With A Spin

Time is running fast and Memorial Day is upon us. I can’t believe how fast we are nearing the middle of 2013. For those in the US, memorial day is going to mark the unofficial start of summer and the grilling season. Many cookouts, picnics, get together to grill and barbeque. Well, for us in Texas, the barometer will hit one hundred degrees Fahrenheit pretty soon and dinnertime will be over before we can step outside for longer period of time, without becoming a sweat machine. Therefore, we cleaned up the grill few weeks earlier.

Continue reading →

We love Italian food but I’ll be honest. I’ve never heard of or thought of making a frittata with spaghetti, linguini or any other kinds of pasta. When Ali and I first saw Frittata Di Spaghetti, a spaghetti frittata in Naples, it was like a light bulb went on for both of us at the same time. We knew immediately that this was something we would love and will be an addition to our menu even before tasting one.

Continue reading →

The trip to Italy was different in many ways. To start with, most of the photos I took were taken while carrying my daughter in her carrier or with one hand. Usually, our vacations involved starting the day early with jam-packed activities and planning the days to the hours to ensure maximum exploration. Relaxation has not been on my dictionary while vacationing for the longest time. I know many of you may think this is exhausting and not vacationing. However, my point of view has always been to see, discover and do as much instead of spending time in spas or shops (except for souvenirs or if there’s some specialty product I want to buy from the vacation spot) which I can do over weekends in town.

Continue reading →

What’s Granita? Asks my husband and my brother who is visiting us. Both these men ganged up against me and asked how I came up with this fancy name for “shaved ice”. It’s like the question about shorbet and sorbet. They ask for the origin, history and start to laugh at me. I resort to explaining the difference.

Continue reading →

I hate to throw away food. I’m usually the only one at work lunches who maybe asking for a to go box. By now, most of my coworkers know that I do not like to waste food and some of them are actually inspired by it. BUT….I have a confession to make.

Continue reading →

Howdy, all the Dads and the dads-to-be. Do you know mother’s day is coming up in about a week? Are you planning to make some wonderful breakfast in the comfort of your home so you can relax and enjoy the morning with the family or are you planning on taking out the wonderful woman your kiddo(s) call “mom” to an overly crowded restaurant, wait forever to get a table, test the kid(s) patience while waiting and potentially ruin the day. If you belong to the former group, I’ve got an elegant yet easy to make breakfast or bunch idea for you to wow that special person in your life.

Continue reading →

It’s been almost 13 years since I have been living in Dallas. After that little hometown I grew up in Bangladesh, I have called Dallas home. I almost didn’t know anyone when I came to this city for a job interview but when I got the offer, didn’t hesitate to drive eight long hours to start my first job after undergrad. This is the city where I started my married life and had my baby and off course had a fair share of ups and downs that comes along as part of life.

Continue reading →

I apologize for disappearing, unannounced, for the last several days. As much as I trust my readers, I am quite not comfortable announcing about my empty house on the web where I have no security control over who else may be lurking on the blog. I hope you understand my paranoia. We just got back from a two-week vacation.

We debated for months whether we really want to take a long flight crossing the pond with a one year old. After much thought and consulting with a trusted friend who backpacked Europe multiple times, we decided to be brave. I say brave because every other US couple we met with children under seven years old, had left behind their kids at home. Unlike the last few Euro trips, we knew we were not going to hop multiple countries either with a toddler and decided on Italy.
Continue reading →

Boishakh is the first month of the Bengali calendar. Pohela Boishakh, the first day of the Bengali New Year, is a joyous occasion celebrated with new hopes, vivacity, and well-being in Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, and in Bengali communities in the other Indian states, including Assam, Tripura, Jharkhand, Odisha and all Bengalis worldwide.

Continue reading →

Bhortas are the simplest and the ultimate comfort food of Bangladesh served with rice. Bhortas are delicious, smooth, fiery and flavorful mashed goodies made with mustard oil, onions, garlic and red chilies. Most veggies or fish both fresh and dried can be mashed with oil, onions, garlic, chilies and occasional cilantro or lemon juice and turned into a bhorta. Depending on the type, for each bite of bhorta, you can expect to have the crunch of sliced onion or the delight of golden caramelized onion, sharpness of chili, and aroma of roasted garlic.

Continue reading →