Vikas Navratna
@vikasnavaratna.bsky.social
Scientist. Cook. Research Faculty at the University of Michigan. Membrane protein paparazzi. Dining enthusiast. Immigrant.
Made a calzone for the first time. The crust needs a bit of work, as the bread is not uniform on all sides. I used enriched (egg & yogurt) pizza dough (50% sprouted whole wheat). I sauteed the veggies briefly in butter, homemade spicy marinara sauce, & some parmesan. Turned out to be decent.
November 15, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Made a calzone for the first time. The crust needs a bit of work, as the bread is not uniform on all sides. I used enriched (egg & yogurt) pizza dough (50% sprouted whole wheat). I sauteed the veggies briefly in butter, homemade spicy marinara sauce, & some parmesan. Turned out to be decent.
I think I'm going to do well in 2026!
November 14, 2025 at 12:16 AM
I think I'm going to do well in 2026!
The entire interview is great, obviously. But, this is perhaps the best part.
November 10, 2025 at 7:35 PM
The entire interview is great, obviously. But, this is perhaps the best part.
Oh nooooooo! My chicken drowned in the herbal bath that I drew for them!!
November 8, 2025 at 12:11 AM
Oh nooooooo! My chicken drowned in the herbal bath that I drew for them!!
Made a sandwich for lunch called Not Guilty. Capocollo, mortadella, & salami cotto on homemade sourdough, with bell peppers, cucumber, Kewpie mayo, mint chutney, and of course onions & mustard.
November 6, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Made a sandwich for lunch called Not Guilty. Capocollo, mortadella, & salami cotto on homemade sourdough, with bell peppers, cucumber, Kewpie mayo, mint chutney, and of course onions & mustard.
Lol. It is like a game of 'one of these is not like the others'.
November 5, 2025 at 3:22 AM
Lol. It is like a game of 'one of these is not like the others'.
Baked Chicken Kebab. Marinate for 24 hrs in a brine made of garlic, turmeric, & sriracha, in the refrigerator. Pat the chicken dry. Cut into 1-2" wide strips. Toss them in a thick yogurt based tandoori marinade. Let it rest for a couple of hours at room temp. Skewer them & bake for 40 min at 350F.
October 28, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Baked Chicken Kebab. Marinate for 24 hrs in a brine made of garlic, turmeric, & sriracha, in the refrigerator. Pat the chicken dry. Cut into 1-2" wide strips. Toss them in a thick yogurt based tandoori marinade. Let it rest for a couple of hours at room temp. Skewer them & bake for 40 min at 350F.
20 hr brine-marinated chicken thighs, baked two ways. Left - Kewpie mayo, soy sauce, & gochugaru. Right - in a sauce base made of tomatillos, shallots, & jalapenos. Both for 45 min at 350F.
October 24, 2025 at 2:02 AM
20 hr brine-marinated chicken thighs, baked two ways. Left - Kewpie mayo, soy sauce, & gochugaru. Right - in a sauce base made of tomatillos, shallots, & jalapenos. Both for 45 min at 350F.
I have so many things to say about so many things that are going on. Instead, look at these homemade condensed milk bundt cake and fig & cashew rolls made for Diwali!
October 23, 2025 at 3:43 PM
I have so many things to say about so many things that are going on. Instead, look at these homemade condensed milk bundt cake and fig & cashew rolls made for Diwali!
I know everything is shit! But, I marinated a rack of lamb spare ribs & a shank in yogurt, berbere, & smoked paprika. Braised them for 3 hrs. Used the fat rendered to confit potatoes, shallots, garlic, scallions, hot peppers, & fresh mint. Shredded the braised lamb, & sauteed it back in the confit.🤌🏾
October 4, 2025 at 5:40 PM
I know everything is shit! But, I marinated a rack of lamb spare ribs & a shank in yogurt, berbere, & smoked paprika. Braised them for 3 hrs. Used the fat rendered to confit potatoes, shallots, garlic, scallions, hot peppers, & fresh mint. Shredded the braised lamb, & sauteed it back in the confit.🤌🏾
Portland, OR, as seen from Marquam Hill.
September 27, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Portland, OR, as seen from Marquam Hill.
I think I need this to survive the news cycle and the academic job market.
September 20, 2025 at 6:13 PM
I think I need this to survive the news cycle and the academic job market.
It's a dog-eat-dog world out there. The day barely started, & I already had to eat a foot-long chilli dog without spilling anything on my white shirt.
August 10, 2025 at 2:35 PM
It's a dog-eat-dog world out there. The day barely started, & I already had to eat a foot-long chilli dog without spilling anything on my white shirt.
Midwest sized okra.
August 9, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Midwest sized okra.
Sichuan tofu rice bowl for the lady.
Barbecued pulled pork for the pig.
Barbecued pulled pork for the pig.
August 5, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Sichuan tofu rice bowl for the lady.
Barbecued pulled pork for the pig.
Barbecued pulled pork for the pig.
Damn! The job market is bad.
August 5, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Damn! The job market is bad.
Homemade biscuits.
August 4, 2025 at 12:39 AM
Homemade biscuits.
I've been making this weekend pizza breakfast, which I think could get me arrested in Italy. The toppings are bell peppers, pepperoncini, shallots, garlic chives marinated in soy sauce & vinegar, apple, daikon radish, & potato. Seasoning is a mix of store bought Italian seasoning & tandoori masala.
August 2, 2025 at 3:21 PM
I've been making this weekend pizza breakfast, which I think could get me arrested in Italy. The toppings are bell peppers, pepperoncini, shallots, garlic chives marinated in soy sauce & vinegar, apple, daikon radish, & potato. Seasoning is a mix of store bought Italian seasoning & tandoori masala.
Ricewood BBQ, Ann Arbor. 4 oz each of chicken, brisket, & spare ribs. Chicken was amazing, & spare ribs fell off the bone. But the brisket? One of the best I've ever had. The peppery bark on it was the icing on the cake. Because, what's really a brisket without good bark? An emperor without clothes.
July 31, 2025 at 12:44 AM
Ricewood BBQ, Ann Arbor. 4 oz each of chicken, brisket, & spare ribs. Chicken was amazing, & spare ribs fell off the bone. But the brisket? One of the best I've ever had. The peppery bark on it was the icing on the cake. Because, what's really a brisket without good bark? An emperor without clothes.
Although not always on their menu, Q Bakehouse in Ann Arbor makes amazing baos!
July 27, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Although not always on their menu, Q Bakehouse in Ann Arbor makes amazing baos!
TBH, Ambassador of Westarctica is hilarious!
July 27, 2025 at 4:25 PM
TBH, Ambassador of Westarctica is hilarious!
Some gochu peppers can be a bit extra.
July 26, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Some gochu peppers can be a bit extra.
I made some lehsuni aloo keema buns. Sprouted whole wheat buns, stuffed with spiced minced lamb, garlic, chives, and potatoes. Loads of garlic, actually. Like about 10-12 garlic cloves & 2 bunches of chives for a pound of minced lamb.
July 25, 2025 at 11:08 PM
I made some lehsuni aloo keema buns. Sprouted whole wheat buns, stuffed with spiced minced lamb, garlic, chives, and potatoes. Loads of garlic, actually. Like about 10-12 garlic cloves & 2 bunches of chives for a pound of minced lamb.
Go drunk cabbage, you're home!
July 22, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Go drunk cabbage, you're home!