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A Look at the “Chigh” Tea Pop-Up

September 21, 2016

A Look at the “Chigh” Tea Pop-Up

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 gorgeous serving ... read more

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Chai Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

October 6, 2015

Chai Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

The moment October 1st comes around, my kitchen instantly switches from late summer tomatoes and oven-less cooking to roasting autumn squashes and getting ready for holiday season. For us that means Indian holidays like Diwali and Navratri, but also one of our family favorites: Halloween! We carve our pumpkins a week before Halloween at our annual pumpkin-carving block party, after which we are left with handfuls of raw white pumpkin seeds. I hate to discard them every year; pumpkin seeds are nutritious! The creamy white seeds are the unhulled pumpkin seed and the olive green kernel ... read more

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Lunchbox Blues?

September 7, 2015

Lunchbox Blues?

This post was originally published September of 2011; this one has a few updates and larger better photos. :) Got the lunchbox blues? We're a month into school here and many parents are suffering from an emptiness that is growing inside them. I'm not talking about hunger pains or missing our youngster during that long school day. I'm referring to the frustrations of having NO idea what to pack for lunch other than the same old turkey cheese sandwich or peanut butter jelly sandwich. Read on for tips in this department. Kids coming home with a half-eaten lunch? Don't fret. Kids love to talk. ... read more

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The New Movie Snack: Fried Chickpeas

May 18, 2015

The New Movie Snack: Fried Chickpeas

We LOVE watching movies in our house, especially on weekends and especially as part of our Family Fun Nights, nights we do regularly with the 4 of us to spend time together where we rotate the theme. Movie nights are for when we've had particularly busy or rough weeks. My kids are pretty tired by Friday night from a long week of school, activities and playdates. Some downtime is fit in here and there but the weekends are definitely for that kind of time: unwinding, slowing down, taking it in, and even getting bored; kids these days probably don't get enough right? Although we love Alton ... read more

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Bombay Sliders

January 29, 2015

Bombay Sliders

OK folks. So if you follow me on Instagram or on Facebook, you know that I have been gone from my food life, other than the annoying number of food shots over a 3 week period in India during December and January that I just had to share on all social media accounts, naturally. I have an ungodly number of stories to tell and recipes to work on and spices to play with. I took 6 different food-related notebooks/journals there. I'm so weird, I know. And you all know by now, that these stories and recipes will take me some TIME before I get them on here. And then life will distract me and I'll move ... read more

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Ramped Up Fettuccine Alfredo!

June 4, 2014

Ramped Up Fettuccine Alfredo!

I won't be having this dish any other way again. Actually, the last time I had it/made it was a year ago, last Spring, when we had a couple of weeks we could find ramps in Texas. No, i wasn't foraging around for them; I found them at my neighborhood SUPERmarket Central Market. Expensive but sold by weight, I spent 8 bucks on ramps, enough for a pound of fettucine. Not bad, I say. Ramps, those flimsy pungent spring-onion like greens. Wild baby leeks are what they are (seems I get that question a lot). They are exquisite partly because they are available for such a short time, but mostly ... read more

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Panther Bars

September 4, 2012

Panther Bars

Back To School: Lunchbox Kits and Snackable Homemade Energy Bars We are only one week into school. And I'm obsessed with nutrition and a well-balanced diet again. I should probably relax a little, but it's a hobby. I'm compelled to fix and arrange food--nutritious, calorie-dense, vegetarian food into my vegetarian school kid's lunchbox. We use Planet Box as our lunch system. Isn't it crazy how many lunch kits there are nowadays? Gone are the days of cartoon-inscribed metal boxes and crinkly brown paper sacks and even just plastic no-name branded lidded containers that fit like a jigsaw puzzle. ... read more

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The Impossible Meal Plan: Week 2 of 4

November 30, 2011

The Impossible Meal Plan: Week 2 of 4

Last week I posted about my family's Impossible Meal Plan Challenge.  A compromise, if you will, between a Paleo diet and a vegetarian diet. And intermixed is a sudden intention of mine to purchase 100% locally grown produce. Let me tell you first how I managed last week and then I'll give you this week's meal plan. By the way, the meal plan from that post was actually from the week before. We ended up taking a week off (already! I know!) last week for Thanksgiving and our houseguests. Meatless Monday's enchiladas went very well. Tuesday's meal of fish, quinoa, and veggies worked well too. ... read more

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Lunchbox Blues, Part 2

October 18, 2011

Lunchbox Blues, Part 2

I'm BACK! This is the 2nd part in a series on lunchbox ideas and tips.  If anyone had challenges while trying any of the first post's tips, please let readers know and we can all help each other out!  Also, look at one of my very first posts here, where sandwich idea number 1 was very popular with readers. Here are my next 5 tips, again not in any order: 6)  Use the lunchbox as a way to introduce an ethnic food.  Put it in a smaller compartment of the lunchbox, as a side dish, an                 experiment. Indian food (of ... read more

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Theplaa (Metthi Parathas)

April 24, 2011

Theplaa (Metthi Parathas)

I always grew up knowing these flatbreads as theplaa, though some do call them methi parathas. I put 2 “a”s in them because that’s how you pronounce them: THHEP-LAA.  It’s one of those Gujarati words which when you mention to your other Indian teenage friends, or others that you meet for the first time, you get ridiculed for being “Guju”.  It’s just one of those words that make you sound as if you are not in fact an ABCD (American-Born Confused Desi) even though you’re clearly American and Confused and Desi (Indian).  I’m still an ABCD, well into my thirties. I’m sure I’ll never have it ... read more

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You've heard that food is medicine, but food is LIFE! I want you to enjoy both. I'm Shef, a culinary educator, and this website showcases the diversity of ingredients worldwide, using them in interesting recipes, and making them approachable without sacrificing flavor.

Food doesn't have to be boring and flavorless to be good for you. Getting familiar with spices not only heals you, but it adds happiness to your plate. I strive for a happy healthy plate with nutrient-dense well-balanced meals and an occasional dose of sweet!more please


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Welcome to a new world of food! I'm Shef and this site showcases the diversity of ingredients worldwide, making them approachable, and using them in familiar recipes.


I aim to do this using seasonal produce and sustainably-raised animal sources to accommodate our family's varied diets. But most importantly, I strive for nutrient-dense well-balanced meals (with room for sugar) so I can be a centenarian one day! more please

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