If there be thorns, there shall be roses.
When we first made our journey from India to Canada, packed in our suitcases among our humble belongings was a small treasure trove of what always seemed to my younger self as magical potions and such. Having grown up in India, my parents were well versed in homemade ayurvedic remedies. We brought with us such things as eucalyptus (nilgiri) oil, sandalwood oil, churna and rose water to name a few.
Continue reading “rose lassi”
Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. -Hippocrates
Fenugreek, known as methi in Hindi, is an important flavouring ingredient in Indian cuisine. It’s used as a herb (fresh leaves), spice (seeds or dried leaves), and vegetable (sprouts). It has a very distinctive, slightly bitter taste (acquired if you ask me) and is best known for its therapeutic properties. I grew up hearing all about its medicinal and nutritional benefits and now, digging around on the internet, I see that my parents knew well. 
Continue reading “sprouting and growing fenugreek (methi) & a recipe for gujarati methi roti”
And suddenly you know: It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings. ―Meister Eckhart
Unknown to me, at this time last year when my lilacs were in bloom, I was shooting some of the first photos that would appear here on this blog. This blog, as you may or may not know, is a labour of love for my children, a collection of recipes of the foods that grace our table, meant for them to use later on when they are old enough and on their own. Before I started this blog, I knew I wanted to put this collection together for them but I was hesitant about doing it in such a public manner.
Continue reading “thyme and lilac posset”
The weather is warming up… it’s time to cool down with a healthy drink.
A lassi (pronounced luhs-ee) is simply a yogurt drink, sweet or salty, popular throughout India. The Gujarati version of a salty lassi is called chaas and is nothing more than a more diluted version of a salty lassi.
They’re pink, gorgeous, and probably the ultimate sign of spring. Whether they are cherry, crabapple or magnolia blossoms; streets, parks and gardens throughout the city transform, almost overnight, with these beauties. When all this is going on here in Montréal, it also means that we are still weeks away from the start of berry season and a seasonal snacking cake can look very much like an autumn cake (minus the spring blossom styling!). Lucky for us, we still have plenty of apples and parsnips from our last harvest.
Continue reading “apple and parsnip cake”
Spring appears in whispers and hushed tones, as the bellowing winter bows away. -Author Unknown
Continue reading “potato, chive, and cheese soup with chive oil”
The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn. -Ralph Waldo Emerson
A bubonic plague pandemic came to India in 1896 via rats on cargo ships from China. Over the next thirty years, India would lose 12.5 million people to this disease. Initially, it was confined to port cities but eventually, it spread to rural regions of the country as well. [1]
By the time the pandemic reached my ancestral village in Gujarat, my paternal grandfather was but a newborn. This meant that he had minimal resistance and the least possibility of survival if infected. But parents will do whatever possible to ensure the safety of their children and so, as difficult as it may have been, arrangements were made by my great-grandparents to have him taken away to live temporarily with relatives living further away until the threat would pass. But things didn’t turn out quite as planned and what was meant to be temporary became permanent. Soon after he was taken away, his entire family fell victim to this deadly disease.
Two kale recipes today! Both are kale versions of recipes that I have been making for quite some time now. 
Continue reading “indian spiced kale roti and kale chickpea patties”
This time of the year always gets me excited. Yes, there’s my birthday and the wisdom that comes with it but I think it has more to do with the allure of watching the city landscape transform after a long, cold winter. Almost overnight, lawns transform to lush green (except my lawn of course!), dormant buds burst open into gorgeous blossoms and birdsong fills the air. It’s also the time of the year when we sow seeds and reclaim our urban gardens. Of all the garden space and pots that we have in our backyard, five pots are always set aside solely for basil seeds. And though that promises a healthy supply of basil in the coming months, at the present moment making pesto requires some creativity. Kale, as it turns out, makes a great substitute.
Continue reading “kale pesto”
Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain. -Vivien Greene
At this time of the year, I get really impatient with my herbs, checking every morning for signs of life on the surface of my herb garden. Despite my impatience though, they only come up when they they are good and ready to do so. My chives are always the first to make their debut and when they do, I am sure to make cheddar & chive scones to mark the long-awaited arrival. But while I wait, I make these cheddar & onion scones instead. They are equally delicious and loaded with the same allium goodness!
coniferesetfeuillus.com 