I love my summers, hot as they may be in Austin. Summer means no schedules and no "place to be". Every day is different and there is no pressure to be at school or after school activities at a particular time. As much as a planner I am, this surprises me. Tells us all that a little room for spontaneity is needed in life. Those were the kinds of summers we had as kids. I remember frequent trips, usually spontaneous evenings, to the ice-cream store. After a good ole Gujarati dinner of chapattis, dal, shaak (vegetable curry), and rice and yogurt we would stave off the salty spicy remnants of ... read more
Matcha Green Tea Panna Cotta
When a dessert is so simple AND made of pure ingredients (FIVE at that! (plus topping)), it's a no-brainer. I've been making so many variations of panna cotta. It's indulgent for sure, but a little bit goes a long way and feels like the right end to a nice dinner with friends. Try this version with matcha tea, actually one of the teas with the highest concentration of the antioxidants known about in teas: polyphenols. Sure, it's better to actually drink the tea, not mix it with loads of sugar and heavy cream :) but ya know…I still have that sweet tooth occasionally. I traded in some heavy ... read more
Mom’s Magic Bars
There's something to be said about your childhood friends: the ones you've grown up with, slumbered with, shared their family stories and teased while their parents shared their own amusement as you and your friend goofed around at the dining table in your PJs. This is just one of many memories of having a childhood friend whose mom was like a 2nd mom to you. She was concerned for your well-being, your discipline, and your grades. She valued her daughter's friendship with you, maybe even more than you yourself, at the time of your teenage growth. And you got in trouble with her once in a while ... read more
Red, White, and Blue Pannacotta
If you are looking for an easy dessert to put together for Memorial Day or 4th of July entertaining, this 4 ingredient recipe is all you need, with a little bit of advance planning. It's a simple recipe and the ingredient quality is KEY! I have had many different pannacottas and I'd never been that excited about them as a dessert, until I had one made by an Italian chef who was visiting Austin. His pannacotta blew me away, with its ethereal custardy mouthfeel and simple flavorings (just vanilla). I then went to Italy recently and again had some first class pannacotta in Cinque Terre, ... read more
Easy Chai-Spiced Biscoff Icebox Cake
It is warming up in Texas already. And when the weather turns, so does my cooking. I've been eagerly waiting for spring vegetables in the markets, for grilling in the backyard, and for sparkling fruity beverages and cold desserts. The first 85 degree weather day we had here, we went to a neighborhood backyard potluck and I experimented with this icebox cake for the crowd. An icebox cake, if you don't already know, is a cold layered cake, kind of like a trifle, but much less complex, with generally no real cooking or baking involved. Did I get your attention now? And it's a no brainer: why ... read more
Apple Pie “Gujiya”: An American Diwali Treat
This post was originally going to be titled "What It's Like to Be An Indian-American in October", but I figured you'd be drawn in by a flaky, buttery pastry instead :) The holidaze have started for our family. And we aren't even into Thanksgiving season! Managing a family birthday, a yearly music holiday (ACL of course!), and two other holidays (let's call those Diwaloween for now) has my mind all over the place. (That's where that mindfulness I was talking about in my last post has really helped!) We decorated the exterior of our house in skulls and cemeteries and lined the interior ... read more
Semolina Halva (Rava Sheero)
The Social Act of Cooking Together I taught a class recently where yet again, I came away with even more appreciation for the act of cooking. And the act of dining together. Having conversation. Uninterrupted by television or checking email. Uninterrupted by phone calls or outgoing tweets. Interrupted only by morsels of food, rapidly taken in. And the only time Facebook may have come into the picture was an actual conversation about it, not checking it. A set of strangers (some came in pairs and knew each other only), trickled into the brightly lit spacious and modern kitchen. Flanked by ... read more
Baking in Texas
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Do you really want to do that in July in Texas? I'd much rather save my baking for Fall and Winter and that's what gets us Texans so excited about the cold! We get to don our coats and boots and oven mitts. Ok, not in that order. So in my kitchen, every November and December, the oven is on a lot. Butter is used by the boxes and sugar is measured out in cups. So far, I've baked less than I would have liked. I really have an obsession. Every December around holiday season, I convince myself to go to pastry school. And then the wintry feeling goes away as ... 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
