Ishan, founder of the artisanal bean-to-bar Toska Chocolates, spoke to me about his dream of opening a space which housed a production room with a store and café serving up the perfect cups of hot chocolate. Almost 8 months ago, he called me to see the place and as I walked the home that housed all his precious memories, we talked about how to preserve parts of it to integrate into his new dream. Ishan although a client for this project, is also a dear friend, and it was a delight to work on this menu, mainly because he was so clear about his vision for the café’s menu – comfort food, real foo ..read more

Joining hands with like-minded brands is what small business dreams are made of. To create something and be involved in a process together is passionate affair that stems from nothing but the eagerness to explore, innovate and redefine creativity. For our retail brand, Nature Therapy – a therapeutic wellness range of products that include food, drink, cold pressed oils and #everydayluxury self-care – we have a special Chai Masala that is hand pounded, based on the principles of Ayurveda. Nature Therapy and Kitchen Therapy work in sync with each other – wherein the underlying guideline is a g ..read more

Kitchen Therapy Consultancy: Geo-Fresh Organic Product Development Consultancy   Since I was a little girl, the spice market was my favourite place to explore. Of course, it started off as accompanying my mother to the supermarket and becoming delighted at the rows of chocolate bars and crisps, but soon later it became the rows of cheeses from around the world, to the varieties of eggs and milk and eventually, as I grew older, I became to learn, appreciate and explore new flavours. It was also a time when pre-packaged foods started appearing on the shelves – noodles in 2 minutes, frozen ..read more

Mitti Café is quaint little store and café located in the buzzing food-hub at One42, Ahmedabad. When the wonderful owners – a father-son duo approached us just before COVID hit, the conversation intrigued me. A café, based on the concept of India and Ayurveda – simple good food. As we worked together with the menu, the recipes, installing the kitchen, it took over a good 8 months, hopping through the obstacles of the lockdowns, curfews and waves. We finally opened to a wonderful response, with repeat customers appreciating the healthy, fresh food available, and creating a niche in the market ..read more

Chronic inflammation is a part of life for many of us, including myself. A major symptom of fibromyalgia, there comes a point when the body just gives up on you and you have to stop and stand still. For some it’s on a daily basis, weekly or monthly, and sometimes a sudden surprise attack in the middle of nowhere. The past few months of completing a project, miles away from home and working continuously without much break, tasting at least 20 dishes a day, heavy on spices, sugars and fats has aggravated the body functioning, pain and allodynia. Moreover, the countless late nights, early mornin ..read more

Mangoes are the highlight of every summer and make the heat all the more bearable. Here is a quick round up of everything possible with mangoes! Happy Summer! Mango Mulberry Quesadillas Mangoes with mulberries + chillies grilled between tortillas – this recipe hits two seasonal fruits with one stone! GET RECIPE Mango Pina Colada Cake Your favourite fruit whisked into a gorgeous cake with tropical feels of coconut and the beach! GET RECIPE   Mango Paneer Steak Juicy paneer slab soaked in mango juice or aam ras, coated in sesame seeds. Serve with brown rice and pom salsa GET RECIPE ..read more

As a kid, I dreamt of owning a tiny little boutique, an apothecary with bottles of tinctures, oils, herbs, blends and fragrances that transport you to a world far away. I spent a good number of days in various shops, trying out testers, finding the plethora of choices a splendid dilemma. I remember going home each time with shopping bags filled with all kinds of fragrant goodies wrapped in the most delicate of butter papers in pastel shades. My fondest memories were of these round balls filled with bubbling fragrance to throw into the bath tub. Even at 9 years old, I believed in a good long so ..read more

How many of you have cupboards full of delicious teas? The beauty of whole leaf artisanal tea, is that a little goes a long way. Which means, the tea tins and boxes last you forever. Yet, you walk into a store, and your eye naturally gravitates towards a new tea flavour. “Variety is the soul of pleasure” after all! Ideally, you should use whole leaf teas within a year for its potency, flavour and nourishment. We all know how difficult that can be, particularly in a small household with a zest for buying varied teas! And I just cannot see tea lying around. My hands itch when I see so many and ..read more

An integral part of baking is working with cocoa powder. Anything that requires chocolate flavouring entails at least a couple of tablespoons of cocoa powder. But there is a lot of confusion here. Let’s lay out all the details, a bit of science and technique today. Here’s the breakdown: How is cocoa powder made: Cacao beans are picked, fermented, dried, roasted and cracked. The nibs are ground in into a chocolate liquor or cocoa mass. This liquor is then pressed in a machine and for cocoa butter. Once the cocoa powder is pressed out, the remaining paste is cocoa powder. The hard disk of cocoa ..read more

A few weeks ago I was gifted this delicious spice blend with called Immunity Booster. The minute I opened the jar, the heady whiff of gorgeousness hit me. We’ve collaborated for a few recipes with this nutritious powder, with the recipe links below! About SpiceQure Immunity Booster by Jena & Viha Pugalia Our venture first began from a thought, a thought of starting up our own business, becoming young entrepreneurs while also giving back to the community in our own small way, and creating a product that helps heal, and provides necessary nutrients and herbs to boost immunity. We work on th ..read more