Paw paws (aka Asimina triloba) are a Midwest mystery fruit to me. They are a tropical fruit that evolutionarily managed to grow only in the temperate Midwestern and northern southern United States. They have soft skin, which makes them highly perishable and difficult to transport so if you’re from the west coast like me, then it’s likely you’ve never heard of them. They’re quite a fascinating fruit in terms of flavor, texture, and anatomy. They have a creamy texture that tastes like a mix of banana and mango. Some paw paws have hints of pineapple. They are filled down the center with flat ..read more

   It’s Springtime Spring calls for astringent foods along with pungent and bitter flavors. Spring is typically a wet time of year with a lot of winter “excess” gearing up to be burned off in the summer heat. I created this recipe actually because I was looking for a way to use “throw away” greens - the tops of radishes, turnips, and beets - in a delicious way. This recipe melts down the pungency and bitterness of the green tops to make them extremely palatable. The astringency of the lentils help to dry up the excessive wetness that bodies typically experience during spring. Wha ..read more

    Salads are a go-to “healthy lunch” but are also a big source of confusion for many people embarking on the Ayurvedic journey. Whether salads are bad or good, I’m here to clear up some confusion about whether it’s okay for you to eat them or not. We know salads to be raw, vegetable-based dishes that have tons of fiber which is good, right? But there’s more. Ayurvedically, the qualities of salad are: cold, light, dry, rough, sharp, and subtle. You may be able to see that the qualities of salad are the same as the qualities of vata dosha. This is why salads make some people const ..read more

I am the constipation queen. I say that to mean, I used to be really constipated but have since figured out the many causes and the best remedies for it. Today I’m going to drop some cold, hard (haha, had to) facts about constipation and also share my top five remedies for it. First, I’ll share the Ayurvedic perspective of constipation. What is the Ayurveda of Constipation? Constipation is a vata problem. It is caused by dry- and coldness in the body; which, for vatas, culminates in the large intestine. Did you know that eating too much salt can cause constipation? Did you know that nervousnes ..read more

Eating this oatmeal on a regular basis singlehandedly cured my lifelong vata problems. There are a few reasons why this oatmeal is so healing: It delivers hydration and moisture to the digestive tract. It contains all six Ayurvedic flavors, making it a “complete” meal. I talk more about this below. Eating it every morning gives your body a sense of regularity and stability. It is digested so quickly and easily that it actually stokes the metabolism and increases appetite for lunch. It’s super delicious. It’s important to start the day off right with a breakfast that contains all si ..read more

I think kabocha squash is the real butternut squash, honestly. Kabocha squash is way buttery-er and nuttier than its distant cousin. But alas, names be names. I had a lot of leftover roasted kabocha squash after thanksgiving so I turned it into a soup. It’s real easy, and I hope that this recipe can serve as a template for you for making any type of “leftovers soup”. You can use leftover pumpkin puree, roasted squash, roasted cauliflower, roasted sweet potatoes, you name it. Get creative with it! Curried Kabocha Squash Soup Vegan, Gluten-Free Total time: 1.5 hr Serves: 4-6 Stuff Cocon ..read more

Beans are so vata-provoking that they need to be cooked so thoroughly and with so much moisture, to bring balance into this inherently astringent food. That is why you should always soak your beans overnight, if you can. This is also why I like to braise my beans for at least an hour with tons of warming and sweet spices. Properly cooked (read: not farty) beans aren’t difficult to make if you follow these simple tips. In these photos I’m using heirloom hutterite beans from Fifth Crow Farm in Pescadero, CA. The beans cook up in a typical bean-cooking amount of time and they hold together we ..read more

My latest and greatest food obsession is sunchokes. You may know them as the (erroneously called) Jerusalem artichokes. They are neither from Jerusalem nor are they artichokes. It is a misnomer probably adapted from their Italian name, girasole, and their artichoke-like flavor. The reason why I love them right now is because it’s a fascinating plant. It’s a member of the sunflower family, believe it or not. This means that all summer long, while the tubers aget fat and juicy underground, above ground they are a brilliant display of bright yellow flowers and green foliage. Pro tip: when choosin ..read more

I’m SO EXCITED for winter squash season! It opens up so much creativity in my recipe making. The Ayurvedic Qualities of Winter Squash Winter squash is sweet, heavy, dry, dull, smooth, stable, gross, slightly cold, and soft once cooked. These qualities make winter squash great for vata dosha and pitta dosha. In excess, it can be overwhelming to kapha dosha, because kapha dosha already embodies the qualities of winter squash. Therefore, the best way to prepare winter squash for kapha dosha is to include a lot of warming spices. See my notes below for dosha adaptations. My recipe was adapted ..read more

Sometimes you get something in your CSA box and you have no idea what to do with it. Sometimes it’s celeriac, a true head scratcher. So today’s post is dedicated to showing you a great and delicious way to prepare it! What is celeriac? Celeriac (Apium graveolens var. rapaceum) is a variety of celery cultivated for its epically edible root. It’s grown in warmer climates (USDA 7+) and is harvested from fall to spring. Most people are turned off by its knobby, gnarled appearance but it provides much nutrition and Ayurvedic benefit to those who choose to wrastle with it. Most notably ..read more