Spice & Kisses
I have so many recipes that need to make it out of the notes app of my phone and onto the blog….in the meantime, however, here’s 11 new (to me) recipes that I’ve been enjoying since the last recipe-roundup. In no particular order:
Beware! Reading further may ruin your taste for any bread not freshly baked for you by your very own sister-baker.
You’ve been warned.
It’s not only bread: she makes muffins, pancakes, pizza and many other delicious goodies using sourdough. Until recently in human history, natural cultures of yeast and lactobacillus were our primary way to leaven bread and other doughs – all bread was sourdough. I used to assume that bread choices were limited and unvaried back then, but my sister has converted me into a sourdough fan. Her sourdough bread, pancakes, cinnamon rolls, muffins, etc. are soft, pleasantly tangy, and much tastier than anything I’ve bought at a store.
Alas, once she returns to Cali, I’ll get cut off. Which convinced me, a fairly unenthusiastic baker, to ask my sister a few questions about sourdough baking to find out how I can keep enjoying the baked goods. If you’re considering jumping on the sourdough bandwagon but don’t know where to start, search no further. In the process of learning to bake sourdough this year, Sumi experimented and amassed a collection of recipes that she’s tested and trusts. Plus learn about starting a starter, why “discards” aren’t trash, and about baking with a minimal investment in special equipment.
Looking for fresh recipes to try at home now that we’re into month SIX of our new (ab)normal? Here’s a collection of tried and true recipes—in no particular order, links included where available—that have recently been on rotation in my kitchen.
A Tale of Two Cookbooks:
A review of Season and Vegetables Illustrated
My husband will happily admit that although he buys me cookbooks for special occasions like my birthday or Christmas, they are also a present for him. New cookbook = new recipes to try.
One of my resolutions for 2018 is to make eating out a special occasion again.
Growing up, eating out was something my family only did occasionally and at select restaurants. In large part this was because my sister and I were not easy to take out to restaurants when we were younger. I apparently had the habit of loudly drumming utensils against dinner plates; Sumi, while more well-behaved, knocked over at least one glass of water during every meal. So when we did eat out, it was at casual restaurants (that tolerated our shenanigans) that still served pretty darn good food (to make all the stress worthwhile). Even after my sister and I outgrew those antics, we still ate most of our meals at home because my Mom cooks food tastier and healthier than most restaurants.
Welcome to Spice and Kisses! A guide to the blog:
Recipe box: Our online catalog of recipes both original and those that have been reviewed/closely adapted from other sources. There will be many family recipes from South India, but since we cook and eat all sorts of food, we’ll also have many other cuisines represented in our recipe box. Our goal is to present flavorful and healthy recipes suitable for cooks of many skill levels (and since Saranya is the cooking runt of the family, trust us, there’ll definitely be some easy ones).
You are what you eat: It’s true. From time to time, we will post tips about the relationship between the food you eat and your health.
Food and the World: Our thoughts on food and the environment
Foodie Finds: Food, products, and dining experiences that we enjoyed and want to share with you, all out of the goodness of our hearts (no one’s paying us to share!)
xoxoxo – S