Marble Cake - From Martha Stewart's collection

Ingredients:

Butter - 1/2 cup (1 stick)

Cake flour - 1 3/4 cups

Baking powder - 2 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Sugar - 1 cup

Eggs - 3

Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

Buttermilk - 2/3 cup

Dutch-process cocoa powder - 3 tbsp

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.

2. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt and keep aside.

3. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until combined after each addition.

5. Mix in the vanilla.

6. Add the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk. Start and finish with the flour mixture. Set aside 1/3 of the batter.

7. In a bowl, mix cocoa and 3 tbsp of boiling water. Mix well and add to the reserved batter.

8. Spoon in the batter into the prepared tin in 2 layers. Each layer should have a checkered board pattern by alternating spoonfuls of vanilla and chocolate batter.

9. For the marbling effect, run a skewer or a knife through the batters in a swirling motion.

10. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes.

Spicy oven-roasted chicken

Ingredients

Chicken - 1.5 lb ( I used cornish hen)

Saffron threads - 1/4 tsp

Water - 1/2 tbsp (hot)

Garlic - 3 cloves, crushed

Ginger - 1 tbsp, grated

Chili powder- 1/4 tsp

Ground paprika - 1 tsp

Garam masala - 1 1/2 tsp

Juice of a lemon

Salt

1. Soak saffron in boiling water for 10 minutes.

2. Make a smooth mixture of all the ingredients and marinate the chicken with the spice mixture for 2-3 hours.

3. Bake at 350F until golden and tender.

Samosa

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

All purpose flour- 2 1/3 cups(12 oz)

Butter - 3 tbsp(melted)

Warm water - Around 3/4 cup

Salt to taste

For the filling:

Potatoes- 1 lb (cooked and mashed)

Cumin seeds - 1 1/2 tsp

Ginger - 1 tsp , chopped

Chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Green chili - 1, finely chopped

Cilantro - 1/4 bunch

Chaat masala - 1 tsp ( i used store brought ones)

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

To make pastry:

1. Sift flour and salt into a bowl and stir in the melted butter.

2. Add enough warm water to form a firm dough.

3. Knead dough lightly until smooth.

4. Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside for 20 minutes.

To make the filling:

1. Heat around 4 tsp of oil in a pan, toast the cumin seeds until fragrant.

2. Stir in the ginger and add the mashed potatoes, chili powder and green chili. Cook for 3 minutes.

3. Add cilantro, chaat masala, lemon juice and salt. Mix well and remove from heat and let cool.

Assembling:

1. Divide the dough into 6 portions. Shape each portion into an oval and roll out on a lightly floured work surface until oval is 9 in long and 6 in wide.

2. Cut each oval crosswise.

3. Place one half-oval on your hand with the straight edge in line with your forefinger. Wet a finger and run along the straight edge to moisten.

4. Place fingers of your other hand in center of the half-ovel, folding in sides so edges overlap to form a cone. Press overlapped edges to seal and hold cone with open end uppermost.

5. Spoon the potato mixture into cone and use a wet finger to moisten edge of opening. Pinch edges of opening together to seal and enclose filling. Place samosa on a lightly floured baking sheet.

6. Repeat with remaining dough and potato filling.

7. Heat oil in a kadhai. Fry the samosas until crisp and dark golden brown,3-4 minutes.