In the springtime around here the farmer’s markets bring out some uniquely springtime produce such as tender garlic. These garlic actually look like small pale pink onions. The first time I saw these I had no idea they were garlic. The farm stand vendor explained that sometimes they pull garlic bulbs out in the spring to sell, that if they left them in the ground they eventually become our regular garlic bulbs that we usually use. The flavor of spring garlic is like a cross between garlic and green onions. I know, interesting right! Here’s the other interesting tidbit, tender spring garlic are only available in the spring and that too for a month at the most. Continue reading Spring Garlic and Asparagus Risotto
Category Archives: From the Kitchen
Indian Style Eggs & Parisian Style Sandwich
Good Thursday everyone. How is your week so far? Quiet and calm? Our week started with everyone working from home and online schooling. The kids are in a routine with their remote learning, although they did grumble that they didn’t like it. They miss school. You know, the silver lining with this stay at home order is that now kids appreciate school a lot more 😀. Even Hitesh had a few sighs of how he misses the social aspect and human touch that work provides. Nonetheless we are staying put at home to ride this out. Continue reading Indian Style Eggs & Parisian Style Sandwich
Homemade Oat Milk
Oat milk is all the rage right now as an alternative to dairy milk, in fact it is so popular around here that many times when I try to pick it up at the grocery stores they are out of stock. The first time I had oat milk was at a coffee shop in Healdsburg, California couple of years ago when we were on a Thanksgiving holiday in Sonoma Wine Country. They were promoting oat milk and were offering a little discount if you gave it a try – and I did! Imagine my surprise when the latte was as creamy as a regular milk latte and just as delicious. I was sold! Continue reading Homemade Oat Milk
Rose and Ginger Cupcakes
It was a gorgeous sunny day with blue skies and puffs of white clouds last week Thursday. On that morning I had already gone on my walk, already spent time in my garden, and already prepared lunch for the family, and still had time on my hands, so I decided to bake. With such a beautiful day in front of me, a spring inspired cupcake seemed very appealing.
Day 1 of Shelter in Place
Hello everyone, wishing you a good Tuesday. I am hoping everyone is well and healthy and are ready to ride this wave out until we see rays of positive outcomes at the end of this “shelter in place” “self quarantine” “stay at home” and “social distancing” mandate. Speaking of words, I purposefully chose the title “Shelter in Place” as it sounds so much more gentle than the harsh “self quarantine.” Continue reading Day 1 of Shelter in Place
Yellow Daal. Daal Tadka
Yellow daal or what is also known as daal tadka- meaning lentils cooked and tempered with spiced oil is a very popular dish at Indian restaurants and a favorite daal in our home. My daughter Rani especially loves this daal. Anytime she sees me making lentils, she’ll ask, “Is that yellow daal your making?” With aromatic spices, ginger garlic and onions all shallow fried in ghee, and served over white rice, this daal is comfort food for sure. Continue reading Yellow Daal. Daal Tadka
Dutch-Oven Cheddar Jalapeño Bread
This is for all you bread lovers! Remember Oprah Winfrey’s famous words “I love bread!” She set the diet world on fire! Lets face it we all love bread! It’s really more about how much of it and what type of bread we consume that matters. Whole grain breads are hands down the best, but once in a while its so satisfying to have a decadent fresh baked white bread. And that bread tastes even better when baked with delicious sharp cheddar cheese and spicy jalapeño. Continue reading Dutch-Oven Cheddar Jalapeño Bread
Jazzed up Ravioli with Sautéed Vegetables
Looking for an easy way to turn simple store-bought ravioli into a gourmet restaurant style pasta? Try jazzing them up with a variety of sautéed vegetables all presented in a way that gets a “Wow that looks so good” type of reaction. I made these spinach ravioli for my twins birthday party last weekend and rather than do my usual marinara sauce I wanted to give these ravioli a more sophisticated presentation. To accomplish this I sautéed a variety of spring-inspired veggies such as peas, broccolini, and green onions and tossed in briny olives and sun-dried tomatoes. Continue reading Jazzed up Ravioli with Sautéed Vegetables
Mint and Lemongrass Sweet Potato Veggie Noodle Bowl
I made this Asian inspired noodle soup for our Sunday evening dinner recently and it was enjoyed by the whole family. With loads of vegetables all seasoned with herbs and spices, this recipe makes a giant pot of vegetable noodle soup floating in a flavorful coconut broth. Continue reading Mint and Lemongrass Sweet Potato Veggie Noodle Bowl
Simple Savory Oatmeal with Ghee, Mustard Seeds and Caraway Seeds
My Mom-in-law used to make this savory oatmeal in the mornings when she visited me here in California a while back and I remember looking at it with such curiosity. It was a very simple dish really – creamy oatmeal with a touch of spices and a pinch of salt. Mom-in-law did add a piece of green chili for some heat but it added just a hint. Her oatmeal was oatmeal in color with minimal spices such as mustard seeds and caraway seeds. It was meant to be a simple and quick savory oatmeal. Continue reading Simple Savory Oatmeal with Ghee, Mustard Seeds and Caraway Seeds
