you’re one of the key players in the ceremony and were probably the one who popped the question in the first place. When you are the groom in a wedding, it can be a little bit, or indeed, extremely overwhelming, with a hundred things going on

Photo source- Pexels

Get Suited and Booted

Let’s be honest, all eyes are going to be on the bride’s dress during the wedding, but you’ll also want to be looking your best. There will be photos of this day which will be seen by family and friends in years to come. Smelling good, using good skincare products, and having a well cut suit is imperative. When you’re busy planning, however, and need to do 101 other things as well as getting a suit, you’ll want to sort out your wedding outfit as quickly as possible. Make sure you don’t compromise on style or quality and take a look at tailors and suit makers that offer bespoke suits to stand out at your wedding. This is one day that you need to stand out and be stylish and smart. Your suit also needs to convey your individual style, which is why it is worth spending time looking for the suit that you feel comfortable in.

Give The Bride The Morning

It is so important for the bride to have enough time to get ready in peace and quiet, most likely with her bridesmaids and close family, before the wedding takes place. She’ll probably have been stressing out in the lead up to the wedding and will want to sit back and take everything in on the actual day itself. Tradition dictates that the groom and bride shouldn’t see each other on the morning of the wedding, which, tradition aside, is a good thing because it means that the bride can take a breather and enjoy getting ready with her friends and family.

Take the pressure off of your bride to be, and make sure you organise last minute details, for the morning of the wedding. This might mean transporting the cake to the venue, sorting out the layout of the tables and any last minute seating arrangements. But do make sure you have enough time to take a seat and get ready with your groomsmen without rushing!

Don’t Have Your Stag Do The Night Before

Whatever you do, don’t have your stag do the night before! While the night before the wedding was traditionally when people would have their stag do, people are now rejecting this tradition for good reason. Having a wild night right before your wedding can lead to all kinds of disasters, the lesser of which could involve you having a thumping headache the day of your wedding, but could also mean you missing your day entirely! Take this tip, and plan your stag do for the week before and give yourself plenty of time to recover!