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Food Fashion Recipe Blog

Coconut Cardamom Cookies/Biscuits

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“I am still convinced that a good, simple, homemade cookie is preferable to all the store-bought cookies one can find.”

James Beard

Coconut-Cardamom Cookies

It’s one those blah days.  Weather is dull, and in turn dragging everybody down. I haven’t ticked off half the things I have to do for the week and another list is already awaiting. With the weather like this, I just want to cozy up in my bed, with the heater to my left, coffee to warm up and a good novel for company.  Shaking my beautiful thoughts away, have a bunch of chores to get done.  But I cannot resist the urge to whip a batch of the simplest biscuits/cookies every.

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Indian Chinese – Hakka Noodles street food style

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                                                            India- Land of Street Food




Indian Chinese is quite popular and combines the two cuisines to form one which has a tantalizing tone to it.  This fusion has been there for a while now and we Indians just love it.    With all the street food available, everyone has a favorite. I would hands down chose this, which brings back fond memories from my days back home.

One thing my cousin and I share is the love for food.  The days before I got married, was something I will never be able to forget, who will right??  Mine was filled with laughter, food, company, tears and a lot of emotions.  I stayed at my aunt’s place for sometime, which was a lot of fun and cannot be duplicated ever.  My cousin and I  would hold hands, talk for hours, walk on the foot path engrossed in our conversation not once being bothered by all pedestrians or the buzzing traffic around us.  The best  part we looked forward for was the food we were going to eat  after our walk.  A street vendor famous for his Indian Chinese was right up our ally so there we went, to order a plate of hot, steamy HAKKA noodles with hot and sweet tomato sauce drenched all over it.  That ten rupee(25 cents) plate of goodness was every bit enjoyed.

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Stuffed Dates – with nuts and dipped in chocolate

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“People forget what they ate, but they always remember Dessert, so make it memorable”.- Ina Garten

Stuffed Dates – with nuts and dipped in chocolate

Medjool dates with their crinkly top, sweet second layer was known as the fruit of the royals.  But,  it’s easily accessible to us commoners now.   The chewy texture, the naturally maple sort of taste and it’s size makes for a easy pick me up snack.

Dates are consumed on it’s own for it’s nutritional value and distinctive taste. But, the middle easterners have gotten quite creative with these pick me up beauties.  Taking a note from their page, the MEDJOOL dates get makeovers every chance a cook gets.

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INDIAN VEGETARIAN- Pineapple Curry- tangy and spicy

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“Appearance are often deceiving”- Aesop’s quotes.

INDIAN VEGETARIAN- Pineapple Curry- tangy and spicy

Some kind of curry with tamarind is a staple in a South Indian home. South Indians have a large repertoire for their vegetarian curries and this is just one variation of a tamarind curry. A spicy and tangy sauce atop some steamy plain white rice is comfort food for many.  It’s almost all the time accompanied by a mild dish.  You will never be able to find authentic dishes like this in any restaurant.  Some of the curry recipes are passed on from generations and if followed religiously, the taste is pretty spectacular.  In Karnataka, where I’m from and many of their dishes are  generally spiked with a touch of sugar or jaggery(brown sugar).  Their sambhar, tamarind rice, rasam,  tamarind kozhumbu( curry), their dishes are spicy yet a bit sweet and I love it.

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PINA COLADA Parfait with Mangoes

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                               Mango among fruits, pork among meats, tea among leaves.

PINA COLADA Parfait with Mangoes

We are in the midst of  spring with weather acting very moody.  Taste buds getting confused.  It’s hot and I want something cool and quick.  It gets colder and I crave for something baked and goey.  But  one thing remains constant, a want for a quick dessert.  I recently discovered parfaits and it’s many variations.  I’ve combined a lot of different ingredients and this one seems to be my hubby’s favorite.  Although he has an aversion to coconut when not fresh…this one has passed his test.

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SALAD- Light Pasta Salad- light and healthy lunch

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SALAD- Light Pasta Salad- light and healthy lunch

Every once in a while there comes a new variety of fruit or vegetable becomes a wonder. It’s the case with the hybrid variety called a grape tomato. Originally introduced as an exotic item in upscale grocery stores, this vegetable has become extremely popular and can be found in many stores now.  They are packed with nutrients.  

Grape Tomatoes are filled with valuable fibre.
Grape tomatoes are full  of vitamin C. 
Red and orange fruits and vegetables, such as grape tomatoes, are rich sources of a vitamin-A compound called lycopene.
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Healthy- CORN FRITTERS

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   “Shucked and boiled in water, sweet corn is edible and nutritious; roasted in the husk in the hottest possible oven for forty minutes, shucked at the table, and buttered and salted, nothing else, it is ambrosia. No chef’s ingenuity and imagination have ever created a finer dish.”
Nero Wolfe in ‘Murder is Corny’ by Rex Stout 

corn-patties

You know sometimes how we write off saying, it’s just a fritter, whats different?..Having  made patties/ fritters 1000  different ways(OK maybe not that much…I’m exaggerating). The season of corn is here, it’s sweet, delicious, healthy and available in abundance throughout the summer.  The freezer section of the corn is flash frozen at it’s peak and has the same nutrients and flavor as the fresh ones. It is an ingredient which can be used all year around and it is another innovative way to use fresh corn of the cob.

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GIGANTES- Large white Beans/ Elephant Beans – ONLY 4 ingredients

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I adore simple pleasures. They are the last refuge of the complex.– Oscar Wilde
 
GIGANTES- Large white Beans/ Elephant Beans – ONLY 4 ingredients

Largely popular in Greece with a light tomato sauce, this dish is not something that comes to mind when we think about Greek food right..?  GIGANTES also known as elephant beans(it looks like elephant ears)are quite popular there. I can say, that it is much flavorful than I thought it would be.  They adapt to their cooking environment very easily, are so meaty and very hearty for the non meat eater, perfect for vegans.  I had these beans at a restaurant Kokari  in the bay and wanted to reproduce it for a while now, but of course you add your touch.  How many of you, go to some restaurants, have something tasty or unique and have an urge to cook that up at home? I do it all the time, I take it as a challenge in  which I succeed at times and sometimes not.  It’s always worth a shot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Pepper Spiced Bread- Iyengar Bakery style Buns

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“The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in it’s evocation of innocence and delight”. M.F.K. Fisher
Pepper Spiced Bread Roll

Walking down a bakery creates a sensory overload, especially when we’ve had a long day.  Mom would come home in the evening  passing this Iyengar Bakery(a famous bakery in the southern part of India,which is still very famous for their special baked goods), and she often would buy the Masala Bun or Bread.  The two other members of the house were not fond of bread, then why?, I used to think then.  As time passed , I realized my mom loved a good hearty spicy bread/bun.

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MAY RESTAURANT REVIEWS – 3 top Places to EAT in the Bay

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“After a good dinner, one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relations.”-Oscar Wilde.

 

San Francisco is a hub for culture and cuisine, famously called as the bohemian city with a sensual palate.  Frisco’s culinary journey has come a long way, you name it and you will find it..  Also known as  the mother of many original recipes, SF offers  a variety in experience and food. With a bucket list of restaurant’s, it is intriguing but you don’t wanna fall prey to the hype of many.    Now with social media and search engines, the  outlook on restaurants is completely different.  You can yelp and find any restaurant and every detail of it.  But ultimately it’s you who decides where you wanna go, your expectations and experience.

For me going out and dining has to be a pleasurable experience,  FOOD has to be exceptional.  I don’t dine out often…so for me I am choosy about what and where I wanna go.  I like to experiment with food of different cultures.  Dining out for many of us can be for different reasons..But, at the end of it, we should enjoy our meal and the experience whether is fine dining or casual one.

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