Posts

Kande Pohe (Savory Rice Flakes Snack from Maharashtra)
Kande pohe is a quintessential Maharashtrian tea-time snack in the arsenal of any Marathi home cook. So why did it take me to the fifth year of this blog to post a version of this - well, it's only recently that I got it really right. The perfect pohe need to be flaky, moist & light but without becoming slightest mushy or lumpy. I am usually not that particular about the texture of a dish, but pohe is one where I think texture matters a lot due to the simple minimalist preparation and lack of spices texture carries a lot of weight.  Perfect pohe with a cup of Chai can delight a morning or an afternoon and can make an ordinary gathering between friends or a visit from family that much more extra-ordinary! A fun anecdote: From where I come from in India, a kid is taught to call every married woman approximately mother's age "aunty" and every man approximately father's age "uncle". So there are many uncles and auntys every…

Photo Journey of California's Scenic Highway 1
My idea of a relaxing vacation is not a long vacation you wait a whole year to take; but instead a bunch of small weekends scattered here and there, spent on a scenic location away from the hustle bustle of the daily chores and enjoyed with lots of fun and happiness with people you love. Add some tasty food, cheese and a glass of wine to pair a breathtaking sunset over the ocean and it's as good a vacation as any. These small sprinkles of get-away can be so relaxing! We recently took one such 3 day weekend away renting a small cabin overlooking pacific ocean on California's scenic highway 1, central valley coast. It was a beautiful rustic place at the heart of a charming little seaside town. As anyone who drove on Highway 1 through central valley will tell, the journey in itself is as good as the vacation stay!  Most of the journey consists of a small road winding through breathtaking views of pacific ocean on one side and shear large cliffs o…

Thai Yellow Curry
We love Thai food! Our favorite Thai meal starts with a hot bubbling tom yum soup coupled with fresh vegetarian rice-paper rolls and progresses on to some green or yellow curry fish with coconut rice. Oh, and I forget the best part - coconut ice-cream afterwards to satisfy the sweet tooth :) This Thai yellow curry is so tasty and quick to make - 30mins start to finish! And no, it is not made from store bought yellow curry paste. Infact, I am hoping this recipe will help make the point that you don't need to settle down for a canned taste to enjoy a good Thai curry at home without slogging for hours. The recipe has 3 steps: coarsely chop, blend and simmer, that's it! The trick is a good stocked pantry or a well purposed trip to grocery store. Many of the ingredients it calls for are not likely to be pantry staples (atleast aren't at our home) This recipe is my put-together version and not what you would call authentic by any means; but it t…

Sesame Tikki/Sesame Candy
If you want a tasty treaty to fulfill your sugar cravings without piling up on butter, look no further - these candys or tikkis are waiting to be your best friends!  These tikkis are no health food and definitely recommended in moderation due to the high sugar content, but hey, everyone craves a good candy at times, right? We think it's always better to make it at home rather than visit the candy store - not sure about you, but it will be difficult for some to resist the temptation to buy the store outright :) Candy making is generally looked upon with fright. And for good reason. The temperature has to be just right and melting has to be done perfectly for it to be not too hard or too soft. In candy making difference between getting it right and ruining it is just a little. These are all valid concerns. However the recipe below is a good starter recipe in getting your handy into candy making - it's simple with minimal ingredients and does not req…

Baked Samosa Puffs
Everyone has a guilty pleasure when it comes to food. And samosa is mine. The crispy fried dough filled with very tasty potato & peas filling to dip into a tangy tamarind or fresh coriander chutney - add a cup of coffee along-with it and it's a perfect cure for a rain or snow-washed mind and soul. This version is a baked version which I like even better than the deep-dried version taste-wise. Yup, you heard that right. The trick is to using a puff pastry dough instead of a regular all purpose flour dough. Best part is from the time you crave samosa to the time a plate is in front of you is less than an hour! I used puff pasty wrapper with traditional samosa filling. I love puff pastry and may be that's why I like this version better than the deep-fried one or even a restaurant version for the matter - yes, it's that good! I wouldn't call it necessarily a healthy version because puff pastry is not a health-food by any means. However…

Quick Cooking Quesadilla!
We love quesadilla at our home. Our favorite is a vegetarian version with a whole-wheat or a multi-grain tortilla filled with spanish rice, black bean salsa and lots of mexican cheese and heated just until the cheese is bubbly! Melted cheese helps seal the quesadilla making it a perfect finger food. So yummy and so quick to put together too! We serve quesadilla with side of guacamole and pico de gallo salsa.  If you are low on time to put dinner on table, you can always skip the spanish rice and use some left-over white rice for filling. Just reheat the leftover white rice in microwave and mix with a dash of oil or butter, lime juice, salt and finely chopped cilantro for a quick cilantro rice instead of spanish rice. If it's one of those days you have an hour extra to prep for dinner, by all means, engage your fancy - you can always add more sides or condiments for a round mexican meal such as some home-made pico-de-gallo salsa or a quick guacamole o…

Looking Back at Feburary'2014:The List
(The List is a new series on G&G where we summarize our month in a post - inspired by similar posts on One Hot Stove ! Our month is full of so many little interesting moments and tidbits, many of which are too trivial to be blog-worthy on their own but combine all those small moments of amusements, happiness or discoveries and gift-wrap them with a nice little bow of "looking back at month", and there you have it, that's our list :) I try to keep the list food related - afterall that's what you are here for! - but I also feature reading and watching lists; what's a month without a good book to dig your nose into, right?.. Hope you enjoy! ) On My Mind: The ever elusive rain gods are finally smiling on the bay. After an unusually dry season this year, February turned out to be our first wet month of the season. Not a lot of rain or wintry weather still, but just enough to give those umbrellas a chance to peek out of closets and tho…