Who doesn’t love pre-dinner cocktails…much deserved when dinner isn’t on the table until 10pm! Also a great way to keep company in good spirits and allows the cook to cook! I must remember this detail the next time my grandmother is cooking Thanksgiving dinner and 15 of us are all crowded around her in the kitchen!
Continue reading “It’s Electrifying!”
Agua de Coco….yes please!
My friend from Rio just informed me via the global connectedness of social media, that Unidos da Tijuca are the Samba School Champions of Rio de Janeiro’s Carnaval!!! I was fortunate enough to be a part of this electrifying spectacle in 2011 and it was honestly an event in which I could compare to no other. I’m talking jaw dropping effects and fantastic people watching, did I mention it lasts all night long!
Continue reading “Agua de Coco….yes please!”
love….it’s universal ♥
Today, I LOVE this:
Turmeric Tea
I’ve been on the prowl for natural anti-inflammatory remedies and found that turmeric is a strong contender. It’s benefits are slowly beginning to make their presence stateside but in the East the therapeutic prowess of turmeric is ancient news.
Continue reading “Turmeric Tea”
What is a quality dinner?
I recently came across, Intimate Portraits of People Eating at Home: The Dinner in NY Project by Miho Aikawa
As a lover of people, food and photography I was interested in this project and I appreciate the thoughts/questions that floated through my mind when I saw it:
Continue reading “What is a quality dinner?”
Oxtail
Classified as offal oxtail is exactly just that– a tail from an ox. Nowadays oxtail comes from regular beef cattle and has a resplendent culinary history. Not an uber-popular piece of meat but it can be found at specialty butchers, ethnic meat counters and gourmet restaurants particularly in European nature. I was fortunate to have gotten mine from my family’s locally raised grass-fed highland cattle.
Mixed Fruit Rasayana
Yesterday was a wintry wonderland with white frosted trees and brisk air that marked my cheeks a rosy hue. Today, however was filled with slush and intermittent raindrops. A day that left me in a shade of grey. I left work in the rain and came home to a mug of tea, mail and more emails. I discarded my work clothes for some yoga ones and headed out the door in hopes of some restoration! Great news…yoga was very relevant today taking on the form of back-bending and twisting. These asanas help open the chest and release any negative emotions which perked me up enough to head home to the kitchen!
Continue reading “Mixed Fruit Rasayana”
A Million Miles…
A Journey…
I think it’s something about a new feeling or an experience that allows me to learn more about who I am that entices me…or as a friend of mine once said “lights a fire inside.” When I travel I feel a renewed sense of vigor that resonates throughout my body and my eyes are as open as they’ll ever be. Why is it that sometimes it feels as if you have to be a million miles away to reintroduce yourself to those sensations?
Semiya Payasam
Semiya- vermicelli
Payasam- with milk
This is a very old and revered recipe that is an essential part of the South Indian meal. Payasam is especially prepared during festivals or on auspicious days and is eaten before any of the other foods. Consisting of minimal ingredients payasam instills a ‘homey’ feeling from the very first bite.
Continue reading “Semiya Payasam”
A Rejuvenating Tonic
It was Monday night and I was beginning to awaken my limbs out of Savasana. I rolled over to my chosen side and blossomed up into Anjali mudra; opening my heart while offering my thanks and gratitude in the form of Namaste. On this particular night my yoga instructor parted ways by offering up a recipe.
Continue reading “A Rejuvenating Tonic”
Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango
The most important ingredient in this dish is the mango. The sticky rice and coconut milk are the backdrop to this “king of fruit”. The best mango for this dessert is a small, sweet yellow type called Ataulfo (Honey Mango or Manila Mango). It is non-fiborous and widely available throughout the United States. Only the ripest (sweetest) mangoes should be used and can be detected by touch and smell. The ataulfo mango will be yellow, supple to the touch with a full-fruity aroma and the skin may have a slight wrinkling to it which means it is at perfection!
Continue reading “Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango”
Atol de Elote and Pupusas!
I love that even in my very own small city of Grand Rapids, Michigan I can walk into a local establishment and be swept off to another culture for a moment. I felt this today when on a whim I entered “Pupuseria El Salvador.” From the not so grandiose entrance, to the mismatched decor, greetings of buenos dìas from behind the counter and the buzz of Spanish filling my ears–a smile swept my face. I knew that the food was going to be muy bien before my first taste.
Continue reading “Atol de Elote and Pupusas!”
Ta Da! Café Sua Da!
Envision a bright summer day you are on a drive with your windows rolled down. The scent of fresh air and flora fill your lungs while sunshine warms your shoulders. The rhythmic rumble of pavement is felt beneath your car tires as you wind through the countryside. Glancing at the passing scenery you will most certainly see stalks of indigo flowers dotting the roadsides.
Continue reading “Ta Da! Café Sua Da!”
A few of my favorite…FOOD FILMS.
It’s that time of year when darkness falls early, cold weather chill sets in and some nights just couldn’t get any better than an evening indoors with a big mug of hot chocolate and a good movie. Below is a listing of my favorite films in regards to food. Bon Appetit!
Barbecued Oysters, Bodega Bay
A few years back my best friend and I took a road trip through Northern California’s Wine Country. After our fill of vineyards and vino we ventured along the Russian River until it emptied into the Pacific and headed back south along scenic Highway 1 to San Francisco.
Continue reading “Barbecued Oysters, Bodega Bay”
Brilliant Bayless
Rick Bayless is an amazing chef specializing in Mexican cuisine. He lived in Mexico and studied their culture and food for 6 years. Bayless is known for his PBS series Mexico: One Plate at a Time. He also started 3 amazing restaurants in Chicago dedicated to tantalizing our taste buds to authentic Mexican cuisine.
Continue reading “Brilliant Bayless”
