Bites Morsels and Reflections 2013 and Welcome 2014 !!

2013 had been very kind to me..albeit busy enough to keep me on toes and prevent me from visiting this little food space...but if you were to go by this  catalogue raisonnée,you will know of the  raisons (reasons) that kept me away from Eastern Aroma for too-many-days-to-count.

Yes, it was a year of travel and yumminess....and there are far too many reasons to keep me away from  you. Each and every place visited had its own distinct flavor that has taught me a thing or two about experimenting with the traditional Bengali palate.

Like who would have known that me and my 2 year something would be so smitten by the Japanese flavours..Sushi Sashimi Inari...or for that matter with Wasabi coated bites ...its just amazing to see and experience how the texture and technique varies with distance yet there is a faint resemblance of flavors with  identical staples of fish and rice between Japanese and the Bengali cuisine. 

The food journey does not end at this...it begins.Think sharing a tropical fruit and ice cream platter with mom and bro in India to savoring a coveted dish of Tasmanian freshly harvested oysters with a dash of lime in Hobart  to having warm pancakes with farm-fresh raspberry compote , in Deloraine, a small Tasmanian village...Yes, life's all about stories of little morsels from all over...

Here's hoping the good times keep rolling for you and me, and our life be full of these luscious morsels.

Right now taking a pause just to recollect and connect ...ramble about the days gone by and be starry eyed about the days to come. All I want to do is spend time with family and friends,kick up a notch at work and do some real de-toxing of my mind body and soul...

But that's another day..for now let's say Cheers to a bright new year..Welcome 2014.

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The Great Indian Bride Hunt – with a Side of Sponge Cake.

No don’t get me wrong. A sponge cake has almost nothing to do with a bride hunt of any kind whatsoever. Although I must add that it does have a HUGE role in keeping my senses intact and energy levels up and running while I’m participating in this bride hunting circus quite actively.

So the bride in question is my brother’s significant other – and I’m assigned a rather huge responsibility to sniff that right match out from a bevy of matrimonial portals. The groom to be is totally in sync, but completely perplexed by the complexity of the internet diaspora and rather confused of with the manner the online marriage psyche goes.

To begin the great Indian bride hunt, we (me and my brother) made his matrimonial profile, ceremoniously loaded it with all the indispensable details, added our parental blessings to it and put it up online for the prospective brides to view. All well so far, just that there were no real matches (like from girls who might be interested in us) to choose from! Disappointed with the results, I relied on the Web’s creativity to bail me out, and there I hit upon a facial feature search, in which if I like a girl (perhaps purely for her looks) I can ask the web to do a similar search and if will hunt all the similarly looking girls and line up for us to choose. I tried, and I had five 25 year old with a dimpled chin gazing at me from my computer screen. Whoa, it can’t get more hilarious that this!

 Now if you are thinking that by now the match is already fixed and my brother is gleefully exchanging numbers and meeting women, you can’t be far from wrong.


Why Not? You ask. SO, as far as the online matrimonial dynamics go (or what I understand of it), the bride and the groom come in the second round of screening.   My brother is mightily miffed, but has grudgingly accepted the fact that if he were to start calling the prospective brides, he will run the risk of being seen as a ’no values’ guy. As it’s not really a US speed dating in an Indian Avatar. It’s truly an ‘ancient traditions weds Web 2.0’ circus come alive. 

The current modus operandi for us is that the elders of my family (even I fall into this category now as I have been assigned the task-remember?) do the first round, where the ideal matches are sorted out, spoken with and moved to the second round only after getting the affirmative nods.

Interestingly, most of these searches are done on a weekend, which is why I’m here talking about it. So today our entire family gathered online, communally wracked their brains on the perfect matches and participated in the exercise of mailing the doe eyed brides. Now, we practically have nothing to do expect for to wait and watch.

And what I do during these in between times on a semi –idle weekend is bake a cake, And nothing' better than  a light and airy Sponge Cake to lift the spirits up.  I certainly can’t do it better than Smitten Kitchen.  My only adaptation was to to leave out the cognac and lemon combination for the lack of both in my pantry.

Airy Sponge Cake

Ingredients: 

1 3/4th cups (226 gms) butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (200 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) baking powder
Salt
4 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar

Method : 
Do the usual cake dance, like the dry together and wet together. The only trick is to fluff the eggs like feather and sifts the flour fine. Once done, Mix it and bake it.

The sweeter side of the bride hunting madness.

Got Guilt Mommy? Pause.Have some Chocolate Truffles.

Yesterday I got a frantic call from a friend; her toddler is my daughter’s classmate at the playgroup.  We all met up at the time of admission and bonded well while our kids were adjusting to the new school environs.

Now If I have to sum up the purpose of the call in a word then I’d call it GUILT. C’mon let’s admit which one of us has not faced it, especially the working moms. Gosh we are smothered with it.

Going back to her call –This friend of mine quit work when she had a baby and now (after a good two and a half years later) thinking of joining the workforce back. That’s HUGEE, so I congratulated her and then I hear her whimpered voice, asking if she is making the right decision. She wanted to know if the daycare my daughter goes, is good enough for her child too. Will they love her and feed her milk the way she is used to having at home. I wish I could answer  a loud Yes, but I guess no establishment in the world can replace the mommy care. Right? I wish I could sum up my experiences in one single phone call and somehow explain that inspite of all odds it’s still all right to go back to work.

I have experienced it first-hand that being a working mom of a young kid is the hardest thing ever. I wish I could convince this harried and hesitant mom who is being so hard on herself that it’s all going to be okay, and that someday we would laugh about it all, even the tough days. There are no yardsticks  and no measuring tape …just like there is NO perfect mother . We are one of those moms who come home late. We work really hard, and like everyone else come home to put away the scattered toys and cook the family favorite and inspite of all odds we will read that bedtime story  and kiss the bruises goodbye. We will sometimes wear an unmatched earrings or an un-ironed shirt to work, just to trade off that time for baking every little ones favorite chocolate balls.  

Now scoot mom. Enjoy the mommy time. Bake this with your little one and bite. Since our world is so covered with guilt , at least these chocolate truffles make you forget abstinence and denial for once. And I promise that these Chocolate Truffles have half the calories and 75 percent less fat compared to regular truffles. Hallejullah!

Guilt Free Chocolate Truffles 

Ingredients

½ can black beans- rinsed and drained

1 mashed banana

1/2 cup cocoa powder 

1/2 cup mixed nuts

3 tbsp honey

½ cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white flour 

2 tbs chia seeds (optional)

To Coat

2 tbsp cocoa and 1tbs powdered sugar.

Method

Combine all ingredients in preferably a processor and give it a whirr till it forms a smooth dough. The dough will be moist and sticky so chill it for a few hours before forming the balls. 

Once its chilled, roll it into small balls and generously dust  the balls in cocoa powder and refined sugar mixture.  Freeze for a firmer truffle. Enjoy!

Pocket full of memories with Warm Wishes for a Happy New Year.

2013 has started with an abnormally fast pace. Is it the same for you?

  In my case it was such a fast pace race that I simply forgot to wish  you all “A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR”.

Neither could I ever get down to penning the top three resolutions I vaguely had in mind for 2013.

Since it’s not in etched in ink I can totally ignore it and pretend it never existed. Right?

I was just so caught up that I even forgot the EAT.COOK.WRITE.

And since I hardly ate anything I have started sporting a gorgeously thin waif like body of Keira Knightley
(got, ya!).

Don’t worry though; it’s not likely to happen!

I had been busy stuffing my face with the goodies. Busy making the New Year Eve Plans and the plans for the week after.

Sometimes making things simple and cozy also take a lot of preparation. How come I never noticed it all this while?

All my growing up years, I remember celebrating the New Year eve with our family friends. Sometimes they would come to our place and on others we’d all pile into the car and be driven to theirs. My mother would always prepare non fussy warming meals Like Ghughni and Payesh for all of us kids which we would eat hurriedly and bunch up with the rest of the kids to play with the toys at hand. Just before the stroke of midnight we all assembled together in the Hall for some singing and dancing. Where Dancing was done by the kids and the adults huddled around to clap and sing.I think the adults later ushered in the new year with Spiced Tea and hot Singaras, while we were sent to bed with milk and Cookies.

The older I got, the toys became so yesterday and the same old guests boring. I repented that why my parents were not the New- Years – Eve party kinds. Then the newspaper coverage preluding the Big day made me so left out.  Being a teenager in the 90s in a Bong home in India did not help the cause in any way. I had outgrown my toys but parents continued to treat me as a kid.  I always secretly wished we were the Hollywood movie like family. We were NOT.  The mystery of the party seemed so alluring. All we did was to have a hearty meal in front of the ‘room heater’, celebrate the countdown with Doordarshan, Luchi aar Kosha Mangsho and Dal ,and said happy New Year to each other and tucked away. Life did seem exciting the other side of the fence.

But as a single person negotiating life in a metropolis, New Year’s just looked like my dreams. In came, shiny heels and haute black dresses. Never mind even if I wore it for a house party inside my tiny little bachelors pad, the addition of Old Monk, Coke, Pasta, Meat Loaf and friends indeed made me feel all grown up and Sexy. Even in my 20s, going out on the New Year’s Eve meant walking up to the roof to watch the fireworks. I think my parents lessons were so ingrained that I could not do anything to break the mold. I was happy nevertheless.

Life changed with my Princesses homecoming.

Haute black dresses Stopped fitting me. Shiny heels were traded for loafers. Granola Apples replaced the Apertiffs. Unknowingly I started following my parents ‘boring’ schedule. Maybe they knew the right thing to do. After a lot of brainstorming we did go out this year, only to realize I’m much happier cuddling up with my darlings at the stroke of midnight. It has a magical quality, AND much more happening than any hip New Year’s gig in town. 

So goes the story of my many New Years. It may not be perfect, but I love it that they all together make such happy memories.   

I hope and pray that your days too are full of such happy memories, love, luck and lots of laughter.

Cheers!
Nilanjana

The Perfect Delhi Wintry Afternoon Munchie

Winter has finally set its foot in the city. Maybe it’s not yet the time to dig into the closet to look for woolens, but you still know it’s arrived when you see the mungphalli walas (peanut seller) everywhere.

So rather than smelling the hibiscus and the peonies , I’m smelling peanuts.

 Today I saw a portly middle aged Aunty purchasing mungphalis(peanuts) by the kilo. While the hapless seller was weighing the hot fresh oven roasted whole mungphalis , The 'Aunty' kept nibbling on the rest. Of course the nibbles were over and above her purchased loot. She must have eaten some 100 gms while the entire transaction took place. Yeah she took home the satisfaction for getting the value for money, and who cares for the free calories consumed. The hapless seller looked longingly for the next ‘noble’ customer.

Just another day in the daily Dilli life.

And winter has just set in.

 Winter in Delhi is definitely overrated. It’s a little naughty sneaky lover who keeps you waiting for days at end, and then suddenly he is there. Gives you enough reasons to celebrate and make merry. Choosing to vanish one day, leaving you pine in front of the calendar. Counting and Waiting.

I’m glad that he is back in town.

Perhaps I too can give some business to my local mungphalli seller, and be noble enough not to nibble the extras.

And I know, that whenever I go - the mungphalli wala will happily wrap it in the recycled goodness of yesterday's news. Love you Dilli ki Sardi (Delhi Winter ).

Shubho Bijoya'r Priti o Shubhechcha

Shubho Bijoya'r Priti o Shubhechcha

Bijoya Greetings to all of you and your loved ones.

Bijoya is joyous occasion. Although a bit tearful in spirit as today is the day we bid adieu to Durga Ma and her children. BUT, Of course sadness was the predominant (and quite publicly noticeable) emotion when I was small. We used to be sad as it was the last day of the much awaited festival, the excitement which was carried in our little hearts for months in a row was ending. The  ‘Visarjaans’ or the departure of the pomp and grandeur of the Durga Thakur deities meant going back to the routine. The end of buying bhelpuris along the footpath sides, back to wearing the school uniforms and catching the early morning bus to school …Hmmm…time to moan indeed.

Image courtesy -festivals.iloveindia

Bijoya was the time when we used to dress up in in our best Pujo clothes and hop from house to house touching the feet of all elders, curious to taste their Bijoya special delights and receive a platter of sweets or savories for us visiting kids. Rating the houses based on the cooking skills of the kitchen owner an important part of the game.  Afterall we were the ones eating it all. So how soon we visited the house after visarjan was directly proportion to how soft their nadus (coconut sweets)were.

As a grown up now – we have Bijoya sammilani’s where all the families gather to exchange greetings and taste the festival sweets. This has indeed simplified the yesteryear's rituals, cutting short the greeting period to one day vis'a'vis over a month back then. The only thing that this common meeting place does not allow is rating the houses based on the quality of food. So taste spotting is a bygone ritual. Let me just uplift the spirits by saying – asche bochor aabar hobe (meaning ma will come again next year).

Till then- No matter where you are or how grown up you are now, whether or not you celebrate Durga puja or care for the symbolic  victory of good over evil, I wish you a Shubho Bijoya and a festive Dusshera!

Image courtesy - theotherhome.com