Food Fashion Recipe Blog

Pumpkin Halwa Swirled Vanilla Ice Cream with Saffron Sesame Crumble

November 18, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

This homemade pumpkin halwa icecream is so easy to whip up. It’s packed full of ingredients you most likely have on hand already, and isn’t too ingredient-heavy. Mix it with store bought ice cream, or make your own ice cream. Topped with crunchy brittle, it’s a surely winning dessert.

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” – John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Before this week is over, many of us would have had a couple get-togethers with family or friends.

I have to admit: Thanksgiving is my favorite celebration among the many American traditions. I find the meaning behind it intriguing, and I enjoy the holiday. It’s about family, and being grateful and thankful for everything. And this Thanksgiving, I am more than thankful to be among my favorite people, my FAMILY. Words can’t explain how grateful and thankful I am for everything that’s happened to me….

Goan Style Hasselback Potatoes with Balchao Masala & Coconut Milk

November 11, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

This Goan style Hasselback Potatoes Casserole is a twist on traditional fanned baked potatoes. The potatoes are baked in a spicy coconut milk sauce, creamy in the middle with irresistible crisp edges. An easy, impressive potato side dish recipe to make for a crowd!

Thanksgiving is two weeks away!!

A few days ago, as I was talking to the boys, I asked them what they were thankful for. The list went on. What struck me most is when they said that we treated them as equals. That made them feel special: when they could eat with the adults, sit at the same table, and participate in the same conversations and rituals.

Such a simple act of inclusion, a seat at the table. “An act of affirmation, really… You, yes you, young one, have a unique and important way of looking at the world. There is so much to be grateful for during the holidays, but a seat at the table has been a gift I have always been acutely aware of, and very much thankful for,” he said….

Top 10 Quick Diwali Sweets

November 1, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

Here are a few quick sweets to make last minute Diwali is right out the corner. Colors, lights, fireworks, clothes, family, friends, parties, dancing, and, of course, we can’t forget the food. The food and sweet is in abundance. It has the spirit of coming together, laughing over mugs of coffee and tea, snacking, and just relaxing. One of the specialties of Diwali is the snacks that are prepared days before the actual festival. Here are my top 5 Quick Diwali sweets I make every year and it is loved and enjoyed. Happy Diwali from ours to yours!!

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Badam Puri – Deep Fried Almond Saffron Crispy Crackers

October 27, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

A sweet, layered, crispy, deep-fried delicacy of Karnataka, badam puri is an absolute delight during festivals. These badam puri/almond crackers, unlike the traditional ones, have badam/almonds in it and are sweetened with sugar. They make great Diwali sweet gifts, all wrapped in cute boxes.

All eight of us are put to work. Uncles, dad, mom and I. The prep for the big day of the year begins a week before the day. There’s the shopping for the pooja, the lights are put up. The home is cleaned; the baseboards, the fans, and every inch of the home are dusted and shown love. Shopping for new clothes is such a fun experience. The streets are filled with happy people carrying at least three bags on each hand. The spirit of this festival can be seen in their eyes and in the streets….

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Coffee Cake with Maple Drizzle

October 23, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

This is the fall recipe I’ve been waiting to share, cardamom-spiced pumpkin cream cheese coffee cake! A big slice of spiced pumpkin cake with cream cheese filling in the center, with crunchy brown sugar coffee crumbs on top, drizzled with sweet glaze, paired with a cup of coffee… It’s the perfect way to start a fall day.

What is better than pumpkin and coffee cake, pumpkin coffee cake :). Come Fall, and my obsession for pumpkin and squash dishes reinvigorates. As it should be!!

With all of the pumpkin recipes floating around, there’s one extremely basic pumpkin dessert that I’ve never shared with you before. It’s my favorite pumpkin cake. Simple, straightforward, unadulterated, no strings attached, positively perfect pumpkin cake. It’s for those of us who want pure pumpkin spice flavor with nothing else in the way.

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Mutton Ghee Roast – Goat Curry in Spices and Ghee

October 19, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

This slow cooked goat curry is one of my most requested ways to cook mutton. Everyone who tries it seems to love it! Slow cooking goat meat with Indian spices results in a perfectly tender, juicy, and flavorful curry. This mutton ghee roast is just a keeper of a recipe.

Every meal is a celebration.

My Amma (grandma) made sure I realized that. She was not what you’d consider pious or orthodox. She was a modern thinker when it was frowned upon. She didn’t believe in fasting or the regular norms of life. But, she respected her sons and daughter in laws who were religious and had beliefs of their own. After a month of festivities and vegetarian food, she made sure to make some of the most delicious non-vegetarians meal for her clan of six boys and a loving daughter in law.

When she decided she was going to make meat at home, it was a process. Every process was thoroughly enjoyed; she lived in the moment. Amma took great pride in going to her favorite butcher and buying the perfect cut of fresh meat. She sat in our back veranda on a wooden mannai(stool), washing and rewashing while her hands turned a pretty hue of orange from the turmeric. I wondered then, how the masala didn’t fall off the ammikkal(flat version of mortal and pestle). On a beautifully cured mann-chatti(clay pot), she cooked and fried. It took hours. Then she calls me, Ashu and sits me down. Carefully blowing it so it doesn’t scorch my tongue, she feeds me the first bite of the juicy, spicy, and flavorful curry. I’ll always remember that first bite. Maybe it was her hands that fed me or those hands that cooked it. I’ll never be able to recreate that. But, this is close.

My grandma was known for her meat dishes. Not many at our home enjoyed goat meat. Lamb chops were loved, but not goat curry. Me included. She would shop for the best meat at her favorite place and meticulously cook the curry. Slow cooked curry is the best, she said. I never got it then. My palette definitely had not blossomed back then….

Green Peas and Papad Curry – Appalam Pattani Kurma

October 14, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

An easy and simple Indian style green peas curry with papad. This spicy Dry Green Peas Curry is made with sprouted dry green peas (a staple in Indian kitchens), onion, tomatoes, spices and papad. A vegan, soy-free, nut-free, gluten-free recipe.

This is a month of celebration. Celebration of a woman. Goodess Durga in all her forms.

Entire India will celebrate Navaratri and Durga Pooja. Celebrating the victory of good over evil.

Everyone celebrates festivals for different reasons.

And when people do draw a boundary between spirituality and religiosity, they are often making a political or moral statement rather than describing what they believe.

To me, festivals have a deeper meaning….

3 days in London- Food and Places to visit

October 12, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

London is one of the world’s largest and most exciting cities, offering visitors thousands of things to do, including museums, royal palaces, beautiful parks, historical sites, and world-class theater. With all these options, planning a trip to London can be a bit overwhelming, especially for first time visitors. Here’s a 3 days in London itinerary that will help you see the city’s highlights if you have at least 3 days in London.

Bustling, busy and ever humming with the constant buzz of city life, London is a city which is ever changing and always worth a visit. Here’s your ultimate guide and complete itinerary for spending three days in London. I love London for its newness and oldness squashed together, the tall glass buildings surrounded by old cathedrals and tiny Victorian houses next to towering council blocks. I love Christmas in London when the markets and pubs are full, the lights go up, the church bells sing and a centimetre of sleet can bring the transport system to a standstill. I love the summer time when everyone flocks to the parks and you can sit on the Southbank with a beer, gazing across the Thames. Right now especially, I love autumn in London, the frosty dark mornings and fireworks in the park….

Crusty Cauliflower Pasta Bake with Peppery Almonds Manchego Crust -GF

October 11, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

With just four ingredients, you have the best cauliflower pasta bake ever. The sauteed cauliflower feels decadent with spicy almonds in this crunchy baked pasta. You can cook this over the stove top, or bake it. Be careful not to overcook your pasta, as it will continue to cook in the oven.

This pasta bake is just the kind of thing for these dark and dreary days. It’s warm, crusty, and soul-satisfying. Yet it’s full of healthy ingredients. Chickpea pasta, crushed cauliflower, and a good peppery almond crust.

The pasta is a vessel that holds the cauliflower and with every bite, you get a bit of the creamy from the cauliflower and crunch from the almonds….

Gluten Free Millet Roti – Softest and Easy Rotis

October 8, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

Two ingredients, one important step, and you have the easiest and softest gluten free roti there is. This gluten free roti stays soft for two days if wrapped well.

The minute I posted my quick naan recipe, I started getting requests for a fail-proof roti. I somehow missed sharing wheat rotis. I’ve been on a gluten-free journey the last couple of months and have been experimenting with different grains. We make rice roti which is gluten-free. However, it is a bit thick and heavy and hence doesn’t really go well with sabzis. So, when I started sharing my experiments on social media with whole grain rotis, I have had a sea of requests for a foolproof gluten free roti that stays soft for a long time….