To Tatya with love..

Tatya, that’s what we call him- never recall calling him azoba(marathi for grandfather), Tatya he is for everybody. ..

Friends (and fans) he has many, he proudly claims that if he heads off on a journey and eats his three meals a day at three different houses (where he would be whole heartedly welcomed) everyday he would not have to come back home for an year. .I believe him.

With countless friends he has countless stories to tell. We have grown up listening to all his fascinating stories and the reminiscences of his past. He is also the one responsible for making algebra interesting for us! From arithmetic to Shakespeare verses to Sanskrit shlokas he was our door to the vast world of knowledge..He's a fun person to be with, a gifted story teller, with a super strong memory. Even today, everything is afresh in his mind-names people, places dates, events pooja hymns, everything…..

Tatya was born in 1918 in Devas, a small town in Madhya Pradesh that time a princely state under the rule of Pawars. He was the 8th child I guess and was thus named Damodar (Another name for Krishna). Born in a humble Brahmin family,He grew up learning Sanskrit verses at home and Wordsworth and Shakespeare at school….We have experienced his childhood countless times through his numerous kissas. All his stories are so amusing; it’s hard to believe that he's lived it all..!! I remember him telling us about his 4th grade English school teacher who taught the class a poem called Daffodils. Since none of the young kids in Devas had ever seen a Daffodil flower, the teacher painstakingly made trips to all the public libraries available to find a photograph. Once he found one, he neatly drew a Daffodil with yellow chalk on the black board for all to appreciate the beauty of this unique flower..

He fondly remembered that teacher when he saw a Daffodil flower for the first time in his life (some 60 years later) on a trip to Kashmir…

Such is his memory and his love for people..I found that poem online..

To Daffodil by Robert Herrick.

Fair Daffodils, we weep to see

You haste away so soon;

As yet the early-rising sun

Has not attain'd his noon.

Stay, stay,

Until the hasting day

Has run

But to the even-song; And, having pray'd together, we

Will go with you along.

We have short time to stay, as you,

We have as short a spring;

As quick a growth to meet decay, As you, or anything.

We die As your hours do, and dry

Away,

Like to the summer's rain;

Or as the pearls of morning's dew,

Ne'er to be found again.

I hope to see him soon, leisurely squatting on that rocking chair with his evening cup of tea, trying to make sense of those clues in the Sunday times crossword…

Happy 91st Birthday Tatya! :)

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Peek into the Past -1 Brunch Specials

Cleaning my hard drive today, I found so many unfinished posts and tons of recipes I never blogged about! It was fun to revisit the  2 years of cooking explorations-some successful, some disasters  :) Most of these dishes were "first times" for me and thus deserve a special mention on this blog!! I will be posting these past pictures in between "real time" posts. This first post documents my experiments with breakfast/ brunch foods! 

A perfect Saturday brunch for me has to be something which is quick to make, requires minimum groceries and can fill me up for the day! (And yes it has to be HOT (as in off the stove), I am not too much  a fan of cold foods. Here are  some of my all time favourites :

Vermicelli Upma

Learnt the recipe from my mom. (Still haven't come across anybody else in my circle who prepares this). Its a fun and easy alternative to  rava upma and very hard to mess up!

Roast the vermicelli (seviyan) in a little ghee till browned. Keep aside. Heat some oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, chana dal and urda dal. Roast till the dals are browned. Now add chopped onions and green chillies. Once the onions are cooked you can add your choice of vegetables- (peas, carrots go well). Add salt and red chilli powder, cover the lid and cook for some time. Add the roasted vermicelli and water. cook till the seviyan are soft and cooked completely. We totally relish this upma with Molga podi and dollops of yoghurt!

Tomato Omelet/ Dhirda

The Indian/vegetarian alternative to an egg omelet. Made with besan, a pantry staple in most Indian kitchens. Great for days when there is nothing else in the refrigerator. ! Try it between two slices of bread with some hot chutney. mmmmm..:)

Mix besan (gram flour) with salt, red chilli powder, ajwain, diced green chillies, tomatoes and cilantro. Carefully add water while constantly beating the mix to avoid any lumps. The end batter should be easily spreadable  but not too watery. Pour the batter on a lightly oiled skillet. Cook till both sides are browned. Serve hot with ketchup or green chutney.

French Toast

When omelets and bhurji seem routine, we love to dig into this more 'exotic' alternative! :)

Beat eggs. Add chopped onions, diced onions, chillies, cilantro, a little milk, salt and pepper. Mix well. Dip bread slices into the egg batter (slightly stale/ hardened bread works better). Fry bread slices on a skillet till cooked completely and browned on all both sides. Enjoy with tomato ketchup!

Pohe

"ayushya he, chulhi varlya, kadhai tale kande pohe.." This new song by Avdhoot Gupte  is enough to describe the importance of Pohe (flattened rice) in a Marathi household..:)

I am still striving for perfection when it comes to pohe, so  I will skip the recipe. Every time I make Pohe there is something or the other wrong-  either the raw pohe smell lingers around, or the potatoes remain slightly uncooked or they end up in a soggy mess! Would love to hear from you guys any tips/ secrets to get this one just right! :)

Chao for now, I really enjoyed writing this post! (This one's for you Aai!! ) :)

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The vegetarian 100

A fun meme developed by Barbara of   Tigers and Strawberries :)

( And thanks to Onehotstove for posting the link )

"If you want to play along, here’s how you do it: copy the list, including my instructions, and bold any items you have eatenand strike out any you would never eat, and then post it to your blog. If you want, you can leave a comment here, linking to your results, or you can link back to this post so I can try and keep tabs on what folks have eaten and not eaten."

(I don't know how to strike out items!!! so I am highlighting the ones I wont eat in Red)

Barbara's Vegetarian Hundred

1. Real macaroni and cheese, made from scratch and baked
2. Tabouleh
3. Freshly baked bread, straight from the oven (preferably with homemade strawberry jam)
4. Fresh figs
5. Fresh pomegranate
6. Indian dal of any sort
7. Imam bayildi
8. Pressed spiced Chinese tofu
9. Freshly made hummus
10. Tahini
11. Kimchi
12. Miso
13. Falafel
14. Potato and pea filled samosas
15. Homemade yogurt
16. Muhammara
17. Brie en croute
18. Spanikopita
19. Fresh, vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes
20. Insalata caprese
21. Stir-fried greens (gai lan, bok choi, pea shoots, kale, chard or collards)
22. Freshly made salsa
23. Freshly made guacamole
24. Creme brulee
25. Fava beans
26. Chinese cold sesame peanut noodles
27. Fattoush
28. New potatoes
29. Coleslaw
30. Ratatouille
31. Baba ganoush
32. Winter squash
33. Roasted beets
34. Baked sweet potatoes
35. Plantains
36. Chocolate truffles
37. Garlic mashed potatoes
38. Fresh water chestnuts
39. Steel cut oats
40. Quinoa
41. Grilled portabello mushrooms
42. Chipotle en adobo
43. Stone ground whole grain cornmeal
44. Freshly made corn or wheat tortillas
45. Frittata
46. Basil pesto
47. Roasted garlic
48. Raita of any type
49. Mango lassi
50. Jasmine rice (white or brown)
51. Thai vegetarian coconut milk curry
52. Pumpkin in any form other than pie
53. Fresh apple pear or plum gallette
54. Quince in any form
55. Escarole, endive or arugula
56. Sprouts other than mung bean
57. Naturally brewed soy sauce
58. Dried shiitake mushrooms
59. Unusually colored vegetables (purple cauliflower, blue potatoes, chocolate bell peppers…)
60. Fresh peach ice cream
61.  Chevre
62. Medjool dates
63. Kheer
64. Flourless chocolate cake
65. Grilled corn on the cob
66. Black bean (or any other bean) vegetarian chili
67. Tempeh
68. Seitan or wheat gluten

69. Gorgonzola or any other blue veined cheese
70. Sweet potato fries
71. Homemade au gratin potatoes
72. Cream of asparagus soup
73. Artichoke-Parmesan dip
74. Mushroom risotto
75. Fermented black beans
76. Garlic scapes
77. Fresh new baby peas
78. Kalamata olives
79. Preserved lemons
80. Fried green tomatoes
81. Chinese scallion pancakes
82. Cheese souffle
83. Fried apples
84. Homemade frijoles refritos
85. Pasta fagiole
86. Macadamia nuts in any form
87. Paw paw in any form
88. Grilled cheese sandwich of any kind
89. Paneer cheese
90. Ma Po Tofu (vegetarian style–no pork!)
91. Fresh pasta in any form
92. Grilled leeks, scallions or ramps
93. Green papaya salad
94. Baked grain and vegetable stuffed tomatoes
95. Pickled ginger
96. Methi greens
97. Aloo paratha
98. Kedgeree (the original Indian version without the smoked fish, not the British version with fish)
99. Okra
100. Roasted brussels sprouts

My score : 54%  Not bad! And as it turns out I don't mind trying everything as as long as its vegetarian!

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Rasam - Bhaat

Dinner today: Piping hot Rasam Rice with a side of Potato roast (Urulai Vathakkal) and curds. 

You can get both these wonderful recipes at Tasty palettes. :) Happy Eating!

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Chai and Pakora!

what else do you crave for on cold wintry days like these...???

This was a couple of weeks back, when we saw the season's first snow storm in Atlanta .. It was a Sunday..:) We enjoyed the day with several rounds of chai..lots of TV and yummy Paneer Pakoras!

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Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants

Came across this article from the New York Times. It was an eye opener for me and really led me to think about our eating habits and exercise routine (and also make my new year resolutions which I NEVER EVER have) :

1.) Incorporate more fresh vegetables in my everyday meals. In addition to the usual dal chawal,our meal will now include more vegetables (cooked/raw).

2.) Start shopping at the Farmer's market instead of the Grocery stores.

3.) Create AND STICK to an exercise schedule (walking/jogging to start with)

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