The Help

Author: Kathryn Stockett

The story is set in Missisippi at the time when racism was at its peak in the US and the white kids were raised by their black maids. Skeeter after graduating from her college comes back to Jackson where her parents are. However, with her liberal thinking she finds herself a misfit for the small conservative town. The treatment meted out to the black maids by their white mistresses always irks her. She’s itching to become a writer and towards her goal, starts writing the daily housekeeping column for the local newspaper. Given the background, a white lady has little knowledge of housekeeping and hence she resorts to her friend’s maid Abileen to help her out with the tips and tricks. One day an editor of a popular newspaper advises Skeeter than if she wants to make it big in journaling/writing she has to come up with something nobody has ever thought of. Skeeter takes this advice to heart and comes up with the most radical plan. To execute this plan she needs the help of many black maids in her town, starting with Aibleen. This plan changes the map of her life. Even though it makes her lose her boyfriend and puts her and the maids’ life at risk, it gives all the participants a ray of hope. It is the only light in their life. The way she executes her plan and the secrets that unfold during the execution are the essence of the novel.

I think the author has done a brilliant job – while reading the novel you forget that it’s a piece of fiction, you get so engrossed. You’re completely transported to Missisippi and with every page, your eagerness to read the next only increases.

Bottomline: Love it!

Eggless Chocolate Chip waffles!

If you were to look at my last post, you would think that I’m on an eggless recipe hunt :). It’s just that I prefer to cook things which require ingredients that I already have and by using eggless recipe I avoid one more ingredient in the house, it is healthier and feels good. Though I’m not sure if I would be able to find recipes for eggless-everything :).

Anyway, before I found this recipe I’d tried making eggless waffles using another one from the net and it was so bad that I vowed to never try eggless waffles again. However, on coming across this one I couldn’t resist :) and had to try it! I’m glad I did because they taste absolutely delicious!! So much better than the regular recipe listed in my cuisinart manual. I can eat these waffles just like that, without any syrup/topping!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 level tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 4 tbsp melted butter
• 1 cup milk
• Chocolate chips, according to taste. To give a rough idea, I must’ve used 1/4 cup or less.

Method:

1. Heat the waffle maker.
2. Mix all the ingredients together except butter and chocolate chips.
3. Add butter. If you add butter in the beginning, it forms lumps with the flour. Even after adding it in the second step, there might be small lumps, that’s ok; but remove all the big lumps, if any.
4. Add the chocolate chips.
5. Make the waffles as per the directions of your waffle maker.

Note: The original recipe asks to keep the batter for 2-3 hours. I never remember to do that but still like the taste of the waffles. I intend to try this next time.

Eggless Banana nut muffin

I found  this recipe at Saffron Hut and the muffin were delicious! I’ve a 6-muffin pan so I halved the recipe and the recipe below is for 6 muffins.

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 3/8 cup sugar
• 1/6 cup melted butter
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• chopped walnuts, according to your taste

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Mash bananas. Make sure to do it properly so that the bananas blend well into the batter.
3. Reserve some chopped walnuts for topping and mix all the other ingredients along with the bananas.
4. Line the muffin pan with muffin cups and divide the batter into the 6 cups.
5. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts on top.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or till golden brown. You can do the toothpick test – insert a toothpick in one of the muffins and if it comes out clean, they’re done.

Hope you enjoy them!