The Kitchen Diaries.
Notes from the kitchen. Recipes, spice stories, and the things I think about while the dal is simmering.
Five places in Toronto that feel like mine
I left Delhi and all its food behind. Two years in Toronto, and I have found five places I keep going back to. Here they are.
The Saucery story: Handcrafted intimacy
I still remember the slow evenings before we had a website, back when I was just making Hummus for my friends. There was no business plan. Saucery was born in my tiny kitchen over various attempts to perfect my Hummus recipe, and it grew into Beetroot dips, Twisted Guacamole, Bhoot Chili Oil, and my mother's hung curd Tzatziki.
Beyond the table: My hosting and catering philosophy
For me, hosting has always been a big part of my life. My mother would keep 3-4 types of homemade pickles on the dinner table, and my father would travel an extra kilometer to get the best Gulaab Jamuns in the city. I saw my parents create magic through food and togetherness, and now it's my way of passing that feeling on to Toronto.
Toronto's hidden kitchen: Where the flavour begins
There is a particular rhythm to how I shop for produce each week. It is not a task I rush, even when the Toronto wind is pushing against me. There is a specific treasure-hunt feeling I get when I walk into Augusta Fruit Market. Most Indian food in Toronto starts with pre-made gravy or garam masala from a commercial bag. Mine never has.
Why I started Toronto Canteen: Finding home in a new city
Whenever I'm feeling a little low, I take a short walk to the corner of King and Spadina to just watch the city move. I still remember the sharp, biting cold of my first Toronto winter. Everything felt unfamiliar. I found myself searching for something I couldn't quite name, a sense of belonging that the skyscrapers couldn't give me.