People like to ask me “what’s your favorite recipe?” and I never have an answer. My “favorite” is often what’s most recent and/or what’s coming up next… But this one combines two definite favorites – blistered shishito peppers (which I usually make as an appetizer), and one of my go-to simple soba noodle recipes. Because my “favorites” are almost always the simple things. I brought home a bunch of shishito peppers from the farmers market, but the base of this recipe is so versatile – feel free to sub in a star vegetable of your choice....

My periamma (or bedhamma), Amma’s sister, is quite a wiz in the kitchen. Her cooking is very similar to my maternal grandmother’s and while my mom has the same style more or less, bedhamma is wonderfully consistent in her cooking. Her Diwali and festival snack recipes taste the same today as they did when I was 6 (and that was a while ago you guys). Whenever we go home to Kottayam, she’d show up to see us with a bagful of assorted homemade sweets and snacks....

What’s a good movie night without a bowl of freshly popped popcorn?! With the Oscars coming up this weekend, I thought I’d share a recipe for the stovetop popcorn that Jack and I love to make at home. Heads up – this stuff is seriously addictive. Salty, crunchy, and tossed with a savory sprinkle of nutritional yeast, it’ll ruin you for bagged popcorn forever. It’s crispier, it’s more flavorful, and it’s so simple to make that buying pre-popped popcorn is hardly easier....

On a cool spring morning, nothing gets me out of bed like the thought of these strawberry muffins. To me, they’re the perfect balance of cozy and refreshing. Cozy because they’re moist, fluffy, and warmly spiced with cinnamon. And refreshing because they’re packed to the brim with fresh fruit. I love savoring one for breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea and grabbing another in the afternoon for a sweet, yet still wholesome, snack....

Thakkali Sadam is a great dish to pack away for a trip or for lunch box for work or school. It tastes good even after it’s gone cold and all you need is a good raita or papad to pair it up with. I used to regularly take Thakkali Sadam in my lunchbox to school and all my Malayali friends who don’t eat it that often would love to take a bite or two....

PinNow its time for the sugah. Throw in one cup after you are done with the eggs but please don’t be like me – use white sugar. Add add 1 tsp vanilla extract to this. PinCut into squares before serving. I think my walnut pieces were too big so I didn’t get perfect squares but I couldn’t care less. If was dense and yummy. If you have a nicer oven, you will get a crust like you see in professional brownies....

All you non-bakers out there, this one is for you. So far in this holiday season I haven’t baked one cookie, shopped for one gift… and I have a tree somewhere in a storage unit. So, today, I have the perfect busy-person dessert that’s fast & easy, yet tasty & impressive. And you likely already have these few ingredients in your kitchen. It’s a super basic recipe, but feel free to get creative and make a few variations....

Vella Cheedai / Seedai Recipe Source: MIL Makes about 50-60 cheedai Ingredients: 1 cup of rice flour 2 tsp of urad dal flour 1 heaped cup of jaggery, grated 3 tbsp of grated coconut 1/2 tsp of cardamom powder A pinch of salt How It’s Made: Place the grated jaggery in a pan and add enough water to just cover it. Bring to boil and mix well until all the pieces have melted in...

A cold glass of this watermelon juice is everything I want on a warm summer day. When it’s blistering hot outside (or super humid, like it has been here), this hydrating juice is the best way to cool off. And, like, how gorgeous is that color?! Topped off with a sprig of fresh mint, this watermelon juice is just plain fun. How to Make Watermelon Juice I’m not a fan of overly sweet fruit juices, so I don’t use any added sugar in this recipe....

These watermelon popsicles are the perfect treat for a hot summer day. Ice cold, fruity, and refreshing, they’ll cool you off and quench your thirst in one go. They’re also healthy(!) and super easy to make(!), because this watermelon popsicles recipe calls for two simple ingredients: watermelon and lime juice. That’s right! There’s no added sugar, no added coloring, no added anything here. Just fresh fruit! How to Make Watermelon Popsicles This watermelon popsicle recipe couldn’t be easier to make!...

This zucchini soup is creamy and comforting, but still bright and fresh. Blended zucchini and coconut milk create its luxe, silky base, while ginger, herbs, and lime fill it with bold, refreshing flavor. I also toss in a serrano chile for heat, though if you’re sensitive to spice, you could skip it. This zucchini soup recipe is perfect for late summer and early fall. As the temps cool off from their summer peaks, I start craving warmer, heartier fare....

First off, I owe a huge THANK YOU to all of you who nominated and voted for us in this year’s Saveur Blog awards – we won! Now to celebrate with… soup! I spent the past few weeks in Chicago where I watched summer turn to fall over night. One day we were eating corn on the back patio, the next morning I was hugging a hot bowl of oatmeal....

Good healthy lunch ideas are like gold. In the middle of a busy work day, lunch is the longest break I take. It’s a time to reset, relax, and re-energize to tackle the tasks that lie ahead. Great healthy lunch recipes are ones that I can make ahead of time and that will keep me full and focused throughout the afternoon. But the best healthy lunch ideas taste delicious, too!...

It’s April which means – time for carrot desserts! Or, well, in this case, carrot snacks. These lightly sweetened carrot bites are great for 3pm snacktime or an on-the-go breakfast. They’re more carroty than cakey – and by that I mean that they’re not cake-like at all and there’s no baking required (if you’re really craving cake click here or here). They’re chewy little balls made from a mix of carrots, sunflower seeds, dates, coconut, and cinnamon....

I learnt quite a few things at the orchards, thanks to Joe and Lily Saliba who own and operate a 50 acre apple orchard in Bilpin. Joe’s father and four uncles bought the land almost 40 years ago and now their children and grandchildren continue the family business. It’s hard work tending to the apple tress, keeping them pest free naturally, and a lot of of the work is done by hand, including picking and packing....

I’ll be back with a recipe tomorrow, but I wanted to share some snaps I took at Hillside Farmacy, a new restaurant I went to last week while Jack was out of town. Few things excite me more than a good restaurant design. I’d even go so far as to say that I think food tastes better while eaten in a cute space. I didn’t catch on while I was there, but the name is a play on words not just a funny way to spell “pharmacy”....

This baked brie recipe is about to become your favorite party appetizer. Rich, gooey, and decked out with flavorful toppings, it looks impressive and tastes delicious. This baked brie will absolutely wow guests. But I’ll let you in on a secret—baked brie is quick and easy to make. It’s as simple as popping a wheel of cheese in the oven and baking until it’s melty and soft…which takes 10 minutes or less!...

Bottle gourd soup or lauki soup: a healthy and creamy soup made with lauki or bottle gourd, made Indian-style. Bottle gourd is known as lauki, dudhi, or ghia in Hindi, sorakai in Tamil, chorakka in Malayalam. Bottle gourd is commonly used in kootu and stir-fries in South India and lends itself really well for use as base in a soup. Like all good intentions, I started a middle-of-the-year resolution to make and drink more healthy homemade soups, especially for dinner....

Happy post-Halloween! I hope you all had a fantastic holiday. Ours was… I guess you could say, a little low key. We worked late and then went to the bar at Whole Foods for drinks and dinner. Because these types of activities are actually really fun when you’re an old married couple like we are :). Another thing that’s fun for us – pasta! But not just any pasta – spicy butternut squash pasta!...