If Yan can cook

So can I.

Till I was 25, I had perhaps delved into making an occasional beverage, ready-to-cook noodles or sandwiches for myself. And then I got shipped to the UK, 2 bags with me, a small pressure cooker, a pan, some spices, etcetera, but no culinary skills.

The first week in UK, I stayed in a B&B. Meals were good at office and dinners were mostly with my most wonderful hosts - S S, K R and A J. Soon I moved to a house, coincidentally 2 doors away from them. Wanting to wait no further, I started experimenting in the kitchen from the next day on and nothing could rein me back then.

I started off - following a small recipe list scribbled by mom and followed the notes and measures as closely as I could. Surprisingly, I never burnt anything and things were always edible. Soon the waft of my cooking gained flight and I got confident enough to invite people over for dinner. Friends would be pleased to be invited, not just because I cooked all right, but also since I tried my hand at things they did not.

I love variety and I loved to cook pasta, pizzas, hot & sour soup, baked cheese veggies, fried rice and noodles. Whenever I cooked, I always took the trouble to add a platter of salads/fruits and a tomato or spinach soup to the meal. I found cooking pulses and paneer dishes so quick and easy that I wondered what the fuss about the ready sachets was all about.

We hosted a party for 20+ people a couple of times and everyone chipped in. It did not seem like a great load then. There were shortcuts of course - Pureed tomatoes, frozen parathas and double cream. And desiccated coconut and Turkish bread (instead of pav) when you don't get the ready thing.

The main incentive for me to invite people was that they generally appreciated stuff and welcomed me frequently to their places, adding even more variety to my palate. I relished the fresh roti subzi by my friend R D and devoured D G's bisibele bath. Though the taste was good, what linger yet are the memories of the parties, the hosts and the fun involved.

Last time I cooked, was months ago in New Jersey. But I manage to cook up stories yet.

Murudeshwar

Murudeshwar is a small village along coastal north Karnataka. It hosts a very ancient Shiva temple and has been part of the pilgrim circuit since a long time.

Today, the village boasts a resort, quiet beaches and decent tourist facilities thanks to the infrastructure set up by the R.N Shetty family (recall RNS motors?).

The trust has a neat R.N.S hotel with multi cuisine restaurants abutting the sea. You can laze away at the beach or just take in the views of the fisherfolk from your room balcony. I would rather hire the hotel kayaks or the water scooters. The trust has also provided for schooling and a hospital in the area. No wonder then that the entire area is also known as Shetty Land, without contempt.


The main attraction of the village is a mammoth Shiva statue which can be seen miles afar. The statue faces away from the sea and casts a vast shadow on the ocean waters at night. Other scenes from the Mahabharata are depicted by idols scattered along the park. The statue looks a luminescent purple in the day and sparkles silver at night.

Don't bother to take the boat rides in the ocean, unless you have nothing better to do. Save the boat ride for Malpe instead (See "Treasure Island") . It is worth visiting Murudeshwar for some hours or a night.

Link to R.N.S

Feels like 2006?

Pune, 31 Dec 2005

Last night, my nephew woke up around 5AM to ask for an additional blanket.This was inspite of wearing a warm blanket in addition to a duvet. And we were sleeping on a thick mattress in a room with most windows shut.It was probably 10 degrees Centigrade.

That's when my mind wandered to Kashmir and I was thinking about all the people freezing to death in the cold and possibly wet flimsy tents.It must be 4 degrees Centigrade there.Is it less painful to die when cold? Does it numb the senses sufficiently?Of course not! Where's the senses of this world gone?Why is it better to have nuclear arms rather than the warmth from nuclear energy?

And why is it better to be hungry in zimbabwe than to work for white farmers?And how does renaming a city or a station or a street solve any problems?We all know the problems, but we don't have the time or inclination to do much about it. We are as selfish as we were back in the 1900's.