Mango Creme

                                                

This is a Dessert inspired by the Indian "Shreekhand" or Amarkhand. These Indian Desserts are based on natural Yogurt. Sreekhand is based on Yogurt, sugar, Saffron, green Cardamom powder and some nuts and the Amarkhand is all the mentioned things plus the bestest "King of Fruit" YES Alfonso Mango in it. Here you can read more about the "King of fruits" The Alphanso

But here is a more European version of a Mango Creme with creme and Curd cheese. It makes a great summer dessert.

Ingredients :

1. 6 pieces of Alphonso Mango/500 gms can of Alphonso Mango puree
2. 250 ml of fresh creme
3. 350-400 gms of Magerquark(curd cheese) or Rahmquark(curd cheese with creme in it)
4. 3-4 green cardamom pods, crushed
5. few strands of saffron
6. chopped pistachios to garnish.

A Super Simple Tomato Salad

Tomato is a very versatile vegetable which can be used in a variety of ways. Below is a super simple tomato salad which can be made in minutes.

Ingredients:

- 4 fresh tomatoes, cut into circles
- a bunch of fresh red radishes

For the dressing:
- 1 medium sized red onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic pressed
- handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped (you can also take basil, goes extremely well)
- salt to taste
- big pinch of red chili powder
- few shakes of black pepper powder
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- about a tsp of lime juice but it can be substituted with vinegar.

Bread Pakora

 Bread Pakora is a comfort food for me, it can be a good snack and it also makes a great appetizer and a small lunch. I remember as a child me and my brother used to eat it from a vendor outside our school.
Most of the time I make it either with brown toast bread or leftover bread, the sort of bread we use to make Bruchetta.


Ingredients (4 people)

• 1 cup of chicpea flour (besan)
• 3/4 to 1 cup of water
• ½ tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 green chilly, finely chopped
• handful of fresh coriander, chopped
• 1 tsp of cumin seeds
• 1 pinch of backing powder
• 1 pinch of asatofedita

Method:

1. Make the batter using about 3/4 to 1 cup of water mixing it with a hand beater and making it into a fine paste. The consistency will be between pancake and Waffel mix, so not too runny and not too thick. Keep the batter aside for about 10-15 minutes.
2. Slice the bread if you are taking a loaf or as earlier mentioned you can either take white or even brown toast bread. Actually back home you get it made from toast bread only. But since we get so many types of bread here, so you can be creative.
3. Heat a flat pan or a heavy bottom non stick pan.
4. Smear about a teaspoon of Ghee/oil on the pan.
5. Dunk a slice of bread into the batter and put about 2-3 on the pan according to the size of the pan.
6. Let it cook for about 3-4 minutes. Turn the bread pakora to the other side and again smear some ghee on the edges. Cook it further for 3-4 minutes.
7. Serve hot with ketchup, chutney or even a small salad.
8. TIP: Actually you can reduce the water and also add a beated egg to the batter, this way it goes in the direction of an omelette and more proteins for you, but I am not a big egg fan.

Aubergine curry

This is an Aubergine curry which I Bipasha cooked for us, it comes from the region of Calcutta it is quite simple to do and tastes amazing. Below is my version.  Here is what you will need. 

Ingredients:

- 2 medium sized Aubergines

- 250 creme

- 250 natural yogurt

-1 tbsp mustard

- 2 tbsp tomato puree

- 1 red chili powder

- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

- salt to taste

- 2 tbsp of oil

Bally! The story of "The Bally Shoe"

The name Bally does not need an introduction at least in Switzerland or Europe or may be also in the rest of the world. The Bally shoe company was started by Carl Franz Bally in the year 1851. We had a very compassionate and a "very passisonate about shoes" guide to tell us "the story of Bally". How it all started in the basement of the house and slowely become one of the best shoe makers of the world.

                                      

The office! still kept like how it used to be.

Carl Franz Bally

                                    

The handwriting was far better than printing.

The entrance to the office.

The writing desk.

Our Guide !!! She has such passion for shoes and knew a lot about it, was worth a visit.

The workshop bits.

Olden days flip-flops

This was a huge piece of amythyst stone, formed in the form of a shoe given to the Bally people from Brazil as a gift.

I have never seen such a big amytheyst

Our guide said in those days also a "little shoe" worn as a pendant was considered to be very lucky, now we know where does people got all the ideas from.

The shoe for the Pope, now if you think about it, Pope always wears red shoes.

Royal shoes.

Shoes from Japan

These were some of the "old styled shoes" but after looking at them I realised the Fashion of the shoe repeats itself and our guide said so many shoemakers come here for inspiration.

House shoes

The embrodry on the leather was done in those days by housewives and then it was made into a shoe.

A Nike from "Roger Federer"

All old classics.

Again the same, beautiful shoes and Ja one old saying from England "No brown after eight" and people used to follow it very seriously.

The shoe from "The Queen of England"

The heels.

and again, with such intricate work.

This little wodden thingy was used to wear the boots.

Winter boots.

Shoes from China.

And of course "India"

and Africa

 "The shoemakers" One very interesting thing I found out about them is. The shoemaker while making the shoe would chew on a small piece of leather. This worked like a drug for him and then he was totally in his element.

Again chinese shoes. The girls in china in those days were considered beautiful with small feet. So they were given small shoes and there feet were tied so that they stay small. 

These shoes were used in the hot regions. The women would wear them to get to the pool/water and leave them close to the pool and get in.

These are small little shoes made from procelian. A very interesting story here. If a man would love a girl he would write a letter to her and send her in this little shoe. Sometimes if the girls were lucky they would get lots of these shoes. I loved the idea. I think Vilreory should start making them !!!

The whole group.

The end.

Auf wieder sehen.

Lieben gruss

Ity