Nourishing Spoon

Have you ever hit delete in error? We always get a prompt – are you sure you want to delete? Or “Proceed to delete?” “Are you sure you want to permanently delete this file?” You get a second chance. Will we be given a second chance before we are “Deleted?” All this reflection started out when to my utmost horror and astonishment I discovered that the number of photographs in my “Album” on my Samsung phone had changed from 3,000 to 3!  WTH! I took a deep breath and said, surely, there must be a mistake.” Quickly went through each album on my phone – and as my heart thumped, the tears came trickling out – oh dear! All the photos were gone!  Sad. So Sad. Very Sad. There went pictures from my daughter’s wedding – I consoled myself with the fact there were professional ones from the photographer; and in a way, it was a blessing that I got rid of the clutter.  As the day transpired, I began to think of other photos that were delete...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!   Do you feel loved when you receive red roses or are given a heart-shaped box of chocolates? Is love about wearing a short red dress, red high heels, the Pandora bracelet with a heart charm and going for dinner and having a glass of red wine? Is it when he gently slides your hair away from your face and kisses you on the cheek?  With the passing of time, from raging passion in the boudoir there is a shift to the sofa, not another kama sutra pose, but a mere propping up of feet on the coffee table.  A slump, a mellow change....holding on to tightly, treasuring as lost found treasure when missing????......none other than the remote!  A sudden jealousy?  (wink) Admirable is love when from behind their silver hair shine, one holding the other's arm, supporting and guiding through the slushy snow of life, caring and never letting go.  Love is like your favorite pair of old shoes - comfortable, soft, so soft, cradling ...

Nothing like a bowl of miso when you come home in the evening, nourishing, invigorating and soothing.  It's also a good source of probiotics, B12 and protein.  While I was at Mitsuwa   some time ago, I had the honor of meeting Shintaro Asai the president of Maruya Hatcho Miso.  He was there promoting his product.  Asai-San told me he was in the U.S. for Ming Tsai's cooking show.  When I first met Asai-San, the humble gentleman struck me as someone who was more than passionate about the product he was selling.  His desire to keep the tradition to prepare the best miso along with his pride that his son will continue the family tradition of over 400 hundred years was heart touching and inspiring.  Organic, kosher miso.  I had to ask him so many questions, about being organic, non-gmo. The polite, salt and pepper-haired gentlemen in his traditional garb answered all my questions very patient...

Let me introduce you to Faith ~ Sorry, she’s not the tall, sweet blonde with blue eyes who lives on the other side of the floor.  No, Faith is the beautiful belief that dwells within you. Faith is one of those “F” words which has been pushed aside by Frustration and Fear. In Mark 12, verse 22 ~ 24, Jesus says “Have Faith in God…What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye shall have them.”   One associates Faith with God; but Faith can be belief/trust in yourself ~ you are a reflection of your Creator. When there is Faith, there is no place for fear, the two can’t be roommates! A total no-no! Life has become a fight between Foe and Friend, Fear and Faith. Why is it that we waste so much of our energy on FEAR? Unnecessarily, we provide it rent-free space in our minds! From where did this sudden generosity occur? Fear, My Dear, as you might have heard, is basically: “ F ALSE E VIDENCE A PPEARING R EAL” A little simple math: FAITH – fea...

Have friends coming over and want to make a quick snack?  Whether you are gluten-free, dairy-free or not, these Creamy Crunchies are a crispy, savoury treat!  Daiya has just released into the market a line of different dairy-free cream cheeses!  Whohoo for all of us who are allergic to dairy or are vegan!  I stumbled on to these new products at the health food store in Tenafly, Healthway Natural Foods .  As soon as I got home, I spread some of the Chive and Onion Cream Cheese, which I whipped a little, on a couple of gluten free Mary's Gone Crackers; but that didn't hit the spot.  So I chopped up some sun dried tomatoes which I had picked up from Trader Joe's earlier, and voila!  Instant gratification!  Yumm! X-Crunchy, creamy and yet a little "tarty" and definitely tasty. Creamy Crunchies  6 Mary Gone Crackers 3 TB Cream Cheese  1TB Chopped Sun Dried Tomatoes  Easy snack for any time and perfect for the holidays! ...

Shauna and Daniel Ahern, of Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef, were our gracious hosts of the Best of New York City Potluck recently.  What a spread by food bloggers!  All of a sudden, gluten free doesn't look so bad - as a matter of fact, pretty darn tasty!     Being gluten free requires discipline - but with food like this  - it's sweet punishment!   Interested in learning more about how 'sweet' gluten-free can be, contact me jyoti@nourishingspoon.com     Cheers to a Healthy You! Jyoti

What can it be?  Raw Mango Salad, of course! This recipe has been adapted from  Michael Natkin's cookbook  Herbivoracious  Now that mangoes are in season, this is the perfect recipe for those of us who can't wait for the mangoes to ripen! 1 Raw Mango 1/2 Red Onion 1 Lime Fresh Dill or Mint Sea Salt to taste 1 tsp Hot Sesame Oil or Toasted Sesame Oil 1 tsp Coconut Sugar (to your taste) 1/2 jalapeno or chili pepper - optional 2 inch ginger grated Love using my Kyocera mandoline slicer - one of the best kitchen toys ever!  After peeling the mango, slice the mango with the mandoline or very finely with a sharp knife. Do the same with the onion. Watch those nails and knuckles!  You can play with the blade settings of the mandoline to create the visual effect you are seeking.  Squeeze approx 1/3 cup fresh lime juice and mix well with the coconut sugar or other natural sweetene...