Baking

BUCKWHEAT/FLAX SEEDS SPICY CRACKERS with GRILLED GOLDEN BEET DIP/HUMMUS

August 20, 2013 By Asha Shivakumar

I am not Vegan.

I eat gluten in some form every day.

Healthy food habits…not all the time.

We do go sometimes Vegan for a week, just to see how it feels. Being a South Indian, rice is a huge part of our daily meals, we naturally follow a gluten free diet to a certain extent.

Now about eating and following a healthy lifestyle, wish I was more consistent with it. We eat quite healthy, actually very healthy, but after a good healthy meal, we go out for Gelato:). My new favorite flavor FicoPistachio, oh yum.
OK, I don’t eat ice cream everyday, but I need a sweet something after dinner time. Do you crave a dessert after your dinner?
…

SPICED WALNUTS with Balsamic and Curry Powder

August 12, 2013 By Asha Shivakumar

Happy Monday Friends. How was your weekend?

Our weekend just flew by with the realization that there’s only two more weeks of summer vacation. We are trying to fit in dinners with friends, cooking workshops and a lot of movies in between.

The boys seem like they are in no rush to start their routine. I can say they’ve having fun.

My teen has learnt how to make lunch to survive at least.He made some balsamic noodles and they were good, maybe a bit too strong for my taste, but he loved it.

…

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE COOKIES

August 2, 2013 By Asha Shivakumar

Cocoa, chocolate chips, chocolate covered almonds and coffee beans. Cookies.

We adore them. It’s the BEST!- I’ve heard( not too humble huh..). I can’t restrict myself in calling them the best.

If there’s one thing kids ask(almost demand) when they come to our place, are these cookies. Now coming to think of it, I’m not too sure it’s just them asking or one chocoholic teen who makes them ask…
…

GARLIC SRIRACHA Bread Knots- Multi Grain

July 25, 2013 By Asha Shivakumar

“Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French…… GARLIC makes it good.”-Alice May Brock These Garlic bread knots with sriracha coated are easy and filled with flavor.

GARLIC SRIRACHA Bread Knots- Multi Grain |foodfashionparty| #garlicbreadknots

Do you have a green thumb??

If you do, I admire you and if you don’t I’m secretly happy;). I hear about homegrown tomatoes, chilies and fruits being so tasty and my friend even grows sugar cane, CRAZY…Why does it come so easy to some and here I am with a single leaf Banana tree which has been alive for 4 years with only couple of leaves present all the time. I water it, ummm, maybe not all the time..But it hasn’t dried up on me yet, that’s the bright side.

…

Happy BIRTHDAY – Almond Discs(Zimsterne or Marzipani) with Lychee cream

July 14, 2013 By Asha Shivakumar

Here’s the thing about love.

The love I’m talking about is unconditional, just give with open arms, lotsa hugs, kisses and tears kinda love. No, it’s not the crazy giddy love with butterflies buzzing, where you wait to fall on your face one day but it’s the ‘MY HEART belongs to this thing in my arms LOVE’.

My baby is a officially a teen. How appropriate is this dessert which epitomizes him in every way and the cherries on top are there just because.
…

ZUCCHINI PIZZA WITH GREEN CHUTNEY

July 7, 2013 By Asha Shivakumar

“You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six.”- Yogi Berra

Hi there friends, HAPPY SUNDAY!!

The story of two hours minus the boys.

Today, our home was silent from all the hustle and bustle from the kids. It’s been a

while. I remember years ago, that a two hour drive, watching a movie and discussing it later was a norm. The paradigm totally shifts once you have kids, we love all the chaos, but a controlled environment is fun too for couple of hours.

…

CONDENSED Milk Cookies – a simple 5 ingredient eggless cookie

July 5, 2013 By Asha Shivakumar

“C is for cookie and cookie is for me!”- Cookie Monster

Hope you had fun with fireworks and food!!

As far as making cookies go, I am ready for them any time of the day. Maybe I was meant to be a bakers daughter. I can eat them anytime and I can bake them anytime. They have become my obsession. I also want to do a weekly dedication to cookies from around the world. Ain’t that a fun idea?

I have loyalties towards my cookies, I hope that there is an unsaid limit to the number of cookies a food blogger can post.

…

Chicken Wings – Spicy Masala Wings- turn up the heat!!

July 2, 2013 By Asha Shivakumar

A Recipe has no soul. You as a the cook must bring soul to the recipe. – Thomas Keller

Happy July Friends. Hope your weekend was good with perfect weather.

Mine I can say was hot and irritating. Our a/c is not working and it was 100 in the Bay. Thankfully I got a chance to stay in the skating ring with my preteen, safe for 3 hours while my little baby played cricket for hours in the burning heat. I also had a brilliant but impractical idea of driving around so we don’t have to walk into the oven. Well, that did not happen, I wonder why.

…

Focaccia with Grapes and carrots.

June 20, 2013 By Asha Shivakumar

“If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens.” – Robert Browning

Focaccia with Grapes and carrots. Easiest recipe for focaccia. |foodfashionparty|

Fresh baked bread at home in India is not some we saw a lot of. Flatbreads like Chapathi, rotis, paratha and many were common but yeasted bread was something we got in bakeries. Bakery breads were simply amazing. Moving to California where there is so much diversity in food and it’s cuisine that my love for food just quadrupled(and more). San Francisco is known for their Sourdough, some of the best I’ve had.

…

Coconut Cardamom Cookies/Biscuits

June 4, 2013 By Asha Shivakumar

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

James Beard

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.

…