Sunday, March 29, 2009

Dinner tonight, East meets Italia


On my quest to eat my more veggies again I bought a head of red cabbage randomly today. It's probably been a few years since I've actually purchased cabbage and I only know how to make a cabbage Indian dish (and that would be with green cabbage)...tonight however, I wanted something more fresh with my recent inspiration from Ani (see post below).

This is what I came up with:

About 3 cups cut/shredded red cabbage
1 carrot chopped

Gently steam (a few minutes) the cabbage and half of the chopped carrot (should still be crunchy). I find a light steam on salads is better for digestion (for me).

Drain (enjoy the beautiful purple hue water).

Add the rest of the chopped carrot, 1 green onion chopped, about 1 tsp. minced ginger, warmed sesame oil (about 2 splashes or more for a richer taste), a couple of splashes of tamari, 1 handful chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of sesame seeds (roast on a pan for a few minutes if you have time). Add some sea salt and black pepper for taste.

I didn't want to eat a big bowl of cabbage for dinner so decided to try my zucchini "pasta", since I also bought some organic zucchini on sale. This recipe is inspired by a NYT recipe my friend R passed on...super easy.

I sliced 1 zucchini with a peeler (my "pasta"). Lightly sauted with olive oil and added about 1 1/2 Tbsp. pesto and a handful of canned organic butter beans . (Note: though I used ready-made pesto tonight, when I make it myself I usually substitute the pine nuts with sunflower seeds and sometimes cilantro instead of basil). Don't overcook the zucchini!

This pic was actually taken by my computer (the zucchini pasta pic was even more tragic so I left it out).....better pics next time!

Despite the unusual palate cultural collision of sesame oil and pesto - it was yummy, fresh and I have leftovers for lunch! Next time I would eat this cabbage salad with maybe a couple of rice wraps. The zucchini "pasta" would more suitable with a side green salad.

S.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Raw Pad Thai!


Though I might not have found the perfect authentic recipe for pad thai on my online search this week (actually I was looking for a vegetarian pad thai recipe that looked/seemed it would taste like the real thing)...I did find Ani Phyo and her amazing raw food recipes, including her raw pad thai salad recipe. 

Check out her video and her website. She makes it look easy and also gives other tips on raw food, nutrition/health and practical things like making a few batches and creating a food plan. As a vegetarian with celiac (gluten intolerant) planning and cooking time can be a little overwhelming...I need all the help I can get. 

I'll be posting my mom's new salad recipes from her recent travels soon... 

From the not-so-slums to hollywood...


Check out Freida Pinto on the cover of India's Vogue. Stunning and humble and gracing many red carpets and covers from her recent Slumdog exposure she always looks perfectly styled (heard she has a LA stylist). Looks like bollywood is finally going to be rocking hollywood. 

On another note, the kids from Slumdog (who actually were plucked from the slums) and garnered extreme talent and skill to the film are actually going to have new homes care of Mr. Danny Boyle himself. Boyle had been getting slack for the aftermath of kids, at first it seemed a trust was being set up for them and their education would be taken care of and now new homes. Let's hope that there is some sustainable support for the kids and this isn't just a PR stint. 

A post on the portrayal of India will be coming soon....


S



So long Domino....

I had heard rumours about Conde Nast pulling the plug on their magazine Domino and waited to renew my subscription in case it happened. When searching for a recipe on their website, I saw it was true and the magazine I got in the mail last month was their last issue EVER. Domino had an aesthetic that perfectly matched my decor philosophy...I can't find any other decor mag that quite speaks to me (UK's Living comes close). It will be missed....

The editors did create a book based on Domino that I'm going to get on my next online amazon purchase (or maybe when I actually have a bigger space)...check it out. 

One of my favorite rooms they did for Rashida Jones above....