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Smartphones are IT these days. We can play games, video chat, listen to music, MAKE music, etc all on the same little device. I mean, I never would have thought that when I was a kid. Oof, "thinking"? Never mind thinking, there is probably an app for that now anyway ;)

If your app hunger involves delicious mouth watering recipes that make you want to roll up your sleeves and pop into the kitchen to show off your inner chef, check out Trufflehead who came out with an awesome app for cooking. If you are like me, when seeing is believing, watch for yourself :) You won't be disappointed.

Months ago when I came back from my trip to Asia (where I ate and ate my days away in Vietnam) I was completely in withdrawal with food, Trufflehead's red Thai curry with cauliflower and tofu was the first recipe I wanted to make after weeks in cooking hiatus

...Plus, a crockpot recipe is always a plus when your day is filled with running around, just saying.... (Other than going to Chinatown for the Thai basil, everything else is available at any grocery store. If you don’t have access to Thai basil, you can just use the “other” one. All you have to do is wash, chop, pour, stir and wait. All the prepping took about 30 minutes, and cooking time is 3 hours)

So dear beloved readers, Trufflehead is giving away TWO free download for their app. This offer is good for ONE WEEK, so hurry up and email talk@trufflehead.com with Tramie's Kitchen in the subject line. The first two to do so, will get a code to download the ap.

Good luck and enjoy the freebie!!!! :)

Beef & potato curry

I realize that for a couple of times a year, I disappear from this blog for a while. This is usually due to a trip which is always closely followed  by a travel withdrawal. It takes a little bit of time before I can break that bubble and come back to "real" life.

When real life is -20 to -30 degrees celsius, it's very hard to want to get back to.... *sigh*

Anyhow, cold weather calls for comfort food, and I've been cooking curry a lot lately because it's easy, fast and I can make a big batch for the whole week.

Beef curry

(serves 8-10)

• few dashes of olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1-2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 3 Tbsp grated ginger
• 3 Tbsp curry powder
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 Tbsp curry paste
• about 1 kilo or more of stewing beef cubes.
• 3 big potatoes, cubed
• about 2-3 Cups of beef broth
• a couple pinches of salt

Heat the oil in a 5L pot over medium low and throw in the onions & garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes, then throw in the cumin and coriander until fragrant.

Mix in the ginger, curry powder, turmeric powder, paprika and curry paste, stir all to blend well .

Turn heat to medium high and toss in the meat and potatoes. Stir everything around to coat, followed by the broth. Cook until bubble, then turn heat down to low, put on the lid and let simmer for about an hour or until beef is tender.

Serve with rice or naan bread if available.

Indian-inspired lentil soup

We all need a little lift from now and then to keep our spirit high. When something goes wrong, we have to remember all the other good people & things that are still there with us, and it may sooth the pain. These are times when we need to keep our heart & tummy warm, because the temperature refuses to collaborate.

I came to making this soup out of literally whatever I had in the house. The only thing that I had to go buy, was the fresh parsley. Let me tell you, tough out the cold bum and run to the store to get it, because it adds a really nice touch.

 Indian-inspired lentil soup (makes about 10 servings)

• a splash of olive oil
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• a couple cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 can of Italian tomatoes, whole
• 2 boxes of chicken broth (about 2L)
• 1 large bunch of curly parsley, washed, stemmed and roughly chopped. And a few for garnish
• about 1 cup of dried lentil, rinsed and picked over
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tbsp curry powder (or more depends on your taste)
• Chili flakes if desired
• Lemon, sliced 

Heat oil in a big pot over medium heat, add onions and garlic, cook for a few minutes until fragrant but not burnt. Add the tomatoes & the juice, mash them up in small chunks with a wooden spoon. Then add the chicken broth, leaving about half of a box for thinning the soup later.

Turn heat to maximum, add the parsley and the lentils. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until lentils are soft. Add the masala, curry and chili flakes half way and mix well.

Serve with fresh parsley for garnish, with some freshly ground black pepper, and a small wedge of lemon. It really kicks it up a notch (unfortunately I didn't get the lemon when I made this, boo!)

****I put this soup into individual microwavable containers for lunch, and before taking them to work, I would add a bit of chicken broth, because it thickens up quite a lot

It is Valentine's Day weekend, and I made some cakes for the occasion, for an order. One was a "kitsch" Birthday/Valentines Day theme (yes, "kitsch" was an important part of the order) It was chocolate layer cake with fresh strawberry buttercream.

Yeehaw!!!!! Chocolate layer cake with fresh strawberry butter-cream

And then there were the cute cupcakes *sigh*...

From front to back: Cinnamon "bun" & Orange butter-cream, Double amaretto, Green Tea & Lemon butter-cream, Double Root Beer

I wish you all a wonderful weekend with your Valentine (although I am sure that everyday is Valentine's Day for a lot of you *wink*) Share some soup, share some cupcakes. Most importantly, spread the love!