An Indian Food Blog

Maple Masala Paal
The trees towered above them. The canopy stood high above and dwarfed Poet and Flower. Flower was carefully carrying a a very full bucket of sap when plop, she tripped over her feet and fell into a sweet, sticky mountain of maple sap.

The latest recipes.

10/10/22 10/10/22

Just Give Me What I Want - Birthday Cake

Birthdays are a celebration. Or, to be more exact, it's about celebrating someone. Remembering that special day when that special someone came into the world. Growing up, I always felt celebrated on my birthday.

9/29/22 9/29/22

Where Do We Come From? - Meethe Chongay

I am not from here. Here meaning the Midwest or even the United States. Where I am from is thousands (and thousands) of miles away, India.

4/15/22 4/15/22

Who Are We? - Coconut Banana Bread

Mom? Flower was almost asleep but said the word softly, checking gently if I was still there or had quietly slipped out of the room. And for an odd moment, I thought she was talking to someone else. But there was no one else, just me. I'm mom.

3/27/22 3/27/22

I Want to Go to Claire's - Seviyan ki Burfi

Flower was not enthusiastic about the tattoo parlor. Why would a little kid want to go to a tattoo parlor anyway? Flower had approached us suddenly, saying she wanted her ears pierced.

12/24/21 12/24/21

A Splash of Mulled Wine

G's face turned just a little green. He tried to manage a smile but wasn't sure what to do. He had tasted mulled wine for the first time. It was warm and spicy, an unlikely combination. Drinking mulled wine for the holidays is a tradition. But, somehow, we've always managed to have a mulled wine mishap.

11/22/21 11/22/21

Aspiring to Be French - Mango Pavlova

Sometimes we aspire to be what we want through food. Years ago, before Poet and Flower and before we were married, G and I visited Paris. I had been to Paris as a teenager with my parents. It was the quintessential family trip seeing the Eiffel Tower, visiting the sites. I remember vividly eating at the Hardrock Cafe because we had tired of eating French food at our hotel.

6/22/21 6/22/21

The Summer of New Memories - Mango Lassi Popsicles

6/6/21 6/6/21

Trying to Unplug From the World - Pistachio Marshmallows

We drove, finding ourselves on a one-lane road with signs saying 'high elevation, drive in the lowest gear'. We turned onto an even smaller road deep in the woods. It was our first vacation in over a year, and we were looking forward to being out in nature and simply relaxing.

5/25/21 5/25/21

Weekends are For Farmer's Markets - Ginger Lime Cheesecake

G hates farmer's markets. Perhaps that is somewhat strong. As we tell the kids, he does not prefer farmer's markets. This weekend, for the first time in over a year, we ventured back to the market.

3/15/21 3/15/21

Jumping into the Deep End - Sabudana Kheer

I jumped into the deep end with careless abandon. I was maybe 5 or 6 years old and had taken a few swim lessons. As a master of the pool, I thought I could fearlessly swim on my own. But within a few seconds, I began to sink despite paddling furiously.

2/22/21 2/22/21

Learning to Love the Outdoors - Seviyan Kheer

good cup of masala chai. I would check the temperature outside and think about how many months there were until spring. This year the pandemic has turned everything upside down.

1/24/21 1/24/21

Less is More? - Ricotta Ras Malai

It is the simple things, a recurring theme over the last year. When G and I first met, I loved fussy food. I mean food that required 20 different ingredients (perhaps a little bit of an exaggeration).

Hi! I’m Sameena

Welcome! I'm Sameena. I'm a physician by day, mom on call round-the-clock and avid cook. Poet and Flower is an Indian food blog celebrating my passion for food and family. I learned to cook in my mother's kitchen. My kids, Poet and Flower, are both the inspiration for the blog and the main distraction which keeps me from it.