We are going to Thirupathi for Sriram's mottai and ear-piercing ceremony. Hope we get darshan without much hassle.
M.S. Subbulaxmi's demise was one of the incidents that shook me hard. She was a great legend and a devotee. We can keep listening to her 'Katrinile varum geetham' and 'Sabhaapathikku' forever. Though I'm not a great carnatic music lover, I've been listening to her songs for a long time now. Too bad, she had to pass away. That also brought a thought onto my mind. No matter how rich or intelligent a person is, only the good things that he/she did remains after one dies.
Today I went to the passport office to file passport for Sriram. The whole procedure was hassle free. I was out within two hours. A government office working efficiently is surely a good sign.
Thursday, December 23, 2004
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Today's recipe...
Potato, Pasta and Pesto soup
Cooking Time : 18 mins.Preparation Time : 10 mins.Serves 4.
Ingredients
1 cup potato, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 cup carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup onions, finely chopped
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons macaroni or shell pasta
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
To be ground into a pesto
12 to 14 basil leaves
2 or 3 walnuts, halved
1 large clove garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil or oil
For the garnish
4 tablespoons grated cheese
How To Proceed
1.Heat the butter in a pan, add the potato, carrots and onions and sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes.
2.Add the milk, macaroni, 2 cups of hot water, salt and pepper and simmer for about 10 to 12 minutes until the pasta is cooked.
3.Just before serving, reheat the soup, add the parsley, prepared pesto and mix well.
4.Serve hot, topped with the cheese.
Handy tip(s) :
1.You can add 2 teaspoons of ready pesto instead of the paste mentioned above. Add the pesto just before you serve the soup as it will retain its colour
Potato, Pasta and Pesto soup
Cooking Time : 18 mins.Preparation Time : 10 mins.Serves 4.
Ingredients
1 cup potato, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 cup carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup onions, finely chopped
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons macaroni or shell pasta
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
To be ground into a pesto
12 to 14 basil leaves
2 or 3 walnuts, halved
1 large clove garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil or oil
For the garnish
4 tablespoons grated cheese
How To Proceed
1.Heat the butter in a pan, add the potato, carrots and onions and sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes.
2.Add the milk, macaroni, 2 cups of hot water, salt and pepper and simmer for about 10 to 12 minutes until the pasta is cooked.
3.Just before serving, reheat the soup, add the parsley, prepared pesto and mix well.
4.Serve hot, topped with the cheese.
Handy tip(s) :
1.You can add 2 teaspoons of ready pesto instead of the paste mentioned above. Add the pesto just before you serve the soup as it will retain its colour
Thursday, December 16, 2004
I was stuck yesterday at a friend's wedding reception. So I couldn't post my weekly recipe.
So here it goes today...
Spring Soup
Cooking Time : 45 mins.
Preparation Time : 15 mins.
Serves 6 to 8.
Ingredients
2 onions
2 potatoes
4 spring onions or leeks
2 carrots
100 grams cauliflower
100 grams green peas
5 to 6 french beans
1 tablespoon plain flour (maida)
100 grams fresh cream
4 tablespoons grated cheese
2 tablespoons buttersalt
and pepper to taste
Method
1. Cut the onions and potatoes into big pieces, add 6 teacups of water and cook in a pressure cooker.
2. When cooked, blend the mixture in a liquidiser and strain the stock.
3. Slice the spring onions and carrots and cut the cauliflower into small pieces.
4. Heat the butter in a vessel and fry the onions, carrots, cauliflower, green peas and french beans for 5 minutes.
5. Add the stock and the flour mixed in a little water and boil until the vegetables are cooked.
6. Add the cream, half of the cheese and salt and pepper.
7. Serve hot with the balance cheese.
So here it goes today...
Spring Soup
Cooking Time : 45 mins.
Preparation Time : 15 mins.
Serves 6 to 8.
Ingredients
2 onions
2 potatoes
4 spring onions or leeks
2 carrots
100 grams cauliflower
100 grams green peas
5 to 6 french beans
1 tablespoon plain flour (maida)
100 grams fresh cream
4 tablespoons grated cheese
2 tablespoons buttersalt
and pepper to taste
Method
1. Cut the onions and potatoes into big pieces, add 6 teacups of water and cook in a pressure cooker.
2. When cooked, blend the mixture in a liquidiser and strain the stock.
3. Slice the spring onions and carrots and cut the cauliflower into small pieces.
4. Heat the butter in a vessel and fry the onions, carrots, cauliflower, green peas and french beans for 5 minutes.
5. Add the stock and the flour mixed in a little water and boil until the vegetables are cooked.
6. Add the cream, half of the cheese and salt and pepper.
7. Serve hot with the balance cheese.
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
Recipe of the week:
Spicy Stir-Fried Noodles
Cooking Time : 10 mins.
Preparation Time : 10 mins.
Serves 3 to 4.
Ingredients
100 grams rice noodles (dried rice vermicelli)
6 to 8 basil leaves
3/4 cup paneer (cottage cheese), cut into cubes
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 to 2 green chillies, finely chopped
1/4 cup french beans, thinly sliced
1/4 cup carrots, cut into thin match sticks
1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, roasted and chopped
1 tablespoon soya sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons oil
salt and pepper to taste
For the garnish
6 spring onions (including greens), chopped
2 tablespoons red cabbage, sliced
How To Proceed
1. Place the noodles in a large bowl.
2. In a pan, boil about 1 litre of water with some salt. When it comes to a boil, pour the water over the raw rice noodles. Cover and keep aside for 10 minutes or till the noodles are soft.
3. Drain and keep aside.
4. Heat the oil in a pan, add basil leaves and saute for a minute. Drain and keep aside.
5. In the same oil and saute the paneer. Drain and keep aside.
6. Heat the same oil again, add the garlic, green chillies, french beans, carrots, mushrooms and celery and saute for 2 minutes.
7. Add the rice noodles, peanuts, soya sauce, sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper and 4 tablespoons of water and toss well.
8. Serve hot garnished with spring onions and red cabbage.
Handy tip(s) :
1. Prepare this recipe as close to serving time as possible as it is not a good idea to re-heat it.
Spicy Stir-Fried Noodles
Cooking Time : 10 mins.
Preparation Time : 10 mins.
Serves 3 to 4.
Ingredients
100 grams rice noodles (dried rice vermicelli)
6 to 8 basil leaves
3/4 cup paneer (cottage cheese), cut into cubes
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 to 2 green chillies, finely chopped
1/4 cup french beans, thinly sliced
1/4 cup carrots, cut into thin match sticks
1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, roasted and chopped
1 tablespoon soya sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons oil
salt and pepper to taste
For the garnish
6 spring onions (including greens), chopped
2 tablespoons red cabbage, sliced
How To Proceed
1. Place the noodles in a large bowl.
2. In a pan, boil about 1 litre of water with some salt. When it comes to a boil, pour the water over the raw rice noodles. Cover and keep aside for 10 minutes or till the noodles are soft.
3. Drain and keep aside.
4. Heat the oil in a pan, add basil leaves and saute for a minute. Drain and keep aside.
5. In the same oil and saute the paneer. Drain and keep aside.
6. Heat the same oil again, add the garlic, green chillies, french beans, carrots, mushrooms and celery and saute for 2 minutes.
7. Add the rice noodles, peanuts, soya sauce, sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper and 4 tablespoons of water and toss well.
8. Serve hot garnished with spring onions and red cabbage.
Handy tip(s) :
1. Prepare this recipe as close to serving time as possible as it is not a good idea to re-heat it.
Monday, December 06, 2004
My sister in law is a huge fan of Sujatha. I'm starting to catch the bug. This week Anandha Vikatan had a good article in his Katradhum Petradhum. Similarly, AV also had an interesting article from actor Kamal Hassan in his weekly Love pannuda mavane. I generally don't read this column, because I think it is juvenile, but then this week's column made a good read. (I don't know why the column's title doesn't match the content, though)
Also read one of Sujatha's not-so-old novel 'Anithavin kadhalgal'. The story was good.
I'm having trouble with my nine-month old baby. He is refusing rice. Wonder what to do. Anyway, if there are any experienced parents around, pls enlighten me.
Also read one of Sujatha's not-so-old novel 'Anithavin kadhalgal'. The story was good.
I'm having trouble with my nine-month old baby. He is refusing rice. Wonder what to do. Anyway, if there are any experienced parents around, pls enlighten me.
Thursday, December 02, 2004
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
This is going to be a new feature in my blog. Every week I'm going to post a recipe (vegetarian) on Wednesdays.
So here goes today's recipe...
Broccoli and Baby Corn Stir Fry
Cooking Time : 5 mins.
Preparation Time : 10 mins.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
3/4 cup broccoli or cauliflower (blanched), cut into big pieces
1/3 cup baby corn, sliced diagonally
1/3 cup capsicums, cut into big pieces
1/3 cup onions, cut into big pieces
2 tablespoons french beans (parboiled)
a few pieces cucumber, diagonally sliced
7 to 8 cashewnuts, lightly toasted
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon cornflour
a pinch sugar
2 pinches black pepper
2 tablespoons oil
salt to taste
How To Proceed
1. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan on a high flame. Add the garlic and stir fry over a high flame for a few seconds.
2. Add the capsicums, onions, broccoli, baby corn, french beans and cucumber and stir fry for 2 minutes.
3. Mix the cornflour with ½ cup of water and add to the mixture.
4. Add the black pepper, sugar and salt and cook for 1 minute.
5. Serve hot topped with the toasted cashewnuts.
So here goes today's recipe...
Broccoli and Baby Corn Stir Fry
Cooking Time : 5 mins.
Preparation Time : 10 mins.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
3/4 cup broccoli or cauliflower (blanched), cut into big pieces
1/3 cup baby corn, sliced diagonally
1/3 cup capsicums, cut into big pieces
1/3 cup onions, cut into big pieces
2 tablespoons french beans (parboiled)
a few pieces cucumber, diagonally sliced
7 to 8 cashewnuts, lightly toasted
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon cornflour
a pinch sugar
2 pinches black pepper
2 tablespoons oil
salt to taste
How To Proceed
1. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan on a high flame. Add the garlic and stir fry over a high flame for a few seconds.
2. Add the capsicums, onions, broccoli, baby corn, french beans and cucumber and stir fry for 2 minutes.
3. Mix the cornflour with ½ cup of water and add to the mixture.
4. Add the black pepper, sugar and salt and cook for 1 minute.
5. Serve hot topped with the toasted cashewnuts.
Friday, November 19, 2004
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
I was reading a book by Colleen McCollough - The Touch. It is definitely a must read. I have been always attracted to literature like this one. You know where there is a melancholic under current that the reader can sense discreetly, where the writing style more of narrative, where the characters are so strongly etched even though the upcoming events are predictable. The author has done lot of homework on characterization and I could after a point in time predict what the character would do. It was not like the movies or the books that come dime a dozen these days, where the author follows a story and the characters can give any kind of reaction irrespective of what their mindsets are. In this book, I could sense that the characters moved the story and not the other way round. It was a very good experience reading it.
Some of the other books that I have read with strong characterization are:
Chocolat by Joanne Harris
Casa Rossa by Francesca Marciano
All of Ayn Rand's works
All these works are extremely readable. I think the sense of tragedy and irony, especially the working of mind or heart or whatever it is, is the one that makes these so enjoyable.
Some of the other books that I have read with strong characterization are:
Chocolat by Joanne Harris
Casa Rossa by Francesca Marciano
All of Ayn Rand's works
All these works are extremely readable. I think the sense of tragedy and irony, especially the working of mind or heart or whatever it is, is the one that makes these so enjoyable.
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
Hello.
I'm back after my hiatus.
Hmm, after a long time (almost after three months) I am blogging again.
The reason for my absence is Sriram. He entered this world on the 31st of March. Since then he has kept me busy. Really busy.
He is a very adorable kid. He is just two and a half months old but I don’t have the feeling that he is that small, except when he climbs down the jo jo and cries because he couldn’t move around or cries for milk. Otherwise he acts as if he understands everything we tell him and smiles in acknowledgement. He doesn’t cry much – though he cries for two things – milk and sleep. Otherwise he is a happy kid making everybody speak to him and he also talks back in his language. He is very intelligent also. Even when he was a month old, he kept both hands on his eyes to avoid the light from disturbing his sleep. He used to turn and sleep on his belly when he was 15 days old, though now he has forgotten the game because he is learning new ones. He likes the jo jo a lot. He started hanging his leg out to sleep since he was 20 days old. Poor thing, because of that he has to be the brunt of several mosquitoes.
More of my son's prathapangal will follow
I'm back after my hiatus.
Hmm, after a long time (almost after three months) I am blogging again.
The reason for my absence is Sriram. He entered this world on the 31st of March. Since then he has kept me busy. Really busy.
He is a very adorable kid. He is just two and a half months old but I don’t have the feeling that he is that small, except when he climbs down the jo jo and cries because he couldn’t move around or cries for milk. Otherwise he acts as if he understands everything we tell him and smiles in acknowledgement. He doesn’t cry much – though he cries for two things – milk and sleep. Otherwise he is a happy kid making everybody speak to him and he also talks back in his language. He is very intelligent also. Even when he was a month old, he kept both hands on his eyes to avoid the light from disturbing his sleep. He used to turn and sleep on his belly when he was 15 days old, though now he has forgotten the game because he is learning new ones. He likes the jo jo a lot. He started hanging his leg out to sleep since he was 20 days old. Poor thing, because of that he has to be the brunt of several mosquitoes.
More of my son's prathapangal will follow
Tuesday, March 16, 2004
Saturday's match between India and Pakistan was a thriller. I know, everybidy must have written about this, at least thought that the match was a good one. I am not a cricket fan, but then the match was really good that it made me notice.
In today's match I am rightnow witnessing a sixer and Parvez Musharraf in the audience cheering Inzamam-ul-Haq. I wonder how Presidents get time to watch cricket from the VIP boxes in the cricket grounds. Also, I find this series a little bit stretched. Unnecessary hype. It is just another match between India and Pak. So what if India is playing in Pak after 1989? So what if this match is being viewed as a war between India and Pak over Kashmir? I think it is the time of over-hyped media where everything is exaggerrated - right from Simran's wedding to India-Pak match. Well, is she the only film star who got married or what? Open Hindu, there is an exclusive interview of her and her husband's. Open a regional magazine, it is the same old story, but this time in Tamil. Sometimes it is all so boring.
In today's match I am rightnow witnessing a sixer and Parvez Musharraf in the audience cheering Inzamam-ul-Haq. I wonder how Presidents get time to watch cricket from the VIP boxes in the cricket grounds. Also, I find this series a little bit stretched. Unnecessary hype. It is just another match between India and Pak. So what if India is playing in Pak after 1989? So what if this match is being viewed as a war between India and Pak over Kashmir? I think it is the time of over-hyped media where everything is exaggerrated - right from Simran's wedding to India-Pak match. Well, is she the only film star who got married or what? Open Hindu, there is an exclusive interview of her and her husband's. Open a regional magazine, it is the same old story, but this time in Tamil. Sometimes it is all so boring.
Thursday, March 04, 2004
Friday, February 27, 2004
Some good links on Creative Visualization...
Creative Visualization
How to get what you want as opposed to what you need
Creative Visualization
How to get what you want as opposed to what you need
I was cursing myself for missing the first two parts of LOTR. Now Satyam is showing these two movies this weekend as special shows. And I have the tickets... I just can't wait for tomorrow - actually, I want to see all parts together - but then that is too much to ask for. After seeing these two parts, I will wait for Part 3 to release in Chennai.
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
I am becoming a blog-o-maniac I guess. I have been reading blogs of other peoples and find it so interesting. Half the times, it is like who is seeing who or who is mooning over who, but most of the times the lifestyles of people in general from different countries just absolutely fascinates me. Good that browsing internet will not become a bore in future. Blogging definitely is revolutionary.
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
I was reading other blogs today. In one of the blogs by a guy called Anant Jain, he had written about the television. He used to be a couch potato it seems and now when he went to work and had to stay in another city with a couple of guys without a television to entertain him, he found that he had lot of time to do things that he had forgotten. Like meeting up friends, reading, etc.
Well, it is definitely a fact. You stop watching television and you suddenly have so much time in your hands that you start entertaining yourself. Guru and I used to (and still think) discuss this when we got married. The TV in our family was always on with some stupid program running, mostly mega soaps which I avoid like plague. I used to crib so much that I was not able to watch anything that I want, because always somebody had something to watch on the TV. But then I got used to it and then it was like I had so much of time in my hands. I started doing so many things like painting, reading, trying out new cuisine, spending more time with Guru etc.
Now that the CAS has been implemented in Chennai, I don’t watch television much at all. Good for me, I guess.
Well, it is definitely a fact. You stop watching television and you suddenly have so much time in your hands that you start entertaining yourself. Guru and I used to (and still think) discuss this when we got married. The TV in our family was always on with some stupid program running, mostly mega soaps which I avoid like plague. I used to crib so much that I was not able to watch anything that I want, because always somebody had something to watch on the TV. But then I got used to it and then it was like I had so much of time in my hands. I started doing so many things like painting, reading, trying out new cuisine, spending more time with Guru etc.
Now that the CAS has been implemented in Chennai, I don’t watch television much at all. Good for me, I guess.
Friday, February 13, 2004
Love is in the air. Even in the air-conditioned workplace air! Our cafeteria has a new look now. Red hearts stuck on walls, heart shaped balloons stuck to the tables... Even the juice section sported a new look with a variety of mocktails like kiss me, love bug, lemon floats, blah blah blah... It looks like nobody is in a real working mood, today being Friday doesn’t help much to the idea though.
Good, people are having fun. I like it when people get into the festive mood. It actually doesn’t matter if the festivity is western-forced or based on Indian culture. The festive mood and, nothing else, matters.
Happy Valentine's day to all.
Good, people are having fun. I like it when people get into the festive mood. It actually doesn’t matter if the festivity is western-forced or based on Indian culture. The festive mood and, nothing else, matters.
Happy Valentine's day to all.
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
In today’s blog (or was it yesterday’s), N S Ramnath was mentioning about the fallible of human mind, like how once an idea gets into our head we hold on to it in a committed way and refuse to change the point of view and stuffs like that. He was also mentioning a couple of tools, like six hats and PMI, which we can use to get rid of this kind of thinking. In my opinion, to take complex rational decisions, one can use SWOT analysis also, though this is mostly used in business scenarios. I have used PMI and SWOT many times to clear my mind and see the facts before I took major decisions in life. And the best part is I don't have any grudges or felt sorry for the decisions I have taken. So I would recommend others, who might be interested, to use SWOT and PMI.
Friday, January 23, 2004
Somehow N S Ramnath’s blog is not satiating my appetite to read such blogs. Today morning I read his update and evening I logged on to read yet another update. He should keep updating his blog more often in a day.
The blog update of Pavithra was I-don’t-know-what-to-say… just amazing. She has a way with words. Is she a regular writer or what? Today’s update was on Pisiraandhaiyaar. In school, I have read about this poet and Kopperunchozhan, but I actually didn’t know how close these two were. Pavithra had given a beautiful story to let the readers know about their friendship.
I love books like Chocolat and Casa Rosa. I really enjoyed reading these two. I don’t actually know what genre these books fall into. They look deep into the characters’ thought process. I would say more than the plot, the characterization is a strong asset to such stories. I would like to get hold more of such novels.
Anyway, I was speaking to my mom over phone. She is a teacher at a primary school. Basically I was asking her to visit me on Monday (26th Jan). She said she cannot because she had to go to the school for flag hoisting. That brought a whole lot of memories from my school days. Interesting times we had. Though I was not all that outgoing or participating in school, I still had good time in my own way. I need to start recollecting what I used to do in school days and probably jot down for my kids to know more about me. Well, that is a long way to go, because the first one is expected only 2 months later. And I’ll give my first kid another 10 years to read the blog and get to know me better, if he or she prefers. So I think I have a whole lot of time ahead to plan such things :-). I have to see if I have my old diaries around to recollect how my life was used to be. Nowadays I don’t even remember what happened a month back. Life has become a monotonous drone where only thing exists is tension and dissatisfaction with work. Anyway, I have passed the stage of cribbing and have started to take things in its stride. Maturing? Well, I can call it escapism also :-)
More to come…
The blog update of Pavithra was I-don’t-know-what-to-say… just amazing. She has a way with words. Is she a regular writer or what? Today’s update was on Pisiraandhaiyaar. In school, I have read about this poet and Kopperunchozhan, but I actually didn’t know how close these two were. Pavithra had given a beautiful story to let the readers know about their friendship.
I love books like Chocolat and Casa Rosa. I really enjoyed reading these two. I don’t actually know what genre these books fall into. They look deep into the characters’ thought process. I would say more than the plot, the characterization is a strong asset to such stories. I would like to get hold more of such novels.
Anyway, I was speaking to my mom over phone. She is a teacher at a primary school. Basically I was asking her to visit me on Monday (26th Jan). She said she cannot because she had to go to the school for flag hoisting. That brought a whole lot of memories from my school days. Interesting times we had. Though I was not all that outgoing or participating in school, I still had good time in my own way. I need to start recollecting what I used to do in school days and probably jot down for my kids to know more about me. Well, that is a long way to go, because the first one is expected only 2 months later. And I’ll give my first kid another 10 years to read the blog and get to know me better, if he or she prefers. So I think I have a whole lot of time ahead to plan such things :-). I have to see if I have my old diaries around to recollect how my life was used to be. Nowadays I don’t even remember what happened a month back. Life has become a monotonous drone where only thing exists is tension and dissatisfaction with work. Anyway, I have passed the stage of cribbing and have started to take things in its stride. Maturing? Well, I can call it escapism also :-)
More to come…
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
Well, I didn’t know till last Thursday that Ray wrote crime stories. So it came as a surprise when I saw thin books with Ray’s name on it and the back cover saying they are crime stories. This was at Chennai Book fair. In another stall, I saw two volumes of Feluda stories and I got the first one. I haven’t started reading it yet, and I will post my detailed thoughts once I am done with it.
I bought Ponniyin Selvan for Guru. I haven’t read it till now though I have read Sivagamiyin sabadham and Mannan Magal. This year I want to read PS and add one more to the list of epics that I have read.
A week back I came across two of very good blogs that I have ever read (not that I am an expert in saying which blog is best and which is not, it is just that I enjoyed reading both immensely). I am providing links here (N S Ramnath and Pavithra) and in the links section also. These are by two of Chennaiites. Reading these blogs, helps me in keeping myself updated with what’s happening in Chennai, as well as reading about like-minded people (not 100%, may be 50% of like-mindedness).
I bought Ponniyin Selvan for Guru. I haven’t read it till now though I have read Sivagamiyin sabadham and Mannan Magal. This year I want to read PS and add one more to the list of epics that I have read.
A week back I came across two of very good blogs that I have ever read (not that I am an expert in saying which blog is best and which is not, it is just that I enjoyed reading both immensely). I am providing links here (N S Ramnath and Pavithra) and in the links section also. These are by two of Chennaiites. Reading these blogs, helps me in keeping myself updated with what’s happening in Chennai, as well as reading about like-minded people (not 100%, may be 50% of like-mindedness).
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