Grandma’s Dishes

My grandmother's china

I apologize for having gone missing. I’ve been extremely busy these past few weeks — we’ve moved to Washington, D.C., so I can start graduate school next week and the move was NOT an easy one. Let’s just say everything that could have gone wrong did, and leave it at that. 

So, not only have I not had time to blog, I haven’t really even had time to cook. 

However, now that we’ve finally found a place where we plan to live two years in a row (wow! could it be possible? I haven’t lived that long anywhere in about a decade), I pulled out the boxes of my grandmother’s china that have been sitting in storage for several years. Actually, they’ve been in storage way longer than that – -first at my mom’s house, then in mine..I didn’t even have an idea what was in there. 

I’m pleasantly surprised! I’m now the owner of an 80-plus piece set of eggshell-colored, flowery china that’s in really great shape. I don’t think it’s fancy stuff  (It’s stamped simply “Howard Laughlin,  Made in the USA.” The Internet tells me this company was the major china company in the 1920′s through the 60′s, and some sets of the company’s china were sold exclusively at Woolworths Department stores).

 However, I can’t believe all the peices in this set! There are: 12 cups, 12 saucers, 12 tiny little plates, 12 super tiny bowls, 12 larger shallow bowls, 12 salad plates, 12 large plates and a creamer dish, sugar dish, gravy boat and large serving platter. Phew. 

I’m not even sure what some of this stuff is supposed to be used for, to be honest. Like these little bowls. You can see how small they are, because I held up a one-cup measuring cup for reference. Someone on the internet called them “berry bowls” — does this ring a bell? 

Berry bowls?

The dishes all have gold painting on the edges and little gold designs in a ring around the inside — I can’t believe how they’ve all held up so well! 

The plates are sort of square, sort of circular

Also confusing to me are how shallow these large bowls (pictured below) are — were they used for soup? Or a salad or something? 

The shallow bowls

And finally, the pretty little sugar bowl: 

I think this looks very French...

Falooda

Two Faloodas, coming right up

My first taste of falooda was, oddly enough, not at an Indian sweet shop or home. It was in a Burmese restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona. And it quickly made its way on to my “favorite desserts” list.

Falooda is enjoyed in countries spanning from Iran to Burma, and, I guess, beyond. The preparation seems to differ from country to country. However, the way my husband and I make it at home (and the way we’ve had it in most Indian restaurants around here), it includes ice cream, rose-flavored syrup, milk, vermicelli noodles, cardamom, whipped cream and tukmaria, which are softened basil seeds. You can purchase the rose syrup, called Rooh Afza (“Summertime drink of the the East”) in Indian and Middle-Eastern grocery stores. Yes, it’s eerily brightly covered red. No, I don’t want to know how many chemicals go into making it that color….just let it go.

This definitely would qualify as an “exotic” dessert in case any of my Milwaukee readers need a dessert option for the next neighborhood progressive dinner

Actually, the tukmaria (basil seeds) are my favorite part of this dessert. They’re these odd little gelatinous circles that have a slight crunch when bitten. They don’t really have any flavor by themselvs, but add a nice texture to this Indian version of a milkshake. Plus, people will tell you that they cure indigestion. Just put them in a glass of water for about a half-hour or longer, and watch them get soft and puffy. Then, they’re ready to eat.

Now, I’ve found a lot of recipes for this treat, many adding corn flour or gelatin (ick!). Some involve using sweetened condensed milk, or boiling the milk beforehand, then cooling it… I’m sure those all taste great, and perhaps they are the traditional way of making this dessert. However, when the temps are in the 90s, I lose all motivation to work in the kitchen, so I’ve made this recipe as simple as possible, while still keeping the original flavors intact.

Now, if  only Kopp’s Frozen Custard (or Zesty’s in Green Bay, which are my two favorite custard shops) would just make a falooda flavor of the day…

Falooda

Ingredients – for two

* 2 cups milk

* 4  scoops vanilla ice cream

* 4 Tbsp. rose syrup (Rooh Afza)

* 1/2 tsp. basil seeds

* 1/4 cup vermicelli noodles

* Sprinkling of ground cardamom

* Almond slices or pistachios, for garnish

Directions

1. Bowl vermicelli noodles in a saucepan according to the package. Drain and add two spoonfuls into the bottom of two tall glasses.

2. Place two scoops of vanilla ice cream in one glass, and add about a cup of milk. Add 2 Tbsp. Rooh Afza  and a dash of ground cardamom, and blend, to make a thin milkshake. Add a spoonful of the basil seeds. Repeat with the other glass.

3.  Now, add another scoop or two of ice cream on the top. Add some whipped cream. Sprinkle with the crushed nuts.  Serve with a straw and a spoon.

* As with any dessert, if you want it more rose-tasting, add more syrup, or less rose-tasting, add less. Add sugar if you want. Add more ice-cream and less milk. Just make it taste good!