Baking

Maple Rum Apple Banana Pudding Cake

October 4, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

This simple delicious cake bakes so beautifully, with a sauce that forms in the bottom. This maple rum apple pudding cake with banana is a quick dessert to take for potlucks and surprise guests with.

I woke up one morning last week just when the sun was peeking through. I suddenly felt the need to grab my robe, and I really craved a warm cup of coffee. Autumn. FINALLY. My bones have ached for this season. I want to believe the fallen leaves that cover our footpath now match the hues of my heart.

Every morning, I sit on the large floor by the tall windows and stare at our neighbor’s apple tree. It has thrived. I’ve seen them grow for years, from a tiny sapling to a young tree. And now they stand proudly with fruits that blush with pinkish reddish hues. Ready to be plucked. The tree very gracefully hovers over our fence calling for us to enjoy her. Wait, is it fair to pluck fruits from someone else’s tree? Not sure. …

Spicy Tandoori Potatoes/Aloo

October 2, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

These crispy spicy and delicious tandoori potatoes makes for a great starter for the vegetarians or it’s a great side with naan and some sour cream-yogurt dip.

If you’ve never tried tandoori potatoes before, then you’ve got to try them! It’s a guarantee they’ll be making a regular appearance at house. Especially THESE, they are spicy and full of flavor. Smash them them and you have great smashed tandoori potatoes….

Sheet Pan Bruschetta Chicken and Veggies

August 19, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

The convenience and simplicity of this chicken dinner makes it extra awesome. This sheet pan bruschetta chicken is fast, family-friendly, no-brainer dinner you need to make tonight! The best part, easy clean up. Change up the veggies throughout the year—the balsamic garlic sauce is good on all of them!

I’ts almost school time and I’m always looking for easy dinner options and this bruschetta chicken always wins.

Who doesn’t love bruschetta?!! To die for cherry tomatoes, fresh basil – the most delicious things coming out of our gardens right now. Toss with olive oil and sea salt all atop some olive oil toasted bread, HEAVEN!! And it’s so super flavorful for summer!

Bruschetta Chicken is a classic Italian-American bistro favorite in the spring and summer. My Sheet pan Bruschetta Chicken recipe is fast, fresh, and ridiculously delicious. This is the dinner we can’t stop making. The meal I’ve been serving quite often. The chicken that I make once a week to have on salads, on pasta, alone. This is the business….

Broccoli Cauliflower Goat Cheese Quinoa Patties with Avocada Cream

August 6, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

These crispy, healthy, gluten-free broccoli cauliflower goat cheese quinoa patties are simple and nutritious. If you want, skip the cheese and use vegan cheese to make it fully vegan. These patties are very versatile. You can make them with different vegetables and your choice of cheese. Your meat lover will love it too.

Happy New Week you guys!!

I find it a little challenging to eat healthily while having all the good flavors, with portion control. When summer hits, it’s especially a little hard to maintain a decent lifestyle in terms of food. With the boys home, there’s a little bit of indulgent food, a lot of comfort food, and in between, I try to squeeze in some healthy food too….

Over the Top Toasted Chocolate Hazelnut S’mores Bars

July 2, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

Buttery and gooey with the chocolatey nutty marshmallow goodness. This toasted chocolate hazelnut s’mores bars will be gone before you know it. It will be a summer staple once you make it.

As a content creator, I often face a reoccurring problem. Sometimes, I scratch my head pondering on what to post to keep it exciting and interesting, doable, and also something I love to eat. And then there is the photographer’s block. Last, and worst, is the writer’s block.

I’ve gone through periods where I had to take a break because the content simply wasn’t exciting enough. Especially after my book, I really hit a wall for few weeks. Then boom, I had this immense bout of energy to cook, test, shoot and share. But at the end of the day, what do you write for all these posts?…

Spicy Yogurt Chicken with Cucumber Mint Chutney

June 28, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

This Simple Grilled Spicy Yogurt Chicken Recipe has a few ingredients in the marinade that makes it juicy, flavorful and absolutely delicious. It’s the best grilled chicken I’ve made. You’ll make this recipe again and again!

And just like that summer is here. Summers in Cali can be really harsh, but the evenings are like a dream.

People who are not from here love to talk about Mark Twain’s quote that goes “the coldest winter I ever spent was summer in San Francisco.” As September and October roll around, while they get trapped in their homes due to polar vortexes and hurricanes we’re sitting in cotton shorts and T-shirts, hiking and going to the city in a thin sweater. And that right there, that pretty much sums up why Indian summers* in SF are better than all other summers….

Spicy Hasselback Potatoes and Egg Salad with Fennel and Chives Tadka (Tempering)

June 26, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

These Indian flavored Hasselback potatoes are roasted until crispy that’s drizzled with spices. A flavorful and wholesome side dish bursting with fresh herbs and seasonings. Make these Spicy Hasselback Potatoes Eggs for your next picnic or party. It’s a winner.

~The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It’s about what you’re made of, not circumstances.~

This tried and tested method for a good relationship I heard from my shrink years ago is a guaranteed way to keep arguments fair and civil.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about marriage, it is to not use the words “Never” and “Always”….

Beetroot Veggie Kofta Korma – Pita Wraps

May 31, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

Healthy and a delicious spin on the traditional kofta korma. This beetroot kofta korma is a south Indian style korma with tons of veggies and goes perfectly stuffed in Pita, or with rice or roti.

Spring is the perfect season to practice the art of noticing all the beauty and wisdom the world has to offer us. The winds are shifting, the flowers are blooming, and the markets are bursting with fresh and invigorating vegetables that help keep a lightness about our days. The delicate bounties in our CSA box inspired a spring dish, a little twist from the traditional. Cooking with nature’s color is one of the most pleasant and so fulfilling. There’s a connection between the ingredients, the process, and the finished meal that completely transcends the traditional kitchen….

Spicy Crispy Baked Popcorn Chicken – Juiciest and Easy

May 24, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

This healthier version of spicy, crispy, and baked Popcorn Chicken is scrumptious. It makes for the perfect kid-friendly snack, and big kids love it too. If you’re looking for flavorful, garlicky, tender, and juicy popcorn chicken, this is for you.

The first time I had fried chicken was after my marriage when I visited my in-laws for the first time. We were invited to a dinner. My mum in law’s sister was known for her CHICKEN PAKORAS. They would get to know very quickly, that the newlywed girl was not shy about showing her love for food. Among all the chaos and the hustle, the chattering, the food that was being passed around, I got very curious. Curious about the person who was behind the food. I slowly crept into the kitchen to see who was sending out that plate of crispy, spicy red chicken pakoras in particular. There she was. Aunty was standing right there with the corner of her saree tucked into her waist, very busily looking at three stoves. One had biryani going, one had some curry, and the other had a large kadahi with oil and the CHICKEN….

Salvadoran Sweet Bread / Semitas De Dulce (Sweet Stuffed Bread)

May 15, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

This Salvadoran Sweet Bread / Semitas De Dulce is a traditional bread stuffed with panela/jaggery. A delicious twist on the classic recipe is to use your favorite jam as a filling.

You have to taste the culture to understand it.

We travel for many reasons. To explore, for love, for glory, for adventure, for thrills, to get away from reality, to relax. For the new and the familiar, for sensory thrills and serenity, for socialization and isolation, for risk and reward, for the journey and the story and the secrets. I travel for all these reasons. Which is all just another way of saying that I travel to eat….