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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Pizza Hut Style Breadsticks with Dipping Sauce ~ All Homemade

Those among my readers that like to cook and experiment in the kitchen will surely agree that recreating a dish that you had somewhere just by memory and getting similar results, if not better, has that extra special kick. You get to eat what you like and can do it whenever you like without having to drive out, not to mention at a fraction of the cost. If you have followed my work, you would know I am a bread lover. Every now and then we take kiddo to our local dine-in Pizza Hut for her fix of pizza. I hit the salad bar and mostly load up on that while hubs and the little one tear open little packets of grated parmesan, sprinkle on their slice and devour it while emphatically claiming how good it was. They offer me a slice which I gladly accept. Every now and then we order a side of breadsticks as well. It would probably be no surprise to you when I say I love those. This weekend I pushed my memory a little and attempted to make them at home. Yes it a success story and a nice one at that. They came out just perfect. Light and fluffy, slightly crispy at the bottom and perfectly seasoned with cheese and spices. I had a taste and instantly knew they will be a hit. My proof came when kiddo, who never wants to eat, took one stick and walked away. Couple of minutes later she returned to the kitchen saying 'mommy can I have one more please'. I did not need to hear any more.

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Tandoori vegetable paneer pizza ~ all homemade!

love Italian food. Love eating it and love cooking it. Love the different layers, flavors complex yet simple, exotic yet rustic - flavors that have stood the test of time - just like Indian food. You can sense the rich culture and the legacy from the food. When there is a mention of Italian food the first thing that comes to mind is of course the ever-popular Pizza. You guessed it, I love Pizza... a lot. Regardless of crust or toppings - pan, hand-tossed, deep dish, Brooklyn style, thin-crust even the bread and bagel pizza :). A soft chewy bread loaded with veggies and other toppings with a generous helping of cheese! Just can't stop raving. Coming to the US, I had my first ever pizza at Pizza Hut a few years ago... and boy.. I was completely hooked :-) India - at the time - was still coming of age as far as Italian food was concerned so I'd had pizza a couple of times, but this was different. Ahh the good old days.. we used to order delivery, be total couch potatoes and sit in front of the TV for hours watching the 24 hour marathons of Law and Order.

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Easy-Cheesy Garlic Bread

here are four things right about this recipe - toasted bread, garlic, butter and of course can't go wrong with melted cheese. Those are reasons enough for me to snack on this delight every so often. The very first time that I made it though, the reason was a little different. Every time hubby would cross the frozen foods aisle in our local grocery store he would point to one of the freezers and say 'hey why don't we get that garlic bread, they are really easy to make and are a great snack'. I would always cast him off as 'you always like to buy this junk from the stores, I will make you these at home some day'. Not sure what went through his mind but poor guy never said anything. A few moons ago, that one day finally arrived and when I made these I was totally hooked myself. He said it was way better than the ones in the store and I am not the one to complain when I get a compliment like that. Yes we have passed that freezer several times since and he has never brought it up again. 

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