Wishing All Diwali Greetings

There's always something warm and bright, 

about this time of the year.

When everything has a special glow, 

and hearts are full of cheer. 

This special greeting comes your way, to wish you all of life's best on Diwali and in the coming year, too!

I am grateful that I was able to spend this Diwali with close family and friends...specifically my grandmother. We threw a small party and enjoyed well. Of course, it isn't a party without food and dessert. We served aloo and mixed vegetable tikki, three bean salad with Doritos scoops, and Ragada patties. These appetizers wouldn't be complete without their dipping sauces such as sweet and tangy tamarind chutney and refreshing mint chutney.

It was surely a colorful spread with all these snacks. As the night progressed, w could see that everyone were engaged in striking and meeting new people.  Before we knew it, it was time for dinner. We served: Jeera rice, egg curry (for non-vegetarians), creamy cauliflower and paneer curry, Jalfrezi Okra with green bell peppers and tomatoes, Schezwan Singapore noodles with stir fry vegetables, and whole wheat roti. It's so hard to stay light during these party times. You want to try everything.

Whenever we host these kind parties or get togethers, we always play a game to make the evening more fun. Last Saturday, we played Dumb Charades - you have to act out the movie or show that the opposing team gives you for your team. You are not allowed to talk or use props. It always reminds me of Whose Line Is It Anyway TV show. Have you ever heard of this show or watched it?

After all the fun and games, we brought out the sweets or desserts for everyone. During this festival, it's a tradition for family and friends to share sweets with their friends and loved ones. That night, we indulged in decadent Gulab Jamun, Cashew Burfi, and assorted burfis and laddu from Sukhadia's (a local sweet shop). FOODCOMA anyone? I surely was in one that night and the next day.



It was good to catch up with old friends, new friends and family, All in all, it was an entertaining and great night.  The past few Diwali celebrations were halted or short because of the crazy weather we've experienced.

***Quick Tips: 
- The easy egg curry recipe was borrowed from justindianfood.com. It was really easy and everyone loved it. 

Last Sunday was National Ice Cream Day??

Can you name all the flavors?? Answers below.  

I didn't know that! Don't fret all, I celebrated it today when I stopped at my local grocer and bought myself two pints of Haagen Dazs ice cream: Coffee and Rum Raisin. I couldn't let this holiday go by unnoticed. 

Did you know that the National Ice Cream Day and Month were designated by President Ronald Reagan? I didn't. I thought it was one of those holidays made up by yet another company trying to sell something. According to IDFA, President Reagan recognized ice cream as a fun and nutritious food that is enjoyed by 90% of the nation's population. 

My question is what happened to the other 10%? Who doesn't like ice cream? 

In President Reagan's proclamation of creating this National Ice Cream Day, he called for all people of the United States to observe these events with "appropriate ceremonies and activities." Don't worry Mr. Past President, we will! 

From top to bottom, here are all the flavors: Mint Chocolate Chip, Macadamia Nut, Cherries & Vanilla on top of coffee & Espresso chip ice cream, Mango kulfi (Indian ice cream), Mint, Tutti Fruti (Indian ice cream), cookies and cream and coconut.  

There's still time for you to celebrate National Ice Cream Month - it's only July 28th! What are you waiting, go grab some ice cream!! 

A Super Moonlit Dinner with the Family

My grandmum and me! 

Last Saturday my parents, grandmum and I drove down to Liberty State Park to catch a glimpse of the Super Moon. We could already see the Super Moon rising into the sky as we got onto Route 78 heading to the park and by the time we reached, it was bright orange in color and beautiful. We parked our car near the "Empty Sky" Memorial and walked over to the pier. 

We sat on nearby benches and enjoyed a SUPER MOONLIT dinner with Paneer Kati Rolls that we purchased from Hot Breads in Parsippany on the way to the park. Good thinking on my parents part! 

Paneer Kati Rolls, oh so yum!

After dinner, we walked along the pier enjoying the New York City view. We could even see fireworks in the distance but not sure in which town. Maybe Staten Island?  It's moments like these that you will cherish forever...moments spent with your family. I had a great time and can't wait for the next SUPER MOON...

***We love kati rolls because they are easy to eat and enjoy. You can make them at home as well. Click here to check out our recipe. 

Did you catch a glimpse of the Super Moon? We would love to hear about it. Please feel free to share your experience with us in the comment box below. 

Vangi Bhath - More Than One Way to Eat Rice!

You know what the Chinese and the Indians have in common? RICE!! It's our STAPLE food. We eat it with everything. 

We Indians ESPECIALLY LOVE mixing it with SPICES and VEGETABLES to make it more flavorful and different. The spices make the STAPLE food more interesting to eat. 

Here's a signature rice dish from Karnataka (a state in Southwest of India) called Vangi Bhath. It's made with a special blend of spices called Vangi Bhath spice powder (which include coriander, black gram dal, cumin, red chili, Fenugreek, cloves, and cinnamon), eggplant or brinjal, curry leaves, peas, cashews, mustard seeds and of course, plain white rice. 

I love eating Vangi Bhath with a little bit of YOGURT!

Quick Tips:

- To make the rice dish, simply follow instructions on the back of the spice powder packet. 

- These packets are available at most Indian grocery stores such as Subzi Mandi or Patel Brothers. 

Even a Tuesday Can Be Special!

"You're only as old as you think you are." If this statement is true, then I think I am in my 20s and sometimes I feel like I'm in my 20s. And you know what, people think so too so who am I to tell them anything different.

Hello everyone! Yesterday was the day I graced the world with my presence. People from the wood works sent me happy greetings including an international call from my hometown in India.

That Smile is Priceless and for everything else, there's MasterCard!

I thought as you age, birthdays become more ordinary. I stand corrected. I was greeted in the morning with a card and presents from my parents...which was unexpected. 

Then, my friend Harchint treated me to lunch at this Thai/Vietnamese restaurant called Lemongrass. And before the words came out of my mouth, he read my mind and ordered dessert: Mango Guava Cheesecake. It was comprised of three layers of sinful sweet bliss: mango cheesecake on the bottom, guava cheesecake in the middle topped with perfectly whipped mango mousse sprinkled with toasted almonds. If a picture is worth a thousand words, I wonder what the picture above would be worth? I blew out the candle and savored every bit of that cheesecake. And don't worry, I let my friend have some too; I'm not that selfish.  

My extraordinary Tuesday finally came to a close when I took my parents to see the movie, Million Dollar Arm with Jon Hamm (from Mad Men), Suraj Sharma (from movie, Life of Pi) and Madhur Mittal (from movie, Slumdog Millionaire). It's based on a true story and beautifully directed. I recommend everyone to go watch it.