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Category Archives: Humor
Falafel Faves and Favism
Start with dry chickpeas. Fresh bought works best (save those fossilized pellets from the back of your pantry for ammunition in case of squirrel invasion). Soak the chickpeas overnight in generous excess of water and they will reward you by becoming pleasingly plump and doubling in quantity. One cup dry chickpeas should be plenty, two will feed a crowd. Continue reading
Posted in FOOD, Humor, Middle Eastern, science, Travel, Vegetarian
Tagged baba ganouj, Chickpeas, Falafel, Fava beans, Favism
10 Comments
Of Sweet Onion Jam and Patriarchal Hegemony
What, you may justifiably wonder, does onion jam have to do with the patriarchal hegemony? Nothing, of course. Unless, you count yourself as a member of my mad menagerie. Still, if you’re looking for some delicious comfort food that’s out … Continue reading
Strawberry Scones and Civili-Tea: A Pragmatist’s Valentine
Ours is a pragmatic partnership. A marriage made by matchmakers. Social, economic and educational equity? Check. Common Genetic Pool? Yes, his grandmother and mine are cousins once removed. Horoscopes matched? Expeditiously ignored, unless the meeting does not go well in … Continue reading
Posted in Baking, Family Life, FOOD, Humor, Spices, Vegetarian
Tagged masala chai, spice tea, strawberry scones, Valentine's Day
18 Comments
The Venial Vegetarian: With Apologies to Asians
It was back in the eighties and the young Chinese waiter must have stepped off the boat just as I had, with a hope for material or mental advancement in the promised land of America. I chose my favorite noodle … Continue reading
Posted in Asian food, FOOD, Humor, Travel, Vegetarian
Tagged Bok choy, noodle salad, stir fry, sushi ginger, tofu
6 Comments
From Protein Folding to Punjabi Pea Paneer
Making fresh Indian cheese, or paneer, used to be a bit of a production in my home. My mother would start with not-so-fresh milk (why “waste” good milk, was her reasoning), bring it to a boil and then add lemon … Continue reading
Posted in FOOD, Humor, Indian food, Matar Paneer, science, Spices
Tagged Mattar paneer, paneer, protein, vegan curry, vegan gravy
11 Comments
The Guilty Baker: Orange-Cranberry Mini Muffins
Just as procrastination inspires industrious bouts of housecleaning, guilt brings out the baker in me. I had been flying solo all week, while my husband basked in Florida on some pretext of simulating NASA satellite software (why couldn’t the tests … Continue reading
Posted in Baking, Family Life, FOOD, Humor
Tagged cranberries, mini muffins, muffins, orange, pecans
8 Comments
Simply Soup: The Fragrance of Fennel
The lady at the checkout counter of the local grocer stared at the stout-bulbed feathery fronds with a mixture of perplexity and annoyance. Guiltily, I explained, It’s fennel. What do you do with it? she countered. I looked behind me at … Continue reading
A Double Dose of Dosas: Two Southern Indian Crepes
The gum-chewing, bored looking US customs officer gave me an expert once-over as I dragged my world weary rag tag family towards the airport exit. “Any mangoes, miss?” I have a theory that men in uniform have been trained to … Continue reading
Posted in FOOD, Humor, Indian food, Spices
Tagged Adai, Cabbage, Coriander Chutney, Crepes, Dosa, Masala dosa
15 Comments
Practically Perfect Pilaf
When my children were little, of an age that believed that mothers had eyes in the back of their heads, I was (like Mary Poppins) “practically perfect in every way”. While those days have passed forever, there are still some … Continue reading
Posted in Family Life, FOOD, Humor, Indian food, Spices
Tagged Basmati rice, pilaf, practically perfect in every way, pulao
17 Comments
Of Hartford and Homemade Red Rooster Sauce
“Do you take Hartford?” The elegant sari-clad matriarch nodded kindly in my direction as I filled my plate at one of those pot luck events that brighten the dim memories of my postdoctoral tenure. I puzzled over the query for … Continue reading
Posted in FOOD, Humor, science, Spices
6 Comments
madame scientist's not-so-mad musings 