Baba Ghanoush - A Mediterranean Eggplant Dip - A Guest Post at Veggie Belly

When Sala of Veggie Belly asked me to guest post for her while she was traveling, I said yes, of course. You probably remember Sala from her guest post, White Peas Sautéed with Green Mango and Coconut,in my India Series. Sala is a well seasoned traveler and I cannot wait to hear her impressions from her quick trip to Israel, while she is, for the first time, in the Middle East.

Indian Inspired Potato & Onion Fritters (Latkes) & A Pear, Lime & Cardamon Sauce

Pick up the Washington Post this morning, I must admit I picked up a couple extra copies. Delighted to be featured with Indian Inspired Latkes Dinner in 40 Minutes and Pear, Lime and Cardamon Sauce in The Washington Post Food Section. You will also find couple of photos by me not appearing in this post. In addition you might want to read tips and additional latke recipes in this latke primer article by Bonnie Benwick Hanukkah recipes: How to build better latkes.

Maple, Raisins and Rolled Oats Cookies & Extra Bonus Rolled Oats Cookie Recipe

I bake, but baking with yeast as in these Quince Challah Knots is what I like best. 

In the past couple of years, thanks to you my friends, I mustered the courage and patience to embark on Holiday cookie baking. Although you will see in my cook's tips at the bottom of this post I advise you to follow the directions in the recipes, but the rebel in me got the best of me and I had to make some changes. Completely unruly. I did experiment all week long and mounds of cookies later I came up with this post.

Celeriac Mashed Potatoes - No Traditional Recipe, Just a Thanksgiving Recount

Since there were multiple beautiful mashed potatoes, Thanksgiving posts, I didn't feel compelled to add yet another. Simply wanted to tell you about my mashed potatoes chronicles, as I dreaded making my version for an American crowd, much less this past Thanksgiving weekend, a European one. Though I am always determined and make it my mission to win over even the most skeptical audience with my olive oil creamed potatoes.

Idli, Steamed Indian Rice Cakes, 'The Healthy Street Food'. A Guest Post by love food eat

This dish is what I consider to be quintessential Indian and am so happy the very talented Chimnayie (@chinmayiebhat) of  love food eat agreed to feature it for my India series. I know the effort that goes into writing a post such as this and I hope you will recognize it too. The craft of this rice cakes or bread making I consider the true sense of old world artisanal. Fermenting and steaming it to a perfect spongy, delicate consistency is a true art form. I even considered making it for Thanksgiving in lieu of corn bread. I found Chimnayie's recent post 'What I grew up eating...' captivating and her Black and White photography is breathtaking. You will also find her site vegan centric.
Before you head to the Indian grocer or online to purchase an idli steamer, if you have any type of a steamer at home, check at your local Indian grocer if they sell individual idli bread shallow aluminum/tin/stainless steel  plates.

Persimmon, Kaffir Lime, Lemongrass and Purple Basil Sorbet

This original recipe was two years in the making. I spoke before about process, brainstorming and sensations inspiring creativity, whether roaming about the farmers markets or insomniac 2am late nights. I spoke of process in my Lemondrop Melon Limonana Sorbet post which I feel draws many parallels to this one, beyond the mere fact that both are sorbets. Those of you who know me for a couple of years might remember this persimmon photo below taken on December 4, 2009 with my point and shoot camera. Those of you who are new to me, you get a glimpse of it as it is part of my site's header.

Rum Raisin Ice Cream

There are few ice creams and gelatos I consider winter. Why should summer have all the fun?! A few will unfold in the coming winter months. Though I am not a fan of booze in ice cream and gelato, I take an exception with rum raisin as I mentioned in my post Madagascar Vanilla Bean Banana Ice Cream. Rum raisin was on my ice cream bucket list, and I let too much time lapse without scratching it off.

Wandering Mahane Yehuda Market, Jerusalem & A Super Authentic Hummus Recipe: Guest Post by Katherine Martinelli

Katherine Marinelli is a super pleasant and talented food and travel writer, photographer and a self proclaimed wanderer. Only this native New Yorker's wanderings took her across the Atlanic east of the USA while I went the opposite direction. Hailing out of the Israeli Southern dessert city called Beer Sheva she is a welcome addition to the Israeli series. Katherine's  bourekas photo was recently featured in Nov. 2011 Food and Wine magazine's The World’s Best Cities for Street Food she was also featured in Women's Health magazine and a fellow The Jew and the Carrot contributor you can read about all of her credentials here. Please follow Katherine on twitter @MartinelliEats and like her page on FB so happy to have her on board!

Cooking Light, The Complete Quick Cook, A Quick Kofte Recipe and a GIVEAWAY

Am so happy to review a wonderful cookbook 'Cooking Light, The Complete Quick Cook' with delicious recipes for health conscientious, busy households by the multiple award winning cookbook authors duo Mark Scarbrough and Bruce Weinstein. Regular contributors to Cooking Light, Gourmet and  Food and Travel among other magazines as well as national TV appearances on the Today, The Early Show and The View to name a few.

True story, over the last month, I was phasing out of canned beans like chickpeas I use frequently for many recipes on a weekly basis, kidney beans I use for chili and black beans I mostly use for rice and beans. I found my pantry shelves depleting slowly while I had dry beans from bulk section of the market accumulating. I had romantic notions of soaking beans overnight, yes I do it from time to time, but for everyday realities it is highly impractical.

Paula Wolfert's The Food of Morocco Book Review, Chicken Smothered with Tomato Jam Recipe & a Blogiversary Giveaway

I have written often before of my admiration of all things Paula Wolfert, but when I received a copy of The Food of Morocco, I had to wrap my head around it, and find the words to describe the enormity of Paula's lifetime work, encompassed in The Food of Morocco. I think no words of mine would do it justice just as the internet does not clue you in to the breadth and depth of this book and the spellbound photographic journey it takes you on.
I love my preview copy, more accurately volume, so much that I decided to celebrate Food Wanderings' second blogiversary and offer The Food of Morocco, from me, as a giveaway, to one lucky reader. A token of appreciation for all your support, encouragemt and friendship over the past couple of years. It's been an incredible journey with many new friendships and bonds formed along the way!

Jenn Garbee of the LA Weekly put it so eloquently in her Cookbook Review, Cookbook of the Week: Paula Wolfert's The Food Of Morocco, Now That's A Cookbook article.

Last week I made this delicious Chicken Smothered with Tomato Jam from the poultry section. It was a toss between that and Chicken and Caramelized Quinces. I served it with the vibrant Orange and Grated Radish Salad with Orange Flower Water from the salad chapter.

SquashLove: Butternut Squash Gnocchi in Sage, Garlic & Butternut Puree

When it comes to Thanksgiving, as you know from reading my previous post Orange Cranberries Rolled Oats Ricotta Muffins, my favorite ingredient is cranberries, but I know many of you look forward to pumpkins, winter squashes and gourds. So when squashlove bloghop November came around I decided to expand my repertoire.
When is comes to Italian cuisine what intrigues me most are two aspects, the simplicity of the sauces and the making of the pastas. The sauces you would think are straight forward enough but I find it to be an art extracting maximum flavor from minimal in season ingredients paired with good olive oil and Parmigiano-Reggiano. The art of pasta making I revere. The thought of making artisanal pumpkin or spinach pastas just heightens my senses. One of my favorites is the very finicky gnocchi.
This time around I wanted to pair the seasonal butternut with Italian cuisine. I remembered a few weeks ago my friend Lora The Cake Duchess made some Potato and Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Bolognese Sauce. She must have read my mind. Instead of Bolognese sauce I wanted to keep this recipe vegetarian and continue with the butternut theme so you will find below Sage, Garlic and Butternut Puree to accompany the gnocchi.
I also drew inspiration from Epicurious' Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Duck Confit and Swiss Chard and from Lidia Bastianich's Lidia's Italy in America Gnocchi with Marinara Sauce. Both are potato gnocchi but never the less inspiring!
November is #SquashLove month. Please join in on the SquashLove fun by linking any recipe from the month of November 2011. Don't forget to link back to this post so that your readers know to come stop by the #SquashLove event! Twitter hashtag is #squashlove.
Sage, Garlic and Butternut Puree

1 1/2 lbs butternut squash
Olive oil for brushing

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and brush it with a bit of olive oil.Trim butternut's stem and half butternut squash lengthwise. Scoop seeds and place skin side up in cookie sheet. Roast in oven for 45 minutes - 1 hour. Fork for doneness. Let cool slightly scoop out of skin and puree in a food processor or a blender to a smooth consistency.

8 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 Sage leaves
1/4 teaspoon white pepper (optional)
Salt to taste

Add olive oil to a skillet on low, medium, add the minced garlic and let cook gently until garlic is soft. Make sure garlic does not brown. Add sage leaves and crisp slightly. Add the butternut puree, salt and white pepper and cook for a few minutes longer.

Garnish:
Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano to taste
Baby sage leaves found at the bottom of the stems

At the bottom of a plate or large soup bowl scoop a generous portion of the butternut puree and place a few gnocchi on top. Garnish with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano and fresh baby sage leaves and serve.

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The Spicy RD/EA : @thespicyrd
Vegan Miam/Rika : @veganmiam

Thenga Manga Pattani Sundal. White peas sautéed with green mango and coconut a guest post by Veggie Belly

Am so honored to have Sala of Veggie Belly guest on my India Street Food Series. One day I wish to be able to photograph as well as she does! Super talented internationally known food blogger, many of you might have followed her move from Northern Virginia to Portland, Oregon in her 'A Vegetarian Road Trip Across America. What I’m Seeing Doing and Eating' and if you click the link there is also a fantastic giveaway!

A jet setting software entrepreneur by day and a food blogger by night, you can read about Sala's most memorable vegetarian foods/meals she's eaten on her travels in her about page. She's been to Iceland, Singapore. Fiji, and The Sahara among many other corners of the world, and a birdie tells me she is going for a quick visit to Israel sometimes this winter. Make sure to follow her on twitter @veggiebelly and make sure to LIKE Veggie Belly on Facebook, you won't be disappointed!

A heartfelt thank you goes from me to Sala for being a guest in the midst of her move and gracing these virtual pages with the first dish she cooked in her kitchen in Portland!


Thenga Manga Pattani Sundal. White peas sautéed with green mango and coconut
I always enjoy Shulie’s lovingly created food through her blog. I’m thrilled to be guest posting for Shulie’s amazing Indian street food series. Today I bring you a famous snack from the beaches of Madras, India (now called Chennai and the capital of my home state). No trip to the beach in Madras is complete without eating a little newspaper bundle of thenga (coconut) manga (raw mango) Pattani (peas) sundal.

Wordless Wednesday - Sneak Peek - Pumpkin

If there is a special name for this pumpkin and you know it please share with me in comments section. Also if you got any special pumpkin recipes for (non dairy) soups, any unique pumpkin recipe or a traditional that wows your guests every time please share a link in the comment section as well. Really appreciate it!! No pumpkins pies please. Getting in gear for Thanksgiving!! :) Shulie

Orange Cranberries Rolled Oats Ricotta Muffins

This post is pretty simple and entirely silly. Read at your own risk. If you wish for more substantive writing refer to my previous post Sfinge – A Moroccan Vegan Doughnut.

Sfinge – A Moroccan Vegan Doughnut

A small, humble, working class neighborhood in Ashdod along the Mediterranean Sea in Southern Israel I called home ever since I was in third grade. Ashdod was known to be the second largest seaport in Israel, after Haifa, with many white weeping broom** adorned sand dunes now gone, remains a distant, nostalgic memory of mine. The sea, a deep blue and glistening turquoise as ever, breathtaking as you drive, and it suddenly appears just around the bend, as you pass the mall, built over my childhood soft sand dunes. The sight of the Mediterranean appearing in its full splendor always makes me gasp in delightful surprise, the beauty indescribable. I am weary of the sea but awe inspired at its powerful beauty.

Coconut Macaron with Lime and White Chocolate Ganache - Guest Post by Gourmeted

When Joy of Gourmeted, without a shred of hesitation, agreed to guest in my Tree Nut Macaron series, I was beside myself. Joy, is a burst of energy and has a large personality. She strikes me as a successful entrepeneur who is an exceptional role model. This is what she tweeted (@gourmeted) on Twitter the other day 'A little kindness goes a long way. :-)'. Joy, a web designer by day, also blogs out of Fwoosh.com for food and travel and Kinkish.org for arts, crafts, and pretty things. Her writing, as you will find below is captivating as I gasped and then laughed while reading her engaging post. LOVE the creativity in this nut free macaron.

True story: I once whisked my way through 23 egg whites in one day to conquer these delicate French cookies called macarons. And then I took a break from it not only because of exhaustion and hair pulling, but due to sugar high as well. I couldn't eat them anymore. However, in all of my macaron experimentations and permutations, I've never considered preparing them nut-free. When Shulie asked me if I was interested in contributing a nut-, kiwi-, and artificial food coloring-free version, I asked out loud, "Now why didn't I think of that before?" The answer was a quick Yes and the wheels started turning. I love a good challenge, especially one that would allow other people to enjoy food that they normally couldn't.

Egg Roll – A “Wrap” around the streets of Kolkata a Guest Post by eCurry

eCurry's (off the bat, how brilliant, right?!) Soma is one friend I can rely on when I am out and about and have a question that demands an undelayed, urgent answer. Such an urgency came up when I was roaming around the Indian grocer's and asked Soma which bean were we discussing the other day? The entire conversation via twitter mind you (@Soma_R), is strewn with much silliness and laughter, but Soma answered, yellow hulled mung beans, as I was only familiar with the green ones. She further suggested I roast the hulled yellow mung beans prior to cooking to bring out their full bodied flavor. What I love about Soma is not only the light hearted spirit and happiness she projects but also her meticulous suggestions and techniques and uncompromising high standards she shows throughout her site, whether in her cooking, photography or raising her two daughters so beautifully.

When you think of Soma you immediately think of her native Indian cuisine, but while she perfected Naan, she simultaneously perfected Asian Pancakes and Middle Eastern Homemade Pitas. Speaking of techniques, I was mesmerized by a couple she presented here in this post but please make sure to take every word she has written in as Soma has a knack for storytelling!

Please make sure to follow eCurry on Facebook as well as on Twitter and check out  the posts of the four ladies who preceded Soma in the India Series.

Egg Roll – A “Wrap” around the streets of Kolkata
Sharing a laughter, being kind and making each other happy are some integral characteristics of friendship, and that is what I share with Shulie. I met her in Twitter-land less than a year ago and we share conversation and laughs as we would do if we were sitting on a couch and chatting like old friends do. Doing a guest post for her wonderful blog is exciting and I am truly honored that she cared to ask me.

Quince Honey Challah Knots (Step by Step Featured at the Washington Post Food) & My 7 Links

Before I go on to My 7 Links please find my step by step Quince Honey Challah Knots recipe and photographs appearing in today's Washington Post Food All We Can eat. Needless to say I am super excited!! The rest of the photographs in the Quince Honey Challah Knots series will be uploaded to Food Wanderings Facebook page soon!

Silent Sunday - A Sneak Peak into Wine Country, VA

A spread of photo journal of our trip to Wine Country, Va is now available here.

Aloo Gobi - Indian Potato and Cauliflower Curry a Guest Post for Rasa Malaysia

So excited to share with you my Aloo Gobi recipe on Rasa Malaysia's site.I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bee for having me in her fabulous Rasa Malaysia space. I have been following Rasa Malaysia ever since I launched my site a couple years ago this winter. If it weren’t for Bee I would not have been introduced to Malaysian and other unfamiliar to my palate South Asian cuisines. I love the fact that she is a new mom to a baby boy as I sent mine off to college. These moments with your baby are so precious Bee! Enjoy!

Acorn Squash with Lime, Cilantro & Honey Vinaigrette - AFBHLS Guest Post at Lite Bite

Sanjeeta blogging out of health conscious Lite Bite is the sweetest mom of two young children out of India. Her series, Awesome Food Bloggers and Their Healthy-Living Secrets, is a brilliant venture to raise awareness even within those who are already leading a healthy lifestyles.

Indian Shakshuka - Poached Eggs in a Curry Sauce

In this piece I feel I morphed as a writer. I also hold it special as it is the first time I speak of my father, who passed away five years ago this coming January, 2012.

This is the second writing I've done for The Jew and the Carrot. The first you might recall was Ancient Rice Offering Is the Heart of India's Jewish Community with a sweetened flattened rice (poha) recipe. I also had a little surprise mention in the Q and A: Mollie Katzen, Godmother of Vegetarian Cuisine written by Gianna Palmer and published this past week at The Jew and the Carrot. Thank you Mollie Katzen ( twitter: @MollieKatzen).

Please head over and let me know your thoughts about the story and the recipe included here.
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Pears II

My love affair with pears continues this year. You might remember my pears photos post from August 25, 2010. My intentions are to incorporate them into a recipe but I end up just snacking on them. Let me know in the comment section your favorite pear recipes and leave a link if you got one. Also, do you know the names of either or both varieties photographed in both of my pear posts?

In the Wikipedia link I was mostly looking for nutritional value but was surprised to see the list of countries topping the pear production chart, with the US being at the number 3 slot.

Green Split Pea Soup, Shifting Diets, Cravings and an Open Discussion on Allergies

When I posted New Year's Eve Table, Yellow Split Peas Soup with Pepitas back in January, 2010, I wanted to give a twist to the staple green split pea you will find in our home and use yellow split peas instead and dress them up with some crunchy pepitas. Although this is an identical recipe, I wanted to include in this post some information on split peas, how we are shifting our diet slightly, on cravings, and an open discussion on allergies. Along the way I am including some photos from my new camera.

Delicious Vietnam/Rice Bloghop: Vietnamese Style Grilled Lemongrass Beef in Rice Paper Spring Roll Wraps

This post is months in the making, Anh from Food Lover's Journey asked me to join her and  Ravenous Couple Delicious Vietnam initiative, as one of our favorite cuisines, outside of my Indian and Mediterranean/Israeli, is Vietnamese. This month's host is Phuoc'n Delicious.

Happy Birthday Sagie יום הולדת שמח שגיא

There are a few reasons behind this post, one is a tattoo of a Jewish proverb, 'The only truly dead are those who have been forgotten', that someone might, or might not, get. Another reason is challenges Sagie has been facing for the last couple of years. Equally important reason is the fact that this blog was encouraged by my son, Sagie, and was started as a documentation of heirloom and other recipes for him and generations to come. As Sagie was heading off to college, I inaugurated this site with one of his favorites Shakshuka, for every college kid's hot plate. I meant to bake a chocolate cake for his birthday today but he wanted me to make one of his favorites, a no-bake dessert Petit Beurre, Cocoa and Coconut Chocolate Balls. This time I didn't have Manischewitz so for the first time ever I used Zinfandel, and surprisingly enough, it still tasted great.

Of Trains, Time-Pass And Pazham Pori (Ripe Plantain Fritters) Guest Post by My Diverse Kitchen

Aparna from My Diverse Kitchen is not only my fourth guest in the India series but also my first one in the series out of India, living in Goa, in Southern India, on a beautiful coast on the Indian Ocean. One day I hope to visit Aparna and these coconut palm tree strewn legendary beaches. Aparna much like myself has one child, her's a 14 year old daughter, who is the mastermind behind the name of her site.

When I bought my new camera I made sure to read carefully her well written and explained Photography series. Her photography is very refined, in focus and romantic, evokes tales and legends, and lets your imagination run with her images. True to the name of her blog, Aparna will bring you diverse recipes like the Chakkara Pongal (South Indian Rice And Lentil Pudding With Jaggery), a taste of Southern Indian Palakkad Iyers cuisine from her native Kerala as well as a Daring Bakers Challenge, Cardamom Flavoured White Chocolate and pistachio Panna Cotta and Florentine Cookies. Make sure to follow @aprna on twitter and here she is with her recipe and tale:

Of Trains, Time-Pass And Pazham Pori (Ripe Plantain Fritters) by Aparna

These past 3 years of blogging, Facebook and Twitter have introduced me to many food bloggers and their blogs. Most of these bloggers live in different countries, even continents and come from culturally diverse and different backgrounds from mine. However our love for good food and desire to explore and discover this beyond our comfort zones and cultural boundaries is what keeps us cooking and blogging.

Some of these bloggers have become good friends of mine and though we haven’t met (yet) we often have long virtual conversations, mostly centred on food, and many a time beyond that. It’s fun to log into Twitter (and Facebook), even after a short break and take up conversations with friends, from where we had last left off.

Shulie Madnick of Food Wanderings is one such friend I met on Twitter. I don’t remember how we first got talking but we did and I found that apart from our love for food we had India in common. Shulie can trace her roots to the Indian Jewish community though she grew up in Israel and now lives in the US. This shows up in her blog where her posts are an interesting mix of the East and the West, accompanied by her beautiful food photography.

So when she asked me to do a guest post for her as part of her India series, I jumped up and said “Yes!” Then came the matter as to what to write about. After some discussion with Shulie, I decided to post about Pazham Pori, a dish of batter fried ripe plantains that are somehow very quintessentially Kerala (the southern Indian state that I belong to). Even today, it is usual to find at least a couple of banana plants (along with a couple of coconut trees) behind most houses in Kerala. And just in case you don’t have the fruit in your back yard, there is always the corner store to supply you with some. It is not really surprising that in Kerala plantains and bananas feature in many of our dishes. We use the raw fruit, the ripe fruit, the banana flowers, the stem of the banana plant and the leaves make for eco-friendly and disposable plates!

Purple Pixie Eggplants - Sabich, An Israeli Street Food Sandwich

August 14, 2011
Good Morning everyone, I couldn't wait to share with you all these gorgeous purple Pixie eggplants. They are so petite and pretty I am going to go and get some more at Wegman's, but first things first....I already pickled a small batch of them in leftover brine from Red Wine Vinegar Heirloom Green Tomato Pickles, and we love having eggplants simply roasted with olive oil and salt, maybe a touch of parsley as a garnish, now and then. Question is can you share in the comment section ideas, recipes for these beauties? Also, if you know anything about these Pixies I would love to learn. Thank you and excited to hear your suggestions and information.

Papri Chaat - Indian Street Food Treat a Guest Post by Sunshine and Smile

This India series organically evolved, to my delight, into an Indian street food and snack series. First was Kulsum's delciious Lentil Samosas, then Prerna's uber healthy, fermented Dosas and now Kankana's (@kankanasaxena) wildly popular Indian street food the Papri Chat. You girls ROCK! As I was browsing around Kankana's site the first image that popped and mesmerized my senses was Chicken Wonton Soup. Maybe the similarity to a comforting Jewish chicken soup and Kankana's vivid imagery made me yearn for it at lunch time today. Kankana, out of the beautiful Sunshine and Smile food blog, is a newly married Indian ex-pat, living now in Santa Clara,California. She incorporates ingredients into some sort of fusion as in this tantalizing Rasam with Pear post. So happy to have Kankana on board sharing this fantastic recipe with us all & follow her on Facebook and at the twitter link above.

In other news front, I have written recently and in the process of writing couple more features for Jewish and other publications. You might have already caught, my post on my Indian and Israeli inspired, four recipes and photographs, with a fun Q and A, titled 'A Little Bit of Cardamon', at Whisk magazine. This week an article of mine bridging the Indian and Jewish cultures and food, was published at a smart blog column, I absolutely adore, 'The Jew and the Carrot' at The Jewish Daily Forward. The entry is titled 'Ancient Rice Offering Is the Heart of India's Jewish Community'.

If you didn't know Food Wanderings has a FB page and would LOVE the LIKES. I am also on twitter @foodwanderings so we can chat.

Kankana:
There are emails which makes you smile, emails which makes you go aww and then there are emails which makes you jump from your seat and go OMG..and you keep saying to yourself am I reading it correctly! 
Yes, that's exactly how I reacted when Shulie wrote to me that she was planning an Indian Theme and asked if I could do a guest post. It was a special moment for me.. excited, happy and felt SO honored

Red Wine Vinegar Heirloom Green Tomato Pickles

I know this is a way overdue recipe but to compensate I bring you two. I was so giddy with excitement as I am getting the hang on my camera that I published the photos without a recipe. Meanwhile, I managed to make a roasted salsa with both red and green tomatoes inspired by a Tomatillo Salsa Verde I saw months ago at Barb's Creative Culinary site. It obviously left and impression. I pretty much followed the recipe with one exception, I charred the vegetables on the grill, can be done on broiler mode in the oven, to get that further smoky flavor. I made the green and red separately and then decided to combine both.

The Art of Making a Crisp Dosa a Guest Post by Indian Simmer

As the response to my first guest Kulsum, with her delicious Lentil Stuffed Samosas, was so overwhelming, I am so happy to introduce you to my second guest in the India Series, the lovely Prerna. She brings one of our, especially Jonathan's, all time favorite snacks, the dosa. The talented Prerna a stay at home mom to a little toddler girl, has an excellent eye for photography and food styling. You might remember me singing her praises in my Spelt Challah Dough Rolls and Chocolate babka guest post I did not long ago on her Indian Simmer site. Although dosa is a south Indian specialty, I never made it before, but that is about to change thanks to Prerna soon!

I remember moving to DC some 20 odd years back and finding this little place at The Old Post House Pavilion downtown on Pennsylvania Ave., literally a few paces, a short walk away from the White House, and it's still there. A super casual incy wincy counter called Indian Delight, at the bottom food court level of the pavillion with their reasonably priced, delicious dosas. We don't go as often as we used to when Jonathan was studying for his masters at Georgetown, but when we do, we relish every crispy bit of it with the spiced potato filling and green chutney for that extra bite.

Prerna:
Shulie and I were talking a while back. It all started with a casual conversation and like with all the food lovers, it ended up being about food. I told her about my lack of ability to cook a beautiful loaf of bread and she empathized with me. She told me how her family, especially her better half, loves dosa and I shared how easy it is to make. The conversation went on and by the end of it somehow we were deciding on dates when we should share those recipes with each other. What better way to share a recipe with a food blogger than through the blogs. So for you fabulous readers and for a bit of our own selfish need we thought lets guest post on each other’s blog and share the recipes we both love so much. Last week Shulie came as a guest on my blog Indian Simmer to share her recipe of a perfect and ah so gorgeous Challah. Today she very generously invited me over to her space to share my recipe for a crisp, golden brown and comforting dosa. Thanks Shulie for the honor, I am stoked!