Rachael Ray

My buddy Tim is from the Mid-West with origins that trace back to the Dutch Settlers (we’re talking centuries here). Yet, anything but Midwest comes out of his kitchen.  Last week Bollywood tunes were cranked high as Tim was rolling out ‘roti’ (Indian flat bread) to go with my sister-in-law’s chicken curry. Rotis are something I myself buy from the ethnic grocery store or wait until my mom comes over to the US and makes them. It rarely occurs to me to make them myself. Cooking on the skillet His recipe veered from the traditional ingredient list and the typical circular shape and took on silhouettes of Africa, Iceland and every other country on the map yet the taste was still great! [...]...

Sting; former member of the Police and his wife Trudie Styler, producer and actor have another ‘message in a bottle’, only this time it takes on some very different notes. Yes, Sting and Trudie are bottling the good life with honey, olive oils and wines grown from their very own backyard in Tuscany. The line is called Il Palagio and is christened after the estate it is grown in, an estate that yields a bounty of olive groves, flora and vineyards , as well as inspiration for some of the greatest songs and movies of our time. Photo By Alessandro Moggi The line of honey is like a chiffon ombre of colors ranging from caramel to a water-colored yellow and the [...]...

A few weeks ago, I was on the phone with a Charlie, an industry veteran who continues to make huge impact in food television. As we spoke, the conversation went from New York to London and then to an amazing egg and potato dish prepared by a notable Indian chef. At this moment, my curiosity was in full activation. I have eaten potato and peas and egg and peas – but never potato and egg. For reasons different to mine, Charlie was just as enchanted. For him, the magic lay in the simplicity whilst for me, it was in the obvious partnership of 2 ingredients that I had never seen paired together in an Indian context. Beyond our conversation, I [...]...

Sometimes, you just don’t want a full on dish for dinner. Whilst tucking in to a meal works well most nights, there are some nights you want a little freedom. Perhaps a beer and some think that doesn’t require a fork and knife. Last Wednesday was an evening like that for my husband. He wanted to chill and munch on something right form the couch. Salmon was already on the cards, only, instead of doing my Asian preparation, which involved oyster sauce and sticky rice, I decided to make fish sticks. These were no ordinary fish sticks that were flour-dredged, egg-dipped, bread-crumbed and fried. These sticks had so much oomph that he didn’t even need ketch-up or hot sauce on [...]...

Last weekend, we hosted a sleep-over. All I could hear was giggling, little feet tip-toeing when they should have been tucked in a blanket, and lots of giggling. It was late, but why would I challenge their pixie moment? In keeping with their spirit, I decided to make a fun little breakfast for them. Cookie-Crusted French Toast. Since I also had a moral obligation to their mothers for being somewhat nutritious, I felt this was a good middle ground. This dish works with any cookies you have at home. All you needs is a few crushed cookies, bread, butter, milk, eggs and vanilla essence. Whilst the cookies add a playful edge, not to mention texture, there is another ingredient that takes [...]...

Four large russets. Is that is what my kitchen is being reduced to at this present moment, I thought? I looked in the refrigerator one last time, bit this was really it.  It is on days like this, that I am particularly thankful for a well-stocked pantry. My mother had trained me well.  With a full range of spices and canned tomatoes, there was no way dinner would be an after thought. One of the dishes I loved growing-up, was ‘tariwala alu’ – potatoes cooked in a  bold gravy of tomatoes and mustard seeds.  The dish uses a lot of spices from the South, with ingredients like curry leaves and black mustard seeds – benign looking black seeds that pop like [...]...

When mom declares Sunday lunch as Rajma-Chawal – you know the mood she is creating for her home. Shawl is rice and sloshed over it is rajma, a kidney bean stew, that starts with a sauté and flows on to a lazy simmer. It is North India’s ultimate comfort dish and almost always eaten at Sunday lunch. Why? You might ask. Because rajma for dinner is a work out for the system to digest and to have stew for lunch any day  other than Sunday is indulgent. I have yet to meet a person (young and old alike) who dislikes rajma. But why would it meet resistance when the beans become buttery and soft surrendering themselves to the gravy they are [...]...

This week has been nuts. Whilst ‘nuts’ brings with it an adrenalin rush, it also brings a lot of dodgy eating. Last week, my snacks were divided between hidden Halloween candy (wrong on more levels than one) and flavor-enhanced potato chips. Today enough is enough and I have decided to spend some time making snacks that will satisfy me without suspicious ingredients. One of the treats I am making is “Two-bite Falafels” - though some would argue that it takes but one. Yes, they are fried, but they are pretty much in and out of the oil and since I am making them, I know my oil is fresh. Falafel On The Go As for the falafels, time is of essence and [...]...

Saag Paneer is an Indian restaurant topper. This dish of spinach and cheese has a mass appeal to adults and kids alike.  There is comfort in saag paneer which stems perhaps from it’s familiarity and yet element of adventure. The spinach itself is like cream of spinach and the paneer appeals to our mouth memory in the ‘yes, I know your taste’ – slightly mozarella, slightly ricotta. And then of course, there is cumin that is used in a mild manner and brings us back to the Indian subcontinent. As much as I love to eat this dish, cooking the spinach separately first and then adding it back in, is a deterrent. It’s just one step and one dirty pot too [...]...