Akshayapaatram

Spring Barley Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:22:00 +0000

Hello Foodies, It feels like spring and summer are fighting it out right now on who gets to stay. We had a few good days in between and then it was rain and cooler temps for a week. But a visit to the farmers market confirms that the veggies got their memo. The farm stands were either a lush green or filled with pops of color showing off nature at its best. My brunch if I go to the farmers...

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Color Splash - Farmers Market

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Sat, 11 May 2013 18:08:00 +0000

Dear Foodies, These are a few photos I took with my phone while walking around the Saturday morning market in Little Italy. This is one of the larger farmer's markets in San Diego county with a great selection of fresh and artisanal products. Just sampling the produce and snacks ends up being my brunch for the day :) I went back home with a bunch of these carrots and roasted them whole...

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Tofu Veggie Hash

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 06:24:00 +0000

Hello Foodies, I got through two books in two days this weekend. And I got 4 more from the library to read over the next few weeks. I go through these phases where I pick one hobby and do one project after another, crocheting, sewing, photography or reading. Its been a while since I picked up a good book and read it in one sitting. I have a hard time picking books, if I don't like the...

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Spread the Bounty

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 06:25:00 +0000

Hello foodies, The final haul from one of our trips. And this was just half of it! We ran out of buckets and had to empty the fruit into a trunk of a van to be hauled out. Orange, blood orange, grapefruit, kumquats, tangerines, lemons, Meyer lemons, pomelos. Nope, this was not a pick your own farm loot :) The last few weeks I've been spending my Saturday mornings volunteering for...

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Fennel Salad with Chaat Masala

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 03:14:00 +0000

Dear foodies, This year is in a rush to get done. I planned to share this recipe in early January and now we are into March already. So let me get to it right away - this is the best salad I've made, ever. It was only after I came to San Diego that I started noticing fennel bulbs in produce aisles almost all through the year. I love flavor of fennel seeds (saunf), specially in the form of...

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Tips & Tricks | Baking Tools & Ingredients

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 07:19:00 +0000

Dear Foodies, I've started a small tradition over the last few years. Each year, around Christmas I bake sweet treats and mail them to some of my dear friends. It started as a one time thing to try some of the recipes I had bookmarked. The joy it brought to them and in return to me was so enriching that I now look forward to it each year. But I am no baker, even after multiple batches of...

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Simple meals | Orecchiette in Arrabbiata sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 08:12:00 +0000

Dear Foodies, I try to cook almost everyday since time in the kitchen helps me unwind and relax. Keeping track of what ingredient goes next, what needs to be washed, chopped, grated, pureed...enough salt ? spice ? With all that happening there's no choice but to throw out all of the days worries. At the end of it all there is a nice meal to enjoy as well, so its a win-win. That does not...

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Home-made Extracts

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 07:19:00 +0000

Dear Foodies, Its December already and a year has flown by with its share of ups and downs. This space has also seen the ebb and flow of posts coming its way(or not!). Driving home from work today I almost contemplated closing this blog given the erratic updates. But something in me couldn't fathom not being able to log in and pen down my thoughts and recipes here. Its been over...

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Friday Frames | Treasure Hunt

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 07:01:00 +0000

Dear Foodies, Under the gorgeous pinkish red skin are delicious, juicy Lychees I'd hoard these like chipmunks do acorns if I could! If you can still find them at the store, grab a few bags. third eye ? Don't these look gorgeous! Rambutans taste just as stunning as the look ( but I like lychees more) Both these fruits are a perfect summer treat. Its nature's way of giving us a...

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Dondakaya Nuvvula Kura| Ivy Gourd with Sesame Seeds Powder

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 05:13:00 +0000

Dear Foodies, I've written about ivy gourd being one of my favorite veggies in the past and how I'm trying to make up for all the lost opportunities to enjoy this dish. But looking at the recipes list I found just one recipe for it and was surprised they weren't more. The fast is I rarely find fresh, tender ivy gourd here and when I do I gravitate towards my mother's way of cooking them....

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Sprouted Quinoa & Oats Granola

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 20:03:00 +0000

Dear foodies, My blog seems to be a on health kick and I don't want to break its stride. We've covered a few salads but lets focus on the first meal of the day - breakfast. I've tried numerous cereals and still haven't found the one. Winters are easy, all I need is a warm bowl of oatmeal with some dry fruits on top and I'm happy. But the rest of the year is a mash up of many different...

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Thai Black Rice Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Dear Foodies, My pantry is bursting at its seams and I've lost count of stuff I've collected over the last few weeks months years. I love bulk bins. They are good to buy ingredients in smaller quantities but I end up buying a little of everything :( I make these big plans of trying out a recipe but by the time I get home the plan is forgotten and sadly, so are the ingredients in...

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Friday Frames | Fruit Royalty

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Dear foodies, Weeks seem to be passing by so quick and it's time for another post for my Friday Frames series. This week features another gorgeous jewel - Jackfruit. The golden hue makes them look divine The art of stringing words together to form stories seems to be escaping me these days so I'm taking refuge behind photographs and letting them weave a story of their own. I find...

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Friday Frames | Summer Colors

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 07:30:00 +0000

Dear Foodies, Don't you love that yellow ? It's a piece of sunshine you can hold in your palm Jewel colored radishes, almost too pretty to eat, almost... With nature doing all the work for us, I only did the assembling. No cooking needed. I got a huge bunch of basil and made pesto with a punch of lemon zest. This platter is my very poor interpretation of a veggie sampler plate I...

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Summer Spinach, Strawberry & Quinoa Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 03:01:00 +0000

Hello Foodies, If not from the heat (!), the produce in the market has surely announced the arrival of Summer. When the temperatures soar there is nothing more refreshing than a bite of juicy strawberry or watermelon. Lucky for me there's a huge strawberry farm close to where I work and the berries there are the best. The center of the berries are filled with sweet juices that fill your...

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Friday Frames | of Seeds and Pods

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 21:36:00 +0000

Hello foodies, A weekends back, as I was organizing my kitchen pantry I decided to sprout a few of the everyday seeds I use and see what comes up. Here's a glimpse of a few surprises.... Kalonji - Onion flowers ?! Mustard pods! I had never given mustard seeds a thought, did not think about how they are grown or harvested. Did you know they grow just like peas in a pod ? After...

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Happy Ugadi

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 05:54:00 +0000

Dear Foodies, Nandana Nama Samvatsara Ugadi Subhakankshalu Ugadi pachadi - jaggery, tamarind, salt, chilli powder, green mango/tart green apple, neem flowers/ground fenugreek (methi) seeds Wish all of you a Happy Ugadi | Gudi Padwa or Happy Friday! No festivity is complete without a pulihara - Nimmakaya/Lemon Pulihara, Dhadhojanam & Potato Bajji's Sweet Treats to consider...

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Spring is here! | Flower Fields

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 05:47:00 +0000

Dear foodies, -Carlsbad Flower Fields I wish I could sit sleep here all day... Happy Spring!

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Vegetable & Quinoa Cakes | Guest post for Anu @ Truth Personified

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 21:32:00 +0000

Dear Foodies, The last few weeks have been overcast and the temperatures have been lower than usual. Cloudy skies and rain conjure up the need to wrap your hands around a warm cup of tea and crispy, crunchy snack to go with it. I've been on a quinoa cooking spree lately and trying to use it in as many recipes as possible. This recipe is a result of one such attempt that turned out to...

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Baingan ka Bartha - Smoky & Spicy Eggplant Mash

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 10:22:00 +0000

Dear Foodies, Here is another recipe featuring the King of vegetables and with that it makes its second appearance on this blog (here is the first!). Over the last two years I've slowly but steadily tried to get past my dislike for this veggie by trying various recipes with it. The latest favorite is this spicy, smoky version that is almost mandatory on most Indian restaurant menus. It...

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Bread Upma

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:00:00 +0000

Dear foodies, Weekday mornings are a rush to get out of the house with breakfast being a speed bump in the process. Weekends on the other hand are days when I relax and cook a leisurely breakfast which more often that not ends up being brunch if we are lucky or a very late lunch. The food typically served for breakfast/tiffin in India are some of my all time favorite foods. Indians...

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Spicy Basil & Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:04:00 +0000

Dear foodies, Pesto is one of the reasons I'm in love with Italian cuisine. A dollop of this green concoction has the ability to lift a mundane dish to something sensational. It could be pasta, a slice of fresh toasted bread, puff pastry, or roasted veggies, everything it touches is golden. The jar bought stuff doesn't even come close to the potency of fresh pesto. I also like using basil...

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Friday Frames | Homemade

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Dear Foodies, these perfectly sized jars are waiting to be filled up Red & Green Thai chillies, garlic, galangal, lemon grass, shallots & lime leaves - no points for guessing where I'm headed!

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Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Thyme & Roasted Garlic

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:39:00 +0000

Dear foodies, I hope all of you had a great start on 2012 after a fabulous holiday season. I think I'm ready to face the challenges and joy that the year ahead has in store. When a new year comes around it feels like we have a clean slate to begin with and mistakes of the past can be set right. There is a sense of rejuvenation and the want to do good and be good. Have you made any...

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Cookies Galore - Sweet, Salty & Spicy!

noreply@blogger.com (Priya V) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 08:32:00 +0000

Dear Foodies, Is your baking done, kitchen cleaned, gifts wrapped & mailed ? Sigh! My kitchen counters are still covered in flour, sticks of butter softening and the to-do list has a few more pending things on it. Since this is the one time I take up baking I try as many recipes as I can and there's just soooo many tempting treats popping up all over. It's extremely difficult to stop...

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