Weekend Gumbo

Tomatoes, green chillies, black pepper, dab of butter, pinch of salt, water
and ahem..rava idli powder :).

Dice tomatoes, cut chillies, add to pan and saute for a minute. Add the
rest of the ingredients, add water and boil on medium heat for about 6 minutes.
Garnish - preferabely with coriander, although sliced tomoato will do too.
Add a dash of dried mixed herbs, and..

..voila weekend gumbo ready to be enjoyed in the sunshine.
*Warning: Go easy on the green chillies. If you seriously overdo
it, make a dash for a bottle of cold orange juice (worked for me!).

Bon app.

The Gulmohar tree

The flowers were dead even as the day broke
The already drooping petals did not even
Have the energy to greedily lap up the water
From the few raindrops which sheepishly followed
The raging dust-storm, nor from
The half full steel tumbler
Slowly turning a dirty green.

The bright bright reds and oranges
And the podgy buds
Remained closed to the scorching sun
And while the heat burned and the dust-storms raged
They drooped
Closer and closer to the tarmac
Knowing of no respite, but from
The few raindrops which sheepishly followed
The raging dust-storm.

Undulations

Inching across kilometres and kilometres of
parched brown
grey
and dusty green
emotions reflecting on the ground
so so far below

That all u see are shadows

Then
a sharp turn
and flipping over
almost

Opening eyes
to realize
that even if you fall
it will be into the blue blue sky

Sunshine spaghetti

These two days have been bloody B E A U T I F U L - literally! Despite all the shenanigans a day brings, nature really was fabulous. The sun was shining brightly. The leaves were green, the sky was blue and there was a pleasant breeze under the trees. Despite the sleepless nights, just stepping out in the gloriously beautiful day made me happy!

And the lunch recipe on this glorious weekend took 10 minutes to cook from scratch.

Spaghetti from Italy; almonds from Afghanistan; black pepper from India; chopped garlic, roasted sesame seeds, and a mixture of dried thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano and basil from Thailand. Lightly roasted and then tossed with butter and cheese.

And voila, heavenly 'Sunshine spaghetti a la internacianole' ready to be enjoyed outdoors in this fab weather!






Bon app.

Recipes of pain and pleasure

"Is ghar ki kya deekh(sic) bhal karain, roz cheese koi nai toot jatea hai."

Chef by Jaspreet Singh is undoubtedly one of the most stunning books I have read in recent days.

The relationship between a book and the reader is intensely private. It is never the same for two readers. With connections made at so many different levels. Touching various chords of memories, pleasures, hopes. And the sheer indescribable pleasure of reading words, phrases, sentences which are so wrought with beauty that it is as much with fear, as with anticipation, that one turns the pages. (Plus he builds into the story, the shameful corruption scandals which have over the last few decades, plagued the one institution in India that people thought was above it.)

Chef is filled with line upon line of prose which makes you want to turn right back to page one and start re-reading the book, as soon as you have finished it. The beauty of the words haunts you for a long time afterwards. As does the sadness of worlds falling apart.

This for me, was a beautiful book to read. And after a long while, one in the same vein as Roy's God of Small Things.

A split second offence

"Same thing happen to you AND your family"

As I read the text message, blood rushed to the face and for a split second I thought I had somehow offended someone. Then I realised that it was a delayed response to early morn Songkran greetings sent out to friends in Thailand. Conversing in English has sure had its amusing elements in this region.

Happy Songkran!