Winter days always bring to mind, images of my older sister, wrapped cosily in a blanket, on a “charpoy” (rope cot) placed on the lush green lawn, sunning herself after a wonderful lunch. Those were the days we used to live in Jodhpur, a city in the desert state of Rajasthan. Summers in Rajasthan were [...]

Are you one of those people who think that Beets are only useful for making sugar because of their high sugar content? If so, you have sadly underestimated this wonderful vegetable. Beets contain a powerful cancer-fighting pigment called Betacyanin. In addition, Beets protect against heart disease, help lower cholesterol levels, especially triglycerides by nearly 40%, [...]

My childhood has been filled with gossamer dreams, some woven by me, but many woven by both my grandfathers. As a young child, I was fortunate in having extended family that was very involved in my life. Both my grandfathers were story tellers. Summer evenings were usually spent under the starry skies, sitting around grandpa’s [...]

The summer after my dad, an Air Force pilot, received the Vir Chakra (bravery award), my grandfather insisted we visit him so he could show his  son’s medals off to his cohorts in the village where he had retired. My grandpa was very proud of his progeny and, to our great embarrassment, was not modest [...]

I am a big sucker for gourmet produce stores. The sensory thrill of shopping at a store which is bursting the seams with a large variety of vegetables, fruit, prepared foods, cheese and wine, is a high that cannot be matched. Entering a store like Nino Salvaggio’s,  Papa Joe’s or Whole Foods is an assault [...]