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Mango and Peach Margarita Pops with Vodka & Sparkling Wine by Master of Mixes

July 25, 2017 By Asha Shivakumar

These Mango and Peach Margarita frozen pops, topped with some wine and vodka, are easy to make and perfect for entertaining. I’m so happy to partner with Master of Mixes to bring you this amazing recipe.

The sun is shining through our large windows, and the mid afternoon heat is draining. The fan is on, and the windows are drawn in to let the heat settle outside. Waffles is by my feet, huffing a bit, the teen is on the sofa with his headphones, and the little one is with a book. I am parked in between papers, a cocktail party to plan, but wondering what will cool us. We all, every few minutes, look at each other for some sort of cooling comfort….

Maple Walnut Pie no-churn Ice Cream Sandwiches with Black Sesame Pizzelles

July 20, 2017 By Asha Shivakumar

The maple walnut pie no-churn ice cream cradled in between two crispy black sesame pizzelles are just a perfect match. The mildly sweet cookies compliment the cold, delicious flavors of the ice cream. Perfect for Ice Cream Month or anytime.

When life gives you sesame, make desserts with it.

I might or might not have tried this recipe six times before I decided to post it. The first time I made it, it was the late evening, when the teen and I were watching a movie—Queen of Katwe, to be exact. Both of us have a sweet tooth and both stay up very late in the night, especially during summers. We really don’t have a routine. It’s also funny that we both crave some of the same things at the same time. That evening we craved something light and simple to snack on….

Beet Greens Spicy Yogurt Soup with Curried Cauliflower

July 9, 2017 By Asha Shivakumar

This beet greens yogurt soup with curried cauliflower is slightly spicy, and cooling for a warm summer night.

As years fly by, I find myself more and more in love with my own space. I tend to seek refuge within the umbrella of my family. Flaws have just not affected me the same way as before. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt in the past few years, it is to simplify life. I am trying. Enjoying the little things as much as I can. Yes, there’s a ton to do, more to achieve, but just pausing to see what we’ve achieved is such a mind-cleansing process. It might be not have to be something material, just something that you can feel. A feeling of satisfaction. A simple smile that your child gives you for being supportive of him is a gift. I find myself no longer attached to material things, in a way I used to.

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Easiest Moist German Chocolate Cake with Saffron-Coconut Cashew topping and an Announcement

June 6, 2017 By Asha Shivakumar

A moist easy moist German Chocolate Cake smothered with saffron coconut and cashew, almost like a coconut burfi on top. It’s simple to make and quite an addictive cake.

I wanted to tell you, and then, I’d tell myself, I’ll tell after my next deadline was met. Two weeks ago, at around noon, I heard a knock, I opened the door and was handed a big brown package. I opened it and there was a yellow note which said, “check and return by….”. It was my manuscript for review. It hit me. I am officially going to be a COOKBOOK AUTHOR!!

There, I said it and it feels WONDERFUL. Honestly speaking, one of the things I wanted to do was, to shout out loud and tell you all that someone wants to publish my recipes. I had to wait, and it was, in a way easy for me. I was overwhelmed and nervous with a giddy sort of excitement….

Rustic Spring Sweet Kale and Egg Tart

May 24, 2017 By Asha Shivakumar

I absolutely enjoy turning salads into something special and this Rustic spring sweet kale and egg tart is one of my favorite ways. Easy to entertain with and put together. I am so happy to partner with Taylor Farms to bring this recipe with one of my go to salad kits.

When I moved from India some 20 and more years ago, I was shocked when people served salads. It always left me hungry and craving for my carbs. Eating habits are something we grow up with and I did not grow up having salads, yes a cucumber salad with onions and tomatoes, if you can even call a salad. That was the most adventurous I got.

As years went by, I really have come to love a good hearty salad. Given a choice, salads are not something we gravitate towards, even on a healthy day. Although not a huge fan of having salads on it’s own, I’ve found ways to incorporate and enjoy a good healthy green salad. I may have a wee bit of an obsession to add salads to everything. I add it to stir fry, noodles, even my South Indian style potato fry….

5 RIDICULOUSLY EASY AND BEAUTIFUL DIY MOTHER’S DAY GIFTS

May 10, 2017 By Asha Shivakumar

Happy Mother’s Day!!!!

I am a big lover of handmade gifts and these ridiculously easy and beautiful DIYs are perfect for moms. They also make great gifts for friends and end of the year teacher’s gifts.

I wanted to get this post up before the weekend. Hope you get to make one of this and impress your mom, friends or teachers.

A universally appealing gift. This pretty marbled clay ring dish is probably the easiest that I’ve made which looks quite like it came from Anthropologie. I have found that not mixing the colors too much gives the best results, and lighter clay is gorgeous for ring or knick knacks. I got my clay from Amazon and baked it at 275 degrees for 2 hours and left it in the convection oven overnight. I make them a little thicker so it looks quite sturdy and is not delicate. Here is the link of the Marbled dish, it is beautiful with step by step.

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Rhubarb-Pistachio Mini Cakes & A Giveaway!

May 1, 2017 By Asha Shivakumar

These Rhubarb Pistachio Cakes are made with olive oil, and can be made in a cake pan or mini muffin tins like this. The rich pistachios combined with cardamom make for a tasty, addictive treat. Thanks to Revol for sending me some of their pretty pieces.

Happy May!!

A favorite month of mine, mother’s day and a special birthday.

As spring is setting in, I immediately dream of warm days, long evening walks, and vacations. Light sunny days, and mildly cool nights. I struggle to choose between Autumn and Spring; I love them both.

Subconsciously, salads make more of an appearance. My humongous cane fruit basket is filled with fruits and summery melons. There are rolling hills to one side, and strawberry and vegetable patches to the other. I stop by every week at the local farm, and the guy fondly asks how the kids are and gives me an extra basket of strawberries.…

Lentils Masala Mint Fritters/Masala Vada

April 25, 2017 By Asha Shivakumar

Masala Vada, or Masala mint fritters, are a famous snack in South India. It looks and tastes a little like falafel. It’s crunchy, and loaded with ginger, garlic, and onion. They are versatile and can be minced and stuffed into tacos, and also mixed in curries. Served with chutney at coffee time, it’s so good.

The sounds of running water and rushed preparations start in the wee hours of the morning. I lie in my bed for that wake up call. I don’t hear it, so my face digs itself more into my hard pillow. I hear a complain from dad, to my mum… “Why don’t you wake her up? It is a festival day.” Of course, mum ignoring his complaints.

My room was right next to the kitchen, the sounds of the pressure cooker, the occasional drop of a steel glass, all was quite clear. The 3rd whistle is just too much for anyone to handle, and now I’m begining to think that the whistle so early was just a tactic of mum’s without having to wake me up. I very clumsily walk to mum to see what’s going on, and she gives a smile and quietly but sternly asks me to shower and get ready for the pooja. I looked at mom with annoyed eyes, like “Who in their right mind rushes to do pooja?”…

Roasted Garlic and Onion Relish in pickling spices/Bruschetta

April 19, 2017 By Asha Shivakumar

It’s National Garlic Month! Here, the Gilroy Garlic Fest is considered the Ultimate Summer Food Fair. So today, I have Roasted Garlic and Onion Relish. It goes great with pretty much everything. Top it on bruschetta like I did here, or add it on burgers as a relish, or even top it on a broccoli and pea soup to bring it all together. It’s a relish you will be eating in spoonfuls.

Happy mid week!!

Fun Fact. Did you know that Gilroy, California is known as the garlic capital of the world? It is, although China is said to be the biggest producer of garlic.

Gilroy, a short drive away from where we live hosts the biggest festivals that the little town sees every year. It’s in the midst of the scorching hot summer. It’s the Coachella for garlic lovers. There’s even Miss Gilroy Garlic and her court, ensuring a garlicky good time.

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Fruity Belgian Waffles/ Natural colored rainbow waffles

April 11, 2017 By Asha Shivakumar

This is my favorite recipe of Belgian Waffles that I’ve been making for years, and they are a winner. They are crazy simple, yeast free, and it comes together quickly. It is adapted from tasteofhome.com, and added the fruits and matcha to make these Fruity Belgian Waffles.

Hey hey, Spring is here. Bay Area saw some beautiful weather, and some nasty rain when least expected. The drought crisis is finally over!

We made colorful waffles for National Waffle Day.

We love Waffles. One of my go to recipes for waffles is Ricotto whole grain waffles. We even named our puppy Waffles :).

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