July 2025 | My Kitchen Table

Welcome to the third edition of My Kitchen Table! I considered combining July and August since I was delayed in writing both, but soon realized there was enough content for me to make them separated. Expect to see an extensive list of places we tried during a family vacation to Maui, a diverse range of new podcast episodes, and actionable tips to improve your iron levels.

Fuel my stomach

👩🏽‍🍳 Inside my kitchen

As much as I love traveling, the one downside is not getting to spend a lot of time creating and filming recipes in my own kitchen. I instead end up playing a solo game of Chopped trying to make use of the produce I have in my fridge. Here are some highlights from previous months that I thought deserved a chance in the spotlight:

Pumpkin Seed Chutney

The fresh herbs that you bought for a garnish and never touched again? Blend them into this that you can dip, drizzle, or spread on just about anything

Beet Coconut Halwa Bars

The vibrant colors on these are absolutely stunning, and the flavor combination is even more tempting

Smashed Potatoes

I cannot believe how long it took me to make this instagram trend

🥡 my table picks

This month’s travels were to Maui. After being in the concrete jungle for nearly five months, it was refreshing to be able to see clear skies and even clearer water. Here are some of the places we tried. Click on each link for a more detailed review on Yelp.

Kachava bowl, A’a Roots

Lentil and tomato stew crepe, Cafe des Amis

Blue majik bowl and matcha bowl, Sweet Hula

Rainbow Kitchen + Rebel Tonics (8.0🌟)

Haiku, Maui, HI

One of the most unique desserts I have tried, a soft serve infused with a variety of adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms.

A’a Roots (7.4🌟)

Lahaina, Maui, HI

Super fresh smoothie bowls and other vegan eats.

Cafe des Amis (7.4🌟)

Paia, Maui, HI

Indian-mediterranean fusion food with a breezy outdoor patio seating area.

Miss Arepa (6.4🌟)

Lahaina, Maui, HI

Loaded arepas located in a small strip mall with decent vegan options.

Sweet Hula (6.1🌟)

Kihei, Maui, HI

Sweet meant sweet, these tasted like a slightly healthier dessert rather than a breakfast/brunch.

That’s a Wrap Cafe (4.5🌟)

Kihei, Maui, HI

Smoothies and wraps which are fine but not my personal favorite.

New York and San Francisco also had some highlights:

Anixi (9.3🌟)

Chelsea, New York, NY

Another hit from the City Roots Hospitality team, this time featuring flavors from Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, and Syria.

Wildseed (9.3🌟)

Palo Alto, CA

Second branch of the SF vegan cafe, though this one seems to have higher quality food and less crowd.

Damansara Co (9.3🌟)

Noe Valley, San Francisco, CA

Women owned gem serving authentically flavorful malaysian food.

Spicy Moon (9.2🌟)

Chelsea, Manhattan, NY

Fourth time here and I can confidently rank it as one of the best chinese spots in the US.

Caffe Panna (9.1🌟)

Gramercy, Manhattan, NY

Third time is the charm for me to try this viral ice cream shop. Worth the wait.

Stardust Coffee House (8.8🌟)

Campbell, CA

Lattes so unique I went back three times in a month.

Thelewala (8.2🌟)

Village, Manhattan, NY

Flavorful kati rolls open late night.

Chama Mama (7.8🌟)

Chelsea, Manhattan, NY

First time trying Georgian food, it was fine though not ranking in my top cuisines.

Tokuyamatcha & Onigirazu Bar (6.7🌟)

Midtown East, Manhattan, NY

Authentic matcha but poor workspace with no outlets, wifi, or bathrooms.

The Original Buddha Bodai Kosher Vegetarian Restaurant (6.5🌟)

Chinatown, Manhattan, NY

Vast spread of dim sum and other chinese-inspired entrees, though nothing worth a second visit.

Dip sampler, Anixi

Laksa and vegan rendang rice plate, Damansara Co

Black Sesame Matcha, Stardust Coffee House

🛒 grocery gems

• Trader joe’s sweet chili mango salad kit → picked this up on a day when I was not feeling like cooking. I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of flavors and textures. When paired with a protein (tofu was my choice), it makes a substantial lunch. The dressing tastes like the sweet and sour sauce that comes with frozen dumplings. My favorite part was the sunflower seed quinoa crunch, a healthy addition to any salad.

• Kite hill queso dip → picked this up for family nacho night. I like the Kite Hill brand for making products with simple and clean ingredients. This one has a subtle flavor which makes it good for nachos when paired with a spicy salsa and umami beans. It is also creamy enough to be used as a dip on its own.

• Livwell green goddess pesto → picked this up for family pizza night. I had never seen an edamame based pesto on the shelves, plus it came in an aesthetic glass bottle so it was worth a try. My main qualm is the price tag. We paid nearly $15 for a bottle which is much higher than I think it should be. Tastewise, it was citrusy and fresh, making for a great summery pasta sauce.

• Heyday apricot glazed baked beans → i had tried the kimchi sesame navy beans a few months ago and was so obsessed with them i knew i had to try more flavors. This one was sweet yet tart thanks to the apricot. It tastes like an upscale version of classic tomato baked beans. While I did enjoy it, I am not sure I would get it regularly because of how sweet it was.

• Kite hill mushroom ravioli → another hit from Kite Hill. It has a mild meaty flavor from the mushrooms but nothing too overwhelming. The package says that it serves 2.5 people but I felt like it was for 1 person as there were only about 6 pieces of ravioli. I paired it with an herby pesto, something light to not make the whole dish feel heavy.

Trader Joe’s Sweet Chili Mango Salad Kit

Kite Hill Queso Dip

Livwell Green Goddess Pesto

Heyday Apricot Glazed Baked Beans

Kite Hill Mushroom Ravioli

Sweet and spicy with the right amount of crunch

Creamy addition to a tray of nachos

Bright and summery, yet more of a splurge

Sweet and tangy, great on a slice of crispy bread

Quick entree with meaty and umami rich filling

Fuel my brain

🎧 Worthwhile listens

One of my goals for 2025 is to diversify the selection of podcasts that I listen to. I tend to gravitate towards ones that are more self-help related or lifestyle/science related. Here are some of the episodes that stood out to me this month.

• The daily step count that cuts inflammation in half (ZOE)

• Dr Darshan Shah: Can’t focus, sleep, or lose weight — it could be from the toxins in your every day products! (On Purpose with Jay Shetty)

• The Chemistry of Food and Taste | Dr Harold McGee (Huberman Lab)

• Living with Grief Before Loss — How to Find Peace During Difficult Times (A Really Good Cry)

• Simone Biles: I thought America hated me” (FBF) (Call Her Daddy)

🧪 Science made simple

How can you maximize the amount of iron you get from a meal?

As a south asian, many of us are already predisposed to iron deficiency anemia. This means that we have to be extra particular about getting enough iron-rich foods in our diet. The iron found in plant-based foods is called non-heme iron, which is harder for your body to absorb. To maximize the amount of iron that you get from your meal, here are three simple tricks.

Have vitamin C-rich foods with your iron-rich foods. For iron to be digested, it must be converted into a form that is more easily soluble in your bloodstream. This form of iron is also more easily broken down. Vitamin C helps in both of these areas: by encouraging the conversion to a more easily absorbed form and slowing down the breakdown of that form so that your body has time to absorb and use the iron. One study showed that the iron absorption from a slice of whole grain bread nearly doubled after adding vitamin C. Easy ways to combine iron and vitamin C are adding a squeeze of lemon juice to your greens, cooking your lentils with tomatoes, and snacking on hummus with red bell pepper.

Soak your lentils before cooking. Soaking dried lentils and legumes before cooking them reduces compounds called phytates. Plant seeds contain phytates to store phosphorous and provide energy if the seed is to germinate. However, these phytates block mineral absorption, limiting the amount of iron you could be getting from your food. Simply soaking for 4-8 hours will help reduce phytate content by nearly 20%.

Avoid drinking tea and coffee with your meals. Tea and coffee contain tannins which bind to non-heme iron and make the iron harder to absorb. The effect is stronger for black tea, but green tea also has a significant effect. Wait 30-60 minutes before or after your meal to enjoy your caffeinated beverage.

Thanks for reading! Please leave any feedback in the comments below, and if you know of someone who would also enjoy share it with them. Until next month, @quinoaconscience signing off.