GATT Quintet

GATT Quintet

Recently I came across two old DD videos of the famous GATT Quintet in Youtube in Dr.Santhosham’s channel. A medley of Simon and Garfunkel songs and Country roads by John Denver. They can be seen here.

They brought back nostalgic memories of my childhood. I was in my 9th standard when I got a cassette of the GATT Quintet. I was hooked to male voice music from that time on. I still remember the deep bass voice of Dr. Grubb in Go Down Moses and the peppy Step into the water numbers from that cassette. They had the misfortune of singing in a period when the recording technology was in its evolution stage. Still you can hear the quality dripping from the songs. Their last CD GATT Together for Christmas is a superb collection of Christmas songs starting from the spirited “When was Jesus born” to the oriental “We three Kings” to the Tamil song “Senthamil Nadaenum Pothinilae”. The songs can be previewed here.

A brief note about the group

The members of the group are Dr Kalyan Subramanian, James Davids,Allan Sathyadev,Dr.Ravi Santhosham and Dr Samuel Grubb. They have been singing unchanged for the last 40 years.
It was their mutual love for music and a strong passion for african-american spirituals that brought four teenagers together more than forty years ago in the youth fellowship of the Emmanuel Methodist church in the southern city of Chennai, India. By the mid-seventies the young men graduated from college and embarked on separate career paths. two became physicians, one an account executive and one an aerospace engineer, who now lives in San Diego, USA, and whose absence brought a fifth member, also a physician, into the group. the GATT quartet thus became the GATT Quintet
Even though they are now separated physically, they are still held together by their love for music and the bond that they share with each other. Successes in their chosen career paths have made them pursue music for the sheer love of it and this shows in their performance.
They have performed in England, in N.Ireland, in USA, in Australia with the world voices in connection with the Sidney Olympics at the Sydney Opera House, in Bahrain.In 2009, the GATT Quintet performed as an alumni member at the 25th anniversary of the International church music festival in the Vatican, under the direction of Sir David Wilcocks.

Kolikari Dosa

Handwork by my Grandparents

GVB Homecoming Baltimore

Ever since coming to the US my desire was to attend one GVB homecoming, One Broadway musical and one classical concert. The first one on the list was ticked off when we went to the GVB Homecoming in Baltimore.The concert was on 12th December. It was a Saturday and we planned to leave some where around 10. As usual we woke up late and started at 1 and by the time we bought something to eat it was around 1.30.
From here to baltimore its around 3.30 to 4 hours and for a guy whose maximum drive previously was an hour this was a great feat. We started without any incidents and without any of my usual wrong lane problems. It was around 5.30 when we reached baltimore and we checked into the Homestead studio suites.
The concert was at 6 and we started around 6.30 from the place. Just when I started the car I realized that the ticket did not have the address and after going to the reception guy I got it. We reached the arena around 6.50 and to my chargin I realized that there was no parking nearby, I crossed the first Mariner Arena where the concert was passed two blocks and turned into a one way street. Thanks to a cabbie who warned me I turned about then retracted the same path and realized that there was a parking lot opposite the arena itself thanks to the missus.
I parked there and we rushed into the areana. My main fears were the concert would be half over and how long my son would allow us to stay there. We punched in our tickets got the flash lights and rushed into the arena. To our great relief Linda Randle was singing there. She was finishing with "Through it all" and then Bill Gaither came out and started the crowd singing. The lights dimmed and then the notes of "Alpha and Omega" came out and it was the GAITHER VOCAL BAND. I was waiting for this moment and was not disappointed.
Wes Hamption,Michael English, David Phelps,Mark Lowry and Bill gaither. They redid a couple of their favorites Satisfied,Journey to the sky,It is finished,Daystar,The love of God. It was odd to see 3 tenors. However the arrangments were different and Bill tried out different combinations. Gene Mcdonald of the Florida boys joining for Hide thou me. Our favorite was Glorious impossible.
I am normally not a big fan of Michael English. However my views went for a toss in this concert.Michael gave a very brief testimony. One of his quotes stuck in my mind. "Our God is a God of second chances". When he sang Daystar I was impressed and I began to understand why so many people go crazy when he sings. Wes was his usual impressive self. Mark, well you can never put down mark and he introduced the vocal band as the recycled Gaither vocal band. He remarked that as he grew old he is not able to run around his brain any more. Bill Gaither was his usual self and he got carried away during the Christmas sing along. He also payed the piano for Hide thou me.
David phelps was the stand out and when sand O Holy night. My, you have to listen to this guy live. I mean I have seen him singing O holy night hundreds of times(DVDs, Youtube). He blew the audience away when he sang it at the end.
There was a break in between and i went out with my son to get some snacks. There was a commotion and I turned around and saw it was david phelps. He was immediately surrounded by people. He patiently signed autographs posing for photographs. The thing that struck me all of them were simple and great in interacting with Fans. David had to tear himself away during the break. He did it with a smile in his face. After the concert was over other than bill , mark and wes everyone else was at the products table obliging all the fans with photos and autographs. Though I wanted to take a photo with David and Kevin I did not because as usual I was a little bit reluctant.
Over all it was a very uplifting experience and I will post more about it later

BLACK FOREST CAKE

One who has eaten the best made BLACK FOREST CAKE, will never forget the taste of it till life. I ate it once in my native and from then on it was my special snack every week end. Whenever i eat a new dish or snack i have a desire to try it out on my own. So i tried many a times but i could not get the original taste of the BFC....
What a wonder!!!! The final trial was delicious. Its taste was the same as the one which i ate few months back....
I hope everyone will like it.

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

Butter(melted and cooled) - 1/2 cup(110 gm)
Sugar(powdered to crumbs) - 1 1/4 cup(275 gm)
Egg - 2
Flour - 1 1/2 cup(140 gm)
Cocoa powder - 1/2 cup(50 gm)
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Vanilla essence - 1 tbsp
Salt - a pinch
Vinegar - 1 tbsp
Milk - 1 cup minus 1 tbsp

For filling:

Heavy cream - 1 cup
Sugar(powdered) - 4 tbsp
Vanilla essence - 1 tbsp
Cherry (seeds off) - 1/2 cup
Chocolate curls or shavings - 1 cup

METHOD
Grease a cake pan or 3 cake pans and keep ready. Pre heat oven at 350 degree C

Pour vinegar in a cup and add milk in it. Stir well and keep it aside.

Sift and keep flour,cocoa powder,baking powder,baking soda and salt.

In a bowl add melted butter and sugar.Beat well for 3 minutes,so that it gets mixed well. Its ok if it is not fluffy.

Add one egg at a time and beat well for 3 minutes.

Add half of the sour milk and vanilla essence and beat just for a minute.

Turn of the beater and fold in the sifted dry ingredients.

Use rest of the sour milk if needed to make the batter smooth.

Pour it in the cake pan and bake till a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
You can bake it as one full cake and cut it into 3 layers or you can straight away bake it as 3 separate cakes.

When the cake is ready transfer it to a cooling rack. Let it cool for few hours before cutting.

While the cake gets cooled,you can prepare for the filling.

Take cream,sugar and vanilla essence in a bowl. Keep the bowl in a cold bath i.e. inside a bowl with cold water and ice cubes.
Start beating it in low speed and then gradually increase to high.
Beat the cream till soft peaks form. Take care not to over beat and make butter. (The cream turns to pale yellow before it becomes butter.)

Cut the cherries into pieces

Keep ready the chocolate curls or shavings. (scrape the chocolate bar with a vegetable peeler or a spoon)

ASSEMBLING

Place one layer of the cake in a tray with top side bottom.
Sprinkle some cherry syrup or boiled sugar syrup.
Apply a thick layer of cream and some cherry pieces on it.

Place the second layer and do as above.

Place the final layer. Apply a layer of cream. Sprinkle chocolate curls on it and decorate it with cherries.

Serve it and enjoy the cake
Store the cake in refrigerator.

SPICY HEN BAKE

Baking a whole hen was only a big dream recipe for me as i have just started cooking.I dint have the guts to waste a whole chicken!!!
This Thanksgiving Day i determined to do it at last....Though not a TURKEY,why not,let it be a BROILER HEN!!!
I did it and to my surprise it came out well.
Let me share the recipe.

Ingredients

Broiler Hen - 1 (fully cleaned and inside parts removed)
Soy sauce -2 tbsp
Vinegar- 1 tbsp
Onion- 1 (cut and grind it to paste)
Tomato- 1 big (cut and grind it to paste)
Ginger garlic paste- 2 tsp
Chilly powder- 1 tsp
Cummin seed powder- 2 tso
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Chicken 65 masala- 1/2 tsp
Garam masala- 2 pinch(for aroma)
Coriander leaves- 1/2 cup (finely chopped)
Salt- to taste
Oil- 4 tbsp

Method

1. Marinate the hen in soy sauce, vinegar, half of the oil, turmeric powder and salt for 1/2 hr. Carefully prick the hen with a fork here and there so that it gets soaked in well.

2. Heat a large vessel(hen should fit in) and add rest of the oil in it.

3. Add onion paste, tomato paste, ginger garlic paste and all the spice powders. Saute well for 2 minutes. Add salt.

4. Put the marinated hen in the vessel and rub the gravy all over it and inside.

5. Sprinkle coriander leaves and pour little water.

6. Close the vessel and let it cook in medium flame for 1/2 hr. After the first 15 minutes turn the hen to the other side and cook.

7. Keep ready a wide baking pan lined with silver foil. Pre-heat oven to 350 deg C.

8. Carefully place the hen with leg side up in the baking tray. Coat it with the gravy and bake for 1/2 hr. Keep some gravy for the other side.

9. Take out the tray, turn the hen and coat it with rest of the gravy and bake for 1/2 hr.

10. Spicy hen bake is now ready. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with lime.

CHOCOLATE CAKE

YUMMY CHOCOLATE CAKE

Everybody likes chocolate cake. I have a craze for it and I nearly salivate when i say it. Yummmmy....... This method is from my mother's recipe collections and i love it. By following the exact measurement and duration, it becomes the most wonderful cake. Before I could take a picture of the cake, it was over.....
Hope you'll like it.

Ingredients

Vinegar - 1 tbsp
Milk - 1 cup
All purpose flour or maida - 1 1/2 cup
Cocoa powder - 50 gms
Salt - a pinch
Sugar - 1 1/4 cups
Butter(melted & cooled) - 185 gms
Vanilla escence - 1 tsp
Egg(lightly beaten) - 2
Baking soda - 1 1/2 tsp

Method

1. Grease a baking pan and keep it aside.Pre heat oven at 180 degree C.

2. Add vinegar to milk. Stir well and set aside

3. Sift flour,cocoa powder,salt and baking soda 3 times

4. Take the above mixture and sugar in a bowl. Pour in the melted butter and half of the milk mixture. Beat well just for 2 minutes

5. Add vanilla essence, the remaining milk mixture and the beaten eggs. Beat well for 2 minutes

6. Pour batter into the greased pan and bake for 35 minutes at 180 degree C.

7. Check weather the cake is done by inserting a toothpick. If it comes out clean, your cake is ready

8. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and let it cool.

9. Enjoy the cake after it cools.