Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Warmth ...

Fig, raisin & cashew Biscotti

What does Winter mean to you? Is it about the biting cold, the freezing wind, the squishy snow, the treacherous black ice...? Or is it about roaring fires, steaming hot chocolate, cozy friendships (discovering who you really like in your circle enough to spend hours closeted together..!)? Or is it adventure sports, frolicking in white powder, standing with your mouth open to catch the light snow flakes and their incredible feeling of freshness?

When I first moved to this part of the world from the Tropics that I had known all my life before, I was a bit befuddled in my emotions to this particular season. I am not a lover of heat, and not much of sun either actually. But the East Coast cold isn't exactly an inviting one!

Winter Strawberries


Mozzarella & Tomato Salad1


Much like everything else in the New York life, it is unyielding, brutal, in-your-face and completely nonchalant of your perspective. It is what it is, love it or hate it!

And, while it is rather very easy to hate it, really HATE it, if you let it be, it will too.. and will actually grow on you! No, I don't mean, you will yearn for the season (you may but you don't have to!). But, you will come to cherish it for what it is and the gifts it affords..

Biscotti


Gifts of house parties, of cozy getaways in the woods, of serene landscapes, of laughter and chatter, of quiet introspection unadulterated by Summer's flirtations...

Of knowing your friends and who they are... Of love and who deserve yours... Of giving and sharing and how happy it makes... :)

Enjoy Winter! We are having a very pleasant one, this year, indeed! :)

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Silent Saturday - Profile of Woodstock, NY

Dusk - Cooper Lake
Cooper Lake, Woodstock - Dusk


Woodstock Tibetan Monastry prayer flags
Prayer flags at the Tibetan Monastery


Bowl of farm fruits
Farm fresh fruits - Sunfrost farms


Sunset - Cooper Lake
Cooper Lake, Woodstock - Glorious Sunset

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Snow.... and Cookies

Peanut Butter Chocolate Crinkle Cookies



Chocolate Peanut Butter Crinkles... I think they encapsulate life. Light, dark and the cracks that both join and divide! Quakes in life cause fissures, which, test you for sure, but can also make you stronger. Where you come out is, perhaps, dependent on your outlook and your perceptions but the choice exists?

Btw, it snowed. This Saturday. It was beautiful. I watched the light, mesmerizing snow flakes dancing their way down to slowly, ever so slowly, building their white castles and carpeting everything they touched in a shroud of virginity.


photo(2)



Boots in snow



Snow-Cookies



Friday, January 20, 2012

The color of my life...

Sweet Potato & Fennel Frittata


What is the color of your life? Yes, it changes often but there is usually a palate scheme that stays constant beneath it all, don't you think?

And do you think, it manifests in the way you see life around you? The food you eat? The colors of your wardrobe? The styling of your photographs?

It suddenly struck me today. Why did I choose that particular plate or background for that particular food item. Is it just pure physics of light and dark and the interplay of ranges of primary colors or is there an overlay of your mood and internal color palate?

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Puerto Rico Diaries - Part II - Food and Faces

Faces On the Ponce boardwalk


Puerto Rico is an island of abundance.. of hospitality, vibrance and freshness of fruits of the sea :). Much of the island's cuisine revolves around plantains, raw and ripe. Mashed with garlic and spices or deep fried into containers they can be part of every course of your meal.

DSC_0810-1boardwalk eats