I have been a busy cook this month

Ended last month with -



A week in advance of the pan cakes days - pancakes served with shredded dark chocolate and clementine syrup!

March started with profiteroles -

Choux pastry buns baked & filled with whipped cream and dipped in chocolate sauce - yummy!!
(without eggs)

Then came St. Patrick's Day - the patron saint of Ireland.

So I baked some Irish Soda Bread, and I am happy that it was pretty popular at work :)

It is Holi time now :) Though I wanted to make some gujiyas but settled for something less elaborate - namkeen mathri & shakkar pare.

The best complement I have got for my cooking in recent times - "I have come to cook like my badimum" :) :) :)

It is spring time, cheers to everyone!

Helter-Skelter!

Helter-skelter is the word which describes this month so far for me. I opened the 'new post' tab a couple of times, and once even started typing a post but couldn't go beyond a couple of lines. Throughout this week though, I had the awareness that this would be my last weekend to get an entry for February! So here I am, trying to recap what all happened this frantic Feb.

It started with a topsy turvy weekend. Saturday made me feel rubbish & crap. The feeling was strong enough to make come to this place but the day rushed into another one and the context was lost. In fact I am glad that I didn't get the time to put everything I felt/thought down because it would have made me that tiny bit more bitter while writing it (unconsciously reliving the incidents) and many times more by reading the entry. This has made me realise that forgetting voids forgive, so - 'Forget' alone works really well :)
Sunday was a complete contrast - I had a lovely day out. There is nothing like being let loose in London! It was great fun - met some good people, went to interesting places (Harrods!), had hearty meals and laughed quite a bit :) It was a first of its kind day for me. I often go to these spots; sometimes alone, at other times in company of all sorts of people. I think being in company of short stay people who want to take as much of London as they can back with them suddenly made me wake up to the London craze once again :) Inspiring!

The following couple of weeks just whirled by. Weekdays were busy/crazy at work. I do not quite qualify to be a workaholic yet, but I do enjoy being busy at work. It drives me mad when I have to fiddle away time at work because I am waiting on someone before I can make a start. This delay & my own indecision made days at work insufferable. I felt guilty and angry with myself all through. I think my negative energy comes out more evidently than my positive energy. This can make things so sour with colleagues :( I am still a rookie at keeping poise. Miles to go before my 'Miss Congeniality' crown!!
Weekends were practically spent at BR with (many)delicious meals, lovely desserts and gossip along with party preps. Really rushed days yet enjoyable (mostly!).

Then came the week I had been waiting for. I got my 'promoted' at work with a not so gratifying raise. But this wasn't the highlight. The reason to celebrate was dampened by a not-welcome news. (This is exactly what I meant by having to feel the emotions again & since this isn't forgotten - it hurts) So I am not going to elaborate. Just that life moves on - fingers crossed - for bigger, better things.

I was at home today mostly talking to so many people :) I spoke to more than a dozen of relatives & friends. My sweetest little brother so innocently asked me to come over for a longer holiday - it just brought tears to my eyes. I mean he just wants me to come for me - not why my parents want - to get me married, not why my sister wants - to get me a job in India but just because he wants to spend time with me. Love you kiddo :') Thank you so much for being my brother - you are the best! God bless you. In the evening, I got some great news from one of my friends which gave me such a pleasant feeling that I cant simply call it happiness. (touch wood - yeah I am a bit finicky about these!)

There is still a Monday to go in the month about which I am pretty apprehensive, given that how it has gone so far! But Insha Allah - end will be well :)

A new recipe

I started out with 2 cans of chick peas and then decided to rustle up a recipe with complety different ingredients :)

Today I cooked black lentils (sabut masoor) with red kidney beans in an adaptation of dal makhni. First, I diced the onions (I wish I had a food processor to have made it even finer) and stir fried it in a couple of table spoons of oil with cumin seeds.
I had to let it cook on gas mark 4 slowly for about 20 minutes until all of it was evenly golden-translucent.

Then added canned chopped tomatoes in juice and half a cup of tomatoes and left it to simmer for another 15-20 minutes (or until the water evaporated and the gravy thickened).

In the mean while I pressure cooked the kindey beans and lentils so that they are soft and mushy.

Next, in a separate pan I heated another couple of table spoons of oil. Then put in cloves, bay leaves, cumin, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder and some cinnamon sticks. Once the spices were fried/roasted I added the cooked lentils and beans and mixed in with the gravy prepared earlier.

At this stage one could add yogurt or creame to make it 'makhni' but I chose not to.
Again I left the whole thing to cook for another 20 minutes (while I did the dishes!!)

Once the heat was off I added some garam masala and lime juice before pouring it in the container.

Yummy!

The Sunday ritual - An ode to Tesco

In last year or so I have come to realise, there is only 1 constant to my weekends - a trip to the market. Luckily I got some time to read this Sunday and when I came across the following passage, I couldn't help but share it as it reflects so much of my own thought process.

Here is an excerpt from Salmon fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday -

"We have moved on from religion.
Instead of going to the church, which would never occur to us, Mary and I go to Tesco together on Sundays. At least, that is what we did when she still lived in London. We never have time to shop during the week and Saturdays are too busy. But on Sunday our local Tesco is just quiet enough to get around without being hit in the ankles all the time by other people's shopping carts
We take our time wheeling the shiopping card around the vast cavern, goggling at the flatscreen TVs we cannot afford, occassionaly tossing in a luxury into the trolley that we can afford but not justify.
I suppose shopping in Tesco on Sunday morning is in itself a sort of meditative experience: in some way a shared moment with hundreds of other shippers all wheeling their shopping carts, and a shared moment with Mary, come to that. Most people I see shopping on Sunday morning have that peaceful, dreamy expression on their faces that I know is on ours. That is our Sunday ritual."

Apart from the fact that I am on my own when in Tesco's I think I really identify the dreamy, peaceful part of a pushing a trolley down an aisle of canned vegetables and frozen foods :)

Yay!

I am so happy, finally after more than a year, I managed to clear ITIL V3 foundation certificate exam!
It is really nothing much to be scared of. And the V3 foundation pack is more than sufficient to answer the questions.

Thanks God :)

A New Year

A new year, a change of a number - cause for celebration? Well may be. If this means end to a rather traumatic indecisive and emotionally unbalanced year. Then yes, starting a new year does call for some notice.

Apart from the fact that it means end of holidays and going back to old routine it has not really brought any good cheer.

But lets flow in the spirit a bit - I did take a new year resolution - to be lesser of a lazy bum!! I am going to get up, when I first think of getting up rather than lying in for hours. I am going to try to cook normal food more regularly and I am going to try and be good at work.

I rarely think about my own future, as I am so scared of the unknown. But for the year 2011 - Please God. Bless me!

Books 2010

What I read between leaving school and finishing Masters could be put down mostly Harry Potters. The school library and its wonderful custodian encouraged me to read in the first place & I am ever so grateful for that. Getting into the mindless cramming of engineering books and numerous exams every 6 months after leaving school pretty much ensured that I gave up on reading almost all together.

Between 2007 and early 2009 I can see long gaps and Ayn Rand. In autumn 2009 I had no internet for a week & this pulled me back into reading :) A Suitable Boy was one of the epics I read that year. There were a few more and I was once again actively reading. I decided to keep a list of books I read in 2010. When I had started with the list, I was only trying to keep a count. But as December neared, I found myself trying to add as many more as I could. However, as it turned out - I couldn't do any last minute reading and book number 15 - A Passage to India was read on my flights home in late October.

15. A Passage to India - EM Forsters
14. Paths of Glory - Jeffery Archer
13. Nice Works - David Lodge
12. Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote
11. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
10. Amsterdam - Ian McEwan
9. Aunt's aren't Gentlemen - PG Wodehouse
8. The Sea - John Banville
7. Home Truths - David Lodge
6. The Impressionist - Hari Kunzru
5. A Small Island – Andrea Levy
4. An Artist of the Floating World – Kuzuo Ishiguro
3. Web of Silk and Gold – Shakti Niranjchana
2. Brick Lane – Monica Ali
1. Department of Denials - Anurag Mathur

Favourites - Midnight's Children, A Passage to India (adds to my rather short list of re-readables)

Some light, some heavy, some funny, some tragic but all good enough to take me to a magic land where reality is not admitted.

Christmas Baking

Christmas break at work starts tomorrorw. And after a week of cold and headaches I finally got into the spirit of Christmas. So I baked a choco-coffee cake. It turned out pretty good in taste and look but lacked the texture of a cake i.e. even though it is soft like sponge, it is not really bubbly inside :(
After this non bubly cake I have realisd the importance of an electric whisk (when buttering the sugar, I was thinking to myself - I can do this pretty well by hand who needs a whisk). Now I think people know what I want for Christmas!

I had big plans of making an icing and decorating with nuts and choco chips but as the cake gave me some trouble coming out of the tin, I just finished it for namesake. I have cut it into squares which look like irregular chocolate brownies - a bit underdone. I plan to take a few to office for my team but not sure if it would be appreciated. After all in England every one bakes, making me such a rookie!

Enough cribbing about the cake, lets put the bubbles aside and cheer the good taste :)
Here are some pictures in reverse order of appearance!

Music!

Not until long ago, I was not a music person at all. In fact, at times I felt inadequate in company of some great music lovers who would discuss bands/music/tracks/singers. I wondered to myself this couldn't be something one claims to live by. Books I understand as they keep one occupied. But listening to music - as a hobby left me bewildered. Isn't hobby something one likes to do.
Lately however, this utter surprise towards music has melted into something more acceptable. But still music for me remains something very much in the background. I dont think so I can just play songs and sit by for hours. But I surely appreciate some random tracks playing in the background while I am in the kitchen :)
Thanks to SSS I have got a folder of 55 random (Eng/Hindi/OST/Pop etc) songs. As names of most songs here are random alphabetical strings, it is often a pure surprise when the song plays :) I have transferred some of these to my phone, but the rest have been rarely played. While trying to organise my 2.14GB of music, I came across this one from the SSS folder. Really liked the soft & optimistic feel of the song :)Thanks SSS for introducing me to music and many more such lovely songs!

Raindrops keep fallin' on my head

And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed

Nothin' seems to fit

Those raindrops are fallin' on my head, they keep fallin'

So I just did me some talkin' to the sun

And I said I didn't like the way he got things done

Sleepin' on the job

Those raindrops are fallin' on my head, they keep fallin'

But there's one thing I know

The blues they send to meet me won't defeat me

It won't be long till happiness steps up to greet me

Raindrops keep fallin' on my head

But that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turnin' red

Cryin's not for me

'Cause I'm never gonna stop the rain by complainin'

Because I'm free

Nothin's worryin' me

& I meet HP in the UK

Last night I watched HP 7. Finally. I know it is obvious but I need to state it - I watched it in a theatre :)
Enjoyed the movie thoroughly and as always when the credits started rolling I was craving for more. Even though it is the longest Potter movie yet, but I felt it finished too soon, but that could be just my Potter mania.
Apart from the movie itself, the experience itself was fun too. Random person at office offered a late evening show & before I could mull over it, I said Yes :)
Later, I bothered to ask who else was joining and found out that there was going to be just 1 another random person. I felt like withdrawing for some minutes but then I thought, I have been considering watching it on my own, then why do I care about (in)adequate company. As it turned out another person from work (friend/colleague) also joined later :)
The cinema hall we went to is like a projector show in a village category in terms of screen/seating. If you are used to plush Indian cinemas then this would be highly disappointing. The screen was smaller than my room's wall and there were hardly 50 seats. The sound/heating wasnt great & we sat in our coats. But at least it was bigger than my lap top screen! There were mostly children in the crowd, even though it was a late show at 7.45 in the evening.
It had been a while since I last did/read/watched anything related to HP. The movie charmed me back into the world of wizards and witches or horocruxes and hallows. I noticed there were very few of fellow Hogwarts students in the movie, but for the scenes they were in - all of them looked beautiful/handsome young adults. Specially liked Luna Lovegood's costume. It was nice to recognise places in the UK :)
Having read the book long ago, the movie also had some surprises for me. Like when HH leave Ron behind on their search I was worried how will Ron reunite with them :) Overall, as all movies preceeding this one - it does justice to both JKR's imagination and narration.
However unreal/illogical/kiddish it may sound to some people, Harry Potter series is so popular across age & gender because we see characters in the movies doing things we would want to do ourselves only if it were possible. It translates what we wish for, into what we see on the screen. Innumerable times, I find myself wishing for an invisibility cloak. So many times I hear people talking about turning time back. And almost each one of us wishes to 'reach someone in the blink of an eye' once a day (apparate)!

To add to the fun - the person sitting next to me was a Potter virgin (cheesy I know, but it just fits :D) And I had to explain things to him like 'erasing memory', 'poly juice potion' and 'Ministry of Magic' :) He was so amused by my factual explanations that we couldn't stop laughing. I must confess - there were times when I joined him in making fun of the Potter logic. For some scenes between Harry & Hermoine after Ron is splinched, which we thought was desperately 'Bollywoodish' we even spoke the dilogues had it been a Hindi movie/soap - It was hilarious!!

Good fun it was :)

Hazaaron khwahishein aisi...

This is a Ghalib ghazal, and I dont claim to have the entire original version of it here. But lately, this has become quite an accurate and succint description of my life.

Hazaaron khwahishein aisi
ki har khwahish pe dum nikle
bahut nikle mere armaan lekin
phir bhi kam nikle

nikalna khuld se aadam ka
sunte aaye hain lekin
bahut be-aabru hokar
tere kuuche se hum nikle

kahaan maikhaane ka darwaaza "ghalib"
aur kahaan waeez
par itna jaante hain
kal wo jaata tha ki hum nikle

I dont understand much poetry, but I read through an English translation of this one. I realised while the original poem questions the sincerity of the beloved, I am questioning my own.

Chocolate and Almond Biscuits

This weekend has been busier in the kitchen than most. Today I baked some almond and chocolate biscuits. I had told D at work that I am going to try my hand at profiteroles but just couldn't get myself out of bed.
A quick chat with A motivated me to after all give up the comfort of my warm and cozy bed :)
My biscuits didn't turn out the perfect shape - but that was because I couldn't resist taking them out from the baking tray before they cooled which caused some rough edges (Even though I know 5 minutes later I could have taken them out without any effort!!). I guess it is the thing with baking - one doesn't get to taste anything before it is out of the oven. And once it is out - Its very very difficult for me to resist.

There is forecast of light snow on Monday. My freshly baked biscuits & hot choc would make for great company!

Sweet & Sour Sticky Rice

Just a random visit to the grocers' led to this impromptu speedy recipe. I like to chop vegetables, and this recipe needed lots of them. So while the rice cooked, I enjoyed slicing away some cabbage, white onions and spring onions. Here are a few pictures.

Sunday Baking!

A special guest came over last Sunday to spend the day with me. We played with trains & aeroplanes. We drew some pictures and read some books. And as we waited for Raaghav's parents we planned a tea party for them :)
To go with the tea I baked some butter milk and raisin scones :) It was not really difficult to get them right.
Appreciation - All finished even before the kettle could go on boil!!

Carrot Puddings

I had started with the idea of making gajar ka halwa for my cousins last weekend. But on Thursday on lunch from work, I bought my first cake tin :)) So I thought it wouldnt be fair on my new cake tin to make another dessert before baking a cake in the new tin. The result:

2 Carrot desserts - one Indian - Gajar ka halwa & one English - Carrot and Banana Cake with orange zest
It didnt take long before portions started disappearing and as 2 of my flat mates said - Yummy!!

Mission ITIL

Finally, after mulling over it for more than a year, I have booked myself for ITIL V3 certification on 3/01/11. Now, I just need to get through several thousand pages of service management theory to get the requisite 65% to clear the exam!!

It is my christmas gift/challenge to myself. If I clear the certification it would be some sort of achievement for me (in quite some time). Also, I find it comforting to have short term goals in sight.
May be I was a bit rash in paying the fee but I guess it was needed to get myself into the action mode. I hope I will remain motivated towards it till the exam.

I will update the blog about my progress. It will be a good way of telling myself what I did and what I didnt.

Any help for study material/sample papers will be much appreciated.

Good luck to me :)

What does family mean to you?

Some of the titles for blogs which I noted down during this trip were - presence of US Army in Kuwait and striking ambience of Asia. But when I saw ‘What does family mean to you’ posted on a forum, I thought it is rather relevant to my trip back home after more than a year.
I have moved out of my family home fairly recently – 3 years to be precise. However, the distance made sure that I have seen them only twice in more than 2 years.
On this trip I realised that for the time that I have been in London I have got used to being on my own. And to the idea that it is sufficient to speak/see my family over the internet. I am not ashamed of the fact that I am not homesick. I have never been the one who cries at airports or longs for reunions.
But meeting my parents, my siblings and other family members I realised that being detached with something/someone is not one way.
Even though living outside the geographical bounds of my family’s home has made me see my life as ‘mine’, they have not separated their lives from mine. Their joys, happiness, strength, emotions, grievances and everything else is still woven around all 5 of us. I share these lines from Shashank’s blog –
"For a wonderful physical tie binds the parents to the children; and - by some sad, strange irony - it does not bind us children to our parents. For if it did, if we could answer their love not with gratitude but with equal love, life would lose much of its pathos and much of its squalor, and we might be wonderfully happy." Where Angels Fear to Tread by E. M. Forster
This trip has brought back to surface the deepest bonds I had let dust in the background. And the fact that family is not about you – even if you are 100 years old or 10000 miles away – it is always about us.

Jammie Dodgers!

Starting the festive seasons with some jammie dodgers. It made me think of the gift boxes of 'assorted' biscuits exchanged on Diwali :)

Bread and Butter pudding

Whenever I see bread and butter pudding made on tv shows, I always crave to have a bite :)
Then this weekend I came around to making my own version - with banana and mixed nuts stuffing!

It is an incredibly easy to do dessert which can be made in a big batch and wow all your dinner party guests ;)
Here is a quick recap - De-crust white bread (thick) and dip in molten butter. Grease the baking dish with remaining butter. Line with bread to cover the base sprinkle some sugar and cover with sliced bananas. Throw in some finely chopped nuts and cover with remaining bread. Sprinkle some more sugar on the top.
Next mix your custard powder with boiling milk and pour over the baking dish until the bread is soaked. Sprinkle with some more sugar and bake for 20-30 min or until top bread is golden and the custard is set.
I used ready made cutard as I am yet to start cooking with eggs.

Praying

There are things that we don't want to happen but have to accept, things we
don't want to know but have to learn, and people we can't live without but have
to let go.
~Anon.

Praying for our dear friend and his family to have the strength to bear the loss.