Fiction... scraps...

...Sometimes, I astound myself with the severity or acerbity of my observations. Many a time I feel that I could have held back or left unsaid those hurting words. And many barbs that wound deep I feel could have been left in my quiver. Even I quail at the look of fright when such a barb hits home and the wounded person before me reels back, a look of utter disbelief on their faces bearing mute testimony to the unexpectedness of the onslaught. I have the ability to withdraw my sympathies when the person before me has most need of it and has approached me only due to the many assurances of shared woes in the past.

It follows that I am no reliable shoulder to cry on...

FICTION

... So is this what childbirth feels like? Unbidden spasm after painful spasm- where the meaning of what is spewing forth eludes me... the grossness of something inside of me rushing forth with many pairs of expectant eyes devouring every minute drop...

I want my privacy. I want to be left alone to grapple with this thing inside me that wants to come out into this world.

The process of creation fascinates me. And the horror of it all is driven home to me in this moment- when strangers eyes are peering into my soul. Dare I bare it all? DO I have a choice? I feel that this piece has chosen me, and not I it.

The creation of this being has begun.

And was begun much before now. Maybe tomorrow it will be beautiful... or it may be grotesque... And all I shall be left with is the euphoria of the one spasm that will bring it forth into the world.

Shall that then be my claim to fame?

Will I feel responsible for it? Through the years when it takes form, I shall watch it with owning eyes. This was something inside of me. And when strangers come into my life on its behest, I shall watch carefully to see signs that my owning is melting away... the skin of my possession shall be torn from mine... rent with the pain of this moment.

Can I not begin that dissociation now? Can I not relieve myself of the pain of that parting by standing away? I shall distance myself from this my fiction... and leave it to the wanton pairs of eyes to rate...

Surprises!

The last few days have been tremendous... hectic does not seem to communicate the speed at which things have been happening.

As new orders emerge, Ive rued the fact that there has been no time to take stock.

The bulbul has abandoned his perch on the balcony bamboo. However, I have discovered more joy in the other- not so colorful friends that visit the balcony every morning. My abiding dislike for the cooing pigeons continues!!!

With my combined first and second sem exams looming large, the near future seems more dismal than ever. Chef has put together a challenging (again- this word seems inadequate!) schedule for me to complete my 12 assignments and exams. In my usual commitment phobic fashion, I have gone ahead and taken the plunge. Deep water, I say- can be refreshing. But then, it is early days yet... the rest shall be faithfully retold.

Chef has been chuckling away as he makes plans for yet another sunday extravaganza. But this time, the menu is to be a surprise even to me! I have made suggestions- owing to the paucity of time (I have 4 assignments to complete this weekend... and I have not even opened the books yet!) I shall be sitting this one out... although chef in his generous fashion has invited me to join him for dinner. ah! I dont know what I would have done without him!!! :-)

My suggestions (in the interest of lower/ distributed time and labor) are biryani, stir fried chicken (he said prawn- and that may well be it!) and more. I am on stand by- waiting to be amazed!

Today I have yet another get together with the Jet bunch... DivX called and set things up last evening. The high point is that Alisha will do a belly dance in a surprise appearance! More about this later...

Sharing spaces...

I have just returned and am looking forward to the restful night ahead. Life has seemed a bustle today... I've felt like I was in the thick of a swarm of bees rushing hive-ward... not necessarily pleasant... it could have been a lot worse... and everything around me was positively humming with activity!

Lunch was a double dhamaka- with rotis and my chicken sukka (it was really very good!) followed by the burra kebabs from Treat, biryani from Plantain Leaf and black forest cake from Cake Walk- in honour of the "pri-ji's birthday". The biryani was eminently missable- with large chunks of half cooked mutton and mildly flavored rice. Chef distastefully swallowed a few mouthfuls- and graciously offered to finish up with the starters. The burra kabab from Treat was a treat... and I swiped a couple of chunks of the paneer too.

The venue was Pista and Navs newly done up flat at Thippasandra. Ethnic artifacts and decor were complimented by (she was right- it really is!) a bright red wall. The space was airy and the lot of us did crowd it up a bit... but then there was a lot of us there! By the time we arrived with the cake the party was in full swing and everybody was looking (and sounding) positively happy. We rushed through lunch and the cake as I had loads of other things to catch up with later...

All in all the company made lunch tolerable.

Back home food was really the last thing on my mind... However, I had a dinner invite at Rose- something I should have looked forward to all day if I had enough time to think about it!

Veg pulao- mum ish-tyle... chicken curry in a peppery onion gravy, yummy fish cutlets, date and lime pickle (the fresh dates...), the flat pale green beans poriyal (uncle said it was seasonal), mixed veg sambar... all in all a delightful home cooked meal! Right in the middle of it all I had a call from the office (strange for a weekend!)... and I was distracted through the after dinner conversation over a fresh fruit trifle... aunty 's fish cutlet wa slght and fluffy- definitely something I need to learn from her!

And now... finally... home... and tucking in!

On coming of age

My culinary journeys today have led me to the firm belief that eating out in general, and the food industry in Bangalore in particular, has come of age.

I can see some heads nodding sagely- or is that just the last bit of energy expended nodding in satiety? I wonder...

I ate at two restaurants today that are perhaps the epitome of what the catering industry would term super specialty niche eateries.

At one end of Banaglore, in a relatively green and airy neighbourhood, at the end of a yet to be tarred road, nestles Kanua. Currently housing/ hosting a family of raucous mynahs, this eatery brings together the old world charm of an informal setting with an almost homely feel and, the fine dining experience that one has come to expect of any new world eatery.

The Mangalorean food is a treat for the senses. However, the food I would recommend is the chicken- and NOT the fish! The ghee roast was visually a rich red- but surprisingly mild, perhaps in honour of the almost permanent set of expatriates I have found there. Alcohol is not on the menu- this being probably one of the reasons why this eatery seems to always have a table at hand. Texturally I have found the food here superb- every dish having been seasoned exactly right. The odor of the crisp curry leaves and the spluttered mustard with the crisp red chilli waft tantalisingly in the air every few minutes. Visually every plateful seems a treat... although the ghee could seem overpowering to more conservative souls. The flavors could improve. The fish is surprisingly bland- with the batter fried dishes I have tasted offering you a perfect experience of the crisp shell and soft innards you mght have learnt to expect only from the most experienced hands. The chicken biryani is clearly the south indian version- and the flavors are well balanced. The desserts have left me dissatisfied... the ghee fried banana fritters winning hands down in this area. They offer sugarcane juice- a definite must do!

The other eatery I visited today was the South Indies. A tad disappointing in that they seemed to be running a full house. Surprising that a veg eatery was that full- on a weeknight, as Pads pointed out! A corner table outside was the best they could do at short notice. The ambience again is a smart, fairly up market eatery. We started on a variety of the papads and their three chutneys. The green (my favorite) mint n coriander, a sweetish red onion and the standard white coconut. Lovely! Then came the Kuzhi Paniyarams- soft and fluffy. (Just like what you would get back home, if only mama knew how...) The Vadais followed in quick succession- and I can tell you this is where the regular Vadai eater who is too scared to sample roadside wares will be heading. My stomach was already begging for respite- while Pads was debating on whether we could follow up the main course with dessert. Deferring the decision till post main course, we settled on Mambazham curry and steamed rice. ANd that was where it all ended for me this evening!

Interesting- and definitely inspiring... I am going to be making variations on all of these in the weeks to come. Keep coming back- my recipes shall follow!

Of chilly and spice and everything nice...

It seems like it has been aaaaages since i last logged in... I have been in a very different world. Books have been keeping me busy. Not the kind of books I would necessarily recommend though!

Sushi has been on my list of things to do for the last few weeks. And my trusted sushi buddy has not deigned to give me company. Hmmm.. We shall wait! In fact my food buddy has not been willing to go out and forage for a while. Methinks something is amiss!

However, on to more pressing matters.

The most intense power play I have ever been privy to occurred this weekend. My little one year old angel held mum n me enthralled for two days straight- both when she was present and in absentia. She was all we spoke about...

The little miss pointed and we scurried to and fro- literally at her beck and call. Mum missed her afternoon nap- and plodded around- exhausted, but not willing to give up right until the little miss left.

Ah! The vagaries of the young! And she does not even speak intelligibly yet!

The meals at Nandini have oft been recommended to me. I have always come away dissatisfied. I have found that the meals are way too spicy to be considered palatable (forget terms like delicious!). Last week, I discovered the reason why I had such a disparate view. My jaunts had been limited to the "Traditional Andhra" section- which in a way explains the extra dose of chilly. However, having had access to the best of Andhra cuisine in all its furiously spicy glory- I beg to differ on the authenticity of this version. The fare upstairs- for the "normal" Andhra meals was palatable, if undifferentiated. The podi was missing. The gongura pachidi was slightly (strangely) musty. The rest of the fare passed muster. The missing fish fry- my favorite accompaniment to the Andhra meal- was a little disappointing. All in all, a moderate Andhra experience.

Nagarjuna still rules. Bhima's, Maharaja's and Amaravathi stay untainted by the Nandini experience.