Rendez Vous With A Foodie - Sundari Nathan of My Magic Pan

Every 7th and 20th of the month,am hosting Rendez Vous With A Foodie, an event happening twice a month in my blog,the main motto of this event is to introduce budding bloggers to this immense virtual world.Today is an another special day for me,yep today's host is a wonderful person, before going to know about her, if anyone want to be my guest and if your blog is less than two years please do contact me through Facebook or by a mail with your facebook name to add you in this new adventure.

My today's guest host is one among a newbie blogger who i have crossed recently, one fine day she pinged me asking whether she can join this event. Who can resist to this friendly request? i said immediately Yes. When she pinged me i was India, with a nasty net connection i couldnt able to chit chat with her for a long.Thank god she was very humble and accepted immediately the slot i suggested to her. Then later once i came back home, i pinged her and we talked for a while. Trust me, she was very kind enough to accept when i changed the slot i have suggested earlier coz of an another blogger who is in vacation. Do you want to know whom am talking about??  She is Sundari Nathan of My Magic Pan.

We dont need many years to get connect in this virtual world, we get easily friends here that too if you have same passion. Myself and Sundari have same passion of foods thus our friendship is growing up day by day and am thanking god for giving me this wonderful sister aka blogger friend.This virtual bloggy world never let me down and its like a mother who never forget to give much love and support.Sundari shares many delicious dishes in her 5 months old blog baby, you can authentic dishes,beautiful bakes and more delicious foods.Just go through her space to see all her efforts she is putting on her space since October 2013.I have few favourites from her space eventhough i love very much her prefectly prepared delicious Mysore pak..

Come on lets hear from Sundari of My Magic Pan..

Today is a very special day for me. I had been desperately waiting for this moment!! I am so thrilled to present my guest post in Priya akka’s popular space. I have known her only for the past 2-3 months & have been following her blog since then. Her recipes are so unique and innovative. I love her for her energy – She is a passionate blogger & posts a recipe every day. I just can’t think of it.. U are so inspiring Priya akka!! 

Thank you so much Akka for this wonderful opportunity!!! 

Let’s start with the lovely chit-chat with Priya akka.

1)Tell us about your blog and you?

I am Sundari Nathan, author of mymagicpan. My website is all about vegetarian recipes made with love from my kitchen. Yummy to taste & easy to make is the motto of my website. So I try & keep my recipes simple and easy to make, even for a beginner.

2)Before and after blogging, tell us what blogging changed your life?

Before blogging – I never thought that I would start a blog of my own. I did not have the slightest idea of starting one. After blogging – My experimenting is increasing day by day. Am so glad that blogging has driven me to try new recipes & to keep a record of it too. It keeps me busy as well. I spend more time in reading recipe books or watching cooking videos rather than movies/other source of entertainment.

3)When and what motivated you to blog about food?

I am passionate about cooking. I always try to impress my family with my cooking. Another passion is writing - I used to pen down the day to day activities in a diary. It is real fun to read it after a couple of months or years. So a mix & match of these 2 passions made me to start a blog. 

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

I aim to share a collection of vegetarian recipes – Be it traditional or innovative.  My blog has simple step by step procedures & pictures for each recipe, making it easy & motivating even for a beginner to try it.

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

Undoubtedly, My mom is my inspiration. She is the best cook ever. She can make a yummy meal in minutes. When we try something new in a restaurant, she can easily pin-point the ingredients in it and re-produce the same at home which will taste even better than the restaurants.

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?Please specify with the facts.

Initially, taking step wise pictures was driving me mad. I could not manage it with messy hands. It took double the time to cook & I used to get tired and frustrated. Slowly got used to it and now I do not cook without my camera. Next problem was the lighting  as we hardly get any sunlight here. I am still learning about photography. Other than that not much difficulties as my hubby & Google are always there to help..

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

Favourite recipes - No Bake Choco Nutty Biscuit Cake & Tomato Thokku – I have a lot of childhood memories to relate with these recipes. 

Best Recipes – Baby Potato Fry & Eggless Sugar Cookies

8)Few tips about food photography?

Am still a learner in photography. As far as I know lighting is the most important factor. Use simple props and click a lot of pictures from different angles to get the best one.

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

I do not have any budget as such. But the first thing that catches my eye when I enter any shop, are the props. If it’s attractive & worth its price I buy it.

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

I post 3 – 4 recipes per week.

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

Collecting car posters, reading books, listening to music were all in my passion list. But now, am so glued to my website that I hardly find any time for other things.


Now to my guest post…

These Eggless Vanilla Cookies are a special virtual treat for u Priya akka !!

[Preparation Time-30 mins : Cooking Time-10 to 15 mins : Recipe adapted fromVahchef]

Ingredients:

• Maida (All purpose flour) - 1 cup

• Icing Sugar(Powdered sugar) - 3/4th cup

• Butter - 1/2 cup

• Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Take butter & icing sugar in a bowl and beat it well so that it is smooth & creamy. Make sure butter is in room temperature/soft & there are no lumps in sugar. Add vanilla essence & mix.

2. Sieve all purpose flour to the butter-sugar mixture & combine gently. It should be in the form of a dough. Do not knead the dough too much, else the cookies will become hard.

3. Spread a cling film on a flat surface. Pinch a little piece of dough and roll them in between your palms gently to form a smooth ball without any cracks. Press it gently with a fork to form marks.

4. I made a batch of animal shaped cookies as Chotu is crazy about animals. In the same cling foil place the dough and roll it to 1/4 inch thickness. Then cut out to different shapes.

5. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180 deg Celsius for 10 mins. Place the cookies carefully on a baking tray and bake for 10-15 mins or until the cookies turn slightly golden in the edges. Once baked, cool them on a wire rack.
Eggless Vanilla Cookies are ready.Let them cool down completely and transfer to an aair tight container.

I kept the Eggless Vanilla Cookies all ready before Chotu came back from school. I was really thrilled and just couldn’t wait to see his expression. The moment he saw the cookies he was very happy but he asked “Where are the decorations?”

I was dumbstruck as I did not expect this!!! Then I promised him to decorate the cookies the next day and did it just like the Eggless Sugar Cookies as Chotu was not going to spare me without those.

So here are the decorated ones!!! He is the reason behind these colorful decorated cookies!!! Hope u like this virtual treat Priya ka!

He was super happy to see the decorated Eggless Vanilla Cookies the next day.

Tips:

1. U can leave the cookies as is without decorating. Its not compulsory as they just melt in the mouth otherwise also.

2. Roll the cookie dough evenly, else the cookies will not be baked properly.

3. Baking time depends upon the size & thickness of the cookies.

4. U can add a few tbsp of milk or water to the dough if u are not able to bring it together.

5. The cookies will be soft when hot, but will be crispy once they cool down. So do not overbake.

Hope u enjoyed these Eggless Vanilla Cookies!! Thank you once again Priya ka for this opportunity.

Am sure you have all enjoyed going through this beautiful guest post, stay tuned for an another guest post from an another blogger.