Best Cooking Oils: What to Use and Avoid

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“Oh my … I have no idea what oil to use anymore!”, exclaimed a friend one day. “Can you make a blog post on this? It’s driving me crazy!” she literally cried. I hear this countless of times. Everyone is just exasperated by what oils to use. Is olive oil okay to heat or not? Is grapeseed oil okay to cook with? One minute it is okay and then the next minute it isn’t?!? But fear no more! I’m here to help.

A handful of oils I use in my cooking escapades are avocado oil, olive oil, ghee, and butter for daily cooking, along with mustard and sesame oil occasionally. For salads, I prefer toasted sesame oil or vinaigrette made with extra virgin olive oil, and I use peanut oil or ghee for deep frying.

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Quality Ingredients: My Go-To Pantry Picks

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Hi Everyone!

Hope you all are doing well and cooking up a storm in your kitchens. With all that is going on in the world at the moment, I feel my kitchen is my only sanctity. I, time and time again find myself lost in whisking away a batter to make a tasty treat or whipping up a delicious afternoon tea cake for friends and family. And in turn, I keep turning to my pantry for the clean ingredients I use and trust to feed those around me.

Which reminds me that over the years, many readers and clients have asked which ingredients and brands I keep in my own kitchen. So, I’ve created a dedicated space on the site where I’ve gathered the ingredients and products I use regularly at home. These are brands I’ve come to trust over time and chosen for their quality, sourcing, and simplicity. It’s all in one place for you to explore.

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Pistachio & Brown Butter Icing Cake

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This delicious and moist tea cake has a beautiful soft crumble. When paired with the brown butter icing, be warned – it can be deliciously addictive! A thick slab of this undeniably good pistachio cake cannot be devoured without a strong cup of Indian chaa. You’ll be thanking me later.

I’m really enjoying the weather. The crisp spring air blowing through the window makes it the perfect excuse to sit down with a slice of freshly home made cake. Now how many times you decide to do that during a day is entirely up to you.

Go ahead and try this recipe. You are going to love it!

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Crunchy Walnut and Carrot Salad

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Hormone-supportive crunch! This salad is full of fiber, antioxidants, and omega-3’s from walnuts. These nutrients are essential for hormone balance. They also contribute to radiant skin. The sweetness of cherries and pears keeps it satisfying without spiking blood sugar.

Crunchy Walnut and carrot salad with sweet cherries and juicy pears. All of this crazy goodness enrobed in a simple olive oil vinaigrette.

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Fenugreek In My Spice Cupboard

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Fenugreek Seeds (methi seeds) have a bitter taste and distinct sweet aroma. This little but mighty flavorful spice is largely associated with Indian cooking.  The seeds tempered in hot oil, release a pungent yet sweet maple syrupy fragrance. They are hard little angular nuggets of mustard yellow with a little indentation in them. 

Often, fenugreek is dry roasted and ground to a powder. It is then added to pickles to balance out the tart and spicy flavors. Alternatively, it can be added to curries during the cooking process. The hard seeds are sometimes soaked over night and made into a dry curry seasoned with spices.

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