Month: August 2015

Chia Seed Muffins Worth Baking

IMG_1350Let’s just say that there are days when I crave these muffins.  They are not just plain old muffins. They are special. When we lived back in New York city, a particularly hard stretch would be rewarded with one of these Chia Seed Muffins from Le Pain Quotidien. They have that dense, flavorful chocolatey and not too sweet taste that is just right for me. After some research – and testing – I finally found what I think are the most divine muffins that there are. Come and cook with us!

I have to preface this week’s recipe with the fact that these delicious muffins are not gluten free. They use whole wheat pastry flour that has less gluten than bread or regular flour, but are still not gluten free. For a GF variety, a ready-to-use GF flour mix such as King Arthur GF Flour or Cup 4 Cup GF flour are all great alternatives that still make this muffins a total success.

Let me know what you think of these Chia Seed Muffins. Finally, I don’t have to bribe my husband to bring me a few whenever he is visiting a city that has a Le Pain Quotidien. Instead, I can bake my own. And now you can, too! Come and cook with us!

Chia Seed Muffins

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A New Take on Rice and Milk

A few years ago, Jessica gave me an Indian cooking class with Napa-based Indian chef and owner of The Bombay Cafe, Neela Paniz as a birthday gift. It seemed extravagant but I was intrigued as Indian cooking offered so much potential and was virtually unknown to me. In fact, Indian is a cuisine that grew slowly on me but that is so rich in tradition, flavors and techniques that I really benefitted from the class and, thus, loved every minute of it. Neela is an excellent teacher who shared her passion by showing us how to make dal, chapatis, raita, pakoras and also kheer, or Indian Rice Pudding. Everything we tasted was absolutely delicious but as I am totally defenseless against sweet milk-based dishes, it was the Indian Milk Pudding that made me go back to the recipes time and time again. Come and cook with us!

Making Indian Milk Pudding is easy enough but it takes time. We usually make a batch that is large enough to produce several servings for the kids at once. They eat them over the course of a few meals. Honestly, Indian Milk Pudding never lasts more than a day or two.

If you are open to the fragrances and flavors of the East and eat diary-based dishes, then give this Indian Milk Pudding a try. Served cold it is a refreshing way to finish a dinner. Come and cook with us!

Indian Rice Pudding