Lavender and Jasmine Madeleines!

Madeleines! I finally got a madeleine pan on sale! 

I was way too excited about this. I called Joe to tell him and then I had to explain to him what madeleines are, and then I had to remind him all the times he's ever eaten madeleines, and then I had to give him some background on where were were and what we ate it with, and THEN he remembered and got excited too!

I used to get the box from Costco (which is actually surprisingly pretty damn good!) and smear Nutella on them... athough anything smeared with Nutella turns magically delicious, no?

I was really against buying the pan for a while, because I felt like the shape wasn't necessary. But then, without it it's just a little cookie shaped cake... the shape is what makes it distinct. I love the shell shape! They're oh-so-French and classic. 

Coconut Meringue Tart

 So, now that I'm done with my exam, I can blog again! Without feeling guilty, that is :)
I made this coconut cream tart last week for Joe, since that boy loves coconut. I thought about not baking and only studying, but baking is really relaxing for me. I just can't stay away from the kitchen! Not to mention I have so many recipes collected since India.
Btw, my dear aunt asked me to make something with honey rum, but I'm still working on getting the ingredients and figuring out the perfect recipe. But it's coming, I promise!

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

 Look no further, I have found the perfect summer cupcake. It's a little late but it's here! The second I bit into this, I knew it was trouble. I immediately didn't want to share. I wanted to sneak them all away in my room and inhale them in one go.

But I decided to be nice. I wasn't going to post for a while but I do want everyone to share in my love for this!

Once Upon a Time in Mumbai

Or as Bombay, since that's what we called it "back in the day". Before they insisted on the name change since Bombay was named by the Portuguese explorers and Mumbai is the more Desi title. Sigh.
Anyway, My friends came to visit me there and we had a blast. It was a whirlwind of eating and shopping and giggling. I don't enjoy eating out that much in general, but I did get to discover more restaurants and foods there on this trip. My stomach couldn't handle it towards the end but it was still worth it :)

Mumbai Masala

Dear Readers,

I haven't written in so long because I've been so busy! Even now, the internet in my home in India is not very good so editing and uploading photos is just not worth the time. Therefore, I have to wait till I get home to go back to blogging. I'll be home in less than a week! As much as I'm looking forward to getting away from the mosquitos here, I'm going to miss my granny and the smells of her cooking so very much.

I've had such an amazing trip here. My best friends visiting me made it all the more perfect. I thought the monsoon would kill the experience, and although it limited our choices, we made the best of it.
I got to see Mumbai through new eyes, and it was super fun. Of course I ate way too much in the process, but I don't regret a single frankie, pani puri, or masala chai (I've had many many).
And having my niece here was definitely the cherry on top. I can't wait to post pics!
Here are a couple gratuitous ones, minus any editing: