The food tag- Meme and a food ramble

To keep up with the Rambling prompt I have resorted to cheating. Cheating times two if you think about it! Eeh!
Cheating 1: This was supposed to be one rambling per day, but thanks to yours truly and her laziness I am still playing catch up on the posts. This is post four :(
Cheating 2: This ramble is going to contain a food  tag that I read from a blog that I stalk  and love.
Cooking is something I got interested in only after marriage. Oh I did know the perfunctory tea, coffee, chapathi, 2 types of side dishes and basic rice varieties like lemon rice etc but as the PC tries to tell me again and again, In theory there is no difference between theory and practice; but in practice, there is. Which we learnt the hard way, that is a story for another time :)

Lets go ahead to the meme:

1. What is the first dish that you cooked?

I had made dry aloo subzi when i was in school. I remember my Anna (elder brother) ate it with so much gusto that I decided to be his life long fan after that :) which I still am :):) 

2. What is the first dish that you cooked for your better half? (If you are not married, you can tell us what you are planning to cook for him/her)?

Well here, I played safe. I did not cook for him till we got married, though the PC kept asking me to. Now I can safely accept that it was partly because I was scared of scaring him off with my then dismally limited cooking skills. He of course, claims that nothing could scare him away , sweet man that he is! After we got married and came back from his parents house I made dal for him, which he dutifully slurped :):)

3. Which food were you reserved to try first but then liked later it since you acquired the taste?

Amaranth Leaves. I used to hate the smell of these leaves cooking, but the PC has made me learn to like (not love, mind you!) stuff made with these leaves

4. What is your comfort food?

Can think of so many dishes that can comfort me right now!

Chapathis and aloo subzi like how my mom makes, with a generous pinch of hing

Dal, rice and a simple dry subzi

Rajma chawal

5. Which dish of yours you like the best?

Jeera rice, rajma, akki rotti, pasta with white sauce

6. Which dish of yours your family likes the best?

The PC likes aloo palak, paneer matar and garlic rolls and cakes made by me!

7. What is your favorite street food?

Different strokes from different places:

Delhi: Aloo tikki, pani puri, jalebi.. yum!!

Mumbai: Pav bhaaji, sev puri

Bangalore: Nippat chat (only place that I have eaten it)

8. Tell us about any of your kitchen disaster story.

I once told the PC that he is in for a treat as I was making dhokla (gram flour savory cakes) for the evening snack. I kept the batter in the cooker but then got so busy making the chutney that I forgot to turn off the cooker. Long story short, burnt besan (gram flour) is not a sweet smell!! 

9. Any one or two food confessions ;-) ;-)

I love love love chocolates. I can probably eat an entire pack of Lindt truffles in a couple of days.
I dislike eating rice at night. Not for any diet related reasons, just dislike it. I know its considered blasphemy to hail from the south of India and not love rice, but there you go, normally contrary me!

10. Apart from basic stuff, like milk, yogurt, veggies what you have in your fridge or in pantry? (Name any 3 items)

Dosa batter, leftover cake, eggs, Jam

11. Any food related or cooking resolutions for this year?

Nothing in particular, but I realize its high time I started making healthier choices in food

12. In our custom when you goto Kasi, you need to give up one of your favorite veggie and fruit. So you cannot eat that veggie or fruit from then on. Which one you would you give up? (It should be your favorite one)

Favorite fruit is mango and favorite veggie is okra. But I do not think I would be able to give up these things for long

13. You need to prepare a 3 course meal for a party? What dishes will be there in your menu?

Pumpkin soup and cheese corn balls
Mango soda
Pasta with 3 sauces- white, red and pesto
Garlic bread
Chocolate cake with icecream

If this tag interests you and you haven’t taken it up already, please feel free to do so! 

Book review- Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

Since I have decided to join the rambling wagon started by Shail (of Shailsnest) this month and I am I am already lagging behind on a couple of posts, I thought, why not ramble about one of the few good books I read in 2014: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

I have been hearing about this book from a lot of sources: my friends, the blogs I stalk, goodreads, social networking sites, you get the picture, but somehow, though, I had this book in my Kindle, I never got around to reading it. It was only after I heard from the PC about the movie that my curiosity was finally piqued. I got to reading it and my reading being a million times faster than my writing, I finished reading it in a night. Okay, enough about me, lets get talking about the book; because after all, this is a book review!

Gone Girl is a book that starts with a interesting premise. A beautiful, intelligent, city-bred and discontent wife disappears on her fifth wedding anniversary from her small town home, in what seem like suspicious circumstances. As the book progresses, the husband is considered as the main suspect due to his seeming indifference to the wife's abduction, his inability to explain his whereabouts on the morning of the incident lots of other pieces of circumstantial evidence. In addition, the wife has devised a treasure hunt to rekindle the spark that his fizzed out of their romance. The husband Nick Dunne is clueless and evasive about their relationship. Conflicting accounts, lies and evasions of the Dunne marriage escalate the suspicion on Nick who is desperately searching for his wife.

I have read several reviews of this book (from the many sources I mentioned earlier) and so I knew the plot before hand, but once I started reading, I could not put this book down. The book is written in alternate POV, making the narration all the more interesting. The suspense, the thought process that has gone into every scene, twist, turn kept me hooked till the end. It is one of those books that make you look at the world and the people around you in a different way.

This is the first book I have read from this author, and I can not wait to devour more of her books. I would say, if you like suspense, and have not already seen the movie Gone Girl (isn't Ben Affleck so ultra cute!!) go ahead and pick this book. It does not have spies, takeovers and international politics but shows us that marriage can sometimes be the biggest power struggle.      

                          

Verses and prose

Here is a list of all the poetry published on this blog:

• Solitary Quest
• Soulmates
• When you come back
• Lost Love

Five sentence fiction more to your taste? Read on,

• Bedtime

Soulmates

Poetry is something that has always mesmerized me. The way the words are threaded into beautiful strings to show the depth of human emotion takes away my breath!
Recently, I came to know of different poetry forms; talk about method to the madness of poetry. The use of innumerable permutations and combinations to come up with the exact number of syllables fascinates and scares me at the same time. I mean, come on,a-b-c-c-b-c-b-a?? really??
Still, like my dad always tells me, if its been done, there is a way to do it! You just have to figure it out. If it hasn't been done, you get the chance to be the first... Yaay you! And if you knew me, you would know, figuring out a puzzle always fascinates me :):)

I decided to start with something simple. Because following the rules on this form of poetry itself for daunting for the non-conformist in me or because I did not want the multi-headed dragon that is poetry forms to slay me at our first skirmish!!

Here is my maiden attempt at Palindrome Poetry... Presenting SOUL-MATES

Sunrise to sunset

Together walking

Fingers entwined

Impossible dreams realized

Promised love forever

Soul-mates

Forever love promised

Realized dreams impossible

Entwined fingers

Walking together

Sunset to sunrise

*** Definition from www.shadowpoetry.com: Also Known as Mirrored Poetry

A palindrome, by definition, is a word, phrase, verse, sentence, or even poem that reads the same forward or backward. It stems from the Greek word palindromos: palin, meaning again, and dromos, meaning arunning. Combining the two together, the Greek meaning gives us, running back again...

Phew!!! That was a tough cookie. All those people who write poetry strictly to form, I bow down to you!! 

Random!

Well, more than half the year is over. And my resolution to keep this place alive is failing

badly. Today, as I type this while I am stuck in traffic I realized that I can blame busy

schedules, work stress for this oversight or be a man(a woman, in this case!!) and

accept that if I had set my priorities straight, I would have managed to make the time

like so many other busy bloggers whom I read about all the time.

I have found that given the option of reading versus writing, I tend to choose reading

every time, albeit by habit. Does this happen to you too? Knowing your problem is half

the solution, or so I have read (well-read, moi :)). So what about the other half you ask??

The other half comes from consciously deciding to write and make the time to write.

Lets see how it goes.. Fingers crossed!!!

Complaints

So after a long time, I am back to this space.Don't worry, this post is not about my complaints against any person, organisation or the universe in general. Not because I don't have any, but because, if I start, I may not stop :)

 Recently, I had been to a cooking class ( I will post recipes when I try them) and met two other ladies there. One of them was continuously complaining about her life... her husband, her kid, in-laws, relatives. After listening to her diatribe, not all vicious mind you, I started finding so many things wrong in my life. I could identify with so many of the issues being discussed, it scared me. Because I had hitherto thought that I am a very content, happy person.

Soon, I reached home and found something wrong with the way the newspapers were arranged, the dining table was set, the fan was rotating... okay, I exaggerated there. But you get the picture. I left home as a completely happy gal and came back in the guise of a- for lack of a better word, complaint box!! By the end of the day I was exhausted, with everything around me, with myself and with life. The contented life of earlier now looked like a joke, a travesty of happiness- where I was going from one day to the next overlooking all the shortcomings in my way. But then, who doesn't?

Are any of our lives perfect? I hope not, a perfect life would mean I would have nothing to strive for, to look forward to, to live for. How effective is complaining about all the imperfections that life has in store for us? I have read (being the well-read person that I am) that complaining is good for the soul.  But like all other remedies for the soul, moderation is the key. No one likes to be friends with a dissatisfied, frowning, frustrated being! But if any person is all rainbows and sunshine, I would not be able to handle that either. :)  So maybe the best way is to have a rant once in a while, just to show that we all are human and to add that dash of sanity. And not let someone else's rant trigger your own... I know, I know, not like I did { a person learns from his/her mistakes, right? (:}

Like the Serenity Prayer says: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change the things I can,

And wisdom to know the difference.  

What about you? have you had experiences where someone's rant has woken you up made made you take notice of all life's imperfections? Come on, don't be shy, tell me I am not the only one :)

Till next time,
Cheers!

8 Random things about me and 5 quotes

As I am new to the blogging world, I keep looking for inspiration. Recently, this wonderful blogger that I follow posted this and I have taken up the tag mainly to exercise my writing muscles :)

So first 8 random things about me:

1. I love plants but sadly do not have much of a green thumb. So the only plant that I can maintain is my beloved, much pampered tulsi. My PC (Prince Charming for the uninitiated) tells me I need to grow up a little before I can grow my garden! :( boo hoo

2. I absolutely dislike the sound that pigeons make. I know lots of bird lovers would shoot me for saying this but I think pigeons are pests. They manage to make a mess anywhere. But for all my dislike I am against hurting any of them despite more than sufficient provocation from their end. :)

3. I am a very fast reader. Also, once I start reading, if the book is interesting, I can give up sleep and food till I finish the entire book. I remember this is what happened when I read Dan Brown's Angels and Demons. Sadly, recently, no book has inspired that kind of involvement from me.

4. I absolutely love the weather these days, feel like snuggling in the blanket all day long. But duty calls, so have to wake up at all ungodly hours to lazily complete all the chores before heading to office

5. I have been trying to learn driving since a long time now. I have had 2 Learning licences that have expired before I could take the driving test. I know, I know, lazy me!!

6. I scribble a lot while talking on the phone. There are times when after an hour long conversation, I have had a full scale scenery at my hands with no memory whatsoever of creating it. Yes, I am crazy that way :) 

7. I am in awe of people who can write poetry in all those forms that dot the internet. I mean, having the ability to write verse is one thing, but to be able to write it in a way to fit the structure defined by a form... way too awesome!!

8. I am learning a lot about football and the EPL, thanks to my PC**. Even my knowledge of cricket was sketchy at best before marriage. Now I actually know what the silly point means! yaay me!! :):)


And now, 5 quotes that mean a lot to me:

1. "And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."
- Roald Dahl

2. “You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching,
Love like you'll never be hurt,
Sing like there's nobody listening,
And live like it's heaven on earth.”
― William W. Purkey

3. This one from Bob Marley is so inspirational:
“Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.” 
― Bob Marley

4.
“Our true friends are those who are with us when the good things happen. They cheer us on and are pleased by our triumphs. False friends only appear at difficult times, with their sad, supportive faces, when, in fact, our suffering is serving to console them for their miserable lives.” 
― Paulo Coelho, The Zahir

5. "Dear God," she prayed, "let me be something every minute of every hour of my life. Let me be gay; let me be sad. Let me be cold; let me be warm. Let me be hungry...have too much to eat. Let me be ragged or well dressed. Let me be sincere - be deceitful. Let me be truthful; let me be a liar. Let me be honorable and let me sin. Only let me be something every blessed minute. And when I sleep, let me dream all the time so that not one little piece of living is ever lost.” 
― Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

I hope I have done justice to the meme, this can be taken up by anyone :). And as you can see, I took long enough to complete this post. I started it sometime last week and am finally posting this today. Hopefully the new year has more frequent posts from me in store **fingers crossed**   

**PC=Prince Charming :)

Happy New Year

Wishing an awesome, exhilarating New Year to all. I wish for an year that is full of surprises and inspiration and hope to continue expressing my thoughts through this window to my soul, my blog.

As far as New Year Resolutions go, I am not the best at keeping them. But some resolutions, where the goal is clear and the rewards far outweigh the hard work required, I have managed to fulfill. For this year, I hope to finally learn driving a four wheeler and work more on my writing. It is a well-known fact in my family that I am one of those few people in the universe who managed to become an adult without learning to ride a bicycle :( A fact that I regret now, but am too chicken to reverse. So four wheelers are my only hope of self sufficiency. As a  kid, I was chauffeured everywhere like the daddy's princess I am and later on preferred taking public transport to maintain what I liked to call "My Green Quotient" :) . Now, my PC is very helpful in driving me wherever I want, and my city has buses and other means of transport, but this is my belated attempt at being independent :)

As far as improving the frequency and quality of my writing is concerned, I am still shaking off the rust on my pen and trying to work out a routine where I can scribble a few lines a day. Sometimes, I feel that there are too many thoughts in the mind that refuse to get written on paper. Does that happen to you too? Now I have taken up to writing on random bits of paper whenever the thought strikes me. Let's see if that improves :)

What are your New Year Resolutions? Do you plan on learning/ improving anything?  

P.S.: PC: Prince Charming