Dream Away, Little One!

One thing from my childhood that my little one could do… Hmm...

As I sit here pondering over what this “one thing” might be, I soon come to the honest conclusion that I didn’t do all that much as a child. I had a pretty normal, run of the mill kind of childhood and thanks to working parents I also had large chunks of time all to myself. To do what? Well, pretty much nothing; and by nothing I mean no summer classes, no special classes, no tuitions, coaching classes, no this class, no that class. So what did I do with all that time on my itty bitty hands? Afterall, there is only so much time that can be spent reading or playing with the neighbourhood kids. Don't worry; If I may say so myself, I did not turn out to be a total dunce just because I wasn't sent to umpteen classes. Instead of running from one class to another, my time was spent in blissful dreaming! I lent wings to my imagination and let it soar high with no restrictions whatsoever.

There were no deadlines to worry about nor any distractions to side-track me. I created a whole world of imaginary friends who kept me company when alone and a wide range of fantastical situations which kept me entertained thoroughly! Now, some might doubt if I had schizophrenia but rest assured, I was well aware of the distinction between my make-believe world and the real one. So, at times I was one of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five, hot on the path of solving an important mystery; at another time I was the Princess with magical powers; or I was a teacher who was beloved by all her students; or I was the mother who cooked yummy food for her children and scolded them to eat their vegetables – the scenarios were simply endless! I played all the characters in a story regardless of age or gender and one could often notice me talking to myself, pretending to be one character or the other.

Nowadays, where do children have the time to simply sit and dream? At once, they are accused of wasting time and are packed off to a music class or a dance class or a karate class or a swimming class and what not! Of course, I don’t mean to say that learning new skills is not important. Certainly, they are and one learns the most in the growing years. However, what with the all-pervading spirit of competitiveness that seems to have seeped into our system, as parents we start wanting our children not only to learn everything but also to excel in everything! It is just not enough if the child can draw and colour but she must draw more realistically and colour more perfectly and hence she must be sent to a drawing class asap. It is no longer enough that my child can work out a maths problem on her own, but she must also do it at lighting speed like my friend’s son and hence she needs to attend a brain gym. Amidst all these “serious” commitments when and where does the child have the time, leave alone the energy to dream, to imagine, to fantasize, to simply escape into a make-believe world of her own? What’s more, even if the child does manage to have some time to himself, there are a plethora of distractions right at his fingertips – ranging from the TV to the Tablet - to keep him pretty occupied! Isn’t it a pity? All said and done, only in our childhood do we really have the luxury of indulging in dreams. As the poet William Henry Davies says in his poem Leisure: 

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this is if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare. 

Yes indeed! So, let's let children free! Simply let them be, let them play with their imagination and let them revel in their dreams – I assure you, you will be pleasantly surprised at the wondrous tales that their budding minds can weave!

*This post is written for the Women’s Web #BachpanWithFlinto blogger contest.

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Del Monte Pasta In Vegan Avocado Garlic Sauce

Pasta was definitely not one of those things which I can claim to have grown up eating. Rather, it was a late addition to my culinary canvas. I was first introduced to pasta only a few years back on one of my international trips and I promptly fell in love with it! From the heartiness of a scrumptious lasagna to the spicy bite of an arriabata sauce and the creamy goodness of a carbonara, I simply loved it all. It is easy to see why the Italians are often teased for their affinity to food. I mean with such delicious fare on hand it is hardly surprising that one gives in to the temptation to indulge in some gastronomic affairs is it?

I have never visited Italy, even though it sits high on my travel bucket list. However from what I’ve heard and read, I’ve often felt that the spirit of Italy bears several striking resemblances to India. Both have cultural sensitivities which have developed from deep and ancient roots. The chaos, the heat, the people, the passion – and of course the love of food – it is quite easy to imagine that India and Italy are twin souls indeed!

Although I had been visiting Italian restaurants for quite some time, it is only recently that I actually started cooking Italian at home. It is exciting to try and recreate the flavours of a special dish which you’ve tried at a restaurant, within the confines of your own kitchen; and sometimes after some trial and error when you end up exceeding even your own expectations and you are overjoyed! Thanks to high quality pastas such as Del Monte Pasta which are available in the market today, if you are hit by sudden cravings for a comforting bowl of minestrone, you can go ahead and whip up a batch right there in your kitchen! In fact, Del Monte even offers a wide range of yummy pasta sauces made from the finest ingredients to make your life even easier.

While certain dishes such as the ever popular lasagna is quite a labour of love which can be reserved for lazy Sunday lunches, there are also a number of easy and quick pasta recipes which come in handy on busy weekdays when you are juggling a million different things and racing against time to put a healthy, filling and tasty meal on the table. Today, I am going to share one such fantastic recipe with you. It is a family favourite and I make it quite often these days as it is loved by one and all!

Vegan Pasta with avocado sauce & sautéed mushrooms. 
Serves: 2. Cooking Time: 15 minutes.

Avocados are chock full of good fats and they are packed with nutrients. They are rich in anti-oxidants and fibre. They aid in digestion and can help lower your cholesterol levels too. Ripe avocados have a rich, buttery texture and a mild flavour to them. We are going to exploit these very characteristics to come up with a creamy pasta sauce – without any dairy and sans the guilt!

Tip: Choosing good avocados - Unripe avocados are hard, taste bitter and to be honest, horrible. On the other hand, overripe ones tend to get mushy and unappetising. When buying avocados, I prefer to buy unblemished ones that have not yet ripened and then I allow them to ripen at home. Simply put them in a paper bag and leave them on your counter-top for a couple of days. You will find that they soften and yield slightly to the touch. You can refrigerate them when they reach this stage and use within a couple of days. Now, let’s get on with the recipe without much further ado!

Ingredients:

Del Monte Pasta – 2 cups. (I’ve used spirali but you can use almost any other pasta as well; however pastas with ridges on them will help the sauce to stick to the pasta more efficiently.)

Avocado – 1 ripe

Garlic – 2 or 3 cloves

Mushrooms – 2 cups

Salt, pepper, chilli flakes – according to taste

Italian herbs – 1 teaspoon

Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon

Olive oil – 2 teaspoons + 1 teaspoon

Method:

Step 1: Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a generous helping of salt and then throw in the pasta. Cook till al dente. 

(Tip: Alternatively, you can crumble in a stock cube and then add the pasta. It adds so much flavour to the pasta.)

Step 2: Extract the flesh of the avocado. Add the garlic, salt, pepper and a teaspoon of olive oil. Blend the mixture into a smooth paste in a mixie. Sprinkle the lemon juice over this to avoid the avocado from darkening and your sauce is done. Keep aside.

Step 3: Add the remaining olive oil to a pan and once it heats up throw in the sliced mushrooms. Add salt, chilli flakes and the dried Italian herbs. Sauté till the mushrooms leave out their moisture and are well cooked. Turn off the heat.

Step 4: By now your pasta would have cooked up. Drain and add to the sautéed mushrooms. Next add the blended sauce. Mix well.  

(Tip: Reserve a small amount of the water that the pasta cooked in. If you find that the dish is a bit dry to your liking you can add a few teaspoons of the reserved water to make it smoother.)

Step 5: Serve garnished with fresh sliced tomatoes and a sprig of parsley.

Delightfully creamy and refreshingly light, this dish is simply bursting with a buttery flavour tinged with just the right hint of garlic. It makes for a fresh and satisfying meal and what’s more, I guarantee that you will not miss the cheese!

Enjoy! (Tip: To make a non-vegetarian version, you can add substitute the mushrooms with grilled chicken)

*This post is an entry to Indiblogger's Del Monte #ItalianEscapades contest.

10 Confessions Of A Bookaholic

 

I know that many people are embarrassed to be tagged as bookworms. However, I don’t suffer from any such inhibitions. Yes I am a bookworm or bookaholic as some would say and I don’t see anything wrong with it at all. As a bookaholic, here are 10 confessions which I am sure other bookaholics like me will be able to relate to: 

1. People who borrow our books and don’t return them are our enemies. We hate them and are sure that there is a special place in hell reserved especially for them! 

2. We do not like to lend books, precisely due to the above mentioned reason. Plus, even those who do return our books – after much pestering and wheedling from our end – tend to have handled the books badly and it saddens us to see our beloved books rumpled or worse.  

3. We feel guilty about folding the pages of a book to mark where we have paused. It bothers us because we almost feel as though we are hurting the book. We always try our best to use bookmarks or atleast remember the page number in case a bookmark is not to be found. 

4. We might hesitate to splurge on designer clothes or high-end cosmetics, but we don’t think twice about spending huge amounts of money on books.  After all, we say to ourselves, the money is being spent on something useful. 

5. While some people can spend hours at fashion boutiques, we bookaholics can spend hours in book stores. To us, it feels exactly the same as a child might feel being let loose in Charlie’s chocolate factory – or actually, even better. We love going to book stores and it doesn’t matter if they are big, shiny ones or the local, shabby one. Book stores are one of our all-time favourite places on earth – or in paradise, come to think of it. 

6. We never fail to list the smell of books under our favourite smells. Much like the smell of freshly baked bread, the smell of a book talks to us, it calls out to us, it enchants us and we don't care if you call us dorks because of this!

7. We judge people who say that they don’t like to read. We think everybody must read. 

8. We consider books to be our best friends. We laugh with them, we cry with them and we dream with them. That’s what best friends are for right? 

9. We always have a book with us - one can never say when they will come in handy and we like to be prepared for emergencies. 

10. We cannot begin to fathom a world without printed books. Whatever studies and trends show, and even if we begin embracing ebooks, we can never really give up on printed books.

So, my fellow bookaholics, do you have anything more to add?

Where Have All The Humble People Gone?

I had recently been to a fashion event and the make-up artist who worked on me was really good at her job. She was a thorough professional who has many high-profile gigs to her credit and is in much demand. She does a lovely job, is really sweet and extremely humble. Looking at her and interacting with her, you might never guess that she is such a successful make-up artist who deals with several leading models frequently. She was really down-to-earth and simple. I was quite impressed with her skill and with her as a person. 

On the other hand, there are some people who simply think too much of themselves, in spite of hardly having achieved anything worthwhile in life. There is no better example for this than someone I meet almost every single day. So, I happen to travel to work by a car pooling service, since I live a fair distance away from my office. The driver is a young fellow in his early twenties and God, he has a bucket load of attitude and arrogance in him! I suspect that he is delusional enough to think that is driving a Ferrari, when in fact it is nothing more than a regular old Toyota sedan. Or perhaps he thinks that he is Schumacher’s twin. Whatever the assumption, one nearly gets a heart attack when seated in his car. He drives like an absolute nut. You know that irritating guy on the road who believes that he owns the entire road and has no intention whatsoever of following any road rule? The one who refuses to wear the seatbelt despite travelling at high speeds on the highway, the one who starts honking impatiently a good 15 seconds before the red light changes, the one who tailgates incessantly and bullies you off your lane, the one who makes driving a stressful activity for all other drivers and the one who couldn’t care less about anyone else on the road? Yeah, he is this guy. 

As if his driving skills are not enough to drive you crazy, his banter is even worse. He sounds like a teenager, never mind that he is actually a married man and a father to boot! Whenever he speaks it is like getting a peak into an adolescent’s naïve and inexperienced mind. And don’t even get me started on his silly jokes and an even sillier laugh that is guaranteed to get on your nerves. 

Even if one forgives these transgressions and looks past his shortcomings, his over-confidence and know-it-all attitude is too big a factor to overlook. He spouts really lame life gyan with such superciliousness that I honestly feel like giving him a good, solid whack on his head! And does he stop with sharing his life musings? Oh no, not at all! He goes on to enlighten us about ourselves, how we lead boring lives going to steady and stable jobs and spending time at home over the weekends and how we will make bad parents and how we all need to die young because we become useless when we grow old – and mind you, his definition of old is 35 years. Okay mister! So you have a car and you drive. Honestly, that doesn’t make you an expert on my life and nobody really asked you for your opinion in the first place. Why do such people think that they can go around sharing their non-sensical philosophies with unsuspecting individuals such as me? Arrghhh!!! Why God, why! Somebody save me from this jerk please!

The Expat Life: Food Club Master Class At Kempinski, Ajman

BBC Good Food Me's Editor Sudeshna Ghosh

As a member of BBC Good Food Middle-East’s Food Club, I was invited to a cooking masterclass at Kempinski hotel in Ajman last evening. Usually, most interesting events like this tend to happen in Dubai and I end up not going all the way. When I heard that this one was closer to home, I jumped at the chance! 

Welcome Drink: Mango Lassi

The event was held at Bukhara, Kempinski’s Indian restaurant which serves up delicious north-west frontier fare. Sipping on our chilled glasses of mango lassi, we got to learn 3 recipes from Chef Manoj Aswal.

Chef Manoj Aswal of Bukhara, Kempinski, Ajman

He started off with a very innovative Dahi Ke Kebab with raw mango and onion chutney. When I heard the name of this dish, I assumed that the chef would be marinating pieces of meat with yoghurt (dahi) before grilling them into kebabs. However, he totally surprised me by making kebabs out of yoghurt itself! One would imagine that the yoghurt would disintegrate and fall apart, but he added a secret ingredient to avoid this - roast and ground lotus seeds! Really different!

Veg Starter: Dahi ke Kebab

This was followed by the ubiquitous Chicken Tikka, which was served with raw papaya relish. The chicken was tender and juicy. Scrumptious! Chef Manoj explained how we can incorporate the trademark smoky flavour of tandoori cooking at home, where most of us don't own tandoors. Want to know how? Simply ignite a piece of charcoal, add a dash of ghee (clarified butter) to it, place it in a heatproof ramekin and place the ramekin into the bowl of marinated meat. Cover and let it sit for about 30 minutes to allow the meat to marinate and the flavours to infuse, before proceeding with the cooking process. Voila! 

Non-veg Starter: Chicken Tikka

The demo was wound up on a sweet note with a tasty and crispy Saeb Ki Jalebi. We were given samplings of the 3 dishes – my favourite was the dessert, but the other two were pretty good too.Chef Manoj Aswal was very helpful in addressing our queries and shared several tips and tricks for cooking Indian food. The dishes demonstrated were simple with the perfect balance of traditional and contemporary flavours.

Cooking away!

All participants were given goodie bags which contained a copy of BBC’s Good Food Middle East magazine, a jar of raw papaya relish, printed recipes of the 3 dishes and a bright red coffee mug, which proudly proclaims, "I'm a foodie!". I am definitely going to try out the dishes at home and I am indeed looking forward to more such great events! If you are around the Ajman area, do consider dropping by Bukhara for a mouthwatering Indian feast. I'm sure you won't be disappointed!

Goodies!