Basil Berry Moscow Mule

 

It has been such a long time since I have shared a recipe here on the blog. For some reason I have this urge to restart blogging this year. I hope to get on a regular schedule soon.  You can expect me to share not just recipes but a lot of photography  tips as well. 

If you are not following me on Instagram - here is a link to my profile. I have shared the BTS ( behind the scenes) video on Instagram Reels. I have shot the above two images with a back light and a reflector lighting the front. The red petunia was shot in golden hour and the drink was shot in mid afternoon. 

The drink itself is extremely simple. 

Ingradients 

1 cup mixed berries 

1 inch ginger 

1 cup water 

1/4 cup sugar 

Preparation: Grate the ginger, mox the berries, water and sugar and let it boil and reduce. Blend and strain. Let it cool

For the drink : 

Ingredients: 1 1/2 oz Vodka, 1/6 oz Lime juice, 4 oz Ginger beer, 2 oz berry compote, basil leaves 

Preparation: Combine vodka and ginger beer and berry compote in a  glass filled with ice. Add lime juice. Stir gently and garnish with basil leaf 

Served: On the rocks; poured over ice.

Traditionally it is served in a copper bug, but the color was so beautiful, I decided to serve it in a glass. 

Blood orange - pomegranate- cranberry khatta-meetha (sweet-sour) mocktail

KalaKhatta our very own chatpatta - videshi style

I grew up in India and every year during our summer break we would visit my uncle in Mumbai. Mumbai is known for street food and barf ka gola (shaved ice with syrup) is something that I just loved. A specific flavor was kala-khatta, an absolute favorite. This mocktail is inspired from it.

If you are not familiar with chaat masala, it is a must-have in every pantry. It is a spice blend that has a bit of sourness, saltiness, sweetness, a bit astringent. absolutely lip-smacking. Sprinkle it on anything and it brings the flavors to life. Don't miss making this one...

Ingredients:

2-3 cups blood orange juiced
1 cup pomegranate juice
4-5 cranberries
some raw tamarind or juice of half lime
1-inch ginger juice
1 tsp chaat masala
1/2 tsp red chili powder
4 tbsp sugar
1 cup of water
2 cups club soda OR
1/2 cup vodka

Instructions :

• Take the cranberries and blend with water 
• Add sugar and make a simple syrup, to this add raw tamarind or lime juice
• Let it cool then add chaat, red chili powder & ginger juice 
• Mix with the juices
• Add club soda and served chilled

If you add vodka omit the club soda. 

Magic of alchemy : Mango-Pineapple and Watermelon-Beet : freshly squeezed.

I have at least five recipes that are in the draft that needs to be posted on the blog. It just has been so busy this side of the world that I cannot find time to write up a blog post. I think I am going to spend the next few hours doing just that, a big mug of coffee, my favorite music in the background and working on the blog.

I have really been looking forward to some me time. Last week I ran the Chicago half marathon and that was on my mind...it was a special moment for me. I have done this before, but this year was exceptional. Last year at this time I was preparing for the half marathon and was feeling great about the way I was progressing, I could not even imagine that life had different plans for me. Out of the blue, some health issues cropped up and there began my long journey..... doctors, tests, treatments and most difficult of all 'fear'. I withdrew into my photography, to find strength...I try to look for courage or channel my fear into creativity. It did not work for me, my creative side felt like a block of cement on my heart. I felt even my art had given up on me....and then life unfolded. A dear friend gifted me a book about healing, which I really recommend to anyone going through health issues, even if you are not, it is a must read - You are the placebo - Joe Dispenza ( this is not a sponsored post) ...from Placebo my spiritual journey started and more and more books fell into my lap. With each book, I became mentally stronger and accepted my situation for what it was.

It did not take me that long to pick up my camera again, but I was skeptical...my love for photography had a cloud just like a cloudy fall day, and the shadows were deep. I did not experience the same joy as I used to, it was now a mechanical act...something was broken inside me. Most days I would photograph only because I had nothing better to do with myself. Thankfully some of my clients were very patient with my situation and gave me ample time to work.

My focus shifted from photography to reading meditation and journaling, I was trying to look for something to center me...The more I meditated, the more often I would pick up my camera...until it became a form of meditation. Earlier when I photographed I always had the end image in mind...now, I just look deep into the light, sometimes I  get lost, meditative and forget everything but the 'moment'.

I was living a life outside of myself, even photography ...it was outside of me. As I  look back, this one year has transformed me completely. I'm so grateful for who I am today, needless to say, I have an army of angles that have made this possible.

When I hold that camera today, I am not just making a picture, it is a connection ... strangely some of my friends noticed the change in my work and told me that...

So, I just had to run the half marathon, to tell myself that I'm a kick-ass woman lol! Well, could not have done this without my hubby, who really had to kick my butt.

Life happens...and life has to go on....!! To everyone who is going through a challenging phase in your life, a friend sent me this during my most difficult days and I swear by every word in these lines...

“When you come out of the storm you won’t be the same person that walked in. That’s what the storm is all about.”

“What defines us is how well we rise after falling”

“However good or bad a situation is, it will change”

and finally…. “believe you can and you’re halfway there”

Also, kindness is the most significant gift.... just show some kindness, you do not know what someone is going through. If you can't be kind...I do not think you can ever give anything to anyone or to yourself. 

To everyone who has been part of this journey, I don't know how to express my gratitude, you are a rocking awesome human and I'm so lucky to have you in my life. Thank you for the prayers and love. 

How to make coconut milk - three easy steps

I just love coconut milk and the reason is the versatile use of this amazing vegan milk....

I use it in curries, dips, soups, curried rice, sweet rice,  smoothies, ice-cream, baking and kheer (Indian pudding)... I'm sure I'm forgetting a few others.

The milk is thick, mildly sweet and very flavorful.

The best way to make fresh coconut milk is from fresh coconut.

• Grate the coconut
• Soak in 1 cup mildly warm ( not hot) water for an hour. Hot water will make the coconut spoil easily and it will smell. 
• Grind 
• Sieve - if you do not many any chunks, use muslin cloth, else a sieve removes 90% of the coconut meat.  

Unfortunately the shelf life is only 24 hours - yup it goes bad very easily, so unless you plan to cook/use it do not make it ahead of time.

You can add additional water and remove more milk, it will be not as thick as the first batch. You can also freeze the coconut meat and use it in curries.

Have you tried  Coconut Horchata ..it is the yummiest drink I have ever tasted...

Watermelon-Hibiscus-Kiwi sangria

This is definitely going to be a story in pictures kind of a post. I am in middle of a huge to-do list plus and I definitely want to post this before the long weekend is over. So, scroll down to enjoy the pictures and recipe :) Enjoy the long weekend, every one in the US.

Watermelon-Hibiscus-Kiwi sangria or punch 

Mulled cranberry wine

Spicy flavorful mulled wine with cranberries, a great punch to serve for the holidays.




I have been so excited to work on the Christmas post. In fact I have been dreaming about it all of past week. Finally got my hands on it yesterday and finished decorating my home as well. Initially I had planned to bake some cookies...but since that did not happen, I ended up making some mulled wine with cranberries so decided to post that.

The aroma of warm spices cooking with cranberries, my favorite old Christmas carols in the background.... boxes of Christmas decoration scattered around the kitchen. All the mess, that makes a house a home. Even the snow...(I am not fond of winter) seems magical.

This post is a picture heavy post, I will let the images do the talking...since am better at story telling with my camera, not so much with words.

Holiday fruit punch

If I were not a photographer, I would definitely be a mixologist - maybe a mocktail mixologist...or who knows!  I just love pairing fruits, spices and herbs. The colors just make me so happy.

I grew up in a family of teetotalers and mocktails or cocktails were not really a happening thing in our house. I think America spoilt me...the amount of juices and beverages you get here...blows my mind. A few years ago I got sucked into making my own shakes, mocktails, juices - I got a Vitamix and that is the most used appliance in my kitchen - no kidding!  ( this is not a sponsored or paid post - just in case if you were wondering ☺)

It is easier to buy ready juices and mix them but the fun is in doing it from basics, at least that is how I like it. If you are making this for a party - you can definitely make it ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. I don't guarantee there will be anything left , but you can try. Make sure you add the club soda and vodka only when you serve.

When you are making a mocktail you do not have to be precise about the measurements. But adding alcohol - yes precision is required. December is the official party season, please drink responsibly. Please don't drink and drive - be safe, be happy and there is always uber.

Hibiscus Raspberry Lemonade Iced Tea

The aroma of hibiscus and the rich deep reds with raspberry, lime and black tea...served chilled. Make sure you have some fresh raspberries to serve with. A mint leaf always does the trick with presentation.

As the nights become longer and days shorter....am kind of sad that summer is almost over. I cannot imagine it getting dark at 4 pm...oh well, it's still August and we still have beautiful autumn before I start the rant about dark, gloomy winter afternoons.

It has been a couple of weeks since I have really posted a recipe...Just been busy with family and a couple of projects. I'm having a hard time falling into a routine. It's been two weeks since teen is back in school and I thought that would help....ummm! not really. There is so much on my to-do list and all I'm doing is procrastinating. I just dislike it when I'm so unproductive, it just brings out the worst in me....like a downward spiral ...I keep thinking about all the time I have wasted and end up wasting more time.

Teen loves iced-tea... challenged me to make one that she will love. Teenagers are critical people.... to say the least, at-least mine is. And because she can cook, she will give a detail feedback on how it could have been done better (sometimes you don't need a feedback lol!) . I incorporated all her feedback ....and I do have to admit that adding more hibiscus, some lime juice...did make it delicious.

I bought these gorgeous dried hibiscus from this cute spice store in down-town Geneva, since both teen and her dad are not crazy about spending three hours in a spice store, I hang out alone....Just love walking around the quant town. I will be definitely going there with my camera soon...will share pictures. Sometimes you just need that me-time and for me it is shopping at a spice or antique store...

Grapefruit Thyme Cocktail

While surfing on Pinterest for good cocktail recipes - I found some recipes that we loved : grapefruit thyme cocktail. Recipe adapted from shutter bean. I'm not much of a cocktail person and prefer non-alcoholic beverages, but there are always exceptions ...this is a great recipe for summers. Hubs and me, both love grapefruit and always have, yes even as a child... grapefruit with black salt, yum, yum, yum!.  I almost always have a grape fruit for breakfast....to early in the day for a cocktail, lol. You can do a non-alcoholic version without the gin and for kids replace the grapefruit (no gin) with a combination of orange and peach. Grapefruit is not something that is enjoyed by kids...don't look at me, I was a crazy kid who ate everything. The syrup is very versatile and is great in lemonade and 1/2 tsp in your margarita or even on your yogurt.

The thyme from my garden is doing so well and this is from my herb garden.

Citrus Cranberry Gin N' Tonic

Or Cranberry lemonade or orangeade. 

I met a few of my friends for lunch the other day and we started talking about our interests and hobbies. About work, home and what each of us want in life. The conversation weaved into cooking and food. One of them asked me, "how do you pick a recipe to blog?" I have never really thought about this question…most times when I am at the grocery store, the produce aisle gives me countless ideas. I usually have my iPhone notebook open and write down my ideas. I really don't have to think a whole lot, my best ideas come to me when am looking at fresh produce or ingredients.

Photography, styling comes later, only after the dish is prepared and I know how it looks/taste like. A lot of people think that food bloggers cook because we need to feed our blogs. Well,  I can't talk for everyone but a lot of us food bloggers, blog about food because we love the art of cooking. Blog is a means to an end. In order to sustain any interest or passion, one has to enjoy doing what they do.

Some times I do get asked if I enjoy cooking or photographing. Well, I have never been able to answer that - each one has a special place and fulfills different aspects of my personality. Cooking, recipe development is creative in its own way, it engages all your senses. Even today when I add onion in hot oil and sauté it - the sizzling sounds makes me so happy. Watching the colors of the fruits blend into one as I turn my blender on. Roasting spices and soaking the aromas…nothing quite like it.

Photography is very different, it's the play of light, the dance of light, shades and color. It's a two dimensional world that narrates the story of a multi dimensional world. Especially if it is food photography. It's a lot more thinking than doing, that makes it intense. Not everything I photograph is food and not every food I make is photographed. I love to experiment, some turn out great and some a disaster. It's all a journey of self discovery.

I think I bought a lot of cranberries and I made this, this and now a delicious cocktail.

If you want a mocktail just omit the gin and you have a cranberry lemonade or orangeade.

Liquid pan

Paan in a glass or a paanshake 

I love the gooey honey clad gulkand wrapped up in betel leaf along with everything else that goes into it. 

Before I was married, I had never tasted paan. It was not something my dad would eat or let us eat. Since we had never tasted it, we did not miss much. Back then, I did not think too highly of paan eaters, probably because by the chauraha (where four streets meet) of our house, we had a paan shop and I would always see loafers standing there, chewing paan and spitting it by the road side. I never really liked the red color it bestowed. North Indian weddings always had a paan counter, my mother would always like to take a spoon of saunf ( fennel seeds), me too. That’s all my tastebuds knew about Indian after mint. 

I think it was sometime after our engagement, my better half asked me if I wanted to eat meetha (sweet) paan after dinner. My response was a no with a hint of displeasure. That did not deter him or maybe he did not take the hint. He order a metha paan and I did take a bite which changed my entire outlook of this poor little harmless betel pocket. I was then told there are several kinds of pan and not all pans are equal.  The one that we usually order is almost like a dessert, with gulkand and some after mint and wrapped in tender betel leaves. 

Gulkand is rose petal jam made from a combination of honey and sugar. It’s aromatic and extremely delicious. 

Blueberry hibiscus chia chai

Yum

Gorgeous color and perfect drink for a lazy summer afternoon. I love the fruity flavors. 

Summer is all about lazy long days….atleast that’s the perception I had. For a stay-at-home mom that’s the best time of the year. No early morning schedules, no dropping or picking up. Not really! Summer is really the most busy time of the year, I see myself working like an ant and all the dreams I saw on winter snowy days of basking on the deck is really not happening. I feel myself chasing the next thing on the to-do list. I do have to admit I waste a lot of time browsing on Pinterest and FB. So starting last week I have started managing my time better. So far it has been working well. My dad was a great proponent of discipline, more self than imposed. It definitely boils down to that. Will keep you posted on how that goes.

Talking of stay-at-home mom I have a funny incident to narrate. A few years back I was at a friend’s place and she had invited a few people for dinner. As we were getting to know each other, I thought I hit it well with one of the other girls, till she asked me where I worked. I told her I was a  stay-at-home mom, and even before I had finished my sentence she had abandoned me for better  ‘intellectual’  company. I thought it was hilarious, I don’t think I have every felt the need to define myself or put myself in a box. It’s strange how some people are so quick to categorize you and label you. I am sure I was no use to her as a Linkedin contact….lol! We tend to run in pursuit of  who we are that we loose ourselves. I really hope my running is only about chasing my to-do list…

Watermelon, berries and orange mocktail

Super delicious and stunning mocktail, great for your bbq party or a hot summer picnic. all natural colors makes it so healthy and refreshing.

Lantana is the most unassuming flowers that you can find, but it is one of my favorites, I just love the colors. It is a wild flower, almost a weed in a tropical land like India. I remember it was everywhere when I was growing up, street corners,  by a neglected fence, ...no one really cared for it. I just loved the bright little flowers against the deep  green leaves and the multiple colors that it would have in one flower. At that time, it was not a well respected landscape annual and it was wasted in dingy corners.

A few years ago I saw it in on one the local nurseries in the US and I was so excited to bring it home. It brought back so many memories of childhood. When I was planning my lantana this year , I thought of the colors, the deep fuchsia, the orange and a hint of pink, I wanted to create a drink that resembled these colors. After a bit of thinking and experimenting, I came up with watermelon, berries and orange mocktail. All colors in the drink are natural, I almost never use artificial colors. I really worked on the gradation of color in the drink and loved the effect.

If you really do not care for the layering of colors, just mix it up and it's still a beautiful deep orange-fuchsia mix. I'll stop telling you that it is a picture heavy post, I almost always go overboard and there is no point of stating it, so this post is no exception. :)

Cardamom Coconut Horchata

Velvety,  smooth, earthy, aromatic vegan horchata. A perfect beverage for summer or winter. Add a shot of dark rum or brandy for grown-ups. Perfect beverage for  Valentine’s day dinner.  I just love the earthy aroma.

Some aromas have such strong associations. I have never made horchata but somehow the aroma of soaked rice and coconut took me to my childhood. There are many Indian recipes made from soaked rice….and something told me if dad had tasted it he would have loved it. It’s just his kind of beverage. As I was making it and taking pictures, all my childhood memories played right in front of my eyes….oh how I miss my dad and some days am consumed with memories of him. They always make me smile and cry at the same time. As I grow older I see myself turning more and more like him. I have certainly inherited his idiosyncrasies and his rigidity, am sure if my sister is reading this she will nod in consent.

Coming back to horchata, I loved the thick rich flavor. It is usually made with rice, sesame, and cinnamon. In Mexican cuisine, it is always with cinnamon. But then you travel to Ecuador and its made with the infusion of 18 spices. Lots of variations. It’s amazing to see the change in recipe from region to region. It is completely lacrosse free and is great for a vegan diet.

Here I took liberties and added an Indian twist by replacing cinnamon with cardamom. I used rice, almond, coconut, and dates to sweeten instead of sugar and added cardamom for flavoring and pistachio for garnish. It pairs so well with Indian curry.  If you are curious about the taste it is not like lassi at all, since there is no milk, the rice is very aromatic, maybe because I used basmati. It’s a gorgeous drink and flavors are fantastic. I wish I could teleport it right now….

Ayurvedic detox tea

I don’t know about you but I did over eat a lot these last two weeks. The kitchen was bustling with activity, rich curries, baked goods, exotic desserts, I  have lost count of what we ate lol ! Teen walked up to me early this morning and exclaimed, “can we just go back to our normal simple food". This was the kid who was planning to bake a pizza for dinner, she is a die hard pizza fan ( which teen is not) but I am glad she knows how to listen to her body and she knows when she needs to slow down and cleanse her system. I remember having this tea as a child, when I really needed to give my stomach a much needed break, it worked. I love the aftertaste, so refreshing, the ginger in it is a great palate cleanser. I have a lot of recipes that can help you cleanse your system, I will share a few here on this post.

Before writing up this post, I did not know what to call this drink, I knew it was an Ayurvedic preparation/decoction. When I tried and ‘goggled', I saw variations of this everywhere, am surprised it is so popular. I thought I was the only genius who knew the secret recipe to eternal youth ;) It’s called tea, am still surprised as it has no tea leaves, but I guess that is the name.

Detox for me is not a fancy diet that you follow for a month every few years, it is listening to your body, knowing what it wants to be fed. We are born with natural instincts and all we need to do is listen to it. To me detox is giving my digestive system a vacation, after heavy meals and eating lighter and cleaner.  This is a great tea/decoction for this time of the year and we have our thermos filled. Spend sometime to reflect inward and try and detox what is inside, not just the body but also your emotions, thinking, associations, it is a very rewarding process. I literally guard what I want to internalize, I do not allow negative energy to suck me. It took me a few years to detox that, unfortunately there was no chai for that, just deliberation. This is my two cents worth.