Cooking Learning 04

Garlic Bread gets a makeover with this Hasselback Garlic Cheese Bread. Perfect appetizer or snack, this comes together in under 15 minutes!  The Holiday season is coming up and I can't wait to get started with the parties! From Spooky Halloween to Friendsgiving and finally Thanksgiving; every dinner calls for something special from start to finish. Yet, the dishes should be PERFECT to make in a few minutes and taste perfect even after a few hours of making. Our Holiday parties start this weekend and the first one will have this recipe for my friends. Garlic bread, a favorite amongst folks of all ages, gets a new form with this recipe. The ingredients are just like any other garlic bread, but the BEST part here is the   Pepperidge   Farm Stone Baked Artisan Rolls .  These  Stone Baked Artisan Rolls  have an amazing crust and super soft inside. The first time I bought these, I gobbled a couple slathered with butter. Then, I started to think how I want to make...

Green Lentil Crepes stuffed with Semolina Upma; this Pesarattu Upma recipe is a winner for breakfast or dinner! Diwali just went by and we celebrated to our heart's content. From sweets and savory snacks to delicious meals and desserts; we had it all. Now with the festival behind us, we are back to eating regular meals that are still yummy but healthier. While I was in India, my mom made protein rich pancakes; green Moong Dal dosa really often. Not just dosas, the batter was also used to make fritters , idlis and dhoklas. I always loved it and thought that the dish was a Gujarati delicacy.  When I moved to US, I saw a dish Pesarattu Upma on the menu of many South Indian restaurants. I never understood what the dish was, until I saw someone order it in front of me at a restaurant. I could not believe that he was handed out a plate with green moong dal dosa stuffed with upma.  The combination looked pretty with all the chutneys that were served and I looked up online ...

Gujarati Sev, an addictive snack made from spiced Chickpea Flour is something you need this Diwali and beyond! Make it today with this no-fail recipe!  I can barely believe we are so close to Diwali already. My favorite Indian festival, I love how everything is upbeat and full of enthusiasm through the festival! Firecrackers, rangoli, lamps, lanterns and LOTS of yummy food. My best memories of Diwali recipes encompasses everything from Ladoos and Kaju Katli to Puris and the Diwali special Mathiya, Fafda and Chora Fali. These are traditional Gujarati recipes that we relish through Diwali and beyond. And mind you, they are ALL fried, but when it is festive time; you do not count calories right? Along with all the regular snacks, my grandma made the best ever sev and gathiya ( a thicker version of sev). From the yellow non spicy version to garlic, mint and spicy kind; she made it all. And it was always the BEST!  This year I decided to make it myself and asked my mother for the ...

Packed with Fall flavors; this Pumpkin Pie Mocktail is delicious yet easy to make. Plus it needs only FIVE ingredients and under 5 minutes to bring together!  Fall is going strong and we are looking forward to all the Holidays that are coming up! When it comes to celebrating Fall, the FIRST thing that comes to everyone's mind is Pumpkin. While making main dishes, desserts and appetizers using pumpkin is pretty easy, drinks is where I struggled not long ago. Every year I would think I could whip up some pumpkin drinks; but never went beyond pumpkin smoothie or pumpkin soda. This year I started preparing for Fall a few months ago and made a superb Simple Syrup using Pumpkin . That is when I realized the potential of using pumpkin in beverages; both alcoholic and non alcoholic. Plus I started writing for Target Made Me Do It , and my theme was Fall inspired drinks. So I quickly whipped up an awesome Peach and Pumpkin drink using a lot of ingredients from Target.  This drink has q...

A perfect collection of sweet and savory dishes everyone needs this Diwali!! Super yummy, addictive yet easy to make recipes! Diwali is now almost here and we cannot wait to get started with all our Diwali Preparation. This festival of Lights is celebrated across India with a lot of grandeur. With tons of lights, sweet delicacies, fireworks and lots of religious ceremonies, this festival is celebrated over FIVE days in October or November depending on the Hindu Calendar.  When we moved to US a few years ago, I was not sure how everything would pan out here. However, it has been so good here; friends meet for Diwali parties, burst firecrackers and exchange gifts and sweets for the festival. Plus, there is every celebration happening in the temples, making is PERFECT to celebrate with family and friends.  Coming to the dishes we enjoy, there are a TON of recipes that are made year round, but there are a few that we enjoy especially during Diwali. From store bought snacks like Ma...