Introduction: There are no recipes for Living I begin with a disclaimer. I don’t follow recipes and nor do I expect you to. It is ironic of me to write a “cookbook.” I prefer expressed irony to hidden hypocrisy. Irony is funny, inquisitive and open to other perspectives. Hypocrisy is not. These loose “recipes” are… Read More Bittermelons and Brownies: Introduction
I wrote the first few chapters of “How to Eat Bittermelons and Brownies – Recipes from Philosopher Mom,” in anticipation of my first-born, Amani’s college graduation. As I prepare for my last-born, Atiya’s high school graduation this school year, I thought it would be therapeutic for me to add to the previous cookbook. In a… Read More How to Eat Bittermelons and Brownies – Recipes from a Philosopher Mom (Preface)
I am an extra. I am a non-speaking character in a coffee shop background sipping coffee and staring at my laptop. There are raindrops on the windows, a blade of grass moving in the wind outside, cars moving past on the road, murmuring conversations, a large orange sculpture, a concrete floor, a sneeze, a ding,… Read More Being Extra: the sauce of life
I don’t follow recipes. Why then you might ask, “Do you have so many cookbooks?” Fair question. Cookbooks are for me narratives, sometimes exotic, sometimes familiar, always poetic. Here is a fantastic example, from Bangkok: Recipes and stories from the Heart of Thailand by Leela Punyaratabandhu: My great-grand parents always greeted guests with a silver… Read More I don’t follow recipes: I love Cookbooks
The kids are heading back to school in West Lafayette, Indiana. And, just like that without fanfare, summer is over. Sigh. I hope you had some tasty things with your favorite people. Here are a few of my nostalgic and grateful summer food moments. 1. Eating anywhere unfamiliar makes familiar foods, fascinating. 2. Eating treats… Read More Summer 2018 Food Highlights
Think back to memories where you were so immersed in the experience that either you couldn’t or wouldn’t stop to take a picture. For this reason, cherished memories of my recent trip to Costa Rica doesn’t make for a good social media post. For my own sake, I’ll try my best to share and reflect… Read More Sway, Sweat and Sip in Costa Rica
According to the Happy Planet Index, Bangladesh ranks 8th among 140 countries. Just for comparison, the USA, where I live, ranks 108. How is this possible that a place plagued by a high density of population, poverty, halting traffic, uncertainty and low life expectancy be so….happy? There seems to be no reason to be happy… Read More Happiness as Defiance in Bangladesh
This plate of food was one of the many delicious meals I enjoyed last week. It has my favorites: tiny fish cooked with onions and peppers, daal/lentil, rice, shrimp with squash curry and mashed pumpkin (bharta). My plate is missing the small fried fish and the fried squash blossoms. None of this would be available… Read More Eating at Home in Dhaka
I have always loved the bright red look of Kashmiri curries and last grocery visit I picked up some mild but vibrant Kashmiri red chili. I looked up a few recipes for Rista, a lamb meatball curry online because I had ground turkey sitting in the fridge waiting for me. Didn’t follow the recipe completely.… Read More Small adventures in my kitchen
Thank you, blonde yogi, for cooking with me! We tried Beef Stew with Rose Mary Oil, DoTerra Winter White Chocolate with Cinnamon and Clove oil, and Toast with Wild Orange Butter. Here is what I learned from the experience: Oils are easiest to incorporate in beverages, hot or cold. The Winter White Hot Chocolate was… Read More Cooking With Essential Oils and the Blondeyogi
The Hungry Philosopher 