I love themed parties! In fact, I always try to create a theme around any dinner party I host. It helps me keep the menu together, try new recipes and make things interesting for my attendees. In the past, I have organized a game night, pool party, grill day, just tapas, wine and cheese, TV […]
Who says ravioli can only be served as a savory dish? With homemade dough, fresh blueberries and soft mascarpone cheese, this dessert has all the components that will want you coming back for more. Did I mention it was also deep fried? It tastes like a freshly made fried blueberry pie, only a lot more […]
This recipe is inspired by Northern Africa where you will often find savory meat pastries. I learned to make Bastilla while volunteering in Morocco last year and fell in love with it. Bastilla is a pastry made with phyllo and layers of spiced ground chicken, omelets, almond paste and powdered sugar. It requires some skill […]
One of my favorite drinks during summers in India was Rooh Afza, a refreshing rose concentrated drink. Rose flavored syrup that came in a bottle was added to ice cold water or milk and served over ice and found at every household. It was a perfect break in the hot afternoons; especially when guests came […]
Its berry picking season in Georgia and I happened to come across a farm which allows you to pick your own blueberries for a good cause. Located only 70 miles from Atlanta, the Roland Farm grows varieties of blueberries that are available for picking from June to September for only $5 a gallon! Sidney Roland, […]
(serves 4-6) A Thai inspired dish that is common at many restaurants. This is my version of a simple, easy to make, yet flavorful salad that can be had as a side accompanying meats, fish or rice. 1 small green papaya, unripe 3-4 cloves garlic 1 green chili 1 ½ tablespoon sugar 1 lime, juiced […]
I have hosted a good number of dinner parties over the years, ranging in many themes from Moroccan, tapas, global pizza to Hawaiian and game night. This past weekend, I decided to have an Asian inspired dinner party. Each couple brought a dish and I prepared a few things to round out our four-course meal. […]
It had been a wish for a long time to eat at Babbo Ristorante Enoteca in New York City. I have read a lot about this Mario Batali’s famous establishment. All famous food writers and restaurant critics have raved about the place over the last decade. Therefore, it seems only natural that I needed to […]
It all started a couple years ago when I went on Wikipedia to search for international holidays, as I was very interested in learn about more than just the well-known ones like Halloween and Valentine’s Day. As I came across a holiday called World Toilet Day, I researched it and read about an agency called […]
It’s summer already and the mercury is rising. One of my favorite things about summer is fresh watermelon. It is cool and refreshing on a hot summer day. Watermelon is low in calories, but not in sugar and offers tons of vitamin C, A and B. In fact sweet, juicy watermelons are actually packed with […]
The second Emory conference on Religion, conflict, and Peacebuilding 2011 took place this past weekend. Yesterday, Dr. Kiran Bedi gave a public talk on “Contemporary Issues and Practical Solutions” that included her movement against anti-corruption in India. Her fame started when she issued a parking ticket to the Prime Minister of India (Mrs Indira Gandhi) and […]
In the early nineties, Alisa Barry opened a small cafe in Atlanta called Bella Cucina to share her passion for cooking and eating deliciously. She started by selling sandwiches door to door to businesses in the Highlands, right from her basket. Everyone loved her Italian delicacies and wanted more. Soon after, she moved on to creating a specialty food […]
If you are a regular patron of sushi, keep your past notions and experiences aside when you come to dine at Uchiko. The restaurant describes itself as “contemporary Japanese dining” but I say it’s an entirely new cuisine waiting to be discovered. 2011 James Beard Award winner for Best Chef Southwest, Tyson Cole has married the finest […]
I am in Austin, TX for the IACP Annual Conference. I have come to learn of Austin as a city full of arts, music, clubs and food. Known as the “music capital of the world”, “home of Whole Foods” and “city for the creative class” and a lot more- all keeps Austin weird. The people here are […]
It’s summer time already. The temperature is rising, the economy is still tight and the kids are out of school. It’s time to go to the pool, watch movies and have sleep-overs. But after a few days, you will get tired of all that. If you are scratching your heads on how to keep yourself […]
Last night I attended a fundraiser at Twisted Taco in Buckhead which my good friend Curt invited me. I knew he likes to ride motorcycles (as I had seen pictures on Facebook), but when he told me he will be riding from Atlanta to Alaska this summer, it caught my attention! He said he is […]
After years of hosting Food and Wine festivals around the country, Food & Wine Magazine finally found it’s way to Atlanta. Sourced to the duo, Dominique Love and Elizabeth Feichter at Corporate Community Outsourcing, this is the first year of the Atlanta Food and Wine festival. With it’s growing popularity of the dining scene, perhaps the […]
Yesterday, our Community Consulting Team presented it’s final deliverable to local non profit client, Every Woman Works. We had started the project earlier this year. Three volunteers, five months and a lot of hard work later, we were able to give Ms. Tillie, her board and her staff some concrete recommendations to take Every Woman […]
If you happen to take your date to a restaurant adjacent to a gas station in a far suburb of Atlanta, be prepared for a plesant surprise. This evening may be where you accept the expression “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” once and for all. Opened only a few months ago, Shangrila Bistro already has raving fans […]
This past weekend, I was invited to speak to a group of women at Raksha about transitioning into the workforce. Raksha (meaning protection) is a nonprofit based in Atlanta that focuses on helping men and women who have been victims of domestic abuse. The South Asian community tends to be very silent about such issues; […]
