tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48203040274466029372012-01-18T23:42:47.049-06:00Recipes in contextJayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.comBlogger541100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-10898362688802585212009-09-28T18:22:00.000-05:002009-09-28T18:24:19.420-05:00

Follow your favorite food stories and recipes at www.dashofmasala.com/blog.

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-73645922345041070592009-08-14T16:37:00.008-05:002009-08-14T19:08:52.835-05:00

I started this blog because I am so interested in adapting traditional Indian recipes to make them healthier, tastier and easier-to-make. During the course of my writings, I have started to solicit reader recipes, since many minds work better than one! Here is a post written by my mother, Madhuram - recipe courtesy, my sister, Indu Sundaresan, author of four books - "The Twentieth wife", "The

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-41813267199618245942009-07-13T19:09:00.011-05:002009-07-19T23:50:03.749-05:00

The luscious Mango is generally referred to as the King of all fruit in India. If there is a King of fruit, stands to reason there must be a Jack of all fruit - behold the Jackfruit! This fruit is a particular favorite in India with its buttery yellow, smooth tasting, deliciously sweet sections and large oval crumbly pits, which taste really yummy when smothered in spicy sauces. On the outside

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-80595482407038386902009-05-19T23:28:00.015-05:002009-05-20T01:41:44.575-05:00

I have been sporadic in posting on this blog this past month. That is because I have been planning my sojourn to India, packing and arriving first at New Delhi and then at Chennai. I have many interesting stories to relate, but I first need to get this off my chest: Indian restaurants and eateries have exploded in numbers in both the cities I am visiting. There are all kinds of eating joints:

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-15528879642430334702009-05-07T11:27:00.009-05:002009-05-07T12:20:40.301-05:00

My guileless childhood and callow youth was spent immersed in books. Glorious home spun tales, soaring visions, untraveled lands and boundless imaginations captured my every waking moment. I remember spending an inordinate amount of time in the bathroom and being yelled at by my sisters who were waiting for their turn because I had a book in my hand and couldn't set it down for long enough to get

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-7690573325380419692009-04-14T13:03:00.012-05:002009-04-14T14:19:39.702-05:00

Austin, Texas prides itself for being a weird city. In fact, the residents even host an annual event called "Keep Austin Weird". It is a vibrant city, filled with an exotic, eclectic crowd of people. It is a fun city, because there are lots of things to do. Whether you are the stay-at-home mom, lugging around 2 toddlers or the high flyin' corporate executive used to having power lunches, or the

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-3265423488254006762009-04-13T08:29:00.007-05:002009-04-13T09:18:00.708-05:00

There is something very basic and wholesome about tomatoes. The acidic, tangy taste, the thick pulpy flesh, the gorgeous red color, and last but not the least, the awesome nutritional profile - every single aspect of the tomato makes it a much-valued addition to every meal.Tomatoes are known for their high Vitamin C, A and K content. The lycopene is tomatoes is cherished for its antioxidant,

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-24334331232852942292009-03-30T10:51:00.007-05:002009-03-30T11:22:31.420-05:00

One good thing about the Pumpkin is that while it is abundantly available during the harvest season after Halloween, it is almost as easily available throughout the year. One more good thing is that it is quite inexpensive and easy on your pocketbook. And yet another reason to incorporate pumpkin into your diet is that it chock full of goodness. Not only is pumpkin loaded with vitamin A and

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-54046160035441276842009-03-27T09:04:00.012-05:002009-03-27T10:25:46.161-05:00

Sunday mornings are meant to be for lazing, relaxing and recuperating after a strenuous week. And so it was almost a family tradition that Sunday breakfasts were eaten out. It seems like Sunday breakfasts at restaurants is a family tradition for many, because the restaurants I frequent are filled to bursting on Sundays. :)When I used to live in India, our Sunday breakfasts consisted of Idly (

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-79817866116007200032009-03-17T08:14:00.010-05:002009-03-17T11:31:39.018-05:00

There can be nothing more satisfying than breaking bread with a group of your friends to seal the camaraderie. From time immemorial, breaking bread signifies a shared bond, a sense of togetherness and every warm, fuzzy and friendly feeling.Baking bread is my favorite pastime. The aroma of freshly baked bread must surely be one of the very best olfactory enticements for a human being. In fact, let

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-33655095172185271202009-03-06T12:32:00.011-06:002009-03-06T13:33:20.118-06:00

The great city of Chennai, in Southern India, has its own very unique culture. Chennai has a churning, roiling, ebbing and flowing mass of humanity, which manages to co-exist in relative peace. Like every other large metropolitan city in the world, Chennai too has its class divide between the rich and the poor. In addition, it has a unique class divide that is not based on economic strata. This

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-49728500583180224792009-03-03T11:18:00.011-06:002009-03-03T12:17:58.703-06:00

It seems like everyday brings us bad news about our economy. Jobs lost, businesses floundering, people on unemployment, children displaced...Even if you are not directly affected, someone you know might be. I know it is easy to be disheartened.But, at times like this, it is even more important to stay healthy, focused and strong. And you can do it - you can keep your family healthy on a

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-64711506881242886952009-03-02T09:21:00.018-06:002009-03-02T13:50:44.385-06:00

February has been a month of many delicious new trials and some hot favorites. With the winter snow blanketing the ground, and the slushy, slippery streets to deal with, it has been a month of warm, cozy meals by the fireside, safely ensconced in the family home.We started the month off with the Goat Cheese Salad with Couscous - an easy and quick dish to put together when you are back home tired

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-58310211397552617142009-02-28T00:54:00.013-06:002009-02-28T14:59:58.890-06:00

It is a well known fact that the musical score for the song "Jai Ho" in the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" won the Oscar for its creator, A. R. Rahman. But it wasn't just the musical score of the song that made it so popular. It was also the fact that the words of the song were so apt. The word "Jai" (pronounced with a "J") means victory. The song bursts onto the screen as the hero of the film,

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-64509316713178002982009-02-23T10:48:00.008-06:002009-02-23T11:54:25.349-06:00

I first heard about Edamame beans from a colleague a couple of years ago. Until she mentioned about her love for Edamame, I had never heard about or seen fresh or frozen Soybeans (Edamame). When I lived in India, I used to make dishes with the dried soybeans, but was not aware that fresh beans are also available. So I looked up its nutrition facts online and found that Edamame would be a great

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-30131772637855958092009-02-21T14:36:00.006-06:002009-02-21T15:30:14.032-06:00

Winter days always bring to mind, images of my older sister, wrapped cosily in a blanket, on a "charpoy" (rope cot) placed on the lush green lawn, sunning herself after a wonderful lunch.Those were the days we used to live in Jodhpur, a city in the desert state of Rajasthan. Summers in Rajasthan were usually spent indoors to avoid the frequent sandstorms and blistering heat. But we invariably

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-66886936247053749592009-02-18T11:43:00.009-06:002009-02-18T12:17:42.097-06:00

Are you one of those people who think that Beets are only useful for making sugar because of their high sugar content? If so, you have sadly underestimated this wonderful vegetable.Beets contain a powerful cancer-fighting pigment called Betacyanin. In addition, Beets protect against heart disease, help lower cholesterol levels, especially triglycerides by nearly 40%, and because of their high

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-70010279236924858822009-02-16T10:23:00.009-06:002009-02-16T11:35:05.619-06:00

My childhood has been filled with gossamer dreams, some woven by me, but many woven by both my grandfathers. As a young child, I was fortunate in having extended family that was very involved in my life. Both my grandfathers were story tellers. Summer evenings were usually spent under the starry skies, sitting around grandpa's feet, listening to him spin stories. Most stories were fun,

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-5473920166756352802009-02-11T12:02:00.016-06:002009-02-11T19:32:04.385-06:00

The summer after my dad, an Air Force pilot, received the Vir Chakra (bravery award), my grandfather insisted we visit him so he could show his son's medals off to his cohorts in the village where he had retired. My grandpa was very proud of his progeny and, to our great embarrassment, was not modest about it. :) He would flaunt us to all and sundry. He was especially proud of his grandkids: he

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-44498903149086603592009-02-09T22:14:00.018-06:002009-02-10T00:24:36.059-06:00

I am a big sucker for gourmet produce stores. The sensory thrill of shopping at a store which is bursting the seams with a large variety of vegetables, fruit, prepared foods, cheese and wine, is a high that cannot be matched. :)Entering a store like Nino Salvaggio's, Papa Joe's or Whole Foods, is an assault on all the senses. The sight of row upon row of shelves stacked almost to the ceiling

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-87179896205853814932009-02-08T09:59:00.014-06:002009-02-08T15:46:28.666-06:00

As a young child, I have heard many folklore about the British reign in India. The Brits, we were told, had a fascination for this country of stark contradictions.This was a land where elephants roamed the unpaved roads; snake charmers with huge snakes wrapped around their necks knocked on your door; where extreme poverty co-existed with the lavish wealth of the Maharajahs who lived lives of

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-84040482450621432182009-02-05T12:36:00.021-06:002009-02-06T12:35:56.443-06:00

As a young child growing up in a South Indian Brahmin household, it was not surprising that I was reared to be a vegetarian, save for an odd serving of eggs, once in a while. We were considered a "progressive" brahmin family because my father ate eggs and my mother cooked them. But eggs aside, our diet was completely vegetarian with each meal having generous servings of vegetables. As my mother

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-28708708456103190522009-02-02T08:09:00.014-06:002009-02-02T09:43:31.994-06:00

Are you at wit's end, wondering how to wean your kids off video games for a couple of hours on the weekend? And all you can think of as a hobby, is to bake sugar and butter-laden cookies with them? Are you worried that the very act of baking cookies with them, while creating those wonderful memories of togetherness, also sets them on the path to become "cookie monsters"?Well, I have a panacea for

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-72503436284343181452009-01-27T21:17:00.008-06:002009-01-27T23:18:47.238-06:00

I've heard a lot of people complain that being a vegetarian is an uphill task. I completely understand.I know what they mean: they have to be on the job 24/7. Especially if they are cooking for a family and are in charge of the kids diets, they have to be particularly watchful about incorporating different kinds of vegetables in many different dishes, so that the kids are tempted to eat their

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-25782533771112979902009-01-26T12:02:00.005-06:002009-01-26T14:10:22.338-06:00

South Indian Brahmins are known for their enormous affinity for yogurt. In India, people refer to yogurt as"curd". No meal, and I mean literally no meal - breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack, is complete without a bowl of homemade curd.Yogurt in India is usually home-made with live culture. Every night, before the housewife winds down and closes her kitchen, the last chore of the day is to add

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-44102628955657960552009-01-23T11:17:00.018-06:002009-01-24T00:34:53.458-06:00

As an Air Force brat, I have traveled the length and breadth of India during my formative years. Every two years we would pack our bags and move yet again.During one of those trips, I came across a sight that remains seared in my mind. Our train had stopped at a station in Rajasthan for an hour long break. My family got off to stretch limbs and get a drink of water, when I happened to look

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-87440775308734985382009-01-22T09:39:00.014-06:002009-01-22T10:56:04.814-06:00

I know this may sound incongruous, but vegetarian Indians are not big fans of salads. In fact, not many Indian I know are salad eaters.Oh, don't get me wrong; vegetarian Indians do eat vegetables. Only not in salad form. Vegetables are a must at every meal - only they are cooked, steamed, curried or stir fried and never eaten raw. It may be because the vegetables that traditionally were available

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-42300627808560978952009-01-21T08:21:00.016-06:002009-01-21T10:33:02.446-06:00

People in some communities in Southern India, usually eat a 3-course meal for lunch everyday. Now, this information could probably make you wonder how they manage to keep slim. But that is a long story meant for another blog post.They generally start off with rice, vegetables and a spicy tamarind sauce called "sambar", pronounced "saaam-baaar" and made with tamarind, lentils, some vegetables and

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-64714771664135110042009-01-19T08:18:00.023-06:002009-02-21T14:33:27.452-06:00

Growing up in India meant growing up eating Indian food. And eating Indian food meant nearly every dish was garnished with chopped cilantro leaves.I have lived in many cities and towns in India. The most ubiquitous factor in an Indian family's life is their "sabziwallah" and "keerai-kari"."Sabziwallah" simply means "vegetable man". He would arrive early every morning, pushing his cart laden with

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-37363841154693686952009-01-16T23:31:00.007-06:002009-01-17T12:50:28.852-06:00

Most people have a love-hate relationship with the much-maligned, most beloved spud - the potato. Since time immemorial, the potato has graced mankind's table as the number one comfort food. The comfort of eating potatoes, spans cultures, cuisines, class and race.Why is that? For one, it is available year round. Second, it is cheap. Finally, the carbohydrates in potato are simply wonderful in

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-33695178547559692672009-01-15T18:54:00.000-06:002009-01-15T19:34:31.280-06:00

As a child living in India, I had only heard about but never tasted the French Toast. In my imagination, it seemed like a very fancy breakfast dish, somehow akin to the French souffles. It brought to mind romantic images of the Eiffel tower and Notre Dame.For a very long time, I remember, I used to wonder how exactly the French toast was made and as soon as I had an opportunity during a visit to

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-47994637190966102532009-01-14T22:16:00.000-06:002009-01-14T23:43:48.981-06:00

It is harvest time in India. A year of hard work has paid off in a golden harvest of rice. This is the rice that will keep the entire village fed for the next year. The paddy is harvested, hulled and stored with great care. And the entire village celebrates. So do the towns and big cities. It is Pongal time!A time for abundance. A time when joy permeates. A time for celebration. A time to cook

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-56175837324774090002009-01-13T08:40:00.000-06:002009-01-13T21:18:27.646-06:00

Back in the days before the world became global, and the local produce store carried vegetables from all over the world regardless of season, we used to eat seasonally and locally grown vegetables. In Southern India, with its arid conditions, it was wonder if you managed to get 7 or 9 different kinds of vegetables on the same day.This was the time of the year when it was at all possible with

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-41601020882928015312009-01-12T10:22:00.000-06:002009-01-12T21:51:04.210-06:00

Hindus are probably neck-to-neck with the Greeks when it comes to worship. We love variety. So we designate a special God for every aspect of our lives - food, knowledge, wealth, beauty... In the interest of abundance, we also use the multiplier effect of reincarnation by having each God incarnate multiple times into different avatars. We end up with an exponential number of Gods, whose birthdays

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-63979443972997361552009-01-08T12:49:00.000-06:002009-01-08T13:21:32.348-06:00

My mother is a meticulous cook. She is also a patient cook. She'll spend hours in the kitchen, preparing, chopping, mincing, slow roasting over the fire, tending to her dishes with love and it shows. The epicurean delight that her meals evoke is something that I aspire to, and am constantly working towards.I, on the other hand, can lay claim to the dubious accolade of being a lazy cook. I love

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-9638269060523551322009-01-06T17:22:00.000-06:002009-01-06T17:57:20.463-06:00

I love green beans, but dislike them when they are fried out of recognition, as is often done in Indian cooking. I especially love the way my mother cuts them - chopped really fine. When you chop green beans really fine, you need to stir fry it for just a few minutes on high heat to bring out the flavor, retain the color and texture and serve it as an accompaniment par excellence - a true gourmet

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-19598024787462107252009-01-05T11:47:00.000-06:002009-01-05T12:55:44.549-06:00

The thought of Tamarind rice brings back nostalgic memories of long train journeys with my father, mother, two sisters and our dog. I used to love those train journeys, squabbling with my sisters for window seats, top berths, and whose turn it was to take the dog out for a run during a station stop. Best of all, the train journeys symbolized uninterrupted time for reading, dreaming, watching the

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-45194674321151709772009-01-03T18:25:00.000-06:002009-01-03T19:10:09.804-06:00

Rice flakes, or Poha, as it is called in Hindi, is one of my husband's favorite breakfast dishes. It is also my favorite dish, simply because it is very very quick and easy to put together on a busy morning and it can also be made healthy and fulfilling by throwing in some crunchy vegetables, as I am usually apt to do. This is also a favorite dish in Western India - my friends from Mumbai make

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-50973047886302538502008-12-24T10:40:00.000-06:002008-12-24T12:42:52.421-06:00

In the spirit of Christmas, I baked something that I've always wanted to. It is snowing outside and the wind was blowing so hard in the direction of our home that the snow has piled up deep and high on our driveway. Everywhere around is a sea of pure white snow. The trees are dripping icicles and the lake is frozen solid. In this pristine landscape, I can spot some hoof prints of the deer that

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-23049953037726228462008-12-23T12:50:00.000-06:002008-12-23T15:14:46.736-06:00

If you are not like my husband, :) you'll probably love to eat your salads. And if you are like most people (including me!), you'll also probably smother those salads with dressings to mask the taste of raw greens and console yourself that some nutrients are getting into your body! :)Now, there are some greens that I cannot eat raw in a salad. One of those are the Collard greens. I love

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-7029114613394133252008-12-16T16:01:00.001-06:002008-12-23T15:05:30.490-06:00

"You ARE what you eat!" an 8 year-old voice solemnly proclaimed from the back of my car. I swung around to look at my son's friend, seated next to my son, and nearly hit a curb. Then I turned back to the road and pretended not to hear so the boys could continue with the precocious chatter. Peter went on to say advise my son that if he liked to eat potatoes, he's going to look like a potato!!Well,

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-87743356814223200812008-12-15T07:31:00.000-06:002008-12-15T08:35:10.899-06:00

Pongal is one of the most anticipated festivals in South India, next only to the ubiquitous Diwali (festival of lamps). Pongal is the harvest festival and the word "Pongal" literally means to boil over, spill over, the cup spilleth over... Abundance.Now that the world seems to be upside down and we are all focused on the economy, it seems to be a fantastic time to talk about abundance, so we can

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-68666559649578939392008-12-13T19:00:00.000-06:002008-12-13T20:01:12.959-06:00

The weather forecast for tonight is freezing rain, sleet and snow. Unfortunately, the American weather man is rarely wrong. I can hear the wind slamming at the windows and the drops of rain ricocheting off the glass. It is dark out. And gloomy. And freezing cold.Subbu, our cat, made a valiant effort to go on his outdoor prowl as is his wont, but the rain, wind and snow drove him in mewling

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-47563258167241701192008-12-12T11:14:00.000-06:002008-12-12T11:33:47.575-06:00

Back in the 80's and 90's, when I used to live in the great city of Chennai, in India, we did everything the Americans are now trying to do in the name of going Green. The vegetables we bought were locally grown, organic (because farmers found pesticides expensive at that time), and we patronized small farmers. I am not going to pretend that we did this consciously out of some concern for the

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-35198389352740145132008-12-11T08:30:00.000-06:002008-12-11T08:31:43.908-06:00

When I was a tween, one of my favorite pastimes was to spend hot summer afternoons, perching precariously in the crook of the guava tree in the backyard, reading Enid Blyton books.I was fascinated by one of Enid Blyton's characters, Kiki, the talking parrot, who would always squawk, "Shut the door and wipe your feet!". And when I read the sentence where she tells a guy called Bill, "Bill, pay

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-69135662972598194502008-12-10T10:11:00.000-06:002008-12-10T11:35:29.548-06:00

I love vegetables and so have never had a doctor advising me to eat more veggies. One of my favorite vegetables is the ubiquitous cabbage, so hated by many. I can guess why so many people hate the cabbage; I can even empathize with them; I think it comes back to my pet peeve - overcooking. Overcooking cabbage brings out its horrible smell and makes the texture unpalatable and unappetizing. In

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-46412139313023777682008-12-09T12:22:00.000-06:002008-12-09T09:23:55.673-06:00

I must confess - I am a lazy cook. But then, I must also divest myself of false modesty - to be honest, I also consider myself a good cook - as far as my family is concerned, the dishes I whip up (when I am not feeling lazy :) are usually new, usually fresh, usually different.My family has no clue, so let me let you in on a secret: I am the queen of leftovers and the queen of redo and refresh.

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-17224895808309397952008-12-07T15:37:00.000-06:002008-12-11T13:34:41.861-06:00

Since I had ruined my good eating habits by succumbing to the sinful Bread Roll yesterday, I was anxious to get back on track with a healthy brunch for my family. The first that springs to mind is a fabulously filling, sumptuous, wonderfully holier-than-thou dish - the great Pesarattu!Crepes are a dish of pride, not just for the French but also for South Indians. We call it the "dosa" and it is

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-66793108373711537032008-12-06T10:58:00.000-06:002008-12-06T11:55:49.991-06:00

When my sisters and I were children, we used to love fried foods. Those were the days before we knew that fat was bad for us. We never felt guilty eating all those delicious fried stuff that Mom regularly made for us.My mother just loves to cook and she just loves to fry. Ever since she moved to the US to live with me and my sisters, we keep on bugging her to use less oil and not frying anything.

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-8478221557056194532008-12-04T11:05:00.000-06:002008-12-04T11:17:59.787-06:00

My lil' sister Indu, is multi-talented. She is a renowned author and writes very fabulous novels. Call me biased, if you will, but she's onto her 4th book now and we are all very thrilled about her books. For my readers with a literary bent, here is a link to the review of her 4th book, "In the Convent of Little Flowers", in the National Geographic.Now, writing is just one of her talents. The

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-2001973063756672682008-12-02T11:23:00.001-06:002008-12-03T12:45:03.208-06:00

Tis a truth, universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a large fortune must be in need of a wife! - so wrote Jane Austen in the opening lines of her famous "Pride and Prejudice".I agree! I agree! "Tis a truth universally acknowledged, that only people who love to eat, can really cook very well!" To be able to dish up means that you know which flavors tempt, which ones tease,

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-83979405389869609142008-12-01T18:25:00.000-06:002008-12-01T18:28:59.315-06:00

Ever since I found out that my cholesterol was higher than it should be, I started searching the web for natural ways to reduce it by using various dietary options. And listed as one of the most important, was switching to unrefined carbohydrates. For many years now, I have unthinkingly put a lot of refined carbohydrates into my body - white flour breads, naans, refined rice and pasta. I had to

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-15112498675958412122008-12-01T18:24:00.000-06:002008-12-01T18:25:42.092-06:00

We had dosa for breakfast today. And I was too lazy to make the accompaniments of Chutney, Sambar etc. So, we did what we usually do - use one of the leftover dishes that was bought from a restaurant. We had been to a Thai place a couple of days ago and ordered a Coconut soup. Looked yummy when it was served, but the cook had had a free hand at the salt - so the dish was too salty. As usual,

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4820304027446602937.post-55948383971983234622008-12-01T18:23:00.000-06:002008-12-01T18:24:32.715-06:00

As an Indian living in the US, I am always in search of good Indian restaurants. But somehow the restaurant food always falls short - short in taste, short in flavor, heavy on your stomach, heavy in fat and smothered with masala. One of my pet peeves is overcooking. When food is overcooked, it loses its flavor and its texture. All thats left is mush. And I feel that restaurant food is not a good

Jayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05346277091333326949noreply@blogger.com1