{ Gourmet } Say Cheese & Pasta please!



As a fashion & lifestyle blogger, people expect me not to understand food. The fact is,I am a foodie . I struggle with rotis and I fail to fry the favorite Puri. But when it comes to exotic ingredients , I am blessed with an unusual passion. If you have seen my instagram page for those decorative breakfasts I create , you will know my love for all foods unique. My biggest inspiration is  food I have at various global cuisine restaurants- something I like exploring with my better half every weekend in Mumbai.

There is something about food that is made with few ingredients ,is simple ,yet delicious. Passion stirs the magic. For me, the humble pasta is the simplest food I toss in my kitchen - with a lot of passion & care.

Coincidently ,my first trip outside India was to Italy. I chose Italy because- I loved italian food ! 8 days of only pizza and pasta made me the happiest girl in the world. I was conservative with food choices so that I could save money. I always had only Margherita Pizza or Spaghetti alla puttanesca (Spaghetti in tomato,garlic,capers sauce). It was funny but I never tired of this combination. In the night we would buy some more pasta and cook it at our service apartment. I loved visiting the supermarket in Venice to buy me some local ingredients. It exposed me to new ingredients like Sundried tomato. And then my experiments continued once I was back home. My kitchen pans were not to rest until I created something unique. Something that would resonate Italy and still be cooked in the comfort of my kitchen in India! I would die to go back to this land of sinful food but I was restless to create something in my kitchen- And this recipe here is the result.

This recipe is an ode to all things Italian- and my love for the beautiful country . I can live in here forever- only for its food and the beautiful landscapes & ofcourse the passionate people! Thanks to Delmonte I am sharing my love for this cuisine with this humble recipe !

Inspired by the tang of sundried tomato and the creamy texture of Mozzarella cheese , presenting to you :

Sundried Tomato Spirali (Serves 2 hungry adults) :

Ingredients:

1. Pure Olive oil ( 1 Tbspn)
2. Garlic ( 1 bulb)
3. Black Pepper
4. Pitted Black olives
5. Sundried tomato preserved in olive oil
6. Pizza cheese
7. Tomatoes (3 )
8. Tomato Puree ( 1/2 Tbspn)
9. Mixed italian herbs ( Oregano/Thyme/Basil/Rosemary)
10. Del monte Spirali Pasta (https://www.facebook.com/DelMonteIndia)
11. Extra Virgin Olive oil

 8 simple steps and you will create the most delicious Pasta ever. You will regret if you sleep without eating this Pasta today. Don't believe me? See for yourself!












Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over this plated pasta & Enjoy. This is my ode to Italy & I hope the country loves me back. I would love to go back again & experience a food tour #ItalianEscapades and  create more delicious variants in my kitchen!

Few tips for that perfect Pasta:

1. Always boil the pasta after the sauce is ready. Toss it in the sauce and only cook for 5 more mins.
2. While boiling pasta, turn off the flame when its par-boiled. It self-cooks for the next 7-8 mins. Drain it only after that.
3. Don't forget to use Extra Virgin olive oil at the end as a garnish. You will never regret it in generous proportions!
4. Eat your pasta as soon as its served!

Buon Appetito!!!

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{Beauty} 3 Common mistakes that lead to Hair damage


Hair fall is a constant distress factor for all of us. But did you know, it is ok to lose approximately 100-125 hairs per day. Surprised? Well, don’t be because we have almost 100,000 of them on our head!

“The hair you can see is actually a string of dead keratin cells. The average adult head has about 100,000 to 150,000 hairs and loses up to 100 of them a day; finding a few stray hairs on your hairbrush is not necessarily cause for alarm.At any one time, about 90% of the hair on a person's scalp is growing. Each follicle has its own life cycle that can be influenced by age, disease”

(Excerpt from WEBMD)



So now that you know this, you have freed yourself of stress! Take a deep breath and now think

of reasons you chop that mane?

-Too much hairfall?

-New look?

-Seasonal changes?

-Split ends?

You tend to think that a haircut will solve all the above concerns. So,the real hidden reason behind a haircut most of the time is hair damage. Hair damage occurs due to pollution, poor hair care routine or none at all! So now, I will give you tips to battle this damage. To begin with-"pollution", its always recommended to cover your hair in a silk scarf so that you avoid direct contact with polluted air as you travel. Here are the 3 common mistakes we make:

1. Stepping out of the house with wet ,just Shampooed hair ( Without drying them) or oiled hair

2. Stepping out of the house in an open vehicle without covering the hair in a scarf

3. Not conditioning the hair

While you can easily follow 1 & 2 above, conditioning requires a careful selection of products. Every time you wash your hair, pre-condition with a hair-oil atleast an hour before wash.(I use the Dabur Vatika Enriched Coconut oil).

Deep conditioning is a superb trick that helps your dry and frizzy hair regain the lost moisture & shine. Every 15 days, its good to just let go. By this I mean, slather all the oil that you can on your head- In my case I generously use the Dabur Vatika Enriched Coconut oil with the goodness of Coconut +Hibiscus +Amla +Henna. Not only does it stimulate hair growth, it conditions the hair-strands helping them to retain their lustre. Wrap your oil-slathered head in a warm towel for 1 hour & wash it off! The hair will shine with an unmatched brilliance post rinse and become stronger!

So,when do you plan your next oiling session? As for me,I will pamper and strengthen my hair this Sunday with Dabur Vatika Enriched Coconut hair oil . You can also maintain a calendar to be more disciplined! After all, your hair deserves all the attention and from next time #EXCUSEmeNOT
Read more about this lovely oil: https://www.mybeautynaturally.com/oilopedia/vatika.aspx

CIAO!

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