Major and Minor

Spring is here! True to form, New York weather is likely to skip spring (read decent, pleasant temperatures) altogether and fast forward to summer - skin searing heat outside on some days and deep freezer like temperatures in offices and stores. Like every year, I am determined to enjoy mild weather as long as possible, even the rain. But like every year, I am stymied in my efforts - this time by something other than my usual ennui. Which brings me to my major update: I am now a mum! It has been nearly 3 months since we were joined by Baby A -screaming and flailing tiny limbs with all his might and generally rendering me speechless for the first few minutes of his life. It has taken me all this time to even post this update, so you can imagine the upheaval the tiny imp has caused in our lives :) We have had grandparents visiting and helping and leaving before the other set of grandparents arrived to do the same. Feeding and sleep routines are in now place - the body has even recovered to the shock of sleeping 5 hours a night. But settling down into this new role in my mind is still taking time. To know that you are responsible for a tiny life takes some realigning in your head. Like you are finally a grown-up.

What I am eating:
I am a one-and-done kinda gal when it comes to dinner. I only have energy to throw together a sabzi or a one-pot meal when I get home in the evenings. Fancy angrezi recipes that involve tinkering with the oven, or Insta-worthy bowl meals which require assembling 10 different components never tempt me. But this simple and healthy recipe for spinach quesadillas which marries my need for speed with healthy, post-partum recommended ingredients makes the cut.

What I am reading:
In times such as these - with journalistic standards at an all-time low and Whatsapp posts passing for reading - blog-hopping can be a very rewarding activity. And a break from the constant outrage and/or propaganda on social media. This post totally resonated with me and is the best thing I have read in a few weeks. Brought back fond memories of my father haranguing my adolescent school-going self to eat a banana everyday.

What I am watching:
Watched a lot of entertaining Hindi movies and shows recently (I think we are in the Renaissance period of Indian cinema!) But what will stay with me is this heartbreaking scene from Roma. What a brilliant movie. My heart shattered into a million pieces and will never be the same again.

Until next time (and hopefully that is sooner a few years)....
Cheers! 

Turkeys and Jingle bells

I love the last couple of months in the year. It is time for this hard-working country to slow down and indulge a little. Thanksgiving time in the US is very akin to Diwali time in India. There is hoards of shopping and parties and get-togethers. Window displays and street decorations vie for your attention. There is an early onset of Christmas tree sellers at street corners and cinnamon scents at bakeries and Christmas music wafting in through open doors...The number of employees on vacation hits the roof (and poor, hardworking folks who didn't go on that vacation suddenly find themselves inundated with extra hours.)

Normally, this is the time for me to indulge my reclusiveness. I find excuses to stay at home and get cozy. Have never really appreciated late Fall morphing into winter so quickly. Or I try to flee to warmer pastures, usually that annual visit to India. However, this year, since travel is not an option, I determined to enter into the Holiday spirit more fully. At-least until it starts pelting snow...

What I am reading: Lots of ARE prep material and nothing remotely exciting....

What I am watching: Thank God for savvy series makers turning to best-selling novels for their scripts! How else would I ever catch up with my pending reading... Elena Ferranate's much acclaimed 'My Brilliant Friend' has been gathering dust quietly on a shelf. I was so thrilled when the husband came across the show on HBO. Made in Italian(with English sub-titles), the series retains a lot of the charm of the book (I was told). I found the series hard to get into, but am completely hooked now. It's a coming of age story of 2 little girls growing up in Naples. The characters, the sets and the instances are rich with details. Another show I'd recommend is Succession (on Amazon Prime?) It's not an unusual story - the aging patriarch of a billionaire media conglomerate is reluctant to rescind his throne to his kin. But the flawed characters are so well-nuanced, that you actually care for them, root for them. The show manages to create edge-of-seat moments with corporate drama.Mrs. Maisel is back and thank God for that.

What I am cooking: I have been making a more conscious effort to get in protein and fiber in my diets. To that end, I am trying to master a couple of Bengali fish preparations. Here is a picture of my 'macher jhaal' and 'oats upma' for those cold winter mornings.

And that's it for today folks! Stay warm!

You'll be missed Sri...

It had been a relaxed outing with kids in a park. I was on my way back home, hoping to catch some quiet time, when my phone showed new updates. Breaking News about Sridevi!, it said. I eagerly clicked on it, expecting to hear about new movie plans or some such. Nothing about the news made sense. As it sunk in, I teared up in the subway. Condolences to her fans and the movie industry she grew up in. Condolences to her family and her daughters', on the cusp of their movie careers. They lost an irreplaceable mentor and coach in her. And condolences to my 12 year self who watched and re-watched her movies, mimic-ed her moves, fought her rivalries and felt her losses like only a true fan can.

Life, just like fame, can be so fickle.

Afterglow

Settling back after a vacation is a bit like breaking up with a lover with mutual consent. You are glad to be back on your own bed, but you experience constant nostalgia. Getting back to a humdrum routine is taking some getting used to this time - specially after a marathon getaway like the one I just had.

I took a walk today, reveling in the cold, fresh air and clear morning sky in the streets. But my mind went back to the muddled, muddy and rain-drenched streets of the medina in Marrakesh. And how it was almost impossible to walk uninterrupted - you had to squeeze aside to dodge scooters coming at breakneck speeds. But oh, how much more arresting and full of happen-chance such walks were. I enjoy the return to my full wardrobe and plentiful supply of clean clothes. But I loved my 3 weeks of haphazard layering, fashion be damned! With no schedule to adhere to, our days were strictly guided by pleasure.

And the highs, oh the highs! Watching the rolling countryside of South Portugal at your feet from a remote hilltop house every morning followed by sunny eggs and coffee by the pool and an improvised game of pong! Walking along one of the most photographed beaches in the world clad in your warmest winter wear and trying to not get your boots wet. Discovering Christmas lights at every turn and still walking along in the promise of more in Seville. Watching your dad and husband race down sand dunes in the Sahara like little kids while the camels' jingle fade in the background. Dancing to Berber drums around a camp fire - and having your parents be a part of it too!

I know that, eventually, the memory of the bad flight back home and the trauma of misplaced luggage will fade. And so will this afterglow of a great vacation. I will 're-integrate' into my practical, busy routine. But the next time I need my dose of Zen, I will be able to shut my eyes and spirit myself away to my heaven for that short, precious time.

Why I travel

We just got back from a quick 3 day getaway to Bermuda. This vacation will be special for several reasons - an important one being the relative ease with which it got planned. We have never been able to make up our minds about a location this quickly before. But all vacations are not like this, even the quick getaways. I usually put in a considerable amount of time researching a location and while it is eventually rewarding , it also takes a bit of a toll. So here's why it's all worth it for me!

1) A vacation is like an automatic reset. Coming back from a trip, jet-lagged and bleary eyed from the flight , I am still fresher in mind and spirit than before the trip. I have done some mental housekeeping, some consciously but mostly, naturally. 

2) I am a better employee! I am little more patient and punctilious and less likely to open Facebook on my browser ever so often :P My poor, overworked eyes and wrist also benefit greatly from this enforced sabbatical from a computer. 

3) Travelling gives me a somewhat informed point of view. I know a little bit more about the world. Before a recent trip to Sri Lanka, all I knew was that SL is a beautiful, but poor neighbor (to India), torn by internal strife till very recently. A short 5 days in the country revealed that it is not only a self-sufficient country, rich in resources, but it is also implementing eco-tourism in a way India hasn't been able to. I hope to go back to explore another part of this jewel island soon. Some years ago, we spent 2 weeks in Greece, travelling to various parts, settling in to a new round of austerity measures. It was the quiet, hustle-free time of the year, when the summer holiday goers and cruise ships have left. Chatting with locals over complimentary raki and touring their diminished markets, we sensed much of the turmoil that the proud Greek will never reveal. 

4) I get fit! As opposed to working out for a vacation, I do it while vacationing, strange as it might sound. Holidays are about waking up early (or soonish) and hitting the sights and traipsing the streets. So, hello toned legs! No resort stays where one spends time guzzling beer around a pool for us, thanks very much. Saving that for old age!

And of course, I get to explore my wardrobe :P That is high on my list of priorities, despite being last on this list. Can't appear too frivolous, no?

So, why do YOU travel?

Travel Diary

Even in this remote, cul-de-sac location, I can hear the ice-cream truck! There is no escaping their jingle, come summer! We are in this quaint, waterfront house on  the Peconic river in South Hampton. This AirBnb property is very  modest  from  the outside but reveals a gorgeous, sunny layout from within, with a backyard right on the water.

We are just back from a walk through the ubiquitous Main Street. The summer crowds aren't here yet. No surprise. Despite it being almost mid- April, a temperature of 15 C max. with a chilly breeze pervades. Not beach weather. We brought back lunch from 'Citarella - the local gourmet, prepared food store - and ate in the backyard,  under the sun. Random comfort food, the sort that tastes good but doesn't really gel well, cuisine-wise, - Greek salad, cold Asian noodles and cheese stuffed eggplant. Liquor chocolates for dessert; they come all the way from Sweden, courtsey of good friends. M has retired indoors for a nap, I am savoring the sun a bit longer.The water beckons and glistens. A pair of ducks fly over, from the strip island across, with matter-of-fact curiosity. All is quiet except for the sea gulls and the occasional boat out for an afternoon stroll on the water, their friendly owners waving. All is perfect.

(Slightly improved excerpt from my diary, posted after reading Pico Iyer's 'The Art Of Stillness), at the fag end of summer.

Culinary weekend!

I love food! (even though that is not an association people make when they first see me :) ) So, a weekend where almost every meal was soul-satisfying needs to make it to the blog.

The lucky streak started on Friday. The husband was working from home and so I stirred myself to make more effort over lunch. I am very happy  when I get a chance to put leftovers to use.There was some rice sitting in the fridge, the default accompaniment to every Seamless delivery. Turns out this slight hard, slightly old rice is perfect for quick fried rice. This is the expedited path I followed: Stir fry finely chopped ginger, garlic, onions and then any veggies you might have on hand. I never skimp on the ginger - important to add that punch. Remember to add some sugar as well to help the flavor and add color. Add the rice and the soy sauce soon after. Since soy sauce is salty, taste before adding the salt. Some recipes add in the vinegar at this point. I like to have vinegar separately on the table - in a bowl with chopped green chilies and more ginger.
All of this took me around 20 minutes. Topped off my plate with some stir-fried shrimp as a reward for my efforts while the husband got a sunny-side on his.

Ventured into Williamsburg later in the evening to look for baby clothes for my husband's new nephew. Decided to eat at St. Anselm on a whim. Now, we have visited and liked St. Anselm before. Being vegetarian, however, a restaurant specializing in grilling isn't going to be at the top of our regulars list. But this experience changed that for us. Despite their prohibitive wait-list (2 hours! which we used to find parking and browse baby stores) plus a further 30 minute wait for proper seating (no, I don't want to sit on a hard, tall stool at the bar - not after such a long wait anyway!) St. Anselm delivered. We decided to order a bunch of their appetizers and small plates to get a taste of everything.The peach-tomato salad, the haloumi-pea leaves salad, the spinach gratin were all worth the wait. The charred cauliflower brought back memories of my Dimma's phulkopi jhuri bhaja. The wine, though a tad expensive, perfectly complemented the flavors.We also managed to squeeze in some dessert (what a blessing it is to have expandable tummies!) - vanilla ice-cream with peach pie. Pure bliss! Exactly what a randomly special meal should feel like!

On Saturday, we pigged out at a special rakhi lunch cooked by the m-i-l. Lotus roots (bhe) in a light curry, saag paneer, a very toddler friendly red salad with beets and a great halwa.

Partly out of guilt and partly out of boredom (from over-eating!), we ended up walking all the way from 46th street to 14th. We did make a few pit-stops but since those pertained to shopping, our poor feet did not get any rest. When we finally reached Williamsburg, we were thirsty (and hungry again.) A quiet, airy pub beckoned. Williamsburg has tons of these cute establishments. Ordered wine with a small appetizer of Welsh rarebit. Really savored both the refreshments and the ambiance.