This might be very Bangalore centric but I’m sure anyone who’s seen one of their favorite/old eateries shut down, can connect to what I’m saying. Casa Piccola has be serving Bangalore fun and affordable European cuisine from 1979 and the Devtha Plaza location was definitely all the school and office goers favorite. If there was one place I remember frequenting as a kid for burgers and pizza’s and spaghetti – it was Casa’s. Many a date has been arranged here, with the friends sitting at the next table and sniggering away, while the poor boy was left wondering whether he did something wrong! If there is one restaurant that I’ve actually eaten every dish on the menu – it was at Casa’s. We even knew the waiters by name and some of them have worked in the establishment forever and a day. My favorite dish was Pasta Fungi – Pasta and mushrooms in a white sauce. (As a child with limited French vocabulary I was afraid to order it because I assumed Fungi = plural of Fungus!). My other top orders were the Sloppy Joe Burger (open face burger with ham and mushrooms covered with sauce), Epinard Ala Crème (A spinach bake covered with mashed potatoes) and Pasta Tetrazzini (Pasta in a cheesy red sauce)! The desserts were always fun and the Profiteroles and the Marble cake with ice cream :) topped the list!
The restaurant downed it shutters last month and I went there and tried and ate everything that my stomach could stomach! It was the only way a foodie can ever say goodbye to their favorite haunts. It’s sad to see commercialization gobbling up parts of Bangalore that we hold dear and Casa’s joins the elite list with India Coffee House, Victoria Hotel, Premier Book store and Airlines drive thru. But old Bangaloreans will remember… and this is my ode to you.
The restaurant downed it shutters last month and I went there and tried and ate everything that my stomach could stomach! It was the only way a foodie can ever say goodbye to their favorite haunts. It’s sad to see commercialization gobbling up parts of Bangalore that we hold dear and Casa’s joins the elite list with India Coffee House, Victoria Hotel, Premier Book store and Airlines drive thru. But old Bangaloreans will remember… and this is my ode to you.
Marble Cake
Prep time: 20 mins
Baking time: 45 mins
Makes: one 8 inch round cake
What you need:
125 gms Unsalted Butter
¾ cup Caster sugar
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp Vanilla essence
2 cups Flour
2 ½ tsp Baking Powder
A pinch of Salt
½ cup Milk
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder + 1 Tbsp Milk
Red/Orange food coloring
What to do:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a deep 8” cake tin with butter; line the base and sides with butter paper.
Using an electric beater, cream butter and sugar in a medium mixing bowl, till light and fluffy and pale. Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add essence, beat until combined.
Using a metal spoon, fold in the sifted flour, baking powder and salt in three batches, alternating with the milk. Start and finish with the flour. Stir until just combined and smooth.
Divide the batter into three bowls. In the first, mix in the sifted cocoa and 1 Tbsp Milk, combine till smooth. Add enough food colouroing in the second batch to give it a nice pink/ orange flush. Leave the third bowl plain.
Now, drop spoonfuls of alternating colours into the prepared cake tin until all the mixture has been used up. Draw a skewer or knife through to swirl the colours. Bake for 45 mins or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Leave the cake in its tin for 10 mins before turning onto a wire rack to cool. Eat warm.
Say a little prayer for Casa Piccola before you tuck in with some Ice Cream!
Note: This is a Basic Butter Cake recipe. So if you don’t want a marble cake, just omit mixing the cocoa and coloring in. The rest of the process remains the same.
