When we met Jeffery archer ....

... It was a laugh riot. Indeed he is the grand old man of fiction. You could read abt it Here.
While all he said n did that day is captured in the article, what impressed me most is that he is so down to earth despite all the fame ! How many Indian writers of current gen can claim to be that
He had the audience - from a grumpy teenager to a a grandmother - lapping up his words. The pic should do more talking ....
BTW can u find me n hubbs in the pic ;)
Linking this to  ABCWednesday ( j is for Jeffrey archer)

Pic as published in Hindu!

Insatiable...

.. is what my "mood" emoticon should read :-). But err can u blame me when my resident-chef is on a cooking spree... Hv a decko on what was on menu over last few days......

A  cheesy frittata with the works for the appetizer?

A Beef steak medium well-done with pepper sauce and Mashed potatoes!

A Tiramisu experiment with mascapone cheese, Kahlua, Coffee powder and dark Chocolate!

 Pics n ofcourse all the cooking is courtesy Hubbs :-D

Linking this to ABC Wednesday (I is for Insatiable)

Magic of 'Books'!

'Chocolat' is a book I recently finished - yea the book behind the famous 'Chocolat' movie. I picked this with dreams of getting lost in a world of chocolates,  but errr I dint half enjoy it as much as I expected to!

A point that has to be mentioned at this juncture is that I read this book on Kindle - I now wonder if the experience of reading books of this genre would have been exalted if it was read on a "book" instead of Kindle! U c there's something abt the book cover, of the yellowed pages, of the smell - that tends to let u get lost into the plot of the book. I can almost image sighing in pleasure as I turn a page that describes the endless flavors of chocs dished out by the main character of 'Chocolat'!

A case in point - Look at this bookcover. Aint there something abt this pic that conjures up images of a house in a European countryside, of wine in all its flavours, of a kitchen filled with sooth, of a simple life,........  the pleasures of imagination that seems to elude me whn i read a e-copy of anything... wonder why!

BTW the older the books, more the magic it seems to weave!

No wonder my latest hangout seems to be the famous Blossom book store(The haven for second hand books in B'lore)! Imagine getting lost in rows n rows n rows of endless rows of books :-D

 

Linking this to ABC Wednesday (E is for e-reader; E is for entertainment)

Chef in action

That's my fav chef in his elements  ;).

The apron is courtesy my sis n the wok was on his wish-list for so long that yours truly finally gifted it to him on his bday. The glee on his face was akin to a child gifted with his favorite toy :-).  Now tell me how many men do you know who has kitchen appliances on his wish list!

PS: Errrrr for the uninitiated the chef pictured here is ma hubs ;-) N the next item on wish list is barbeque, blender, kitchen processor... yea the list jus goes on n on **Roll-My-eyes**
Now will somebody explain him the dynamics of a clutter free kitchen!

Linking this to ABC Wednesday(C is for Chef)

Ma Shakti....

As I grow older(:-/), the festival that seems to top my list of favs is Dussera... for the simple reason that its the only festival that celebrates Women's power :).

Ma Shakthi!

The word "Ma Skathi" in itself encompasses the two extremes that only a women can possess.... To love n to protect! Here is hoping that the Goddess blesses us all with choicest of her blessings! Hv a good one....

Linking this to ABC Wednesday - O is for Omnipresent; Omnipresent is the supreme goddess and ofcourse the women in our lives who are our strength!

@Shravanabelagola

After almost 5 years in Bangalore, did I manage to make a visit to Shravanabelagola on the way back from Chikmagalur.

This place figures in prominently in the religious circuit of Jains. Its known for a austere but mighty statue of one of the Jain gurus located on a hill-top which can be viewed from Kilometers away and is supposed to be awe-inspiring. Here's a click of the same.....

But makes me wonder in today's times of Internet, skyscrapers haven't the words 'Huge' taken a different meaning? I mean, yes I was awed that somebody caved this out centuries ago but in today's time is the size of the statue in itself(app 57 ft) awe-inspiring?? Maybe not.

N ho! jus so you know, the approach to it is thru well-laid steps, but be prepared for the seemingly endless stretch of steps to reach the summit :)

Linking this to ABC Wednesday(M is for Monument)

Sub of the day...

... From my home with love!

with bacon, salami napoli, turkey salami, cheese, fried eggs and the works

Hubbs in action again! Time he makes food his true calling I say.

Linking this to ABC Wednesday(K is For King-Sandwich)

N ho while we on food, I think the below incident deserves to be recorded here.

Yesterday, after more than 5 years of marriage - I caught hubbs while he was lying thru his teeth. He bought this 'something' online and then tried passing it off as a 'Freebie'! But of course he got caught red-handed when I had a glimpse of the transaction on his lappie.   

 What disturbed me most is the fact tht he lied to me for a paltry 1500(k not-so-paltry)!The reason mister musters up with a unhappy face is that it was a thing he had set his heart on n it was a deal he couldnt let go. Pssst... he adds in under-tone that he was half-afraid I will shoot it down right away(do I sound like a hilter) :-/. Some excuse Bah :-/

Anyways wouldn't u wana know what was this precious thing for which he did all this drama.... no not a gadget, not a gizmo, not a book... it turns out to be some "Magic Bullet Food Blender"  ! Can U beat this... He was right thou, I would hv definitely shot it down :-/

N ho he has the cheek to add that he cant be trusted to not to lie when it comes to kitchen purchases n his shoes! Whoa! I kid u not, I will soon hv to file for bankruptcy ... Boohooooooo 

Monsoon Magic at its Best!

This space is been silent for too long for my liking! So in an attempt to revive this space, here is a review of the place we stayed at our last weekend getaway to Chikmagalur (it was our anniv if u wana know!)....... Guddadamane

First things First - this is a "Home stay" in its truest sense. So u are allotted a room tucked right in the heart of their home thou don yea worry u will have all the privacy u want!

Now lemme start with the negatives - as they really arent many

One of the many pathways!

There are some lovely outdoors out there- what with it being bang in the coffee estate. So it seems atrocious that the rooms you stay at do not open out to the outdoors. Especially considering that for many city-breeds a holiday equates to spending time in midst of nature! As for food, the variety is great but at least in non-veg u get this distinct feeling of it being put together in a haste(so chicken seems not properly marinated)

Now for the plus - beautiful property in midst of nature(they could definitely do more to use that to their advantage) - ha the pleasure of waking upto chirping birds.Great place to sit back with a book over cups of hot coffee, go for long walks. The topping on cake is the fact that if you choose to do more touristy things like tick off the 'To Visit' places list - you arent really v far off from them either.

Now isnt tht Truly a desi-style Barbeque!

One thing u should definitely do when you there is go for a walk on their estates - Gumboots, walking sticks, umbrella are v thoughtfully provided - hubss got some amazing clicks of the flora n fauna that abound there.


As for the food, One thing I absolutely loved is the lip-smacking good live - barbecues(v much our desi style) and home-made wine devoured as u huddle around a camp-fire!

All in all a value for money (2500 per couple per day including breakfast-lunch-dinner - monsoon weekday offer i guess)! N definitely a place where monsoon plays its magic... the place is so green after a shower of rains that it’s a balm for city tired eyes!

PS: Ignore the lack of pics - these are from the "Mobile Uploads" on FB courtesy hubbs! More will follow

Linking this to ABC Wednesday(H is Hols)

Dinner is a Delight.....

...... When you know each morsel of food u eat is not jus healthy but equally Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm :-D

That soup u see there is a hearty mutton soup - Some bread to dunk into it. You could of course eat that up with the Bulls-Eye-On-Capsicum or the scrambled eggs (made with the left-over yolk  - the egg white went into the soup).

Definitely Delightful rt :)

Linking this to ABC Wednesday (D is for Delightful Dinner)

Sweet Somethings!

Lemme show a glimpse of the dessert I licked clean(literally :-D) over the weekend!

Doesn't it look yummmmmmmmm! This 'Tomato Halwa'(yea u read it rt) was dished out by hubbs grandmother - on our recent visit to Chennai. Just for records, she is hitting 85 soon.

What amazes me is the verve with which she
 follows cookery shows even at this age  and then v religiously dishes them up! Dint I tell yea tht cooking runs in their genes. But imagine doing that at 85.... Hats off to her!

Of course the 'Aaaw' factor for me is the fact that the only one at hubbs home with a sweet tooth is me n invariably a sweet-dish gets plated by the grand old lady only when yours truly is visiting :-D. The fact that we come back loaded from there with all kinda masala powders is jus the topping on the cake (I tell yea they hv a magic ingredient in them which ensures that any dish u add them into will turn lip-smaking good). Whats there to not to love in it :)



Linking this to ABC Wednesday(C is for cooking; C is for chennai) and Color Deckors Weekly Story!

PS: Jus realized tht my space now seems to be having posts of only food n books! Yea agreed that they are truly the two loves of my life... but huh aint there nothing else happening in my life! Not a good sign people....

'Bombay Toast' And Other Tales....

The tasty,filling,delicious yet easy-as-a-jiffy sunday morning breakfast... Jus puurfect for a cosy, cuddly Sunday morning :-D


More Food Porn For u! Pic courtesy Hubbs....

 
If u want to know, this is french toast with a twist! French toast minus the sweetening agents n of course topped with cheese strips - supposedly called "Bombay Toast" in these parts!
 
Now onto some other interesting news, my mom is decided to become a egg-iterian n a Fish-iterian after a long gap of 13 years! For once am happy that she decided to heed the docs advise...  Our incessant breathing down the neck jus kicked out the last iota of doubt she had :-D. Indeed its time for a "Pat On The Back"!

Linking this to Color Deckors weekend wrapup and ABC Wednesday(B is for Bombat Toast :-P)

How do you Break Abstain-ism...

How abt some 'Chicken Soup For Soul'??

.. Follow it up with some 'Beef Cordon Bleu Steak'

... And then wrap it all up with some sinful Chocolate!

All pics clicked @ a old Bangalore Fav - Juke Box. Chose this place cause wanted to show ma mom what a "English pub" looks like without scaring the hell outta her n then trying to gett her to taste something other than her usual suspects. But damn! she chose to stick with her 'holier than thou' veggies!!!! Brrrrrrrrrrrr .. So much for all my plans!

PS: While the Abstain-ism did end, hubbs n family couldn't unfortunately make the sabrimala trip due to some unavoidable-unfortunate circumstances :-/ May be next time?


Linking this to ABC Wednesday(A is for Abstain)! and Color Deckors weekend wrapup :)

Zest!

Thats Ma Little Niece Up there!

Reaching upto the skies, riding way up the tress, letting the wind caress your face........Now if this aint zest for life than whats :)

Linking this to ABC Wednesday(Z is for Zest)

With This I end a successful season of ABC Wednesday! U can look them all up here........

You bet, I had soopa fun doing them! At a time when life was crazy this was my only anchor to blogging. The fun of trying to weave a story around a pic n the joy when u happy with the end result.... Priceless!!

Thank You ABC Wednesday!

Yummy(licious)!

Typical accompaniments with our morn cup of tea is 2 Marie n one choco cream bisc! Now ma hubbs who cant otherwise be trusted to do the grocery shopping without a list in hand, does a enviable job of ensuring that they are stocked up!

It so happened that this sat night, he opens the fridge only to realize that his stock of choco cream bisc is run out while the marie bisc is almost overflowing. So  cooking-in-my-genes enthu-cookie of hubbs who is already high on his regular dose of  Food porn(:-D I think I luv this word) thanks to Masterchef Australia~~ pre-heats the oven, stuffs his fav Lindt Dark choc(yuks) in between two marie biscuits, Microwaves it for couple of mins n lo-n-behold look what you hv!

Tastes best when frozen!

PS-1: How I wish he replaced that dark choc with something more edible :-D

PS-2: I know there is no word like Yummy(liciouc) - but am allowed to coin new words ... lol!

Linking this to ABC Wednesday(Y is for Yummy(licious)!) and the Color-Deckors weekend wrap-up!(Ages I linked there simply cause my weekends off late hv been crazy!)

Xolo!

I seem to belong to a generation (Man! I officially feel old now) who believes that a phone is well jus a phone which means u use it to make\receive phone calls ~~ msgs, pics are all aded freebies but yea nothing more! I hv seen my frnds who hv the fanciest of phones but well really don use it for anything other than calls-msg-photos ~~ so yea I was quite happy with my stone-age generation phone.


But when I see ma hubbs n few others flaunting their smart-phones(!), I realized I was clueless around it ~~ no prizes for guessing that am no gizmo-geek nor am I known to embarace new technology(or any change for tht manner). Hmmmm :-/

Pic courtesy ~~ Xolo Website

So yea when an "opportunity" presented to set things right, I well hv decided to jump right into the wagon! So presenting to you my soon-to-be-possession! Xylo ~the Blink phone!

Now now lemme be v frank ~~ the "opportunity" was well the only reason I jumped into the wagon. You see one reason for my absistence from these fancy phones was the "Price Tag" ~~ My wallet wasn’t(isn’t) jus big enuf to accommodate it and neither did I hv any fascination for them! The "opportunity" being that my sis who happens to work for Intel could pick up the phone at almost 1\4th the market rate :-D and she being her generous self kindly gifts it to me n hubbs(who v conveniently lost his phone around the same time!)

While I of course cant yet review this phone ~~ ma hubbs is pretty happy with his thou he aint a bg fan of its camera n believes that its priced on the higher side.

So Xolo it is for ABC Wednesday (X for Xolo)

Wood Fired Pizzas!



Wood Fired Pizza @ Bier Club, B'lore



One item that I see flying off the shelf at quite a few lounges is the "Wood fired Pizza". Yea, we hv had it too .... N if u ask me it definitely tastes betta than ur regular pizza.  Of course goes without saying that you pay a premium for it cause well they are "wood roasted"!

But come to think of it, isnt it how the food was always cooked at least until a few years back in villages across India! Heres a click, clicked at a roadside eatery somewhere on the Kerala-B'lore Highway... "Wood Fired Dosa" anybody :-D

Funny huh, that we end up paying "premium" for what was(is) still jus a regular way of life! Signs of changing times??

Linking this to ABC Wednesday(W if For Wood-Fired)

Fox and the Grapes :-D

Clicked @ Bangalore! Jus a filler post for the ABC Wednesday Post(V is for Vineyard)

Unusual Friendships!

No, no don get the heading wrong!

Our typical weekend night(or even a odd weekday ala yest) would for sure include catching up with frnds over some pot-luck lunch\inner, downing a couple of drinks n loads of conversation with typically the same set of frnds! Now now the 'special' friendship that deserves a mention here is the one that ma hubb shares with his partner-in-crime on these nights ~~ They are more often than not seen exchanging cooking notes, rustling up some yum foods together, pouring each other endless glasses of the-drink-of-the-day and then either going all philosophical n quipping some lines from English literature!


A pic of the spkl-frnds from the archive!



Sounds fun for sure rt? Now lemme add in the twist here ~~ His 'Hang-out-Partner' is a 'Am ONLY 70 years young' young-at-heart gentleman. Jus to put things in perspective, this makes the gentleman a couple of years ne make it decades older than the hubbs.

What also deserves mention here, is the rigour with which this gentleman ensures that a portion anything 'special' thats cooked in his kitchen is kept apart for hubbs!  Jus so tht u drool a litt more - Pork n fish pickle are his speciality.... yummmmmmmm!

No you tell me, if this doesn't qualify for 'Unusual Friendships' than what does!

As the dear gentleman wishes to remain anonymous, all I wil say is he has made a entry int his space before ~~ hop in to this post. Yes yes, he is my frnd Sabs dad ~~ Like Father, Like daughter!

Linking this to ABC Wednesday(U is for Unusul Friendships)

Tegestology...

.. is the act of collecting Biere Mats! N yea I start my act of 'Tegestology' with this very Biere Mat!

This pic is clicked @ Biere Club, Bangalore which happens to be one of the first places in Blore to brew their own beer.

In pic here you see a array of diff flavours of beer brewed here! N yea this place does get a Thumbs Up from ma hubbs who is indeed a connoisseur of all good things :)

Linking this to ABC Wednesday(T is for Tegestology)

Mitti...

A bottle of Ittar! Imge courtesy Google

One thing I abs luv abt monsoons is the smell tht emantes outa earth when its first hit by rain! Now do you know that there is a ittar(perfume in urdu) thats sold in bylanes of Charminar(n even in Delhi am told) that captures this smell.. Its Christened 'Mitti'(which means mud in Hindi). But makes me wonder if peop would want to walk around smelling like a wet earth :-D  ... should ask ma hubbs abt this, he is one of those who always has this ittar bottle in his dressing room!

Linking this to ABC Wednesday(S is for Smell)!