My Musings

If you have never been to the US (maybe UK I am not sure - I have never been there); if there are 2 days holidays that are adjacent to a weekend, and somebody asks you - "So, what are you doing this long weekend?" - you would probably look at him weirdly, as if he has lost his marbles. In the US, there is a major hype about Long Weekends and to a certain extent weekends also. While back in India, when I came to office to work on a monday, all I would be asked/told was about the next defect to be fixed, or next project work to be done. Whereas in the US, almost every monday , atleast half an hour is spent in discussing what you did over the weekend - and you won't beleive it when I say that sometimes half an hour is not enough - because of the multitude of things that we do here over 2 days of vacation. If it is a long weekend - then that is even bigger a story. Almost everybody goes out of home for a long weekend here. In Chennai/Bangalore if you got 2 days off on Monday/...

There are probably very few humans who do not like Potato. In India, there is a variety of items that can be made out of this very simple "child of Mother earth". I was very surprised to find that, here in the US too, it is one of the most often used vegetable. Mashed potatoes, Hash browns , fries, pototoes (cooked in their skins - as Enid blyton puts it) ... these are some of the very few varieties that the so-called more privileged people know of. I am putting across here one of my most favourite ways of cooking potato, my mother's very own recipe. Ingredients 2 medium sized potatoes 1 onion - chopped finely. 1 tomato - chopped finely. 1 small cup peas corriander leaves for garnish. 2 Cups water Oil, Mustard, split Urad Dhaal for Seasoning Red chilli powder - 2 tsp Salt to taste. Way to Proceed Cut the potatoes into quarter pieces and boil in the cooker. I use a small Hawkins cooker to boil my vegetables (something I learnt from my mom-in-law).It is so simple using this...

to you ... Happy B'day to you .... Happy B'day Dear "Aena" (That is what I address Rajesh as).. Happy B'day to you ... So, finally over the weekend, Rajesh turned a year older ; with nothing much change in almost anything about him :) .... Neither did he wake up an inch taller, not did he have two more white hair on his "jungle" head, nor did he stop jumping up and down like a 8-year old for each goal that Brazil made .... Hmmm... atleast we had the most scrumptious, taste-lingering-in-the-mouth-after-many-hours, mouth watering, heavenly Black Forrest Torte with great relish.... As one grows older, b'days become just one another day - where at the most what you do is go out for a dinner and have a binge! My b'days while I was still "young" enough to celeberate them, were the most wonderful occasions. All because of my darling amma and her surprise gifts !! .... Amma had the best knack in the world to give suprise gifts and the best suit...

I frequent some Food blogs whenever I get free time at office. They have a world of their own. Just click on one of the blogs and you get a link to a whole new world I feel. Of all, the best presented is this . One of the recent topics that they are discussing on is - the title above :)... So, I thought why not I write about 10 things I miss in my Amma darling's cooking, though it is tough to pick only 10 - because I miss her entire cooking and herself too. Michch you amma .... Okay here goes ... 1- Amma makes the world's best Maanga kootan and kathrikai fry. This combination is the world's best meal for me. No matter how much I try, I can never get the taste of amma's maanga kootan! 2 - Keerai masiyal. When amma makes it, i don't know what magic is in her hands, it comes with the just right texture - not too kozha kozha(soft and soggy), not too elai elai (leafy) - but the perfect mash. And the fried coconut strips she puts in them .... ooooh ! Slrup! mouth watering...

Continuing my food blogging , here's one of Rajesh's favourite dishes - Javvu Arisi upma (Saabu daana). The moment you eat it, you will realise why this item is called Javvu (meaning sticky in Tamizh). The first time I got to know of such a thing was when I was in Class 5. We had gone for a trip to the " Paradise On Earth " and this was what I ate almost all the 5 odd days that we stayed there - for breakfast. No matter how much amma or I have tried, we have never been able to get that taste that is still imprinted in our minds! Well without much ado, let us sink our teeth into the recipe.. Don't blame me if your teeth remain stuck :). Don't forget these ... Javvu Arisi (Saabu daana) - 2 Cups Onion - 1 , Chopped very finely. Corriander leaves - 10-11 sprigs , Chopped very finely (for garnishing). Kadalai (Peanuts) - 1/2 Cup - dry roasted and coarsely ground Green Chillies - 4-5 small - slit lengthwise. Oil, Mustard, Split Urad Dhal - for seasoning Turmeric Pow...

It was a nice and eventful weekend. Friday evening as we sat discussing the weekend - what to do, what not to do ... we decided on an impulse to go and see "Cars". So, driving our "CAR" we went to the Great Lakes mall, got a pop-corn and just manage to park ourselves in the comfy seats and the "ads" started. Now this is something I HATE missing - the ads. Rajesh often complains that they don't play the "Sonali - Nirma" ad in the US... Well, more about "CARS" later... I grew some "Tennis limbs" over the weekend. Having touched the racquet for the first time about a month ago and running around more to pick the balls , than hitting the ball - i thought i would never play a single shot. But this weekend, i surprised myself and more than me - Rajesh(when i scored a couple of points hee hee).... We spent some time at our community center. The Govt. of this country does give you back some of the tax you pay and in definitely a v...

It was "Micham Socham"(left overs) day last Thursday. Once a week, we have this at home, all the left over one spoon uperi (subzi), 2 karandi(laddle) sambhar, 3 chappatis .... all consumed together, along with the all-ever-favorite curd rice!.... This time we decided to make Mooli Partha. I have been visiting food blogs for quite some time now. So, inspired by all those zillion cooks in the world, I decided to put across my recipes also here.Many of them might be repeats, but then who-cares! What to put in? Atta(Wheat Flour) - 5 handfuls (gave me around 6 medium size parathas). Mooli (Mulangi in Tamil) - 1 big (grated finely) Red Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon Salt - to taste Ajwain - 1 teaspoon Onion - 1 small finely, very finely chopped corriander - 4 to 5 sprigs finely chopped. Oil - 2 teaspoons Yogurt - 1 laddleful How to Make it? The Filling To the grated Mooli add salt and chilli powder nicely. Keep this aside for about 10 minutes. The Salt will help drain out all the wat...

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary, How does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockleshells And pretty maids all in a row. Rajesh's latest hobby is the mini-pot-garden that he is growing in our patio. I am not a very flora-fauna person, my likes for the same extending only upto taking good pictures of the former. But I must say, the patio is looking extremely 'healthy' and beautiful. Yesterday, I clicked a couple of pictures of the same. Here they are...

Finally I got my wish fulfilled. I managed to convince Rajesh to take me to Novi to watch “Fanaa”. Going to Novi to watch a movie is very tiring I feel. For one, it is nearly 45 minutes drive from home; and the movie timings are such that we cannot have lunch before leaving or after coming back. The movie made up for all these petty troubles. Even the fact that we lost our way back and had to nearly drive an hour in the burning heat, did not bother us – as we discussed the wondrous movie that we had just watched. Well, on the onset – Fanaa is not something which will be liked by all folks. It is totally “hatke” from the current trend of movies – no sex, sleaze, fast music, dhishum dhishum, poor PJs…. It is a through and through emotional fare. A simple and told-before story – but with wonderful packaging and creative art which creates all the difference and the magic. Kajol has proved without doubt, that she is still the best with this shattering comeback. All the while I was watching ...