About

Hello, Welcome to A Cook @ Heart! 

Allow me to introduce... myself.

I am the face behind this food blog. Many of you know me as Manasi and then many others as Pallavi.

So, what's this with the two names?

Pallavi, is my maiden name. It was changed when I got married in 2005. However, people who know me by my maiden name never got around to calling me by any other and vice versa.... slowly, the confusion spread, not  in me, I respond to both names. 

So, call me Pallavi or Manasi, the fact remains that I am, A Cook @ Heart! 

So, what's with the name - A Cook @ Heart?
I am  a typical Bombayite or as is now known, a Mumbaikar ( one born and raised in the city of Mumbai). I have grown up eating  a wonderful mix of Maharashtrian and Kannada Cuisine and of course a steady diet of street food.

I was pretty obsessed about my career and entered the kitchen only when I was in the mood to whip up some magic (as I liked to term it!)
I will not make any claims that I  started cooking only after I got married. No, I was always fond of cooking. I was always in and out of the kitchen, not just looking for a bite to eat, though that was always welcome, but to help out or peep into a saucepan or wok. At some unconscious level, in my childhood, a deep seated love for food was created, watching my Mother cook and serve fresh food, was the beginning. 
 But yes, I started cooking independently, after I got married and moved to the USA. A Cook @ Heart  comes to you from Irving, Texas. 
In all these years of experimenting ( and whipping up some magic), I realized that I should have followed my heart and gotten a post- grad degree in Hotel management and Catering.
I was sidelined by doing what everyone does, MBA and diving head first into  the corporate world. I have no regrets and I am very thankful that today,I get time to invest in my hobby and learn and follow my heart.

Why a blog?
I made attempts to cook, when I was a teenager, with disastrous results, the first time I made dough, I 'poured' about a pint or two of water to the 2 cups wheat flour and made a holy mess!  My Mother had to add a large amounts of flour to manage the whole thing, as a  result, she did not knead dough for almost a week, that is the silver lining , I guess! 

The daal was watery and the  chapatis/ polya (Indian Flat bread) were all shapes, they were rubbery, my poor Father had to chew one morsel until his jaw ached, but he never let me down. 

Slowly, I learned from my mistakes. I made mental notes and observed my Mother's fingers add spices to a curry or expertly roll a chapati, she did it instinctively.

My Father always said, "you cook well, the food is tasty". That was my gold medal. I treasured these words and realized one thing, I had put my heart into cooking, even if it was a simple dish. I had enjoyed the whole process of  chopping, sauteing , adding spices, all of it.

This blog is my journal. My space to pen down some food related memories and also to track my journey from a young adult experimenting recklessly with ingredients at hand to create 'exotic, never heard before' recipes' to a who hesitant new bride, preparing her first meal, with  trembling fingers to a doting Mother, obsessed with feeding her son! 

Today, this blog has become the means for me to express myself and more importantly, to learn and grow.

What kind of recipes will I see on A Cook @ Heart?

You will find most recipes from an Indian, Vegetarian Kitchen, you will also come across some cakes and cookies, bread and pizza and a few recipes from around the world. The best place to start would be at the Recipe Index. 
There are some very simple, everyday recipes that I have grown up eating, then there are those that  are from various sources, cook books, magazines. I have mentioned the source in all my recipes and provided links to them. 
All the recipes on this blog are tried and *tasted* in my kitchen. That said, I must also add here, cooking is more about experimenting with what suits you best (except in baking, there you must abide by the exact measures!). Use these recipes as guidelines, specially when it comes to spice/ heat levels. Almost all the recipes have accurate measurements, there are some very forgiving recipes which are very flexible and you can eyeball ingredients, but make sure you maintain a balance.

Comment love
I put in a great deal of love and effort into cooking and taking pictures and to finally post about it. The blog is open to all readers and comments are allowed and welcomed on all posts. 
I appreciate all the constructive feedback that you have to give, however, any inappropriate comment will be deleted. 

Photography 
When I first started blogging, I used a Kodak point and shoot camera. I have graduated to a Nikon D-60 DSLR. I use the basic 18-55 mm lens for all my pictures and shoot most pictures without flash. I make no claims of being a good photographer. I am learning  and experimenting.

Recipe request
If you would like to request a recipe, please feel free to leave a comment or send me an email. I will try my best to make and post about it.

Connect with AC@H
You can 'Like' me on FaceBook Or, subscribe to the posts via email or if you are a fellow blogger, you can click on the 'Follow' button on the bar at the top of the blog to receive updates.

This is a disclaimer.
The recipes on the blog are my experiments with food, flavors and textures. I am not liable for any loss or injury/ damage caused when using the content from the blog.

Thank you for taking time to read about me. I truly appreciate the time you spend to read and try the recipes and leave your valuable comments.
Happy Surfing! 

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