Good Slice

This year started a bit topsy turvy for me, smack dab in the middle of a short season of all the toast falling jam side down. And I get it. Life often happens in these curves of highs and lows. Except that I'm always so ready to embrace the highs with both arms - give me all the joy + sunshine + colour. This is 'life'. And when the inevitable downturn happens, it comes as too much of a shock. I've been noticing that I almost try and deny it, and feel this urgent need to simultaneously downplay it to myself (it's not that bad/you need to power through/you're being weak) while reaching out to friends to for cheer + sympathy because I'm seeking the permission to stop. To let myself breathe slower. To create room to hold space for...myself. Sounds chaotic? It feels it. . I started this year (for me early March was when it started) really trying to allow myself to try a different pace. I usually reside on this rollercoaster of doing entirely too much and then needing to just stop from overwhelm or exhaustion. 0 to 100 to 0. Rinse. Repeat. A steady pace of work feels like a struggle to me; it's so hard to ignore the voice that says I'm going too slow. A schedule feels constricting, dull and unimaginative. But in those very tiny few moments where I've had schedule, and (ugh) routine, I've felt my most calm and in control. . I'll be honest. I manage a slower pace and a steadier routine for a week or two, then fall into the pattern of feeling guilty about said pace and raise the heartbeat only to race smack dab into overwhelm. I don't have the answers yet. I'm just headed back to trying. Hiya, new day. ☀️ . P.S. ~ I’m really enjoying the book Wintering, the power of rest and retreat in difficult times reco-ed by @malabartearoom . ♥️

Remember my glaze trials from the end of May? (Yeah, sorry, there's nothing instant about my insta). These are the results! I tried three different things here: 1. Taping on the blue mug - to get neat straight lines. I'm into this. Perhaps next with a white glaze and further experimentation with all the lines and patterns. 2. Wax resist with a brush on the cream and brown one - for a more organic, let's-sorta-see-where-the-brush-takes-us approach. I loved using the brush and wax resist and like the overall effect so much, but want to work on my execution + patterns. 3. The yellow ombre - my favourite. I'd wanted a yellow ombre effect, so did a layered dip, and actually ended up with a yellow, light yellow, and grey/white which I really love. We all loved this effect so much at the studio that it made it to @a.ware_studio ’s first collection as well (currently available online!). I can't wait to design some shapes and play around with this happy ombre. What do you think? Do you have a favourite? Oh also! That cream and brown mug? That's the first proper mug I ever made. ✨ . . . . . #pottery #ceramics #glazetest #glazetesting #studiopottery #potteryvideos #handmadeceramics #wheelthrown

Last year the most meaningful thing I did was run #BakeForIndia. Together we raised over 27 lakhs through over 140 bake sales in multiple cities in India and abroad. I type this, and I'm still amazed by the staggering amount of support that allowed us to do this. . I can't explain exactly why it's taken me this long to share this; it made me anxious on different levels and sorta paralysed me for too long. But I know it is important to share this incredible thing we all achieved together, so I'm pushing through, even though it's so very late. . The impact we made was a community effort; kind, generous bakers supported by this huge community of hundreds of you who helped spread the word, bought dessert and sent us encouraging words. Thank you. It was such a tough time we were all going through, and I remember having plenty of moments where I'd just weep, but then I'd return to my laptop to an email where a baker would have finished a bake sale and want to sign up for a second one, or a child who wanted to contribute, or just every single donation receipt, big or small, and I'd find hope again. . Behind the scenes, Bake For India snowballed so fast, and I scrambled to put systems in place, respond to emails, check receipts, and respond to hundreds of emails asking for information and support. It was honestly really tough, and pretty stressful. I owe lifelong hugs to @padmakkb for helping me work through systems and being the best sounding board and to @neha.chhabria for painstakingly verifying receipts and updating excel sheets; they kept me sane. Also extra love to @mehmz and @zola.granola for such generous help when I really needed it, to lawyer-smartypants @sherryshroff for all the advice and taking me through her own fundraising efforts, and @vishweshk for feeding me through it. And my army of friends who support me with so much generosity and this community of such kind people right here on Good Slice who are the reason this became the movement it was - fucking thank you. . The grace, kindness and community with which we ran Bake For India is everything. Thank you.

I’m overwhelmed and so heartened by how the food community has rallied together to raise funds for Covid relief work with #BakeForIndia. What started as my own individual bake sale less than a week ago has snowballed into dozens (close to 100 I think) of us trying to do our own bit. . While this grows, I’d like to reiterate the main guidelines especially for any new bakers who are keen to join us. 1. Please donate 100% proceeds of 10+ units of your chosen product to a verified NGO/official charity working towards Covid Relief in India. 2. Please email once you've sold out and send donation receipts after you’ve made your donation. 3. Please take all Covid safety precautions while preparing and packing your food (mask up, wash hands, sanitise etc). Please email [email protected] for the full list of guidelines and to fill out the form in order to participate. While every effort to raise funds right now is commendable and required, please do not use #BakeForIndia without following the points above. . #BakeForIndia is a virtual bake sale started by @goodslice so that chefs and bakers can help raise funds for Covid relief work in India. Each individual chef/baker is solely responsible for the taste, quality, hygiene of their product and to make donations to their chosen charity organisation. We update fundraised amounts after receiving donation receipts from each participant. Thank you for your support. ♥️ . Please register for #BakeForIndia by the 9th of May. You can run your bake sale through the coming week but please close orders/pre-orders by the 16th (Sunday) and send me donation receipts by the 20th of May. You're welcome to deliver orders as works best between you and your customers. . Please email [email protected] to participate.

#BakeForIndia ~ A bake sale fundraiser for Covid Relief. C’mon, let’s do this. Quick edit ~ if you’re here to buy cake for a cause, please check my insta stories and link in bio for active bake sales across the country. . Bakers and chefs ~ This is an ongoing bake sale to raise money towards urgent Covid relief work in India right now. All food and food products are welcome. Email me at [email protected] for overall guidelines. It's fairly straightforward - in a nutshell you sell at least 10 units of a particular product on your menu to your customers, friends and family (I did 10 tarts) and 100% proceeds go to a verified charity working towards Covid relief. I'll organise us all into a google doc in my bio and do my best to amplify each one of us too. Email me and I'll send you the guidelines; they're fairly basic, don't worry. . Everyone else ~ Come support. Buy some cake or pasta if you're able, or help us amplify. 100% of proceeds go to charity, so it's really quite a win/win. Sending something delicious to a friend is probably the best equivalent to a hug right now. Or really, just get something for yourself. Right now @thatthalasserygirl is selling plum cakes, @thecheesecollective has a cheesy pasta and @les_reve_creameux , all of 12 years old is selling cookie cakes. These are all Bombay, but other cities are coming. . Also, I hope you're well. This stuff, all of it, is ridiculously hard. Sending a tight hug, and really, accepting them as well. . #BakeForIndia

#BakeForIndia Edit ~ My fundraiser is sold out. Please visit the link in my bio + stories for ongoing bake sales by other bakers. . Bake For India ~ A Good Slice Bake Sale Fundraiser for Covid Relief ~ I'm making 10 of these dark chocolate tarts to raise money for Covid Relief. 100% of proceeds will go to the @hemkunt_foundation which is providing oxygen cylinders for free for Covid patients in desperate need. . It's a 9-inch decadent dark chocolate tart and it's one of my favourite desserts. It also happens to be eggless. It's Rs. 2500 and you can order it for yourself or send it to a friend. . Here's how ~ DM me if you'd like to order a tart, and I'll send you payment details to confirm your order. Please make the payment immediately so that we can make a donation as soon as. Tart pick-up days are 29/30 April and 1/2 May and you can choose a slot till they fill up. Yes, you can easily arrange a WeFast/Swiggy. 100% of proceeds will be donated, so yes that includes the ingredient cost as well. . If any other bakers or chefs would like to do this and need help organising or amplifying, email me; I'd love to help. If you have a brand or are an individual and want to brainstorm over how you can use your talent or resources to help email me. I'm [email protected]. I veer between tears and white hot anger so I'm happy to channel that energy towards something constructive. . Sending hugs. And deep breaths. #BakeForIndia . Edit - This is sold out now (yay + thank you) but other bakers and cooks will soon have more fundraising goodies to sell. Will organise + share soon.

Quick PSA to say my favourite cape gooseberries are back in season. ☀️ They're bright and juicy, so very flavour-forward, and have that fantastic sweet-tart balance with the slightest hint of bitterness. I now look forward to these guys more than strawberries, which feels a bit blasphemous to admit. . Last year we made a 🥧  with gooseberries and thyme, and they make a really great salsa for taco night. I could try a popsicle too this year. Though they're really pretty great as is, and my favourite move is pretty much wash-eat-grin. What are you doing with them this season? Any ideas? . Oh, @mishaghose taught me how to do this little animation here, which was most fun to learn. (Her animations on her page are best and give me all the feels). Umm, do they look like suns to you? Or just umm splotches. The jury is out. And so far, not going in my favour. . . . #capegooseberries #local #seasonal #fruit #animation #learningnewthings #procreate

Looookit! So very happy to be included in the new @uniqloin campaign for their spring summer collection. I've been wearing Uniqlo for many years now and love their clothes because they're ridiculously comfortable and such great quality. I'm also in some fun company here with @varunduggi @lisamishramusic and @raah_hool . Hi kids. 🙋🏻‍♀️ . Honestly, when I tried on these Smart Pants I was initially a bit hesitant because it's not really how I dress. But an hour in I realised that they're pretty damn excellent for kitchen work - they're high waisted so crouching to take grilled veggies or cookies out of the oven is simple, and there's plenty of stretch so you can wear them the entire day and they're so comfortable. I think they make pretty excellent work-to-leisure pants (sorta great for 2021?). Hiya, who wants me to come consult on some menu development so I can wear my new pants? 👩🏽‍🍳 . Big love @karam.deepti , @hennapunjabi @vipulbaradia for asking me to be a part of this. I had such fun. ♥️ . Shoot credits (thanks everyone): Conceptualised and Produced by @toastevents_in Creative Direction - @gopalikavirmani Video Packaging - @mmcworld_official Photography - @santoshmishraphotography Styling - Team @UnilqloIn HMU - @PallaviDevika . #ad #UniqloIndia #LifeWear #FindYourHealthy #SpringSummer

Looks pretty damn good right? It tastes the same. Uh huh.🕺🏻 . So, you start with the charred cabbage in olive oil + salt (recipe in last post), toss some cooked beans (just boil in salt; I used rajma, you do you) into the mix for a little protein, sprinkle some pomegranate seeds for a bit of sweetness, add some parsley leaves for freshness and finish with a generous drizzle of the tahini-lemon dressing (recipe two posts ago) for flavour + good fats. This salad-ish is all about that earthy, sweet-salty, wholesome, tasty goodness. . P.S. ~ Definitely be more generous with the tahini-lemon dressing than this fancier plating-for-prettiness drizzle I've used here. Hah. ☀️ . . . #lookslikechristmasright? #grilledcabbage #healthysalad #vegan #healthyrecipes #easyrecipes #warmsalad #iamwellandgood #bonappetit #f52grams

Charred cabbage ~ the only way I'll happily eat an entire cabbage entirely on my own. (Though maybe don't do that yourself; feels like entirely too much cabbage for one person! 🙄). Okay, the first time I tried this, I was genuinely surprised by just how tasty it is! It's so good. The outer bit of the wedge gets beautifully charred, and slightly crispy while the centre steams and becomes tender. I'll take you through the simplest olive oil + salt version, and my favourite miso + olive oil, but really, cabbage is such a neutral vegetable, you can go fairly crazy with flavour ideas. . Recipe ~ Preheat your oven to 250 degrees C (yup, that hot hot). Cut the cabbage in half, and then each half into three to four even wedges. Mix some olive oil + salt in a little bowl and then generously brush each wedge with olive oil. I'm fairly generous as this is all the flavour going into the cabbage. Brush the bottom of your tray with a little olive oil (to prevent sticking) and then lay out the wedges leaving some space between them. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes till the cabbage is cooked through and nicely blackened (don’t be afraid). I mostly don’t bother to turn the wedges midway because I'm quite happy with a little extraaa char on one side (plus I'm as lazy as permissible). My absolute favourite way to flavour is miso + olive oil. Mix the two (no need for salt) and then brush the wedges with that before baking. So incredibly good, and the perfect veggie side. If you try other spice/flavour combinations you love, let me know? . I'm really just here to say - try charring your cabbage, I think you'll be as pleasantly surprised as I was. . . . #charredveggies #charredcabbage #cabbage #eatmoreplants #food52grams #iamwellandgood #healthyeating #veganrecipes

Tahini over everything ~ I've met fancier tahini dressings, for sure. But this healthy, creamy, lemony, three-ingredient one is what I make the most because it comes together in a flash and it's so very good. What do you use it with? Think all salads, especially when you want something creamy, over eggs with some chopped herbs on top, over grilled veggies or meat, all great. I've even occasionally spooned it over ghar-ka bhaaji that needed a little perking up. Yup, like palak. . Recipe ~ Add 1/4 cup of tahini + 1 tbsp lemon juice + a little under 1/4 tsp salt to a bowl. Mix with a spoon adding in a tablespoon of water at a time, till you get a creamy dressing. I like it thick but pourable and usually end up with 2.5 tbsp of water. Taste and adjust lemon + salt. All done!  Good to know - when you mix the lemon with the tahini and start stirring, it'll start to seize up. This is totally cool. Once you add water, and stir well, it'll transform into creamy goodness. Promise. . Honestly I don't really measure anything when I make this. I taste and adjust, adding salt last. So easy, so good. . I had to start the year with tahini I think. #alltimefavourite ☀️ P.S. ~ I use Al Ameera tahini, the one with the blue lid, which I usually find quite easily at bigger grocery stores in Bombay. . . . #allgoodnojunk #tahini #creamydressings #healthyfood #vegan #iamwellandgood #f52food

Yup, that was me towards the end of 2020 trying absolutely every way to find comfort. "Maybe bum up in the air, like toddlers do, maybe that'll work". It didn't. . If it's helpful to hear, I really struggled through the last quarter of 2020. My burn and resulting need to keep it cool, dry and indoors pushed me even further into my minuscule bubble, already quite limited because I was meeting my parents fairly frequently. I fell into a state of suspension (brain, body, motivation, everything) where all I did was mindlessly watch Masterchef, season after season. Why Masterchef? Because it was reassuringly devoid of too-many-feelings. I had plenty of my own overwhelm thankyouverymuch. Even music felt too much. I struggled. And then finally in December I managed to push myself into a little forward movement. I started to meet a few friends for outdoor mask-on walks, I pressed lavender oil onto my pillowcases,  I decided to make my dark chocolate tarts* on order. . *I need to acknowledge how amaze this was. I made 50 tarts in 11 days, sold out and had a wait list. I'm immensely thankful for that love and productivity; everyone who shared the post, ordered a tart,  messaged me after with ❤️, fucking thank you. (Also, it was most exciting to often see them teamed up with @tiffintales amaze strawberry pie at dinner tables). . Jan has been full of finding my way back. I desperately needed greenery, fresh air, a schedule, some productivity and one ridiculous, big, stupid laugh, the kind that comes from a dumb, unexpected moment of living, the kind that makes you chuckle even a couple days later. (Know what I mean?). And one of the things I've learned (for myself) is that even if it feels impossible, being productive (and completely widening this definition) makes me feel better. . I just want to say that so much of the past 11 months has been so damn hard. And if you're in the thick of it where it's all-encompassing, sticky and feels like it just won't pass, it does. It's hard to remember, but it does. . Also, more Good Slice soon. For sure. I’m ready. 🎈 . P.S. ~ I had absolutely no idea that picture was being taken by V. Haha. Also @rohini_srivastava thank you for you.