I: Indian Museum #AtoZChallenge

                                                      Image Credit:Indian_Museum,_Kolkata

Calcutta is an old city, boasting of a lot of ‘oldest’s and ‘first’s. The Indian Museum(also referred to as the Imperial Museum in the texts of the British-India era) is one such. It is the largest and oldest museum in India and houses rare collections of antiques, armour and ornaments, fossils, skeletons, mummies, and Mughal paintings. It was founded by the Asiatic Society of Bengal in Calcutta in 1814. The founder curator was Nathaniel Wallich, a Danish botanist. History tells us that the the concept of having a museum arose in 1796 by members of the Asiatic Society as a place where man-made and natural objects could be collected, cared for and displayed. The objective began to look achievable in 1808 when the Society was offered suitable accommodation by the Government of India in the Chowringhee-Park Street area where it still stands. 

Today there are many galleries and exhibits, among them, the Egyptian collection, the Indian artefacts (which include a Buddhist stupa, the ashes of the Buddha, the Ashoka pillar etc) are notable. Also, there are four galleries dedicated to natural history. 

Now I am not a museum person. I do not enjoy museums, no matter where in the world it is and generally avoid them, barring a few where I take my children while on vacation. It’s hardly surprising that I have not visited the Indian museum in a while (translated, 30+ years!) but I have heard that it has been nicely restored and attracts visitors from all over the globe. We used to be forced to visit the museum in our school days, usually at an age when we were unable to appreciate either the history or the significance of the displays. I recall running about the halls, getting thoroughly bored and getting yelled at by the teachers! One year apparently our section was so naughty that the school decided we should be punished. So while all the other sections went to the zoo and the Botanical gardens and stuff, we were taken only to the Planetarium. And that was even more boring than the museum. We used to take off our shoes and socks and promptly fall asleep! 

L: Lamington cake #AtoZChallenge

In college in Pune, we were a hungry lot. Good food was expensive and depended largely on our budgets. More often than not, we were broke and survived on Maggi Noodles and bread and eggs. One of those "I am hungry but am broke" days, a friend got us some Lamington cakes from Spicer College Bakery. We greedily lapped it up, it was like the best thing we had eaten in days!

Years later, pretty recently in fact, we went somewhere and I saw Lamington cakes and promptly got some for my girls. The spouse did not care for it much, "too much coconut," he said. The girls were okay with it and I found it wasn't half as exciting as it had been, years ago. I remembered those college days and the friendship we shared. I found myself thinking of how it would have been a treat for us in those days.

Hunger is such a wonderful thing.

And you? Is there any memory of any food you would have greedily lapped up when you were broke but would not care for now?
Hunger is such a wonderful thing.

F: Fudge #AtoZChallenge

Ah, fudges. Walnut filled crunchy, chewy fudges. Again, my mom used to make them. In fact a lot of my cooking, recipes are from her. Anyway, come winter, our house would be filled with the aroma of cakes and baking.Mom was known for her Christmas cakes and roasts,
And sometimes, in winter, if she was in the mood for it, Mom also made chocolate fudge. In fact when I went away to college Mom sometimes made me some to take back with me. You can bet it barely lasted a day!

EASY WALNUT FUDGE:

Ingredients:

• Cocoa powder 1/2 cup
• Chopped walnuts: 1 cup
• Condensed milk: 1 cup
• Butter: 1/2 cup
• Sugar 2 tbsp
• Vanilla Essence: a few drops 

Method: 

• Heat a non -stick pan, add condensed milk, butter, sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla essence and mix well. Cook on a medium flame for about 2/3 minutes, stirring continuously. 
• Remove from flame, add walnuts and mix well. 
• Transfer immediately onto a greased dish or tray. 
• Once it cools a little, shape into balls or squares and set aside to cool completely. 
• You may want to keep it in the refrigerator to set if it's too hot outside. 
• Enjoy! 

B: Bacon Brownies #AtoZChallenge

Bacon Brownies

I got married in August 1996. In November, when my birthday rolled around and everyone was gifting me yet more saris, my mother-in-law got me an oven. She knew me well enough to know I liked cooking (I had told her about the roast chicken and lamb dinners at home). As you can imagine, it was the best gift ever. The best part was that it wasn't a small OTG which is present in many households and used even for toasting bread. It was a proper big sized oven that could not only hold a baking dish but could also accommodate a leg of ham!
It served me well for almost fifteen years, I had to replace it because one of the coils finally fell apart and could not be fixed. But the joys I have gotten baking and experimenting with that oven are forever.
I started with Brownies pretty early. It was fun and my nephew and niece loved them. My kids grew up licking the cake batter off the mixing bowl.
And then the other day I was going through my Twitter Time Line and came across Bacon Brownies WOW, I thought, that is something I haven't tried yet!
That very day I tried it out. I fried the bacon to a crisp, crumbled it, mixed in some honey and added it to the brownie mix. Viola, it was delicious. I do think bacon and chocolate go very well together.

And yes, the recipe is simple and easy to follow. Here you go, courtesy +Monika Manchanda

Heaven on a plate @Monikamanchanda

D: DORIAN GRAY

Young, handsome, beautiful Dorian Gray. How I loved to love him. And hated him. Could never ignore him though, could you?  

Dorain Gray “You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit.” 
― Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

C: CORLEONE family

The Godfather by Mario Puzo was one of those unputdownable books in my life. I devoured it whole. I saw the movie (which I also adore) much, much later. In my impressionable teens, it was the world I ever wanted: the secrecy, the faith, the strength, the protection of the mafia...

 “There are things that have to be done and you do them and you never talk about them. You don't try to justify them. They can't be justified. You just do them. Then you forget it.” 
― Mario Puzo, The Godfather

B: BERTIE Wooster

Ah, British humour. I always think I got lost in the world of Bertie Wooster and Jeeves and Aunt Agatha and Glossop and all the rest. In fact, I revisit them often and they never fail to leave me refreshed and in a rather rummy frame of mind!

“And so the merry party began. It was one of those jolly, happy, bread-crumbling parties where you cough twice before you speak, and then decide not to say it after all.” 
― P.G. Wodehouse, My Man Jeeves

A: ASLAN

Long before the Chronicles of Narnia became a block buster film, I discovered the magical world of "The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe." Yes, it was the lion that stirred my imagination the most. In addition to the extensive collection of books we had at home (everyone loved to read, specially my grandfather who introduced me to many worlds... more about that later) my mother was the Librarian at school. So there never was a shortage of books in the house. And my Mom kept bringing us new things to try. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was my first C.S. Lewis....

“I was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the horses the new strength of fear for the last mill so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you.” 
― C.S. Lewis

Friends in Fiction

Yes, it's time for that April A2Z Challenge again. I do hope some of you are reading this. Time for my theme reveal:

Friends in Fiction.


Sounds odd?

Not at all.
Anyone who loves to read will know what I'm talking about. It's those people who we read about and who stayed with us after the book was over...

Have you ever had friends like these? Wished you knew a Magic Faraway Tree? Had Noddy in your life? Went sailing with Tom Sawyer?

Well I did.

So this April is for some of those magical people who filled my waking hours with excitement and teased my imagination. Long after I had turned the last page.

The A to Z Reflections Post

Ah. So it's time to reflect on the past month. Let's see now, what do I have to say?

I took up this challenge for the first time last year. I was ill prepared, to say the least. Every morning found be frantically banging away at my computer trying to find thoughts to match the word I had chosen.
This year, I decided I was going to be more organised. So I chose myself a theme: Food. Something I am comfortable about as I quite fancy myself as a home cook. So there it was; A theme staring me in the face.
Also, April was a busy month: we had visitors and we had a lot of long weekends which meant I would not be able to put in that much time in front of the PC. So I tried to schedule some of my posts. Some came naturally, some seemed forced. And sometimes I'd wake up in the morning with an idea rattling in my head and decide I did not like my scheduled post at all... then I'd be at the computer typing away for all I am worth to get to the post and change it before the scheduled time!
The spouse, frankly thought I've finally lost it all, all at once!

Oh yes, It's been fun.
Would I do it again!
You bet!

'Z' is for Ziti ... . A to Z Challenge Day 26.

When I got married, my nephew was all of three and my niece almost two. They were the first children I had seen at close quarters. They quite easily wormed their ways into my heart and I took to taking them out with me all over the place: be it shopping, loafing about or swimming. Yes, swimming was the high point in all our lives!

Then, a few years later came my own two daughters, born a year apart. They were followed by another niece and then a few years later, another nephew. The latest additions to our family are three month old twins: a boy and a girl. As a result I am now a proud 'parent' of eight children, whose ages range from 22 to 3 months!!!! Two of them have left home. One lives in Canada and visits annually. The older niece is in Bangalore but currently at home on vacation. 

And I love to take them swimming. In fact that's one thing we all love to do. Right from the time they were small we had these outings when we would go to the club, have a leisurely swim and lunch...

"So what has all this got to do with ziti or even food?" you ask. 

Thing is, and I will never understand why, on each and every one of these outings someone or the other always, but always, orders the Club Macaroni and Cheese. In fact even the fussiest eater of the day (and that crown moves around) cannot say no to Mac and Cheese. I have tried it sometimes, its the same horrible bland taste every time. So the other day I said I'd make them Mac and Cheese at home. The youngest one, all of five, piped up. "But it won't be like this one here!" 

True. 

*Sigh*

So the other day at the store, I found a packet of Ziti. I've decided I'm going to make a nice meat sauce with bacon and sausages and I'm going to bake it with cheese.... 

And I'll call my children over for dinner!!!

And since this is the last day of the challenge I leave you with a happy picture of me and 6 of my kids.... just after a satisfying meal that had a lot of Mac and Cheese! 

"Y" for Yours. A to Z Challenge Day 25.

There's no one quite like your mother.
Or anyone who cooks like her.
Or anyone who can take the place of your father.
Or the time he spent teaching a little girl to poach eggs
All the times you tried to cook and failed
Or the times you were sure you screwed up up but didn't.
Or the joy you felt when your meal was praised
Or the way you squirmed when the salt was too much
There's that kitchen you call your very own
A five-star affair...or is it a hole in the wall?
Too small, too big, just about right...
Where you conjure dishes day and night
That oven, that old pan with the loose handle
That measuring cup that has seen better days
That old cooker that was a wedding gift
Those serving dishes you use with care...

All that...every moment
you spend cooking
spreading smiles
sharing love
are special
are all YOURS!

"X" is for Xacuti. A to Z Challenge Day 24.

Xacuti is a Goan curry. You can make it with fish or mutton or chicken but the recipe I want to share today is with prawn. If you like Indian curries, this will certainly be a favourite. Just adjust the cooking time if you are using chicken or meat.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Prawns (medium size) 1 cup tossed gently with a little salt and pepper.
2. Onions (large) 1 chopped finely.
3. Coconut grated 3/4 cup
4. Nutmeg powder 1/2 tsp
5. Coriander seeds 3/4/tsp
6. Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
7. Tamarind paste 1/2 tsp
8. Poppy seeds 1/2 tsp
9. Fennel seeds 1/2 tsp
10. Dried red chillies : 3/4
11. Star Anise 2/3 (optional)
12. Cinnamon 1 (1 inch) piece
13. Cloves 2/3
14. Oil: 1 tbsp
15. Salt: to taste

METHOD:

1. Dry roast the coconut till it turns lightly brown. Keep aside.
2. Dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, poppy seeds, fennel, cloves, cinnamon, dried chillies and star anise, if using till a nice aroma comes out. Do not burn. I usually do this in a tawa over a low flame once the tawa is hot, 
3. Gring the dry roasted seeds with the coconut into a smooth paste. Add as little water as possible. 
4. Heat oil and fry the chopped onion. When it starts to brown, add the masala and fry till the oil separates. 
5. Add the prawn and fry for about 3/4 minutes mixing the prawns in the masala nicely. Add some water and cook till prawns are done. Do not over cook as the prawns will turn rubbery and hard. 
6. Add nutmeg powder, tamarind and cook for 2 minutes till blended. 

This is lovely with rice or roti but it's really special with local paos (buns)!  

"W" is for Wednesday Dinners. A to Z Challenge Day 23.

Growing up, my Mom was a Librarian at our school. We had a lady who used to take care of us. She seemed to have been around forever, Pramilla was her name. Most of our childhood memories have Pramilla there somewhere.
Now this Pramilla used to have a evening off every week. Every Wednesday after we returned from school in the afternoon, Pramilla would take off to be with her family and not return until the next day.
Hence, on Wednesday nights, without fail, my mother cooked dinner.

And Ma never made rice and daal and boring stuff. Often it was roast mutton. Or chicken. Sometimes Moussaka. Or Shammi kababs. Caramel custard. Lamb chops cooked to perfection, chicken shaslik, grilled fish, meat loaf..... the whole house was infused with delicious aromas emanating from the kitchen. We'd help in whatever way we could but Mom was happy and cheerful those evenings although the utensils piled up in the sink. After the cooking was over, my Mom would have a shower, wear some perfume and dress up nicely and wait for my father to return.

I never could figure it out. Then. It made no sense.
But, oh yes, we all loved Wednesdays, specially at dinnertime! 

"V" is for Vindaloo. A to Z Challenge, Day 22.

In college we were a hungry lot.
(I've already said that.)
In any case, days before we were coming home for our holidays, we used to be dreaming of all the delicious goodies we would eat when we got home!
Those were the days of the snail mail. Long distance phone calls were a luxury I could ill-afford. So six weeks before I was due to go home I would start penning the menu that should be waiting for me from the day I reached home. I still remember my favourite orders: Aam Shoal (a fish spiced with raw mangoes), dahi vada (no one still makes it like my mother!) Mangshor jhol (mutton curry) Moussaka (we all know what that is!) and on and on it went, the list was endless.

As they say, all good things come to an end. So it was with our vacations. I don't know what made us more sad, the fact that we were leaving home or the fact that we would not be getting all the good food we got while at home... For me I am sure it was the latter.
So my mother devised a way I would not miss home food for a few more days even as I was away from home.
She made vindaloo.

The train journey from my city to a place called Kalyan, took 36 hours. After a two hour wait we boarded another train which took four hours to reach our final destination, Pune. This was provided the trains all ran on time and there were no delays or mishaps on the way. Often, these journeys across India were taken in the fiercest heat; as a college student I never travelled by air conditioned coach.

So what is Vindaloo?
Vindaloo is Goan dish made with mutton or pork or even chicken (My mom made it with mutton for me to take to college.) It is marinated in garlic and  ginger and other spices and cooked with vinegar. It is almost pickled and hence stays for a few days so it would survive the journey to college... That's when I learnt that if there is onion  and/or water in a recipe it will spoil fast. Same with potato.
Whatever.
But there I was.... miles, days away from home;

Savouring, little by little, a slice of home!

'U' for Ugh. A to Z Challenge Day 21.

Let's face it. Not everyone can cook. Although some people have the best of intentions and spare no effort or expense in doing it. If fact there have been times when even the best home cooks do screw up. I've done it: experimented with something, tasted it and gone "UGH. That cannot be how it is supposed to be!"
So every once in a while you may be invited for dinner or given something to eat and although it looks presentable enough, when you taste it your heart sinks. "Ugh," you think!
So what do you do then?
Here's what I do.
I calmly finish the food, as much as I can anyway, find something on the menu that's half edible, (like the salad, maybe?), set down the plate and profusely thank the host and tell them what a wonderful meal it has been.
That's manners!

And then there are some things that make you go ugh anyway and you wouldn't touch it for the world. It may be the smell, the texture, the taste. After all, we all have our preferences.
For me, it's the smell of Bombay Duck as it's cooking.
It's the mild fish curry cooked at home day in day out. Smells too fishy, I never touch it.
It's plain boiled okra with it's slimy texture.
It's the yolk of fried egg sunny side up... could never stand it, either the taste or the texture though I know people who would kill for it. Well, almost.
It's idli and vada after more than a month of having it day in and day out at the hospital canteen. Thankfully that was temporary.

The list goes on.
So tell me, what are the food that make YOU go "ugh!"?

'T' for Toad-in-the-hole. A to Z Challenge Day 20.

Let's talk about toad in the hole.
Nope, it''s not about a big fat warty toad in a muddy hole.
It's an odd name for a dish, isn't it?
A dish made with yummy sausages and batter?
With gravy on the side....

So.
Do you like sausages?
Did I hear you say yes?
Go on then, try having a toad in the hole.

It's easy.
And.
Your kids will love it.

Here's how:

HERE"S WHAT YOU NEED:

1.  100g plain flour
2. 1/2 tsp mustard powder
3. 1 egg
4. 300ml milk
5. 8 plain pork sausages (okay, chicken...if you must)
6. 2 tbsp oil (canola/sunflower)
7. 2 onions, sliced. 
8. 1 tsp brown sugar
9. 500 ml chicken or beef stock 

HERE"S HOW YOU DO IT:

1.  Make the batter: Heat oven to 220 degrees C. Take flour in a large mixing bowl and stir in the mustard powder with a good pinch of salt. Make a well in the centre, crack in the egg, then pour in a little milk. Stir gradually adding the flour and milk until you have a smooth batter and all the milk and flour has been mixed together.
2. The batter should be smooth and lump-free and the consistency of double cream.Keep it in a jug for easier pouring later on. Use scissors to snip the links between the sausages and drop them into a 20 x 30cm roasting tin. Add 1 tbsp of the oil, tossing the sausages in it to thoroughly coat the base of the tin and  roast in the oven for 15 mins.
3. Cook the batter: Take the hot tray from the oven, then quickly pour in the batter – it should sizzle and bubble a little when it first hits the hot pan. Put it back into the oven, then bake for 40 mins until the batter is cooked through, well risen and crisp. If you poke the tip of a knife into the batter in the middle of the tray it should be set, not sticky or runny.
4. Make the gravy: Soften the onions with the remaining oil in a large nonstick frying pan for about 20 mins, stirring often, until they are golden brown. Sprinkle in the sugar for the final 5 mins. Add a spoonful of flour to a little bit of stock till smooth. Add it to the onions and stir. Gradually pour in the stock, stirring well to make a smooth sauce. Bubble for 4-5 mins to thicken and season with salt and pepper. Cut the toad in the hole into large wedges and serve with the gravy spooned over.
5. Do please let me know how the kids (or even the spouse!) reacted when you said you're serving a toad in the hole!!! 

'S" is for Sunflower Seeds. A to Z Challenge Day 19.

In college I was introduced to sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds and the like. We jokingly called them "bird-feed". They were eaten by the Arab friends of our who got packets and packets of the stuff. They were  not shelled, roasted and salted and we took to munching them and spitting out the shells. It was quite an art to do it without using your finger to shell the seed!

Cut to many years later. We were travelling in the UK with our girls who were then 4 and 5. Impressionable and sweet, they hung onto every word I said. This was their first trip Westwards. I was constantly on the alert to ensure that the knife was in the right hand, the mouth was closed while chewing, the Ps and the Qs came out at the appropriate time, the shoe laces were tied, etc etc etc. It was quite a crazy holiday!

In London, we stayed at this apartment on Queensway. It was lovely and only a short walk to Hyde's Park where we took the girls to run around. Inside the Park I let them be, I did not have to worry about table manners and, luckily, they have never been the screeching type! On one such occasion, on the way to Hyde Park, we stopped at a store to buy some juices and stuff. There I spotted a packet of sunflower seeds, the same seedless salted stuff! Nostalgic, I bought a pack,

Once inside Hyde Park, I taught them how to shell and eat the seeds... Intrigued, they tried it for some time till they got bored.
Walking back, they asked me, "what will happen if we eat those seeds?
Inspired, I replied, "why, you'll have sunflowers growing in your tummy!"

The rest of the holiday saw them munching sunflower seeds, running up to me, opening their mouths wide and asking me, "do you see the sunflowers, Ma?"
I always did.

Those were the days, were they not?

'R' for Rice. A to Z Challenge Day 18

I'll be honest with you. I had to take a pick between Rice and Roast and it was a tough call. You see, both, to me, are comfort food. More about the roast another day, let's try the rice for now.
As an Indian, I have grown up eating rice all my life.
Add to that the fact that I am Bengali.
Bengalis in particular are predominantly rice eaters, rarely does any meal NOT have rice.

So it's no wonder I love my rice. Oh I can go without it for some time. But then after about a week of ricelessness, I get restless. Like when we are on vacation, invariably after about a week or so of sandwiches and hot dogs and stuff, the spouse and I find ourselves on the look out for Indian or or Chinese or even Thai joints.. You see, we are certain we will find rice there! Be it biriyani, or pulao or fried rice or khichdi  or even plain steamed rice..... rice is comfort food.

And the most comforting comfort food is Pish-pash, a rice and chicken meal that my grand mother used to make when we were not feeling well or had fever and it still tops my list of 'good food'.

Here's how you do it:

Ingredients:

1. Rice : 1 and 1/2 cup
2. Chicken with bones: one small, cut into biggish pieces. about 2 pounds. 
3. Onion, 1 large chopped fine.
4. Garlic: 4 pods chopped.
5. Butter
6. Potatoes: 3 medium sized, peeled and halved. 
7. Cauliflower/ peas/ carrots/golden corn (optional) : chopped biggish, about 1/2 cup
8. Salt and pepper to taste. 
9. Oil: (Canola/sunflower/any white oil)
10. Bay leaf: 1
11. Whole pepper corns: 5/7. (optional)

Method: 

1. Clean and wash the rice. 
2. In a pan heat I tbsp oil and add the Bay leaf. Add garlic and lightly fry. Add onions and fry for about 3 minutes. Do not allow the onion to turn brown. Add pepper corns if you like. 
3. Add the chicken pieces and mix in the onions etc. 
4. When it has browned, add the potato pieces and saute some more. 
5. Add the washed rice, move it around the pan, taking care not to let it stick. 
6. Add water, 3 to 4 cups. Salt to taste.  1 cup of chicken stock and 2 to 3 cups of water will also do nicely.
7. Let it boil and cook stirring occasionally until the rice is done. the chicken and potatoes too should be done. Check and see and add water and boil some more if required. If adding vegetables, add it when the rice is half cooked, else it becomes too mushy. 
8. When the rice is cooked, the mixture should be soupy. Do not let the rice stick, keep adding water as requires. The dish is soupy, I repeat and not dry. The rice should be soft and the chicken very tender. Melt in your mouth consistency. 
9. Serve hot with a big dollop of butter.
10. Never fails with fussy eaters! 

I think I know what we are having for dinner tonight! 

"Q" for Quiche. A to Z Challenge Day 17

Q put me in a quandary...  what food can I think of  that begins with Q?
Quinoa....? Naah, don't care for it!
Quince...? What can I write about a pear?
Quail? Too tiny.... and I've never tried it either.
Quesadilla... ? But that's not local, not even available anywhere near me, the last time I heard.
Q...?
Q...?


Ah.
Then.
It struck me:
Quiche.

Quiches are fun. Quiches are easy to make. And they are filling. A slice (or two) of quiche and a light salad on the side, washed down with a glass of draft beer. That's my kind of lunch!

The more I thought about it, the more appealing the idea was. I had my post all thought out. I'd add a nice and easy quiche recipe.. I'd certainly find that old tried and trusted Betty Crocker recipe with bacon.....at one time I made it a lot.... it's been a while since I made one....
I took the idea to the girls. "What quiche," they said, "we've never had quiche made by you!"

And presto, here's what we had for dinner last night...

It turned out nice and golden. Yes, I used bacon. And spinach. And a few mushrooms that were lying in the fridge!

And I must mention we had surprise guests for dinner. Everyone loved it.