Rendez Vous With A Foodie - Sangeetha of Spicy Treats

My readers and followers will definitely know about the monthly event happening twice here. Rendez vous with a foodie, this event is specially for newbie bloggers who started their blog recently. Do you want to showcase your blog to this immense virtual bloggy world, then join me and send me your guest post. This event is going successfully since ever i started and a bunch of my co bloggers showered me with their love by joining their hands with me. Nothing is impossible with all your constant supports and encouraging words.Every 7th and 20th of the month, a guest aka a newbie blogger will post her dish in my space along with their replies for few questions i'll be asking for. So that we can know a bit about them and get to know about them through this event. Do you want to join, then leave me your mail address or else join us in Facebook group.

Life is not full of roses,but sometimes we can make changes in our life if you have good and humble friends besides us.Trust me, my life have changed a lot since few years, that too in this virtual world. I have few friends who are my soul mates, blog mates, my chat mates etc etc. One among my chat mate aka soul mate is Sangeetha of Spicy Treats, actually we have the same wavelength obviously we became friends easily. Since we have the same passion for foods, we are very close to each other now. Earlier we used to talk through Facebook, then one fine day i got her number and called her. From that day onwards, we came so closer and we talk for hours and hours through fone.We know each other very well, if i feel down or if am happy, i'll immediately share with couple of my close friends aka bloggers. When i lost my father, Sangeetha was one among those friends who didnt hesitate a second to call me while am crossing a difficult and very painful moment of my life.

Sangee, i can speak for hours about her,no no for a whole day oh no may be month, yes she have that much of qualities to say. Actually am lost with words now, i seriously want to find a new definition for the friendship that i share with Sangeetha, its a sister-friend relation which i treasure a lot.Sangeetha is a wonderful friend, very honest friend, a down to earth person who speaks always from her heart and a darling if you get to know more about her. She is busy mom of two cute and charming boys, eventhough they keep her busy Sangee never failed to take care of her blog baby. She feeds her blog baby very regularly by her fabulous clicks with stepwise pictures.Couple of her recipes are my favourites and i can provide a huge list of my favourites from her space. Am honoured that finally Sangee is my guest host today and happy that she made this guest post specially for me. Thanks again Sangee.

Lets hear from Sangeetha of Spicy Treats..

Was Waiting for this special day that one of my recipe is featuring here in Priya's Vast Versatile Space. I am honored and so proud to be featured as a guest here. When i asked Priya why you did not come up with such ideas 2 years before itself since as a newbie I struggled lot to get an exposure and recognition. Immediately she said its not so late sangee, you can still be a part of her Novel Event, Rendez Vous With A Foodie. So Thanks a ton Priya for this wonderful opportunity. I know Priya for the past two years and she is a Gem of a Woman, so kind, lovable, caring and down to earth person whom i met through this virtual world. I know more about her personally, we talked over phone for hours and hours and also chatted for hours together. Such a jovial person and she never fails to bring a smile on my face while chatting. Whenever i am down or tensed she is the first person whom i ping and she always there to console me with her humble and positive words. I am blessed to be her friendly sister and wish to be so forever.

She is one of my Inspiration in blogging and cooking, a versatile blogger who can complete any challenge quickly and make everyone "Wow" with her perfectly made recipes. I simply admire her baking skills and the way she uses each and every ingredient in an unique and versatile way. Some of her recent recipes Saffron Cabbage Halwa, Rajma Murukku, Almond Karasev, Soyabean Dosa and the list goes on. You will never imagine that such ingredients can be cooked in such a delicious and interesting way. Hats off to your innovation, enthu and passion towards cooking and blogging. Priya never fails to support any new blogger and and this Rendezvous Event is one best example.

Now coming to the recipe, I wanted to share a baking recipe and also i know she loves Bundt pans and yearning to get one beautiful pan. Since i cannot gift her desired pan right now i decided to bake a Pound cake in my Bundt pan ;) This is a rich, moist and delicious Whipping Cream Pound Cake flavored with Orange and chocolate chips. Hope Priya and her readers like this it and now off to the recipe...

1)Tell us about your blog and you?
I am Sangeetha and i write at Spicy Treats which is 2 yrs and 10 months old. My blog mainly features South Indian day-to-day cooking recipes and also you could find my most favorite North Indian recipes, Regional recipes, Continental and a handful of Baked goodies. I am a homemaker and we are in USA for past 6.5 years. I have two toddler boys who always kept me busy.

2)Before and after blogging, tell us what blogging changed your life?
Before Blogging i don't know anything other than cooking but Blogging changed me and in my routine life a lot and also it shaped me so well and i gained more knowledge in blogging,cooking,baking,photography and writings skills in these 2.5 yrs.

3)When and what motivated you to blog about food?
I started writing a blog without any basic knowledge. Since i am biology base i did not know much about computer, coding, designing website this and that. Even My Hubby did not helped me in these things, i myself learned on seeing other blogs and with the help of Google Master.

I did not even know how to present a dish, i put it in an available plate or bowl clicked like that...never bother about lighting, flash and so on. I do more blog hop, i check each and everything in that blog - design, layout, tab bars, fonts, writing, recipes and of course the pictures and presentation of a dish. Then slowly changed mine too, changed my layouts, added Recipe Index, started taking pictures in natural light source. And after getting DSLR my interest on Photography increased and still learning on food photography but am so happy that at least 3-5 people appreciate my pictures and presentation of my each post which means a lot. And the most important thing that i gained after blogging - tons of friends, lovely sisters who always support and encourage me.

4)There are a tonsof blogs/pages on food these days, what accordingto you is the speciality of your blog and the food you cook?

As i said earlier, my blog features simple and day -to-day cooking recipes, And also i share step by step pictures which helps anyone to cook.

5) When it comes to cooking, who is your inspiration?

Definitely My Mom, She cooks very tasty and delicious foods. She was a working woman, she cooks variety of recipes in short time without compromise in taste and flavor. She will not spend more than a hour in kitchen to cook a complete South Indian meal or a Non-Vegetarian Feast. All my relatives wonder how she cooks so many dishes in very short time, i completely lack that talent and i spend more than a hour in kitchen to cook simple sambar & poriyal.

6)Every newbie blogger faces tons of challenges when its comes to blogging, tell me about one of the challenges you faced and how did you overcome it?

Yes.,i faced lots of issues.,i did not know even the complete meaning of blogging. I even hesitate to comment on other blogs. I did not even get sleep until i solve a issue. I refer google for all my questions and doubts and the answers on other websites were really helpful. 

7)What is your best recipe and your favourite recipes you have blogged till now?

My Best Recipe - Broccoli Snack Roll and my favourite recipes are Aloo Kurma, Ennai Kathrikkai Kuzhambu, Italian Garlic Knots, Buttery Croissants and Vermicelli Paal Payasam.

8)Few tips about food photography?

I would like to share the simple tips which follow - Use natural light source/Day light - Try to take pictures near the window/Patio. Use white board/cloth/Foil Paper as Reflectors. 

To diffuse the harsh lighting i use Wax Paper as diffusor. Never use flash. 

Try to take pictures in different angles and take more pictures( at least 30-40 and select best out of it).

And post process you pictures using free & easy software like - picasa, picmonkey etc.,

9)What is your budget for the props,do you have any or else do you manage with your household stuffs?

Initially i did not spend anything for props but later started spending more for props. My budget will not be more than $20 per month or not more than $8 for a single prop. But have spent even $22 for my Kadai, Bucket Indian style props. Whenever i go shopping i buy something for my blog may be a bowl, mat, flowers, chart anything.

10)How do you plan your blog posts? Do you post rarely,regularly or once a week?

I am trying to post 3-4 recipes a week but some week i post only 1 or 2 and sometimes i push myself to post on all 5 days/weekdays. I used to cook weekly once or twice a week and i make 3 or 4 dishes on the same day and click it and use it for the coming week.

11)Do you have any other passions apart from food blogging or blogs you own?

Apart from blogging i love Fabric Painting but i did not did anything in the past few years. Since my boys kept me always busy and now-a-days i did not even get time to Blog/Blog hop. 

Recipe Source: Taste of Home

Preparation Time : 15 min
Baking Time: 60-70 minutes
Makes about  one 9.5" bundt cake or two 9" loaf cakes.

Ingredients

1. Butter, softened    1 cup
2. Eggs     6 no.s
3. All Purpose Flour    3 cups
4. Sugar    2 and 1/2 cups
5. Baking Powder    1/2 tbsp
6. Salt     1/4 tsp
7. Whipping Cream   1 pint
8. Vanilla Extract   1 tsp
9. Almond Extract   1 tsp
10. Fresh Orange Juice    1/4 cup(optional)
11. Semi sweet Chocolate Chips   1/4 cup or more.

Method

• In a medium sized bowl, add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well and keep aside.
• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the extract.  

• Add flour mixture alternately with whipping cream, beating just until combined. Finally stir in orange juice and chocolate chips.
• Pour into two greased and floured pan. Bake at 325° for 80-85 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Serve with fruit if desired.

Notes:

Adding orange juice is optional, you can also add 1 tsp lemon extract instead.

Likewise you can also add some chopped nuts or bake it as plain Pound cake and top it with some glaze.

This pound cake tastes great the next day.
The oven should not be pre heated, turn on the oven only after placing the pan in the oven.
This cake takes an hour to bake completely, for me it took 67 minutes...oven temperatures may vary so keep an eye.

Thank You so much Priya for this wonderful opportunity and i really enjoyed doing this post for you and your readers. Hope you all like it. 

Hope you all enjoyed Sangeetha's incredible bake, stay tuned for an another guest post by an another foodie blogger on 20th of this month.