A list of "weaknesses"

My "maa" as I call her is a really very strong person. Going and gone through so many not so good read unpleasant things in her life but she has emerged stronger and spiritual. She has made me stronger as well. I have gone through that patch where I felt I didn't understand my self.. She made me feel my inner self..and just so simply.

She is not related to me..our paths crossed for some time.. And I am glad they did.

She made me do a list.. Of things or qualities I don't like in a person.. The list is still ongoing..(hehehe) but it is fun and even if hurting when listing down, you feel good and liberated when done.. I added my point in it. I don't burn it and flush it in toilet as per original plan but revise it.. Once a week or 15 days. 

That list teaches me what I don't have to become and what I want to.. 

Thanks maa

A nice movie I saw PIKU

Idle Sunday and sleepy me after a heavy lunch. I wanted to avoid sleeping at any cost. Disintesrestedly I took a book and longingly looking at the bed, I came out to settle on sofa with half asleep reading. But better (?) half had put on a movie. And when I saw it carefully I saw mr bacchan saying his dialogues in bengali accent. "PIKU" I thought mentally. "Looks interesting". Normally all new movies, I see on einthusan on mostly fast forward mode. I prefer mostly old movies of hrishikesh mukherjee types. Where the comedy was still cleaner and a good storyline. Few exceptions to this rule were few Marathi movies like gupchupgupchup, Mumbai Pune Mumbai, gammat jammat and ashi hi banvabanvi. All of them comedy though (digression thy name is Ashwini).
So I sat down to watch this movie on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Not what you call as engrossing. Since the movie is not made that way. But definitely interesting and can be watched again and again. Amiyah bacchan is stupendous as usual and for a change the bikini babe "Paadu" aka deepika padukone has given the right emotions. Though she is the namesake on which the movie is based, irfan khan with his few shots and of course amitabh bacchan steal the show. The banter between aged father played by amitabh bacchan and daughter deepika is portrayed well. The Bengali cacaphonie and habits are showed well with the Bengali words rightly peppered in the dialogues. I liked the scene when amitabh bacchan explores Kolkata on a cycle. I saw the Kolkata from the eyes of a Bengali and the beauty in the ordinary.
The songs are good too. I liked "hum chalein" and few other songs.
Overall, I can watch tHis movie a few more times. Nice watch.

I liked this one: " fig preserves"

Staying in U.S. has made many things easily accessible to me which may or may not be that easily available to me otherwise. Either because where we stay, we don't have shops that sell exotic stuff except Alfa or I don't know. Somehow I think that now that we are in U.S., whatever is Indian and to be precise from Bihar or Maharashtra has become exotic for us. Ok now I am digressing ;)

Coming back to fig preserves. So we went to this bulk store called BJs, where I almost always see and like a lot of stuff. And I always buy it in smaller amount from neighborhood Walmart. So I saw a bottle of fig preserves in the refrigation section next to feta cheese and salami packets. I am not that fond ( rather not fond) of jams and jellies. I find them irritatingly cloying and sweet. I wondered at the decision. At 3.5 and a small cute matka shaped bottle (I love different shape bottles and have nice ones.. That is again a different topic) which could be easily finished without developing a headache. I absolutely didn't know what lay ahead.
The next time I was hungry for a sandwich, I removed this bottle among other condiments like ranch dressing and honey mustard. Almost experimentally I slathered it on the bread covered it with chutney powder and them another of bread brethren. I took one skeptical bite. I was neither floored nor found it too good et. Etc. but I found it comforting and homely. Like that something added which is there and not thee but it's existence in a dish gives a new delicious twist to mundane sandwich. I liked it. I tried it with Greek salad (my love of olives is right there) and chilly pickle. Each time it turned good and tasty. Needless to say the bottle got over just a bit too early. To rid my self of the addiction, I ran away from that shelf the next time I visited BJs.

My current binge of....books

Empty mind is not only devil's workshop.. It finishes you mentally, physically and spiritually. The solace for me became books. For every one who knows me well.. They know my obsession with books, be it company bus, car travel, at night before sleeping and many such occasions which I won't say ;).. Books are more of time pass for me.. They give me imagination, information and escape from daily self cookery show of dal, bhat and bhaji..

State library was a good option here as there was no "thela" that gave me return and a book for 100 INR. The books which I liked I ordered on eBay for less than 5 $. 

I started with few of the known people whose food blogs I follow like Molly wizenberg's "Delancey " and "a homemade life" and Louisa weiss's " my Berlin kitchen". These were more memorizque but written very well and simplistic style. 

The next was David Leibovitz " my Paris kitchen" this was a funny and endearing story of a chef who decides to go to Paris and experiences all kinds of Parisian idiosyncrasies.. This made me doubtful about visiting France let alone Paris but yes.. I would love to eat in France for at least 6 months is still a wish. 

Then I read "confessions of a closet master baker" by gesine bullock- prado.. Again a memoir.. A few more memoirs followed including Julia child's' much recommended my life in Paris which I found absolutely boring.  But I found one true gem among them as well called " the Doritos effect" written by David Schatzker who wrote an absolute revolutionary approach to food and how much flavor affects our palette. Reading this book I was Happy that I am slowly banning some foods from my kitchen... Definitely must read.. My next target is "teach like your hair is on fire" by Rafe esquith.. Hope this turns a gem too..  Back to reading..