While I have learned to tame this near-Medusa mane of mine now, it was not always this way. See, when I was born, my hair was so straight, my skin so fair, my eyes so almond-shaped that the nurses thought I was Filipino!

And while I’m showing baby pictures, here’s another.

Aren’t Indian babies just the cutest?

Perhaps I’m biased.

But then, dear hearts, then… cruel puberty hit. And my hair decided she no longer wanted the glossy good-girl lustre of my Filipino hair. Nope. She decided to run for the hills! In every different direction! And so, I present you with… the awkward years.

Oh.

Yeah.

Do you ever have those moments when you look back at your teen years and wonder whether they were really that bad?

This photo reminds me that, yes, YES… they really were. And that’s sort of comforting to me. The idea that, I wasn’t over-reacting. It wasn’t just the hormones coursing through my body. It really was awful.

Side note: should you want to nick this photo and share on the internet as if it’s something I should be ashamed of… go ahead. I’m not ashamed of it. Puh-leeze. We all go through this awkward stage; that’s what gives us depth and character! Don’t pretend like you didn’t. Unless you really didn’t. In which case I am doing very best not to be jealous. Also, to any of you going through an awkward stage right now — don’t worry. Your heart is what matters the most. This too shall pass.

So yeah. THAT happened. Now, after years of going to different stylists and trying everything from gel to pomade to leave-in conditioner, I can tell you the only things that work for this curly-haired mane of mine. (Disclaimer: I’m not sponsored by any of these products so I’m not making a dime off this post. Just letting my curly-haired sisters and bros know what works.)

1) Don’t wash it too often. I condition it nearly every day but I only shampoo it once a week. Curly hair is notoriously dry, so over-shampooing it only dries it out more and makes it frizz. Once a week is plenty. Every time I wet it though, I do condition it with…

2) EITHER Pantene conditioner for curly hair OR Curly, Sexy Hair’s conditioner. I go through that Pantene stuff by the gallon. Good thing it’s cheap!

3) Then, I towel-dry lightly and run Bumble & Bumble’s curling creme for coarse curls through my hair — just a small blob. (They also make it for finer hair). This stuff isn’t cheap (about $30/bottle) but it lasts me about two or three months and it’s worth it. It smooths out the frizz, and strengthens my curls. I take big sections, wrap each around my index finger to form ringlets and let it dry. If I need it dry in a hurry, I use a diffuser on the “warm” setting (not the hot — that’ll dry your hair from the outside-in, meaning it’ll turn frizzy within an hour or so). Otherwise, I let it air-dry. When it is dry, I run my fingers through the ringlets to loosen out the curls a bit.

4) Sometimes, if my hair is still too frizzy, I wet my hands and put a little of L’oreal curling mousse (comes in a gold can) on my finger tips. Then I work the mousse through sections of my hair that I want articulated, especially pieces in the front around my face. Also, if you can’t afford the Bumble & Bumble, just try using this mousse. It makes my hair a little crunchy if I don’t use the B&B first, but it’s worth a shot. It’s my favourite mousse.

And that’s it! Every now and then, if my hair gets really dry, I do a hot oil treatment using coconut oil. My mum used to do that to us every month, but these days, my hair seems glossy enough without it. I warm some coconut oil in the microwave, then work it into my hair; Mum used to massage our scalp too. Oh man that felt good! Then I leave it in for an hour and shampoo it out. I also make sure I take fish oil capsules every day. And drink tons of water!

OH! And whenever I shampoo, I deep-condition with Pantene’s hair treatment. Really good.

Phew! Never thought I’d be giving out beauty tips, but so many of you have been asking, and I KNOW what it’s like to not know how to tame your hair. You feel ugly, unkempt. I get it. So try those things out and hopefully it’ll help!

-x-
aarti

And I love the new definition of “work” for me.

I “worked” at the Los Angeles Times’ first ever Food and Wine celebration.

I got to sample food from some of LA’s best restaurants, wineries and food trucks… for free.

I got to sign recipe cards with my photo on ‘em, and meet hundreds of you guys who made me feel so loved and appreciated.

And… AND… I got to sit next to REE!!!!!

AHAHAHHAHHHHHHH! REE! The woman behind one of the best blogs on the net, The Pioneer Woman. I literally blog the way I blog because of Ree. This woman’s sense of humour, gorgeous photography and dedication to blogging whilst homeschooling her 4 kids, tending to a working cattle ranch, doing all their laundry and generally being Supermum is nothing short of astounding. Especially when her outfits, manicure and makeup are impeccable.

Yup, I’m just that superficial. I was checking out her manicure. Ha! My nails are SUCH a mess. In fact, I think it’s time for a home pedicure. Yup. Maybe a cup of rooibos chai too. And heck, while I’m at it, an episode of my new favourite show, Rescue Me, wouldn’t go amiss. (I know, I know… it’s an old show. But we’ve been catching up through Netflix.)

What are you doing today?

-x-
aarti

p.s. thank you to the incredibly sweet and generous Rene Lynch from the LA Times; I used to run to the driveway to read what she wrote every Wednesday in the Times’ Food section. Really. What a weird life where now I get to talk to her face to face… about ME!

I’m not a big fan of the term. It’s such a cold phrase to describe such a vital, beating part of my life… a part of my life that really and truly got me to where I am right now.

See, a couple of years ago, my friends Elena and Karen decided that they needed to create a weekly battle plan that would help them win their dream of being working actors.

And so, Bren and I joined them (and later, our friend Ross too). First, we plotted out our 10-year plan (where we’d like to be in 10 years), then our 5, then our 2, and finally, what we’d need to accomplish this year in order to be in a good place in the next. Then, in weekly meetings, usually on a Sunday night, we’d pull out our gorgeous calendars, and write out what we’d need to do each day to keep ourselves on track. We loosely followed Steven Covey’s “The 7 Habits…”. I say “loosely” because I confess, I didn’t read the whole thing. Thank Goodness Elena had!

This group came to be known as “bike gang”, because we’d often take our bikes down to the beach, ride down the boardwalk along the ocean, watch the sun set, then head back to the house for some dinner and some planning. I think we initially thought it made us sound tough too. We’d ride our bikes, knock traffic cones over in an abandoned parking lot, and then dutifully pick them back up again. Because you know, that’s what tough people do. Pick up after their delinquencies. Hahahaa!

Anyway, after meeting every week for 2 years, we are as close as family now. We’ve held each other through some hard times, encouraged each other when it just didn’t seem like we were making a dent in our dreams, celebrated each other’s victories when we finally did. And today, I really feel like I stand on their shoulders, their commitment.

Some of you asked me whether this was a church thing. It isn’t, although I have heard of church accountability groups and the idea sounds great! But you don’t have to do it that way. You just have to make a pact that you will be completely honest with each other, that each of you will be a source of unconditional love and support, that you will point out when your friend has been avoiding one particular task three weeks in a row even if you think it will make her mad… you have to be prepared to be challenged by your team on those areas of your life that you’d rather not face. It’s not easy. But the value of having someone break you out of empty patterns is priceless. Plus, for people like us in LA, who are so far away from our families, to have a group of people who are so close that when I go to their houses, I literally feel like I’m at home… that’s a blessing beyond compare.

So. Bren, Elena, Karen and Ross: thank you so much for being tireless in your exhortation and constructive criticism. I adore and treasure you. I pray that I can bless you the same way you have blessed me.

Do you have an accountability group? What do you think of the idea?

-x-
aarti

p.s. I’m reading that my “I Ain’t Chicken” Chicken smoked you guys out! Perhaps my oven at home isn’t at hot as yours! If that’s the case, then turn your oven down to 450. That should work just as well!

See, I have tons and tons of spices, all crammed into one shelf of my tiny cabinet. They are constantly falling out onto the countertop causing much palava. When my parents came to visit last year, sweet things that they are, they bought me even more spices!

When I went looking for spice racks, I could only find the ones that sit on your counter — counter space is at a premium in my tiny kitchen, so that wasn’t going to work. Besides, those ones only have enough holders to cover half of my spices! Between the Indian ones and the non-Indian ones, I have quite a collection.

And so, voila… the masterpiece.

Sweet, sweet Uncle Dan went to a steel shop in the neighborhood, and using the wall measurements Bren secured without my noticing, asked them to cut a sheet to size. Then, he drilled it to the wall, and bought me a bunch of spice containers (arranged in a heart). He even installed a pretty switchplate!

I love that I can also stick up ideas and images to inspire future recipes. Isn’t that brilliant?

Bren had told me he wasn’t sure what he could give me as a birthday present this year, since God had kinda outdone Himself. But kudos to Bren and Uncle Dan; they outdid THEMselves!

-x-
aarti

The 10pm chocolate craving has struck.

Too late to go out and get some — I’m comfy on my couch, and unwilling to move after a glass of wine.

Too early to go to bed and pretend it’s not happening.

Aghghghghghggh!

In other news, I found this photo of Bren and I when he came to visit the set. Can’t you see the relief on my face? I look so happy, so safe. I love this photo.

-x-
aarti

Doreen and Das came to the finale viewing party, which I thought was really sweet. I know they wanted this just as badly, if not more, than me… other people may have found it too painful to come, but they did, and that speaks volumes about them. Thank you so much for coming you guys.

And thank you for taking so many awesome photos Doreen! This one is spectacular — the exact moment when they say my name — look at all the fists in the air! It occurred to me that night, that I was sharing the victory with so many people. That brings me a lot of joy!

And isn’t this one brilliant too? I had no idea Doreen was snapping away!

That was such a wonderful night. My house is still full of bunches of flowers that people gave me. It’s awesome. One of my friends cried on my shoulder with joy. Another called and said that this has helped me realise the power of focusing on your dream. You can do it, Andy!

Bren made a lovely speech about me that night:

And imagine my surprise when, the next day we saw this on the side of the building next door to Food Network HQ at Chelsea Market.

Bren made me do the exact pose.

Sidebar: having Bren with me in NY this week was the best present ever. There’s something about having your other (better) half with you during momentous occasions that sort of cements it, acknowledges it as real, reassures you that you’re not dreaming; this is really happening!

And as I write, I’m realising that this is finally sinking in! In practically every interview I’ve done over the past week, I’ve been asked, “How do you feel?”. And I wax on about how excited I am, about how I feel like I’ve done well for my family, about it feeling so surreal.

But now… it’s sinking in.

I remember standing there, staring at the billboard, wearing exactly the same top (by happenstance), and watching out of the corner of my eye as people striding down the busy New York streets stopped and did a double-take. “That’s me up there,” I thought. I clutched Bren’s hand tightly. “I did it. My life is never going to be the same.”

And it isn’t. And that’s amazing! I’m already flabbergasted at the opportunities before me. But I’m also hoping that this experience isn’t going to change me… I’m watching myself so closely because I know the most insidious change happens slowly, while you’re focusing on other things that seem more important. I don’t want to lose the giddy excitement I get every time someone recognizes me, or the way I slap my thigh when I make a good dish. I want to make sure I thank every single person, from the guy who drove us to the airport the other night, to old friends who still make me feel special. I want to remember to make them feel special too. I want to remain open to you guys, to blog away here diligently, to try to answer as many questions as possible (just wittled my emails down to 1400 this morning. Oof!). I don’t want to be swayed by blogs obsessed with my boobs (they’re big, ok?!), or my weight, or by the holes punched in my door (there’s a great story behind that). Most of all, I want to make sure I always remember Who is in charge, and not get so caught up in my own ego and power that I forget and make Him sad.

Bren would say that it’s just like me to look for the grey cloud when God is lavishing me in silver lining! So I’m focusing on enjoying this time, soaking up every moment and blessing. MY SHOW STARTS TOMORROW! Aaaaghghghghgghghghghghg!

-x-
aarti

p.s. It’s on at 12p (ET) tomorrow. If you’re in a different time zone, double check when it’s on because as I understand it, if you have cable out here on the West Coast, it’s on at 9am. But if you have cable, then it’s on at 12p (PT).

-x-
aarti

So please, bear with me as I sort through everything, whilst doing a bunch of press here in New York. I will be back soon! With bells on!

In the mean time, have you checked out my show page on the Food Network site? I think it’s gorgeous, and I’m so excited about the graphics package. Stay tuned — MY NEW SHOW DEBUTS THIS SUNDAY (at 12pET). Waaaahoooooo!

-x-
aarti

Thank you so much everyone! And of course, thank you sweet Father! You are too kind!

-x-
aarti

Or at least that’s what people want you to think. Or more accurately, want me to think…

That’s why I am geeking out right now!

Because you guys have been making my recipes, and loving them!!

WOOOHOOOOO!

Really you guys, you spoil me. I am ecstatic that you are actually trying out my recipes! Especially those of you who don’t normally try Indian food. That flatters me more than you know.

And can I tell you a secret? It also relieves me that the recipes stand up to other hands making them! You never know whether you’ve really remembered everything necessary to make the recipe just perfect — it’s so important to me that you can trust the recipe. It’s as if that recipe is a promise. Like, I promise you if you make it this way, it’ll turn out grand.

Check out this Avymom’s interpretation of my baked samosas — she stuffed them with chickpeas instead of the chicken-chipotle-mango mixture I use:

And The Enchanted Cook already tried out my “Friday Shrimp” recipes for this past Sunday! She says it’s her favourite shrimp recipe now. Pretty amazing, right?

I can’t tell you what a kick I get out of seeing you try the recipes out. Thank you and keep letting me know when you do!

Speaking of which, here are the links to this week’s shrimp-tastic trio!

Coconut gazpacho with mint-coriander pickled shrimp

Friday Shrimp (Turmeric-rubbed Shrimp stuffed with garlic and cilantro)

South o’ the Border Shrimp Masala

-x-
aarti