Yes, you read me right! I have been crazy enough to pick up Sweets for all 26 days of April.
I picked up to do A to Z of Maharashtrian Sweets this April for a Journey through the Cuisines. Read the rules to know how the theme works.
If you are landing here for the first time, just to update you, we are a group of Food bloggers doing a Blogging Marathon every month, 3 days all 4 weeks, each month. However, during April and September, we do 26 days of nonstop blogging with Sundays off.
We have been doing the Mega Blogging Marathon since April 2013,
April 2013 was the weekly theme.
September 2013 was ABC Cooking
April 2014 was Indian Food Odyssey
September 2014 was Around the world in 30 days
April 2015 was Fire up our Ovens.
September 2015 was a Buffet On Table
Before I start my Journey through the Cuisines. let me give my vote of thanks and speech, lest I miss out to do later after all the overload of sweets!
Maharashtrian Cuisine is one of my favorite cuisines. We have picked up this cuisine many times for Indian Cooking Challenge.
However, my main motivation was the goodie bag that Pradnya gave us all when we met for BM#50 Celebration last year. She had so painstakingly packed us some delicious homemade stuff from her state. I was planning to make an elaborate thali for September, which never got done.
While all my buddies finalized their theme, I was still clueless, until I landed in this place! Gosh looking at that platter, something clicked and the search never stopped. I almost got my entire list of A to Z from Amu's Recipe, with some missing.
Since it was going to be Sweets, I knew I had to plan it properly. Well, I also knew it was never going to happen. The cooking for this marathon, as usual, started just a month ago, with weekends being a marathon cooking.
While I knew making these sweets will not be a problem, my valued customer, Hubby dear was traveling. So I had plan my cooking didn't clash with his travel plans. Since Konda was busy with her exams, she couldn't help with step by step pictures, however, I was able to rope her in for enjoying these sweets and, of course, I have my colleagues as well.
I can't thank Pradnya enough for the help and for patiently answering all my queries on the different recipes I picked up. She even suggested recipes for some of the tough alphabets.
Some of the Maharashtrian blogs that I looked up were Vaidehi Bhave's, Meera's, Amu's, Bestmarathirecipes. Individual posts will have the source mentioned from where it was adapted.
During this course of cooking, I even reached out to a few other bloggers, who have been so helpful in assisting in their recipes. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge on Maharashtrian cuisine so generously, which enabled me to enjoy in my own kitchen!
All recipes are adapted from the source with due credits, I may have modified some based on personal preference though it wasn't much. I also felt many of the recipes were universally Indian. So there weren't many hurdles on that aspect.
No, I will not attribute any weight gain to self on this series, I have only tasted a tiny bit of all dishes while shamelessly indulged in some of the best.
Another big push was one dish that was already cooked, before planning on this cuisine. While going through the different recipes, I realized I have one draft. Sadly that was without step by step pictures because Amma had made it.
Can you imagine a venture into a new challenging cuisine that happened because I have one less dish to cook? Yes, I knew we were a crazy bunch!
And clicking the final pictures! Yes, I never realized sweets would be so tough as drinks! So if you see an overload of almonds and raisins, blame my overworked brain and lack of creativity. I do not like food being thrown on the ground. So I have scattered nuts around the plate. I have become nuttier through this Journey of Cuisine.
Harini-Jaya R says
Lets journey through together, Valli. For a second, I was wondering if you have started the marathon a day early 🙂
rajani says
Looking forward to a sugar high month Valli :-). Good to know your theme..
Pavani N says
Wow Valli, what an amazing theme you took up Valli. I'm really excited to see your A-Z creations of Maharashtrian desserts. I wish I was as creative as you in coming up with a theme 🙂
Gayathri Kumar says
That is an awesome theme Valli. Looking forward to all you sweets..
Priya Srinivasan says
Beginning on a sweet note valli !! Waiting to see your posts! !!
Padma Rekha says
looking forward to all your delicious sweet recipes Valli. For a second I checked today's date :)nice idea starting intro. a day before....
Chef Mireille says
wow what a theme - you outdo yourself every time - I bow my cap to you lady!
Sapana Behl says
Wow Valli such an interesting theme.Looking forward to seeing all your Maharastrian Sweets.
Padmajha PJ says
Wow!! Sweets!! Hat's off lady!Looking forward to your posts Srivalli...
Srivalli says
Thank you, everybody! your kind words always motivate me to do more