Author: Gopi Krishna

A few years ago, I discovered the joy of the “Thanksgiving dress.” What is a Thanksgiving dress, you may ask? It’s a totally plaid/fall-patterned dress that’s super flowy and comfortable but still makes you feel cute (even when you’re sweaty from cooking all day and satiated from eating all day). I found an amazing thing at J.Crew that many of you bought and loved a few years ago (it’s no longer available, but Here’s one on Poshmark For one lucky buyer). I still wear it almost every year, and I’m sure many of you do too! Plus, it’s shocking that…

Sambar Powder is a masala blend of lentils and spices that makes Sambar taste delicious. Sambar Podi or Sambar Masala is a handy spice blend mix common in most of South India households stocked to make Sambar effortlessly. Sambar powder enhances the taste and makes sambar flavorful, aromatic and tasty too. Sambar Masala or Sambar Powder is flavorful when made at home rather than buying it from stores. You can feel the taste difference significantly when you try making sambar with the homemade sambar powder. It takes the taste of sambar to a whole new level. Jump to: About Sambar…

Last fall, we visited a small Italian bakery during a weekend trip, and sitting in the window was this gorgeous dark loaf studded with figs and nuts. The baker called it brown fig bread, and when she sliced us a piece to try, I understood immediately why people were lining up for it. The bread was dense but tender, deeply flavored with molasses-like sweetness from the figs, and had this incredible moist crumb that almost melted on your tongue. Each bite revealed pockets of soft, jammy figs and crunchy walnuts, with warm hints of cinnamon and a subtle nuttiness from…

Last Wednesday morning, Lina shuffled into the kitchen in his dinosaur pajamas, nose wrinkled. “Mom, it smells weird in here. Are we having salad for breakfast?” I was standing at the stove, spatula in hand, folding bright green spinach into a pan of soft, golden scrambled eggs with spinach. The butter was sizzling, steam was rising, and our tiny kitchen smelled like weekend brunch at a fancy café.He climbed onto his chair, still looking suspicious. But then he took a bite fork halfway to his mouth, eyes squinted like he was preparing for the worst – and his whole expression…

Five years ago, we walked past a Cantonese BBQ shop window in Chinatown, and I stopped dead in my tracks. Hanging in that window were rows of char siu chicken – each piece glazed in this gorgeous red-brown color, the edges charred and caramelized, looking so sticky and sweet I could practically taste it through the glass. Lina pressed his nose to the window and said “Mom, THAT chicken!” We went in, ordered some, and the first bite was like nothing we’d had before. The glaze was sweet but not cloying, with this deep savory backbone and hints of five-spice…

A few weeks ago, Caitlin wrote a post called “The Internet Forced Me to Buy This – 12 Honest Reviews” and you all loved it (us too!). I mean, in the year 2025, I think most of us have made a quick purchase of a “viral” Internet product or general recommendation. Hey, we are in the same world too! Of course, some are wonderful and some, disappointing to say the least. So since Caitlin’s post was so great, the rest of the team thought we could present our own viral product reviews – wins and losses too – for the…

Last year, I was desperately searching for a high-protein breakfast that wasn’t another boring scramble, and I stumbled onto baked cottage cheese eggs almost by accident. I had leftover cottage cheese in the fridge and eggs that needed using up, so I just threw them together in a baking dish and hoped for the best. What came out of the oven was incredible – fluffy, creamy eggs with these little pockets of melted baked cottage cheese eggs throughout, the top golden and slightly puffed, the texture somewhere between a frittata and a soufflé. Why You’ll Love This Baked Cottage Cheese…

Two summers ago, we walked through a night market during our trip to visit my cousin, and the smell stopped us mid-step – sweet, savory smoke rising from a small grill where an older man was carefully turning rows of yakitori chicken skewers. Each one glistened with a dark, caramelized glaze, little bits of char on the edges, the meat looking so tender it practically fell off the bamboo sticks. Lina pointed and said “Can we try that?” and I’m so glad he did. That first bite was a revelation – juicy chicken thigh with a glaze that was sweet…

Jeera water also known as jeera water is a beverage made from the popular Indian spice cumin or jeera. It has a lot of health benefits as cumin is a healing spice and is great for digestion. Jeera water also known as cumin tea is an easy way to enjoy the full benefits of the spice. Cumin water is one of the most common solutions for indigestion. It has many health benefits which is good for your hair, skin etc. It is clear that people in Kerala drink cumin water instead of normal water in their daily life. jump to:…

Three years ago, my neighbor invited us over for Sunday lunch, and the moment I walked into her kitchen, this incredible aroma hit me – sweet tomatoes, smoky peppers, and something rich and complex I couldn’t quite place. She was stirring a pot of Nigerian chicken stew, the sauce so red it was almost orange, glistening with oil and dotted with tender chicken pieces. Lina took one bite with white rice and declared it “spicy but good” – high praise from a kid who usually picks peppers out of everything. The stew was rich and deeply savory, with layers of…