Dan Dan Mian or Dan Dan Noodles, famous street food in the Sichuan region of China, get their name from the carrying-pole street vendors use to transport their goods. The mobile vendors would carry noodles and sauce through the neighborhood and sell to customers on the street for very little money; eventually, the name “Dan Dan Noodle” caught on.

Have you guys seen the Tasting Room ads on Pinterest? “The Netflix for Wine,” I’ll admit it’s a bit gimmicky but it was enough to spark my interest. I am a wine lover and I especially love when I find a high-quality bottle under $20 #frugalwinesnob.

I love trying new wines but as a busy working mom finding the time tow to stop by a wine and spirit store when I don’t have kids in tow is difficult.
The Tasting Room isn’t the first wine club on the internet, but it’s the first one I’ve noticed to target millennials in their marketing. I have been throwing the idea of joining a wine club for a while now, mostly because nothing beats booze delivered to your doorstep. Have you ever tried to juggle a wiggling toddler and a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau at a wine and spirits shop while the lady behind you is rolling her eyes and judging your life?

On cold days, I love to enjoy comfort foods. One of my favorites is Dal Tadka. It’s a dish I especially enjoy when I am feeling under the weather. Ginger, turmeric, chili, and mustard seeds are warming healing spices that offer immunity boosting and anti-inflammatory properties.

I always thought that dal was an Indian method of stewing lentils.
However, that is not the case. Dal is not the preparation of the lentil but the process of splitting pulses. When a whole mung bean is split into two halves, it becomes a dal. Dal can be made from any lentil, pea or bean.

Lentils and other pulses are diet staples all over the world. This fact is especially true in India where dal is the essential protein in for vegetarian based diets. All forms of dal are eaten in India, certain regions may favor one over another, but virtually all dal’s are eaten in every area.  The preparations, however, are unique in each region.

Ahhh Kerala, the spice coast of India.

In Kerala, black pepper or “black gold” along with many other spices, has been grown and exported in enormous quantities since the Greco-Roman era. Some Historians believe that this lush tropical paradise was partially responsible for the colonization of the Americas.

Cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, red rice, coconut, banana and fresh fish are abundant and make up the predominant flavors of Kerala.  Local favorites include dishes like Fish Steamed in Banana leaves with Red Rice, Idli, and Beef Curry.

Wait… what? Beef Curry?
Mmmhmm.

“I’ve brought snacks!”  My mother exclaimed as she walked into our kitchen late one October evening. She unloaded her bag onto our kitchen table. Many little plates appeared, and she looked happy. Among the little white plates was a bright yellow cake, tiny and fluffy. Moistened with Syrup and topped with chili and small black seeds.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“That’s Dhokla, and it’s my favorite,” my mom replied with a smile.

Palak is the Punjabi word for Spinach. It is commonly believed that Palak Paneer originated somewhere in North India. Due to its high consumption of dairy and fertile land perfect for agriculture, I would be willing to bet Palak Paneer originated somewhere in the Punjab state. This recipe is a North Indian Village Style Palak Paneer, it’s different from what you expect to find in a North American restaurant. The spinach is cooked quickly so that it retains its bright green color, it isn’t pureed into a gravy or ladened with heavy cream.

My name is Anna, and food hasn’t always been my passion.

I spent the first years of my life allergic to almost everything. I remember the smell of fish frying in my mother’s kitchen almost sending me into anaphylactic shock when I was a child. Those days, my diet consisted of boiled chicken, steamed green vegetables, and the occasional green fruit.