Vaishnav Biryani

Ingredients:
Preparation time -- 20 mins

1 cup rice
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp lowfat margarine
2 stick cinnamon, broken into 2-3 pieces
6 cloves
6 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 potato, large, boiked, peeled, cut in large cubes
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen

1 cup yogurt
6 wedges eggplant
2 cups cabbage, finely cut, well packed
1/2 tsp dry mint leaves
1 hot green chili, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp milk
A few sprigs saffron for coloring
10 almonds, blanched, slivered or garnising.

1. Parboil rice, adding salt. Set aside.
2. Heat margarine
3. Add cinnamon, cloves, black peppercorns, bay leaves, mint, chili and fry for ten seconds
4. Add yogurt, salt and mix well.
5. Spread potatoes, peas and cabbage over yogurt.
6. Arrange eggplant slices over that
7. Spread rice over vegetables
8. Heat milk slightly, dissolve saffron to add coloring
9. Pour milk over rice in streaks or in circles.
10. Cover rice with foil, place lid on and cook in oven 350F for 40 mins or unil rice is cooked
11. Serve hot with yogurt.

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Italian Creme Cake

Italian Creme Cake
Tiger: Uncle Ambrose, this looks awesome!
Marlon: But you cannot have it, Tig.
Tiger: Who says?
Ambrose: I say.
Tiger: Ewww...but it looks so yummy...meow!
Ambrose: Ok you can sniff and lick the frosting.
Tiger: Meow, meow, meow.

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup shortening
5 large eggs, separated
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
Nutty Cream Cheese Frosting
Garnish: toasted pecan halves


Preheat oven to 350. Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy, gradually add sugar, beating well.
Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating until blended aftr each addition. Add vanilla, beat just until blended.
Combine flour and soda, add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in coconut .
Beat white eggs until stiff peaks form, fold into butter. Pour butter into 3 greased and fliured 9-inch ropund cake pans.
Bake for 25 mins at 350 or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10-15 mins. Remove from pans and let completely cool.
Spread Nutty Creme Cheese between layers and on top. Garnish, if desired.