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About Me

Hi!

     I'm Shivani, writer, creator, photographer, editor, and most critical critic of this blog. When I first started writing Curries and Cakes, I was in college. I will let my past self complete my introduction: 

I live in Philadelphia, studying English and being a crazy Pre-med. I'm Indian, but heart and soul I am from Boston. I started writing this blog on a whim one February night my Sophomore year. I wanted to share the foods I cook as a college student, on a low budget and tight schedule. As someone who has been trying to learn as much Indian cooking as possible from her mother, I also wanted to share the joys of easy, home cooked Indian food with the world.

     I love fancy-restaurant foods as much as the next person. But, I don't believe in spending loads on fussy ingredients or spending hours on stressful techniques. Because I barely have the time to eat and cook, the food I make tends to be simple and stress-free. These are home-cooked meals that can be enjoyed on a daily basis, and of course the desserts my sweet tooth would not be able to live without.

     I cook to eat, and I blog to share. So, I hope you enjoy the recipes on this site! The Recipe Index is the best place to see all the dishes I have made so far. Some of my favorite recipes/posts up to now are (in no particular order):

The Great Cake (the Finale) 
Adventures in a Foreign Land (Hoisin-Honey Glazed Pork Riblets)
My Jewish Roots (Challah Bread)
A Happy Day (Pork Pho)
A Visitor in the Kitchen Part II: Dessert (Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake)

Happy reading, Happy cooking, and Happy eating!

Shivani

P.S. Here's some more about me in no particular order:

I was born in Gorleston, UK, then my sister was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and my brother was born in Mumbai, India. So, basically we've moved around a lot.

I love to read! I read the Lord of the Rings books once a year. Not because I have to, and generally not all at once. But sometime during the year, I just feel compelled.

I'm obsessed with chocolate mousse. As a little kid, it was (basically) the only dessert I would order at restaurants. I love it love it love it love it.

Martial arts movies make me happy. Especially Jackie Chan's Legend of Drunken Master I and II.

My music taste varies as wildly as my food and movie and book tastes: from Zac Brown Band to Big Sean to Bright Eyes and Bollywood music of course!

Which leads us to the next thing, I love Bollywood movies. Especially Shah Rukh Khan movies, do you know him?

Peach butter and big chunks of brie on toast has become my new favorite thing.

No matter how awful I feel, a cup of tea always makes me feel better. Plain old black tea with a whole lot of milk and sugar has never failed me.

Whenever I am very excited about something but it won't happen for a couple of hours, I make cake. All the time. When I'm waiting for an important call, or a person, or to go somewhere, I end up making banana cakes and chocolate cakes and hot milk cakes. My family has never complained.

Ummm...I can't think of anything else right now will continue later.

P.S. I'm no longer in college. Some of these facts are no longer true. But this time capsule is too precious to erase.