Arvind and I are not much of tradition followers and we often tend to miss the traditions. But, if there is one ritual that we have been following, ever since we met and fell in love, was to bake each other’s birthday cake. Trust me, we are very low key when it comes to such celebrations. We don’t even do mandatory gifts. However, the cake has always been there and we both find a certain amount of joy in baking each other’s birthday cake!...

We both have a huge list of favorite dishes. So figuring out what to cook for his Birthday lunch was quite a task for me and hence, asked him. He instantly answered: Ravioli. I like that too, but I had never made Ravioli. We always depend on frozen store bought raviolis and make some sauce at home. Then he said, let’s make it from scratch, with a stuffing of our choice....

Then, I learned about cold soup. No kidding.. I really didn’t know. In India, no matter how high the temperature shoots in summer and how humid it gets, we still like to eat hot sandwiches and hot lentil soups with equally hot rice/roti . Then, we cool ourselves off with some nimbu pani (lemon juice) or some chilled ice-cream. The idea of having a cold soup didn’t sound that appetizing to me, but after gawking and spotting at so many gazpacho and summer soups, I got pretty inspired....

The restaurant was beautiful and the ambiance was very homely…score 1! So, after a couple of martinis and some spicy appetizers, we ordered for spinach corn quiche and some salad. When the quiche was served, it looked super yummy and the smell was making me happy…score 2. I was still not sure if I would like it, but as soon as I took one bite, I was in paradise. It made me absolutely happy and it immediately went into my list of most favorite dishes....

Is Avocado Yogurt Dip similar to Avocado Crema? Crema is the Spanish word for cream. Avocado Crema is a take on Mexican Crema which is similar to Sour cream but a tad bit lighter and the consistency is thin. So it makes it easy to drizzle. This Avocado Yogurt Dip is similar, and you can say this is my take on Avocado Crema. Instead of using sour cream or Mexican Crema, I used thick yogurt....

I am sure we all have our own comfort zone when it comes to photography. Some like a dark tone and some prefer it light and soft. We all have our own choice of angles, setup and we like to stick to those. Well, this challenge helps you do the opposite. I had to get out of the zone, step out of my comfort area and try something new. This month Simone chose a simple and delicious Bruschetta recipe styled by Donna Hay and photographed by Con Poulos from the cookbook ‘Seasons’....

One of the best ways to warm the house around this time of the year is by baking. And I am on a roll here with cookies, cake and bread. After all, it’s the best time of the year, and we are indulging on repeat. Chocolate Sugar Cookies Very easy to prepare the dough One egg is added, but you can discard if you don’t eat eggs The dough calls for cocoa powder, and you don’t have to buy any expensive variety....

Cranberry Gin Fizz Cocktail ThisCranberry Gin Cocktail is my way to finish the leftover syrup I had after making the sugared cranberries. I love fizzy cocktail, especially during festive season and instead of making it just Lemon Gin Fizz, the cranberry syrup makes it so bright and colorful. The citrus scent with the pine like taste of Gin goes so well with the sweet and tart Cranberry Syrup. I did add a bit of lemon juice and then ended with the citrus fizz....

Today, I am collaborating with Cavit to celebrate the upcoming first National Pinot Grigio Day on 26th of May. Did you know Cavit first introduced Pinot Grigio into the United States back in 1977? 4 decades! Now, to further increase the awareness of the variety, Cavit is introducing National Pinot Grigio Day. It will be held every year on the Friday before the Memorial Day. I love wine more than any other kind of alcoholic drinks....

Traditionally, this Bengali Vegetarian side dish is prepared with lots of assorted veggies and spinach. I wanted to keep it simple by using only pumpkin. The sweetness of pumpkin with the spinach makes this a very comforting meal on a cold winter night. Just like Labra and Shim Beguner Chorchori, this dish too pairs best with rice. Ingredients you need for Kumro Palak: Pumpkin - In India we always use the green skin pumpkin which doesn’t get very waxy on cooking....

Yes, spring is here with a clear blue sky, pretty blossoms and long hours of daylight. Oh! How I love longer daylight. It gives me so much time in hand and the best part, I don’t have to rush though with my camera. I can photo shoot even at 5 in the evening. Love it! I am sure most of you have your own versions of this salad. And probably no one needs another Tabouleh recipe to learn from....

Hi Everyone! I am Himanshu from The White Ramekins blog and I am so thrilled to be here on Playful Cooking. I have been reading Kankana’s blog since ages, even before I started writing my own blog. Her pictures and the way of story telling has always fascinated me and it’s a sheer joy to look at those amazing food pictures. Roasted Almonds Cake When Kankana requested me to do a guest blog post for her, I was super excited....

This year, we planted a couple of sun gold tomato plants, and it gave us baskets puff of cherry gold tomatoes on a daily basis. I have been preparing several dishes this year using those sweet tomatoes. This raw tomato Pasta sauce I tried for the first time, and we loved it so much that I made it on repeat a few times. What is Spaghetti al Pomodoro Crudo Pomodoro in Italian food is a tomato-based pasta sauce made from fresh tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and fresh basil....

I don’t have a high tolerance for spicy food, unless it gets balanced with sour and sweet. That’s exactly what this dish is. It does have a high level of heat from fresh chili but the sourness from soya sauce and sweetness from ketchup makes the sauce incredibly finger licking good. What is Chili Paneer ? Chili Paneer is a spicy Paneer dish that have few chunky bite size vegetables and crispy paneer all cooked in a spiced sweet sticky sauce....

Ever since Avyan started walking, he showed great interest in helping us. If he is awake, you cannot do any work without him getting involved. Be it assembling furniture, dusting the house or making a cup of tea. The boy loves to take charge and takes it quite seriously. You should see the concentration on his face! No smile at all. So, last Sunday, I decided to go ahead and give him the control on topping the pizza....

The best part of Tilapia En Papillote is that you can add your own little twist. Whatever veggies you like you can add, or you could keep it simple with just butter and herbs. A critical thing to remember when you prepare Tilapia En Papillote is the baking time. You want the fish to be flaky and flavorful. So do not overcook. Ingredients that I added for Tilapia En Papillote Zucchini and carrots: I used a spiralizer peeler to make thin spirals....

I always keep a packet Tortilla in stock for quick meals. It is my son’s fav thing to eat in the form of wrap, roll or chips. The combination of Pesto with Heirloom tomato is so delicious just on its own. So I had to turn it into a meal in the form of Quesadilla. Fuss free and so tasty. Ingredients you need for this Pesto Tomato Cheese Quesadilla Summer tomatoes - I used heirloom tomatoes, but you can use any other variety too....

WATCH THE VIDEO Like million other kids, mac and cheese is my little one’s favorite food and I prepare it quite often. Sometimes we add vegetables and sometimes I leave it simple on stove top. We do use traditional elbow pasta for mac and cheese but if you ask my little one, he doesn’t mind any pasta as long as it has cheese and it’s creamy. Ingredients for Broccoli Mac and Cheese Penne pasta (choose whatever variety you have at home)Frozen or fresh broccoliCheese ( I used cheddar, but you can definitely choose your fav or make it assorted)ButterMilkflour...

Irrespective of the season, a soup can be the most comforting meal to enjoy with some bread on the side. Although, we mostly prefer a creamy vegetable soup for dinner, this light clear soup was a delightful treat for the tummy. Fresh vegetables, flavored with spices and herbs, meatballs for the extra protein and orzo for that starchy creaminess in the broth. I am sure even noodles or spaghetti will taste great along with the meatballs....

However, the story is little different now, but I still believe in what a wise man once said ‘butter makes everything better’. Compound butter is very popular and works as a perfect tool to add extra flavor or depth to any dish. All you need is room temperature softened butter and flavoring components like herbs, garlic, citrus or whatever spices you prefer. Mix it up, roll it in a plastic wrap and let it set in the freezer....