The Road Taken

I started writing this post over a month ago. Since then I have started and stopped quite a few times. Then I just stopped. And stared. Nothing. Then I started again, but didn't know where to take it. I wasn't sure why. Normally once I start something, anything, I stay right with it until I finish. But this one is different. Change is afoot.

Like many writers, I often grapple with how much, or how little, to expose about myself here. To you. I like to talk, I like to tell stories, I like to share. It helps me process. It helps me see. I used to be religious about writing in my journals, almost excessively some days. In a sense, this has become my journal. The big difference is there is now an audience. An audience with reactions I cannot gauge while I 'talk'. For the most part I keep things on the lighter side, but I assure you that this voice is mine and mine alone. If you met me, that would be clear within moments. This voice is more disciplined, however, and part of an identity I am able to control.

Here I tell you about me, but within the framework of food and within the realm of my kitchen, or, perhaps, someone else's kitchen. I will tell you about Fred, or Besito, or anecdotes about any number of members of my family and certainly friends that come in and out of the spotlight at any particular time. And from all of that, and the years we've known one another, I can imagine you have gleaned quite a bit about me.

I have been hinting about some big news and I'm finally ready to tell you about it. At the end of September, after twelve years in the City of Angels I will be moving back home. And by home I mean Richmond, Virginia. I will not be alone, however. My love, Fred and our pups, Besito, Eduardo and our newest addition, Byron, will all be moving together. Our little family is going to join my Richmond family and the horizon is enormous.

I am not sure if you knew this, because I know I've never told you, but I have owned a dog walking business for the past decade. It has been quite successful and very good to me. This business has been the most solid, consistent, dependable and reliable thing I have known during my life in Los Angeles.

So, at almost forty years old, I am selling my business and am moving clear across the country. To do what? I'm not entirely certain, but the idea is a lot more of this. Writing. Cooking. Eating. Food. Recipes. Pictures. With Fred.

And there you have it.

I feel a little bit naked now. But good naked.

And relieved.

One very, very fun and exciting part of all of this is the actual journey. We will be driving and taking our time. Specifically, this will be a culinary journey from California to Virginia with a huge focus on the South. In the cities where we don't know people, we hope to rely on folks we know via social media to assist us in finding our next meal, or interview, or as Fred wants to do, a place for us to cook with locals; both home and professional chefs, and in both homes and restaurants. Part of the thrill of our cross country trip is the serendipity involved. We know that we will have food adventure and discovery that we are not even aware of at this moment. The best part is that we will be documenting everything as we go along.

I hope all of you get involved. Tell us where to go and what to eat. Better yet, if our paths cross, let us meet! And cook! And eat! Let's all do this together, shall we?

And, OMG, what should our hashtag be?!

In honor of this post I thought long and hard about what dish to share with y'all. Fred suggested I make something I've never made before, in the spirit of the unknown road ahead (very Robert Frost of him). I wanted to do something that represents what is happening with food here in LA then and now, so to speak, and food that signifies where I'm from and where I'm going: The South.

I settled on what I will call a Low Country Benedict: fried green tomatoes with Smithfield ham, poached eggs and a pimiento cheese hollandaise. Oddly, I have never made fried green tomatoes. And this summer my fecund garden is bursting with tomatoes – red, yellow, orange and green. When I think of eggs Benedict I think of the LA from the eighties, think LA Story and people lingering over coffee, mimosas and bloody marys and fancy, bougie French fare wearing sunglasses, white linen and big hats. That said, southern food is so, so, very, very en vogue here in LA (and everywhere) right now. Think Willie Jane and The Hart and the Hunter's entire menu, , A-Frame's fried chicken picnic, Son of a Gun's pimiento cheese with Ritz crackers,Lucques' annual rib-fest, everyone's deviled eggs, and so on. And perhaps most obviously, fried green tomatoes are, and have been for quite some time, very prominent in the south.

And so without further ado...

Fried Green Tomato Benedict with Smithfield Ham & Pimiento Cheese Hollandaise

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

4 thin slices of Smithfield ham

2 tablespoons chopped chives, for garnish

4 eggs

2 teaspoons white or rice vinegar

4 large slices of fried green tomatoes

Salt & freshly cracked pepper

Pimiento Cheese Hollandaise

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

4 egg yolks

1 tablespoon lemon juice

4 teaspoons powdered cheddar cheese (found in your standard mac n' cheese package)

1 4 ounce jar of pimientos, chopped

Dash of cayenne or tabasco

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Salt to taste

Directions

Start with the fried green tomatoes. Recipe below. Once they're cooked, keep them in the oven on warm until you're ready to assemble the dish.

Next bring a large saucepan two-thirds-filled with water to a boil, then add the vinegar. Bring the water to a boil again, then lower the heat to a bare simmer.

Make the pimiento cheese hollandaise. Vigorously whisk together egg yolks and lemon juice in a stainless steel bowl until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume. Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler); the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. Remove from heat, whisk in powdered cheese a teaspoon at a time, Worcestershire sauce and cayenne. Stir in the pimientos. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use for the eggs Benedict. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving. Salt to taste

Poach the eggs. Here is  an easy method for poaching eggs. Essentially, working one egg at a time, crack an egg into a small bowl and slip into the barely simmering water. Once it begins to solidify, slip in another egg, until you have all four cooking. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let sit for 4 minutes. (Remember which egg went in first, you'll want to take it out first.) When it comes time to remove the eggs, gently lift out with a slotted spoon. Note that the timing is a little variable on the eggs, depending on the size of your pan, how much water, how many eggs, and how runny you like them. You might have to experiment a little with your set-up to figure out what you need to do to get the eggs exactly the way you like them.

Gently remove the eggs from the poaching water and set in a bowl. 

To assemble the eggs Benedict, put two fried green tomatoes on each plate and top each with a thin slice of Smithfield ham. You can trim the ham to fit the tomato if you’d like. Put a poached egg on top of the ham, pour hollandaise over. Top with sprinkles of chives and fresh cracked black pepper. Serve at once.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients

1  large egg, lightly beaten  

1/2 cup  buttermilk

1/2 cup  all-purpose flour, divided

1/2 cup  cornmeal

1 teaspoon  salt

1/2 teaspoon  pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3  medium-size green tomatoes, cut into 1/3-inch slices

Vegetable oil

Bacon drippings

Salt to taste

Directions

Combine egg and buttermilk; set aside.

Combine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, red pepper flakes, and pepper in a shallow bowl or pan.

Dredge tomato slices in remaining 1/4 cup flour; dip in egg mixture, and dredge in cornmeal mixture.

Pour oil/bacon dripping to a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch in a large cast-iron skillet; heat to 375°. Drop tomatoes, in batches, into hot oil, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels or a rack. Sprinkle hot tomatoes with salt.

Sausage, Egg Fontina Cheese Pizza

I feel bad. Maybe you haven’t noticed, or maybe it’s not a big deal, but I feel bad for being kind of absent lately. For the past couple of months a lot of things have been in flux. It’s felt a little bit like a deck of cards tossed up in the air. And some haven’t even hit the ground yet. But everything is all good, mind you. 

You all know Maggie, my dear friend and roommate of two years? She recently moved out. She found a magical, little spot all her own. Don't worry, she didn't go too far. In fact, we have plans to kick back with some wine at her new place tomorrow night.

Alas, you know how it go – Ch, ch, ch, ch, changes.

In the midst of Maggie’s move, my birthday happened. It was a fun one. Fred and I went to Los Olivos (and places surrounding) for the better part of the weekend, explored, went to wine tastings, had a beautiful dinner, and embraced the drive both up and back. I got some beautiful and touching cards and some wonderful gifts. Surprisingly, I actually received a couple of pretty extravagant gifts. One of these was from my dad. He called me and told me he wanted me to have a gas grill. The wording here is important: he wanted me to have. I already have a charcoal grill that I have been perfectly happy with for years. I had no idea I wanted or needed a gas grill. Dad’s logic was that, with a gas grill, I could use it like an oven and wouldn’t even have to heat up the kitchen. I guess in the Summer in the South that is a huge plus.

Dad seemed very enthusiastic about his gift idea (it reminded me of the time I was thirteen years old and he was brimming with excitement to give me the surprise gift of, wait for it… a plant), and I get it. It’s fun to give a gift. It’s rewarding. And when you think you’ve drummed up the best gift idea ever, it’s downright titillating. I’ve often felt it more fun to give gifts than to receive them. I guess that all depends on the gift going in either direction, though.

And so, after an arduoulsy involved process, I brought home my shiny, new gas grill. Dad insisted I get a Weber. He has one and he loves it. He told me, “I’ve had dozens of gas grills and this one is the best.” So that’s what I got.

This was about two or three weeks ago, and ever since the first day we put it on the patio, Fred (who was captivated by the idea from the get go) and I have done some thing or another with the grill almost every day: steaks (two or three times), BBQ chicken, mojo chicken wings (courtesy of Erika at Lindy & Grundy), vegetables, salmon, veggie burgers, meaty burgers, sausages, lamb chops, onions, a pork tenderloin. More than once I’ve sparked it up just to grill a zucchini or a sausage to use in a separate dish. And tonight we are going to grill oysters! I must admit, I love it and it is tons of fun – Thanks, Dad! Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about my little charcoal grill still which sits proudly on the patio, right next to The Monolith.

The most interesting thing we’ve been doing on the grill, and the most frequent – hell, and the most fun – has been pizzas. We have now made pizzas four different times, with a number of different kinds of pizzas each night. This past weekend we made four pizzas: a breakfast pizza with sausage egg and cheese, a classic pizza Margherita (but with purple basil instead of green (pictured above)), a dessert pizza with grilled peaches, mascarpone, mint and honey (not pictured) and Fred’s wild card pizza with grilled corn, salsa, cilantro, onions, bacon and Cotija cheese (pictured at top). They were all fantastic except for the dessert pizza. A - we didn’t think it through completely and the mascarpone turned into liquid and B – grilled fruit is going to make me hesitant because it just does. But I loved the idea of breakfast, dinner and dessert pizzas, all in a row. My favorite of all of our pizzas was the 'breakfast pizza'.

And so, my dear dad ended up giving me a pretty rad gift. And one I didn’t even realize I would want at the time. And I can’t even imagine all the amazing meals that lie ahead in the years that I will have my grill. So much better than a plant.

And with this, things are settling. New colors and shapes and people and sounds. 

You all know Fred? Well, pretty soon he’ll be moving in. The grill, Maggie, Fred…

Strange fascination, fascinating me.

Ah, changes are taking the pace I’m going through.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes.

Sausage, Egg & Fontina Cheese Pizza

Makes 8 slices

What you need/what we used:

Pizza dough: make your own or use prepared pizza dough. In full disclosure, we used the prepared stuff from Trader Joe's = Not. Too. Shabby.

1-1 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes, cooked down with olive oil, basil, salt & garlic

1 1/2 cup grated Fontina cheese

1-2 grilled Andouille sausage(s), sliced

2-4 eggs (entirely depending on your eggy wantonness)

Salt & pepper

What you do/what we did:

Prepare the grill for high direct heat. If using a gas grill, preheat for 10 minutes until the temperature is between 550 and 600 degrees. Prepare a small bowl with olive oil for greasing the grill grates and for brushing the pizza. Prepare the toppings so they are ready to go on the pizza - tomato sauce, cheese, and anything else you wish.

Shape the pizza dough by flattening it with your hands on a slightly floured surface. Either use your fingers to stretch the dough out, or hold up the edges of the dough with your fingers, letting the dough hang and stretch, while working around the edges of the dough. Once you've stretched the dough, let it sit for 5 minutes and then push out the edges with your fingers again, until you have a nice round shape, about 12-inches in diameter. Do not make a raised rim, it will interfere with the grilling process.

Note that if you are preparing the pizza dough for a party, you can make several pizza dough rounds, stack them separated by parchment paper, and keep them in the refrigerator for up to two hours before cooking.

Once the grill is hot (you can hold your hands an inch over the grates for no more than 2 seconds), dip a tightly folded up paper towel in olive oil and use tongs to wipe the grill grates. Then place a pizza dough round on a lightly floured (or you can use cornmeal) pizza stone (or rimless cookie sheet). Let the dough slide off the stone onto the hot grill grates. Close the lid of the grill and let cook for 2 minutes.

After 2 minutes, open the grill and check underneath the dough to see if it is getting browned. If it is on one side, but not another, use a spatula or tongs to rotate the dough 90 degrees and cook for another minute. If it is not beginning to brown, cover the grill and continue to cook a minute at a time until the bottom has begun to brown. It should only take a couple minutes if you have a hot grill. The top of the pizza dough will start bubbling up with air pockets which you should stab and pop - gently.

Once the pizza dough has browned lightly on one side, use a spatula to flip the dough over so that the grilled side is now up. 

Paint the grilled surface of the pizza with a little olive oil, then cover with 1 ladle of sauce – no more, or you'll end up with a soggy pizza. Sprinkle on your grated Fontina cheese, slices of grilled sausage and, finally crack the eggs on top. Remember to go light on the toppings, or your pizza will be heavy and soggy.

Slide the topped pizza back onto the grill. If you are using a gas grill, reduce the heat to medium. If working with a charcoal grill, close the vents on the cover almost all the way. Close the lid and continue cooking. After 2-3 minutes open the lid to check the egg and the bottom of the crust. You want the whites just cooked through and the yolk soft. If the grill marks start to get too dark before the eggs is done, lower the heat some more and rotate the pizza 90 degrees. Check every 2 minutes until the eggs is done and and the cheese is bubbly, pull off the grate with a spatula onto a cutting board or other flat surface and let rest for a couple minutes before cutting into slices.

Salt & pepper that bad boy, slice and serve!

Tags:Sausage,Egg,Fontina,Cheese,Pizza

Sauteed Garlic Herb Mushrooms

When you are either learning the basics of cooking or have been at it for a while, being asked to create a dish from memory is always challenging and tricky. The challenge increases multiple fold when it has to be from someone else's memory. Yes that is the story behind this dish. This other day when I made pizza - which I have several times - hubs somehow decided to take a trip down the memory lane. He began describing how when he was in India, they had opened a brand new Pizza Hut in his city, one of the very first ones in the entire country in those times. He of course had paid a visit to eat a veggie pizza that as he describes cost an arm and a leg. The one thing they brought with the pizza was a sampler of sauteed garlic mushrooms on the house. The pizza was great, he goes on, but the taste of the mushrooms stuck with him. Of course I took the hint, asked him a few questions on what more he remembered of what it looked like, and tried it. Yes he said these were better than the ones he had way back when. What a relief!

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Paneer-Matar Paratha

In case you missed my Aloo-matar paratha from a few moons ago, this paratha is similar only better, in that it has paneer - my favorite ingredient. I have sung praises of the stuffed bread or paratha in that post so pay a visit if you are super interested! Also I described how tricky it can be for first timer and takes a little practice to get it right. Anyway, addition of Paneer gives this stuffed paratha the added soft texture as well a mildly creamy taste along with the kick of the spiced up peas. This paratha is perfect for those times when you feel like eating a yummy bread and don't really want to deal with making accompaniments. Just enjoy with some spicy Indian pickle, a simple raita or heck even ketchup.

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Tags:Paneer-Matar Paratha

Vegetable Pizza Pull Apart Bread

Doesn't this bread just look just worth drooling over. For me at least I have seen this made by several folks and have wanted to make it for a while now. Funny thing is - I actually have. This is probably the third time around that I am making this but it was only this time that I actually got around to be able to hold everyone off till I took the pictures! A perfect snack (or even lunch) for bread lovers and a great crowd pleaser, this bread not just looks great itself, it will make you look good too. Slicing the bread just right takes some patience. Too deep a cut with make the bread fall apart and too little will not allow for enough filling. Filling it with veggie mixture needs some patience as well but tell you what, in the end it is all very well worth it. So pull away!

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Hot Cheesy Spinach Dip with Garlic Toast

Its snack time at USMasala again. And talking about snack time, it is just in time for the weekend to gather around your big flat screen with your favorite people and favorite snacks and just have a good time. Now I don't claim to be a big fan of the game, heck I barely know how it is played. I am still at heart the good old girl from that part of the world that lives and breathes a good game of Cricket. But watching a great game with family and friends gathered around definitely brings back some vivid memories. Just remember to handle this ever popular dip with care. It comes out of the oven really hot and just so flavorful and yummy with all that creamy spinach goodness ready to be scooped up with your favorite chip or a nice crunchy garlic toast that if you got too much into the game you might be scraping the bottom of the bowl - no pun intended.
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Grilled caprese cheese sandwich!

Wish all my readers and fans a very Happy New Year 2013.
If you have followed my endless rants about my love for paneer and nutella this recipe is about the one other thing I totally can eat in any which way - the humble bread. This sandwich is the favorite form in which I like it too. Two slices from my favorite Italian bread or French baguette smothered with extra virgin olive oil with a slice of fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil sandwiched within, made slightly crisp on a pan  - just enough for the mozzarella to melt and start oozing. Yum is all I can say.
I have another similar recipe here which is done more in a panini style. This is done like more of a sandwich.

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Veggie Pizza muffins!

he story behind these muffins is basically about how you sometimes get a crazy idea and the idea just makes you get up from the chair and go try it out. Well sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. You get to hear about the times that it does :)
In retrospect, here's what I think went through my head - I feel like baking muffins, I am not a big fan of sweet ones so they have to be savory, any old flavoring? Been there, done that - how about infuse pizza flavors in a savory muffin - get up from the chair.
Yes they turned out great. Ideal for a late afternoon snack. Just dip in some marinara on the side and off you go.

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Jalepeño Popper Dip

hat does one do when one is in the middle of a very interesting book and has this sudden urge of having something to munch on. No its not that I got distracted, its more like the way popcorn makes a movie better. For me that urge more specifically translates to some spicy dip with some chips? These cravings often show up uninvited especially when it is still not dinner time and its been a little bit since you had lunch, say around 5'ish in the evening. Ring a bell anyone?
Now dip'n chip! Hmmm... but what kind, my mind went almost half thinking about it. Something inside me suggested I seriously continue reading, it was too much work to get up an look for food, moreover I wouldn't find anything ready to eat in the refrigerator anyway (yeah I tend to not stock up on read-to-eat stuff). Yes I did finally get up, opened my good old refrigerator and scanned it through. I was right, there was nothing in there that I could pop the top of, peel the plastic cover and dip right in. Yeah I don't always feel like cooking..lol.. The book was still calling me back. It was then I discovered a jar of pickled jalapeños, some cream cheese... this can work I went... in fact I might've even said it out loud, quickly consulted my dear friend 'Google', typed jalepeno cheese dip and ta-da... found this recipe. I improvised according to the ingredients available that time in my refrigerator and pantry (I had no cheese except some low fat string cheese, no canned chillies, no fresh jalepenos and so on). The result was a spicy, cheesy delicious, addictive and still a very healthy dip! I had to click and post it - so here it is.

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Garlic pull apart bread

f you have known me at all over the last almost two years, you would know that among the few things that I totally love in any form, bread is definitely high up in the list. This bread was on my radar for a while just waiting for the right moment. So when I ran into the perfect recipe I just got to making it. Most of us love garlic bread. Yes I know you wait for those rolls to show up when dining out in an Italian restaurant. Those half-dozen that show up just after you've placed your order and just when you are munching on the last one, knowing well that your food is about to show up, you think twice whether you should ask for more, decide to hold back but ask for another set anyway. If that sounds familiar, you will love this bread. The added charm is that they are not just any garlic bread. Of course the intense garlic flavor with a hint of fine parmesan over a crusty yet soft bread is all there, but add to that the fact that they are a mosaic of randomly set rolls all neatly shaped up into a bundt. But wait there's more. When you see the bundt and as you admire the mosaic, just as you wonder on how to dig into it, you almost involuntarily grab a piece and pull on it and voila that's when you realize why this bread has 'pull-apart' in its name. Looks even better with a piece missing, doesn't it.

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Roasted Curried Butternut Walnut Soup with Spicy Cheese Straws

uickly browsing through my recipe categories, you will realize that I am not much of a soup person. There are very few kinds, actually only a couple, that I would even allow myself to taste and that too made at specific places or by specific people. This soup is one of them. My first encounter with butternut squash was aboard a Caribbean cruise liner out in the middle of that vast blue spread of the Atlantic. It was an acquired taste. Hubby tells me I made a sorry face when I first tasted it but the expression soon changed with the second and third sips. Very seldom happens to me. I either like something or I don't. Things don't normally 'grow' on me, but this was different. Having remembered seeing butternut squash on the shelves of the grocery stores, yes of course I decided I would try it at home. 

Since then this soup has been either a part of the entire dinner for us on several occasions. I normally accompany it with some salad and bread toasts or these cheese straws using puff pastry sheets - the supermarket wonder. Of course the cheese sticks are a winner combo so I picked them for the post here. A savory, spicy, cheesy crunch is all you need to clean your palate when enjoying this hearty soup. A few touches that I prefer with this soup is I like the version with the squash roasted better. Also I add some Indian masalas and some walnuts for that spicy nutty taste. Regardless of the twists and the masalas, each time I make this soup, the fond memories of the cruise vacation still pass my mind and I feel myself seated on the deck looking at the vast blue nothingness with the breeze in my hair sipping slowly from a hot bowl.

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Baked Bell Pepper Cheese Pulao/Rice

ot much of a story this time to relate about this dish except the fact that I love one pot meals. They are easy, convenient, nutritious and well liked, what else could you ask for. One fine evening when thinking about dinner I really wanted to make a one pot meal but with a twist. So I figured how about rice with cheese. And it turned out to be great. So if you love your rice and your cheese, here is a simple yet extremely flavorful one pot meal for you.

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Braided Bread with Paneer Stuffing

Welcome back friends to the start of a brand new year. Yes of course the holidays are over :( but then again 2011 fills me with enthusiasm and hope, all 365 days worth of it!

The mercury is steadily dipping and in the past couple of weeks we've seen some of the coldest weather in my few years in this part of the world... but I'm not complaining... totally loving it sipping hot coffee, getting to wear all the winter gear which have been bought and boxed up for a while, being lazy, cooking only occasionally and enjoyed the holidays to the fullest with family.
Now, coming back to the kitchen, there’s something about baking bread that gives me a high. And when I bake one, my fingers itch to make another one. I still jump for joy when I watch the dough rise, as I did the very first time.
There are hundreds of temptations all over the web that keeps me motivated to bake a new and different kind every time. I have been eying this beautiful braided bread for sometime now and finally tried it this weekend. I was a bit unsure as to how it would turn out, but was not in the least bit disappointed. Of course, I still have got a long long way to go and I don't claim to be a bread baking veteran but I do enjoy my little experiments now and then. My family adores them all… and I graciously take all the compliments :)
My brother is visiting us for the holidays and he was totally *wowed* by what he called one of my masterpieces straight out of an upscale bakery! lol... (he is still getting over the fact that his sis can cook ha-ha)... we had it fresh out of the oven and later pan toasted with some butter and the the whole big loaf was finished in no time... when that happens, I know it was good for sure... loved it!!

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Mushroom Truffle Pizza with Arugula

After Mr. Yeast became my friend and successfully baking some basic dishes, of course Pizza came to mind. Then I got the dough right. Since then pizza has been a regular in our home. I have tried different kinds ranging from you regular veggie, cheese, chocolate to even an Indian Paneer Tikka version. Pizza has always kept me curious of what you can do with it.

A few months back hubby had to go to Canada on a business trip. He extended his trip by a couple of days and we decided to make a vacation out of it and we all went as a family. One evening in Ottawa city we were looking for a place for dinner... anything besides Indian. Don't get me wrong, Canada has some of the best Indian food, arguably better than you find here in the States, its just that we'd had it a couple of nights in a row already. As we walked around the quaint little marketplace, stopping by the entrance of every restaurant and reading the menu posted on the door (and rejecting them as they did not serve any vegetarian dishes besides maybe a salad) we found this pizza place. They had this mushroom truffle pizza. We asked the waitress if it had any meat in it and ordered it. They had it simply as a pizza with a spread of a mushroom pesto made in truffle oil (I made it slightly different as you'll see in this recipe).  That was our first introduction to truffles and let me tell you if you have never had truffles, I bet it will change your list of the top few things you have ever eaten.

That pizza has since been stuck in my head. The other day I found this coveted little bottle of truffle oil in our local farmer's market. Hubby was like 'You sure you got the right thing, you can't have a five ounce bottle cost thirty five bucks!' Deep down I knew he was lucky I wasn't asking him to buy me the real truffles :) I haven't had the pleasure of having them but have heard a couple of them could cost you upwards of a grand! Anyway, the oil worked best for my budget and worked it sure did... a few drops of it changed the 'Mushroom pizza' to a 'Mushroom truffle pizza'. Can you not tell the difference just from the name!

He ate the pizza I made that evening. He hasn't complained about it since.

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Easy cheesy stuffed peppers

Hubby makes a killer eggplant bharta. Why the mention of eggplant bharta in the stuffed pepper recipe, you ask? It is because this one time he decided to use these anaheim peppers in his bharta and that is when I got the idea that these peppers will be absolutely fabulous when stuffed. I will definitely post his eggplant bharta sometime soon but for now here is the recipe for the stuffed peppers. They are anaheim peppers (you could use practically any 'stuffable' ones) stuffed with a spicy potato cheese filling and baked to a perfect crust. They are perfect as appetizers or as a side to a nice homey rice daal meal (or anything else you like).
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Pasta with sun dried tomato pesto zucchini and mushroom

hen it comes to eating her dinner, there is only a very few combinations that my 3 year old princess will eat without any fuss. Among those few, the combination of pasta, mushrooms and ketchup tops her charts. She will eat this without having to remind her over and over to pick up the fork. Let me also tell you that she has a very sophisticated palate :) and doesn't like anything that is make 'kids style'. Believe me or not, she prefers the spicy Haldiram bhujia over MacDonald's fries (yes that's right)... her pasta needs to have spices and veggies... you get the idea. Here's a recipe for a pasta dish that I had made once when I had guests over. The guests loved it and to our pleasant surprise, our little one gobbled the leftovers up.
So without any further ado, especially for all you moms out there, here is the recipe.

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Vegetable pot pie

Pot pies are very fuss free, easy breezy, scrumptious, very pretty and elegant looking meals with which you can always impress your guests. They are a wonderful treat for oneself too. A pot pie is basically a savory, cheesy pie filling baked in a pot with a flaky top crust. Chicken pot pies are more famous and are more readily available, but that doesn't mean us vegetarians should be deprived of this delicacy. So here goes my recipe for veg pot pie.

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French bread pizza

rench bread pizzas are super fast and really easy to make and extremely versatile. You can make them with whatever ingredients/leftovers you have at hand..(have made them using aloo gobhi and baingan bharta :-) It is also a good use for any leftover bread that you may have.

My hubs in his bachelor days used to often eat the frozen ones from the supermarket. He showed me once while we were in the local grocery and I went "huh! that should be easy to make".. tried it and liked it. I make it on weeknights sometimes when we crave for pizza and am not in a mood to make everything from scratch or order a take out. It can also be served as a snack for small get togethers, just cut them into smaller pieces, stick a toothpick in and enjoy the compliments.

Here's how i make it..

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Cheesy pesto Panini with tomato

Panini is one of my most favorite sandwiches. It is basically a delicious Italian grilled cheese sandwich, fast, fun, easy and elegant. Good for a last minute dinner, lunch, weekend brunch and anytime in between. I had my first panini at our local Italian restaurant a few years back and it was love at first bite :) There is something just so comforting about grilled cheese with crispy bread... no one can resist these.
It's very versatile as far as ingredients you can use. Can be made with different cheeses, bread and vegetables and meats. I have tried making different versions at home and they have always been a big hit. Here I am giving my version of tomato and mozzarella panini with basil walnut pesto. Giada makes this often on her food network show, that is where this dish is inspired from with my own little twists.

Traditionally they are made in a panini maker/press, but I make them in a cast iron grill pan on stove top and they turn out just as good. But if you have a panini maker, go ahead and use that. Here's how I make this.

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Eggplant Parmesan

I got introduced to this well known Italian delicacy a few years ago by my dear hubby during our post-engagement and pre-marriage long distance phone conversations :-) Him being a vegetarian.. living here in the US, he used to search for vegetarian food, everywhere. He used to survive on salad and baked potatoes :-( Then one day while in costco he found a packet of this in the frozen section, tried it and loved it. It was a double bonus for him as first it was vegetarian of course but the best part was it consisted eggplant which he is addicted to. One day during our chit chat I asked him what he had for dinner and he said baingan and cheese... and I went eww..!! :-)

Then after coming here one day he made these (frozen one) for dinner... and I liked it. It was different but good. To impress him I tried making it at home and it was a disaster.. runny sauce, raw eggplants and rubbery cheese. You name it everything went wrong. I promised to myself to never attempt making this again... ever. But then never say never and I tried again and again till I got to this recipe, and now he says this is one of the best he has eaten.

I cannot say this is the authentic recipe but this my version, a healthier and easy way. Instead of deep frying the eggplants, I bake them in the oven and use store bought or home made marinara sauce (see notes) for the sauce. Do give it a try and let me know how it came out. Here's what you need.

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