A Cooked up Story

Hello Folks!!! Last evening was simply beautiful, with the day fresh from the gentle drizzle and sweet-smelling air loitering into my room, swishing through my hair playfully, creating a sort of music in my ears. It was like beautiful magic, wondrous to behold. It surely was the best time to do some reading and so I settled down with a cup of hot tea and “Whitethorn Woods” by Maeve Binchy. It felt as though it was forever and a day- like how Shakespeare calls it- since I felt the smooth pages of a ‘real’ book, smelt and ran my fingers across the letters as my eyes hopped joyfully from one line to the next. It was as though I was there with the characters, helping them with their busy lives, basking in their joys and languishing in their sorrows. A calm and gentle lady of not more than 52, Ms Hannah Harty offered to bring some steak and kidney pie, and almost instantaneously my head went pop , quickly drawing me into a land far from where I am, and a sudden homesickness clobbered m...

Hello Folks!!! It was yesterday that I completed my exams and now I have all the time in the world to do things that make me happy. So overjoyed that I had finally completed my degree, I couldn’t wait to celebrate. We planned to have a long night filled with movies and chocolates. But just before that, Rule no. 1 - Grab some snacks to binge eat. It was then that my eyes fell on a packet of chocolate chips.   This brought in a rush of memories and scenes of three years ago, when my sister and I were at our native. We stayed at our cousins’ for over a week and had the best time ever. My aunt and uncle were at work so, we were by ourselves at home- the best thing that could ever happen when you are with your cousins, because that’s when you are known by those three very dangerous words- ‘Partners in Crime’. Dancing, singing, playing, cooking, watching movies, staying up late at night… if there was a to-do list of “all things fun to do with your cousins”, we had achieved more than th...

Hello Folks!!! The last few days were like the best days of my life. Although all of us are at home and it looks like we have a lot of time, we are unable to do the little things that bring happiness to our lives. Many a times, we just get caught up in a lot of busy things, forget to live those moments and share time with the ones we love. The fun began this Friday eve when my sister and I wished to make this Karnataka sweet dish. We usually cook in the evenings and enjoy our snacks for high tea; but this time, we tried something new and fun!!! We enjoyed ourselves the whole day- after attending our online classes, we played board games, watched videos together, had our dance and music classes and watched a movie. Now that looks like a very normal and busy day, but I will tell you, the fun begins right after we finished our supper. We had left some dough in an air tight container and after we were done eating,  quickly grabbed our aprons and eagerly set the pan on fire. We imagin...

Hello Folks!!! Close your eyes and think about your favourite place to visit. Now, imagine the food you love. I'm sure you smiled. That's it, eating and travelling are the things that really move us.  Surrounded by the rugged South African bushveld, in the heart of an ancient volcano, Sun City is a magical wonderland. One of my best memories are those summer days when we went to Sun City. The whole journey is just 'wonderlik'- travelling almost 200 kilometers on breathtakingly beautiful roads, picturesque table mountains, lush diverse scenery and the cheerful mediterranean climate. Calling itself "a world within a city", the resort complex has the unforgettable Palace of The Lost City, The Valley of The Waves water park and ancient legends and myths to keep you busy imagining. I used to enjoy walking over the time bridge, also known as the Seismic Bridge. It would make loud rumbling noises when you walk, giving you the feeling of a horrible earthquake. This de...

Hello Folks!!! Festivities are a smorgasbord of religious traditions and fine food. From mouth-watering cuisines and delicacies from different parts of the globe to fusion dishes, sweet and savory, there is a certain charm that surrounds a festive season. Easter is one of the most fun celebrations in any child's life - with a basket full of chocolates, nests full of colourful easter eggs, super cute Easter bunnies and lots of sticky buns.  In Africa, Easter means a long weekend, which creates the perfect opportunity for a large family gathering. We would have lunch parties in our friends house, play in the swimming pool and also have 'eggs'changing.  As children, we had so much fun at the easter treasure hunt game, picking up easter eggs and presents specially kept for us at each doorstep. After the treasure hunt, we used to have the perfect get together! All families, friends and neighbours at home. Every year a different house would host the party.  There was a very bea...

 Hello Folks!!! “There are shortcuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them”. It is soon going to be a year since I went to dance class and met my teacher and all my friends. The impact of the global pandemic in my little life! It was so blissful, wearing my salangai (anklets), tapping my feet and dancing to the beautiful swaraas and keerthanas sung by my guru. Nowadays when I miss my dance class, I go and watch a movie. You might wonder what’s wrong with me. I’ll tell you, I don’t watch any movie, just one particular movie, the Oscar-winning ‘Life of Pi’. Pi Patel, surviving in a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean, in the company of a fierce tiger, catching and eating the only food available in plenty- fish, fish, and only fish. What a sad life. It was not Pi Patel and his adventures that glued me to this movie. There was someone else. I watch the movie to feel that magical presence of this person. The vibrant voice, enigmatic smile and invincible energy instils so much...

Hello Folks!!! "There's nothing as cozy as a piece of candy and a book" says Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. The word candy is enough to brighten up your boring day and make you happy.  I am a huge candy fan! Wherever there is candy or any other kind of sweet dish, just look around and I will be there. During my 7th grade summer vacation, my grandfather came over and we decided to visit my grand aunt in Pondicherry. She was just lovely. With wavy white hair, a beaming smile and a lovely French accent, both of us had one thing in common - our love for candy. She loved this particular one called  'Kopiko', a coffee flavoured candy.  However, the day before we went to visit her, we searched all the shops, every nook and corner! But no luck …  having lost all our hopes of finding the Kopiko candy, we left for Pondicherry early in the morning . On the way, I found a mini truck offloading Kopiko I was overjoyed.... Even if candy is playing hide and seek, I can always find it .... a...

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...