Nothing like afternoon tea and some beauty treatments to relax on a manic Monday. On Monday's Chigh Tea Pop-Up event, we served traditional Indian masala chai, savory snacks like the haandvo from our feature in Eating Well magazine this month, Indian-inspired tea sandwiches, cardamom shortbread cookies and more! The setting for our tea party? Pieces Austin's charming studio on Kerbey Lane. Their impeccably curated vintage tableware collection will make you want to drop everything and throw a dinner party. Seriously- take a look at their gallery. Their studio provided ... read more
Bollywood Bash
How do you throw a Bollywood-inspired and masala-infused bash for a group of 40 adults? How about donating the dinner for a school silent auction? You can spread cultural awareness, get to know your children's friends' parents, and raise money for your school. That's what my friend Kavita thought of when she planned an elaborate dinner with live entertainment as part of a multi-course meal for all the guests. And of course she persuaded me to join, and I'm glad to be part of it! We've had a few "meetings" to come up with a dinner menu, beverage selection, and entertainment, and we ... read more
Using Appliances in an Indian-American Kitchen
My sister (owner of the fabulously written RabbitFoodRocks), asked me to write up a guest post on appliances. You see, she blogs beautifully so frequently, that she leaves the boring stuff up to me ;) I did the guest post on her site last April, but since I'm behind on my list of posts, I decided to publish it here too...to buy me some time ;) before my next 2 posts. Actually, she knows I adore my gadgets and that I adamantly use everything in my kitchen drawers and on my shelves so that I can buy more ;) and she thinks I ought to share my opinions about culinary gadgetry and appliances ... read more
Fenugreek Fish Fillets
Deftly flipping the two-inch chunks of pale pink fish fillets, without a fancy $25 fish spatula, she was unable to answer my question regarding the kind of fish with which she was cooking. The quest to find the source of the fish or assure oneself that it's a sustainable species is not on the forefront of thoughts of a housewife and cook living in India. The fish consumed there is by default sustainable and fresh, natural and not well-travelled. Fish isn't purchased at a counter inside a supermarket and bagged with crushed ice. In fact, they reside temporarily in the open-air ... read more
Indian-American Diwali Traditions
I felt inspired to write a post about Diwali and originally wrote a post about only Diwali sweets. But this time, I had more to say and it went beyond gastronomy. This is a joint post with my buddy Sanket of Doc Bollywood, whose tunes I play in the background during every class I teach. This is the first year in 15 years that feels truly Diwali-festive to me. Though we are not a religious family, we celebrate Diwali every year. We also celebrate (from October through December) October birthdays, ACL, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Most years, celebrating Diwali has ... read more
Celebrating Two Cultures in October with a Sweet Tooth
October may the month for many to celebrate Fall: pumpkins to be carved, gourds to be displayed, costumes to shop for, and candy to be collected. Burnt orange and other autumnal hues are seen everywhere in my hometown of Austin, but mostly due to Longhorn mania and not the changing color of tree leaves. But in the kitchens of many Indians of the Hindu culture, the religious occasions of Navratri and Diwali are celebrated. And what better way of celebrating than with sugar?! Skittles, M & M's, and Sweet Tarts might be popular with the little ones in October, but I enjoy cheddar-crusted ... read more
