Where I ate this weekend in the Bay and my newly released Diwali e-book available on my website!
Howdy community! How is everyone doing? It has been a crazy busy week for me. I was at a conference all week as part of my day job - where I do some cool nerdy things. More on that later. The conference was exhausting, with client dinners every night, but super charging overall. There is so much happening in the tech space right now, and things are progressing way more faster than I can play catch up with!
What did I eat on Saturday night?
Anywho, we as a family of four, have a tradition of dining out on Saturday nights. We will try new places, or sometimes we go back to our favorite old joints. A Japanese restaurant that we are all extremely fond of is called Fuki Sushi. It is an intimate setting, nothing fancy but is very cozy. We discovered this restaurant many years ago, probably in 2004, introduced to us by our friends. Being a vegetarian, I am always looking for places that have a great vegetarian selection of foods. They used to have a rice dish, that came in a clay pot with mountain vegetables - that was my absolute favorite. They stopped carrying that dish years ago. The restaurant has the best Spicy Agedashi Tofu I have ever had. The broth is flavorful, the tofu is lightly and perfectly fried and my kids love it too - including my meat eating husband!
They have a whole section of vegetarian rolls, that are really flavorful. My favorite is the one with avocado slices on the top and a jalapeno tempura on the inside of the sushi roll. It is super delicious! They have a wide selection of hot and cold sake too, with the most adorable bottles. I may be getting the sake, just so that I can get a cute bottle everytime.
My absolute favorite sake is called Junmai Ginjo, and is linked here. I have introduced this sake to so many folks, and every person who has tried it, has loved it! Hope you all get to try it one of these days.
MY DIWALI E-BOOK IS HERE! :-)
So friends - my long awaited Diwali E-book is finally here! It is the Jam Lab’s Guide to Diwali Entertaining with 17 recipes that are fall-inspired. Seasonal, innovative, elevated and vegetarian dishes, that range from Appetizers, Mains to Dessert and Drinks - this Diwali Entertaining Guide will wow you, and your guests with the variety in dishes. This is NOT your regular restaurant style menu.
Here is the cover of the Guide - that I am totally in love with!
Let me explain a little bit about the Diwali e-book and what inspired me to write it. I have been toying around with the idea of a Diwali Entertaining Guide - a menu that a host/hostess can put together from start to finish, without thinking about what they should be making. I also want the host/hostess to have an organized Diwali party - where they are stress free and have all things under control. Meaning the menu is completely planned by what they should be making when. For example, the chutneys can be prepared a week in advance - get it out of the way. Then focus on other things three days, two days, one day, prior to the party - and finally the day of!
I came up with a menu that is completely inspired by the gorgeous California produce around me - I mean the farmer’s markets are my inspiration always. I use Delicata Squash to make a Masala Roasted Delicata Squash Chaat - which is absolutely mouth-watering delicious! And Brussels Sprouts to make Brussels Sprouts Koftas in a Tikka Masala Sauce as a Main.
The Desserts are a highlight of the Ebook with a semi homemade twist on the classic American Ice cream sandwich - Gulab Jamun Ice Cream Sandwiches! The gulab jamun and ice cream is store bought. Half of the ice cream is converted to a saffron flavor and the other half into rose flavor. Gulab Jamuns are sandwiched, along with the flavored ice creams between the two cookie beds ( that is the only thing that is homemade!). They are super delicious and a crowd pleaser.
I have been testing so many recipes, and I had so much food over the past few weeks - I would message my friends to come by and take to-go containers of food. I know that they have been enjoying all the fruits of my labor and have had positive feedback to provide. :-)
The Diwali Entertaining Guide can be purchased from the Shop on my website - linked here. 15% of the proceeds will go to @wckitchen - World Central Kitchen - an organization that is doing incredible work to feed people in dire need of food.
15% of the proceeds will go to a local orphange in Mumbai (near by home in an area called Vile Parle). Everytime I go to Mumbai, I buy a bunch of food supplies such as rice, oil, potatoes- basic necessities, and go to the orphange and give it to them. I have been doing that for years, and it is something that gives me solace. My mother started this when I was a kid and I am carrying the torch forward.
I truly hope you can support me in this endeavor, and if this Diwali E-book is a success, I plan to release plenty more for YOU - my dear readers with more amazing content.
I want to give a HUGE shoutout to my husband - Raj Gurbani - who has designed the entire e-book, without whom it would NOT look sophisticated, classy and absolutely gorgeous as it does today! He did an outstanding job, and I love how the entire E-book has turned out. I hope that you enjoy it as much as we have enjoyed creating it for YOU.
If you are looking for my husband’s incredible services - you can find him at Roger Gurbani Design.
Sharing some absolutely stunning pictures from the E-book!
If you have any questions regarding the e-book, please feel free to email me at amishad@gmail.com or post a question here. Truly appreciate your support from the bottom of my heart!
Love and Spices
Amisha