Now it is no secret that I would go anywhere for a plate of hot idli with sambar….so when I landed in Chennai this weekend, amongst other things, my top priority was to have authentic idli sambar….and that was the one thing I DIDNT do in Chennai ….well…someone should add that to Murphy’s law….when you crave for something you usually keep craving....
However I did a lot of useful things….for starters I attended my friend Meens wedding….she was marrying her classmate from ISB…. And in true traditional south Indian style had sent me a saree to wear at her wedding…and I ran around the previous two weeks arranging for the blouse which finally thanks to my extremely resourceful secretary I got it just the day before my leaving…so after having made so many people run around for my saree blouse I finally did what I expected to do ….I didn’t wear the saree!!....I ended wearing a black salwar suit for a typical south Indian wedding…where everyone comes decked with so much gold that it almost blinds you…. …well you can add that to Murphy’s law again…when you make too much of an effort you usually end up looking like the odd one out in a south indian wedding….
The other useful thing I did was catch up with my friend Liz and her husband Karthik… there were my life lines when I was in Chennai….almost shamelessly I would go over to their house almost everyday and pile on to them…. I still credit them for not screaming at me ….and now their little daughter Varshini has grown up so much….I tried to teach her to say “I am awesome” but somehow she thot it was bad thing…..and Liz has to actually pay her 2 rupees everytime she wants Varshini to wear “girlie” dresses….well Liz also pays her nephew 2 bucks to make him wear “girlie” dresses….well that’s Liz for you….I had an awesome time catching up on all the old gossip and just generally feeling good to be with familiar people….
The other good thing I did was catch up on my sleep…I slept all the way to Chennai…and then in Chennai wherever possible I slept off…it was quite embarrassing really….i went to Meenu’s place for lunch…and after socializing and eating up the food I excused myself for what I thot was going to be a small break….instead I slept for 2 hours!!...and came down only to realize that I was the last one left ….well I made the most of it and sat with her family and chatted about everything….and then in the evening we went for the movie Garam Masala to catch the really garam John Abraham...but he looked like such a dud in the movie that I fell off to sleep…..and ofcourse on the flight back also I slept off even before the take off….like my grandfather once said of me “she has some kind of sleeping problem”….Actually Papa (that’s what I called him) was right…I do have a problem…its called my Boss ..…
Anyways weekend was hectic …and next weekend I plan to be in Kerala to be with mom after her heart procedure…..now maybe it is time to try out my recipes on her …and show her that her daughter is actually a good cook…..that is ofcourse if I am not sleeping on the stove…eeee! What a thot!..
Monday, November 28, 2005
Sunday, November 06, 2005
So...Do you Cook??
You know its actually strange.... couple of years ago when my parents were trying their levelest best to get me married to mallu syrian christian boys I would dread one question the most-"so, do you cook?" AAARGGGGHHHH...it was enough to make me see red and I would retort by asking the already scared boy - "No. Do you?" Needless to say the syrian christian community didnt quite warm up to that question...
Not that my reaction to such a question would change now but the major change is that now I really love cooking.....every weekend is cooking time for me.....the recipes are usually sourced from my sister, aunt, my friend Devika and ofcourse my mom....and till date most of them have been non veg dishes....well not my fault -every syrian christian mallu considers only non veg as the real food, veg food being only for starters...(that might explain the expanding waistline of most mallu syrian christians)....so till date I have cooked fish cutlets, chicken cutlets, mallu chicken curry, chicken briyani, and some other chicken dish which doesnt have a name but still tastes decent when you just dont want to eat outside food.....
ofcourse when I started off it was not all that smooth sailing....Once I even called up Devika in the night just to ask her how to boil rice....and the first time I cooked the briyani I stopped the flame only when the burning smell of rice emanated into the living room...hmmm...in such situations I usually call up my mom or my sister to complain that their recipes were actually defective and that is what led to the disasters in the kitchen....they are usually laughing through the call....shameless people I tell you....
and now I am nursing ambitions of cooking desserts....the only dessert that I have made till date is a biscuit cake which I made for a friend's b'day...the cake was BAD but my friend ate it up happily in appreciation of my efforts...now I want to graduate to making proper cakes, which you take out of the oven with oven mittens...oh wait...I dont have an oven yet....well whenever that happens...
my boasting about my cooking prowess had an unintended effect....Everyone I boasted to has invited themselves over to my place this coming Sat....hmm....please feel free to give me suggestions on what to cook....including desserts that can be cooked without an oven....or maybe I will ask my sister to cook and pass off her cooking ...hahah....not a bad idea huh?
Not that my reaction to such a question would change now but the major change is that now I really love cooking.....every weekend is cooking time for me.....the recipes are usually sourced from my sister, aunt, my friend Devika and ofcourse my mom....and till date most of them have been non veg dishes....well not my fault -every syrian christian mallu considers only non veg as the real food, veg food being only for starters...(that might explain the expanding waistline of most mallu syrian christians)....so till date I have cooked fish cutlets, chicken cutlets, mallu chicken curry, chicken briyani, and some other chicken dish which doesnt have a name but still tastes decent when you just dont want to eat outside food.....
ofcourse when I started off it was not all that smooth sailing....Once I even called up Devika in the night just to ask her how to boil rice....and the first time I cooked the briyani I stopped the flame only when the burning smell of rice emanated into the living room...hmmm...in such situations I usually call up my mom or my sister to complain that their recipes were actually defective and that is what led to the disasters in the kitchen....they are usually laughing through the call....shameless people I tell you....
and now I am nursing ambitions of cooking desserts....the only dessert that I have made till date is a biscuit cake which I made for a friend's b'day...the cake was BAD but my friend ate it up happily in appreciation of my efforts...now I want to graduate to making proper cakes, which you take out of the oven with oven mittens...oh wait...I dont have an oven yet....well whenever that happens...
my boasting about my cooking prowess had an unintended effect....Everyone I boasted to has invited themselves over to my place this coming Sat....hmm....please feel free to give me suggestions on what to cook....including desserts that can be cooked without an oven....or maybe I will ask my sister to cook and pass off her cooking ...hahah....not a bad idea huh?
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