Mango Lassi

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Mango Lassi

Mango Lassi

Lately I have been feeling trapped, confined within the white walls of my apartment, as the wind outside howls and the cold, winter weather lays an oppressive hand over the land. Spring has been lost, mysteriously misplaced, forgotten by Mother Nature. Instead, there are cloudy skies, a dirty snow-covered landscape, and a thermometer registering temperatures below freezing. There is a long standing joke that the Midwest has two seasons—winter and road construction—but this year it rings true. Winter arrived in October and is refusing to leave seven months later, like a bothersome friend overstaying his or her welcome.

All I wish is to trade in my heavy winter coat for a light jacket.

Mango Lassi

It is hard for me to appreciate the subtleties of life, to find the magic in everyday moments, when the weather has put such a damper on my normally cheery disposition. I find myself in sour moods for no reason at all, occasionally perked up by a loved song or silly comment, but the lack of sunny vitamin D eventually pulls it back down. This feeling is electric, affecting the people around me. They talk about spring with an infectious enthusiasm and discuss mowing lawns with an unusual fondness, staring out the windows at the winterscape with a heavy sigh.

No one, it seems, is immune from a case of the mid-April winter blues.

Mango Lassi

My boyfriend has recently become infatuated with Indian cuisine, tackling Indian dishes with a large frying pan and little success. After tossing another half-finished dish into the trash, he set his sights on something simpler—a Mango Lassi. He had enjoyed several at the local Indian restaurant over the last month and we set out to create one together. Our joint effort was a smashing success, evidenced by the fact that he made five more over the course of the next few days.

In some ways, the simple blend of a few ingredients brought a brightness into the kitchen and sparked a light into my weary soul. It was a hint of the magic I have been searching for, the beginning of a journey into the rebirth of a new season.

Mango Lassi

Mango Lassi is a refreshing, cold beverage originating from India. Lassi is a yogurt-based drink blended with a bit of spice and ice which melts quickly to cool it down. Mango pulp (pureed mango) sweetens and flavors the drink while a sprinkle of cardamom adds warmth. A lassi has been described as a lighter, healthier version of a milkshake (or a smoothie without the blended ice). This mango lassi is lovely when dreaming of hot afternoons and cool drinks in the sun.

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Almond Joy Candy Bars

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Almond Joy Candy Bars

Almond Joy Candy Bars

Coconut never used to be a familiar word in my vocabulary nor did the fruit itself often find its way into my stomach. As landlocked as one could be, coconuts were as foreign of an idea as palm trees and tropical seas—the subject of many a daydream, but not of an everyday reality. I remember looking over the brown coconut shells in the supermarket, hard beneath my hands, and I was curious how long the coconuts had been sitting on the shelf (I had never witnessed a person purchase one before). A sign overhead asserted that the coconut could be opened best with an ice pick, pointed proof showing how far this little coconut was from home.

As I placed the coconut back on the shelf, I wondered if people in tropical climates carried around ice picks for this specific purpose. The thought struck me as silly, but I could not think of a tool better suited than the one for winter weather.

Almond Joy Candy Bars

Eventually, my curiosity got the best of me and I bought a supermarket coconut of my own. I was skeptical of the coconut, as perhaps I should have been, but willing to keep an open mind. In the hot summer sun, I brought it back to my dorm room where my friends and I stared at it, wondering if we would be able to find an ice pick during this time of year. As we passed it between each other, pondering the usage of butcher knives and sharp rocks, my friend accidentally dropped it on the tile floor. Neatly splitting in two, the coconut water began to puddle around it.

A coconut, it seemed, hardly needed any motivation to open at all.

Almond Joy Candy Bars Almond Joy Candy Bars

We stared at the coconut shell on the floor for a moment or two, in disbelief that the coconut was so fragile. My friend, who had lived in Hawaii the year before, took this as a bad omen. We scooped the supermarket coconut off the tile, trying to salvage as much as possible. The smell was musky and unpleasant. The taste, even worse. A bad coconut, my friend declared, as she cleanly tossed it in a nearby trash can.

Though my introduction to fresh coconut was less than ideal, it was the start of a coconut affair that would only grow and flourish. While fresh coconut may be out of the picture, dried coconut has become a pantry staple.

Almond Joy Candy Bars

Homemade Almond Joy Candy Bars are much healthier and taste just as wonderful as the store-bought version. The coconut center is made with unsweetened shredded coconut, honey, and coconut oil to bind it together. With an almond on top and a chocolate coating, the candy bar is complete. While I placed almonds both inside and on top of the chocolate coating, I would suggest placing the almonds inside the chocolate coating. The almonds placed on top of the chocolate coating have a tendency to fall off during preparation. A no-bake treat, these candy bars can be ready in thirty minutes time.

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Homemade Pita Chips

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Homemade Pita Chips

Homemade Pita Chips

I devour books whole, swallowing them in one mouthful. Most people take in books slowly, savoring them page by page, drawing out the stories over the span of days and weeks as they pick them up for an occasional hello. Some days I wish of a world where stories could travel farther through time, the sentences stretching over hours instead of seconds. My impulsive nature dictates otherwise; falling hard and fast for a narrative, it refuses to put it down until the final page has been turned. I wish I could make the stories last longer. I wish, in so many ways, they would never end.

They always do, they must, but there is an endless supply reaching out to take the next place.

Homemade Pita Chips Homemade Pita Chips

When I pick up a book, I expose my soul to it, allowing it into my most vulnerable and unguarded corners in a way I struggle to do with people. I live vicariously through the characters, experiencing their highs and lows, swept up in the journey of self-discovery. Even so, the end of a good book jars me. My heart is so consumed with emotion and the story told that I find it difficult to adjust back to reality for a moment. I want to share this experience with those around me. I want them to feel as I do in that instant, somehow both shattered and whole. Instead I keep the quiet moment to myself and pass the book along to them, hoping they will find the same experiences as I did.

Last weekend, on a long car ride back from the mountains, I picked up Cheryl Strayed's Wild. My eyes were glued to the page as Cheryl took me through her journey. While I wish to speak about this book in great detail, it is simpler to tell you that there are many books worth reading and this is one of them. And so, I pass the book on to you.

Homemade Pita Chips

Just as I have a fondness to revisit favorite books, I like to do the same with recipes. While many recipes can stand alone, I like to give a few of them a bit of a tweak now and then, to steer the recipe on a new course of its own.

When I found myself with more pita bread than a lone woman should eat, I cut it into slices, spiced it, and baked it until crisp. As I dipped my fresh pita chips into a bowl of hummus and paged through a magazine, I wondered whether the experience of eating a good dish was similar to reading a good book. Food takes me through a journey of the senses, of memories, of nostalgia, and, in a few instances, of self-discovery. While most foods and flavors I enjoy are a part of the everyday scene, there are a few that stick out in my mind. As great books, these recipes have carved a place in my heart. I find myself longing for more after the last bite is gone, grateful for the experience, wishing I could share the moment with you.

And, thankfully, I can.

Homemade Pita Chips

Homemade Pita Chips are spicy, addictive, and perfect for snacking. Pita bread is brushed with a layer of oil, cumin, and chili powder, sprinkled with salt, and sliced into bite-sized pieces. The chips emerge from the oven browned and crispy, ready to be dipped into a bowl full of humus. While I used homemade pita bread for this recipe, store bought pitas will work just as well. A fair warning, however: you may find it difficult to share.

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