Author: Gopi Krishna

Two years ago, right around this time, I revealed how to refresh my rental kitchen. During the months leading up to that, I chronicled my journey from “before” to “after,” and one big change was my equipment. When my family moved here, we had a partially broken white electric-coil range, a black (and ancient) dishwasher, and a very small, apartment-style fridge, also white. It was a mix of finishes and not one of the tools suited our needs. It took me almost a full year to find new, second-hand kitchen appliances within my budget, but I finally did. The biggest…

Poondu Kulambu is a spicy and delicious curry made using garlic, tamarind, spice powder, herbs and spices. Poondu Kulambu is a great option when we run out of vegetables and is perfect to serve with rice, idli and dosa. Learn how to make delicious Poondu Kuzhambu with step by step pictures and videos. I have tried many versions of Puli Kuzhambu, each one different in its own way. But eventually settled on this one, which is my patron because it’s our family’s favorite. This is a very easy and quick recipe that you can prepare in just 20 minutes if…

Karthigai Pori is a simple and traditional sweet snack which we mostly make for Karthigai Deepam festival. It is made by mixing nel pori with light jaggery syrup along with small pieces of coconut and some fried gram dal. This snack has mild sweetness and a nice chewy taste that is perfect for festival evenings. Its taste is not very heavy, so even if you eat a little more, you will not feel tired. While many people love the simple taste and flavour, this homemade version always tastes better. The mixture of jaggery and pori gives a soft crispiness which…

William volunteered us for a work potluck before asking if I had time to cook. Twenty-four hours’ notice, nothing planned, and I was already exhausted. I threw together what we had in the fridge – leftover rotisserie chicken, rice, canned beans, salsa, cheese, and a crushed bag of Doritos from the pantry. I baked it all together and prayed it would be edible. That desperate Mexican chicken casserole won the office “best dish” vote by a landslide. That cheesy Mexican chicken bake changed our entire approach to weeknight dinners. The combination of tender chicken, fluffy rice, melted cheese, and that…

William took me to a tiny Italian restaurant for our anniversary three years ago. I ordered penne in something called “rosa sauce” that arrived at the table looking like the most beautiful pale pink pasta I’d ever seen. One bite and I was obsessed – creamy like alfredo but with this bright tomato flavor, rich but not heavy. When I asked the waiter what was in it, he smiled mysteriously and said “tomatoes and cream.” That vague answer haunted me for weeks. I experimented in our kitchen until I cracked the code – Italian pink sauce is literally just marinara…

William came home from our CSA pickup with a box that looked like a farmer’s market exploded. Zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, spinach, onions – more fresh garden vegetables than two people could possibly eat before they went bad. I stared at that overflowing box and had a moment of panic. Then inspiration: what if I made everything into one dish? A garden vegetable pie that would use up all those gorgeous vegetables before they wilted.That first savory Garden Vegetable Pie changed our entire relationship with CSA boxes. Why You’ll Love This Garden Vegetable Pie This cheesy Garden Vegetable Pie solves that…

All of you. What started out as “let’s shoot Barb Sofa here to give them some marketing love” turned into “oh dear!!!…is this really the life I want to live???” Turned into. (in a good way). A few weeks ago, I showed you the Alice Sofa here, which I designed virtually for this room. Remember all those balance and tone issues we talked about? Well, it seemed like their solution was here. I still love the Alice sofa, and yet I’m surprised to say that I’m afraid these would work much better here!!! But you might not agree… (social media…

Mint rice is an aromatic and delicious one-pot meal made using basmati rice, mint leaves, spices and herbs. Pudina rice is enjoyed with raita and is a great option to make for a weekend lunch. The bright green color makes this variety of rice attractive and makes it nutritious and easy and quick to prepare. I always love the taste of mint leaves in chutney or thogayal or biryani. Biryani or pulao is not complete without mint leaves, it adds a lot of flavor to the dish. This mint rice is very simple and easy to make, make it and…

William sent me a TikTok at 2am with the caption “WE’RE MAKING THIS TOMORROW.” The video showed someone dipping apple slices into the most glorious caramel apple cheesecake dip – layers of cream cheese, caramel sauce, and Heath bits that looked absolutely irresistible. I’m usually skeptical of viral food trends, but the comment section was unanimous: this Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip actually works.We made it the next day for our fall potluck. That no bake Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip disappeared in twenty minutes. People were scraping the bowl. William’s coworker literally asked if she could lick the serving spoon. Why…

Last July, our AC died during the worst heatwave of the year. William and I were melting in our living room, drinking lukewarm water and contemplating sleeping in the car with the AC running. I remembered seeing fresh passion fruits at the market that morning and had this idea – what if I made iced tea with actual passion fruit instead of artificial flavoring? Desperation breeds innovation.That first batch of passion fruit iced tea changed everything. The tart-sweet tropical flavor, the gorgeous golden color, the way the Passion Fruit Iced Tea seeds floated in the glass like tiny jewels -…