No More Curry Powder!

2010-08-05T07:51:00.000-07:00

Breakfast:
1 small coffee, with milk and sugar, cold.
2 slices of rye toast w/ butter.

Mid morning:
2 slices of rye toast w/ butter.

Lunch:
1 big serving of veggie rice w/ picked onions
Chrysanthemum tea w/ sugar

Driving back home
Chrysanthemum tea w/ sugar

Dinner:
2 savory pancakes (rice and farina) with vegetables.

Late night snack:
A handful of chips

I definitely eat better when I write it down! Also stopped by ye ol' grocery store and picked up healthy snacks (air popped corn- yum) and some salad.

Tuesday

2010-08-03T21:27:00.000-07:00

Breakfast:
1 small coffee, with milk and sugar, cold.
2 slices of rye toast w/ butter.

Mid morning:
2 slices of rye toast w/ butter.

Lunch:
1 big serving of veggie rice w/ picked onions

Dinner:
Individual spinach pizza, on wheat, with garlic & balsamic, no cheese.
3 tiny chick pea fritters, baked
4 oz. cheddar

Late night snack:
A handful of chips

I find I always eat better the days I keep a food diary, and that is why I am trying to stick to it. Dinner worked really well, because I realize that I don't eat much, but really crave a smorgasbord type meal- makes me more full somehow, and less apt to snack later. I may be on to something here....

Good times

2010-08-02T21:26:00.000-07:00

Have tons of work from now through Christmas, and therefore now, more than ever, I'd like to be healthy. The past week has been bad, as I realized this was going to happen, and wanted to just let loose until today. Therefore from today, we are back to some measure of healthy eating.

Breakfast:
1 small coffee, with milk and sugar, cold.
1 tomato sandwich- 1/2 of a small tomato slice in between toasted rye d, with salt, pepper and butter.

Mid morning:
Another tomato sandwich

Lunch:
1 big serving of veggie rice
3 small picked onions

Mid afternoon:

Dinner:
6 pieces of salmon and tuna sushi. 3 pieces of veg and shrimp tempura.

Late night snack:
2 pickled onions and a handful of chips.

I've become remarkably good at making savory rice/rice pilaf/pulao these days- ever since the husband has been abroad, I make a huge batch of come variation of pilaf every Sunday, which furnishes me with lunches for office for the entire coming week. This past weekend, I soaked a cup of white rice, and stir fried 1/2 a red onion, a cup of peas, 2 cups of spinach, and 1 tomato with a tsp each of dried fennel and cumin in a tsp of olive oil. Then added the soaked rice, covered and left on low heat for 15 minutes- made perfect pilaf with the grains of rice separating beautifully. Delicious, and fairly healthy.

Also made a quick onion pickle- I found tiny baby onions at the grocery store, and had to make this childhood favorite. To a dozen peeled baby onions (each no more than 1" wide), added 1/2 a cup of balsamic vinegar and the juice of 1 lemon. Its good to keep this in a jam jar, since we want the liquid to just cover the onions. Once done, cover the jar and keep on the counter for 1/2 a day, after which the onion pickles slightly and should be moved to the fridge. The pickle is ready between 1/2 - 1 day, and should be eaten within 2 weeks, since after that it will turn way too sour. Lime may be substituted for lemon, and results in a less sour version than when using lemon.

Met with an old friend for Sushi- which should be my last Sushi outing for a while: 1- its expensive, 2- the hub unit is back soon, and he pales at the idea of raw anything :)

All in all, a healthy day, except for the butter and the inevitable chips- ah well.

2010-07-16T22:53:00.001-07:00

Because of an unexpected bounty of tomatoes from the garden, I am eating more of those than ever- the perfect ones make it into the freezer, whereas even a small blemish means I eat it as salad. Since the hubby is away, how much of one vegetable can a girl eat by herself? Luckily, I love tomato sandwiches.

Breakfast:
1 small coffee, with milk
1 tomato sandwich, on sourdough toast, dusted with black pepper and spread thinly with real butter (so simple, so good!)

Snack:
Another tomato sandwich.

Lunch:
Stir fried rice, with spinach, carrots, green onions, shitakes and red onion.
1 Yeo's chryanthemum tea, with sugar

Snack:
5 tiny apricots- these are small, so pretty much inhaled them.

Dinner:
2 Uttepam (savory rice pancakes), with tomatoes, green onions, spinach and carrots, with 1 tsp of ghee (clarified butter)

Late night snack:
Ramen
1 Pepsi, NOT diet

Even more late night snack:
1 square of chocolate
6 chips

Obviously, there was a lot of butter going on today. Need to scale back on that and the sugary drinks, the latter being my worst enemy. But on the plus side, I'm definitely eating more fruits and vegetables. The ramen was thankfully low sodium, so no guilt re: that. Tomorrow I eat meat! its been a week since I've had any red meat, and without any restriction, I may not have even noticed this fact. However, with the realization that I have made a resolution not to eat red meat more than once a weak, the cravings have been definitely kicking in :)

Suffarage Cook book

2010-07-16T20:56:00.000-07:00

Found this cookbook on Project Gutenberg, which has to be read to be believed and truly enjoyed. Go to: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/26323/26323-h/26323-h.htm

There are some insane recipes (one for "shrimp wiggle"- !!!!), but buried in there is an letter that is bound to motivate you to go read the whole thing, and see the photo of the woman who wrote this:

"I have sent but one recipe to a cook book, and that was a direction for driving a nail, as it has always been declared that women do not know how to drive nails. But that was when nails were a peculiar shape and had to be driven in particular way, but now that nails are made round there is no special way in which they need to be driven. So my favorite recipe cannot be given you.

As for my effort in the culinary line—I have not made an effort in the culinary line for more than at least thirty years, except once to make a clam pie, which was pronounced by my friends as very good. But I cannot remember how I made it. I have a favorite recipe, however, something of which I am very fond and which I might give to you. I got it out of the newspapers and it is as follows:

Spread one or two rashers of lean bacon on a baking tin, cover it thickly with slices of cheese, and sprinkle a little mustard and paprika over it. Bake it in a slow oven for half an hour and serve with slices of dry toast.

Now that is a particularly tasty dish if it is well done. I never did it, but somebody must be able to do it who could do it well.

Faithfully yours, Anna H. Shaw."

Priceless.

Yay!

2010-07-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

So looks like the food diary idea is working!

Checked my weight this morning, and I am down 2 lbs- for a girl who cant exercise for another few months, this is wonderful news. Now if only I can continue to make this happen, we are golden!

So this is what I ate today:
Breakfast: Small coffee, with milk

Lunch: McDonalds' kidsmeal- chicken nuggets, fries, diet soda.

Midafternoon: Handful of thick cut potato chips.

Dinner: 2 chapatis, whole wheat, with stir fried okra and onions. Mango pickle.

Late night craving: tomato sandwich, with butter on sourdough bread

I could have packed my lunch today, but the rice I had in the fridge just wasn't fresh any more, and I didn't want to cook on a Sunday evening- that's my time to relax. And somehow didn't have the interest to throw together a salad for lunch- I need more substantial food for lunch!

I'm wearing more dresses than I ever did, and I am in the market for a reasonably priced body shaper- hah- they are priced almost as much as my dresses cost! Will keep searching. Which brings me to the dress I was wearing today- I love it! Here it is- Banana Republic, silk, and fits like a dream. There is one more in the store that I particularly like, but am waiting for a sale (tomorrow!)- in fact, there are 3 more sale days this month, but I will try not to go crazier than I have already.

I should have had a mid-morning snack, but didn't carry one- my bad. And after the kidsmeal (which really should be called an adult meal- the adult version should be called garangutan), I just didn't need a mid-afternoon snack, but its hard for me to eschew potato chips- they are a disease! Dinner was very Indian, and my mother would have been proud, but I am happiest with my late-night snack- I adore tomato sandwiches. I have 2 tomato plants going crazy in the backyard, so am freezing most of this year's crop, but it still allows for delicious salads and sandwiches.

Good day!

2010-07-08T21:12:00.000-07:00

Exercise:

Yoga- simple meditating for 10 minutes in the back yard. Cold, but relaxing. I think I'm breathing better.

Breakfast:

A small coffee, with milk
2.5 ounces of cheese, cheddar
1 slice of bread, whole wheat

Snack:

2.5 ounces of cheese, cheddar
1 slice of bread, whole wheat

Lunch

1.5 servings of rice, white
2 servings of lentils
1 diet soda

Snack:

Almonds, 10

Dinner:

Tomato, basil salad
3 pieces of dhokla

Late night craving:

Self-critique:

Splitting the bread and cheese into breakfast and snack was a good idea. I do get crazy hungry abuit 10:30-11am, and thats when I really want something.
Went shopping and got some veggies and fruits that are lower in calories (and fat calories) and therefore easier on the liver.
Researched a bit and found out that the following foods are liver friendly:

* beets, asparagus, broccoli,
* green and red cabbage, brussels sprouts
* carrots, squash, okra
* collard greens, mustard greens, kale, romaine lettuce, arugula
* cauliflower
* green beans
* peas
* tomatoes
* spinach
* potatoes, yams, avocado
* onions, garlic, ginger, bell peppers, olives, radishes
* eggs - two a day
* flax seed oil - two tablespoons a day
* olive oil
* apples, grapefruits, oranges, plums, cherries, peach, berries
* cranberry juice
* sesame seeds, cashews, almonds
* pumpkin, papaya, mangoes
* all lettuces except iceberg
* brown rice
* chicken, fish
* all legumes, sprouts of all types
* organic soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, rice milk, distilled water
* honey, maple syrup
* basil, bay leaves, caraway,
* rosemary, dill, parsley, thyme
* oregano, tarragon, chives, cardamom

Of the above, am certainly not doing the 2 eggs a day bit- just too much.
Sprouts are a good idea that I am definitely interested in.

All in all, a day a better day than yesterday!

Waking up

2010-07-07T23:32:00.001-07:00

Its been more than a year since I've posted anything here.
But so much has happened in the past year, that there really has been no time.
I'm barely keeping up the movie blog; this one has been completely neglected.

After the major surgery earlier this year, I lost weight initially, and then suddenly put on almost all of it back. While I have always been curvy and the weight has always distributed itself all over, this time, the weight increase is somehow limited to the upper abdominal area. I ended up doing a boolean search, and found that this is related to the kind of surgery I went through. My body's capacity to break down fats is now down to less than half of its earlier ability, and that translates into weight gain if I continue the pre-surgery lifestyle.

This doesn't make me happy.

Regardless, I don't want to get sicker either. I cant exercise yet, but I've started 15 minutes of light yoga a day, along with a daily walk for 20 minutes, until a few months pass and I can do real exercises.

I am also going to try doing a food diary here, and hopefully I shall stick to it as well.

Today I ate:

Breakfast:

5 ounces of cheese, cheddar
1.5 slices of bread, whole wheat
1 small coffee, skimmed milk

Lunch:

An In n Out cheeseburger
1/2 a serving of fries
Diet soda

Dinner:

2 slices of bread, whole wheat
eggplant, potato and squash stir fry with nigella seeds
1 piece of pickle
A handful of potato chips

Late night cravings:

Another handful of potato chips

Self critique:

I don't think I eat a lot, but my diet is obviously lacking in fresh veggies.
I also intend to limit dairy to 15 ounces a week- I don't drink milk, but the yogurt and cheese need to be limited.
Plus limit animal protein to once a week- that will be a bit hard, but I can only try.
Also need to limit potato chips- a lifelong crutch.
I need to go to fresh and easy tomorrow & get some fresh produce!
I obviously don't have much of a sweet tooth which is one blessing.
I need to increase the number of meals I have a day to six- add healthy snacks like almonds and such. Weight gain on the limited amount of food I consume also probably indicates slow metabolism.

Tomorrow will be a better day.

Lost in LA!

2009-06-17T20:27:00.000-07:00

Who would've thought that I could get lost in what is practically my back yard?
And yet, it was entirely possible, and done on purpose: my objective was to drive through the canyons and Los Angeles Forest area between Santa Clarita and Palmdale, which is what we did, successfully. We even went off-road a bit, which I am sure privately horrified my Corolla, though she was very quiet and cooperative throughout. The best part: I forgot my GPS at home.

Kashmiri Food

2009-05-25T23:30:00.000-07:00

I love food, and I love the Kashmiri part of my heritage. I had always thought I had never cooked Kashmiri food- until recently when I finally read an actual recipe book on global curries, and was surprised to learn that my style of cooking has strong Kashmiri roots, with many of the dishes I make bonafide Kashmiri.

I wish I could put in words how much this shocked me. And yet, after the shock came acceptance- genetics has a part in the choices we make, and therefore since my mom never actually learned cooking from my grandma (who was Kashmiri), she probably unconsciously replicated the flavors of her mom's cooking in her own food, and I simply must be repeating her actions. Apparently Kashmiris dote on mutton- and guess who always orders it (or goat or lamb as substitute) when it is on a menu? yup that's me. Guess who thinks a bit of beaten yogurt improves any curry? me and my Kashmiri ancestors both. These discoveries are proving very comforting, they are.

I have therefore made up my mind to cook my way through Kashmiri culture, teaching myself the aromas and flavors my great grandma must have stirred over a pot near the Jhelum. I will write about my successes and failure as I progress, and hopefully my granny in heaven will chuckle along as she watches my progress.

There are some basic ingredients essential to Kashmiri food:

Red dried chili pepper- appears to be the primary condiment, it can be used whole or crushed, depending upon the dish.
White peppercorn- prized heavily, it is a subtle version of the black peppercorn
Ghee
Mutton
Onions
Yogurt
Mustard oil- perhaps the most unusual of ingredients in the list, it has a strong, nutty taste and an even stronger smell. The key in using this is to heat the oil till smoking, and then to right away reduce the heat, thereby using it to season and cook the food without burning the oil (thus preventing carcinogens). The US is yet to recognize it as consumable, and therefore this is available in Indian supermarkets in North America, marked "For External Use Only." Ignore the warning, and get cooking- it is as heart healthy as extra virgin olive oil.

Stuff happens

2009-04-26T19:11:00.000-07:00

Been really stressed and depressed lately, so much so that writing on the other blog about cinema has been next to impossible. Nothing seems to matter any more. I really need to snap out of it, and I do realize that, but am not able to do it quite yet.

Nope, not quite yet.

Garden pix

2009-04-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

My spring garden- I am a proud parent!

Yummy, inedible Spam

2009-03-25T16:07:00.000-07:00

I love spam emails. The subject lines are so friendly:

"Aloha! Here is what you were looking for"- wow really? someone knows exactly what I was looking for! how nice! its unfortunate of course that they are selling me phone tracking devices to investigate "untrustworthy loved ones" (actual quote).- it isn't what I am looking for quite yet.

"Wet and waiting for you all night"- I'm so sorry, but I do not want wet/dry unimaginables any time of the day/night. Sorry to hurt your feelings.

"I found a key is it yours"- Proper punctuation aside, its hardly likely.

"Housewives wanted"- by who? I'm not one and don't want one.

"At last found you" - now lose me. fast.

"This Spanish wants to talk to you"- me habla minimal espanol- sorry.

"Colon Cleanse" - They care about my health! aww how nice.

I can also "lose 30 lbs in 30 days"- lovely.

"Girls wont dump you anymore"- thank goodness for that!

Then there are the emails themselves- and I seem to keep winning lotteries! yay! Notice how the promotion manager is a Dr.
Brilliant.

VERMONT LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL <info@vermontlotto.com>reply-toclaimprize.gibson316@googlemail.com
toundisclosed-recipients
dateTue, Mar 17, 2009 at 7:13 AM

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Apparently I am internationally famous, even among professors in the bylanes of Dublin:

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And this of course has to be every one's all time favorite:

from dr_mohamed aziz <dr_mohamed_aziz11@msn.com>reply-tomohamed_aziz208@yahoo.fr
to dateWed, Mar 25, 2009 at 10:25 AM

subjectYOUR URGENT REPLY NEEDED IMMEDIATELY

mailed-bymsn.com

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Making Peda sweets, and getting ready for Holi

2009-03-05T12:55:00.000-08:00

I haven't celebrated Holi in 10 years. Not only me, turns out the entire family here in California hasn't done so for a decade or even more. So this year, my husband and I have decided to throw a Holi party- we've sourced colors, wet and dry, and plan to have the festivities in our front yard, the Saturday morning following Holi (which falls on March 11 this year).

And what would Holi be, without some homemade sweets to share? Here is a recipe simple recipe for Pedas/Peras (sing.: Peda/Pera), that tastes just like it did back home.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb Khoya
3/4 loosely packed cup brown sugar
1/4 cup raw pistachios
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 pinch nutmeg
1 tsp cardamom pods
2 tsp ghee

Notes:
1- The sunflower seeds mimic the dried rock melon seeds my grandma used to add.
2- In the United States, you are probably only going to find Khoya in the frozen section of your Indian grocery store, and a popular and decent brand is "Nanak." This is fine- I have found no difference between this and the kind my mom one day made from scratch.

Method:
1- Defreeze the Khoya- leave it on the counter the night before, or put in under running hot water for about 10 minutes.
2- Grate the Khoya using a cheese grater- this will help the ingredients mix well. Spread over a large platter (see 1st photo)
3- Sprinkle in the nutmeg and brown sugar into the grated khoya, mix.
4- Break out all the seeds from the cardamoms (discard the outside), and pound the seeds into
a coarse powder.
5- Mix the cardamom powder into the khoya mixture.
6- Pound the pistachios roughly- you just don't want huge pieces, since the size of the actual peda is pretty small.
7- Heat a large saucepan over a low flame, and add the pistachio pieces and sunflower seeds- dry roast gently for about 2 minutes, until the sunflower seeds turns slightly golden. Remove from heat.
8- Add the seeds to the the khoya mixture and mix well.
9- Put the ENTIRE khoya mixture back into the pan, on medium heat, and keep stirring for about 5 minutes. The mixture will turn cookie-dough brown, and coagulate into a single mass. Take it off the heat.
10- Take 1 tsp of ghee and grease a large, flat platter.
11- Take the 2nd single tsp of ghee and smear your palms with it- steps 10 and 11 may seem

simple, but are crucial to the pedas forming properly.

12- Begin pulling teaspoon size pieces from your still-warm peda mixture, and roll into little balls. Sightly flatten each ball with your palm, and then make an indentation in the center with your thumb (see 2nd photo). This is the classic shape of a peda.
13- Let the pedas sit in room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving. They will harden a little, and keep their shape, even if you want to store them in a different container.

Serving, notes:
1- Because we added brown sugar, the pedas aren't too sweet- you can of course add more brown or even white sugar if prefer- just make sure you taste the mixture after adding the extra sugar in.
2- The pedas should be stored covered in the refrigerator- keep in mind that Khoya, the primary ingredient, is a milk product. They should last in the fridge easily for a week or more.

Total time: 45 minutes.

Low sugar, yummy and healthy (if not eaten by the bucketful)- pedas make a heck of a easy dessert- :D

3 funerals and a wedding

2009-01-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted here in so long- but the past 2 months have been really crazy.

After grandma passed away, one of my cousins decided to get married. Then, another cousin passed away about a week after that. And THEN my grandpa-in-law passed away 2 days ago! I was only really close to grandma, so the other familial events matter little- but they still had to be dealt with, which takes away time from worthy pursuits like blogging (though my husband heartily disagrees).

And I didnt make my CPA exams- again.

All this tempered with the fact that the fiscal year ended and all my clients are going crazy and we have all these audits to do- AND one of my managers left the firm, which didn't help matters at all. :S

Meanwhile, I've found that my comparatively new home has a secret blessing- we always wondered at the huge hedges in the garden- no green thumb, so had no clue wth they were. Come winter, all the buds spouted flowers, and it turns out they are camellias: in white, pink and every shade in between! Currently the garden looks positively magical, making me wish the summer stays away as long as possible.

The new home also has a secret curse- one of the bathrooms' wall has moisture in it- plumbing and reconstruction costs are magically (so much of the "m" word! Mr. Dursely would be unhappy :)) multiplying in my mind, and I will try to ignore incurring them until at least next fall.

Work calls- off I go............

Cheese Fondue, my way

2008-11-20T11:24:00.000-08:00

This has to be the mot nontraditional cheese fondue ever- super basic. But it was a cold night, and I wanted something easy and comforting that would cook itself- and it was delicious! The dish itself is simple, but the key is to use quality ingredients that you like the taste of.

Ingredients:

2-3 varieties of soft cheese- I used Gruyere and a soft Cheddar, but honestly, go with any soft, easily melting cheese you like to eat- if you like the taste of the cheese, of course you will like it in the fondue! I used about a cup of each, shredded- you MUST shred- makes it easies to melt and mix with the other ingredients.
1-2 varieties of white wine or light, pale cider- you can use any that you like to drink- please DO NOT use a wine with high color (pink/brown fondue??? I think not!) and DO NOT use a wine sold "for cooking"- buy a bottle of what you want to drink with your meal, use some with the fondue, and drink the rest with your meal- no waste! I used a quarter cup of a California white I had lying around, and a quarter cup of Korbel champagne- the latter was a really good idea- it tasted great in the fondue.
black pepper and garam masala (!!) to taste. I didn't want to add nutmeg, which would have been the usual thing to do, but you could. You could also add garlic powder, oregano or rosemary- just make sure you don't use more than 2-3 spices (the more the spices, the greater the risk of muddy flavors), and do not replace black pepper with another spice- please :)
Dippers- different TOASTED breads- sourdough, rye, a robust white. Also crisp apples- whatever you like!
Fondue pot- I just used a regular small, heavy bottomed pan, but if you are serving to your guests, you may want to get something pretty, since we are cooking and serving in the same pot.

Method:

Take a small, but heavy pan, and boil the 1/2 cup of wines you are using.
As soon as the wine mix comes to a boil, reduce to a medium heat.
Add your cheeses, crushed black pepper and garam masala- go easy on the latter- you want to taste the cheese at the end of this.
Let the cheese melt itself- it should take about 5 minutes, during which time, you should not fuss with the fondue.
After five minutes, give the pot a stir, to see if more melting is required- if you see that the cheese has gone grainy on you, do not worry- just leave it on the heat for another 5 minutes or so, on low heat. As soon you have the consistency you desired, its time to eat- get dipping!

Notes:

Sorry no photo again- was too busy eating to remember :)
You shouldn't need to add any salt- the cheese would have enough.
You could also add fresh herbs and fresh garlic- just make sure you crush them really well, and add them after the wine has boiled, but before adding the cheese- it will mix better.
The fondue should remain warm and edible for about 15 minutes- if you are using a fondue pot with a warming attachment, that's great, but if not, you may want to reheat every 15 minutes.
Leftover fondue heats up perfectly- just make sure you put the pot on gentle heat first, and slowly move to medium heat once it melts a bit. The morning after, I used it for a open-face grilled cheese sandwiches, with sun-dried tomatoes- yum!

Jacket potatoes

2008-11-15T12:16:00.000-08:00

Been really depressed lately, and don't feel like cooking. But I cant keep the husband on frozen pizza forever, so i try to do something simple that can work itself out in the oven.

Which brings us to potatoes- I usually have a stock of boiled potatoes in the fridge, as taught by an older aunt in my infancy. Thrown with spices and coupled with other vegetables/meat can get a full meal on your table in a few minutes.

But baking a potato is a different deal. There are myriad opinions on what are the best potatoes for this, but most recipes call for large, thick skinned potatoes, and all take about 2 hours to do- that's way too much time for me. Plus, I dont like their hard casings- they just dont crisp up as well.

Quite by accident, I started using the long white potato, also known as White Rose/California Long White/ American Giant and Wisconsin Pride. It is an oval shaped potato with a thin outer skin that is light tan in color and smooth overall with few, very small eyes. The inner meat of the White Rose has a medium starch level, and I find that it stands up well to most cooking processes, resulting in a firm and creamy cooked product.

photo source: www.recipetips.com

Choose potatoes that are firm and plump, avoiding those that have shriveled skins, sprouting eyes, soft spots, blemishes, and green spots. Store in a cool dry place- NEVER the refrigerator. They will keep at room temperature for up to two weeks or longer.

I figured that because of the thin skin, chances were this would cook faster as well, and it did- total cooking time- 1 hour (including prep), half of the usual time.

Ingredients:

- long white potatoes, as many as you want to do

- light olive oil, butter, salt and pepper to taste.

Optional:

- Thin cut chives, sour cream, bacon bits, salsa, tapenade, garlic salt.

Method:

Turn the oven on to about 425 degrees, and let it warm up.
Important: Wash the potatoes, and gently remove any dirt, then dry REALLY WELL on paper/cloth towels.
Important: Wrap up potatoes individually , and really tightly in aluminium foil pieces.
Throw in the potatoes in the oven, and walk away for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, take out one of your tin-foiled potatoes, gently open (so as to not tear the foil- you may need to put it back)- and insert a thin knife/chopstick through the thickest part- if it cuts through without much resistance, the potato is done.
In this state, the potatoes can be stored in the fridge for easily a week, without a problem, but the jacket potato is best eaten straight from the oven.

2 Ways to serve this:

1- Serve one potato per person, and let them open the foil jackets, which will keep the potato warm. I like this with lots of butter, salt and pepper, but you can of course go the traditional way, and serve with all the optional accompaniments.

2- If you want to fancy this up:

-take the potatoes out of the foil when cooked, and prick all over with a fork.

- Baste the potatoes with olive oil and butter, and sprinkle with garlic salt/seasoned salt/reg salt and pepper.

- Replace into the oven (without any foil) at 450 degrees, for 5 minutes, turning the potatoes once.

- 5 minutes later, the potatoes' would crisp up all over and go slightly red/brown. Take out , split in half, and serve with more butter and the optional accompaniments if desired.

The baked potatoes in the fridge

Cooking and storing these is not a good idea, but if you are doing this, unwrap from foil and reheat in a microwave for about 3 minutes on high. THEN throw into a 425-450 degree oven to crisp up for about 5 minutes (serving method 2 above).
Extra potatoes make great mashed potatoes/hash browns/croquettes, so there is no waste :)

PS: No photos- only remembered after they were eaten!

Khursheed Hughes, RIP

2008-11-12T12:39:00.000-08:00

Naani (maternal grandma) finally passed away yesterday after suffering from intestinal cancer for 2 years. Its hard for me to come to terms with, since she was the binding factor for the entire family.

My best memories of her are from Christmas- every Christmas was to be spent at her two-bedroom house in Allahabad, with all of us grand kids, her 6 daughters and 1 son and their spouses cramped joyfully in our sleeping bags. Breakfast would begin with lamb kebabs and parathas, a huge biryani for lunch and at least for us kids, cakes and cookies for dinner, through the festive season. Music would blare in the street 24-7 and huge bonfires burned in the backyard at night. hristmas was fun with midnight mass and early service, when we'd visit the ancestral graves at 5am, to dress them with flowers for Christmas.

And she would mastermind the whole thing. She would begin calling her daughters about a month before Christmas, and begin preparations, from extra bedding, to the tree, to the all important cake drenched in rum. And every one would pitch in, with the madness stopping after new-year, when she would be busy arranging taxis for all of us to the train station, with memories of her lingering till the next time we met.

That wont happen this Christmas.

That will never happen again.

The family wont be the same again- this is the moment we have begun to drift apart, each in our nucleus of pain. Oh we will try for sure- we will all try to be in touch- but with her gone, so is the glue that called us all back to the same fold.

She will never whisper conspiratorially to me that I am fatter than ever and need to lose weight, while insisting that I finish the last piece of deep fried rohu.

She wont pick up the phone when I call, and ask me exactly how much money I make now, and insist that I send her our latest photos.

I don't think she was able to see the last set of photos I sent her. She would have liked those.

She wont advise my husband to tolerate my short temper (oh grandma!) and subtly inquire when we plan to have kids.

She wont be visiting here again, and demand to be taken to Vegas yet again- she loved that city, loved the lights and the din.

She wont talk gardening again with me- we wont visit Huntington Gardens, she wont attempt to cadge seedlings from the neighbors.

"Dil ko samjhane ke liye khayal accha hai" (It is easy to use this thought to placate ourselves) that she is now free from pain and close to God. We are just going to miss hearing her voice, and being babied- I hate growing up like this.

Election night happy night

2008-11-04T20:05:00.000-08:00

The exit polls look beautiful!

Weehee!

Right now I see Obama at 324, he even swept Virginia- :D

:D

:D

:D

Grumbling: Louisiana and Tenessee, which both states I have done business with for a few years went Republican- ugh- why my friends why?

Update at 8:22pm PT: Just finished watching McCain g'bye speech- finally some graceful behavior from a man who used to be a fabulous person to listen to (oh what happened to you John? why did you turn weird on us?). I am almost reassured that Palin wont be seen or heard any more- thank God.

Update at 8:25pm PT: 338!- he got Nevada too. I cant wait to see what the map looks like at the end of this :)

8:59pm PT: Obama began his speech in Chicago!!! Shhh.. lets pay attention now...
Yes OB yes- I was afraid too- I was scared it wouldn't happen. Lets hear for change now! What ever you say OB, we are GLAD Palin is out of the picture. whew. Clappings!!!!!! OK enough w/ the thank yous now- its getting Oscar-y :B "Yes we can"- oh you are so lyrical sir- clappings!!! Oprah in the crows- clappings!!! Hug Biden- go on- thunderous clappings :)

This is beyond race, beyond parties- Obama and the results of this election are the right thing to have happened. Woohoo!

Random thoughts

2008-10-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting much in the past month- almost nothing here, and very little on my other blog.

Its just been a busy month. At work, I am working on issuing a set of financials tomorrow: One for a product distribution company, which is in San Diego, but idiotically has its accounting base in the UK :S That last fact is a huge problem in terms of communications- its a first year engagement, the accounting liaison isn't too bright, and I have had to define stuff like shareholder's equity in terms of US GAAP and liquidity computations till I want to scream. The other FS due out, which is worse, involves financials for a non-profit organization who has a CFO I want to brain with my laptop- a 60 year old male drama queen if you will :S

Outside of work, the home situation is kinda mad as well- one of the cars got into an accident (all by itself- I promise) and so we've been carpooling together, which leaves us both a bit cranky. Not to mention the idiotic paperwork to be done with the insurance company (GAH). Before the accident happened, I went and blew crazy money on drapes for the house (there were super ugly and old blinds earlier), which has left me short of cash in these crazy times. Oh wait- the BUYing of those drapes was the worst bit- who knew it took almost 10 hours (I counted) of running around and conducting major discussions in 5-6 stores??? Like how does someone spend that much time on drapes??? I am consoling myself with the fact that they look as calm and subtle as I wanted them to- I need a restful home to come back to after watching CFOs have shouting matches :)

So yeah, no innovative cooking happening- no time to, though we will see how the coming month goes. I have an exam right after Thanksgiving, and a brand new client to deal with starting today, so I am crossing my fingers.

Reading back on this post, things do sound as stressful as I feel they are- but as long as I can sleep well on the weekends (which I do, except for that weekend with the drapes- shudder), its all good :D

Egg Curry

2008-10-19T22:05:00.000-07:00

This used to be somehow a special dish I was growing up. Ma wouldn't make it ofte, since eggs=high cholesterol, and therefore, on I would find this on the table only on some cold winter afternoons, when she was short of time, but wanted a curry.

Replicating ma's flavors is always hard, but I came close, and here is what I used, to feed 3 hungry adults:

5 hard boiled eggs; cooled, shelled and cut in half (lengthwise)
2 medium tomatoes; crushed or minced fine
1 medium red onion; diced
1/2 tsp garlic paste
1 small green chili- minced fine
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (my mom believes it prevents arthritis- and you can never plan too early on preventing it!)
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp whole black peppers
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp olive oil
salt to taste

Optional:

1 tsp flax seed meal (this has no bearing on the dish- I add this to most curries/stews since it is known to reduce cholesterol- and well, with a 5 egg curry, I guess I do need all the help possible anyways, right? :))

Method:

Throw in the onions in the pan (medium heat), and shower on the olive oil, to avoid burning. Once the onions brown slightly (about a minute or so), add the tomatoes and garlic paste, stir.
In another 2 minutes, add all the remaining ingredients, except the eggs.
Stir, and let sit for about 2 minutes.
Once the mixture in the pan is a golden brown, and has almost exuded all moisture, add one large glasses of water.
Stir again, and let come to boil, after which you can reduce to a simmer, but since this was going to be a quick curry, I didn't bother simmering much. (The longer you simmer, the more complex the flavors get- many times you DON'T want that).
At this point, the curry sauce will be pretty chunky- if that bothers you, you can always use a immersion blender and blend to desired smoothness- if you do that, the sauce turns creamy almost instantly, and also becomes a lighter shade of red.
While the curry cooks, add 2 tsps of olive oil to a non stick pan and lightly browned the halved eggs.
Add the eggs into the sauce and bring to a boil, then let simmer until ready to eat, about 5 minutes, or longer, if you have the time.
Serve on white rice.

Culinary terms and patronisation

2008-10-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

I was just surfing through Mumbai Mirror, and found this, which makes me really mad.

Per the author, this is a article on "tongue-twisting culinary terms" ; I am not certain how the author decided they were tongue-twisting- I think she means western or unfamiliar culinary terms.

Some of her definitions work, and some are just strange. Here is an example:

"Blind bake [noun]: Baking the crust of a pie without any filling, hence called ‘blind’. It is usually done by keeping weights such as dry lentil on the pie while baking to keep the pastry from bubbling or puffing up.
Usage: We should make a few blind bakes in advance for the party."

Dry lentil??? What exactly are you telling someone reading this thing with any seriousness??? Firstly, the definition isn't quite correct. In case you care, here is the correct definition.
Secondly, the "Usage"- where basically the author uses the term in a sentence is clearly wrong- it propagates further misuse.

I honestly think it is time Indian news media gained some level of responsibility, and would have someone review and edit the stuff they are communicating to the masses. The nation is supposedly gaining in literacy- but these are really horrible examples.

Ohh I get so angry!
[deep, calming breaths now]

Aaloo-soya-maethi

2008-10-11T03:08:00.000-07:00

So fine, the name of this dish is a bit misleading- In Hindi, fresh dill is known popularly as "Soya"- and has nothing to do with Soy or Soy products. Other than that, there is no mystery to this quick stir fry vegetable with tons of dill, and an unusual green, fenugreek: both of these are fairly easily available in Indian and Middle-Eastern grocery stores .

This dish was pretty much a staple back home; my one quibble: my family used too much oil, frying the greens to pretty much a crisp, and killing them entirely- this is my low-"er" fat version.

What I used:

3 medium potatoes, boiled and diced.
2 large-ish bunches of dill, leaves only- stems discarded- about 1/2 lbs.
3 medium bunches of fresh fenugreek, leaves only- stems discarded.- about 1/2 lbs.
1 green chili, minced
1 tbsp dhania powder (dried cilantro powder)
1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste

What I did:

Add the oil into a wok/good sized pan on medium heat.
when hot, add in the cumin seeds and potatoes.
Sprinkle in the salt, green chili and dhania and turmeric powders- keep on stirring.
Once the potatoes turn golden and a little crusty (it will happen- give the potatoes time to sit on each side- since we want these to crisp without adding a ton of oil), add in the dill and fenugreek- stir for a minute.
Reduce heat and cover the pan.
Uncover the pan after 5 minutes- the leaves would have exuded moisture, which you can reduce or evaporate completely- I prefer this dish pretty dry, so I stir the veggies around for another 5 minutes, till done.

Serving:
Dig in with good 'ol "Deep" brand home-style parathas and boondi raita (Spiced yogurt with boondi- fried chickpea dough dots). Parathas and boondi available at- u guessed it- your friendly neighborhood Indian grocery store :)

Women seeking men

2008-10-09T20:17:00.000-07:00

After insistence from Bollyviewer and The Bollywood Fan, I found myself researching the sequel to the Indian Matrimonials post- here is therefore the Women seeking Men :)

1. Looking for groom (separated/divorce/widow
My 1st marriage life went to wrong within 3 days. My ex-husband ran away with other girl after 3 days marriage life and spoiled my life for just to satisfy his parents wishes. Now I am looking for broad mind person who like to marry me and make me happy and care me. I am very sure that I will take care you very much.
I wish you would not look for widows to get married to. I don't believe same sex marriages are yet legal in India. Also I am a bit skeptical about the drama.

2. teenvs
whats my parameter of assessing anyone? me. not a full-proof way but what can be done?...thats the only tool available. though erroneous, but may be u too, just throw a cursory glance on the first few lines of personal ads and a fleeting glance at the pic...then...the chapter changes. no calculation or road map works here, so lay back n enjoy the show!
First of all, she titles herself a "teen," which is troubling. Secondly- wth is she trying to say???
Huh.

3. bahl81
So a bit about myself:I don't really expect much to be honest with you. Not because my standards are low, but because I'm a simple girl with simple desires. ...When I'm laughing hard enough (which is easy to get me to do), I tend to go into fits of laughter resorting to tears and a great ab workout! ... I'm very clean and tidy, have great table manners and know how to be respectable. I've been raised to hug all the aunties and make small talk with all the uncles.
Amazing. She starts by admitting she isn't being honest- therefore you have to be a real loser to respond to her ad. A tendency towards hysteria and some neurological problems also appear indicated. Note that she communicates with aunties and uncles only- all others may pose an issue.

4. Sincerely003
It's not how we live and interact with others that count but most importantly, it's how we interact with ourselves...Be Happy!!!I believe in life that you never stop learning..I am easy going, passionate, athletic, and hope to find someone with similar qualities. Hope to hear from YOU!!Always Believe in Yourself and Your Dreams!!
She scares me.

5. Wanted bride-grooms..
Rich & only Girl, very attractive, soft-spoken, God-fearing girl aged 28-yrs (MOOLAM Nakshatra) needs Bride Grooms who are in Software/Bank sectors. Bride-Grooms without father preferred.
Umm- there ARE other girls you know- you cant possibly be the only one. Also I suggest you look for 1 single man- not Bride-grooms. I am glad you appear OK with the Bride-grooms having mothers at least- but what will you do with so many?

6. Wanted
looking for my daughter 22 yrs, ,colur normal fair, good looking,smart,active,homley services,education graduate, either proffessional employes or our tradational job of who has done agama as his proffession for 4.11 inch height
Now wait a minute- why are you looking for your daughter on a matrimonial site? Should'nt she be at home? And how come your daughter is under 5 inches in height???

These last two were probably the most entertaining:

7. Wanted
I am santhosh my elder sister for seeking groom, bride name padma priya, date of birth 15.12.1976, vanniyer,D.H.S.M,D.Y.N,looking for any job or business Age 32 to 38 same caste (bride small fat).
You cant be your own elder sister. I am also glad your sister isn't bride big fat. Also, call China- you may find a eligible cousin of Chow Yun Fat.

8. Cute Tamil divorces
i got divorce recently due to misundetrstanding, cute, young call or send mail.he should be caring lovable, open, broad minded, widowers and divorcess can also contact, colour, religion caste no bar.
I can hardly believe Tamil, or any divorces are cute in any way. Divorces cannot paint, color or perform activities that you describe either.

Concluding thoughts: I almost felt bad doing this-The men had been simply quiet in their bios, not saying anything that would reflect negatively upon them in any way. The women were by and large more superfluous with words, poetic, dramatic and highly unbelievable.

Happy Dussehra- and happy birthday as well.

2008-10-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

Today is Dussehra 2008- the celebration of Ram's victory over Ravan- symbolic of good defeating evil. So happy Dussehra everyone- I hope your year is prosperous and happy.

Today also happens to be a landmark birthday for me- I am thirty today. Strangely, I don't feel much older than when I turned 6- or any birthdays in between. Certainly I can express myself much better, but I am not certain if I feel the level of seriousness I always expected I would when I reached such a benevolent age :)

So what has really changed? Through my teens I struggled through self-doubt and lack of confidence, and searched for an identity. From a mixed-religious background, this was especially important for me, and was a journey worth taking. In my 20s, I grew stronger, and gained some sense of who I was, inner strength and discovered my desires. In my 30s, I hope to gain self-actualization and set more concrete goals for myself.

I like being 30- the insecurities of my 20s have disappeared, and I find myself an unapologetically strong person welcoming life. I feel fulfilled, energized and in happy anticipation of the future. I love my friends and my loved ones. I want more big bites of life and see where I will be in the next 10 years- when I hit 40 (yay!). And that in itself is a heck of a birthday gift, thank the Lord.

Chicken-Mushroom-Jalapeno burger

2008-09-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

I love burgers- I can have one NOW, or for any meal of the day, as well as in-between!

Here's the issue: Not only am I flat-out broke (so cant go out even to Carl's Jr.) but also my husband doesnt eat beef- so I dont cook these at home. The next option for me was chicken, which judging by the stuff at fast food restuarants, makes for pretty boring burgers.

Unless... I would invent my own burgers at home! Which is exactly what I did- it turned out fabulous as well, so I am now enthu about trying more variations of the chicken burger at home :)

Ingredients:
For the Burger:
1 lb of ground chicken- this should not be too lean, since very lean meat wont bind well.
1/2 a jalapeno, minced fine (or more than 1/2 if you are so inclined)
1 cup finely julienned mushrooms
1-2 tbsps soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

To assemble:
Whole wheat burger buns (or some thick cut sourdough bread)
Mustard
I used these add-ons, but you can pick and choose per preference:
Thinly sliced tomatoes, red onions (grilled or fresh), baby spinach leaves.

Method:

Gently mix together all the ingredients "For the Burger." At this point, it is prefereable that you leave the mixture in the fridge overnight, to let the flavors develop. If you dont have the time, the flavors will just be more subtle than you expect. The mixture may be refrigerated for about a week in a covered air-tight box without spoilage.

When ready to cook, leave the box with the mixture on your kitchen counter for an hour, to bring to room temprature. DO NOT put under hot water to hasten the process- BAD BAD idea. You may end up part cooking/boiling the meat in the process, and may encourage bacteria.

Heat your grill to 400degrees.

While the grill heats, make your patties- this mixture will yield about 3 huge or 4 medium sized patties.

Now place a saute pan on your stove, throw spray on some olive oil, and once the pan is hot, brown your patties on both sides at high heat, till golden. Yes I know we just heated a grill- that comes later. at this point, we just want to get a nice color to our patties, not cook them.

Do not, at any point of time, press down on the patties with your spatula. Turn them gently.

Once golden, shift the patties to the heated grill, reduce the temperature of the grill to about 380, cover the grill-top and walk away for 5 minutes. We had gone to the stove top to get color, and then move to the grill to get grill marks, and release excess fat.The timing is a bit iffy on this, as the cooking time is very dependent on your grill's capabilities. When in doubt, keep in mind that poultry is cooked when the internal temperature is at 175F/80C. So feel free to indulge in a food thermometer, or eyeball it, if confident.

While the burgers were on the grill, if using buns, lightly heat or toast to a golden if using sourdough- or whatever strikes your fancy.

My burgers were done in 5 minutes, and I made sure they were done by letting them rest for another 5 minutes, then piercing their centers with a very fine-bladed knife. The 5 minutes of rest help seal in the juices, keeping the patty moist and flavorful inside, but crispy outside. Piercing the patty should yield a small amount of clear juices, not pink.

Slather on your favorite mustard on your bread/bun, add the tomato, then the onion, followed by the patty and the spinach leaves on top, finishing off with a final slice of bread/bun.

Bite in!

Other suggestions:
I could have also used minced olives and hydrated sundried tomatoes to the chicken mixture- or golden-fried garlic. What would you add?

Indian Matrimonials

2008-09-25T14:47:00.000-07:00

Indian matrimonials are really hilarious. Here are some I stumbled upon recently- so glad I never had to go this route!

Here are some Indian men looking for women:

1. Nowhere Man
I know you're out there somewhere, but you're not where you're supposed to be.
Not only is he convinced that the reader is SOMEWHERE (so smart), he also knows that the reader isn't where they should be. Brilliant. He notes that his health is "spectacular": I doubt if that is necessarily a verbatim medical opinion.

2. junnaid
I am very royal and sweet person . i await for my life partner for share my all love to her. Hello Hi Iam junnaid. Iam god fearing person. I want to become big person in my life. I live life very enjoyfully with islamic rules.I Thanks allha becouse . allha give me all things.So we remember to each and every time to allha. ok I am very straitforward person.
Junnaid- you freak me out, despite yuour claims to royalty. I shudder for the girl who responds to this.

3. teek2739
Goal oriented, confident, funny and honest 28 year old gentleman!! I'm a hard working, goal oriented professional. I just turned 28 and live in the west loop of Chicago. On the weekend's, I enjoy working out and spending time with family and friends. I believe in making the most of your free time, weather it be spending time enjoying the weather or participating in an event or playing a sport. I have been working as a sales product specialist for the past 6 years and really love my job. I just started a new career with SPSS Inc. and I’m excited about my new changelles and opportunies. Currently, my time has been consumed with night class at Roosevelt University and just completed my first two classes this past spring. I’m definitely an optimist. I always look at the good in every situation, no matter how bleak it may actually be. I’m honest, out-going and think of myself of being funny…or maybe people are just laughing at me! I’m goal oriented and believe we all have the opportunity to do what we want and archive our goals with hard work.
I've no idea what he was trying to say- this one will get a girl quick though- nerds rule!

4. ice_josh
"sweetheart!!"
- That's all this entry said- also mentioned his health was "over the top."
I am speechless with wonder.

5. vikram2006
"I have high aspirations moderate expectations and modest necessities. I am honest,committed,stable,..."
The guy's written an entire essay online, in his praise- ladies, if you are searching for a pompous ass, this is your chance!

6. strangely normal
Please adopt me. I have all my shots.
This guy's on the wrong website. He needs a kennel. He additionally concedes to wear a little black dress if needed, and also explains that he "doesn't do religion".

7. thomaskv
I am thomas.I am God fearing and my parents are from traditional christian families from central Travancore.I work in the computer division in police force in trivandrum.I am a post graduate in commerce with PGDC in computer.I am residing in trivandrum.I am a non smoker ,fair and non-alcoholic.
Good for you Thomas- you are able to rely on all your families, and are a non-alcoholic to boot!

8. double-sided
I only have 4 minutes to save the world...
He also mentions he loves his jeans, and wants interested ladies to "just drop me a message with your email." GAH.

9. praveen_sf
Laughter is the best medicine...
Insists his health is "good as new"- I am really not sure what that means- is he an alcoholic on the mend (unlike dear thomas above) or needs to be "dropped a message"?

And the best self-advertisement ever (drumroll):

10. kauraboyz
i want a NRI girl which is citizenship in abroad . WHICH HAS ANY EYE COLOR
Direct and desperate, He continues:

Profile Details
i am a sikh boy.i want to marry with a NRI girl which is citizen in abroadi work in SGPC [SHROMINI GURUDWARA PARBANDAK COMMETY]. I AM A GOOD BOY. I AM NON DRINGINGMAN . I AM NON SMOKER MAN. I AM VEGETARIAN.

Desired Match
I LOOK LIKE A GOOD BEAUTIFUL GIRLWHICH HAS GOOD MANNERS AND SETTELED IN ABROAD .AND WHICH HAS CITIZENSHIP. I WANT TO A SIKH GIRL ANY CAST . I LIKE VEGETARIAN GIRL . I LIKE NON SMOKER GIRL .I LIKE NON DRINKER GIRL.

Hobbies
GOOD HABITS

There really is nothing more that can be said. Looks like a girl, wants Western citizenship, and is ready to settle for ANY EYE COLOR- but likes non-drinking, vegetarian, Sikh girls. Maybe we can send him a American-bred female calf owned by a Sikh family.

Now to find some of the "Women seeking men"- but maybe not- I find it hard to be mean to my own kind :)

Coconut luddoos

2008-09-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

Q. What is a laddoo?
A. Essentially, laddos are a form of mithai (generic name for all Indian confectionery), inherently spherical (laddoo means round/spherical), always sweet and dry (not to be mistaken with rasgollas, which have the same shape, but are wet/sticky with sugar syrup).

As all my friends know, I don't have a sweet tooth. A bite of dark chocolate is my sweet quota for a week. But the hubby felt like dessert, and I remembered these not-too-sweet laddoos from my childhood, and so off I went cooking! I loved coconut laddoos when I was a kid- but it was so hard to get them! "Milkmaid" condensed milk laddoos w/ coconut were extremely popular in my childhood, but I never recall my mom making those ... Making my own version was especially great since I could make the laddoo as light as I wanted to!

Ingredients:
1/2 lb bag of dried grated coconut
1 small can of sweetened condensed Dulce de Leche style condensed "milk"
12 pods of green cardamom

Method:

Extract the black-brown seeds from the green cardamom pods, discarding the outer skins.
Pound the seeds to a rough powder (my very cute and little [but also very heavy- these should never be light] mortar and pestle came in handy here- you have complete control on the consistency of the powder).
In a big mixing bowl, add all the dried coconut, with the exception of a cupful that you should keep away for final assembly.
Sprinkle in the cardamom powder (bits and all) with your left hand as you mix with your right- please use your hands (wash well please!)- the mixing is just better.
Then dribble in the "milk" with your left hand, as you gently mix with your right. You could of course use the mixer for all this, but I just believe that the texture is better if this is all done by hand- takes 5 minutes, and you have fewer appliances to clean. Also at this point you could add more sugar/sugar substitute- the sweetness from the condensed milk is enough for me, so I didn't.
After gently mixing together everything for about half a minute, you should have a not-too-sticky mixture/dough.
Spread the reserved coconut powder on a plate. Take a small lump of the mixture, and rotate between your palms to get a dense ball- about the size of a small key lime.
Dredge the sticky-feeling ball with the coconut powder.
Repeat until the mixture/dough finishes and you are left with about 40 laddoos.

Notes:

The whole thing took me 30 minutes, from beginning to end. You want to chill these in the fridge before eating, and can store them in the fridge for about 10 days without spoilage.

Vegetarian's 100!

2008-09-22T16:18:00.001-07:00

This is kind-of getting out of hand :D- after the Omnivore's 100, comes the Vegetarian's 100, from Barbara Fisher

I did good!

Score: 99 /100

The Vegetarian Hundred:

1. Real macaroni and cheese, made from scratch and baked
2. Tabouleh
3. Freshly baked bread, straight from the oven (preferably with homemade strawberry jam)
4. Fresh figs
5. Fresh pomegranate
6. Indian dal of any sort
7. Imam bayildi
8. Pressed spiced Chinese tofu
9. Freshly made hummus
10. Tahini
11. Kimchi
12. Miso
13. Falafel
14. Potato and pea filled samosas
15. Homemade yogurt
16. Muhammara
17. Brie en croute
18. Spanikopita
19. Fresh, vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes
20. Insalata caprese
21. Stir-fried greens (gai lan, bok choi, pea shoots, kale, chard or collards)
22. Freshly made salsa
23. Freshly made guacamole
24. Creme brulee
25. Fava beans
26. Chinese cold sesame peanut noodles
27. Fattoush
28. New potatoes
29. Coleslaw
30. Ratatouille3
1. Baba ganoush
32. Winter squash
33. Roasted beets
34. Baked sweet potatoes
35. Plantains3
6. Chocolate truffles
37. Garlic mashed potatoes
38. Fresh water chestnuts
39. Steel cut oats
40. Quinoa
41. Grilled portabello mushrooms
42. Chipotle en adobo
43. Stone ground whole grain cornmeal
44. Freshly made corn or wheat tortillas
45. Frittata
46. Basil pesto
47. Roasted garlic
48. Raita of any type
49. Mango lassi
50. Jasmine rice (white or brown)
51. Thai vegetarian coconut milk curry
52. Pumpkin in any form other than pie
53. Fresh apple pear or plum gallette
54. Quince in any form
55. Escarole, endive or arugula
56. Sprouts other than mung bean
57. Naturally brewed soy sauce
58. Dried shiitake mushrooms
59. Unusually colored vegetables (purple cauliflower, blue potatoes, chocolate bell peppers…)
60. Fresh peach ice cream
61. Chevre
62. Medjool dates
63. Kheer6
4. Flourless chocolate cake
65. Grilled corn on the cob
66. Black bean (or any other bean) vegetarian chili
67. Tempeh
68. Seitan or wheat gluten
69. Gorgonzola or any other blue veined cheese
70. Sweet potato fries
71. Homemade au gratin potatoes
72. Cream of asparagus soup
73. Artichoke-Parmesan dip
74. Mushroom risotto
75. Fermented black beans
76. Garlic scapes
77. Fresh new baby peas
78. Kalamata olives
79. Preserved lemons
80. Fried green tomatoes
81. Chinese scallion pancakes
82. Cheese souffle
83. Fried apples
84. Homemade frijoles refritos
85. Pasta fagiole
86. Macadamia nuts in any form
87. Paw paw in any form
88. Grilled cheese sandwich of any kind
89. Paneer cheese
90. Ma Po Tofu (vegetarian style–no pork!)
91. Fresh pasta in any form
92. Grilled leeks, scallions or ramps
93. Green papaya salad
94. Baked grain and vegetable stuffed tomatoes
95. Pickled ginger
96. Methi greens
97. Aloo paratha
98. Kedgeree (the original Indian version without the smoked fish, not the British version with fish)
99. Okra
100. Roasted brussels sprouts

Now to lay my hands on some good ol' wheat gluten......

So Angry

2008-09-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

A very dear woman, who is like a sister to my mom and was our neighbor while I was growing up, is in the 3rd stage of oral cancer. I just found out this morning, and stood stricken before my screen, trying to figure out how to process this information.

Its so unfair. She is in deep pain, having undergone surgery and weeks of chemotherapy. But she isn't the only one.

My maternal grandma is suffering from the affects of chemotherapy treatments taken 30 years ago- her digestive system has been replaced by plastic tubes.

My paternal uncle is suffering from severe rheumatoid arthritis- to the point where he cannot walk anymore.

All of this has occurred in the past year.
These people, good, kind souls, have always tried to help people around them. Today, when I call them, they seem full of determination to battle on, despite being in devastating pain. And I am powerless to help.

At the same time, I know tons of people who are horrible and are flourishing like the proverbial green tree. It makes me so angry- I do believe in God- but I sometimes wonder if he just goes on vacation. And sometimes I wonder if I am just delusional and stop believing.

My paternal grandma, who was not an angel, but a pretty decent human being, died after years of illness. Two aunts died in similar circumstances.

Now, I am foreseeing these three people leaving us in the next year- if they are lucky. If they aren't, their illnesses are the type which can potentially make them linger on in devastating suffering.

Almost makes me want to turn atheist. Almost. Sure, it wont matter whether I believe or not. But it just isn't right that good people seem to suffer the most. Its just so unfair.

The-omnivores-hundred

2008-09-14T14:49:00.000-07:00

A Very good Taste recently came up with a list of 100 things that every "good" omnivore should have tried at least once in their life. Bloggers are encouraged to copy the list and bold items they have indulged in.

I am proud to say that I have tried 70 of the 100 recommendations-how about you?

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB& J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

9/11

2008-09-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

This was supposed to be another post. Probably about the new recipes I've tried out since my last post, or photos of the new house, or of the last travels.

But time passed (as it will), and I didn't get much of a chance to post about any of those things.
And soon enough, it was 9/11 again.

Its been a while since it happened- 7 years- would you believe it?
I had been in the United Stated barely over a year, was rushing through community college to make up the units to go to University with a scholarship, and enduring a long commute on a daily basis, to job and school.

That morning, I left my house at 5:45am as usual, walking 10 blocks to the bus to Los Angeles (couldn't afford a train). I didn't know that three hours away, events unimaginable were beginning to unfold.

My bus arrived at 6:15am, and about 10 minutes later, one of the female passengers got a call. Her family was watching the news. She said there had been a plane crash near the WTC, and that it was on the news. One of her brothers was NYPD, and she guessed he would be near there. Neither she nor the passenger she was speaking to took it seriously. None of the other passengers bothered either- it was probably a small accident, amplified by family rumors. My complacency arose from the fact that this new country I had come to was the strongest country in the world- terrorism was for other places, I thought- you see, Timothy McVeigh was before my time, and hadn't made much of an impact in the news press back home.

But then I got to school- and the 8am class was half empty, and no one was talking very much about what had happened. Everybody was unusually quiet, and the Anthropology class (one of 2 I took for my GEs) was duller than usual.

I remember going to work for a few hours then- the rest of my classes were after 3pm, and I worked in admissions on campus. I entered the admissions office to find it deserted- no students (usually the line would be out the door), and barely any staff had come in. My Malaysian foreign-student and co-worker barely nodded at me- she was listening to the blaring radio- since there was no TV in the admissions office, someone had dragging in the ancient radio, and jacked up the volume to the point where the news was blaring through the entire building.

But the noise could not drown out the silence everywhere.

The next few hours, days and weeks helped me somewhat understand what had happened, but nothing could have warned me against the far-reaching results of the horrific events of that day. The families that suffered still suffer, and more still are suffering, in this country and in others. In time, it may be that this day could be forgotten- time heals they say. But its going to be a while, and the image of the falling towers isn't something that will easily leave the hearts and minds of our generation.

Cant Wait

2008-07-28T15:38:00.000-07:00

This home buying process is SO nerve-racking!
I've begun to really love my prospective home, and if things go bad at this late date, I will definitely break my lil heart :)

Truth to be told, apart form the fact that it is the sweetest and most spacious 4-bedroom cottage EVER, its also the things surrounding it that make me love it more and more:
1- 2 miles from Disneyland.
2- 10 from Lil India (whee!)
3- 8 from Lil Saigon (YESYESYES!!! I love pho [pronounces "phaa"] to distraction :D)

When I think of the above, I burst into little bubbles of happiness, and then I remember:
1- The crazy monthly payments.
2- The front yard and the back fruit trees (5!) that must be cared for
3- The prospective vacuuming that I detest and that is unavoidably in my near future now.

I have 1 episode a day where all the above thoughts race through my brain in about one schizo minute, and then I figure its time to sober down, and get back to work- heeh :S

Palm Desert, San Jacinto

2008-07-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

Finally, here are the Palm Springs photos. The main activity for us was our afternoon hike up Mt. San Jacinto, which is about 8,500 ft above sea level.

At the resort, 5:30am.

Up the Tramway- this was almost scary.
This SO reminded me of the Lord of the Rings- I could almost see Frodo and Sam Wise hiking up the side...

Hunan-style drunken chicken

2008-07-26T10:19:00.000-07:00

Hunan-style drunken chicken is this really simple, homely dish that is hard not to love. It is so simple that a tween could do it, with supervision at the wok! I put my own spin on it, since I didn't have any rice wine handy :)

Serves: 3 if appetizer, 2 if main

Cooking and Prep: Approximately 20 minutes total.

Ingredients:

1 lb skin-less chicken, ideally boneless, cut into 2" dice/strips.

2" of ginger, julienned into matchsticks

3/4th cup of sweet white Bordeaux (which I substituted for the original rice wine that the recipe called for)

salt and pepper

Optional:

4 sticks of Green onions, cut into 1" pieces.

1 cup of mushrooms- if these are small, about 1-2", just use as as, washed. If larger, cut into a 1-2" dice.

Notes:

1- Have all your ingredients ready and prepped on hand before beginning to cook. The cooking will go super fast, and you wont have time to prep in between.

2- I used a white Bordeaux, but you can use ANY white wine you would drink. Using a red would discolor the dish, and stop it from being "Chinese"-y enough.

3- Also, as a general rule, whenever you cook with wine, always taste it first. If you don't like the taste of it as a drink, you will not like the taste of it when it flavors your food.

Method:

- Take a wok (or wok-like pot) and put it on high flame.

- Add a spoonful of oil, and swirl it around. In about 5 seconds, add in the ginger.

- Using a spatula, quickly stir fry the ginger- which looks like a lot, but trust me, it turns out to be just enough. In about 30 seconds, it will turn golden, and the fragrance should hit you. This signals the addition of the chicken.

- As soon as the chicken hits the wok, stir fry quickly, about 5 minutes, till its golden on all sides. You wont need to add more oil, since the chicken will have some of its own, even though virtually skin-less.

- Once golden, add in 1/4 cup of the wine, to deglaze the wok. After adding the wine, let it come to a boil while you scrape away any cooked bits sticking to the bottom of the pan- these become part of your sauce.

- The wine will boil away fairly quickly, and now you can add in the remaining half cup, and let it come to a boil. This is also a good time to add in the mushrooms, if usin

- As soon as the wine comes to a boil, cover the wok, and reduce the heat to a bare simmer. Walk away for 10 minutes.

- After 10 minutes, open the wok, and adjust for seasoning.

- If you are eating this over rice/noodles, you want to shut off the heat, and keep the liquid in the wok as is, for sauce. If you are having this as an appetizer, reduce the liquid by boiling it away, to a mere glaze.

- Once the heat is off, add the green onions, if using. These will cook a bit by the heat of the dish itself, but still remain nicely crunchy.

Doesn't it look v Chinese-restaurant-ey? And its fast and delicious too! :D

Terror in the South now?

2008-07-25T08:11:00.000-07:00

Bad things are happening in Bangalore. Thank God the attacks weren't severe, and there were only 2 casualties.

This makes me so angry. I've grown up watching terror attacks in India- first Kashmir, then Punjab, then Indira Gandhi's assassination and related riots, then Babri Masjid, Rajiv Gandhi's assassination and the long drawn out terror attacks in the North East and East coast. After that point, I wasn't in India too often, but witnessed a terror attack in '05 when I had gone back for my wedding reception. And of course heard about the Bombay '06 bombings.

And now this. Bangalore isn't known to be a violent city by any means, and this is just so frustratingly dumb! The attacks are obviously meant to arouse fear and confusion, but dammit- why don't people understand that bombs are not a solution to a problem. I also realise its easy to preach when you aren't there, on the spot, experiencing what the perpetrators themselves went through. They too must have been under severe provocation to take such a step. And yet, these acts of desperation will not serve to resolve anything for them or anyone else. If anything, matters will turn for the worse, and their persecution will increase. Its a difficult world, and dealing with it via violence is not going to make it easier.

Food diary entry: #7

2008-07-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

7:00am- Breakfast, in car, as before.
Silk Chocolate soy milk, 1/3 cup.
1/2 Goat cheese (low fat, w/ herbs) sandwich on wheat bread.
Calories: 190

10:30am- In office, sort-of hungry.
6 Baby carrots
Calories: 30

11:45am- Lunch.
Lean Cuisine Chicken Parmesan and fettuccine (honestly good! but not filling enough)
1 Diet Coke
Calories: 321

3pm: Hungry-ish. Craving chips (office vending machine has Maui onion flavor- yay!), but I successfully resisted the temptation and had 4 more baby carrots.
Calories: 20

5:30pm: Driving home, trying to keep awake. Usually I make all my phone calls to family and friends during this time (I have a hands free thank you, and I do concentrate on the road :D) But the calls take max 1 hr, and the drive is 2 hours, so out come a snack, the healthier the better.
6 Baby carrots
Calories: 30

7:00pm- Dinner.
1 Aloo ka paratha (yes I know I'm crazy- I cooked after I got home). Freshly made w/ a tsp of oil, so fairly low cal.
1 serving of spinach and tomato salad
Calories: 550

Total calories for the day: 1141
Water drunk: 2 pints

Daily analysis: A good day- need more of these.

Food diary entry: #7

2008-07-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

I haven't been very regular in keeping my daily food diary, but these days I find that even if I skip a day in between, I have generally become more alert re: food intake.

7:00am- Breakfast, in car, driving among all the maniacs on 405 South.
Silk Chocolate soy milk, 1/3 cup.
1/2 Goat cheese (low fat, w/ herbs) sandwich on wheat bread.
Calories: 190
This is possibly the most I've ever eaten so early in the morning. However, I noticed that eating something for breakfast makes me hungry mid-morning again- so it is DEFINITELY helping my metabolism.

10:30am- In office, sort-of hungry.
2nd 1/2 of goat cheese sandwich.
Calories: 150

11:45am- Lunch.
The last of the Lean Cuisine pizzas! In retrospect, they aren't quite that awful- just need seasoning and 1/2 the cheese should be dusted off- and the pizza should be allowed to "sit" for 3-5 minutes before eating.
Calories: 290 (less due to my throwing out the cheese)

ALL day- Today was smoothie Wednesday at the office, so got a G3 energizer (Jamba Juice). I love the berries, but there is a suspicious Guava taste in there which I dislike- will read the menu properly before next week's order :D
Calories: 310

7:00pm- Dinner: super hungry as always, but had hit high on calories for the day, and therefore decided to do a spinach salad, so that I could also have the potato chips I was craving (blame it on the new Salsa I bought- its too damned addictive)
Spinach, tomato and red onion salad dressed with lime juice and apple cider vinegar.
A handful of Trader Joe's chips
Salsa
Calories: 500

Total calories for the day: 1451
Water drunk: 2 pints

Daily analysis: I really should stop eating potato chips... [sigh] its a childhood addiction I never could get over from. [deeper sigh]

Food diary entry: #6

2008-07-21T08:07:00.001-07:00

The husband and I were in Palm Springs for my Firm's annual bash over the weekend- I shudder to remember the consumption of numerous gin and Sprites, margaritas, steaks and misc unending platters of food by me :D

But the weekend is over, and I will go back to being good :)

6:30am
Breakfast, running out the door, not hungry, but bidding to get my metabolism going:
Silk Chocolate soy milk, 1/3 cup.
Calories: 40

8:30am
In office, not hungry, but peckish. Don't have any snacks today, so begin to sip on my diet coke, which practice will continue all day :D
Calories: 1

10:30am
Hungry- want. lunch.soon.Until then, some 72% cacao Trader Joe's dark chocolate.
Calories: 100

11:45am
Hungry- enthu about this lunch, since it features pot stickers and rice, but is low cal- I hope it isn't as puke-worthy as the Lean pizzas from last week.
Lean Cuisine rice and pot sticker meal
Calories: 260
Verdict: Pretty delicious- the pot stickers held up well, and the rice was really simple and good. I am going to buy boxes of this stuff...

5:30pm
Driving home, stuck in traffic, hungry.
Trader Joe's 70% dark chocolate- 4 squares.
Calories: 200

7:30pm
Wildly ravenous.
Stewed chickpeas (chhole) w/ steamed rice.
Calories: 450

10:30pm
Not really hungry, peckish- should have just gone to bed, but binged on jalapeno chips instead (eeps)
Calories: 400

Total calories for the day: 1451
Water drunk: 1 pint

Daily analysis: I love Lean Cuisine pot stickers (hey I love ANY pot sticker, stat). I don't seem to be losing any weight despite portion control in the past week or so, but at least am not gaining any more, which is always a good thing. SHOULD NOT have binged on chips late night. SHOULD have bought snacks w/ me to work.

Food diary entry: #5

2008-07-17T19:39:00.000-07:00

Having a food-diary is turning out super helpful! I haven't gone completely low cal, but have at least learned to control my baser desires (heeh).

Morning, 6:30am:
1/3rd cup Silk chocolate soy milk
This has become a daily staple. When I get sick of it (which I will, I can never do the same thing for a long time), I'll have to figure out what else I can keep down early in the morning. Having a bite gets me awake and gets the metabolism going, which is a good thing :)
Calories: 40

Lunch,12:30pm:Lean Cuisine Chicken pizza
Yep, its #3 of the 4 packs I had. I wisely threw out almost all the cheese (they put enough to drown one, honestly) and drenched it in Soy sauce, which made it somewhat edible.
Calories: 300

All day:
Sipped a diet Mountain Dew all day.
Calories: 0

On the drive home:
12 baby carrots
Calories: 60

Dinner, 7pm:
Home-made chicken-mushroom burgers dressed with tomatoes, onions and spinach.
Trader Joe's potato chips
Same dinner as last night, but wth- it was so good!
Calories: 600

Late Night snack:
Fat free saffron yogurt (yup gotta post soon...)
Calories: 90

Water drunk during the day: approximately 2 pints.
Total calories consumed: 1090

Analysis for the day:
I wish all my days were like this. Very balanced eating, with dairy, vegetables, protein and grains- all in keeping with the caloric goals.

Life is happening to me...

2008-07-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

Things have been pretty crazy around here lately.

Since my new job is in another county, I've been driving 3-4 hours on a daily basis- while I love to drive, sitting in traffic isn't the most fun thing in the world. Traffic is heaviest in the evening, and I usually spend the time on my hands free, putting through the daily phone calls to my family. I also seem to get really good recipe ideas when I drive (Hunan drunken chicken, Chicken-mushroom-jalapeno burger, Saffron yogurt....all turned out well, just haven't had time to post).

We are moving in 1 month's time, and while I am already in love with my new home, the monthly payments are horrifying! It pretty much means no movie-watching, shoe shopping, booze or road-trips for the next 2 years, which is a fearful idea, but what would you do....

Also working on my CPA- seriously this time. I have been so busy with work in the past few years that I haven't had time to study, but it's time to bite the bullet and get it done, and I am resolved to do this this year, before '09 happens.

Going to Palm Springs this weekend- no, I didnt suddenly strike it rich- its an annual firm event. With all the packing we have to do, I am not even sure I have the time to do this, but oh well. Pix to be posted soon......:)

Food diary entry: #4

2008-07-16T13:03:00.000-07:00

Morning, 6:30am:
1/3rd cup Silk chocolate soy milk
Calories: 40

Lunch,12:30pm:
Lean Cusine Cheese pizza (Still horrible- but I threw out 1/2 the cheese, which actually made it more palatable)
Calories: 340

All day:
Grazed through the day on a Berry Lime Sublime from Jamba Juice, 300 calories. Wouldnt do it if left to myself, but the firm treats us to one every Wednesday, so what the heck
Calories: 300

Dinner, 8pm:
Home-made chicken-mushroom burgers dressed with tomatoes, onions and spinach. Damned good- recipe to follow soon.
Trader Joes's potato chips
Calories: 525

Water drunk during the day: approximately 1 pint.
Total calories consumed: 1205

Analysis for the day:
I need to drink more water! The chicken burgers I made at home were fabulous and really low in fat & calories- I just binged on the chips, which was a bad idea, but ah well :)

Food diary entry: #3

2008-07-15T13:07:00.000-07:00

Morning, 6:30am:
1/3rd cup Silk chocolate soy milk
Calories: 40

Lunch,12:30pm:
Lean Cusine chicken pizza (HORRIBLE_ eugh! If I wasnt dying of hunger.....:S But I bought the 4-pak and have 3 more of these at home, so will be eating this for the next 4 days- aaghhh! :D)
Calories: 340

Early evening, on the drive home, 5:30pm:
1 Diet Coke
Calories: 1

Dinner, 6pm:
"Olympia" pizza- with parmesan and olives.
Calories: 500

Water drunk during the day: approximately 1 pint.
Total calories consumed: 881

Analysis for the day: Great on the calorie count. Not a very healthy day however, since even though the calories in the frozen pizza are low and it is super filling, it doesnt have many nutrients. Ah well.

Food diary entry: #2

2008-07-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

Morning:
6:30am: 1/3rd cup Silk chocolate soy milk
Calories: 40

Lunch,12:30am:

1 chocolate chip cookie, small
12 baby carrots
1 diet Coke

Calories: 121

Early evening, on the drive home, 5:30pm:

10 baby carrots

Calories: 50

Dinner, 6pm:

Carl's Jr. Jalapeno Burger
Diet Coke

Calories: 1001

Water drunk during the day: approximately 1 pints.

Total calories consumed: 1172

Analysis for the day:
I really wanted a burger today, so I had one :D, and kept the calories to a minimal as well! I balanced out my burger binge by nibbling on carrots all day- I love 'em, so that helped! Need to keep the soda down to no more than 1 a day. This last bit is so very hard for me: I grew up having some cola on an every day basis, and at its worst, during the school summer holidays, it would go up to 4 a day! Still, we can't blame stuff on our depraved childhoods forever, so I will perserve.... :)

Article

2008-07-11T11:26:00.000-07:00

This article was in the NY Timestoday. Good read.

Food diary entry: #1

2008-07-10T12:34:00.000-07:00

Yep, I will buckle down and do it.

I figured, if I actually sat and wrote what I apparently inhale everyday, I may stop eating so much out of shame :D

So Here goes:

Morning:
630am: 1/3rd cup Silk chocolate soy milk
Calories: 40

Mid Morning:
10:30am: 2 Hide 'n Seek Chocolate biscuits
1 diet Coke
Calories: 91

Lunch:
12:30am: About 1 cup of steamed white rice, with lentils and aaloo-gobi (cauliflower, potatoes, peas, tomatoes and green onions). Damn those green onions were good- crunchy. I seem to have become good at making aaloo-gobi- will post recipe soon. Also co-worker from the next cube came over to expressly inquire what I was eating, since he was liking the smell- would've offered him some if I hadn't begun already- ah well.
Calories: 700

Early evening, on the drive home:
I am so bored driving an HOUR to get home that I get sleepy- which is highly dangerous on ANY freeway, so I carry my fav crunchy snacks- which are highly unhealthy.
5:30pm: About 10 Trader Joe's ridge cut chips.
Calories: 200

Dinner:
7pm: chickpeas stew w/ tomato, radishes and onions.
Calories: 500

Late night:
10pm: Twining's jasmine green tea, with 1 tbs of honey- I don't think I like this green tea very much; will switch brands once I am done with this pack. I do love green tea, and therefore try to experiment with brands as often as possible.
Calories: 0

Water drunk during the day: approximately 2.5 pints.
Total calories consumed: 1531

Analysis for the day:

I do have a decent vegetable and cereal intake, but could amp up proteins and calcium.
I drastically need to cute down on food, and limit myself to 1100 calories per day.
Fat cals are not out of control, but could be better.
I always thought that I didn't have a sweet tooth, but I seem to be consuming a fair bit of sweet stuff anyways.
Need to keep the soda down to no more than 1 a day.

Japanese Curry

2008-07-10T09:47:00.000-07:00

In a bid to get in some quick and fast, yet satisfying recipes, here is some Japanese Curry, originally posted at my other blog.

There was a time I was absolutely binging on this, since it is incredibly savory, very fast to cook and keeps well :) In US Supermarkets, you can normally find Vermont Style or S&B Golden Curry (Medium Hot) (See also: http://www.sbfoods.co.jp/eng/currystory.html). I prefer the S&B Japanese version, "Hot", from my local Korean store, which has more diverse options.

What it is: Japanese curry powder is a mix of various spices, many the same as that used in India Garam Masala. However, the proportions are different, the spice is pressed into blocks and is super easy to prepare- just add to your main of veggies/meat/tofu, unlike Indian curry.

Here is what I used:

1 box of S&B Golden Curry paste (Medium Hot)
A handful of white mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 lb of chicken, cut to 1.5"-2" cubes.
1" dice 1/2 lb green beans
1.5" dice 1 small red onion, julienned
A handful of frozen green peas
A bunch of green onions, cut small

This is what I did:

Add about a spoonful of oil to a deep skillet, and heat about a minute.
Add the onions to the skillet, and fry till golden.
Now add the chicken and brown on all sides.
Now add the curry paste cubes, and mix gently. This will take time, and you musnt try to blend in the spice- that'll break up your chicken. Just add 4 cups of water, bring to a boil, cover the pot and reduce to a bare simmer.
After about 10 minutes, add the mushrooms and green beans.
In another 10 minutes, add the peas, cover the pan back and let cook for another 5 minutes.
After the 5 minutes are past, taste the curry for salt- the spice mix already has salt in it. If the curry is too thick, add water, and boil for the right consistency. If it is too thin, simply boil away the excess.
Once you are satisfied with the thickness of the curry, mix in the green onions, and serve over steamed rice!

Note: The curry keeps well for about a week in the fridge, but does not take well to freezing.

Cooking time: 20 minutes.

Other ingredient ideas:

1- Try using lamb/beef/tofu instead of the chicken.

2- You could also use shrimp/other seafood; just ensure that you add any vegetables that take longer to cook first, and then add in the seafood about 5 (Shrimp) - 8 (fish) minutes before finishing cooking.

3- Instead of adding spring onions in the end, try cilantro- I wouldn't recommend adding fresh basil, since that will strongly alter the curry flavor.

4- When choosing vegetables to add to the curry, make sure you add the longer cooking veggies like squashes and potatoes first, the peppers next, and lastly any herbs or frozen veggies, which will cook the fastest.

wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

2008-07-03T22:20:00.000-07:00

Turned in my papers!
5 day vacation!

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh peace.

Came back with dill, jalapenos, cauliflower (gobi-aaloo anyone?), but didn't cook a thing.
Had also wisely bought cigarettes, and after a longish nap induced sainted husband to drink and smoke :D
After he had downed several beers and me several Bloody Marys, called dearest friend Steve to join the mini-party- and we are still at it as I pound out these words. Venturing on some heartening drunk driving now.....

wheeee!

Green Chili

2008-06-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

Another recipe from the old blog, finally tranferred to the new.

I have noticed that I tend to veer towards dishes that are curry based, since I can let them simmer on the burner for a few hours and let them cook themselves. I also tend to make Indian dishes with non-Indian ingredients or vice-versa. My sister came by this past weekend, and she always looks forward to what I am going to feed her. A teenager who has grown up in the US, she loves all kind of foods, one of which is Chili.

Regular Red chili is essentially small cubed beef in a red tomato-based sauce- unfortunately, I couldn't make that, since my husband is Hindu and wont touch beef. So I opted to make a Green Chili, with American ingredients, but an Indian twist.

And this is what I used:

1/2 lb ground turkey (you can substitute ground chicken)
4 small tomatillos (you can substitute green tomatoes)
2 medium red onions (you can substitute white or yellow, but red brings an Indian-ish flavor, I believe)
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste (from your friendly neighborhood Indian grocery store, or just pound together 2 garlic cloves with 1/2 inch of ginger root)
1/2 tsp garam masala (optional) 1
/2 tsp oregano, crushed
2 bay leaves
1 tsp powdered cumin
1/2 cup of fresh corn kernels
1 bunch cilantro, cut very fine Salt & pepper to taste.

And this is what I did:

- Oil the bottom of a large pan, and brown the ground turkey, along with the ginger-garlic paste and bay leaves.

- While the meat browns, process the tomatillos and onions to a coarse, 1/2 cm x 1/2 cm size- do not puree!

- Once the turkey becomes a light brown, add the tomatillo and onions, and let cook until they begin to brown- about 15 minutes. Turn frequently, and do not let burn.

- Add all the remaining ingredients (except the cilantro), and 1/2 a pint of water. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for a good 1-2 hours.

- After about 1 hour, taste. A tomatillo is essentially a berry, and native to the Pacific South West and Central America. (See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomatillo) Tomatillos are very sour, and you may find that your chili is sour as well. In which case, you should add another 1/2 cup of fresh corn kernels or 1/2 cup of fine cut onions, and some salt.

- Another 1/2 hour of simmer, and the chili should be extremely thick, not runny in the least- add in the cilantro and if using, diced green onions. turn off the heat.

- If it looks too chunky to you- and yes, it is no more than a very chunky soup- feel free to use a immersion blender- but keep in mind that a smooth soup is not chili at all: DO NOT over process.

And this is what it looked like:

I served the chili with a salad of leafy mixed greens, shredded rotisserie chicken, and croutons, tossed with fat free ranch and garlic salt to taste. You could also serve it over white rice, toast or with crackers. Sis loved it- hubby ate it, which in itself is a victory since I got him to try turkey, which he wasnt enthusiastic about in the first place! Maybe one day he will learn to love sushi as well..... now that I know is just wishful thinking :D

Guess who's been visiting....

2008-06-24T17:22:00.000-07:00

Looks like some folks from work are visiting this and my other blog fairly often- which makes me wonder if I should be minding my ps and qs for the present and the future....not going to happen- especially since only good, clean fun (or mostly so) are featured in any of my posts :D

I have only 1 week to go before I leave my current job. I have absolutely no regrets, but its funny how my friends and even relatives, once they know I am leaving, call and ask me in a furtive whisper, "what happened? is everything OK?."
My response: "Everything will be ok soon- I am only trying to make more money and reduce some work pressure!" As one of the biggest accounting firms in the world, my soon to be ex-firm is a good place to begin at, but not one to live out your entire career at- but then, that's only my opinion- I know folks who've been here their entire careers, and love it. But I am not like them, and accepting that, it was a fair decision to move on to different pastures.

Another milestone down- another highway coming up

2008-06-19T15:48:00.000-07:00

It is time to say goodbye to my current firm, and move on to other things. And what better way to commemorate this move than with a beloved song from a very beloved movie and book:)

Jokes apart, its not been a bad ride at all- but it was just time to get on to another one :) Thanks for all the fish folks! :D

Summertime Rocks

2008-06-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

My new favorite song (for the time being)- not sure about summer time, but the video does rock :)

Top Chef Season 4- finale June 11!

2008-06-06T14:29:00.000-07:00

Top Chef is a huge guilty pleasure for me- and while I have not been watching Season 4 religiously (I've seen like 4 episodes of 13), I am on tenterhooks about the finale next week!

My vote goes for either one of the ladies: Stephanie or Lisa. Of the two, Stephanie is the more calm, collected, professional and better cook- but she is so darned perfect, that I do wish Lisa would win- snarly, hang-dog, bitchy attitude not withstanding. The bad girl's got to win sometime!

Chhole!

2008-06-05T06:56:00.000-07:00

This is the 1st of the recipes I published at Apni, being moved to its appropriate location, away from the movie blog.

I'm not a great cook. But I like to cook. And I like to cook fast, without spending too much time on the stove, using ingredients I like. Most importantly, I cannot cook stuff I dont like to eat myself :D

One of my all-time favorites is chhole (stewed chick peas). Reading the recipe, any purist can tell that I use a lot of short-cuts- but that's fine by me since my only attempt is to make it taste like mom's- which it does :D

Best thing about this dish? Slow cooking, no fat, tons of flavor.

What I used:

1 can chickpeas, rinsed
2 tomatoes, diced or crushed
2 red onions, minced
1 green chillie, minced
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (as always, available at your friendly neighborhood Indian grocery)
1 tbsp garam masala, OR prefereably: 3 cloves, 3 green cardamoms, 2 black cardamoms, 1 stick cinnamon, 3 whole black peppers, & 1/2 tsp dhania (coriander) powder).
1/2 tsp red pepper powder
1/2 bunch fresh coriander, minced
Juice of a lemon + 1/2 red onion, diced
Salt to taste

Optional: a peice of dried mango (Amchur, from your friendly neighborhood Indian shop)

And this is what I did:
- In a deep-bottomed pan, throw in the diced tomatoes, keeping the heat at a medium. Stir frequently, letting the tomatoes wilt a bit- their juice should prevent sticking.
- Now add in the minced onion, and stir to prevent sticking. Adding a tsp pf oil helps at this time- while I hate adding oil, a lil bit doesn't hurt.
- Once the onions turn golden, add the whole spices (if using). If you are using just the garam masala, skip on ahead without adding that right now. Let the whole spices toast with the onions till you can smell them, then add the rinsed chickpeas, green chillie and turmeric to the pot, and let sit for a few minutes.
- Once the water from the tomatoes and chickpeas evaporates, stir to avoid burning. Add some salt and red pepper. Add the Amchur, if using.
- Now add about 1 point of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the pot to a simmer, and let it bubble gently for about 1/2 hr.
- In about 1/2 hr, the chickpeas should disperse a bit in the liquid, which should have thickened. if you like it thinner, add more water, and give it a boil.
If you want the gravy thicker, then simply take out 1/2 cup of chickpeas, run through your processor and add the minced chickpeas back to the pot. Or just use the side of your spatula to mash the peas in the pan a bit.
- Once you have the consistency that works best for you, add the garam masala, and adjust for salt and pepper. Add more garam masala if that rocks your boat.
- Throw in the diced red onion, lemon juice and fresh coriander, and remove from heat. The onion will continue to cook in the heat of the pot, thus removing any sharp raw taste.

And this is what it looked like:

Alternative beans: You can do exactly the same thing for Kidney beans (Rajma), or black-eyed peas (lobia).

Serving Options: In India, tThis is normally served with bhature (puffed fried leavened bread). I don't like making the fried bread- 1) I suck at it, 2) it's very oily, so why learn to make it in the first place?. I serve the chick peas over rice/regular parathe (pan fried unleavened bread- I really just toast instead of fry)/store brought naan bread/by itself as a snack in individual bowls ;)

My job

2008-06-03T15:43:00.000-07:00

I love this.

wth

2008-05-12T00:28:00.000-07:00

I was sick on Mom's day, and ma was sweet enough to come home to me instead. With lovely, ripe strawberries, and lots of lovely Indian food made by her and dad.
And she has lost more weight and is a lovely size 10 now.

On the other hand, I was in bed all day yesterday hacking up a lung, wear a size 12 and haven't cooked anything decent in almost 2 weeks or more.

Why would a perfectly wonderful woman (my mom)'s child (me) end up like this????
wth?!

Bobby's the man

2008-05-05T21:26:00.000-07:00

He wont win the VP nomination, as he himself has said, but the man's good, and I am proud he shares my heritage.

Still dont approve of his Republican slant- never will. Vote Obama (I know you will).

Who eats so much rice that Condy doesnt get any?

2008-05-04T23:45:00.000-07:00

Why Indians of course.

And yes this was a food post.

Artwork

2008-04-30T23:25:00.000-07:00

I have been a pencil and pastel artist since a wee babe, but hadnt cracked open the newsprint sheets now for almost 8 years, despite frequent pushes by my dad, and gentler nudges from my husband to do so.

I tried doing some work a few months ago, and failed miserably. My figures, to put it plainly, were crap. I have always drawn the female form, but the sketches I was coming up with looked like weird stick figures, if anything.

And then last weekend, my sister came over, and gave me some rapid action poses, which basically charged up my sketching hand. Did a few pages worth of 1 minute squiggles, that helped my hand remember what it is capable of.

And last night, it came back! I got inspired, worked on a pencil scetch, and finished the entire piece in a marathon session of about 5 hours (which means I had a very very sleep day :) ). It isnt perfection yet, but I am getting there, and will continue to work further. At least I have the perspective and proportions correct.
I am not posting any of it up- the textural quality needs to be right first.

Spring Sun

2008-04-24T21:52:00.000-07:00

I cant wait for my next vacation. I was never big into going out on the weekend, and have pretty much always been a homebody, but for the past few weeks, I try to ensure that I drive out of town on Saturday- seems to keep me sane.

Last week we drove out to Santa Barbara, the surrounding wine country and a small Danish village called Solvang (in the middle of nowhere, in the Santa Ynez valley!). Santa Barbara is always beautiful, but this was a really good day, not so hot that it'd burn you, but warm enough for shorts.

Food Find: Should you happen to go, and happen to fancy Indian food on State Street, steer clear of "Spice Avenue," and stick to the "Taj," which is less pretty than the former, but has way better food. "Spice" is an oxymoron; the food is really pretty bland.

Then drove another 45 minutes up to Solvang, which I was visiting for the first time- finding Solvang is a bit of a surprise to all first time visitors, me included. It is primarily 2 streets of Danish style architecture, all tourist traps, with some fun stores. Lots of wine tasting opportunities, should you be so inclined.

Food Find: Hold off on dessert till you get here, so that you can Mortensen's bakery and the ice cream shop next door to it. I recommend the ice cream shop's weird but excellent root beer flavor, and pretty much all of the bakery's goods :)

You might consider stopping in the nearby flower fields of Lompoc; for us it was already 3:30pm, so we drove right back down to the Refugio beach, where I hadn't been before, and much fun was had by all.

You would do as well by stopping at one of the many beaches dotting the shores in the surrounding area- most of these are not overflowing with the general populace, and you will have relative privacy. Steer clear of beaches in the immediate Santa Barbara area- too many weepy kids, bicyclers and the like, unless of course you are so inclined.

Weight Check

2008-04-21T21:46:00.000-07:00

Its been approximately 5 weeks since I've been trying to monitor my weight and blood pressure, and while my pulse is still racing, I am happy to report that I have lost a total of 13.2 pounds (6kgs).

The honest truth is that I am a poor dieter and exerciser. I love cooking and therefore eating, and am terribly lazy. Having identified my weaknesses, I have finally hit upon my best way to lose weight: I have decided to go on a series of diets, changing from 1 to another every few weeks, to avoid boredom and weight regain. For the past week, I've been on a modified version of "master cleanse."

I add 2 teaspoons of maple syrup, 2 of lemon juice and a smidgen of cayenne in my handy dandy water flask, fill up with water, and drink that from morning through lunch time, having nothing else till then. I have a complete, huge lunch, and then some more of the maple lemonade (if you will) if I get hungry, till I get home in the evenings. Then, if super hungry, I'll have a small meal, but nothing at all after 8pm- after that I can only have more of the drink till lunch the next day.

Its really not bad- if you look up the master cleanse diet, you will find that folks (namely Beyonce) live only on the drink for a month or more, which I honestly feel is just barking mad- I have no desire to faint from starvation in the middle of the workday, thanks very much.

I'm wondering on which diet to try next...:D

Curry puffs

2008-04-16T22:39:00.000-07:00

Do you have a Famima in your area? This is a Japanese 7-11 of sorts, and Southern California has been inundated with them sprouting all over the place in the past year or so. They have a curried fried bread that is truly addictive, but it is so chock full of oil, that it makes me feel sick later.

So I figured out a lighter version, sans the frying.

Keep in mind we ARE using Japanese curry paste cubes here- and much as I am averse to prepared curry pastes, in Japanese cuisine even the natives use prepared curry spice blocks, so I can't complain :) My preferred brand is S&B:

What you will need:

A package of phyllo sheets
1/2 a broiled or fried chicken
A package of Japanese curry, preferable S&B

Optional:

A boiled potato
1/2 cub of diced red onion
1/2 mined jalapeno

This is what you do:

Once you have bought your phyllo from the store, please keep it refrigerated (NOT FROZEN), until ready for use. Typically, 1 phyllo pack has approximately 12 6" x 6" sheets, which you can cut into your preferred shapes- you can also get larger sheets and shape per preference.
Open the package of Japanese curry- it is going to be in the form of solid blocks of spice, divided into 1" square cubes. For this recipe, you need only 1 square- you could add more if you like. I like to store opened packages of S&B in the fridge.
Thinly shred the left-over cooked chicken, discarding any bones- you should be left with about 2 cups of shredded chicken you can work with. Whatever kind you use: fried or broiled, just make sure it is no more than very mildly spiced.
If you are using the potato and red onion, spray some olive oil in a wok, and throw in the onion- stir fry till slightly golden.
Then add the potato, and stir fry till it is slightly golden as well.
Add the shredded chicken, jalapeno and the cube/s of curry, breaking up the spice with your spatula in the wok.
Stir fry for about a minute, then add 1/2 a cup of water, and bring to a boil.
As soon as the water comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover and let cook for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes:

Your chicken filling is done. Open the cover, and boil away any excess moisture- you are going to bake this, so you don't want liquid floating around in there. Kill the heat and let the mixture cool for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes:

Take the phyllo out of the fridge, and take out 1 phyllo sheet at a time.
I simply folded each 6" square sheet in 1/2, and filled the resulting pocket with the chicken mixture. Don't overfill.
Close all the edges of this "pocket" by pinching the ends together. You should have a small parcel of pastry in your hand.
Take a sharp knife, and slash 2-3 lines on 1 side of each parcel (1 side only).
Fill the rest of the phyllo sheets, until either the sheets or your chicken mix finishes!

Baking:

Place all the pastry parcels, knife-slashed side up, on a lined baking tray, and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. This will depend on the strength of your oven, so please do keep checking, but don't open the oven door (they are transparent for a reason).
Take out when golden brown. Serve w/ sirracha/jalapeno sauce/ranch- per preference. We ate all these up super fast, so I couldn't click a photo, and therefore hijacked a pic from Wikipedia

Storage:

If you are preparing extra pastries (I always do), these are super easy to store.
Just take the puffs out when they are barely beginning to puff in the oven, and are NOT golden yet. This should be after they have been in the oven for about 10 minutes.
Cool the puffs completely on a the kitchen table, place in a air tight box and store in the fridge, where they will keep for 1 week.
When reusing stored puffs, remove from fridge, and leave on the kitchen table for about 15 minutes, until they are almost at room temperature. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, or till golden brown.

Variations:

Instead of the chicken mixture, you may also like to try:

Apples, splenda (as sweetener)/sugar and cinnamon (ahem, no curry please).
Potatoes, broccoli and red onion (w/ or without curry).
Peaches, sweetener/sugar, dried sweetened cranberries and mangoes (yes, no curry here either :D)
lamb/beef, red onion (curry per preference).

Or any other combos of your choice!

Disclaimer: I do not have an affiliation with any brands mentioned in this posting.

An audit poem

2008-04-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

12 Benefit Plan Audits
4 Compliance Reviews
1 New Entity Formation Review

Insanity

oh boy

2008-04-11T20:29:00.000-07:00

I am so over this-

2008-04-07T04:32:00.000-07:00

I am so over everything right now.

I cant believe this is the beginning of another work week; I am just so sleepy and tired this very moment that I know I am pretty useless.

There is tons of work in the offing, and honestly I barely have time to do anything, but instead of driving up my blood pressure, I have resolved not to think about it, but just do the best I can.

I also think it is high time I went back to church- I haven't been in a while, and my soul is in desperate need of some spiritualism. Meanwhile, this blog is doing double duty as a confessional of sorts, where I can empty my angst and move on, as I have just done.

Ah well, back to the grind.

Much ado about Poached eggs

2008-04-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

I have a weird relationship with eggs.

Initially, I'd only eat 'em hard boiled or in frittata form.
Then there was a period of time in my late teens, where I was forbidden to eat any due to an illness. I stayed away from them out of habit from then on, and hardly ate any through my early 20s.
And now I seem to have moved a step further in my "egg" relationship this past quarter-year- I crave for eggs which have been poached till barely set.

Before I say another word, if you cook eggs, you can already surmise the big issue here- for some scientific reason, eggs poach best when super fresh; refrigerated eggs just look terrible when poached the traditional way. Unfortunately, living in Los Angeles does not equate to living on a farm- leading to a slight difficulty in satisfying my current poached egg obsession.

I coaxed and pulled and messed in my kitchen on the supposedly "fresh" eggs from Trader Joe's, resulting in decent eggs which just didn't LOOK pretty :(- and how can we bear ugliness on a plate?! So after much contention, and much heart-ache, and much scouring of stores, I located an egg poacher at Linen'n Things, quietly hidden in a corner- I guess folks don't like poached eggs much. Keep in mind that egg poachers are really glorified steamers, so we are cheating a bit here.

So last night I got home having made this wonderful acquisition and decided to try it out at 10pm. Hubby was intrigued by my loving cradling in the arms of said poaching pan, and gallantly volunteered to eat three (!!!), hard poached. I ran to the kitchen in sheer joy, first making sure I took off my pale pink Cashmere sweater, lest I spilled stuff, which I am often known to do.

The water heated in the pan, as I sprayed olive oil (very very lightly- greasy poached eggs is NOT what I want) inside the individual poachers and plopped in the eggs. They looked so cute sitting there!

As soon as the water boiled, the poachers were loaded on, the lid shut and the water reduced to a simmer. My soft poached egg came out looking adorable, in 4 minutes, while hubby's hard poached eggs came out looking ethereal in 6 minutes.

The egg tends to stick to the walls of the poacher, so you do need to run a sharp knife round the edges, turn the poacher upside down on a serving plate, and whack the back of the poacher gently (sounds a bit S&M-ish, yes?)

I tried a bite from hubby's plate, since I hadn't tried hard poached eggs before, and I have to admit, this beats boiling any day- the eggs just come out fluffy as a cloud and super comforting. I prefer my soft version though, and who knows- I may try Eggs Benedict next!!!

Warning: Doctors say we should limit our egg intake to 3-4eggs (with yolk) a week, owing to the cholestrol content.

Disclaimer: I do not have an affiliation with any brands mentioned in this posting.

Simple Pineapple Sorbet

2008-03-24T23:45:00.000-07:00

I normally do not have a craving for sweets- I just never had a sweet tooth- except for diet coke I guess.

But once in a while, it does hit me, and I then go for not-too-sweet desserts- dark chocolate, coconut laddoos (without sugar), Splenda-ed apple pies and fresh sorbets.

The last addition is the newest to the list, since I specifically am really not into sorbets and ice-creams- way too sweet. And then I figured out how to make my own, low-sugar, low-cal version, thusly:

Ingredients:
- 1 cup frozen pineapple (thats what I used, but just wash and freeze ur fav sorbet-worthy fruits: berries, melons, etc.- overnight)
- 1/4 cup green tea, cold- you could substitute this with any fruit juices, per preference.

Optional:
- Sugar or artificial sweetner of your choice, per your sugar-level preferences- I didn't add any.
- A few sprigs of mint or basil.

Method:
Dump everything into your mixer, and hit the "crush ice option". After a while, you will have a very thick smoothy. You can drink this up as such, or put in a container and freeze for about an hour for some perfectly decent sorbet.

It looks pretty, and is very refreshing, esp. with the mint/basil thing going on. I also felt super virtuous, since pineapple is supposedly a negative calorie food.

Notes:

1- Because I used unsweetened tea, as well as basil, the pineapple's sweetness as well as tartness were subdued- you could use this as a palate cleanser between courses, rather than dessert.

2- I used unsweetened, cold green tea as the liquid addition to reduce the sweetness in my sorbet. You could sweeten it, or try any of the following fruit-liquid combos, or try one of your own; just ensure that the fruit is frozen and the liquid cold:

Strawbeeries and mango juice
Mangoes and green tea
Oranges and jasmine tea (not steeped too long)
Blueberries and Orange
Melons and lemonade
Peaches and jasmine tea (not steeped too long)

Aside: I got a chance to trot out my little Chinese tea cups for serving, which have been in the family for 15 years, and had never been used until today :)

Disclaimer: I do not have an affiliation with any brands mentioned in this posting.

2008-03-22T22:49:00.000-07:00

This Oatmeal at breakfast thing works! I've lost 9.2 lbs this week (or 4.2 kgs)
heeh!

The only life style change I made for real was to have oatmeal for breakfast the entire week and limited myself to 2 diet sodas- earlier I would either avoid breakfast altogether, or grab cheezits and diet coke from the vending machine about 10am-ish.

So obviously, I am not going to be able to loose 9 pounds a week into perpetuity just by eating Quakers- I need to come up with a doable action plan here. Starting this morning, loaded up on high-protein-ized oatmeal- yep Quakers has that, and it can be found in your grocery store. Then hit the gym, after like 6 months :D. I hope to get to the gym twice a week, and at least do simple yoga every day at home- that should help the blood pressure.

Had a strange experience with Japanese curry last night. I came home about 9pm-ish, and was craving some. Broke open some "chicken mushroom balls" I had picked up at the San Gabriel Superstore, and added those to the curry as an experiment- they actually absorbed the curry, and swelled from 1" to about 2.5"!!! I bet they had tofu as a component, which I couldn't decipher on the mostly Chinese-lettered packaging. Strange, but tasted just fine.

Japanese curry is the easiest thing in the world; get a box from the Asian section of your grocery store, and follow directions on the box. I've been experimenting for two years+ with it, and you can pretty much drop anything into this curry. My favorite combos: spinach & mushroom; beef; corn, cilantro & lamb- it may be assumed that making this also serves as a refrigerator cleaning device- just dump all produce in :)

Disclaimer: I do not have an affiliation with any brands mentioned in this posting.

For Beth: Dal Makhani

2008-03-21T23:37:00.000-07:00

When you travel in Northern India, particularly in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, one sure bet in terms of road side food options is Dal Makhani. It is a prime example of slow cooking, and is relatively easy to do- the waiting is the hardest part. Literally meaning Butter Lentils, this is a mix of a number of dark lentils, which should normally include kidney beans as well, the whole garnished with oh maybe 2 sticks of butter (yes, really!).

That said, here is a relatively lighter version, which you can amp up to your taste. Where as I have used a specific kind and number of lentils, you will find equal success with other dark lentils, or even yellow/red ones- the recipe is pretty much fool proof, and easily translates to all lentils/beans alike. The recipe LOOKS long, but I've tried to break down every step so it is easy to follow.

Ingredients:

Dry lentils:
1/2 cup black masoor lentils (any Indian grocery)
1/2 cup brown Spanish lentils (not per tradition, but it works)

Cans:
1 small can of kidney beans
1/2 can of black beans (not per tradition, but they work!)
1 small can of tomatoes, or 3 whole crushed tomatoes

3 heaping tablespoons of ginger-garlic paste (or simply pound 1 small head of garlic and 2 inches of ginger together)

2 medium onions, or 1 largish oninions

1 jalapeno, minced

1/4 cup heavy cream, or 1/2 cup regular

1/2 stick butter

Spices:
You can either go w/ 3 heaping tbs of Garam Masala,

or choose my way, visit the Indian grocery store, and get all these:

1 longish cinnamon stick
3 large black cardamoms
5 green cardamoms
6 cloves
3-4 bay leaves
1 tbsp Cumin powder
1 tbsp Coriander powder
1 tbsp whole black peppers

salt to taste
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced

Prep:

Soak the dry lentils in water- leave on the kitchen counter overnight.
Dice all the onion (about 1/2")- this too can be done the day before, and stored in the fridge.

Next day:

Add all the dry spices to a large pan, and dry roast for about 1/2 a minute, until the smell hits you- that means they are roasted. If you are using Garam masala instead, just skip to the next step.
Throw in 1/4 of the diced onions, spray in some olive oil, and fry.
When the onions begin to brown, add the ginger-garlic paste and all the tomato, and fry away (you don't need to add any more oil), until the mixture becomes a brown-red, and thickens somewhat- about 5 minutes. Don't let this stick to the pan.
Now add in the soaked lentils (discard the water), and dry roast some more for about a minute. Add salt to taste (you NEED to add some salt at this point- just do it- seriously). Add in 3 cups of water, and bring the whole to a boil. Now reduce to a bare simmer, cover and walk away for about an hour. I did my laundry :)

1 hr later:

Drop in the jalapeno, cream, rinsed black beans and black beans, adjust for salt, and dump in another 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer, cover and walk away for 45 minutes. I folded my laundry :)

45 minutes later:

Add the garam masala powder to your lentils, and mix- taste. adjust for salt and pepper, more garam masala if needed. If the lentils are too thick, add more water. If too thin, just boil away.
In another, smaller pan, spray some olive oil, and fry all remaining diced onion, until it turns a darkish brown. This should take 15 minutes, by which times your lentils should be done.
Check your lentils, which should be soft by now. If they aren't, no sweat- add more water, boil, cover and simmer until they are soft enough. Yes this sound like a long process, but if you barbecue, it isn't.
Once you are comfy with the done-ness of your lentils, check the viscosity- Dal Makhani is normally really thick, with the spatula barely able to stir things around- but you its your choice really. If you like it thinner, add water, and boil to desired viscosity as well.
Once you are all done, add in the fried onions, and as much butter as you like. I put in 1/2 a stick, since this IS Dal Makhani, but purists would add in 2. Keep in mind, by this time, you probably have enough Dal to feed 4 very hungry people.
Garnish with 1/2 cup of minced cilantro stirred in, and serve hot with steamed white rice or garlic naan, as I did.

Yagh- A Haiku

2008-03-19T23:00:00.000-07:00

15 hours of work
bags under my eyes
6:30 am meeting tomorrow
shampoo night

____________________________________________________

Yagh

Keeping it real

2008-03-18T23:55:00.000-07:00

Kinda hectic today, and my schedule was a bit thrown, but it all boiled down to keeping things real, which I am struggling to do.

Worked a bit on GMAT prep last night, which was long overdue, and finally sorted through the screen caps for my next posting on my other blog. Woke up screaming with pain in the morning, since I had basically overexercised and walked almost 6 straight hours on Sunday, and my calf muscles are more or less pulled to the max. So no stretching or yoga today.

Food diary:
No breakfast- totally need to go to Costco tonight, and stock up on oatmeal. For all of you folks out there who have high cholesterol as well as high BP, try Trader Joe's cereals with Flax Seed- that stuff really regulates cholesterol- my husband fixed his in 3 mos.
Mid morning snack- handful of dried apple slices & chrysanthemum tea.
Lunch- A Trimana burger, but threw out 1/2 the bun and 1/2 the fries. Trust me, this was hard to do by my standards- while our friend Siddharth quotes pizza as his weakness, fries are mine, especially w/ Trimana's garlic mayo- so bad yet so addictive! The part I felt really bad about was the diet coke that came with the meal- I had forgotten my water :( Next time, I'll stick to iced tea.
Evening coffee run: handful of dried apple slices
Dinner: Soup at Palms Thai in Hollywood- not a bad option, since its basically lean cuts of beef, onions, cabbage and spices boiled together.

Need to exercises tomorrow- must- will- shall. No change in weight- but never fear- we can do this gentle reader, and we will.

Houston we have a BP problem

2008-03-17T21:50:00.000-07:00

So I've been having these terrible headaches for a few days, and on Saturday, when I visited my parents, my dad noticed that I was sort of breathless. One thing lead to another, and they suggested I check my blood pressure- turns out it is way up on the charts and was the source of the headaches as well.

Therefore, since Sunday, I've been monitoring my blood pressure, begun yoga and have been avoiding sodas. I know I need weight and salt-intake control (that is SO hard!). And I've been trying.

I haven't had soda in 2 days (and counting), having replaced it with water and green tea, which I used to have a ton of anyway, so its not a huge change. I am struggling to replace junk food with other stuff: instead of the cheezits and coke, I carried my food and bought more that was relatively healthier:
Breakfast: 1/2 a cup of cinnamon oatmeal with chrysanthemum tea.
Mid-morning snack: A handful of dried apple slices.
Lunch: Had 1/2 of a small Panda meal.
Evening coffee run: Grande green tea and pasta-tuna salad from Starbucks.
Dinner: 2 poached eggs on 2 rye toast. 1" slice of chocolate cake (!!!)
- all this food, plus lots of water all day long.

Checked my weight- Have lost 5 pounds in 2 days- its looking good. Everything is a number- some are better higher, others lower.

My favorite salad

2008-03-17T20:36:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite salad; a spin on the classic tomato and basil combo- can serve as a dinner salad for 2, or as tapa-size appetizers for 6.

Ingredients:

3 cups of grape tomatoes, sliced in half (you could use any kind really- I just like these 'cos they are pretty)
1 red onion, cut in 1/2" strips.
1/4 cup of thinly julienned basil
3 endives- separated into leaves (I used 2 white and 1 red- you can mix it whatever way you like).

Dressing:

3 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tbs rice wine vinegar
1 tbs lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Gently mix it all together in a large bowl, BY HAND. Seriously, this matters- do not use a salad spoon etc- your hands treat the ingredients way better. Do not toss- the tomatoes are delicate, as is the endive.

Once mixed, cover the bowl with a lid/foil and refrigerate for about 2-3 hrs. This gives a chance for all the flavors to blend- the basil and pepper will permeate everything, the endives will lose their bitterness, the onions will become sweeter and less sharp, and the the tomatoes will lose some liquid, therefore adding to your dressing.

After the refrigerating, taste it and adjust for seasoning again, since the flavors will have matured considerably. Serve immediately.

Note:
1- You may want to play around with the amounts of suggested lemon/salt/balsamic, depending upon your preference and the tartness of your tomatoes.
2- If you decide to store this overnight in your fridge, you will find it way too tart to be salad in the morning, but give it a whirl in your processor, and you'll have some pretty good salsa!

Ranting

2008-03-10T06:12:00.000-07:00

So my soul-sucking hell hole of a job has me just sick and tired- or perhaps I am just bored with being in the same place for too long. I've lived in this city for about 6 years now, which has frankly gotten to me. I've also been with the same firm now for 3 years, which is the longest I've done before bouncing out of anyplace.

The weekend came and went- I was very unproductive, just sitting around motionlessly, not even watching TV or blogging as I normally tend to over my Sundays.

One of my high school friends asked me for advice re: moving to the US for work- in the current mood I am in, it was certainly not the right question to ask, but I tried to restrain myself :) I told him he would be leaving behind all the minor daily hassles of India to embrace primo soul-suckiness- not sure how he took that :D

It'll all be behind me one day.

Ughh.

Do you know how to boil water?- Part I

2008-03-06T23:08:00.000-08:00

I thought I did.
But it took me a while before I realised its nuances (yes, boiling water has nuances- who knew?)- to be discussed over the next few postings.

Tea:
The most basic thing about tea-making is boiling water, and so many of us seem to overlook that, that bad tea is a common phenomenon striking tea-cups worldwide!

I've only recently begun to appreciate tea: just a simple tea bag in boiling water with a spoonful of honey.
What is difficult to decide though are the amazing array of products to choose from, and how to extract the right flavor. There are a many boutique tea brands here in Southern California, with offerings ranging from corn (yes corn) tea to ubiquitous fruit teas and Chinese herbal teas, each nuanced with an accenting herb/fruit. These are usually fabulous- the more local and organic they are, the crisper and yet more soothing the taste appears to be.

Aside from the boutique herbal concoctions, we have "real" tea in 4 basic types:
- Black (the Black African from Tazo is good),
- Green (basic Salada- cheap and available in any supermarket, and the Indian Tetley's brand are both good- the former is stronger tasting than the latter, which is light and lemony),
- Oolong (basic Chinese tea, which you'd get w/ dim sum at your local China Town. Good, but gives me cravings to rush to Princess Garden downtown), and
-White (rare- very mild. You may be told you are buying white tea, but this kind normally can only be bought by the ounce at some Chinese speciality stores- at least in Southern California- the branded stuff is crap).

Whatever you may choose to drink, I find that leaving the bag in the cup, and puring the boiling water on top works best for me. And yes, like I said at the beginning, it should be boiling water- tiny bubbles do not indicate boiling, they should be large and bubbling- if in doubt, get one of the whistling teapots that all your local Linen 'n Things, Target, Walmart, even Ikea carry now. I got one that is clear, which allows me to ensure that there is no sediment collecting from salt deposits inside the pot overtime. The minute the water boils, it lets off a sharp whistle, and you know you can proceed. You could also try electric teapots- for some reason, mine is reserved for travelling.

Tea connoisseurs may laugh at my "tea bag" approach, but I honestly do not have the time to sit with tea leaves and strain a cup- its good if you do! I don't believe in letting the tea steep too long; the flavors appear sharper when the liquid is a deep color, but still clear. If steeped too long, the tea begins to release tannins and looks murky, which can happen in as quickly as a few minutes, so I do have to watch my cup.
I have friends who like to leave the bag in for as long as they take to finish the drink- its just too bitter and "un-pretty," for me! I know another friend who literally boils loose tea in a pan of boiling water for hours with herbs, proclaiming it good for general health- I am not sure I sympathise with this idea much. In India, it is common practice to add a stick of cinnamon, pieces of ginger, cardamoms, even whole black pepper to the water, and then boil it- this practice I believe actually serves better to soothe flu-like symptoms or the common cold.

In conclusion: super hot boiling water results in good tea- its all about timing. Watch the water bubble, hear the kettle whistle, and smell the tea fumes as the water hits the cup- that's the perfect cup of tea!

Disclaimer: I do not have an affiliation with any brands mentioned in this posting.

The Spice of Life

2008-03-05T01:25:00.000-08:00

I grew up unlike the average Indian girl of my generation- my parents never encouraged me to enter the kitchen- even to pour myself a glass of water. Therefore, about 5 years ago, when I actually got into cooking, it was a bit of a surprise to everyone all around. I am a self-taught home cook- when a dish strikes my fancy, I research different ways of preparing it until I figure out one of my own, which normally involves few/no powdered masalas and less oil (my foremost criteria).

Which brings me to the title of this blog: I have a strong aversion to packaged "curry powder". Its essentially a screwed up form of garam masala, put together by the British during colonial rule in India. It doesn't taste like any Indian food I have ever eaten :)

For that matter, I am not a big proponent of powdered spices (masalas). I just dont fare well w/ them, though I always keep some red chillie, coriander (dhania), turmeric (haldi) and garam masala powders at hand, for when I need to add a quick kick to whatever may be cooking. After you open a box of powdered spice, the freshness goes away in a matter of days, and there is no way you can finish a entire box of red chillie powder in a day. So I try to substitute: I prefer fresh green chillies, plucked from the little plant I keep, or store bought jalapenos. Dhania and haldi are hard to replace, period. As for garam masala, I simply use its main ingredients in whole spice form: large black cardamoms, small green cardamoms, anise, bay, pepper, cumin, cinammon sticks. This actually adds texture to the food as well, and if you dont like biting into a bay leaf, either discard when your cooking is done, or have your guests LOOK at what they are eating. This may make it a bit difficult for the kids, in which case you can go the bouquet garni way: simply tie all your spices together in a thin mesh cotton cloth, and add to the dish, to be removed when done- I am personally not a big fan of this- when I have kids- they'd better like their spices :D You could also choose to grind your own spices, but honestly, who has time for that?

Spice cooking: Most Indian cooks will throw in a splash of oil in a hot pan before adding spices- this prevents the spices from burning. But you don't have to do this. You can start with your spices already in the pan, and then put it on low heat. This way, the pan and spices warm together, and the spices get gently roasted without oil.

Biryani

2008-03-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

I love cooking Dum Biryani- a traditional Indian melange of rice, spices and either a meat/vegetarian main ingredient, all baked together in a tightly closed utensil . I like to make some about once a month, and have modified the traditional recipe to suit a Southern Californian kitchen. Since I do not like oily food, the recipe is also stripped down to a lighter, fat-free version.

This past weekend, I made a vegetarian (for Dad and Steve) and a chicken Biryani (for Sunil and mom), and here is how the veggie option looked after it came out of the oven:

Ingredients:

Main ingredient: 1 lb cubed chicken OR beef OR lamb (with or without bones)- OR paneer cheese OR a bunch of vegetables of your choice.
1 cup basmati rice
2 huge or 3 regular sized red onions OR use a box of french fried onions
1 cup plain yogurt

A teaspoon of saffron threads
1 longish cinnamon stick
3-4 large black cardamoms
6-7 green cardamoms
6-7 cloves
6-7 whole black pepper seeds
3-4 bay leaves
salt to taste

Optional:
2 star anise, 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 chopped jalapeno.

The rice:
Soak the rice in salted water for about 20 minutes, and get busy with julienning the onions (below).

The onions:
This is probably the hardest part. All the onions get julienned into thin strips. It is then recommended that we deep fry this, which I refuse to do- instead I suggest caramelizing in a large lightly oiled pan on low heat. work in batches, and get other stuff done while the onions turn a deep brown. Add salt to taste. You can do this step in advance and store the onions in the fridge for up to a week. If you are using a box of french-fried onions, you get to skip this step!

The main ingredient:
You can use pretty much any kind of "main" ingredient, but my favorite is lamb, which is the closest I can get to mutton here. What ever it is that you use, try not to mix different main ingredients- that's a paella, not a biryani.

Add all the spices to a pan, and dry roast for about a minute, till the smell of spices begins to hit you. Add your main to the pan with the jalapeno (if using), and brown on all sides. This will take the longest time if you are using lamb, and the shortest if you are using paneer. Spray olive oil to get the brown-iness of your choice. Add salt to taste.

Keep in mind, this step is to add color to the main ingredient, not cook it to death. Once you are happy with how it looks, take it off the heat.

Assembly:
Mix the cup of yogurt with 1 cup water, and the saffron, and microwave for about 30 seconds. This brings out the color of your saffron.

Drain the rice of all water. The rice should have turned opaque by now.

Get a baking dish, or your rice cooker container.

Taste everything for salt, and adjust accordingly.

Start layering: In your baking dish or rice cooker container, add 1 thin layer of rice, sprinkling 1 layer of prepped onions on top, and some of the main ingredient on top of that. Keep repeating layers, and finish with a layer of onions.

Slowly pour in the yogurt-water-saffron mix, evenly all over the surface. The liquid will sink in, and help in steaming. If you are not serving immediately, and the kitchen isn't hot, you can keep the dish at this stage for about 1 hr without issues, until you are ready. It is of course better if it goes directly to cook.

Finishing:

If you are using the oven, tightly cover your baking dish with tin foil, and place in over at about 350 degrees for a good 20 minutes.

If using the rice cooker, put in on "white rice" setting.

In either case, check your rice after 20 minutes, and see if you have enough/liquid or steam.
In the oven: If the rice is getting too moist/done, you have the option of taking off the foil- the top will crust a little, in a nice way, and the liquid will evaporate. If the rice looks under-done (check the bottom of the dish with a fork), add a little water.
In the rice cooker: its a no brainer- the cooker will tell you when it is done. Just make sure you open the lid in about 20 minutes- the rice musn't dry as sand either, which my rice cooker likes to do!

Notes:

The most crucial part of this dish is the timing on the rice. Keep in mind that the soaking softens the rice somewhat, and therefore you must be exact with your measurements.
The dish feeds 3 hungry people- if you must multiply it, just remember 1 part rice to 2 part liquid (since there are meat/veg in there to steam cook as well).

Its done- Eat!

Reasons for this blog

2008-03-02T12:03:00.000-08:00

I had almost stopped writing about food, but then began to receive requests for certain recipes and other writing, and just couldn't bear to continue jumbling up everything on Apni- it would offend my auditing instincts in the worst way :D

Therefore, in the next few weeks, I shall be transferring all recipes and food related writing from Apni to here. New postings are ready to go- the Biryani made this weekend will feature first!