Movie review: Silver Linings Playbook

This Valentine's day, my husband and I went to catch the screening of Silver Linings Playbook, a romantic comedy directed by David O. Russel. 

Any movie that generates Oscar buzz generally piques my interest and I was surprised to learn that Silver Linings Playbook, a movie belonging to the genre of romantic comedies, scored a nomination in each of the so-called "Big Five" Academy Award categories. If you look back in history, rarely has a popcorn-munching, box-office courting romcom managed to grab major critical accolades as opposed to intense subject matter dealing with crime, politics, patriotism, psychology, war, history, biographical accounts or fantasy. 

I seated myself in the crowded theater not knowing what to expect and after the runtime of about 120 minutes, as the lights in the cinema went back on, I couldn't help but musing with a grin as to how perfect this movie was for the occasion of Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day Special: Vanilla-Coffee-Chocolate Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This post is dedicated to some of the most special souls in my life - my husband, my family, my friends (you know who you are) and my beloved pet dog Polo, who sadly passed away a few days ago. I feel incredibly grateful for the love and joy each of you has brought into my life 💖

Recently, I was madly inspired by an spectacular looking cake I saw in a blog that I follow regularly. When I say inspired, I mean the kind of inspiration that burrows deep into your brain and doesn't let you rest until you make something of it. The cake was a 7-layered rainbow cake from the blog Look Whose Cooking Too. I have always wanted to make a layered cake (because of how fancy they look and all) but have been too chicken to give it a go. Truth be told, for all the baking that I do, I have never even frosted a cake before! Looking back, I always seem to set my baking targets low and uncomplicated 😛 

When I shared my lofty cake dreams with my husband, he joked (with a mischevious glint in his eye) about how cool it would be if each layer tasted completely different. I gave it some thought but quickly realized that it was too ambitious an idea. It would require too much time and patience, not to mention, do seven different complementary flavours even exist?  

The original cake recipe said that the batter would be enough for seven six-inch cakes or three eight-inch cakes. So I thought this Valentine's day, why not play it safe by attempting three layers first. One of my hubby's favorite flavor is chocolate and mine is coffee so it didn't take much brain power to figure out my three layers - vanilla, coffee and chocolate. Coffee and chocolate are a match made in heaven and well, vanilla is everyone's best friend right? Not to mention, the trio create a natural color gradient so I figured it could work. 

And so, with great trepidation I decided to bake my very first layered cake. I adapted the recipe of the 7-layered cake to make three layers of our favourite flavours.

It was the last day of the Chinese New Year holidays, just two days away from Valentine's day and I happened to be at home with no plans just savoring the nice long break from work. I started with my cake preparations in the morning at a sloth-like pace, taking leisurely breaks in between for brunch, attending to my household chores and yapping on the phone with mum. I finished frosting the cake by late afternoon so my crawling pace made the whole process relatively stress-free. In fact, I may have even managed to have fun!

My husband repeatedly expressed his desire to frost the cake but after all that hard work, I wasn't going to let him run away with the all important end credits 😆 After managing to shoo him away, I frosted a cake for the first time in my life. I don't own a turntable or a cake stand and I discovered that my spatula (not an offset spatula) was less than ideal for frosting so the finish of the cake was far from professional. But in the end, everything was worth it when I cut into the cake and saw my three even beautiful layers. The cake tasted wonderful and I was quite pleased with myself! 

So without much further ado, presenting the recipe for my Vanilla-Coffee-Chocolate Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. I have indicated the recipe level as easy because I think if a novice like me could pull it off (sans the proper tools) then pretty much anyone could!

Recipe of the month: Idli-Sambar

I am going to open this post with a traditional Namaskara because this recipe of the month is a humble tribute to my South Indian roots. 

Idli is a steamed rice and lentil cake that is a traditional and popular breakfast item of South Indian origin. It is an integral part of any South Indian household. I cannot recount the number of times I've awoken to a breakfast of piping hot idlis with spicy sambar and fresh green chutney. But to be completely honest, during my childhood, I was never overly fond of idlis. I would always prefer dosas (of any kind) to idlis. I sheepishly think about all those times my mum chided me for kicking up a fuss during breakfast over having to eat them. But I started looking at idlis differently ever since my paternal grandmother suggested I eat them with a mixture of chutney pudi (spiced chutney powder) and coconut oil. Although this was a long time ago, I remember clearly that we were traveling from one city to another by car and she had packed some idlis to eat on the way. I was surprised at how much I liked the combination. Even now, chutney pudi has to be one of the sides that I eat with idlis because I love it and it makes me think of my dear doddamma 💖 Post-marriage, when I learned to make them myself and began trying out different side dishes to go along with it, I've developed a newfound appreciation for idlis. 

Most idli recipes have rice in them but I have always used idli rava. That is how my family makes idlis and that is the only way I have learned to make them. Apparently my Dad (who is an idli aficionado of sorts) likes his idlis made that way. I feel that the use of idli rava speeds up the process considerably, is much easier to handle and makes for great tasting idlis so I'm sticking with it. Not to mention the fact that I don't own a idli/dosa grinder so my trusty blender will feel ever so grateful for not having the extra work of grinding all that rice.

Update: I do own a idli/dosa grinder now and the step-by-step preparation photos are a latest addition to this post 😊

Here is my recipe. If you have never made idlis before, you should really give it a go. Don't get intimidated by the time involved because the actual procedure is shockingly simple. Also since idlis can be made without a drop of butter or ghee, these healthy little steamed cakes are not only suitable for vegetarians but also for vegans.