Posts

In my last post using shallots - Chinna Vengaya Kuzhambu, I described how I love these small onions but also how they are a lot of work. I had a batch of small onions with me and thus, I made the popular Chinna Vengaya Sambar. During the few months these shallots would be available in our local markets, almost all homes would have this Chinna Vengaya Sambar for sure. There is not much difference between this Sambar recipe and usual sambar recipe except that I don’t add tomatoes and replace regular onions with these shallots....

I love anything and everything chocolaty. So what’s not to like in a chocolate?! It’s rich, decadent and highly addictive 🙂 And I truly believe there is nothing that a little chocolate cant solve. But.. how much chocolate is too much chocolate? I think a small piece is good for a day, but my doctor would disagree with me 😀 So, what if we could convert a small slab of chocolate into a delicious treat that lasts for a few days....

When I need to satisfy a chocolate craving, I whip up a batch of Nutella cookies, chocolate covered strawberries, or these decadent chocolate truffles. You can never go wrong with homemade candy! We all need a little indulgence now and again, and chocolate truffles are the perfect solution. They contain just a few ingredients, can be flavored in so many different ways, and taste MUCH better than anything you’d get from the local candy shop....

It has been my long time dream to make cream biscuits at home and recently tried my hands at making home-style Oreo biscuits, which the husband was quick to say Chocolate Vanilla Cream Biscuits. My initial plan was to make chocolate cookies, as I have craving for a chocolaty treat and as it usually happens, I kept changing the recipe I had in mind and eventually decided to do vanilla cream filled chocolate sandwich cookies....

Now that we’re into November the days have become so short (don’t forget to turn your clocks back tonight!). But there isn’t anything I love more than sharing these warming holiday cocktails. I just love making these fun holiday cocktails and making them cozy. The month of November always inspires me to create more with spices, to use bourbon, and maybe even some vanilla. All really warming flavors, because you all, it’s cold outside!...

Maybe you have noticed, maybe not, but whatever the reason, I am loving any and all breakfast foods. I think it may be due to this bitter cold weather and the thought of getting out of bed to a warm (and in today’s case, sweet) breakfast. I don’t know, but there is just something about breakfast in winter, it’s cozy and perfect. And well, lets be totally honest, there is normally carbs, some form of sweetness and most definitely some kind of fruit involved....

My favorite breakfast as a kid was my dad’s cinnamon toast. It was extra buttery and extra cinnamony and I looked forward to it every weekend. On busy school mornings, my brothers and I ate one of three items…bagels, waffles, or french toast sticks. My favorites were the cinnamon toast waffles and the french toast sticks. Each with maple syrup…oh my gosh, so much sugar. And do you see a pattern?...

We need a little health food. And this bark? Yes, it is practically health food. There has been a lot of sugar, chocolate, chips and cheese going on and I kind of felt like this was necessary. Well, not really. I actually had another not so healthy, super sweet dessert planned for today, but it totally failed. So I drowned my emotions in dark chocolate and then I made bark....

I can’t resist ordering cream cheese wontons when I go out to eat; now I can make them in the comfort of my own home! I have to say, I think my version is better than the restaurant version. There’s just something about stuffed wontons – that crispy exterior and hot melty interior. I can’t get enough of them! I used to spend $8 every time I went to a restaurant for an order of cream cheese wontons, but now I make them at home for a fraction of the cost....

Well would you look at that? I finally made a lemon bar. I’m not sure if this is expected of me or not, but when I decided to make these, I was shocked that I was actually going to do it. For the longest time I just never understood why someone would want to eat a dessert like a lemon bar or a key lime pie. I mean, where is the chocolate?...

Clearly I am really leaning into the springtime recipes this week. I’m loving seeing all the vibrant spring produce pop up at the store. And with an abundance of fresh asparagus in the fridge I have one too many new ideas brewing in my head. I’ve written them all down to save for the coming weeks. But this pasta was the recipe that really stood out and sounded most delicious....

Any long-time readers know about my love of a good cheddar pierogi. Growing up in Cleveland, pierogi was a staple. Not only were they on the menu at restaurants, but they’re a pretty big deal to Clevelanders. There’s a Cleveland Pierogi Guide, an annual Pierogi Dash (a pierogi-themed community run), there’s even Pierogi Week! Yes, Cleveland is known as The Best Pierogi City in America. So I’m sure you can understand why everyone at school knew and loved Mrs....

Hands down I could not think of a better November soup than this wild rice chicken soup. It is the perfect comfort food and just has cold November nights written all over it. I LOVE this recipe. Back home in Colorado, the temperatures are pretty chilly and we’ve even had some below zero days. Funny enough though, I’m in sunny eighty…ish degree LA today and it feels like summer. But honestly…and I cannot believe I am saying this, at this time of year I prefer the crisp, cold, and cozy Colorado weather....

Switching things up today and sharing a savory breakfast recipe. I know it’s much more of the norm for me to share a sweet breakfast recipe, but lately I’m very much into three things: potatoes, eggs, and garlic. Ever since I made this sheet pan salmon and potatoes a few weeks back, I’ve been on a huge roasted baby-potatoes kick. Simply can’t get enough. For whatever reason the idea of a breakfast potato dish sounded so good to me....

I really don’t like my slow cooker. Maybe it is just my very cheap, one setting crockpot or maybe I just hate cleaning out the huge bowl. Yeah, that’s probably it. I dread cleaning out that bowl.Seriously though, the slow cooker is kind of a pain. At least for me anyway. See, I have to take pictures in natural light. In order for me to properly cook food in a slowcooker I have two options for having it done during daylight hours....

Clearly these ribs, but also some other fun things too! First, my younger brother, Kai got into the school he wanted (FIDM) in LA and I could not be more exited for him. When he told me, it pretty much made my Monday. I might just be living vicariously through him though. He will be attending the same school that I always thought I wanted to go to…until I didn’t… and decided to change career paths… did a complete 360… and here I am....

So it’s the holiday season already! Part of me is happy cos I love festivities and it’s that time of the year when the air is chill, and people are relaxed. The other side of me is wondering how soon 2018 seemed to have gone by. Sigh. Anyway, lets focus of the good part and getting back to the holiday season, I love baking goodies using this as an excuse 🙂 Truth be told, I love yeast based bakes and breads more than cakes or cookies....

So it is the husband’s birthday today and I have a special treat of a recipe to share – Eggless Gulab Jamun Cake. I love baking and I bake eggless cakes and goodies throughout the year. But then, I make just one celebration cake every year and that’s for the husband’s birthday. The thought of frosting & decorating a cake still is haunting to me. I have come a long way, but I also know that I have a long way to go 🙂 Couple of years back, I made Eggless Rasmalai Cake and that was my first fusion cake recipe....

Eggless Lemon Almond Cake is a delicious, moist and super-soft cake recipe that is oh-so-citrusy and flavorful! Bursting with the fragrance of lemon zest, tangy zingy lemon syrup and lemon drizzle, this eggless lemon loaf is best to be served as a tea time accompaniment. There are no eggs in this recipe and it is very easy to turn this into a vegan lemon almond cake by replacing regular milk with plant-based milk....

Another cake recipe – second time in a row this week. It just shows that I have been trying out a lot of cakes and this is one such recipe I couldn’t wait to share. As much as I love chocolate based desserts, I wanted to make some basic recipes and the first thing that hit was this eggless vanilla cupcakes recipe. Nothing can really beat the classic flavor of vanilla and that just shines in this simple eggless recipe of vanilla cupcakes....