Moving Big time!

yes..we are. Shifting to a new place, new area and to meet some new neighbors. My husband and I have this supposedly inane habit of moving E V E R Y T H I N G on our own and by our own. We did the first, the second and we are doing it yet again. That's some back bending work ppl! I better lose some pounds at the end of it all :)

Picture courtesy Inkshedstock

So until then, for the next few days, the burners at Culinary Bazaar's kitchen is going to be switched off! Oh come to think of it - the computers are going to be too. Hence I wouldnt be able to answer to your emails/comments pronto although I would like to see my inbox and comment section filled when I next open my mail ( Guess you get the message don't you ;). Have tried to be subtle enough! :)) Will be back with a brand new kitchen and yummy goodies. Stay around!

Dont forget to send in your entries to A.W.E.D Japan hosted by Lavi. Deadline is May 5th. Before signing off here is a Bill Gates joke I got in my mail :)

Bill Gates’ New House..

---

Bill Gates is moving into his new house. But all is not well and we found out...

Bill Gates: There are a few issues we need to discuss.
Contractor: Ah, you have our basic support option. Calls are free for the first 90 days and $75 a call thereafter. Okay?

Bill Gates: Uh, yeah... the first issue is the living room. We think it’s a little smaller than we anticipated.
Contractor: Yeah. Some compromises were made to have it out by the release date.

Bill Gates: We won't be able to fit all our furniture in there.
Contractor: Well, you have two options. You can purchase a new, larger living room; or you can use a Stacker.

Bill Gates: Stacker?
Contractor: Yeah, it allows you to fit as much furniture into the room by stacking it. Of course, you put the entertainment center on the couch and the chairs on the table etc. You leave an empty spot, so when you want to use some furniture you can un-stack what you need and then put it back when you're done.

Bill Gates: Uh... I dunno... issue two. The second issue is the light fixtures. The bulbs we brought with us from our old home won't fit. The threads run the wrong way.
Contractor: Oh! That's easy. Those bulbs aren't plug and play. You'll have to upgrade to new bulbs.

Bill Gates: And the electrical outlets? The holes are round not rectangular. How do I fix that?
Contractor: Just uninstall and reinstall the electrical system.

Bill Gates: You're kidding!
Contractor: "Nope. It’s the only way.

Bill Gates: (sigh) Well! I have one last problem. Sometimes when I have guests over, someone will flush the toilet and it won't stop. The water pressure drops so low that the showers don't work.
Contractor: That's a resource leakage problem. One fixture is failing to terminate and is hogging the resources preventing access from other fixtures.

Bill Gates: And how do I fix that?
Contractor: Well, after each flush you all need to exit the house. Turn off the water at the street, turn it back on, re-enter the house and then you can get back to work.

Bill Gates: That's the last straw. What kind of product are you selling me?
Contractor: Hey, if you don't like it nobody made you buy it.

Bill Gates: And when will this be fixed?
Contractor: Oh, in your next house that will be ready to release sometime near the end of next year. Actually it was due out this year, but we've had some delays.

aaah! Special moment at LA times

It feels great to be mentioned, in a good way of course.All the more if it is by someone like LA times.



Elina Shatkin mentioned and put my carrot cupcakes with mascarpone frosting up in a pedestal with her article for daily dish. My cupcakes are blushing "Orange" :)

A Father at the age of 13 yrs?????? What is this world coming to?

In ancient India - oh well, as recently as probably 50yrs ago- it was common for child marriages to happen. Now things have turned around quite a bit. I was very shocked to know just few months back, a woman of my age having 2 kids aged 11yrs and 9yrs! I kept saying my god - you managed to finish half your life even before I started mine :)



Source : Youtube, url : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzOakmhu8pM

But my shock is nothing - absolutely nothing compared to this following article about a boy who is just 13years old - he looks 6yrs to me! - having had a baby now with his girlfriend of 15yrs!!!

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2233878.ece

Does'nt the :father" look like a baby himself???

Read for yourselves....what do you think? Are you as shocked as me? Or its not a big deal?

Phew! I DID IT - FINALLY! What do you think?

For those who already read this post of mine, you would know what a lousy cake decorater I am, and how I was trying to break free of that black mark!!! I tried my hand at that last time (photos in this post), and it took me quite a while to get to the next one. I know its not perfect - but then for having learnt on my own with no help/guidance, I just feel like congratulating myself!



As I mentioned, my better half got me a complete Cake decorating set - so that I could at least do my due diligence in getting rid of this unneccessary phobia and that kit come along with a book which shows the various ways I could use the kit. I made this wedding cake by following the instructions to the tee - my only imagination/creativity lies in choosing the colors.



It still is not perfect - I couldnt make the cake stands perfectly straight - I messed something in there - dunno what! But this presentation looked really good - more so in person than in this picture. All in all - I was so ecstatic that I thought I will share it with you all :) I dunno how long this decoration takes generally but for me - it took almost one whole day! At the end of it I was like P.H.E.W


I invite you to contribute your tips, tricks and experiences in the comment section, which would enable novices like me to expand more...

Update : HAVING FUN WITH PLAGIARISM? OR IS IT WITH READER'S TRUST?

Update

It takes a hell lot of strength and will power to come out and apologize for one's mistakes and I totally commend this person for the same. Few mails and discussions later, all I can say is that I only see character of the person and therefore, this issue stands closed. Thank you for all your support and such things only go on to show what a beautiful community we have, as food bloggers, made for ourselves and how much we should cherish every bit of it.They say that "There is nothing constant than change" but I hope that we bloggers are an exception to the rule for the fact that our support for another is everlasting.

******************************************

I have never before really been an active member in voicing out about plagiarism. No, not because I dint care,but cos I knew that each one of us is only too aware of it and has been fighting day in and day out about the same. But in the recent months, I sadly have come across a site which although one of us..does not care much - Not for originality, not for honesty and neither about breaking that unspoken rule of credibility which we as bloggers try so hard to wear around us. Just because this person doesn't take pics from bloggers ( at least I hope so!) does it mean that they can be let scot free?

I am not a regular to this blog as such, but the few times I happened to visit I noticed few patterns which my instincts doubted. I shared it with my best friend who was not really convinced because this person is quite popular and I left it at that, thinking may be I was simply being too paranoid. But yesterday, I happened to see some pictures taken from other source and I couldnt find credit in this blog. Now I was really irritated and mailed out to my Recipe Marathon group just to verify my doubts. And it came to that, few of them did have their own questions about this person's antics...while few others were obviously oblivious to this whole deal. Few more mails were exchanged where more and more such dubious posts were found.

I don't want to name names..but this post comes as a question to this person ( who I am sure will read it!) - curious one though but at the same time in shell shocked tones. I want to know the reason behind such antics..

1) Is it the lack of respect for the readers who are being taken for a ride for the trust of genuinity that they place upon YOU?

2)Is it the totally uncaring attitude about all the hard work which is put in by so many of bloggers who take lots of pains to put up a post - most of them - for no benefit except probably friendship and comments.

3) Is the monetary value that YOU try to bring in through such readers mean so much to you than an iota of self worth and self respect?

Dont YOU want to start enjoying that satisfaction and contentment that we as bloggers enjoy? Dont you want to begin to understand what it is to be taken for a ride which u have been inflicting upon readers for so long by trying cheap antics like overboard marketing, shameless self commenting in your own blog under different/anonymous names , lifting pictures/recipes which are not ur own but passing it off likewise without crediting the source etc?


Pls wake up and come to our side of the world and learn the happiness of being genuine. Money/popularity may come and go..but never ever will the feeing of contentment leave your side if you do it RIGHT.

At this juncture, I want to ask all my blogger friends - Why do you blog? What pulls you/ inspires you to blog? I would love to know so that I am assured of the fact that we are on the same page. If not, I would like to rectify and not expect few things which I think is LAW as far as blogging goes.

Invisible yet so present!......

Hi Guyz! I know I have been missing - thanks to all your kind e-mails and a special thanks to Sumathi - a non-blogger reader of mine, who threatened me with spam if I dint get back to blogging soon :) This is one blackmail I would luv to keep receiving :)

Ok coming to the reason. Between looming deadlines ( startups give you hell!!!!!), relatives staying over and other commitments, I lacked "motivation" to blog. That doesnot mean I havent been cooking or taking photos. Interestingly enough, I have been taking photos - its just sitting down to upload the snaps and blog about them, that the lack of motivation hit me.

Give me few more days and I will soon blast your feedrolls with delicious and myriad recipes and make it worth your while :) :) [ Siri - You sure will find more Indian recipes soon..yeah U can put your eyes inside your sockets :) ]

In the meanwhile, if you think I am going to let you forget about this AWED Vietnamese Event, the jokes on you. Lurking or not, I would still be greedy for your recipes ( haah! what did U think!)..Send them over and I will get to all your recipes soon. The deadline is 30th September. More details here.

Until then cooking like crazy in my kitchen for you guyz
DK

Are we really Free?

My land has given me so much that I doubt if it is really possible to give all that back. You would say, if you really wanted you sure can and where there is a will there is way. But then when on the weight of that proverb, I tried to go out of my way to extend my "repayment", I was opposed by way of ill will, grudge, corruption, selfish interests or lack of much needed responsibility. So can I rest in peace knowing that the aid that I gave for my fellow in suffering was actually serving as a diamond necklace in a fat neck somewhere else? How do I know? How do I trust?

Doing my part in the society which is referred to as "Social Service" was an inborn interest. I say so cos I got it through my mother's genes. She dint have the needed "opportunities" to do anything major but she wanted to give back to her country in her way, however small it was - like conserving electricity, avoiding wastages, not being rude to any living soul, by conserving our clothes carefully so that she could give to our servant maid without a tear in the clothing, teaching unfortunate kids etc. I did my bit in my school days by doing service in the local slum.

Every year we are given a day of from school/work on our Indian Independence day or we are "forced" to attend school to salute our flag. Do we realise the importance? Where do the politicians and "authoritative figures" who slam down celebrities for misusing our flag vanish when the same flag is strewn all over the roads at the end of this day for the whole crowd to trample upon? So this independence day, I sit down with a pen etching out the flowing questions - Are we really developed? Have we really progressed? Is it justified to progress for progress sake with no change in attitude? Are we really free?

At one time, the parasites lived of us
Leeches sucked our blood
The land was ours but owned by the heartless klutz
While we slaved and wore poverty as our hood

Then few lions roused and woke us from our inane slumber
Held hands, lifted others , marchedon red tears shed by our being
It dint come easy but at last we were free from further plunder
When we were given the right to be on our own land's sheen

Days went by, months flew past and years rolled
We seem to be looking ahead, heads held high
But are we really free? Arent women still on roads sold
Arent killing an innocent unborn girlchild on high

So many ppl have the hot earth as their bed,
and the sun and moon as their light sources
They live on a morsel of food and day to day dread
illiteracy abundant all over with its ugly traces

We smile in front with knives behind ready to stab?
We absolutely love to hate, to grudge !
Its after all our brothers and sisters, born in our land
Why not live and let live without this hatred ridge

The name may be different, the colour varied, belief unique
but there is same blood running in the skin's beneath
We share the same air, live on nature's link
Have we forgotten that we all are Earth's children underneath?

So are we really free? Can we look into our progress instead of neighbour's?
Can we see what we can do rather than check how much the other has done?
Will it be possible to love without expecting something in return?
To smile with genuine happiness instead of dislike and condemn?


Is it possible? Can we be really free?

Questions! They are always there - But pushing them at the back of the mind for now, I wish warm and heartiest Independance Day to all my fellow Indian bloggers.

Food Riddles

Some Fun riddles for you to guess :)

created for Open Sesame 1:

Riddle 1

I have a crown yet I am not the king
You cut my crown and feet off with a fling

I carry lots of eggs, yet I nothing but a veggie
Even with all that I am thin and long not pudgy

I am green and I am gooey
If u dont pay attention, I will make your dish go mushy and chewy

I do good to your health and to you brain
Which is what your elders told you without refrain
Now its up to you to think and guess
To who I am ...Cos I am good too and no less.

_____________________

Riddle 2:

I am the queen or am I the King
A very little of me goes a long way

I am part of a team and we all cling
including me will make your dish yellow and gay

You can include me in all
All you have to do is to pinch and call
Tell me what you think of me and dont think twice
Cos I am royal spice of all and will cost u every single penny!

____________________________________

Riddle 3:

I am old and ancient and in many places a staple
health and longevity are wonders I wear like a lapel

My different forms give different taste
one form is enjoyed in the mornings - eaten in haste!
Another form is in form of soups and porridge
Or in forms of plain or stuffed breads

I thrive in the hot summers..But make you feel good and warm
I am good to people although many just use me for feeding birds and cattle in farms
I am just no mean and lowly grass with striking resemblance to maize
I have 'pearls' of wisdom to share if you want, to listen to me with grace

People with celiac turn to me
I give you fibre and irons, so rich i am for the world to see
Now sit tight and give it a hard thought - be clever be sane
to guess who I am, the highly nutritious and healthful whole grain.

______________________________________

Riddle 4:

I am golden yet not pricey
I can sometimes blush red but am no shy missy

I go green but i am not jealous
I know many like me for which I am over zealous

Cook me raw, eat me ripe
I give no room for gripe
People become me when they are mad or furious
Oh well, says not me, but Oxford and thesaurus

Every stage and every part of this being is put to use and for giving flavour
Be it the feet, the hands and me being the fruit of its labour
I am crescent shaped but am no moon
Dont delay, Think hard and tell me who I am, soon..

____________________________________

Riddle 5:

A moniker in my name for a city
A phrase with me will make you cherished
I am so good for you in my utter simplicity
In Medical dictionary the fact so furnished

I am so famous in the world of bytes
Known for many aspects of usage
I am fat and rotound and make crunchy bites
My fame known from many religious traditions - right from the old age

Am, I forbidden? Or mystical ?
or the eternal giver of Youth
I consists of five internal carpels
Am good for good health of your mouth

I am as basic a fruit as you can think of
Or as hard if you dont try enough
If You eat me on a day to day basis
Then you dont have worry about anything - be it cold or dry cough

__________________________________

Riddle 6:

I think I am a pleased woman since I blush so much
I am so soft and shiny to your delicate touch
But look what I have for relatives, so different with no common string
one used for smoking, one for hotness, one used to refer idler and one referred as veggie's King

I am not what you refer to me most often
I am 'fruit' of labour but never called one so
I am neither a wolf nor a peach in the scale of one to ten
but then why do you think I am called one as so?

I can go green with envy, or completely red with anger
A little crown on my head makes my walk look like a swagger
You cant do without me in your day to day cooking
Tell me what veggie I am without too much thinking.

______________________________

Riddle 7:

I am a grass , or am I a cereal or a grain
I am everywhere and in almost all the foods you eat
My whole being used in many ways without restrain
I offer you something which is so hard to beat

I am as old as you can think of me to be
Thought to be originated from the land of camels
I am breakfast, lunch and dinner for all to see
Or be it desserts from cakes , pies to caramels

I am famous all over the world from east to west
As breads, flatbreads , cookies to muffins
I am v healthy and like a treasure chest
For ppl - weight conscious and its healthy kins

Buckle up and take a pen and a paper
I am yellow when alive, brown when put to 'dust'
Eating me makes you look so dapper
Now think hard and tell me what is that grain that we all genuinely trust

____________________________

Riddle 8:

I am a flower but adorn a bouquet, I do not
I have an inbuilt perfume in my being
So strong and so intense that my oil will make your insides 'hot'
My medical impact all over the world seen.

My 'Yorubas' infusion is the 'savior' of star wars
I have been used as a barter by the fellow 'sadiqi's' during trades
One does not have to fight tooth or 'nail' for me
I am usually pink but mostly available browned in shades

I may be dry , I may overpower your tongue
But add a little for that midas touch
Come now, start thinking of that spice
Whose bite make your 'teeth' say Ouch!

- Copyright by DK

Awards, Meme and a Recipe Marathon ( and yes...a very long post! ;-))

I always find myself immensely gratified when I know that I have been in someone's thoughts, have touched them in some way or the other - esp when I havent done anything extraordinary enough to earn such a goodwill. I do wish to of course :) and so when an such a thought is accompanied with an award, it makes me feel humble and happy :)

Lathamma has touched so many people for being what she is and to know that I have been in her thoughts makes it especial for me. Thank U Lathamma for passing on this award to me. It sure means a lot to me.

I know I am defying a specific instruction here, but instead of giving what she thought she is going to get, I am giving Siri this award. I dont think I really have to elaborate why - but the word Friendship has taken a new meaning in the dictionary of my life and I owe this K2 ( Do spam her comment section for the full form of K2 if interested!;-)) for that.

*************************************************************************

She is such a lively person and a girl after my own heart. I can relate so much to her writing as something which I would write in my own. And to get an Award from her was sure a pleasant surprise. Thanks dear Kalai for thinking me worthy enough for giving me this Award.


"Yummy blog award is the award given to the blog with most yummy recipes/photos”

As for the Rules :
Refer below for my desserts :) and as far as passing this onto 4 other bloggers, I am in a single minded thought. Every blogger who cooks and painstakingly tries to capture its essence for the rest of us, deserves this award. Our recipes and our pictures mean a lot to us and so I would like to pass it on to all the food bloggers for their blogs - remarkable and yummy in different ways than one :)

Jamie tagged me v recently for Top 10 Picture Meme and it couldnt have come at a better time - esp when I was going to do this post anyway :) [ My lazy life made easier ;)) I was quite indecisive in listing out my top 10, so picked randomly :) Here they are :-

1) Vegetarian Paella



2) Jambalaya



3) Mac n Cheese



4) Mushroom Nut Roast



5) OOB Bread



6) Saffron Tea Loaf



7) Berry Healthy Ricotta Dessert



8) Raspberry Cake With Buttercream Icing



9)Eggless Chocolate Cake



10) Ginger cookies



Now that does not mean that you can skip my other recipes ok ? ;-)I may compromise on my photos but not my taste buds! I dunno who else have done this already - so if you have not and you are interested, feel free to do this tag :) But I am making it compulsory for Siri ( Gotcha!-No excuses!)

Ok Now coming to the Marathon. I have this inane habit. Whenever I am piled high on work, I go and pile some more on my head! I think I take that from my mom! Its only when she gets sick, she would put her full attention to that 'visible only through microscope' dirt and scrub like no tomorrow. I do the same! So just when I was grumbling my hearts out to Siri that the work has reached a brobdingnagian quantity that we both came up with another one. But this one is instead going to rejuvenate me cos it involves - You guessed right - FOOD :-D

So we both have planned to start a Recipe Marathon. As the name suggests, we are planning on a Non-Stop Recipe Blogging starting from 17th of May till 31st May. One Recipe Each Day. Simple / Difficult. Known/ Unknown.

DH is all about bringing the interest of all food bloggers together, so keeping that intact - we wanted to compile recipe list based on different categories, so that makes recipe searching easier. Simply said - One Stop Shop.

So whatever we cook on those days, will get placed in the respective section for everyone's perusal, esp when time is short and searching is little luxuriant. Its an open invitation to all of You to join us along and take part in Recipe Marathon with us. ( Jus let us know your interest in the comment section and we will take note). All those who are involved can link to the rest of the participants blog so that all get to know. Siri will take your Recipe Url and post it in the respective section in the forum too.

But yes, if you are interested, you can post your URL's anyway for all of us in that section ( irrespective of whether you are participating or not in Recipe Marathon ). This way we build a database for all to see. Take a look at the outline of how it is going to be here to get an idea.

Ex. If you have a Vegetarian rice recipe, go to Recipe Marathon - Vegetarian - Rice Recipes section, - Write your dish name ( link it with your recipe URL) and your name by the side. Simple and helpful.

Simply said what you would have to do for Recipe Marathon

1. Post Recipes everyday from 17th to 31st (anything damn simple to hard..whatever u can but it should be a recipe )

2.Mention the word: Recipe Marathon in your post

3.Will let you know who all are into this Marathon by 17th... You have to link their sites with your day's posts , so that we all know abt others. ( or u can simply copy the links from our posts ;) makes ur life easier )

4. Siri will put your recipe link into the forum under the specific category it fits in..

So lets Get Set and Go from 17th shall we ? :)

Gratified at the humongous Response for DH , some fun stuff and a reminder

I would be underplaying if I said that, 'I am too excited'. Is there a superlative to feeling felicitous ? Cos that exactly how I feel for having earned the support of so many of you for the inauguration of Dining Hall. I assure you this is jus the start.

Siri and me have planned a lot of fun stuff in collaboration with the forum. Nothing like mixing pleasure with serious stuff ;-). There is a seperate Category called IFL - International Food League within the forum wherein we are planning to conduct some fun contests for all of us.

It is going to be series of different contests and the theme are subject to changes. We wanted to begin the contest in a very light note and here is the basic overlay of the new contest.

Its called 'Open Sesame' ( trust us to correlate even the title with food!) Its fun but if taken seriously( yes that means rules and being sportive ;-)), you are sure to win prizes! and some brownie points as well for every stage of the game. The person with maximum points accumulated in 6 months stands to win another prize! So there are Prizes galore! Do you need any more persuasion to participate?

This contest is basically to bring out all that hidden/displayed creativity and talent to the fore in order to inspire the rest of us! ( God knows how much I need it!) And if you love riddles , then you will love this contest all the more...For details pls chk out this space tomorrow. And yes! You have to be registered in order to participate :-D (Meanie me!!)

And yes, one Reminder. I know all this new developments can be distracting but that does not mean, I will let you forget that your contribution for A.W.E.D Event - Mexicois very much expected.



I have already got some real droolworthy and mind boggling mexican delights and hope to see more. So buck up , the deadline is May 15th. Plan accordingly since things are gettinhg v v hectic in blog-o-sphere! :-)

Invite to the house warming ceremony of OUR new home

"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give. "
-- Winston Churchill

This is going to special invite to all of you ( not an another event dont you worry ;-) ) to join me into our new home. By our, I mean You and Me. Yes you read right. YOU and ME. No, I have not been adopted by Bill Gates nor did I get anything from his foundation and nor has any wealthy prince gotton besotted with me or something. This home is not built by bricks but by words, experiences, a vision - a vision to share,mingle and get together with like minded people, with a notion of making knowledge easily available in terms of 'Gastronomy'.

Sharing our knowledge never killed us, instead it only helps us to grow. This blogging community has encouraged , cherished and honoured my meagre existance in the blogging arena generously in the past few months of my inception. I still remember the day when like a blushing and shy bride, I placed my gingerly toes with my first post wondering if I am still sane to even attempt something like this. But nothing was more exciting to see comments after comments and e-mails pouring in from all quarters - words which made me feel utmost welcome.

I felt almost complete when another hand sought mine with a promise of everlasting friendship, a hand belonging to a faceless yet so beautiful entity who felt like a twin of mine and whom I had come to find thanks to blogging. And together Siri and I wanted to give back something to this community which took v v good care of us. We felt v sad to see Dining Hall go into an extinct state. We dint want the idea of Indira, so wonderfully cherished by her and loved by all of us , to go into oblivion. It played a wonderful part esp for both of us and we wanted it to remain.

And here I come into the main part of the invite. Pls welcome yourself into the new abode , a new mansion yet still laid on the former foundation - a common haven for all us - a new forum based Dining Hall (Bhags, now we know u r one sherlock homles! U beat us out to the announcement!)

We would be glad if all those, who had previously contributed articles, could do so again for this forum too which will keep those intact for all of us to see. In case of any queries pls do mail us at dininghall AT reciplicity DOT com and it will answered asap by either me or Siri.

This forum from now can only grow and grow it will with all your support and encouragement. Hope you like what you see.

When it Rains - It pours.....

...and it sure is, in my part of the world. I am humbled to an unexplainable extent at things which are happening very fast - so fast that, though I want to grasp and enjoy every bit of it - am not able to.

First things first - The deadline for the Potato Fe(a)st Event is fast approaching - 2 more days to go and if you havent sent me that secret potato recipe which makes everyone go totally ga-ga - pls do so immeditely. Cant wait! :)

Its been only 6 months but they seem so rewarding ; worth of 6 yrs of blogging - obviously since I have made some super duper talented friends and who taught me and continue to teach me some remarkable stuff - noesis! Your encouragement and comments have been every bit of fodder to my efforts. My peppiness has only grown what with awards being sent my way.

Siri, sent me this Excellent Blog Award. I appreciate this award a lot but it is nothing compared to how much I value our friendship which bloomed and mystified us like an aurora borealis - colorful and mystical.Our similarities are mind boggling - even to the point of Viji being the one to comment on both of our blogs first!!



I havent forgotton the day when Bee & Jai gave me my first award. The energy boost was immense! Keeping that in mind, I see so many new bloggers ( have to thank the event for that) and they have blogged some AMAZING recipes and if this is what their initial first steps are going to be - I am waiting to see what they come up with next. I am passing this award to those - to continue the remarkable stuff they are doing and feast both our eyes and mouth in the coming years.

It goes to the ppl I have mentioned below for the reasons mentioned above:

1) Saswati

2) Maya

3) Eskay

4) Jayashree


Keep rocking girls. Luking fwd to your delicious creations.

My next award comes from Jayashree who really had wonderful things to say about me. I am honored Jay. Thank you.



"Nice Matters Award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world.”

The above holds so true to so many of you that the list I have in mind is endless! This award is probably another one among your already flourishing Award Shelves, but one cant show their appreciation enough towards such ppl.

1) Indira :- Do I even have to say why ? One look at her blog and write up and U will know what I am talking about.

2) Asha : When I think Asha, I think of a v young bubbly and enthusiastic teenager who just loves the way the world is. Young/Old her way of jus envoloping you in her warm embrace is too enticing to ignore. Love you Asha for what you are and be that way always. ( I am guessing that probably Asha is the only one who has awards more than her cookbooks! ( which BTW is wayyyyyyy lots! ;-) ) - chk out the comments section for the cheeky answer which she is sure to come up! Asha's trademark! :)

3) Bee & Jai : They are to the blogging world what Aamir Khan is to Bollywood. Both perfectionist and both who dont believe in the concept of awards. I would probably be given a sound thrashing from dear Bee for giving this - but am prepared to take that for the fact that I admire the dynamic couple for what they are :)

4) Viji : Another person whom I cant really say anything about! No not because there is nothing to say - but cos whatever I say would feel so less and inept and will not be able to do justice to her! She is so wonderful and I am blessed to have her friendship.

5) Last but def not the least - my best gal pal - Siri . You deserve an award for just being you - leave alone what nautanki's u come up with in your blog :-D Jokes apart - I can never forget the day I almost fell asleep listening to that wonderful yanni's song in the bckgrnd of ur blog and a story post! Fun times that! hehehehe - ok before you start hurling abuses all the way 'from where you are' - lemme say you are the best thing that ever happened to me ( of course apart from 'You-Know-Who'. ok ok I accept - am a Harry potter's fan! )

All said and done - I have to be honest with you all. The above awards would not have been possible at all if not for that silent person in the bckground, who contributed way lots than I can possibly imagine in this field of cooking. I am what I am in this and if at all today I have ppl to appreciate what I do - the credit goes to my best half who encouraged, bore all my experiments, was an excellent critic and mentor and who patiently waits for his favourite foods ( which are pushed off mostly in the back burner! Awe comeone - got to finish for the 'never ending events' first! ) and was the first one ever to call me 'his personal and excellent chef' ( my mom still laughs at that one! Hmph!). So I am giving this award to the person who is the reason for my cooking expeditions - My husband



:) :) :) [ He said he wud rather be called a Kodiak bear but who ever heard of a Guinea Kodiak Bear! ]

This has been one looong post! Thanks for patiently reading through this whole novel(!!). I have been caught up with my work area and many other commitments which I stepped into when I thought I had lots of time (stupid me!) and they are overwhelming me. Thats probably the main reason why I have not been lurking to your sites as often as I would like to. Hoping to get some important things done and then get back with vengeance. Bear with me during this time. As for the round up - I will try to post within the 2nd week of March. Thanks once again for your encouragement and participation in this event. I am totally gratified at your response :)

My Memoirs and Nostalgic moments of 2007

"I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty. - (John D. Rockefeller, Jr.) "

Year 2007.

Every night, I have this habit of going through what I did the whole day, and if I feel I have done something useful, then it makes me fall into a blissful sleep.Thanks to Zorra and Nupur, I took this journey back to my v humble beginnings;Not so long ago - Its been a hectic but a wonderfully content 3 complete months.

I realised that I was indeed contributing something back to all those who gave me lots more,the day when Cynthia commented with the following "Has it only been 3 months? You have made such a significant contribution that it seems that you have been around for a very long time. Congrats on the 50th post and here's to many, many more."

Nothing gives a food blogger more satisfaction than having such encouraging friends and viewers like you all. The idea of starting a food blog started way back in the beginning of the year, but I dint put my thoughts into action - excuses were many - but they dint sustain long enough. After my very first post, I was wondering why in god's name would anyone find mine any different when there are already hoards and hoards of award winning bloggers already at full swing!

But little did I know of the overwhelming and tremendous support coming my way from all my fellow bloggers, friends and also many others who judiciously come to my site although without leaving a comment, but whose imprints ( stats of course! ) makes me feel more encouraged and energetic to go on and on.

Every dish is equally cherished and so it was indeed v hard to choose one, but since I had to I have these listed below for the reasons mentioned.

1) Baked Ricotta with Berries : I consider this one as my first real photo, cos after arranging this and taking a photo, my mom who till date dint believe that I was indeed cooking up a storm ( courtesey : my husband ) saw and kept asking me if I indeed had made that! She was astounded and proud! And what else do I need between a proud mother and a burping hubby! Nothing :-)

2) Cranberry and Apple Pie : I felt honoured beyond reckoning when by chance I stumbled upon this site with 25 Best Thanksgiving Pie Recipes Ever and saw mine at the 6th place! Thanks to Baking Delights who gave me incentive to dare to dream! That was an unparalleled moment till date and which I am sending to Sandra and Zorra

3) Panettone Pudding I made this cos I thought it would be v different from usual bread pudding. Earlier when I was searching for Panettone - I was subjected to blank stares and wonderment where shopkeepers asked me if I was searching for the right thing. My hubby had wonderful hilarious moments when he was like now you have started asking for unknown things!But one day I did get it and no one minded eating their words along with the pudding! But more than that, the number of hits I have had for that post is mindboggling to say the least. I know for a fact that even while writing this post, I have 2 people reading that post. My 2nd most popular post after the pie.

My hand was itching to add few more, but then Year 2008 dawns pretty soon and it gives me hope for another blissful year by the end of which, I am hoping to break my head even more for my best recipe. My learnings to continue with you all next year too.

Am sending this post to Nupur along with wishing everyone a Wonderful and a prosperous New Year

My 'Bomb'astic Wishes Coming Ur Way !

The earthern lights sparkling with all their glory
Is it bcos they are pleased of the dark wars fought?
Dancing to the tunes of the gentle breeze whishing by
Let us hear it close..are they telling us a mythical story ?





The vibarant colors on the ground - all displaying their wares
Competing with each other to prove their exhuberance
What do they say ? Arent they there to set the festive mood
Guess its obvious from their happy and vivacious stares..





The nose has embarked a journey of its own..blame the delicious smells
Mother's handiwork so obvious ..the sweets and the condiments
The jaw on its automated grinding, with something to taste so often
oh, what else to do, what else to think, my mind on the past so dwells






The sky so alight, so bright, tarnishing the dark power's grip
Enlightening the people about the presence of the good & positive world
Reliving a story of the war's victory of the good over the bad..
Ahh..Diwali...those days...join in with me to take that nostalgic trip




Oh yes! I admit..I am so nostalgic...How else would I be.. Festivals in India have an aura of their own..There is this that special magic touch which makes everyone enjoy,bring them close together..makes them forget those nitty gritty arguments and fights. It makes us all so one.

I remember those days in my grandparent's place where all my aunts and uncles and cousins ( we were quite a number! ) got together at one place. We used to get up so early ( never did we mind getting up then ) around 3:00 am, taking turns in getting the traditional Oil bath, wear those new clothes, having diwali concoction ( legiyam ), run out and burst crackers to the heartest content, pray and then pounce on those delicious variety of sweets and savouries! those days!

Those days, my diwali highlight used to be the fact that I dint have to study(!!), would get new dresses, could eat tasty food made with so much love and effort.It was carefree...

Now days, my diwali highlight is the fact that I still dont have to study ( :-) ), i can go and buy wonderful clothes for not only me but also for my special someone and that I have that beautiful oppurtunity to make tasty food for my loved ones...Its a different scenario, different feeling..But both of them have one underlining factor - That infectious Diwali spirit!

Such was the spirit that I totally forgot to take snaps of the sweets while making them..was enjoying more the fact of making them than taking the photo and it was my dear hubby who was astounded that the camera was not around ( which in turn shocked me...My hubby and such an observation! ) ..

On this note, lemme extend my heartiest and warmest diwali wishes to you and to your family..Hope you all have a blast (pun intended! )...

Addendum :

I got a few suggestion to send this post as an entry to Vee's Jihva Special Edition Event which I have now! Hope u llike it Vee...

My Heartiest Vijayadasami Greetings

Saraswati Namasthubyam, Varade Kamarupini

Vidhya rambam Karishyami,sidhir bavathumey sadha

Goddess Saraswati is epitome of "Wealth"

--> The Wealth of Knowledge,

--> Wealth of Creativity,

--> Wealth of the Abundant Talent that each one of us possess.

She is the mother of Veda's and giver of the creative intelligence.

And if this is not the true wealth, then what else is?

My Vijayadasami Greetings to all my Wonderful, Very Creative and Immensely Talented Blogger friends and families