Sunday, October 28, 2012

Martha's Vineyard - an unforgettable experience

Martha's Vineyard is one of those vacation hotspots that's hardly mentioned in travel books. It's possible that an island such as this is best left pure and pristine. 

It is a summer escape, so I was dubious about the weather conditions the past weekend especially since the mainland Boston, was cold and wet. I was pleasantly surprised. The weather was mild and moderate, and this time of the year mid-October turned out to be ideal for the getaway as well. Taking the ferry to the island was also an unusal and unique experience for a person like me who is used to the haste and scrambled rush of busy week day commutes. It appeared that the few tourists who were there knew which restaurants and places to visit, and when. Many of the good restaurants were open. Which brings me to my favorite subject food.

The picture here is the dinner I had at The Alchemy, prepared by the chef especially for me. It was an all vege-tarian mild cheese, garlic and mushroom filled ravioli in a white sauce with sautéd broccoli raab on the side.

The dinner was followed by a combination of berries and ice cream gelato. I've not tasted anything like that before, absolutely delectable.

The Hob Knob I stayed at was a quaint Inn, sparkingly clean with a decor representative of New England homes of the 17th century. The Inn also appeared untainted by anything modern. The breakfast served every morning by the chefs of Hob Knob was spectacular, made with locally grown organic vegetables and fruits; noticeably different and natural tasting than the store bought, genetically modified foods. The staff at the Hob Knob made the stay pleasant and memorable, taking pains to serve their guests with simple luxuries and overwhelmed us with excellent service.

This vacation at the Hob Knob was my cooking contest prize and I would highly recommend it to my readers especially if money was not a concern. High season visits can get to be quite expensive and to the best of my knowledge Martha's Vineyard is a place where the affluent among us vacation.

Bhatura - a delicious, fried Indian bread

Bhatura with Chole is one of my favorite Indian dish to cook. It had been a while since I made it and the restaurants in St. Louis seriously need help with making it right.

Here is my Bhatura recipe. Follow the recipe and you will never order them at restaurants again. Our creations at home are more often than not better than the restaurant ones, especially in this country. The combination of Bhatura with Chole is heavenly. My next week's recipe will be Chole.

Here is the recipe for Bhatura on my web site - vidyaSwamyskitchen.com.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Laughter for longevity? Sounds like a fun thing to do all day long.

Not too long ago as I was flipping through the channels on my TV, a favorite hobby of mine, I stopped at the PBS channel. What caught my attention was this lady talking about Laughter Yoga. She is a cancer survivor and says she owes much to all the laughing she does on a daily basis. She has practiced and become so good at it now that she has also started to spread the feel good and happy experience to others by starting a laughter coaching class. I noticed she was laughing throughout the show.

People who believe in laughter being a medicine for even the worst of illnesses like cancer are in this class.  There are students of all ages, some with illnesses but some who are in just to experience the good health and positive well being it brings. One other take away from this show is even fake laughter has a good effect on our health. A good hearty fake laugh releases endorphins, relaxes tense muscles, changes a depressed mood and lifts up energy and spirits.

So, how about ending your end today with a good hearty laughter real or fake. It is Friday too!

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The Island where people forget to die

Perhaps here is a secret to longevity. Is it easy enough to emulate? Follow what the article has posted for an everyday diet routine. Use a good subsititute for the food that is not available in your country. Maybe it will work. In my opinion though moderation is key.

From the New York Times - The island where people forget to die.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Meatless French Onion Soup

This recipe I've heard is better than a beef-brothed French onion soup.  Very easy to make and a perfect sumptuous dinner for a cold evening. 
Check out this week's recipe of the week at vidyaswamys kitchen.com.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Try this spicy Italian Pepper Bhajjis - southern Indian style

The recipe of the week is Italian Pepper Bhajji, an authentic south Indian recipe to delight your palate. Log on to vidyaswamyskitchen.com. Try the tasty recipes and read the health tips on the ingredients and vegetables used in my cooking.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Is not drinking socially a taboo in business circles?

Well, in some circles such as sales where business negotiations are most often made over a couple drinks, I guess it would be. So, what do people like myself do?  Should we be called social misfits or awkward, or inept and incapable for sales roles?

I thought, in fact it was starting to becoming fashionable to say that you don't drink!  I am wrong.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Get introduced to the powerhouse vegetable - KALE

I recently discovered this magical, wondrous, gorgeous leafy vegetable -- Kale.  I had read the enormous benefits of Kale in our regular diets and have tried to cook them several times, each time using a new method. It was never really palatable. Also, involved a lot of prep work.  So, I stopped thinking about it altogether until about a couple months ago.

I was at Costco's and saw this humongous package of Kale, absolutely clean and ready to go. I just couldn't hold my excitement. I bought the 1 lb. package, came home and cooked it right away.

So, here's the recipe of Kale curry, a simple southern Indian style of cooking vegetables where one can reap the benefits of nutrition of a vegetable.  Here's how I cooked it.  Enjoy my recipe of this week.  Check it out and let me know how it turned out.  Also, read about the health benefits of Kale