When I asked on Insta Polls, I received overwhelming support for blogging about my garden! Thank you very much. I am really gratified by your interest. And, so I am starting this series to share my experiences and learnings!
This first post talks about starting seeds indoors before the frost goes away. Many of the seeds were started 8 weeks before the last frost in my region. I have included my experiences with germinating and seeding peas, tomatoes and peppers, as well as tips on how to keep them healthy, as I learnt through the process of the first 8 weeks.
Read MoreOddly, you don't really hear a lot about food in Venice. Sure, the seafood is divine, being so freshly caught and well, it is Italy... So the bar is fairly high relatively speaking. Yet, very little is said of Venetian cuisine. By and large the general consensus is that everything is expensive and not quite the same value you get from other parts of Italy. Disregarding the economics, though, there are several lovely food experiences to be had.
Today, I want to share a dish l recreated back home from my trip to the city, where I had the best Sicilian food. A mackerel pasta with the distinctive Sicilian chilli flecked tomato sauce and with layers of flavors and surprises on the palate!
Read MoreCinque Terre is the quintessential Summer Riviera spot.
For those tired of the French coastline, its crowded beaches and uber expensive real estate, the Italian coast line next to it is very appealing alternative. They may share the sea but not much else, from attitude to cuisine to lifestyles.
While I was living in Italy, my friends and I decided to make a day trip from our apartments in Reggio Emilia in the mid-central Italy to the North-Western coast where the stretch of the riviera is. A quick research on the place told me it was a hot spot for visiting Americans. Somewhere I read that it had been featured in a 70s Hollywood movie and had since become a bucket list destination.
Read MoreThese days I am doing a bit of experimenting. Some have been happy surprises (like working with buckwheat flour or this service) and some recipes I tested that needed tweaks and yet others that did not work out well. The best test of a new item is indeed in an old favorite. That for me in baking is always a brownie - rich, chocolete-y, moist, fudge-y brownie!
The result was a deeper flavor that stood well with the chocolate, instead just letting the latter take center stage. The brownie, overall, felt a lot lighter to eat as well!
Read MoreHello there! Would you like to join me for a cup of tea and a warm, soft carrot roll?
Tell me more about the roll, you say?!
Well.... Let me begin with saying I wanted to create poetry through baking.
No, really, I am not being facetious. I really wanted to create that harmonious, creative flow that makes poetry so evocative, into a tangible object that was food. In my imagination, that poetic effect would be to make something with a supple, welcoming note in each bite. One that makes you feel happy inside out. And, when you have cleaned your plate, leaves you with a distinct feeling of satisfaction. Perhaps, even that Garfield like grin of delight.
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