The green peacock

Bananas Foster pancakes

2012-01-02T16:14:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year everyone! Seems like the older you get, the faster time flies. This past year has been a lot of fun, way too much drama, busy and busier, and not to mention, a lot of restaurant eating.

I really don't want to make any resolutions, but rather goals for the year. The first one is just to cook at home more. This past year it was difficult with both work and grad school, but I will try to plan ahead better.

So that brings me to my favorite meal of the day, breakfast! I made these Bananas Foster pancakes using the whole grain baking mix from Trader Joe's and adding a ripe banana to the batter. Then I melted about two good knobs of butter and added brown sugar and let it caramelize with some cream and after that just slice up a banana and let it come together for a couple of minutes. So easy and fast and delicious! Easy dish to impress with!

Linda's black bean burger & sweet potato tots

2011-12-13T10:59:00.004-06:00

I just went to Linda's on Franklin St. for a pickup order. It was my first time there, so I wasn't sure how my burger would end up. I heard really great things about their amazing cheese fries though. So I brought it back to my desk and was so excited to see the pretzel roll bun! It is delicious y'all!!! This is by far, the best black bean burger I've ever had. It's not hard or glumpy like a lot of other places where the black beans are not fully cooked through. Oh, and those sweet potato tots! OMG. So so good!! They hit the spot with the jalapeno ranch sauce. I also heard they have live jazz on Thursday nights, so I might have to go check that out.

Magic Hat

2011-11-04T10:05:00.001-05:00

Having lived in Burlington in my childhood is probably the reason for my unnatural affinity towards one of my favorite microbreweries. Enter, Magic Hat of Burlington, VT. Besides the delicious offerings, they are a humorous bunch over there. They always has the most awesome bottle top sayings.

I love Magic Hat #9 of course, but I really dig Circus Boy & Winter Howl. The summer variety, Wacko is really excellent too! It's a little hard to find anything other than #9 in these parts unfortunately!

I would LOVE to try their Hocus Pocus, Fat Angel & Night of the Living Dead. Has anyone tried those? If any of you work there, I would be willing to do a review!!

Gujarati ghugra

2011-11-03T08:07:00.001-05:00

My aunt made these when I was over celebrating Diwaali. They are filled with sweetened semolina, raisins and cardamom.

10 minute gnocchi

2011-10-18T07:08:00.001-05:00

I know I've posted a gnocchi dish before, but it's such a really really really quick dinner. I love gnocchi. Its so fast and delicious. It took a total of 10 minutes. This time I used a sweet potato gnocchi.

I set a pot of water to boil, meanwhile, chopped half an onion, some garlic, 2 tomatoes & a handful of basil.

Cook the gnocchi according to instructions. Mine took 3 minutes.

Add olive oil to a pan, add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and sauté the onion for 2 minutes, add the garlic and sauté for a minute. Add tomatoes, salt, black pepper, a pinch of sugar & let simmer until the gnocchi is done. Mix gnocchi & basil & handful of Parmesan (optional). Done!

Notes- next time I am going to use a simple brown butter & sage sauce. I think that would be superb.

Chinese style sauteed snap peas

2011-05-25T09:57:00.001-05:00

Here is a very quick Chinese style sauteed snap peas. I picked up a package of these from an Asian store and all I had to do was give them a quick rinse, string them and break up the larger pieces in half.

I first blanched them for 2 minutes in boiling water and then rinsed them in cold water to preserve the springy green color.

Drain them in a colander, add a tablespoon of olive oil, add some chopped garlic, ginger, crushed red chili flakes and a slug of tamari or soy sauce and a few drops of toasted sesame oil. Before you get ready to serve, add a splash of rice wine vinegar. Serve this hot with rice or noodles as soon as it is prepared. It doesn't really do well re-warmed.

El Camino Real

2011-05-23T10:09:00.001-05:00

We went to grab a quick lunch at El Camino Real. It was in this little strip shopping center so I wasn't really expecting anything grand or formal. When I tell you the food was superb, it was just that! I ordered the Chile Poblano and a Pina Colada. I normally don't drink rum, but hey, they had a $2.99 special on them so I had to give it a go!

french toast pudla

2011-05-19T08:00:00.002-05:00

You all know how much I love pudla and how much I love breakfast. One, because it's delicious and healthy, but secondly, it's low in carbs! I love the idea of French Toast, so I thought why not use pudla batter in its place? So much for the carbs lol.

The end result was so good! I used a 7 Grain bread and dipped it in the pudla batter and then pan fried it on medium-low for about 4 minutes on each side. The bread stayed quite crispy. It was so comforting and filling. I'll be making this all the time now!

Basic pudla batter used here:

1 cup besan (AKA gram flour/chickpea flour found at any Indian store)
Add 3 spoons of plain yogurt and enough water to make a pancake batter consistency
Add salt, pepper, 1/2 tspn of turmeric and chili powder
Optional - Add a teaspoon of ajwain (carom seeds)
Optional - Add in a diced tomato, onion, serrano and 1-2 cloves of garlic

Asian Market shopping trip

2011-05-14T08:40:00.000-05:00

I recently discovered a new Asian market nearby and found some interesting things.

Remember this old scool brand??!!

Lavender Pear Martini

2011-05-11T08:38:00.001-05:00

Look at the before and after shots of this lavender-pear martini. Initially it is just a sandy pear color until the tea bag of lavender soaks in and delicately releases the psychedelic purple hue.

strawberries in a champagne mustard viniagrette

2011-04-17T15:04:00.001-05:00

My darling cousin, Jima, has recently started blogging at sugaRush. I think she is mainly going to be focusing on salads and smoothies.... Yummmmmm! I am really looking forward to all her recipes! Please do visit her.

In honor of her blog, I made this strawberry salad the other day for lunch. No recipe, just tear up some mache and romaine in a bowl, add some nuts and crumbled feta if you like and some light dressing and you are ready to devour.

The dressing I used to top this luscious lunch is your basic viniagrette. Just mix everything in a bottle and shake to eumulsify:

1/4 cup olive oil
1-2 tbspns champagne vinegar
1 tbspn dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
whatever herbs you have on hand (mint and oregano are lovely)
salt & black pepper

Quick sprouted bean stirfry

2011-04-15T11:47:00.003-05:00

I was at my local market browsing through the salad area and found a small package of sprouted beans - adzuki, lentil and peas. Wow, when did they start selling these? All that protein in a ready made pack. I brought them home and the poor things sat and sat in the veggie bin for over a week. Finally one night, thinking they may not survive any longer, I decided to give them a go.

I wanted to keep the nutrients intact as much as possible, so I decided to give them a quick stirfry. This is what I did, it took about 15 minutes to get it on the table. I would serve this as is, or for a more filling meal, serve it as the star course with some crusty naan, yogurt or rice.

Heat up some olive oil in a saute pan on medium
Do a tarka of mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafeotida, let sizzle and pop
Throw in some curry leaves and the package of sprouts... You can also add a tomato if you want at this point
Add salt and spices: turmeric powder, black pepper, cumin powder, coriander powder and some red chili powder
Add a cup of water and stir and let cook on medium for 10 minutes
Garnish with chopped coriander and a squeeze of lime

The results were absolutely superb! This came out just amazing. It was light and nutty, but at the same time kept me filled for a long time. I will be looking for these all the time now!

10 minute pulao

2011-04-13T11:19:00.012-05:00

Seems lately that I'm always in a rush. Got a million things on my mind and anxious to hurry and do them all, lest I forget one. I'm so forgetful! So what's the easiest and most delectable thing to make in a few minutes that requires no attention or fumbling with a ton of chopping or ingredients?

For me, this almost always involves my wondrous pressure cooker and rice.

This amazing and easy pulao will feed 2 hungry people with some leftover for lunch the next day...
In your pressure cooker, heat some oil and:

throw in a couple of cloves, whole black pepper and a cinnamon stick (this step is optional)
do a tarka (seasoning) by adding half a teaspoon of mustard and cumin seeds and a pinch of asafeotida... let the seeds pop and sizzle
add 1 1/2 cups rice and saute for a few minutes on low-medium. Add half a teaspoon of garam masala and saute again for 2 minutes
add an optional diced potato and a handful of thawed peas and if you're like me - a huge chopped green chilli
add salt and 2.5 cups of water and secure the pressure cooker lid
let cook on medium for 2 whistles or 10 minutes

Mez in Charlotte

2011-02-06T11:05:00.002-06:00

I went to Charlotte last weekend and for some reason thought that the city wasn't really going to have anything going on, but I was wrong! Downtown is so much fun and pedestrian friendly. Lots of places to eat and shop. I even saw a Dean & Deluca, so I was happy! To start off with some drinks and appetizers, we first went to this lounge-restaurant called Mez. This place was very nice and hip. There was a nice mix of mostly a younger crowd and 30-somethings. Their drink menu was spectacular, I had the French Pear which was made from Absolut Pear and St.Germaine and even had a poached pear on the bottom. It was a lovely, light libation served perfectly in a well chilled martini glass. From the small plates menu, I ordered the gnocchi & creamy tomato sauce. It was excellent and the portion was very generous. So much so that I could only finish half of it. They had really unique chandeliers... like little lights just dangling from wooden strings and the wall art right behind it looked like tiny sparkles popping out from tree branches. The chandelier looks upside down doesn't it?

restaurant review of The Irregardless Cafe

2011-01-29T11:03:00.000-06:00

I was driving all over downtown Raleigh one Saturday looking for something to eat and turned on a little street and passed this cottage-turned-into-a-restaurant, The Irregardless Cafe. When you enter, you will be welcomed with warm honey wood floors and a quiet, gallery like atmosphere. The huge paintings on the wall are by famous local artist, Kyle Highsmith. His paintings are vibrant and tropical, many featuring boats and wooden docks and reminiscent of lazy beach days. I got there pretty late when the kitchen was about to close so they could only offer the small plates menu. I immediately noticed that the prices are on the higher end. That however, that could be justified in that they use organic produce and hormone and antibiotic free meats, as well as purchasing many of their products locally, and from organic markets when possible.

I was completely bowled over when I saw an ENTIRE page of vegetarian and vegan items. They were innovative yet seemed unpretentious and satisfying. Because I had to order from the small plates menu, I got the bruschetta. I wanted it to love it. I wanted it to burst with flavor from the sweet tomatoes and peppers, but it was awful. Horrible is more of an accurate term. The mozzarella was bland and the whole dish was under seasoned and lacking in any real flavor. The bread was soggy. The basil had turned black. I wanted my money back.

Luckily for the jazz band playing and couples dancing, it turned into a really fun night. Watching the couples dance was the most enjoyable part of the entire dinner. I especially am endeared to places where I see older people and younger people enjoying themselves and the food. The music was playing softly and a couple even did the tango... just like you see in the movies!

Music Voyager

2011-01-19T14:00:00.002-06:00

Television has come a long way, but not in any good sense IMHO. All those reality shows just dumbifying our younger population and targeting them with more nonsense advertising. To think there is a generation of Snookies right behind us! Good laaaaaaaawd, help us all. Although I should come out and just be honest - at that age, I would've died for an opportunity to be famous for just partying. Thank goodness for PBS, Nat Geo and ID (Investigation Discovery).

I love love love PBS programming and I just found this new show called Music Voyager. The host, Jacob Edgar travels all the world in search of new sounds. I caught two episodes, first, where he went to Rajasthan and the second, where he went to Old Delhi and spoke to the trio band East India Company. Sitting in front of an absolutely gorgeous red wall on the dirt street singing their rustic version of the famous song, 'Dum Mast Qalander' was INCREDIBLE. The show is beautifully shot and very easy to watch with a laid back host ready to try anything. In an odd way, he reminds me a little of Under the Sun host, Nathan Leroy whom I just love. Oooooh, that accent!!!

Top of the Hill and He's Not Here

2011-01-17T10:20:00.003-06:00

We were just walking along Franklin Street looking for a place to grab something to eat in time to watch the Patriots game when I was directed to this little spot... too too funny, don't you think? There were some benches outside in what seemed to be some sort of an ice-house but it was too cold to sit outside. The name of the place just made me LOL!

So instead, we grabbed a drink and ate at this impressive little rooftop bar called Top of the Hill. Their lunch menus are so adorable; they're little black & white, sephia-tinted postcards and their dinner menus are like landscape photos. I was surpised to find the prices were very reasonable given the upscale ambience. I ordered a lager on tap and a 'Courtney's Cheese Pizza' which was basically a white pizza topped with a basil-cashew pesto and Monterey Jack cheese. My companion ordered the 'Thumbs & Toes' which were chicken tenders covered in a Thai chile sauce. The pizza was a little disappointing with a flimsy, soggy crust that tasted like it was made hours earlier, but the view was incredible, so surprisingly, I wasn't bothered a bit by lunch. Here are a few snaps during game time.

easy tofu stirfry

2010-12-08T15:16:00.001-06:00

First off, I must apologize for my food pics as of late. They were taken on my phone. I was waiting to get this Sony NEX5 after Thanksgiving, but alas, it was not on sale anywhere. *sigh* Hopefully for Christmas!!

This was a really quick tofu and red pepper stirfry I made the other day. It was inspired by a bunch of Indo-Chinese recipes I had been reviewing. Of course as always, reading recipes makes me hungry so I took to the kitchen and looked around to see what I had that could somehow fit into this category. I had some tofu sitting in the fridge for a few days that I really didn't know what to do with. I took it out and set it on the counter and then continued to dig around the veggie bin and came across a red pepper. I usually almost always have onions and garlic on hand so a stirfry was born.

Basically, I just pan fried the tofu and then set it aside for a minute. In a wok, add some groundnut oil and turn the heat to high. Add a couple of broken red dried chilies and stir around for a few seconds. Then add a chopped onion and stir that around for a minute. Add a couple of chopped garlic cloves, ginger and one chopped green chilli and stir that around for 20 seconds, then add a chopped red bell pepper and let it char and blacken a bit. Add the pan fried tofu and season with salt and pepper, light soy sauce, a pinch of Chinese Five Spice and of course, my favorite - SriRacha! Serve over noodles or steamed brown rice.

Holiday banana muffins

2010-11-24T14:14:00.001-06:00

The holiday season is upon us once again and if you haven't noticed, well, just take a trip to your local market. Tons of people all fighting over the last parking spot and carts that have been scattered all over. Shelves lined with marshmallows, pumpkin pie filling, oil and candy canes. Baskets full of turkey, ice cream, pie shells, Jello and beer. Well, I just went to the store and they had a shelf full of ripened bananas. A bunch for fifty cents! When life gives you rotten bananas...

Make holiday banana muffins! I used this basic recipe here from Foodess, but I made a few changes to suit my preferences. First, I replaced the egg with a couple tablespoons of applesauce. Then, I added some cinnamon and used eggnog creamer instead of the milk. The banana muffins were extremely moist and delicious. A perfect holiday.

Easy penne pasta

2010-11-22T17:24:00.003-06:00

I know it doesn't really look like it's all that but it really was wonderfully creamy and tangy. It's not much of a recipe, but this is what I did...

I set a pot of 8 oz. (half a box) of whole grain penne to boil until al dente while I sauteed some mushrooms, garlic and onions for a few minutes. Then I added a tablespoon of flour and whisked it around for a minute or two, then added a cup of milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg and Aleppo pepper. I let it thicken for a minute and then added about 3 oz. cream cheese (1/3 block). Then mixed it until creamy and finally added the drained penne back in and served with grated parmesan.

I loved this as it was so quick to prepare, but I think next time I am going to sautee asparagus and baby arugula along with the mushrooms and then put it in a baking dish and add some toasted bread croutons and broil it in the oven to get a crispy topping.

Toads in a Hole (vegan)

2010-11-05T08:36:00.025-05:00

So you all have heard of toads in a hole right? This is the same thing but a little Indianized and veganized. These are very quick and easy and are lovely for breakfast or brunch. If you have a cast iron griddle, you could do a big batch at one time. They are so much fun to make!

To start off, make your basic pudla batter (this is enough for about 4-6 slices of bread) : 1 cup of gram flour or chickpea flour, salt, black pepper, red chili powder, a tablespoon of lemon juice and whatever else you want to add. I used diced tomatoes, garlic, onion, cilantro and ajwain in mine. Mix all this with enough water to make a pancake batter consistency.

Then take a slice of bread and use a knife to cut out a hole in the middle or just use a cookie cutter. Place in a warmed skillet or griddle with a tablespoon of oil. Keep the heat on low. Fill the holes with the batter and don't move around until set, it should take about 3 minutes on each side.

Oh, those little pieces are the rounds bits from making the holes. I had a little bit of batter left over so I dipped them in the batter like French toast and put them on the griddle to cook up as well. Enjoy!

The Girl Who Fell Off the Face of the Earth

2010-11-04T09:37:00.008-05:00

I just had to! After watching the first two installments of The Girl movies, I thought it would be an appropriate title for a continually disappearing blogger. Wow, almost a year has gone by without a single post. I seriously need to thank all you guys out there who continue to visit the site and those who have softly nudged me.

So, what's been going on? Well, everything really - a new location, a new way of life, a new direction, new adjustments. When the evidence is not so self-evident and the truths are just a big blur, human existence presses forward. Maybe it is a curse of ours, our resilience. Maybe that is all that can get us through or at least hold our head above the perpetual grey clouds that linger. Whatever it may be, it is good to make amends and move on. So let's keep it moving.

The leaves are falling and orange is all around. I have replenished my cinnamon and pumpkin spice for the chilly air. And look what I discovered recently! These would make great nibbles for the celebratory season served alongside The Three Broomsticks' butterbeer. Here is Rosemerta's version on Mugglenet.

Sarasota breakfast

2010-01-30T18:47:00.005-06:00

There is nothing better than to wake up to a bright sunny morning with a huge carb-laden breakfast and then watching silly old movies on the couch with a big coffee cup in hand. It is a hard decision as to eat or drink coffee first. Hands fumbling and a slew of crumbs falling as you're rotating between the plate of food and coffee. I'm talking eggs smothered in melted cheese, spicy home fries, english muffin and French press coffee. It was all made with only a toaster oven, French press and an electric skillet by a wonderful artist and dear friend. Impressive right?!! Here is the spread: scrambled eggs with cayenne pepper and some cajun seasoning that happened to be on the shelf of the tiny makeshift kitchen, 2 large russet potatoes cut into cubes and seasoned with cayenne pepper to make home fries in the electric skillet and a cinnamon raisin english muffin toasted and then smeared with cream cheese. I love lazy mornings.

Fair Trade Chocolate

2009-10-28T19:58:00.003-05:00

These are some of the fair trade and organically grown chocolates I picked up from Belize. The first one was a dark, it was delicious and perfectly bitter. It did have a little of the grainy texture to it. The second was a milk chocolate. Smooth and fabulously creamy. I hated dark chocolate as a kid. Remember those little Hershey's Miniatures you used to get in your Halloween bag? I used to eat all the other goodies first and then when everything else was done, I'd morbidly eat the Special Dark. Wow, do tastes change as you get older...

don't leave me tropical thunder

2009-03-21T11:45:00.013-05:00

I know some of you may have forgotten that i even know how to write anymore... but thank you for bearing with me and my continued non blogging rut. just so you know, it's definitely not due to a lack of inspiration, more of a lack of taking pictures and the write up and the recipe ... maybe just blogging in general for the time being. i must confess though, you all have provided inspiration enough and i have been secretly and quietly visiting your blogs, just don't have it in me to comment or say a congratulatory thanks or show some excitement and gratitude... forgive me fellow bloggers and readers.

Well, recently, i went on an amazing trip to Belize. there is SO much i want to say but i feel that no matter what i say, it could not do justice to the beautiful people and country. it's a tiny little country but the food and the people and the views make up for its demure size. if there is only one reason to visit, i would have to say go and see the gorgeous people... they are of mixed cultures and ancestry... indians, natives, caribbean, african, chinese, lebanese. so much intermingling to produce one of the world's most beautiful population. and not just beautiful from the outside. they are some of the most hospitable and endearing individuals you will come across.

We stayed in a rented condo beachside on the island of San Pedro... remember that old Madonna song... 'La Isla Bonita'... this is the island she was on when that song was written. i so know why she dedicated an entire track to this island. it is just love love love. serious island lovin....

The food is as varied as the people, i thought i may have a hard time finding vegetarian food, but even in the most remote areas, it was not an issue .... they are used to having backpackers and the like - vegetarian and vegan dropping by as well as the island's large Rasta population which are predominantly vegetarian as well. On a sidenote... i fell in love with a gorgeous young Rasta street side fruit vendor selling this fruit that looked like chestnuts... something called boucanaboi... maybe Cynthia may know the correct spelling... he was sweet enough to cross the busy street to sell us some delicious fresh green coconuts. he macheted off the tops and inserted a straw and gave us each one. it was perfect in the hot afternoon sun.

of course, i must mention the delicious Marie's hot sauces and the tasty cold Belikin beers which are made on the island and sold there exclusively, that we assuredly indulged in much too often.

there is a lot more to write about my fabulous trip, but for now i leave you with the photos of the beach and the fruit... i DID shoot a photo of the handsome Rasta boy, but my cousin lost the SD card.... still so UPSET about that!!!!

Oh, and did i mention that you are allowed to drink at the tiny little airport while waiting for your plane, on your plane and in vehicles?! more reason to pack it up and MOVE....

boucanboi - this is fruit which resembles a chestnut... it needs to be peeled and then you eat the inside which is very fibrous...

look at him go!! this was a view from a treehouse bar which had the most amazing food...

one of the main shopping streets on San Pedro island.... only golf carts and private taxis are allowed i believe...

view from the condo... imagine being lucky enough to wake up to that every morning!!!

Listening to: Madonna's 'La Isla Bonita' of course... going to follow it up with Beenie Man....good times, good times...

Street grub 101 - Mumbai pav bhaji

2009-01-25T13:00:00.006-06:00

I know, I know, I was supposed to be writing up some recipes using that wonderful POM juice, but one of them requires Prosecco and I keep forgetting to replenish my stock so please bear with me while I tempt you with a bit of the ultimate street food of Bombay - pav bhaji and we will get to the POM soon enough.

I'm originally from Mumbai (Bombay) in another life, so I can safely say that in my mind at least, it is not what I think of when i think of the exotic east, spice markets and magic. Morocco and Fez in particular, represent these things to me... however, Mumbai has it's own sort of 'filmi' allure shall we say. When I say 'filmi' I am referring to the Indian commercial film industry, otherwise more famously known as 'Bollywood'.

With all the recent frenzied interest stirred into mainstream America movie-going by Slumdog Millionaire, what dish could be more representative than pav bhaji? It is a culmination of sorts of things that would otherwise be disposed of. Think vegetables at the end of their life, wilted, speckled with bits of black, softened and ready to be thrown out. This is exactly what the pav bhaji vendors do... go around buying up all the leftover, ready to be thrown away veggies to create a delectable masterpiece.

You will find this recipe comes together easily and with little fuss. What you will need is the veggies in the photo as well as some peas, garlic, a small can of crushed tomatoes and some spices - powdered and whole. Oh, and if you have a pressure cooker - wonderful... this will make it come together painlessly. Using the same amount of vegetables as in the photo will yield 6 servings.

It may seem like a lot of steps, but it is fast. What you will need to do is:

peel and chop the potatoes and drop in the pressure cooker.
chop the eggplant, carrots, bell pepper and cauliflower and place in the cooker
add a cup or two of water, some salt and turn on the pressure cooker for 20 min or 4 whistles until vegetables are cooked through
when the pressure cooker has cooled, drain a bit of the water and mash vegetables to a pulp

While the cooker is going:

in a large deep pot, heat 4 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of oil
add a cinnamon stick, 8 cloves, 1 bay leaf and 4 dried red chillies
add chopped onion, garlic and salt and cook until onion is softened about 6 minutes
add 2 teaspoons of pav bhaji masala, 1 teaspoon of garam masala and 1 teaspoon red chilli powder and stir until spices are incorporated about another 2 minutes
add chopped tomatoes and cook until softened about another 7 minutes
add the can of crushed tomatoes, the mashed vegetables, a cup of peas and salt
cook on low, covered and stirring every few minutes for 15 minutes to fuse it all together
when it is done, squeeze some lime juice into it and garnish with cilantro
serve with crusty bread, onion and more lime

What is going on?

2008-12-21T10:47:00.008-06:00

It feels wonderful to be back. I missed all of my fellow bloggers and have a ton to catch up on. I just needed a moment shall we say? I just needed to scream to the world, 'Can I please just get a fucking second!'. So I've been taking that extremely awaited and way too short second. That short second just happened to last a few months in my case.

So what's been going on? Well, I changed positions at work, went on a short cruise, went through a tremendous personal loss, went on an exhilirating trip visiting family and friends in the northeast and then had a very special person return home. My garden has been seriously neglected the past few months. I've been meaning to plant some asparagus, methi and fingerling potatoes, but ask me if I've done anything. I did however, get a gorgeous lime tree that i've planted in a large container out in the back. I just love looking at it even though it's very sparse right now. My fish are okay, although I think the algea eaters are freezing their butts off and will unfortunately come to pass soon. So many things going on! In the words of my friend, "It's cold and it feels good to be alive!" There you have it.

Oh and before I forget, I have to thank the wonderful people at POM! They were so generous to share some of their delicious and beautiful as well as healthy juices with me. I will post some recipes shortly that incorporate their pomengranate juice in several recipes.

On another topic, can you guys believe it snowed in Houston?

Gold Spot coasters

2008-08-11T10:10:00.003-05:00

I'm gonna say it - my grandma is a hoarder. She keeps everything. When we went on our India trip earlier this year I found these coasters in the kitchen. Funny, I never remember seeing these before. I thought it was pretty hilarious she kept these. At the same time, I was glad she did because they bring back so many memories of some of the earliest Gold Spot marketing campaigns.

For those of you who haven't been to India, Gold Spot is an orange flavored soft drink similar to Crush or Fanta. It's really fizzy and extremely carbonated compared to the soft drinks you find here. They stopped manufacturing it and selling it awhile back so it's now become a novelty of sorts.

What are some of your hidden kitchen treasures?

working lunch

2008-08-04T15:40:00.005-05:00

I work everyday just like many of you. The daily grind is both exhilirating and annoying. Exhilirating because I enjoy what I do and love my boss. At the same time a little annoying because I have to go in instead of being able to work from home. Also annoying because I'm so not into fast food and prefer something from home. Usually it's leftovers, but this morning it was a toasted almond butter and honey sandwich on 7-grain bread, a red delicious apple and some craisins and apricots. I was able to pack my lunch while making my morning chai.

What's in your lunch bag?

dudhi na muthiya

2008-07-28T14:14:00.007-05:00

These are the dudhi na muthiya my mom made for breakfast when they were over a few weeks back. They are really simple, healthy and really really delicious. Every Gujarati has their own version so a lot of the ingredients are to taste and are optional. This is generally served for breakfast along with some piping hot ginger tea.

What you do is - grate a dudhi or even a zucchini or some other squash, add some salt and then squeeze out the liquid, then you add some whole wheat flour, crushed ginger, garlic, green chillies, a few tablespoons of semolina or rawa and besan, salt and a pinch of sugar, some turmeric and lemon juice. Bind all this together with the water that was squeezed out earlier from the dudhi.

Then you form them into logs and steam for about 20-25 minutes and then cut them into small pieces and do tadka or tempering of : oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, asafeotida, dried red chillies and sesame seeds.

This can be served either hot or warm with some yogurt for dipping.

tofu kebabs

2008-07-17T19:36:00.004-05:00

It's been a crazy summer here. Hot as Hades to put it nicely. The heat is untolerable and unbearable to say the least. When it's 95 deg, everyone's all happy and confessing how lucky we are that it's "not that hot". What the...???? Are they serious?

Well it couldn't be summer without a little bit of grillin' right? I made these tofu and veggie kebabs. I made tandoori paste from barbeque masala, garlic, ginger, amchur, garam masala and green chillies and mixed it all into yogurt and soaked some pre-pressed tofu and chopped veggies. Serve with biryaani and naan.

gujarati thali

2008-06-29T19:40:00.004-05:00

I tend to make four items when cooking gujarati food - roti (flatbread), sabji (vegetable dish), dal (lentils) and rice.

In the thali above, I made some stir fried cabbage with carrots, sauteed okra with besan (chickpea flour), roti and beet greens dal and some rice which I forgot to get a picture of. So healthy and filling. Really reminded me of some good home food. What's in your thali?

indian chinese dinner

2008-06-22T19:39:00.006-05:00

We had some company drop by and I made some favorite indo-chinese dishes - hakka noodles, garlic broccoli and szechuan green beans.

Everyone was really happy with the choices.

mango kulfi and rose watermelon slushie

2008-06-09T13:41:00.011-05:00

my cousin, his wife, the baby and her parents came over this weekend. it's so hard to decide what to feed out of guests isn't it? first i wanted to keep it simple, but then i start to second guess myself and ended up talking myself out of it. and then i decided on north indian.

this is what i made:

watermelon & rose slushie
stuffed bell peppers in makhni sauce from swati's delicious blog, chatkhor (i baked the stuffed bell peppers instead of shallow frying and added kasuri methi and yogurt to the gravy)
sauteed gingered cauliflower with peas
onion kulcha & chilli naan
jeera rice
vegetable puffs
kadhi
gajar halwa
mango kulfi

mango kulfi: mix some cream cheese until smooth, add a few fresh pureed mangoes and some whipping cream & freeze in popsicle or kulfi molds.

rose watermelon slushie: puree some watermelon, add a few tablespoons rose syrup & takmaria or sabja seeds. serve over crushed ice.

i don't have exact recipes because i just winged it.

so what do you guys think of the menu? what do you make when entertaining? do you go all out or try to keep it simple?

eggplant parmagiana

2008-05-28T20:17:00.010-05:00

my family makes this eggplant parmagiana often when we all get together. this way, all the kiddos are satisfied and none of them complain. well no one complains! even though it may seem long, it comes together really easily and the cool thing is that you can make it earlier and just slide it in the oven whenever you're ready to eat. i've adjusted this to suit my indian tastebuds (read spicy), but feel free to substitute or omit any of the veggies or herbs that go into this dish. try it out, you'll be a complete rockstar at dinner.

eggplant parmagiana

prep time: 4o min

bake time: 50 min

serves: about 6

first prep the veggies:

cut 2 small japanese eggplants, 1 zucchini and 1 yellow squash in thin rounds onto a baking sheet, add about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and salt and coat all the slices
bake in a preheated oven at 375 deg for about 20-30 minutes or until cooked through
meanwhile, dice one onion and 1/2 green and 1/2 red bell pepper and 4 cloves garlic - at this stage i also add finely diced green chillies for that indian heat ;)

putting it together:

you're going to make 2 layers, so use half of everything in the first layer

grease a large casserole dish with olive oil spray
cover the bottom of the pan with some pasta sauce (about 1-2 cups)
add half of the veggies you baked in the oven
then add 1/2 of the diced onions, bell peppers, garlic and chillies if using
sprinkle with italian seasoning, garlic salt, onion powder and fresh basil (optional)
cover with a good mozzarella cheese (i used soy cheese)
layer again starting with the pasta sauce and use up all the ingredients EXCEPT the cheese (add this in the final 5 minutes of baking)
at this point you can either bake it covered in a preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or keep it in the fridge to bake off later

Notes: keep the casserole covered when you bake this and you may also want to line the bottom of your oven with foil as sometimes it tends to bubble over a bit. i also add about 1/2 cup of water in between the 2 layers, so the veggies don't dry out, but then again, i like mine really saucy, so it's probably just me!

variations that i've made of this in the past included using mushrooms, spinach and parmagiana cheese. you really can't go wrong and what a sneaky way to get everyone to eat their veggies!

Listening to: The Chemical Brothers, 'Dig your own hole' from their album, Dig Your Own Hole (1997).

gift of summer sunshine

2008-05-22T19:07:00.006-05:00

this evening, i open the front door to check the mail and see a yellow package. i bring it in and it's all i can do to not rip it open when i see the sender's name. i wanted to make sure i get a snap real quick before i tear into the beautifully wrapped package.

guess what? it's from one of the sweetest people in blogdom, Penny of the gorgeous blog, Sew Take a Hike! i commented on one of her posts about some gorgeous yellow fabric she recently purchased and can you believe she sent it to me? she must have known i was secretly longing for it the whole time, LOL! isn't it just so whimsical and sunshiny? it's like summer all bundled up.

seriously, if you haven't paid her a visit, you really need to see what she's up to. if you think all she does is sew and hike, boy are you in for a treat - this lady cooks the most delicious looking food too! please do visit her blog and Etsy shop, you will not be disappointed.

Penny - thank you so much for your kind spirit and generosity and being so motivating in my newfound sewing interest! now i just have to figure out what i'm going to make with it! it's so pretty, i don't know if i will be able to make that first cut. any suggestions???

vegetable calzones

2008-05-19T17:20:00.007-05:00

this is what's been cooking, i mean baking in my kitchen lately. the top two pics are of the veggie and goat cheese calzones made with my whole wheat dough recipe, and the bottom is the pizza i made the next night with the leftover dough.

i used my basic and extremely versatile recipe which includes: 3 cups whole wheat flour, salt, olive oil, sugar, yeast and yogurt or milk to knead with.

this dough is remarkably forgiving and tasty. when you're low on time as i always am, it's a life saver. make a double batch and then you can keep churning out different dishes all week.

i've stuffed mine with sauteed red & yellow bell peppers, chard, olives, sundried tomatoes, onions and a mixture of goat cheese and mozzarella with fresh basil.

here's my method: take small rounds of dough about tennis ball size and roll into a small circle, add pizza sauce or marinara sauce and your toppings, fold over and pinch to seal. prick with a fork and bake in a preheated oven at 400 deg for 20-30 min.

Notes: if you're vegan, substitute with soy cheese or even a tablespoon or two of tofuetti.

easy & healthy palak paneer

2008-05-15T19:17:00.004-05:00

you know through the years, i've met so many people who always ask me about indian food. they might not have known a whole lot about the diversity of foods indians prepare but they all seemed to know what palak paneer is. what is it about this creamed spinach that makes everyone turn to mush? i don't know anyone who doesn't love this. it's truly food for the soul.

I am also posting this for my brother who called me one day out of the blue to ask me how to make my palak paneer. i think the fact that i made it for him once under 20 minutes might have had something to do with it.

because i don't normally measure, it's really taking a toll on me to write up recipes constantly using measures, but since he's relatively new at making this, i'm gonna go ahead and give him the recipe rather than my 'dump this then this' version.

you'll find that my recipe is easy, healthy, fast and pretty damn tasty. you won't miss any of the butter, cream or ghee that is used in the restaurant version. oh and hey, the best thing is you have everything at home for this. i promise you. well, you might have to make a run for the paneer.

Easy & healthy palak paneer
serves: 3-4
prep time: 20 min

vip's:

1 bag of baby spinach
paneer, about 16-20 pieces
1 chopped onion
2 tomatoes cut into large chunks
green jalapenos or chillies chopped, to taste, i used 3 jalapenos because we like spicy
2 garlic cloves chopped
1/2 cup water
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
red chilli powder, to taste
1/2 tspn turmeric
1 tspn garam masala
salt to taste
2-3 tbspn oil

the play:

heat a pan and add water, spinach, tomatoes and jalapenos
once it comes to a boil, simmer for 10 min while you work on the next steps
in another pan, heat oil and add cloves, cinnamon stick, onions and garlic saute for 5 min
add the chilli powder, turmeric, salt and garam masala
puree the spinach mixture using a handblender and add it to the other pan with the onions
cover and let simmer for 5 minutes

Notes: if you want it slightly creamy and you're not vegan, go ahead and add a few tablespoons of lowfat yogurt. if you're not watching caloric intake then go for it and add 1/3 cup of cream in the last step.

Listening to: another suggestion from my friend A... 'Eggplant' by Michael Franks from the album, Art of Tea (1976). thanks A! loved this and why wouldn't i? the album title and song title are sooooo groovy!

dear mommy

2008-05-11T21:36:00.008-05:00

so it's mother's day and there is no way i can go without giving a big props to my mom. of course i'm gonna say that my mom is the absolute best mom in the whole entire world and i am truly truly blessed that of all the people on this planet, she happened to be my mom. i know how fortunate and lucky i am to have someone in my life like her. she's one of those special beings put here on earth to make a real difference. she's one of those people that will leave the earth in a better place than when they found it. she's one of those extremely rare people that can see the good in everyone no matter where circumstances have them.

i don't have the words to say what an amazing person my mom is. i can say without any doubt that when i grow up (hehehe) i hope i can be just like her. she's given me the most perfect role model. i know i wasn't an easy child, shit, i'm still not an easy person to deal with, but through this my mom has always looked beyond and found something that sometimes i don't have the foresight or sense to see. so now, my words fail me and all i can do is say 'thanks mom for everything, i love you.'

so on her special day, i'm going to share some more pictures of india on our last trip together.

labneh lemon tart

2008-05-06T20:23:00.003-05:00

i know, i know, i know my new profile pic is probably creepin you out. so i was messin' with my new phone's camera capabilities and ended up sorta liking this one. anonymous, but you get a glimpse. looking back through all my blog entries, i realize that i've probably already said too much, revealed even more. do you guys ever think you've exposed a little too much about yourselves? not that i mind, but it is nice to be somewhat mysterious at times.

so what has all that to do with my lemon tarts? oh, nothing. anyways, i had bought some labneh this past weekend when i was at the fabulous new Phoenicia. i planned to use it as cream cheese to spread on my whole grain bagels because i like the way it tastes and it's way better for you... oh, it's not? well, i never got around to getting the bagels, so the poor labneh just sat in the fridge. had i seen michael's post earlier i would've made this. but since my sewing machine got in the way of my blog hopping, i just saw it today.

so i had these beautiful meyer lemons and i decided to make an instant lemony cheesecake tart.
you can mess around with the recipe and try different flavor combinations. it's pretty much limitless. and it's sort of embarrassing to use these processed products which i normally don't have around but this was the easiest and fastest way i could make these yellow beauties. they only take 10 minutes to make and a few hours to chill. they're actually perfect for tea parties or special dinners. and no matter what anyone tells you, everyone loves their own dessert! why do you think cupcakes are so popular? everyone wants to have their own cake and eat it too, that's why!

labneh lemon tarts
serves 10-12
prep time: 10 min, plus 3-4 hours chilling time

vip's:

10-12 tart shells, baked and cooled completely
a packet of 3.2 oz any flavor instant pudding (i used vanilla; cheesecake would be good too)
1 cup labneh
1 tub fat free whipped topping
lemon zest & juice of one lemon

the play:

cream the labneh until smooth and creamy
stir in the pudding, lemon zest and lemon juice
fold in the whipped topping
chill mixture covered for a few hours up to a few days
fill the tarts right before serving
garnish with zest, lemon balm or mint

Listening to: a recommendation by my dear friend A - War's 'Four Cornered Room' from the album, The World is a Ghetto (1972)... love it A, thanks!!

Batata poha

2008-05-04T14:39:00.006-05:00

i know i haven't been blogging like i should be, but in my defense, i've been busy with a new hobby - a brand new sewing machine. i've been sewing like crazy. mind you i've only made 1 wearable top so far. my first project was a non-wearable skirt and the other was a non-wearable blouse. i'm really enjoying it and sort of put the blog on the back burner for awhile.

so, like i was saying before, this blog is turning into a breakfast one. so, i present you batata poha minus the batata (potatoes). i know everyone has their own version, but mine is made without potatoes. i really don't care for them all that much so i just leave them out.

i'm not going to give you guys a measured recipe, there are so many blogs who have wonderful exact recipes, but i'll provide the basic method...

wash the thin poha in cold water and let sit for about 15 min
heat some oil, add mustard seeds and let pop
add cumin seeds, hing and curry leaves
add a chopped red onion and green chillies and cook until transparent
add the poha, some turmeric and salt - let cook, stirring occasionally for 5 min
sqeeze some lemon over the top and add chopped cilantro
serve hot

Here are some beautiful spring flowers from my container garden.

walnut and orange buckwheat pancakes (eggless)

2008-04-24T19:46:00.005-05:00

the more i blog, the more i say to myself, 'this is turning into a breakfast blog by the minute'. while i do love dinner, i don't necessarily enjoy lunch. but well, who really likes to eat by themselves in a giant cube maze? i mean, you can't even crunch a potato chip or a carrot stick without people snickering and asking 'what you munchin' on?' .

if you go out, everybody and their mother wants to place an order like you're their personal admin and then not give you enough money to cover their bill on top of that. then you might say, well get your ass over to the cafeteria. then i would tell you there is no cafeteria. what there is, is a dark and damp storage room that houses a microwave and a dirty fridge and of course the favorite water cooler. but i won't even get into that now. the gross fridge is a post all of its own. and so is the water cooler. and so is the storage room come to think of it. do you know how many times rude people just leave the water bottle empty for the next person? that is so not cool.

well, you must know by now that i loves me a hot cup of tea in the mornings and something warm and toasty on the weekends. isn't there something nostalgic about being able to lazily take the time to actually crush the ginger into the water and letting it steep instead of making it half assed like on the weekdays? i love mornings, i really do, but having to go to work really messes it up for me. so on the weekends, i purposely take my sweet time and actually think before i make something instead of just grabbing the first thing thats dunkable for my tea.

usually i do prefer savory over sweet in the mornings, but sometimes you just want pancakes. i like to make my own because they're so easy, it's quite silly really and they just taste so much better because you can make so many combinations. i have made pineapple, dried cherries & pecans pancakes when i was craving a pineapple upside down cake one time. that was pretty awesome. another time i made one with banana and cocoa nibs - that was pretty awesome. sometimes i just keep it simple and grate some lemon zest and add blueberries. that's always good. i've even added grated carrots and walnuts in order to satiate a carrot cake craving. too bad i didn't have cream cheese frosting! oh man, that would've been killer.

so it's pretty straightforward and simple - make your favorite buckwheat pancake batter (use a box mix if you're not so keen on making your own) but substitute half the amount of milk with fresh orange juice. then add some grated orange zest and chopped pecans. and fold into the batter. no need to whip it and beat it up. this is a batter, be delicate or it will be tough chewin' for you.

Notes: i don't use eggs in my baking, so depending on what i'm preparing, i will substitute using Ener-G egg replacer which is basically potato starch (so don't use this if you're cooking for strict Jains). sometimes i just use applesauce. other times i use sour cream, which works really well but adds unnecessary calories. sometimes, i don't use anything and just add more liquid. you know, just wing it like i do.

super spicy mushroom curry

2008-04-20T20:15:00.006-05:00

we never ate mushrooms growing up. my mom never bought them and i'd never tasted one till i was in my twenties. never having tasted them, i thought they were horrible, nasty, mushy brownish gray things to top pizzas with. i had no idea i was just eating them prepared all wrong.

then after all those wasted years, i had my first portabella burger and that was all she wrote. it was mushroom love after that. i still prefer them lightly sauteed or fresh. more recently however, i had a mushroom curry at an indian wedding and it was outstanding. here is my re-creation of that dish.

spicy mushroom curry

serves 2-3

prep time: 10 min

cook time: 15 min

vips:

1 pint. cleaned and quartered button mushrooms
1/2 onion diced
2 tomatoes diced
1/2 cup yogurt, buttermilk or sour cream
1 clove garlic minced
1/2" ginger minced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon coriander-cumin powder
2 teaspoons oil
handful of chopped cilantro
salt to taste

the play:

heat oil in nonstick pan
add onions and saute few minutes until transparent
add the garlic, ginger and all the spices, saute for a couple more minutes
add the tomatoes and salt and fry until mushy - about 5 min
add mushrooms, fry for another 5 min
stir in yogurt or buttermilk or sourcream until it comes to a simmer
garnish with cilantro and serve with roti, toasted naan, lavash or steamed rice

Methi na thepla

2008-04-13T17:22:00.007-05:00

Methi na theplas are one of the breakfasts we look forward to on the weekends. i've never been much of a person who craves donuts and pastries for breakfast, i'd much rather have something hot and spicy. methi na thepla are like whole wheat tortillas made with fresh fenugreek leaves.

i usually make enough to last for the next few days worth of breakfasts. it is best to store them in a ziploc and reheat them for 15 sec in the microwave.

i am giving a basic method, if you don't have access to fenugreek leaves fresh or frozen, just use any grated squash such as dudhi (opo squash) or zucchini. you could even use grated carrots and cabbage. use what you got, this is all about your own family's preference.

methi na thepla

serves 6

prep time: 10 min

cook time: 30 min

vips:

2 cups of whole wheat flour mix together with:
3 tablespoons oil
salt
2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ajwain (caraway seeds)

then add to the flour:

1 cup fenugreek leaves, washed & chopped, or if frozen, thaw first
3 tablespoons yogurt
crush together: 3 green chilis, an inch of ginger, 2-3 garlic cloves (optional)
add enough water to make a soft pliable dough and let rest for at least 30 min

the play:

after the dough has rested for 30 min, make into 12 small round balls and keep covered
take one ball of dough and roll out to about 6-8 inches, use extra flour for dusting
heat a tawa or a flat pan and on medium heat, cook the thepla on one side for a minute or two
flip thepla over and brush with oil and cook for 1-2 more minutes
flip again and brush other side with oil
cook until brown spots appear on both sides and is cooked through (approx 2 min on each side)

Listening to: soft groovy sounds of Stan Getz, 'I'm late, i'm late' off his album, Focus (1997, original recording, 1961).

kathiawadi bhakri and tea

2008-04-07T18:51:00.005-05:00

if you know anything about the kathiawad region of gujarat, you will know this rustic peasant flatbread called bhakri. it is made from the most humblest of ingredients - flour, water, salt and ghee or oil. it is made on a round shaped clay pan. when it is cooked on clay, you will notice the texture and taste is very different than when cooked in a nonstick pan. it is slightly blackened in spots and has a nice slightly smoky flavor to it. it is generally served at breakfast with chai.

the method is simple enough - you just mix whole wheat flour with salt, rub in the ghee or oil until it's a little crumbly and mix enough water just to barely bind it together. this should be a firm, crumbly dough.

form into rounds the size of golf balls (about 1/2 cup) and roll into 6-8" rounds and prick with a fork. place on a heated nonstick flat pan on low until brown spots appear approximately for 2 minutes. flip and do the same, making sure the bhakri is cooked through completely. top with ghee or butter and serve.

tea time

2008-04-03T20:45:00.004-05:00

i was at central market the other day and stumbled right smack into these. i had to have them. i just had to. i coveted them for some reason.

i don't know about you, but when i see teas, i am just mesmerized. i want every flavor, every brand. oh, and God help me if it's loose tea. i am so onto that. currently, i have over 17 different teas in the house. i don't know why, it's not as if i drink them all at once, but like the rest of america, i'm a sucker for packaging and whimsy and the freedom of choice.

luckily, i do drink about 6-7 cups of tea daily. one cup of chai every morning and 4 cups of green tea at work, a cup of lychee tea when i get home and start cooking and then a final cup of ginger tea after dinner. needless to say, i spend half the day in the loo. for real. i wonder if my boss notices.

anyways, i picked up the tea in the pink canister because i've never seen rooibos packaged in tea bag form. i've always bought it loose in bulk. and the green one i bought, because i didn't want the pink one to be lonely in my pantry. no, i really bought it because i wanted to see how the "natural stevia leaf" was going to taste in my tea.

these are both grown completely organically and are fair trade to boot.

which i'm just reminded that i saw a stevia plant for sale at my local nursery. that is so awesome! i wonder how many leaves it will take to sweeten my tea? i didn't get it, and now i'm kind of pissed at myself for not buying it at the time. maybe i'll still go back and get it. have any of you ever used it before in it's plant form? i'm so psyched.

fruits of my neighbor

2008-04-01T19:53:00.007-05:00

there is this wonderful old soul who lives next door. this elderly gentleman, we'll call him Ed for now, is so sweet and he is so old school. my husband was working in the yard the other day - because we live in houston, because everything is growing, because it's already in the eighties here.

so while he was working, Ed and his lady friend call him over to their backyard. of course we can't see each other because we have a 6' wooden fence separating us. i was not dressed if you know what i mean, so i just hung back and my husband went off to visit Ed and said lady friend.

and what do you know? they've been quite the busy ones over there. they have a huge garden that's already producing. a beautiful orange tree with the cutest, tangiest little oranges you will ever see. there are flowers and greenery everywhere. anywho, he came back with this bounty. mind you it was just March. isn't he the most awesomest neighbor ever?

so let the composting and digging and renting tillers and buying earthworm castings begin, ooooh it's gonna be so great...

corn salad or makke ki bhel

2008-03-27T21:57:00.010-05:00

i was reading something somewhere the other day about corn. sorry i can't seem to remember where i read this, but it said that fresh corn has hardly any starch. the starch is created once the corn is cooked. this was music to my ears my friends. all this time, i thought i was in love with the enemy. a practically nutrient deprived vegetable. but oooh, i love me some corn. and i especially love summer corn. i love grilled corn, i love roasted corn, i loved boiled corn. shoot, i even love corn nuts. oh yeah, and i love any items made with corn.

did you know in baroda (in the state of gujarat in india) there is an entire restaurant dedicated to this golden haired sunshine of a vegetable? they make everything out of corn. corn bread, corn roti (tortilla), corn rotlo (flatbread), corn fritters. you get the picture. i didn't get a chance to go this time, but there were some idiots around me who kept talking about it the whole time. people suck. big time.

it's not quite season yet, but my mom couldn't help picking up these 2 lovelies at SunHarvest. here, she's made a popular street food in mumbai called corn bhel. it is basically a salad with some crunchy savories added - sort of like the crunchy noodles you get at a salad bar. but the indian ones come in different shapes, sizes and thicknesses. they are called sev and they are made out of chickpea flour which is sometimes labeled 'gram flour' on the packaging. don't bother making these at home, they have to be deep fried and require a special tool. besides, for the small quantity you need for this recipe, it's just better to buy them ready made at any indian grocers.

Corn Salad or Makke ki Bhel

serves 2

prep time: 10-15 min

into each bowl add:

shuck an ear of corn and season with salt
add a tablespoon of chopped red onions (we used Texas 1015's)
add 1/2 diced jalapeno or to your tolerable heat level
add 1/2 tomato
add 2 tablespoons of sev
add cilantro
squeeze some lime over the top and serve immediately

Notes: not using sev won't comprimise the taste of this dish, however the crunchy texture that it provides will be missing. another alternative would be to cut up a corn tortilla into strips and fry until crispy or bake in an oven and crush over the top.

Listening to: the handsome, the suave, late Gregory Hines track - 'Creole Boy' from the cast recording of Jelly's Last Jam (1994).

Navroz celebration

2008-03-20T13:20:00.003-05:00

here is wishing the parsi community a very happy new year! and please write down your recipes people!!! i can't seem to say that enough. ah, but you will soon see the light my friends...

okay, so now with that out of the way - i was listening to public radio this morning on my way in to work, and what do you know? they had a special on Navroz, the Parsi New Year which occurs on the first day of spring. it was so touching and celebratory on so many levels. with family roots in bombay as well as being from the state of gujarat, this holiday is especially dear to me. for those of you who may not know, the parsi population is largely in the state of gujarat and in bombay.

i was saddened to hear that parsi cuisine is one of the most unknown cuisines in the world despite its origins emanating from 2 continents and expanding many countries. UNESCO has determined that only 75,000 parsis are in existence today and have started efforts to protect this dying culture. of course, being foodheads as we are, it is quite obvious that there will be no food if there is no culture and tradition being passed down.

after reading the transcripts on NPR, i am now encouraged, as i hope you will be too, to put forth an effort in educating yourself on the rich parsi heritage while the the community is still intact. hey, and if you are really inclined, collect some fabulous recipes along the way.

oh, and did i tell you ms. famous chef, alice waters celebrates navroz in chez panisse? i mean really, what more motivation do you need?

now someone please pass me the dhansak and falooda! Happy Navroz guys!

Notes: my mom makes a mean falooda ice cream, which i will post this weekend hopefully!

sweet potato fries

2008-03-18T20:57:00.007-05:00

with so many people watching their carb intake, these gems are perfect. they're a sunset on a plate. try these and don't feel guilty munching...

Sweet potato fries

serves 2

prep time:5 min

bake time: 40 min

wash and chop 2 large sweet potatoes into thick slices or wedges
add a glug of good olive oil
sprinkle with salt, crushed szechuan peppercorns, rosemary, thyme and oregano
bake at 400 deg for 30 -40 min

Notes: optional seasonings could include crushed garlic, cayenne pepper and Old Bay seasoning (love this stuff!). or - go with a sweeter route and sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon and brown sugar and dip in pumpkin dip- yummmm!

Listening to: the Sabri Brothers album, Ya Mustafa (1996), track 'Tajdar-E-Haram'. i confess to a deep deep love of qawaali music. and it doesn't hurt that the Sabri Brother's family has been making music since the moghul times.

apricot cherry tea bread

2008-03-16T15:05:00.007-05:00

maybe you have deduced from the lack of chocolate recipes on this blog, that i much rather prefer fruits and nuts in my desserts than chocolate. i'm sure in some circles that would make me an outcast of sorts. well, i'm not ready to retire my passion for fruit, and to celebrate the arrival of spring, i made this lovely tea bread.

first off, lets get one thing straight - this is a tea bread as opposed to a muffin or a cake. this is dense as it is an actual dough, and it holds up well to toasting if you are so inclined. and since this is a real dough, do not beat it and mix it to death. just stir gently. if you mix it too much, it is going to be tough and hard. not to mention it will have a very unappetizing texture. nice way of saying, 'NASTY'.

oh, by the way, i don't measure things when i bake either. i just sort things out as i go along and just wing it. of course, i'm not making Lauderee financiers or anything. in which case, i would most assuredly break out my severely underused measuring cups and spoons.

you can find the original recipe here.

Apricot cherry tea bread

makes 1 loaf

prep time: 15 min

bake time: 45 min

vip's:

3 oz dried apricots, chopped
1/4 cup dried cherries
1 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten (i used Ener-G egg replacer)
2 tablespoons freshly grated orange peel
1 3/4 cups flour
1/ 4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup chopped pecans

the play:

preheat oven to 350º F
grease 9x5-inch loaf pan
cook apricots & cherries in water in a covered medium-size saucepan for 10-15 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Drain; reserve 1/4-1/2 cup liquid. Set aside to cool
cream together butter and sugar (i used a fork). By hand, gently mix in egg replacer and orange peel and vanilla extract
sift together flour, dry milk, baking powder, soda, and salt. (i used a wisk instead of sifting)add to creamed mixture alternately with reserved apricot liquid and orange juice
stir apricot & cherry pieces and pecans gently into the batter
place batter in loaf pan
bake for 40-45 minutes or until bread springs back when lightly touched in center
cool 5 minutes in pan. remove from pan and completely cool on wire rack before slicing

Listening to: 'Ain't no way', by the original diva number one, Aretha Franklin, off her album, Lady Soul (1968). Love it, love it, love it!

vegetable pot pies and apple tartlettes

2008-03-12T19:26:00.013-05:00

recently, i made vegetable pot pies and some apple tartlettes, because frankly i didn't have much in the way of veggies. i was alone this weekend and i had a lonely little carrot, a zucchini and a red onion - oh, and some frozen peas. so i guessed you've figured the vegetable pot pies aren't really potpies, haven't you? no, they're tarts, so sue me, i just totally misled you. well, if i bothered to cover them with pastry dough, they would've been pot pies right? i knew you'd see my point of view. and as far as the apple tartlettes go, they just sound better than apple tarts. reminds me of this crazy lady who works here who keeps saying, "she's such a tart" in all that southern twang glory.

anywho, they look a lot more fussy than they are. they're very fast and i would highly recommend this for a dinner alone. who wants to be in the kitchen for an hour when they're by themselves? not me. i really only feel inspired when i know they're are mouths to feed. so, it took me all of 5 min of prep, 5 min to cook and then 25 min to bake.

vegetable pot pies

serves 2

prep time: 10 min

bake time: 25 min

vip's:

1 package of individual sized frozen tarts - mine had 8 in there - only use 4
1 zucchini, washed and diced small
1 carrot, washed and diced small
1 red onion, washed and diced
1/2 cup peas
1-2 tbspn oil
pinch of cumin, coriander, red chili powders
pinch of garam masala
juice of 1/2 lemon

the play:

preheat oven to whatever the frozen tart package says - mine said 375
defrosted the tarts while you prepare the vegetables
saute all veggies together in a bit of oil, add a pinch of coriander and cumin powder, red chili powder and garam masala. add salt and cook until cooked thru but still firm - about 5 min
turn off heat, add lemon juice
prick the tarts all over with a fork
divide the filling among 4 tarts
bake according to package instructions - mine were at 375 for 25 min.

apple tartlettes

serves 2

prep time: 5 min

bake time: 25 min

vip's:

1 small granny smith apple, peeled and diced
2 tbspn butter
1 tbspn brown sugar
1 tbspn toasted pecans or walnuts - you can microwave these for 30-45 sec
1 tbspn chocolate chips or butterscotch chips (optional)
1 tbspn pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice or a mixture of ground cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, allspice, ginger
tiny pinch of salt
a tiny squeeze of lemon juice

the play:

preheat oven to whatever the frozen tart package says - mine said 375
defrost the frozen tarts while you chop the apple and get the other ingredients together
prick the tarts with fork
add the chips to the bottom if you are using them
mix the apples with brown sugar, nuts, spices, salt and lemon juice
fill the 2 tarts with this mixture
top with 1 tbspn butter cut up over each tart
bake according to package instructions - mine were at 375 for 25 min.

Notes: for the veggie pot pies, use whatever firm veggies you have on hand like bell peppers, cauliflower, etc. (i think that line is in every post so far, lol). for the apple tartlettes, you can pretty much use any stone fruit, i'm sure peaches and nectarines would be divine.

Listening to: 'Nickel bag of funk', by the awesome awesome awesome Digable Planets, from their debut album, Rebirth of Slick (1992)... how can you not love their lyrics?

"Tell my pops i'm out earthbound with the crew

He said butterfly may the boogie be with you..."

appey and cardamom tea

2008-03-09T12:17:00.007-05:00

for breakfast i made these appey, is that what they're called? i got the wonderful pan on my trip to india. it's a nonstick but extremely heavy, at first i thought it was cast iron, but it turned out to be nonstick.

it's really easy if you have dosa batter ready, if not you can use one of those instant dosa packets. i'm not going to give a recipe because it's just chop and drop. get the batter ready and add chopped red onion, green chillies, a bit of ginger and a sprig of curry leaves.

heat the pan, add a drop of oil into each hole and add about a tablespoon or two of the batter, cover. flip when the bottoms are brown. this should take about a 3-4 minutes on each side.

serve with a cup of delicious cardamom chai and you'll be set for the day.

Listening to: 'Song of Love/Narayana' by Kula Shaker from album, Strange Folk (2008)

new favorites - stuffed poblano peppers and polish raspberry mazurkas

2008-03-05T20:01:00.010-06:00

readers, i confess, sometimes i have no idea what to make. i don't know about you guys, but for me just the decision on what to make drives me looney everyday around 5pm. i need subtle suggestion. and that's where these guys come in the picture. if their drooling commentary isn't enough to head you into the cold barren kitchen, then i don't know what else could.

ok, enough of all my chatter... this is what i've made recently (this is a relative term for me)...

from blogger, 365 days of pure vegetarian, her stuffed poblano peppers. these came together easily. i just had to make a quick run to the store for the poblanos and everything else i had at home. the only changes i made were to add 2 tbspn of tomato paste and to cut the rice down to 1/4 cup. i served them with a side of home made guacamole and salsa. they were fantastic! my husband wrapped the whole thing in a tortilla and had at it. i think i would like to make these into chilli rellenos type things and smother them with mole the next time. yum yum yum...

from the blogger who needs no introduction - melissa of the very famous The Traveler's Lunchbox, her polish raspberry mazurkas. these were so delicious, with a light yet filling oatmeal coconut crumble layer on top and bottom. i think i got more than 12 pieces though. i took these for an event and didn't get to take a snap beforehand. however, because i know i will be making these again and again, i will definitely update this post with photos. this is perfect for those times when you're chocolated out. know what i mean? the recipe is quick, simple and easy to follow with excellent results. the only tinkering i did was to add just a pinch of lemon zest into the raspberry preserves. i don't know if it was even needed, but i do know that it was just scrumptious. next time i'm going to try these out with either a fig, orange or blueberry preserve. OMG.

i don' t know why i've always got to mess with a perfectly perfected recipe, probably one that's been handed down for more than a hundred years. i just don't know what it is with me. i have tinkering issues. what else can i say?

thanks so much guys for being extremely generous in sharing your recipes and allowing restless hands and minds to tinker on.

whole wheat veggie wrap

2008-03-02T17:28:00.017-06:00

saturday mornings are meant to be savored slowly, lazily and of course hungrily. this weekend, i made a quick stirfry using red potatoes and a yellow pepper i had in the fridge. they came together in a whole wheat wrap. the kick to the dish comes from the jalapeno and cilantro.

whole wheat veggie wrap

serves: 4
prep time: 10 min
cook time: 15 min

vip’s:

4 whole wheat tortillas
4 red potatoes, washed & chopped into cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, washed & chopped
½ onion, diced
2 jalapenos, washed & chopped – use per your personal preference
few sprigs of cilantro, washed & chopped
juice of half lemon
pinch of mustard seeds & cumin seeds
tspn cumin & coriander powders
salt

the play:

heat a wide sauté pan and add 2 tbspn olive oil, add mustard & cumin seeds; let pop
add potatoes, bell pepper, onion & salt, stir & cover for 10-13 min on low heat until potatoes are cooked thru. The last 5 min, add the jalapenos.
add cilantro & lemon juice, stir and let cook 2 more minutes

to serve:
in a flat pan, add a drizzle of olive oil and cook the tortilla on both sides till lightly brown, add the potato mixture and roll like a wrap, serve warm.

Listening to: the soulful groove of India Arie; "ready for love" from, Acoustic Soul (2001)

whole wheat gnocchi primavera

2008-02-27T19:43:00.013-06:00

a few days ago i made some whole wheat gnocchi for a late nite supper. i've made it before, but always using regular potato gnocchi in a light sage cream sauce.

this time i got a hold of these whole wheat ones and decided to make it primavera style without the parmagiana-reggiano cheese. for you vegans, just omit the butter and use olive oil instead.

for the sake of time, i used ready made gnocchi and some spring vegetables. the asparagus have been springing up all over the place (excuse the pun) as well as zucchinis.

gnocchi primavera

serves 3-4
prep time: 10 min
cook time: 15 min

vip's:

1 package gnocchi
1 bunch asparagus, washed & trimmed & cut into large pieces
2 zucchinis washed and chopped in large chunks
4 sun dried tomatoes diced small or 2 large ripe tomatoes chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 tbpsn butter
1 tbspn olive oil
italian seasoning to taste
crushed red pepper to taste
salt to taste

the play:

put a pot of water to boil & prepare according to package instructions, keep aside
in the same boiling water, add asparagus for 2 min, strain and keep aside
in a saute pan, heat the butter & olive oil
add garlic and stir for 1 minute
add tomatoes, stir for 2 minutes
add asparagus and zucchini, saute for 3 min
add italian seasoning, crushed red pepper and salt
add gnocchi and heat thru
serve with baby greens and garlic bread

Listening to: one of my favorite songs that was released a month before halloween which is also my favorite holiday ever...'gravedigger' by dave matthews from his first solo album, Some Devil, (2003).

gujarati breakfast: dhoklas

2008-02-24T19:23:00.007-06:00

there's this big myth surrounding gujarati food, that they all contain sugar. however, i'm on a mission to dispel this myth. anywho, i've seen far more south indian, konkan and rajasthani recipes call for jaggery than i have ever seen in gujarati food so there! ok ok, i know you don't believe me yet, but as for myself - i don't add sugar or jaggery in my savory recipes unless it is absolutely required. and i wouldn't know about the gujarati restaurants in india because i'm always busy eating chinese, but maybe some of them do add it and so people assume this is so for the entire gammet.

so, enough of me defending the state of my state cuisine, lol. all i can do is share my family recipes with you here and give you a glimpse of the going ons in my kitchen.

i would like to send this recipe over to lovely mythili over at Vindu, for RCI - Gujarat!

dhoklas (steamed pieces of ground rice and lentils) are made frequently in the gujarati household as a breakfast item. they are quite simple but because they take a little more time than pouring a bowl of cereal, these are usually reserved for the weekends.

let's get on with the dhoklas. and while we're at it - start this in the morning. the rice and lentils need to be soaked together for a couple of hours and then left to ferment overnight. basically, it is like making idli's or dosa. i made 2 trays; one tray sprinkled with red chilli powder and the other with freshly cracked black pepper - important!

dhoklas
serves 4-5
prep time: 2 hours soaking time and 1 day fermenting time
cook time: 15 min

wash & soak: 2.5 cups rice, 1 cup mixed dals and a tspn of fenugreek seeds for 2-3 hours
grind in a blender with a little water until smooth, should be like pancake batter
cover and place in a warm place like the oven to ferment overnight
in the morning, add: 1 tspn of baking soda or Eno and salt to taste
grease 2 trays or thalis and pour the batter equally into both
sprinkle one with red chilli powder and the other with freshly cracked black pepper
steam on high for 15 min
cool for 15 min, and cut into small squares
serve with jeeralu** and dip in peanut oil - optional

Notes:

* i usually use chana dal as this is what most gujarati cooks would use, but as recent dal prices have skyrocketed, use whatever you have on hand... a mixture of urad and chana dal would be nice.

** jeeralu is a salty and tangy spice mixture available in most indian grocery stores, if you want it and can't find it, email me and i'll be glad to send you some... alpa_v at yahoo dot com.

Listening to: 'mansard roof' by Vampire Weekend from their album, Vampire Weekend, 2008

london sizzler

2008-02-24T18:48:00.004-06:00

i'm sure those of you who have ever visited houston know about hillcroft. it's a busy street in houston that houses everything indian and pakistani. there's this one small strip center that has a restaurant called "london sizzler". we'd never been there before in the 3 years that it's been open, so the other nite we went there for dinner. to be completely honest, i didn't expect much. when we walked in, i was pleasantly surprised to find it hip, dimly lit and lounge-y. oh, and they have a pool table on one side of the restaurant. it would seem that this would be out of place but awkwardly enough, it wasn't.

their menu is obviously, british indian and the specialty of the house are sizzlers. sizzlers are dishes that are finished off on cast iron plates which are heated until smoking. these plates are the same as the ones used for fajitas.

they have cocktails starting at $9. these are placed on a menu card at the table, some of them have an indian flair, like the mango martini. and i must say, the bar is decked out in granite and looks plush.

besides the usual suspects, they have appetizers such as tikka rolls, vegetable kofta rolls and chili mogo. we skipped the appetizers because we were so hungry, we just wanted to get straight to dinner. there were interesting options for the entrees such as masala mogo & paneer, mogo & paneer pili pili and the masala sizzler.

we ordered the chilli manchurian sizzler and the paneer tikka masala. they have 4 options for the heat level: spicy, x spicy, killer and nuclear. we got the killer. the chilli manchurian was decent! the manchurian was made of cabbage and vegetables in a spicy green onion gravy. the paneer tikka masala was especially tasty. they topped off the dish with sauteed sliced almonds; a nice touch. the only thing i think should have been done differently was the manchurian itself, it had the slightest aftertaste of oil. if this had been corrected, it would have been the star of the night. i mean the texture was on, the gravy was on, but something about that residual taste of frying oil just sort of ruined it for me.

the waitstaff was a little on the dry side if you know what i mean, but i guess they did the needed job. i asked the waiter for some recommendations, but he didn't have any.

all in all, a wonderful meal in a nice ambiance. if you're in the area, drop by or visit them online here.

nasty cube mate

2008-02-19T10:45:00.020-06:00

****beware, this is well, ummm gross ...

dear nasty cube mate,
why are you so disgusting? why do you print out every email when they can be organized much more efficiently in outlook? why do you think there is this horrid conspiracy to oust you out of a job?

why do you insist on printing out every single thing that comes your way and then leaving it on your desk in lopsided piles? and then top them off in crowning glory with foam cups that drip 2 day old cold black coffee onto all your papers? why do you still have candy canes from christmas and unfinished pieces of pound cake sitting on your desk?

nasty cube mate, why don't you wash your hands after leaving the restroom so i don't have to walk around with a paper towel opening all the doors until i reach my sterile cube? yes, i know i'm slightly anal about my hand washing and keeping my area disinfected, but please don't tell me anymore about how you let your 10lb chiweenie poop all up in your house without the use of doggy pads. all the while in heat nonetheless.

yes co-worker, i know your love of baking knows no bounds. but please don't bring in anymore tomato soup cake from the 1920's that your grandma used to make. the depression is quite over. I and all your other co-workers don't want to eat your cookies that you have frosted and anointed with a couple of dog hairs that were thrown in for good measure.

please please don't come to my desk asking me if i want to eat a kolache that you were unable to finish because you got acidity all of a sudden. as anal as i am about eating from other people's cups, plates, forks you should know by now that i don't want to eat from your dentured saliva.

oh you foul friend, please start taking all your cookies, creamers, chips, cake and candy home with you everyday so i don't have to call pest control again. remember we just caught 3 small mice whose droppings were found in all our drawers?

oh nasty cube dweller, please show mercy on me and the rest of the office by refraining from releasing explosive gases in our vicinity. everyday i leave home with a faint resonance of shit particles floating about. one day my husband will wonder if i'm volunteering for the local SPCA.

dear cube mate, please stay home when you are sick instead of coughing, hacking, sneezing on me. or at the very least provide me with a box of tissues every once in awhile so i can cover my mouth. i don't want to hear anymore stories of regurgitated phlegm or how your crotch itches at age 70.

notes: these pictures are after she had been told to clean her desk after the mice incident. She took home 3 boxes of food from her cubicle! And this is the most hilarious thing - if you look closely next to the foam cup, you will see 2 bottles of hand sanitizer!!!! this is what she should to be giving out to the people who need to come by her desk to drop off papers. oh ya, and check out the q-tip next to the 2 packets of swiss miss hot cocoa in the second picture.

and it doesn't stop there - if i showed you guys what's under her desk, you all would die. she's got a big bulk container of creamer, a huge box of cream crackers, a tin of coffee, a box of plastic forks, 2 cardboard boxes, 2 expandable files, a pillow and a box of manila envelopes. there's also some other unidentified objects down under. i have a lot more pictures but don't want to post them because i love my job.

hobbit cafe

2008-02-17T11:16:00.017-06:00

friday nite my supper club went to the hobbit cafe. it's been a houston institution for over 30 years and originally started off as a healthy vegetarian joint. nowadays however, they serve non-vegetarian items as well.

it's known for that bohemian atmosphere, and just by looking at its clientele you can see why this is so. there are all ages and ethnicities eating there. like one of my dear friends put it, "it's a place where art history professors come with their sketchbooks."

so you get the drift right?

it's near downtown and housed in an old dilipidated tudor style building. i didn't have high hopes for this place. but then we ventured forward and i was so happy we did. the house is like you've entered hobbitdom. so small, cozy and with all that soft lighting you'll wish there was a fire going with some elves sitting around drinkin some strong ale, singin folk songs about slaying the evil dragon... er... back to the real story.

the doorways were arched so you felt so tiny and well protected. the walls had what else? J.R.R. Tolkien posters and art. this is the place to be if you're a hobbit or lord of the rings fan. which i am. the hobbit is in my top 10 books of all time. while i was enjoying the walls, our waiter a handsome young guy seated us towards the back. funny thing about the waiter, he has an identical twin brother who works the patio area. that was a little freaky. but in a good way.

the menu pays serious homage to Tolkien. all the items are named after his characters and other places and things from the books. the sandwiches are sold in either slim or regular. just a fyi, if you can't eat a whole pizza by yourself you should be ordering the slim. the portions are made for hobbits who are known for their greedy love of good food.

the gandalf sandwich comes with avocados and mushrooms with melted cheese on whole wheat bread. this is a serious sandwich. your group will just have to accept your prudeness while you dive in with a fork and knife.

then there is the fatty lumpkin which is a tuna sandwich, also on whole wheat. there is the smaugs delight, the withywindle and bilbo the magnificent with tomatoes, sprouts, guacamole and cucumber sandwich and the very popular drink, mithrili, a fruit smoothie which as far as i can recollect is made of pineapple, strawberries and bananas. aren't the names just fabulous?

i ordered the black bean burger and iced tea, i know, i know... i'm such a lame ass for sticking with a sure thing, but in my defense, i was really hungry that nite and wanted to hit the bull's eye. all sandwiches are served with matchstick carrots but i substituted mine for fries. the fries here are legendary as the place itself.

i was also warned that if you order a sandwich with avocado, you are likely to get a tree in return. this place unlike so many others is not stingy with this green wonder of a fruit. i love this place!!!

if you live in houston or plan to visit here, be sure to try out this landmark. it's truly off the beaten path and the menu will leave you grinning.

Rating: A+ for the timely and friendly service and the excellent food. my only grievance is there were quite a few tables packed into a small space which didn't give you much room to squirm around.

Notes: i promise i will try to remember my camera the next time i am here. image of the restaurant was taken from here.

flirty pomengranate & lychee martini

2008-02-12T19:09:00.011-06:00

what better way to celebrate valentine's day with your special someone than making a toast with something pink and sweet?

this valentine's day, i would like to make a toast to A and all the lovers out there, whosoever you choose to spend this day with.

and here's hoping your heart is big enough to love everyone, because it is true the old addage - love is blind. love takes in no account of color, sex, creed, age, race, marital status, weight or salary. love is something that is completely absorbing and yet so giving that it gives you a reason to be. love is truly a gift that every being placed on this ball of life that we call planet earth should experience. so again, i raise my glass to all the loves in your life - whoever and whatever they may be.

flirty pomengranate & lychee martini

serves: 2

prep time: 5 min

vip's:

2 oz grey goose vodka

4 oz lychee juice

1 oz cointreau

4-6 tbpsn grenadine or pomengranate juice

4 lychees, either fresh or canned (optional)

the play:

fill a cocktail shaker with strainer attached with crushed ice and shake everything together except the lychees. place the lychees in the glass and pour your baby a drink.

i would like to send this to lovely pooja of my creative ideas for the theme of the week, valentine's day, as well as to sra of when my soup came alive and to maheshwari of beyond the usual who are hosting this month's AFM-pomengranate.

Notes: grenadine is a pomengranate syrup that is used in many mixers, i bought mine readymade bottled, but you can also make your own by following this recipe from webtender . i didn't have a proper martini glass to serve this in, but can you see the luscious lychees on the bottom?

Listening to: "all that i am" by the absolutely delicious Joe, from his album All That I Am (1997) and of course the classic, "we're in this love together" by the ever fabulous, Al Jarreau, from his album, Breakin Away (1981).

healthy cereal chevdo

2008-02-10T16:50:00.001-06:00

I have this little problem you see, everyday right around 10am and 3pm i just get ravenous. i get so hungry like i haven't been fed in days. like a tiger fed up waiting for mama deer to go away. the weird thing is that this occurs only during the work week. on the weekends, i'm fine. what's up with that? does this happen to anyone else? i hardly ever snack and rarely have chips and cookies around, but man, this worktime hunger is killin' me.

so instead of loading up on stuff i don't need like candy bars and pop tarts, this weekend i bought three different types of cereals to make chevdo, a gujarati version of a snack mix. i've heard it being compared to chex mix. that must be its step brother.

now i know before some of you start getting testy, let me go on and say that cereal is probably not one of the healthiest foods out there. all that disgusting corn syrup and hyrdogenated fats they put into the stuff could clog the arteries of a 5 year old. however, if you try to avoid some of the more sickly sweet, over-the-top stuff, this can be relatively healthy. and nowadays there are some good options out there.

so here's the recipe, it makes one big batch, don't ask me how many servings because i don't know. lets just say this should last you for 2-3 weeks if you eat it M-F like me. this is made in proper gujarati form by my fabulous mom. i got the delectable cranberry idea from Bee and Jai over at the lovely blog, Jugalbandi. thanks guys :)

Healthy cereal chevdo

serves - your guess is good as mine

prep-cook time: 15 min

VIP's:

3 cups kashi 7 grain flakes
2 cups kix
2 cups wheat chex
1/2 cup roasted peanuts and or dalia and or cashews
1/2 cup cranberries or cherries or raisins
6 chopped chillies
6 sprigs curry leaves
6 tbpn oil
1/2 tspn each of red chili powder, nimbu ka phool (ascorbic acid) and sugar

the play:

heat the oil and add chillies and curry leaves and stir for 2-3 minutes
add the nuts and dried fruit and stir for another couple of minutes
add the chili powder, nimbu ka phool, sugar and stir until mixed well
add the cereals and mix lightly for 3 more minutes
cool completely and store in an airtight container

Notes: if you've never worked with nimbu ka phool or ascorbic acid, it's a wonderful ingredient in that it provides a sour tangy taste just like lime or lemon juice but in a dry format. i also use it when making vegetable cutlets and alu or gobi parantha when i don't want any added wetness or moisture.

Listening to: one of my favorite songs that take me to the streets of paris - "Lilly" by Pink Martini from their 2nd album, Hang on Little Tomato (2004). now if only i could get Pierre Herme to deliver that dang ispahan to me... drool.

chicago style whole wheat red pepper and caper pizza

2008-02-07T18:39:00.001-06:00

my chicago style deep dish pizza is so easy and versatile, so if you've never made dough at home, you should definitely try it out. the little tiny packet of yeast holds so much promise and wonder and can be used for so many things - naan, pita bread, potpies, stuffed buns, spinach pies... you name it.

i think people are a little frightened of yeast because they're not sure how it works. i wouldn't compare using yeast to molecular gastronomy or anything, but if you're worried about the rising time and whatnot, i used a quick rise or rapid rise yeast. the manufacturer says it works in 10 min, but i let my dough rise for a little longer.

if you're still scared, just pretend you're cooking with Ferran Adria or Blumenthal on one of those horrid working vacations. you know the ones - where you pay them to pick a thousand pounds of microgreens during your holiday. whoever made that up was seriously coked out.

So even on a weeknight you can make this pizza because the dough only needs 30 min to rise and 30 min to bake. normally what i do is make the dough as soon as i walk in the door and stick it in the oven to rise while i'm getting everything else together.

chicago style whole wheat red pepper & caper pizza
serves 4
prep time: 15 min
bake time: 30 min

***dough: heat oven on 200 deg for 5 min while you make the dough and then turn off

VIP's:

2 cups organic whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached AP flour
4 tbspn yogurt
1 packet of rapid rise instant or quick rise yeast
1 tspn sugar
3 tbspn olive oil

***optional - 1/2 tspn of each: dried italian seasoning, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes

method:

in a small bowl add a packet of yeast, add 1 tspn sugar and 1/2 cup of warm water
let sit for 5 minutes until foamy and bubbly
in a large mixing bowl mix both the flours with salt and rub in the oil, add the optional seasonings if desired
add in the yeast mixture and yogurt
knead the dough with enough warm water to make a soft pliable dough
rub the dough all over with oil, cover and place in a warm oven for 30 min to rise

the play:

preheat oven to 375 deg for at least 10 min
grease 16" deep dish pizza pan
shape dough evenly on the bottom and up the sides of the pan
prick all over with fork
bake blind for 25 min on lower rack
add toppings and bake for another 5 min for cheese to melt

toppings:

pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, sauteed together: red & green bell peppers, onion and mushrooms, artichokes drained, 3-4 chopped sundried tomatoes, 2 tbspn capers

Listening to: 'california dreamin' , not because i love the Mamas & the Papas, but because i love Wong Kar-Wai's movie Chungking Express.

why isn't my curry this yellow?

2008-02-01T13:23:00.000-06:00

to make up for the my last photo shoot of the yellow colored yogurt curry, i present you this drop dead gorgeous photo of one of my favorite stars who can do no wrong in my book... ladies and gentlemen, i present you Kate Beckinsale in vintage Luisa Beccaria at the SAG awards. and guess what color she's wearing??

image courtesy of AP Photo/Evan Agostini

vegetables in a yogurt curry

2008-01-30T12:33:00.001-06:00

the origins of this dish like so many of my others happened because i never seem to have the proper ingredients around. i end up using what i always seem to magically have on hand - bell peppers and potatoes. did i tell you i'm trying to cut down on carbs?

this was originally made for me on my recent trip to india by my dear neighbor in bombay. auntie made it using fresh drumsticks (or saragvo in gujarati) picked straight from our building drumstick tree. i mean talk about eating local. she had the watchman get his big ole' bamboo pole and knock these suckers down. this is a huge deal guys. if you've ever seen a drumstick plant you know how tall those things get. it was taller than our 4 story building. props to the watchman.

i'd like to say this is more of what you would find peasants in a small village eating, but i added certain spices that are considered more "richer" or mughlai if you will. but hey, not to appear as the elitist food snob or anything, i'm sure they'll have access to all the same ingredients as soon as that Tesco's opens up... with the multiplex downstairs and the M.A.C. counter on floor 3. oh yea, and Rollback Wally. can't leave them out from all their corporate rape and mongering.

so folks, here's the deal - it looks long because of the ingredients (mostly spices), but i really did make it in under 30 min. if you have your mise en place, it's a quick 5 step process that can be done simutaneously. and unless you have a drumstick tree in your front yard, i would suggest using whatever vegetables you got goin on in the fridge. i urge you all to try it out because it's so spicy and fragrant, and at the same time not in the least bit pretentious.

Vegetables in a yogurt curry
serves 4-6
prep time: 5 min
microwave time: 15 min
cook time: 15 min

step 1:

put 2 cups of chopped veggies with some water in a microwave safe bowl and heat until the veggies are cooked about 10-15 min. others i suggest are peas, carrots, red bell peppers

step 2:

meanwhile grind the following: an inch of ginger, 4 cloves garlic, 2 green chillis

step 3:

heat about 4-5 tbspn oil in a nonstick pan and add a cup of besan or chickpea flour and saute for 6-8 minutes until the flour is cooked thru

step 4: the tadka or tempering of spices

in a little saucepan, heat 2 tbspn oil
add a tspn mustard seeds and after they pop, add the following:
tspn each of cumin, fenugreek and fennel seeds
6 cloves
1 stick cinnamon
4 cardamon pods
2 dried red chilis
pinch of hing or asafeotida
1/2 tspn turmeric
1 tspn cumin powder
1 tspn coriander powder
1 tspn red chili powder
a sprig of curry leaves
add the ginger-garlic-chili mixture saute this for 3-4 minutes

step 5:

in a bowl mix 2 cups yogurt with 2 cups water and add this to the roasted chickpea flour
mix well then add the above sauteed spice mixture from step 4
add in the drained microwaved veggies
add salt to taste
cook on low for 5-10 min until everything is incorporated well, mix occasionally
garnish with cilantro
serve with roti or indian flatbread

Listening to: my favorite - Bob Marley & The Wailers, 'Jah Live' from their album Rastaman Vibration

shout out to Sailu and friend

2008-01-29T10:21:00.000-06:00

Deepest thanks to the wondrous duo of Sailu and friend for creating the indian food blog aggregator, taste of india ! I am now registered. late as usual but there nonetheless.

baked falafel and hummus with garlic & yogurt dipping sauce

2008-01-28T20:01:00.000-06:00

I made falafel, hummus, red pepper garlic sauce and cucumber yogurt sauce this weekend. I want to send this over to Mansi of the delightful blog, Fun and Food who is hosting Game Night Party event.

This is very quick dish to make, it just requires a few steps. Plus no frying the falafel! You can put this together in 30 min or less as long as you soak the bulgur in advance. And although it is vegetarian, I promise the carnivores in the crowd won't be left hungry. It is a proven crowd pleaser. Please do give it a go.

falafel
serves 4-6
prep time: 1 hour 10 min(includes 1 hour soaking time)
bake time: 15 min

preheat oven to 375
soak 1/2 cup bulgur wheat for an hour in water just to cover in a big mixing bowl
mix in 1 can chickpeas rinsed, drained and mashed
add 3 chopped scallions and 2 cloves minced garlic
add salt, a teaspoon of coriander and cumin powder
form into approximately 30 small balls and place on a greased baking sheet
bake for 15 minutes turning once

hummus

drain and rinse a can of chickpeas and place in food processor
add 2 cloves of garlic
add juice of 1/2 lemon
add 3-4 tbsp olive oil
add 1 tspn tahini
add salt to taste
puree and place in serving bowl, drizzle olive oil on top and sprinkle cayenne pepper

red pepper & garlic sauce

wash and chop 12 red jalapenos and place in a small blender
add 4 cloves garlic
add juice of 1/2 lemon
add salt
grind together

cucumber yogurt sauce

peel and dice a cucumber in a large bowl
add in a chopped tomato and jalapeno
mix in 3 cups of yogurt
add a small handful of dill or parsley
add salt and pepper

Notes: serve the falafel in warm pita bread with lettuce

Foodie blog roll!!

2008-01-24T12:19:00.000-06:00

I am so happy and elated to announce that I have finally gotten my act somewhat together and am now listed in the Foodie Blog Roll!!!

I would like to take this opportunity to invite any other food bloggers to join by contacting amazing Jenn of the Leftover Queen blog.

A big shout out to Jenn for the terrific job you do and for creating an exciting and accessible community for all food bloggers!

take your baby to the disco and 10 minute donuts

2008-01-23T08:18:00.000-06:00

On my way to work this morning i was listening to the radio and they were talking about this new club in houston. now would be the time to sit down folks. it's a baby disco. yes, i am not shittin you. it is what you think it is. this new generation club got started in the U.K. and is now ready to take on America. parents can now take their little ones clubbin' - in the afternoon. there is a bar for the parents where they serve drinks. there is an area where they serve snacks and non-alcoholic drinks for the kiddies. let's just hope. they play old school disco. groovy. so, for all you parents that want your children to be skanks and playaz-in-training, there is now a place for you in houston.

no, i don't have parasites of my own in case you're wondering.

on to the 10 minute donut. maybe for the post club munchies. so my parents used to own several donut shops a long time ago. on my first day working there, i tried every donut, cookie, eclair, crueller and artificial drink. needless to say i made myself gag. i couldn't stand the taste of them or the smell of them. i wanted nothing to do with donuts for a long time. years went by. and then slowly, once in awhile i started craving them. i got this recipe/method from a lady i used to work with and am passing it on to me of the wonderful blog, words are all i have.

the 10 minute donut
serves: let's just say 6
prep time: 5 min
cook time: 5 min

heat some oil for deep frying (350 deg)
take a can of biscuits (ya, so shoot me), not the flaky grand kind and separate out the biscuits
then take a mini cookie cutter or something the size of a nickel and cut out pieces from all the biscuits.
mix up some cinnamon and sugar and put in a paper bag
put some powdered sugar into another paper bag
deep fry the donut holes until golden brown
put some into each paper bag and shake until covered with cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar thoroughly
place in serving bowl and enjoy warm with a cup of cafe au lait

Note: i don't know if canned biscuits are available in india yet. in the U.S. they are found in the refrigerated section near the butter and cheese. if you cannot find canned biscuits where you are, please email me at alpa_v at yahoo dot com and i will email you another recipe.

browse http://www.babylovesdisco.com/ while you're satiating your tummy. pics to come...

spicy pepper pasta

2008-01-21T12:48:00.000-06:00

I was reading Cynthia's brilliant post on different types of chili peppers a few days back and I thought to myself what a completely underrated vegetable it is. No one gives props to peppers. It's such an everyday ingredient, that you don't even realize what life would be like without it. So, taking cue from Cynthia I've devised this new version of my quick pasta using jalapenos instead of crushed red pepper flakes that I normally use.

Try this for a dark wintry weeknight supper that you can get on the table in 20 minutes.

Spicy pepper pasta

Serves 4-6
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min

The VIPs:

2-3 tbspn olive oil
4 cloves chopped garlic or a tspn of garlic paste
chopped red onion
2 large jalapenos
2 cups veggies of your choice - red bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, etc
large can of San Marzano crushed tomatoes
salt and italian seasoning
handful of chopped cilantro (or parsley)
16 oz. box of pasta

The play:

boil water for pasta & cook per directions until al dente
heat up oil and add onions, garlic and peppers and saute till softened, about 5 min
add veggies and saute for 7 minutes
add crushed tomatoes, salt and italian seasoning
cover and let cook until pasta is finished
drain pasta and combine with sauce and chopped cilantro

*** Notes: Use frozen veggies if you are low on time. You can also use bottled pasta sauce, just saute the chili pepper in a bit of oil and then add the sauce. Using cilantro may seem weird but do try it if you like a little bit of an "indian" twist. I used organic whole wheat spaghetti, but feel free to use what you have in the pantry.

Masala dosas

2008-01-18T07:58:00.000-06:00

Due to my Indian holiday, it has been a long time since I've actually cooked a full meal. I really missed my teeny tiny green kitchen and moreover, missed wiping counters and peering into my pantry every 5 seconds. Does anyone else feel just a bit useless when not able to cook in your own kingdom? I have been dying to cook, however because of jet lag I can't muster up the energy past a one pot meal.

I've been waking up at 4am everyday since I've been back which is pretty cool because I get so much time in the mornings to do a lot of prep work for the evening.
Yes, you can call me a morning person.

So yesterday at 4am, with all this time on my hands, I soaked 2 different types of lentils along with parboiled rice and fenugreek seeds for something like dosa. I say this, because traditionally, dosa has around a 1:3 ratio of lentils to rice. In my case, however, the ratio was almost 1:1 with an extra cup of rice thrown in because I felt like it. Does anyone know the proper name for this? I wanted to say peserattu, but I believe that is made only of dal/lentils. And also different in the fact that this dosa I made requires no fermenting time. Just grind up the soaked dal and rice and get goin'.

When I got home from work I ground up the lentils (dal) and rice mixture in the blender with a little bit of the soaking liquid to make a thin batter and kept aside while I made the potato masala filling.

I heated up some oil and added a few cloves, some mustard seeds, asafeotida (hing), and a sprig of curry leaves and a little urad dal.

I then added 3 chopped red potatoes, a huge jalapeno, and half a red onion and salt. Cover and cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes and stir in between. Towards the end, add a little turmeric. Don't let it get mushy, the vegetables should retain their shape.

These dosas need to be made on low-medium heat because of the even ratio of the dal to rice. Traditional dosas should generally be made on medium to high heat. Oil your pan well and pour a ladleful or two and swirl it around like a crepe or pancake batter. Add a few drops of oil around the edges and let cook for 2-3 minutes until lightly brown and then flip and cook for another minute more. Add a little filling in the middle and fold over. Serve hot. Pictures to come soon...

A sidenote to all the Indian restaurant owners/chefs out there - why do so many restaurants turn their dosa filling into mush? I am not a baby and I am sure most of your customer base isn't either. We don't want our masala potatoes turned into bland, tasteless, Gerber crap in a bottle.

Back home

2008-01-15T13:07:00.000-06:00

Dear Readers,
Here is hoping that all of you had wonderful holidays! Just browsing through a few blogs, I'm already saddened by what I missed until I find time to go back 2 months worth of everyone's wonderful posts. I was so warmed by all your wishes for a delightful journey, so a big warm thank you to all.

My vacation was wonderful, beautiful, hectic and exhausting as I'm sure anyone who has traveled to India will tell you. It's one of the most complicated places you will ever visit as well as one of the most endearing and spiritual.

Visiting India is like having a personal time turner like Hermione's. You will see places and people who haven't the slighest clue as to any modern conveniences. What you see may shock you or enlighten you.

The first snap is of a modern Mumbai dwelling sadhu, the following is of a "ghanti" or a manual grain mill I found in an old home in the small village town of Ontharia in Gujarat. The third is a vegetable vendor in Mahableshwar and the final picture is of a homeless community who reside at a temple which I used to pass by everyday in Mumbai. They were so surprised and at the same time ecstatic that I wanted to take their pictures.

off to bombay

2007-11-27T14:31:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful, safe and sick-free Thanksgiving holiday!

So, I'm going to India tomorrow for about 6 weeks. I will try to blog from there depending on my dad - the vacation nazi. I think the man has a day planner in his head mapped out by minutes. This is the first time I'm going in 7 years and why I chose the same exact time he did, God only knows. I figured it might be easier to have him around, but I'm seriously reconsidering. When you go on vacation with him, you need to check into a spa afterwards. Seriously, it's that bad.

So up until yesterday he's been calling me with all sorts of things such as...

him: "Do you have room for diapers?"
me: "why do we need diapers?" (I stop to remember that i'm potty trained.)
him: "because my friend called and his son had a baby and they need diapers."
me: "why does he always wait until the last minute? Don't they get diapers in India?" What is wrong with these people folks?

And then last night around 10pm, I get another urgent call from him telling me to go to Wally World to get a 3-pack of TSA approved locks. 'Tis the season for thievery.

Ya, the man's a little shaken and gets rattled easily when you mention India trips. Last time they went to India, 3 bags got stolen from the baggage handlers on their trip back home. Of course, it was none of the food, it was all the expensive, hard to replace stuff from their South India tour of Madras and Ooty. Which was fine by me... I am a foodhead after all.

The Fiesta man

2007-11-26T09:42:00.001-06:00

Since this past weekend was Thanksgiving, I started reminiscing about one of my first Thanksgiving holidays in Austin. My mom sent me to this local grocery store, Fiesta to grab a few things for the eggplant parmigiana she was going to be making.

Fiesta is huge and they carry almost any Indian vegetable you can think of; tindora, paan leaves (6 for $1.00!), dudhi, karela, small white eggplants, guvar and methi just to name a few. They also have a long aisle of nothing but Indian/Pakistani groceries such as different flours, rices, dals, Gits packets, juices and achaars. Not to mention the Mexican and Latin groceries you may ever need in a lifetime.

So, there I was browsing the cheeses and this older gentleman turns my way and starts speaking in Spanish. Since I've moved to Texas, I've gotten really used to this. I just looked at him, trying to understand all the words and what he was saying so maybe I could help him. But he just kept jabbering really fast and I guess I must have looked confused because then he said loudly and angrily, "Don't try to act like you don't know what I'm saying! You young people come to this country and don't even know your own language. You don't respect your elders or talk to them in your language. You forget where you came from."

Ooooh, I was so mad! I couldn't help it and just screamed at him, "As a matter of fact, I'm Indian and I not only speak my language, but I speak another 2 fluently as well and if you spoke slower, I could've understood everything you were saying a minute ago." And finally yelled, "And for your information, the queso blanco is in the deli section asshole." Maybe it's just the Texas effect.

juiced up green tea

2007-11-26T08:56:00.001-06:00

The regular readers of my blog may know that I have not been feeling up to speed lately. I have been drinking copious amounts of chai brewed with fresh ginger and lemongrass to soothe my throat. Though this is an instantaneous cure, the warm fuzzy feeling doesn't last all that long past 30 minutes. This is so easy, it's ridiculous to say that this is a recipe, but it is delicious and may help you relax.

For one large mug:

bring a cup of water to a simmer
add 1 tspn green tea leaves or a bag of green tea and let steep for 3 min
strain if using loose tea leaves
add juice of half an orange and raw honey to taste

Notes: You may be familiar with the new Lipton Citrus iced teas in a bottle, this is very similar in taste. You could also squeeze in half a lemon, tangerine or even pomengranate juice. It's low in cost and you get the added benefit of no preservatives or artificial sweeteners.

Breakfast tacos

2007-11-25T14:13:00.000-06:00

We went to an all weekend wedding event. After eating Indian food for the last 3 days, we had enough. It was time for a Mexican inspired breakfast.

saute chopped onion in olive oil until translucent
add a chopped potato and a sliced red bell pepper
season with salt, pepper, ground cumin and ancho chili powder or red cayenne to taste
after potatoes are cooked through, add 1 1/2 cups refried beans or one can vegetarian refried or black beans
heat through
serve with warm tortillas, salsa, cheese and guacamole

pre-thanksgiving dinner

2007-11-22T14:00:00.000-06:00

Last nite as I was still sick, my husband braved the grocery store in midst of the crazy bustle of thanksgiving shoppers to buy frozen CPK pizza. They have a new Mediterranean one out with kalamata olives and grilled eggplant. So as he heated up the pizza, I toasted some English tea bread and slathered it Nutella while it was still warm. I couldn't have asked for a better dinner. It made me feel so much better. Those empty calories lifted my spirits right up. If you've never had it, you have to try this little indulgence just once. I warn you not to give this to your kids if you're a label reader or if your kids are the overkill types that once they like a certain food that's all they'll eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next 3 weeks.

I was lucky enough to find the "real" Nutella from a Middle Eastern grocery store and let me tell you it was soooooo much better than the American stuff. You'll notice right off that it isn't grossly sweet. Also, you get much more of the hazelnut goodness coming through. It's $5.99 for the real deal. Cheap remedy for a cold.

Notes: Once again, I ask all ye faithful to forgive the God awful Corelle... and please any suggestions are MOST WELCOME!

The happy thanksgiving police

2007-11-21T13:38:00.001-06:00

Ok, so I know I'm supposed to be in the holiday spirit and in the "mood"... but I'm not. Still sick as crap. Feel like a pile of shit. Sorry readers. I just can't get rid of this cough and I'm sure it's driving my co-workers crazy. The blowing of the nose, the reaching of a tissue every 5 seconds and sneezing in between, oh yeah not to mention the unstoppable and annoying coughing. Unfortunately, my voice came back, so now I have to answer the said co-workers.

It gets worse. Someone in my office stopped and asked, "what kind of turkey do vegetarians eat?" Yes, I know you're probably all wondering, WTF? Is this person for real? Yes. Did this person ask me in front of the entire office? Yes. Did this person mean tofurkey? No, she doesn't know the existence of tofu.

So, now you know what I go through every freakin' holiday. Really, I don't understand why almost every person in every place I've ever worked in has made me a national spokesperson for vegetarians worldwide. And then while they got you, they might as well find out about everything else. Like your religion or lack of. Such as "I know you're Indian, but do you celebrate Thanksgiving? And, "would you be offended if I put up some Christmas decorations?" Like there's only one religion to go around 1 billion people. I mean besides being unprofessional, this was borderline retarded.

And these are the same people that when they are ordering pizza at work, they eat up all my veggie pizza first. I swear to you, this has happened on more than one occasion people! If I don't run and make a beeline for it at lunch, it will be all gone. Then I'll get to hear "it looked so good, i just wanted to try it", "i've never eaten anything vegetarian before" to "that was pretty good for being vegetarian, but next time I'll stick with the meat lover's?" Not one measly slice left. Happy Holidays folks.

Sauteed cauliflower with red bell peppers

2007-11-19T19:36:00.000-06:00

Feels like fall is slowly arriving. This is how I know...

My neighbor has huge pine trees whose branches overlook my yard. I usually welcome the extra shade in the summer. In the winter, it's another story. I want to go over and chop the trees down. The needles fall all over the cars, the driveway, the roof. They completely blanket the entire pond so when the fish try to eat their food, they get pine needles instead. I had to grab my handy long wooden branch and wrangle pine needles from one of my fish's mouth. Ahhhhhh! Somebody loan me an axe!

Since it did feel like fall in any case, I talked myself into craving something warm and toasty. I had half a cauliflower and a gorgeous red bell pepper. I think the combination of these two vegetables is just perfect. They're both mild and take in all flavors readily.

The main thing to keep in mind about this dish is that you don't want to overcook the cauliflower. It's turns to mush and the texture will be blah.

Serves 2-3
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min

Here's what to do:

heat up 2 tbspn oil in a wide saute pan
add panch phoron or: 1/2 tspn each of the following seeds: mustard, cumin, fenugreek, nigella and fennel
add chopped cauliflower, red bell pepper and salt
stir and cover for 5-7 minutes
add few slit green chilis and a tbspn each of garam masala and cumin powder
cover and cook until cauliflower is cooked through about 5 more minutes
squeeze lime and garnish with cilantro before serving

Notes: serve with roti or naan, rice and dal and find it in your hearts to forgive the Corelle :)

Panzanella nicoise

2007-11-18T19:50:00.000-06:00

Ever wonder what to make when you're stuck with an extra loaf of Italian or french bread? I always buy more than I need when I have people over, so I try to use it up in a day or two with this salad. Panzanella is originally an Italian peasant dish. The peasants would take their bread and dip it in the jus from the leftover meat they were given once the rich families were finished eating. Thus, allowing to further extend the meat. Then they would throw in whatever they had on hand which may include onions, cheese and olives.

I have called my version nicoise because I use a variety of olives, green and black. It comes together easily and the prep time is chopping time and toasting the bread in the oven. It is a very refreshing and filling salad. You probably have all the ingredients at home in your pantry, so get cookin'! Even if you don't have all the ingredients, it's ok... use what you got and don't worry about the rest.

Serves 6
Prep time: 15-20 min
Bake time: 20 min

The VIP's:

loaf of french or italian bread cut into cubes and place in a single layer on cookie sheet to toast at 350 deg for 20min, let cool
red onion, sliced
2 large tomatoes or a pint of grape tomatoes, washed & chopped
1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
2 avocados chopped
handful of grated pecherino romano or parmigiano reggiano
handful of olives, roughly chopped
handful of capers
italian dressing, to taste or make your own*
crushed red pepper to taste
salt & pepper to taste

The Play:

combine everything except bread. Add bread 10 min before serving.

Notes: *Make your own Italian dressing by combining: olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard, one clove of smashed garlic, salt, pepper, italian seasoning, a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of sugar.

Japanese koi - the no maintenance pet

2007-11-16T23:25:00.001-06:00

We have 15 Japanese koi and fantails and 2 bottom feeders (algea eaters) that live in our 2500 gallon pond. The top pond is pretty deep and there is a waterfall that connects it to the bottom part where the fish live. It looks small in the pictures, but it's actually quite huge. Click on any picture to enlarge.

I thought I'd just share some pictures with you of my gorgeous pets. They each have their own personality and they're just awesome. A lot of people that come over ask how can they be your pet when you can't play with them. Well, see, they're great that way. They hardly require any maintenance expect food and clean water.

Koi can live anywhere from 20-60 years, they're like the parrots of the fish species. People leave them in their wills in case they die before the fish do. I'm sure mine are destined to outlive me! They also know their owners vibrations. When I come outside, they all swim up to the edge of the pond for attention and of course their food. Let's not forget their food - these animals live to eat. They love their food. You cannot disturb them when they're eating because you can tell they're gettin' pissed. They also don't know when to stop eating - they are like humans in that way. You have to be a little stingy with their food or they will overeat.

I read somewhere that if they are under stressed conditions like if the water ph is too high or there is not enough oxygen, then they will literally jump out of the water to try to commit suicide. In Japan, some people resort to installing mesh netting above the water to prevent this from happening. Hence, I get my water checked often. I do not want any $500 koi jumping ship.

My first garden

2007-11-16T22:27:00.001-06:00

When we first bought our house, the thing that I loved most about it was it's beautiful backyard. It had so much more space than the 600 sqft apartment I was used to. My little potted plants didn't have to fight for sun space on the balcony anymore. Although, now looking back in hindsight, it was also a hell of a lot easier to manage.

One of the first things I wanted to when we got the house was to have my parents over to help set up our first organic garden. Everyone else did all the work, I just picked out the plants I wanted. This was going to be a breeze -or so I thought. I was sort of cheating and looking for plants that were easy to grow and naturally pest free.

Most of the Indian herbs I use almost daily I already had, such as tulsi (holy basil), ajwain plant (caraway), lemongrass and curry leaf plants. I did have to buy some Thai basil, sage, rosemary, thyme and oregano from Central Market.

My parents brought me a baby guava tree, a pomengranate tree as well as all the basics - Thai chilies, ichiban eggplants, colored bell peppers, brandywine tomatoes and a few other heirloom varieties and okra. I wanted to grow more things but I also didn't want to overdo it, know what I mean?

So, they were all busy digging and tilling and working hard in the muddy wet soil since it decided to rain hard the night before they arrived. Here are the fruits of their labor which I got to enjoy all summer long...

garlic chutney and vagharelu dahi (yogurt with garlic and chili)

2007-11-16T09:57:00.000-06:00

When my grandfather was still alive every night he used to eat this garlic chutney on the side. For lunch, the same chutney was added to some homemade tangy yogurt and eaten with rotis or steamed rice.

I can't really call this a recipe and it sounds so simple, but it tastes divine. We make a couple months worth at a time. It will keep for 2-3 months in the fridge as long as no water is added. We use it whenever any dish calls for garlic, but mainly it is used for any sabzi (stir fried vegetables) and daal. You add it in the oil first before you add the rest of the vegetables or daals. You can also just eat it on the side with bhakri like we used to when growing up.

In Gujurati, this chutney is called lasunyo, meaning "of garlic". I'm sure almost every region of India has their own version, but this is kept very simple so it can be added to hundreds of dishes quickly. It's so versatile and with just 2 ingredients, it's worth a try at least once. Please do give it a go, you will wonder how you managed so long without it.

Lasunyo
Pound together in a mortar and pestle, do not break out the Cuisinart for this one! Very important, it will completely change the taste and texture.

2 heads of garlic peeled

1/2 - 1 cup of red chili powder

it should be of a semi dry consistency, not too wet or liquidy

store in a clean sterile bottle and keep in fridge

Vagharelu dahi (yogurt with garlic and chili)

cup of yogurt

1 teaspoon of lasunyo

mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing (asafetioda)

pinch of turmeric

1 tspn oil

salt

pinch of sugar (optional)

heat oil and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and hing

add lasunyo and turmeric and stir for one minute on low

add yogurt and salt and pinch of sugar (optional)

Easy party foods

2007-11-14T20:04:00.000-06:00

If you are a foodhead like me, I'm sure when you throw a dinner party your biggest concern is the food. What appetizers should you make? What drinks should you mix? What plates will make your food look good? I know some out there may disagree and say it's all about the company and atmosphere, well I say, what do they know? People may or may not remember what your centerpiece was, but they will surely remember a gorgeous appetizer or a delicious dessert.

A big time saver is getting all your dinnerware, serving platters and utensils out and organized. This way, when people start arriving and someone is just dying to help (ya right), you can point them straight to your pile instead of having them rummage through all your messy cabinets trying to find a platter to put your chips and olives in, all the while loudly proclaiming, "what do you use this for?", "this box is expired" or "why'd you buy this?"

As far as creating an atmosphere, I don't care for dinner parties with formal table settings and pressed linens. Where you have to be nice. Where you have to pretend you love her dress, shoes and nail polish even before you're buzzed. Where you have to all sit around the table together and are forced to make small talk. UGH! I can't remember the last time my friends and I all sat together for dinner except at a restaurant, can you?

I'd rather prefer to keep things more casual. You know, when you can just point to your bar area and let them at it or hang out and watch my beautiful fish-ies swimming in the pond or sit on the kitchen counter keeping me entertained while I'm readying everything. To me, that's the best part of the nite. After that, people will just eat your food and leave. You know the ones.

So, for my kind of party, do-it-yourself-bars are the key.

Mashed potato bar - idea stolen from some restaurant a long time ago

What you need to do is:

prepare a whole bunch of mashed potatoes and keep them warm - so make sure there is enough cream/milk/butter/liquid so they don't get hard and crispy instead
put out nice big soup bowls or martini glasses
put out different kinds of toppings - be creative, but if you aren't, here are my suggestions:
chopped scallions
roasted garlic
cubes of extra butter
chives
different seasoned salts
different powdered spices such as garam masala, coriander or cumin powders
steamed veggies such as broccoli or cauliflower
cheese sauce or just different flavored melting cheeses
I'm sure you carnivores have thousand more options

For dessert, try my Cheesecake bar:

make some or buy some ready made cheesecake filling
put out some nice champagne or wine glasses for this one
serve with assorted toppings:

melt chocolate chips up with a little cream - a good way to use up all that chocolate
melt some caramel
puree different fruits with a tiny bit of sugar like raspberries, blueberries, quinces, mangoes or strawberries
crushed chocolate wafer cookies or oreos
crystallized ginger

2007-11-13T20:18:00.000-06:00

Eggplant Roll-ups

This dish was a play on lasagna roll ups I made awhile back, but since i'm always finding new ways to cut down on carbs, I made these using large globe eggplants instead. This will serve 4 if served with a salad and garlic bread on the side. It's a pantry friendly dish and not as time consuming or as labor intensive as eggplant parmigiana. Most of the time is just oven time, so this dish is great for weekday meals.

I make my own pasta sauce by sauteeing half a chopped onion with a couple of garlic cloves and a dash of chili flakes. Then add a can of San Marzano crushed tomatoes and let it simmer while the eggplant slices are baking in the oven.

The fastest way to go about making this dish is first to preheat the oven to 375˚, then slice the eggplant and get that going in the oven while you work on the sauce. It took me 30 min total.

Serves 4
Prep time: 10 min
Bake time: 25 min

The VIP's:

1 large eggplant
1 jar pasta sauce or make your own about 1 1/2-2 cups
7 bocconcini cut into thin slices or 1 cup grated mozzarella
dried italian seasoning
crushed red chili flakes
olive oil
salt

The play:

preheat oven to 375˚
wash, trim eggplant and slice it vertically - you should end up with about 8 long slices
place in a single layer on a baking tray and brush with olive oil on both sides
season to taste with salt, red pepper flakes and italian seasoning
place in oven for 10 min and then flip slices over and put in oven for another 10 min
spread a tablespoon of pasta sauce on each slice and roll up
place all the eggplant rolls seam side down in a greased casserole dish
cover with remaing pasta sauce, sprinkle with bocconcini and bake until heated through and the cheese is melted about 5-10 min

2007-11-12T12:46:00.001-06:00

Now of food blog desam!

Thanks to Indira you can now also find me on Food Blog Desam here.

2007-11-12T11:42:00.000-06:00

The little restaurant that could... not

The city of Austin is known for its live music, food, university and an eclectic lifestyle. It is a place where hippies and techies alike call home. It is frequently referred to as the Silicon Valley of the South. The city houses Dell, IBM, Samsung, Texas Instruments and countless others. With the surge of the IT dotcom sector in Austin, the number of Indian residents steadily rose.

Despite my unabashed love for the city, what Austin is not known for is a decent Indian restaurant. Last nite my sister in law's parents came to town so we all went out to Madras Pavilion. Now I know this isn't a very fancy place, so I wasn't expecting a professionally trained waiter with a pinstriped apron to make wine recommendations with each course, but that shouldn't take away from the food, service or ambience.

This is not going to be a fun review, so let's just dive right in. First impression, the plates were chipped. Not regular wear and tear from a dishwasher, but large pieces of plate were missing. My sister in law's mum ordered a mango lassi and asked for an extra glass, the young server girl who brought it to her seemed to not really understand English, but nodded her head anyway. She didn't get a glass. When the order taker guy cum manager cum owner arrived we asked again for a glass and he brought it out quickly, but it was dirty like the soap scum hadn't been washed off. This is my biggest problem with restaurants - that they don't inspect the barware before sending it out. Strange enough, it's also the easiest to fix. I walked over to the register where the order taker guy cum manager cum owner was standing and showed him the dirty glass and asked him to bring another. This time around, he brought a foam cup. Maybe they ran out of glasses. Hey, it could happen. I suppose.

Then the food began to arrive. To start with, we all shared a plate of gobi manchurian which was good, a little too oily though. Then my sister in law got something like idli manchurian. The idli was cut into large pieces and then deep fried. It was then covered with a spicy sweet gravy. This was actually really good. So good in fact, we were all getting hungry and anticipating the food.

Ok, so here comes problem number 3 - the food arrives in 10 min intervals. The two people that order a plain dosa and an onion dosa get theirs first. 10 min later, the 3 mysore masala dosas come out. 10 min later, the 3 chinese dosas come out. So, by the time the last group got their food, group number 1 already were done eating. I am sure if Chef Ramsey is reading this, he's probably headed straight there. Even my sister in law mentioned that this was straight out of a Kitchen Nightmares episode.

There was nothing spectacular or memorable in the least about the food. The chinese dosas seemed promising from the menu description, but they were a complete dud. I've had so much better from hole in the wall type of places than this one. The other thing that is really surprising is that they get so many orders and catering events from the local Indian population because they are the only vegetarian Indian restaurant in Austin.

I was going to give this place an F, but decided that the order taker guy cum manager cum owner stayed pleasant regardless of our criticism. So, this place gets a D- for bad dinnerware and service. Next time you're in Austin, eat Tex-Mex.

2007-11-09T10:24:00.000-06:00

Olde Crone's soaps

I emailed Amy of Olde Crone's Bewitching Bath Soaps awhile back to find out some more about her products and mentioned that i found out about her through Manisha's wonderful blog. I was intrigued because of the goat milk chai soap that Manisha had mentioned. I am constantly on the lookout for new natural and organic products, so when I was researching her product line, I found most things to be VEGAN! Truly, this lady rocks you all.

Sometimes it can be difficult in the U.S. to be able to purchase products directly from the artisan, whereas in India, you will find them all over the streets peddling their goods. And unlike shopping at retailers like Walmart and even Bath & Body, where the name of the game is shelf life, isn't it refreshing to find someone who has taken the time to make these wonderful handmade artisan soaps without chemicals? I've just ordered 4 types of soaps, citrus herb lip balm and lavender lemon lotion. Most of the soaps I saw run for $5. A small price to pay to be a goddess don't you think?

2007-11-08T09:20:00.000-06:00

Spicy fingerling potatoes

Since our president insists on this time change thingy, I cannot seem to get my sleep and waking up patterns going smoothly. To top it off, me and A have had sore throats and coughing fits. You know those nites when you keep tossing and turning because you can't breathe from one side and then have to turn to the other? Ya, one of those. Then my phone was off by an hour. So by the time I got to sleep it was time to wake up. I was dressed and ready for work at 6am. WTF? Should I go in early? ya right.

Needless to say, I had an extra hour on my hands. I figured I might as well put it to use by cleaning up a bit and getting dinner semi-prepared. I soaked some brown basmati rice and washed about a pound of fingerlings. I also washed about 7-10 thai chili peppers, peeled 2 cloves of garlic and got out a knob of ginger and crushed these in my mortar with some sea salt and a sprig of curry leaf.

When I get home I will only have the actual cooking left to do since almost all the prep work is done. Just quarter the fingerlings and saute them in a bit of oil and then cover for about 10 min, stirring in between. Then add the crushed mixture and 1/2 - 1 cup of water. Keep covered and stir once in awhile until the potatoes are cooked thru. Squeeze in half a lime. Before you start on your potatoes though, put your rice on to cook so it will be done around the same time. Oh ya, I probably should have told you that first - my bad.

Serve with a tomato & onion salad. And write to your congressman/woman and tell them how you really feel about time change. after all, if you're not with me, you must be against me :)

For you folks spoiled by the written word,

Serves 2-3
Prep time: 10min
Cook time: 20 min

The VIP's:

1 lb fingerling potatoes
7-10 thai chilies
2-3 cloves garlic
knob of ginger
sprig of curry leaf - optional
sea salt
half lime/lemon
2 tbspn oil

The play:

wash and quarter the potatoes
saute in oil and cover, while you pound in a mortar: chilis, garlic, ginger, salt, curry leaf
after 10 min, add this crushed mixture and 1/2 - 1 cup of water to the potatoes
cover and stir once in awhile for another 10 min or until potatoes cooked thru.
check seasoning and squeeze lime over potatoes

NOTES:

sweet potatoes would be a good substitute for those of us trying to steer away from bad carbs.
garnish with cilantro if you have it on hand
serve with roti, naan or rice
for a more pronounced indian flavor - after the oil is heated, add the following and allow to pop: mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and fenugreek seeds and cook on.

2007-11-06T09:03:00.000-06:00

Ziggy's enchiladas

So the other nite we met up a friend at a place called Ziggy's in downtown Houston. It's a funky little cafe-ish bistro type of place. At first I thought I would have to get dressed up because I'd never been there before, but A said it's not that kind of place... so as usual, jeans and flip flops were still the order of the day. Don't hate, it's in the 80's here!

When we got there, it was not what I really expected - in a good way. Sometimes downtown dining is way tooooo formal and stuffy. As soon as we pulled up, I saw people sitting and talking on tables outside. We love our winter weather here in Texas by the way. It was a good mixed crowd. There were some older couples eating dinner and some students sitting around messing with their laptops and having a beer. Very casual. Very flip-floppy. I liked it.

Once you walk in, you basically order and pay at the counter where the young guy hands you a menu and he'll serve you your drink and give you a number. Sodas and iced tea were self serve at the fountain. I got the iced tea and noticed that they were both decaf and one was white peach. I'm not so into decaf or white peach. I stuck to plain decaf and with a couple packets of Splenda it was pretty decent. A and our friend Paras both got the black bean burger. Paras had the good sense to ask for it with jalapenos and cheese. I wasn't feelin the burgers that day and not wanting to get stuck with a lemon, I ordered the spinach and mushroom enchiladas and we all shared a large side of potato and sweet potato fries.

I tasted A's burger, it was so good. The burger was on wheat bread which was really soft. The regular potato fries were made on premise and they were also very good. The sweet potato fries were cut super thin and it seemed like all we got were the skins. Just crispy skin. Not so good.

The menu stated that the enchiladas take an extra 20 min, so I was prepared for the wait. The guys were eating their burgers and were almost done before I got the enchiladas. Now I make some good Tex-Mex at home myself, so I'm not exactly going to give a restaurant the benefit of the doubt if it ends up sucky. Hey - when in Texas! The enchiladas arrived smothered in cheese. First impression failed to impress. However, once I scraped off all the cheese nonsense, the corn tortillas were pretty awesome and the filling was decent. The spinach stayed a nice bright green so it was obvious they didn't cook it to death and the mushrooms were sauteed. It was served with some brown rice and black beans on the side. Can I just say, I really needed some salsa? The black beans and rice were bland. If I had to reorder again, I would stick with the black bean burger. I will post a couple versions of Tex-Mex enchiladas in a later post.

2007-11-05T08:42:00.000-06:00

Sunday morning O'briens

I have this little (my sister would even go so far as to say, nasty) habit of waking up EARLY on the weekends. Usually between 6-7am I wake up, do my weekend ritual of opening all the curtains and blinds and letting the sun pour in while I go around dusting and sweeping and whatnot. This is when I am full of energy, the sunshine in the house renews me, letting me borrow it's life and vitality. And trust me when I say I take advantage of this rare time. If things don't get cleaned, swept, mopped or dusted in the mornings, then they never will until the next weekend. And for some reason, I don't like to clean or do any housework when it's dark out, I know that may sound silly to some of you out there, but I just can't. This may be partly my mom's fault because we had this weekend thing of waking up on Saturdays and cleaning the entire house before we were allowed to go out. Actually, before we even asked to go out or for her to drive us to a movie or over to a friend's, we knew the house had better be cleaned. I can appreciate that sort of thing now, thanks Mum!

However, after last nite's bridal shower/party, I was pooped. There was no cleaning to be done nor blinds to be opened. I didn't have any strength. It's like those certain times when you've been up all nite and your stomach is queasy and nauseous because you've been doing stuff you probably shouldn't have. Think Anthony Bourdain type of nite! Well, I don't think he can ever be outdone, but we sure try.

I guess all the cleaning gets to me because I am usually starving afterwards. I needed to make something quick and easy and in one pan.

O'briens:
Serves 4
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min

VIP's:

15-20 fingerling potatoes - washed and quartered
1/2 red onion - chopped in large chunks
1/2 bell pepper - washed and chopped in large pieces
2-3 jalapenos - washed and chopped in large pieces
2 tablespoons oil
salt and pepper to taste

The play:

in a wide saute pan, heat oil, add chopped potatoes and salt, cover
after a few minutes add the onion, bell pepper and jalapenos, cover
stir every so often for the next 10-15 min until the potatoes are done
after the potatoes are cooked, add freshly ground black pepper and serve

Notes: if you want something even more filling and carb-laden or to feed a hungry crowd, turn these into breakfast tacos. Warm up some tortillas, fill them with O'briens and refried beans, and then top off with some spicy salsa.

2007-11-04T12:04:00.000-06:00

weekend partying with Jack & Jill

This Saturday, we went to a friend's Jack & Jill bridal shower. They were gracious hosts and served so many delectable appetizers. There were two tables set up for appetizers and a separate dessert counter. The first table consisted of mostly meat based dishes. There were meatballs in a tomato sauce, eggrolls, shrimp and garlic bread. The other table consisted of a veggie platter with a light green ranch dressing - i'm guessing it was blended with either cilantro or green peppers. There was also a cheese and cracker tray, tortilla pinwheels filled with cream cheese and chopped bell peppers, a pasta salad and a spinach corn casserole. I'm sure I'm missing a lot of other items, but this is all I could remember.

On the counter and in the dryer* (yes, you read right) there were a variety of drinks - basically choose your poison option. The desserts consisted of fruit skewers with a vanilla sauce and chocolate dipping sauce. Delicious! There was also a tiered tray of bite sized cheesecake in raspberry, turtle and plain flavors. I tried the turtle flavor. The crust was a thin layer of chocolate wafers and topped off with nuts and more chocolate. Sort of reminded me of an Indian burfi I had once. Finally, there was a tray of different flavored pound cake slices.

All in all, it was a fun night relaxing and catching up with friends. Thanks to Mitch and Bon and their families for throwing a great party!

* Apparently there was a little bit of mystery involving the "good stuff," in the dryer. It was put there as not to offend certain family members. Permission to enter the lair was granted only to the cool.

2007-10-31T10:34:00.001-05:00

ju-on 2 & caramel apple bar

Happy Halloween to All! This is my favorite favorite favorite holiday! I love horror and sci-fi movies and the Sci-Fi channel and AMC have been showing horror flicks non-stop for 13 days. Thanks to them this just makes me wanna schedule a sabbatical next October. Am I weird? Go ahead, you can tell me. Well for the past few years, I have moved on to japanese horror which makes american horror seem like you're watching a chick flick.

When I was younger, members of my family emigrated from India to settle here and so intially, they stayed with us. They had never seen horror movies and didn't even know what they were, because over there that genre is still relatively new. Well my dad has a thing for horror flicks, so at night, he would put on Dawn of the Dead, Evil Dead, Day of the Dead... well, you get it. It would scare the living jeebies out of my aunts, uncles and little cousins. And you were not allowed to move until the movie was through. Maybe that's why they're all still a little scared of him!

So, besides re-reading harry potter for the gizillionth time, this Halloween I decided to break the tradition. And trust me, it's like pulling teeth to get me anywhere away from harry.

To celebrate my favorite holiday I am going to be watching Ju-on 2 (again) and creating my own version of a caramel apple bar.

serves 2
prep time: 15 min
cook time: 5 min

The VIP's:
1. 1 granny smith apple, washed & cut into 8 wedges
2. 2 handfuls of caramel candy melted on low heat with 1 tbspn butter and a dash of cream or you can take the easy route and just warm up some bottled caramel sauce.

Toppings:

chocolate chips
crushed peanuts
coconut
smashed oreos
chopped pecans
use what you have on hand

The play:

place your hot caramel in a small bowl on the center of a plate and place the apples around it. note - It's best if you have a fondue pot for the caramel.
put your toppings in small bowls and place together on one tray
dip your apple wedge into your caramel and then whatever toppings you choose

Notes: this recipe is largely open to interpretation depending on number of people and toppings. Again, the caramel is best left in a small crockpot or fondue pot so it will stay warm and not harden up. Also, the apples should be tart for this, you do not want it to be sickly sweet.

2007-10-30T21:14:00.000-05:00

simple crisp okra

It's my baby brother's 28th birthday next week. Well, he's not exactly a baby anymore, but since he is younger, i bestowed that right upon myself. His favorite dish since childhood has always been okra. Ask him anyday what he wants, and he's likely to reply okra. He likes it sliced in thin rounds and sauteed till crispy with minimal spices to let the earthy flavor of the okra come through.
Goes great with some lavaash or naan with some raita on the side. I will stress that after washing the okra, to make sure that the okra is completely dry otherwise you will be privy to the infamous slime.

This is a simple humble dish that is a really quick cook.

Serves 3-4
prep time: 15 min
cook time: 20 min

The VIP's:

1 lb okra washed and dried thoroughly & chopped into small rounds
2-3 tbspn oil
1 tspn mustard seeds
1 tbspn chili pepper powder
1 tbspn cumin powder
1 tbspn coriander powder
1/2 tspn turmeric powder (optional)
1/2 lemon
salt
1 tbspn chopped cilantro

The play:

1. heat oil in nonstick pan on medium heat and add mustard seeds
2. when the mustard seeds finish popping after a minute or two, add the okra & salt to taste
3. stir the okra to mix and saute for couple of minutes
4. cover and turn heat to low, stir occasionally for next 15 minutes and keep covered in between
6. mix in all the spices and cover for another 2-3 minutes
7. remove lid and turn the heat on high, and let any moisture evaporate. The okra should turn crispy in a couple of minutes.
8. turn off heat and squeeze half the lemon over the okra and stir in the cilantro.

Notes:
The spices are really to taste in this dish so adjust the heat level as desired. We like things really spicy so I usually add another couple tbspns of chili powder.

You can also throw in some sliced shallots and garlic after the mustard seeds pop for more flavor.

2007-10-28T20:51:00.001-05:00

Vanilla coffee ice cream cake

Today is A's birthday and since he was enjoying himself in L.A., I wanted to make one of his favorites that is usually supplied by my mom. Mom runs an uppity little ice cream joint in Austin, so I decided to try my hand at an ice cream cake. I wanted to stick to for sure flavors and just to verify the technique, I called my giggly younger cousin Nidhi, who helps out my mom on the weekends. She kindly called me back during her wuss of a 15 minute break from her real job to school me on frozen cakes.

Hoppity-hop to the market to get the ice cream, there I was in front of the cooler. Staring away. Too many choices are no good for an already indecisive personality.

What to make, what to make? I had gone in for vanilla but suddenly that seemed too simple once I saw mango, cherry nut and java chip. What have I got myself into? Maybe this is what our president was referring to as a quagmire.

This was supposed to be a 5 minute trip to the store and back. No can do especially when you put a foodhead* anywhere they sell food. After a good 15 min of deliberation I did what I always do and resorted back to my first choice. I grabbed a pint each of coffee and vanilla. Really, why do I even bother?

Go ahead and try it out, it's a basic method and the combinations are limitless. Though this one turned out fabulous, I think I will experiment next time and make either a pumpkin pie cake with black walnut ice cream or german chocolate cake with cherry ice cream for a black forest feel.

Makes 1 loaf pan
Serves 6-8

The VIP’s:

- chocolate cake** made in a rectangular pan
Basically you will need 2 pieces of cake cut to fit in your loaf pan.
- 2 pints ice cream softened
- frosting optional

The play:

1. line a loaf plan with cling film so it hangs all the way out and over. It should be enough to cover the top as well. Then line with parchment.
2. place a piece of cake on the bottom and layer a pint of softened ice cream
3. cover with parchment & cling film & freeze for 2-3 hours or until firm
4. remove parchment and cling film and layer another piece of cake and then ice cream
5. cover with parchment and cling film again & freeze for at least 4 hours
6. remove cake by lifting the cling film out of the loaf pan and top with frosting or whipped cream if desired

Notes:
* foodhead = politically correct term as opposed to foodie
** I replaced the water in the cake with Frangelico