Hyderabadi Daal with Tamarind

This is the third recipe of a three part series. Click here to read the post about Hyderabadi Chicken. Click here to read the post about Hyderabadi Baby Eggplant Curry.

This is an authentic Southern Indian recipe from my friend Smita Chutke’s grandma’s kitchen. As Smita told me, Southern Indians like their daal this way. “Most of them make it very thick,” said Smita. “We have a unique way of making this and it is called aamti in our native language (marathi, from Bombay). But in Bombay or West India, this same daal is cooked without tamarind and still called aamti. Tamarind recipes are more southern.” Get the recipe here: Read the rest of this entry »

Hyderabadi Baby Eggplant Curry

This is the second recipe of a three part series. Click here to read the previous post about Hyderabadi Chicken.

I love eggplant and was recently introduced to a new way of cooking eggplant thanks to my friend, Smita. A neat technique is used with this stuffed eggplant–cutting the eggplant with an “X” so there are four slits to hold your creamy, spicy coconut filling. Here’s the recipe for Hyderabadi Baby Eggplant Curry:

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Hyderabadi Chicken

This week, I’m pleased to bring you a very special treat–a series of Indian recipes from my talented friend, Smita Chutke, who happens to be an incredible cook and a beautiful person. Eating her food is always enjoyable, but making it with her is especially exciting. She’s a wonderful teacher and fortunately very willing to share her amazing recipes. Each of these recipes are from her hometown, Hyderabad, and not something you’ll find in restaurants anywhere–just actual kitchens.

Here’s the first recipe, Hyderabadi Chicken, which features chili peppers, coconut, and an irresistible blend of herbs and spices:

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A Look at School Lunches: Evolving Expectations and Tastes

Originally published in Buffalo Spree magazine, September 2012

Chicken souvlaki and hummus wraps, served with locally sourced apples and pears. Organic congee soup, presented alongside sesame noodles with fresh pea pods. School lunch menus are getting a renovation, moving away from frozen and fried, and many schools in Western New York are revamping their offerings for the sake of their diners—children. According to “Let’s Move,” a United States government campaign aiming to raise a healthier generation of kids, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled over the past three decades, with nearly one in three children being overweight or obese.

The Chefs Move to Schools program, founded in May 2010 by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, is an integral part of the First Lady’s “Let’s Move!” initiative and its goal of solving the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation. One facet of the program gives schools the necessary tools to make positive changes. Kathy Christopher, child nutrition director for the Williamsville Central School District, says the Chefs Move to Schools program is doing a wonderful job of helping kids find a healthy way of living and eating. Christopher creates the school lunch menus, covering one million meals each year, and designs educational lessons, which takes her into classrooms around Williamsville. Read the rest of this entry »

Great Dates: Urban Walking Date

Originally published in Buffalo Spree magazine, August 2012

Valentine’s Day is here and you need ideas for sweet things to do with the loved one in your life tonight or this weekend. Take tips from this urban walking date, which showcases some of the city’s finest with playful and romantic twists. And enter a contest to win City Dining Cards while you’re at it!

Itinerary

1. Visit Nickel City Cheese & Mercantile
2. Walk up Elmwood
3. Take Bird Avenue to Lincoln Parkway
4. Picnic lunch and walk at Hoyt Lake
5. Exterior visit at Albright-Knox Art Gallery
6. Dessert at Zillycakes – Note: Zillycakes is closing on Saturday, March 9. Make a point to stop there beforehand, especially if you’ve never enjoyed their sweet treats!
7. Select romantic trappings at Lotions & Potions
8. Shop for your home at Reimagine
9. Drink at Blue Monk
10. Mother Nature Plant Emporium Read the rest of this entry »

Peruvian Dinner

A pop up dinner in the ZGM Fine Arts Gallery will feature food from Pure Peru. The Peruvian Dinner Buffet will be held  on Saturday, Feb. 16, at 1045 Elmwood Ave., in Buffalo. The dinner runs from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for students and $15 for children.

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Pistachio and Raspberry Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting

When I began searching for recipes to consider for dessert to be served at my friend’s baby shower, I came across a gem that I put aside to try: pistachio and raspberry cupcakes. Thank you, Martha Stewart. Which frosting to choose was my next decision, and mascarpone seemed quite appropriate. I went full Martha here and decided to try her recipe for the frosting as well. Here are the recipes as I made them:

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