A Cooked up Story

Hello Folks!!! “I’m starving, thought Horrid Henry. I’ll just eat a few biscuits really, really, really quietly”. Last afternoon, my sister wanted me to watch her cartoon shows with her. Before we settle down to watch TV, we always make sure we have some really good munchies.   She quickly switched on the television and we made ourselves cosy on the sofa. This time, she wanted to watch “Horrid Henry” and both of us agreed to watch it for some time, after which we would watch a show of my choice. A few minutes into the programe, Henry said “I’m starving. I’ll just eat a few biscuits really, really, really quietly”.   As soon as I heard it, I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. It reminded me of a similar incident that took place just a year ago, but it was not just one girl, there were three hungry girls who planned a master plan to nick a snack from the kitchen. It was a normal week day, when everyone was hungry at 5pm; the time we expect to munch on 2 thin biscuits a...

Hello Folks!!! "Christmas cookies and happy hearts, this is how the holiday starts!" Tucking all those cookies into your tummy, soon you will fit into Santa's costume. Ho Ho Ho! Cookies, cookies, the baker's pride!!! Have you heard of  the 'Baker's Dozen'? There are many stories behind this legend, so I will narrate to you the one passed down to me. Well then, sit back and enjoy reading. Long ago, in a Dutch colonial town, the present Albany in New York, there lived an honest baker, well known for his Saint Nicholas Cookies. His shop used to be busy throughout the year and even more busy on days before December 6, St. Nicholas Day, when people flocked to his shop to buy those perfect cookies. Every morning, before he would start to bake, he would check his weights and balances and give exactly what his customers paid for. Never more, never less. However, one morning, there came an old woman in a yellow dress, who asked him for a dozen of his famous cookies...

 Hello Folks!!! Over 2500 years ago, an important tree had one of its branches removed on the order of Emperor Ashoka the Great. This tree is far from ordinary because its story starts when Lord Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment under its majestic branches. The tree became to be known as the Bodhi tree. Ashoka the Great planted it in a solid gold vase. He carried the branch over the mountains and down the Ganges, to the Bay of Bengal, from where his daughter, Sanghamitta would sail for Sri Lanka and present it to the King. This story of the fig tree is from the epic poem 'The Mahavamsa'. A fig tree, with unbroken devotion towards it, stretching thousands of years even before the Great Emperor. How wonderful is that ! Figs are found to hold prominent roles in many sacred books as well. Adam and Eve used the leaves of the fig tree to sew garments for themselves. The early Greeks so highly prized figs that it was considered an honor to bestow upon the winner of various...

  “When I used to read fairy tales, I fancied that kind of thing never happened, and now here I am in the middle of one!” -Alice Hello Folks!!! Ever wondered how it would be to sit at a table under a tree, merrily sipping morning tea with friends, and go on in endless chatter just like the mad hatter and little Alice in Wonderland! I have felt like Alice at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party whenever my little friends and I would meet at the school grounds for break. The break hour was the most awaited time of the day, when we nursery students could eat a second breakfast with our friends. The cold weather, the mist kissed trees and benches, and our school uniform with hats and mittens always made us imagine we were at the ‘Tea Party’. Our break time was an hour long and that was when my friends and I, after munching our goodies, would roam around the school, balancing on the edge of time to discover new things before our next lesson began. Just like any other of our mischievous ...

  Hello Folks!!! Travel and great food is an integral part of African life. Like a ritual, all the weekends, are dedicated for travel. From Friday evening till Monday morning, people prefer to stay somewhere far away from their homes. This time we were travelling to Kasane. Kasane is a town lying in the north-eastern corner of Botswana, touching the borders of Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The place is known for its diverse wildlife, safaris and boating in dangerous waters with hippos and crocodiles. Anyone who loves adventures and seeks thrill should definitely drop in here. After reaching Kasane, we drove to the Chobe National park, met a number of wild elephants, giraffes and kudus on the way, went for a safari and saw numerous lions and cubs, giant crocodiles and so much more. After an eventful day and  a campfire dinner, we slept peacefully. The next morning, we decided to go back home. On our way back, we stopped at Nata, close to the well known Nata Bird Sanctuary...

Hello Folks!!! I'm going to share with you the happiest accident I ever had. It was just another fun packed day. My sister and I were rummaging through the bookshelves to find our long seen Famous Five book- a three in one combo. Finally, we found it. We got so immersed in the book and realized the hunger pangs only when the passage came to talk about food.  Ann and Georgina busy nibbling hot brownies melting with chocolate... After a boring lunch, we decided to make our own hot brownies, just as beautiful as the one in the story. Yes, there was Chef Zumbo's, recipe from TLC. His show has so many participants competing to make the best as well as mind-blowing dessert. I still can't believe how they managed to make, the cake that defies gravity. Zumbo emphasizes on creativity and intricate details, while reminding that food has its own chemistry. Oops! not just chemistry, physics as well. Whether Newton liked Zumbo's concepts or not, I'm sure he'll not be able to...

 Hello Folks!!! Who can say no to a fluffy, soft, juicy and crisp doughnut? Well, I'm sure no one can.   Two summers back, my sister and  I thoroughly enjoyed our vacation. Experimenting, creating and inventing new dishes and more than anything, baking beautiful memories day after day. The best part was that, we were left alone at home, while our parents went for work. The 'Home Alone' kids with a big home at our disposal.. hurrah! Our daily routine was to get up at whatever time we felt, have a quick breakfast and then sing songs and dance, make fun of each other's mistakes and lie exhausted on the sofa to watch TLC. Our favourite programs are 'Say Yes to the Dress', 'Cake Boss' and 'Zumbo's Just Desserts'. We love eating food and watching these programs simultaneously, maybe because we love rule-breaking when left alone at home.  It feels great to cook food with your little sibling, your partner in crime. We usually get creative around the ...

  Hello Folks!!! Happy Dussehra to you. Dussehra is a festival celebrated all over India to mark the victory of   Lord Ram over Ravana, the ten-headed demon king. The word Dussehra is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘dasha-hara’, literally meaning removal of ten. The festival is celebrated after the nine day long festival of Navaratri, and is also known as Vijayadashami.These are days filled with celebration and festive dishes. Since there aren’t any fixed recipes to be followed while preparing the gala titbits, you are free to make anything you love to enjoy with your family and friends. My most favourite part of the festivities is the dance my friends and I perform – Dandia. It is always our much awaited time to go on stage and enjoy ourselves and our joy only keeps increasing with more dancers joining us from the crowd. The lovely patterns, formations and the huge circles we form while dancing to those melodious tunes along with the graceful movements using the dand...