Tamarind is an essential souring agent in the South Indian kitchen, alongside limes, raw mangoes, garcinia (kokum), and bilimbi. This sour-and-spicy pairing is a classic on the table and essential in almost every meal. Sour is not just a flavor people love; it also carries cultural and regional significance. Ayurveda defines sour as one of the six tastes that support digestion. This ancient scientific guide to cuisine has long guided how people should eat. Sour, along with sa

Juk, or porridge, is the universal cure-all when you are down, both figuratively and when you have the seasonal flu. Every culture that grows rice has a porridge called kanji or conjee in India. These are simple dishes, built to restore the body from sickness. They are loaded with carbohydrates from the rice, fresh vegetables for nutrition, and stock for strength. Most of all, they are delicious. I often feel that these porridge dishes are severely underrated, never served at

I was very pleasantly surprised to see dandelion greens on the hotel menu. I immediately ordered it, only to be told that it was no longer in season and they had run out. Imagine my disappointment. I have been a huge fan of dandelion greens since my days in the Bay Area. I would seek them out in health food stores, I am in no way an ultra-healthy eater, usually Whole Foods or other healthy stores, and add them to salads or other recipes. I make a wonderful burrata salad with