Happy [Deep Dish Pizza] Pi[e] Day!

When I was a kid, we used to go to our neighborhood pizza place at least once a week.  You see, every Tuesday and Sunday, our local pizza place had a family special:  one deluxe sized (XL) deep dish pizza and a pitcher of pop for a special price.  Really, it was just an excuse for our family to regularly consume the deliciousness that is Chicago style deep dish pizza.  Our order was always the same, stuffed spinach on a whole wheat crust with a pitcher of good old Coca-Cola.  Occasionally, if we had friends visiting we would branch out and order sausage or pepperoni, or be extra boring and just get cheese!  To this day, though, the taste of that pizza from our local Chicago pizza place is one of the many flavors that I associate with my childhood.  

Spiced Chai Pumpkin Pie

Many people over the years have told me that the chai my family makes smells a lot like pumpkin pie!  I often fought against this description, not wanting my family's amazing chai to get roped up into the realm of pumpkin spice lattes and the such.  However, some time ago, I was brainstorming creative twists on classic Thanksgiving dishes, and getting some messages from other folks who had made the chai masala recipe and wanted suggestions on how to use up the massive quantity of chai masala that they had.  I put two and two together, and decided to make this lovely spiced chai pumpkin pie!

Baked Eggs with Mushrooms and Spinach

Sometimes, the best way to get back into cooking and writing about cooking is to start at the beginning--with breakfast that is!

When I was growing up, I went through a rather prolonged phase when I did not enjoy eating eggs.  I had the mistaken belief that I hated runny yolks and would always overcook my eggs.  Then, about halfway through my first of medical school, I was flipping through one of my favorite cookbooks, 'The Flexitarian Table', and came across an extremely simple recipe for fried eggs in olive oil.  It looked delicious, I was famished, and the contents of my fridge were rather meager, so I decided to go for it.  It was a revelation!

Spicy Lamb Meatloaf ~ Mutton nu Mehsoor

My dad had it really good while he was growing up.  Most Hindu kids growing up in the 50s in India had to go behind their mothers' backs in order to sneak a taste of meat or eggs.  Most kids, but not my dad.  My grandmother took great pride in her meat, seafood, and egg cooking skills.  She insisted that her children eat meat even though my grandfather was a strict vegetarian.  And like most kids who have it good, my dad did not realize how lucky he was!  He was an extremely picky eater until he was a teenager.  Many of the amazing things his mother made, like this meatloaf, he would reject, instead dining on flatbread with scrambled eggs!  Luckily for me, he not only learned to love eating the meat, seafood, and eggs, he also learned how to cook them!

Indian Omelette

One of my favorite traditions growing up was my family's weekly weekend brunches.  My dad would whip up whatever we felt like and we would sit around the table enjoying the food.  We'd read the paper and eat a long, leisurely breakfast and fuel up to enjoy the rest of the day!

Chai Cupcakes with Lemongrass-Mint Whipped Cream

Oh hello there kitchen...It's so nice to see you again!  You see, I've been on the road for the last month and a half interviewing for residency positions.  All the constant traveling has given me little time to cook, not to mention photograph and blog what I've been making!  I have had quite a few memorable meals, though, but I have missed the blog.  I decided to celebrate blogging again by making something sweet.  When I put up the chai post, a couple of my friends commented that they were so happy to be able to make the chai at home, but weren't sure if they would be able to use up all of the masala in a reasonable amount of time.  That request, and a little inspiration from the Lion's sister (who makes AMAZING chai cupcakes) prompted me to make these cupcakes!

Golden Fritters in Saffron-Cardamom Syrup ~ Gulab Jamun

When I was growing up, one of my favorite after school surprises was coming home to my mom making gulab jamun.  As soon as I opened up the door, I could smell the amazing fragrance of saffron and cardamom boiling, and the fritters frying.  It was such a treat to have warm gulab jamun straight from the stove.