Ammalu’s Kitchen

Gifts Galore and Mango Bread

This gift came almost 3 weeks after my birthday but it really made my year, So much love, so much affection… I am truly flattered by this special gift from a special person. Thank you dear friend, I have no words to express how much this means to me. I received this huge package of a Romertomf clay baker and 2 books , The soul of a new cuisine by Marcus Samuelsson and Jill O’ Connor’s Sticky , Chewy , Messy, Gooey plus a whole load of different spice blends from World Market , Soba and Udon noodle packets. This was an unexpected gift and this time I really was jumping all over the house

A Merry Berry Meal

I am a self confessed sky gazer or a ceiling gazer, especially after a long needed vacation. I’d be dreaming about life if I lived there.. which is practically not possible , Hey , but isnt there a saying ” Dare to Dream ?”

So , yesterday was one of those days when I was gazing at the ceiling ( its too hot to sky gaze) and forgot all about lunch. At noon a phone call from Yamuna shattered my dreams about winning a lottery and buying a million dollar home , atop a mountain … sigh!… Reality struck and hunger pangs increased when an almost empty refrigerator and kitchen stared at my face. All I had was a box of strawberries . With Yamuna , my best pal since 3rd grade, I really cant afford to take chances by hanging up and facing her wrath . Multi tasking was the key. I made this wonderful salad , ate half of it first , took pictures , chilled it for a while and then had a second helping to satiate myself. I realized chilling it makes a lot of difference… And all this while talking to her.

Granola Revisited

I am always on the search for quick recipes, meals for a breakfast. As much as I can cook an elaborate meal, I really dont like to work hard in the kitchen for breakfast. I hated honey bunch of oats , the moment I had my first taste of cereal. Being a “pakka desi” as my husband puts it across, I was someone couldn’t adapt to the american breakfast of cereal and orange juice for a long time and clung to the Indian way of living for a long long time. It took a while to wake up open my eyes and look around adapt to the good of this diverse culture and enjoy the best of both worlds. Though my food and my blog focus mostly on Indian food, I enjoy various other cuisines with the same eagerness and gusto.

Yellow!!!

My thoughts and prayers are always with you Bri. We are glad that the contributions have come faster than expected. I send this wonderful Lemon and Honey Tart to Jugalbandi and pray for your well being. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Nupur’s Laadi Pav and Pav Bhaji

I dread making breads , somehow , I am judgmental about myself when it comes to breads, I simply cant picture myself doing it or believing I can do it. I almost settled on this before I blew out some air , decided to risk my day in the kitchen and took up the challenge and thankfully succeeded in making Nupur’s Laadi Paav. I am happy that I tried . It has been an icebreaker for me .