Slipping into Comfort

It was a rainy Sunday.

A day when hot chocolates and caramel swirls are the order.

A time for hanging in Elizabethan cafes, noshing and sipping great coffee while casually lounging and talking about worldly matters. Waiting in line for 20 odd minutes, in a 'gritty' joint, to inhale this burger in under 3 minutes.

Walking under an umbrella bracing the dripping rain but letting it wash off the streets and marveling at how green the leaves seem.

Musing why that group is dressed so formally and how can that hairdo stand up to the humidity.

That kind of unruffled amusement, hand-swinging ease of conversation and abject wonder of surroundings.



Yeah! It was a nice, comfortable weekend of digging for the little unknowns, sampling something new, falling back into something old that yet seems reborn. An act that unmasked itself anew, afresh in the soft glow of candle light.

I baked, cooked, set random tables, enjoyed the fruits of the season and my labor. I made plans, took little notes and was happy watching my calendar fill up and mind working on a creative 5th gear.

That's all. A lot and a little. Many steps forward. All with a smile. :)


I leave you with a recipe for a Stuffed Eggplant Confit, that is easy and filled with warmth and wrapped in comfort for that rainy day leading into nothing especial but perfect just the same in its familiarity.

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Living Every Day

I'll preface this post by saying it loud and there is no way of ignoring it. I am today what I was not last week!

Last week was a load of sh*t packaged in a nasty brown box, tied up with bow of entrails. A series of painful kitchen accidents, dashed hopes, heartaches, cancelled itineraries etc.

The good news is, I am still alive, not spontaneously combusting, and learning to leave the trail of bollocks behind and move on with a semblance of ... I don't know, something positive.


When I hit the abyss, a few things helped me -

1. Read this beautiful post by my friend that reminded me, even when all else breaks down, I can still make a yummy cake and sit by the window and visit a far away land, tea and cake in hand. So, I proceeded to do just that and revisited this cake with blackberries.

2. A text from another friend who was insistent that it was all just a 'question of perspective' and if I wanted to I could press reset, empty my mind, change perspective. I was tempted to write this off as another cliche but for some reason, I decided to give it a try. Perhaps, it was that the text actually made me laugh and in that moment, transformed me. You know who you are.. thank you!

3. I was by this time, dead stubborn to avoid the one thing that usually reset my mind into a happier state, viz. baking/cooking/pottering in the kitchen. I just wanted to sit on the couch and wallow in self-pity. The combination of the two above actually made me turn my back on the devil inside, get my ass of the couch and whip up a delicious Ramp Tart for myself and then that cake as well.





I proceeded to eat it all and then made a list -

1. On the question of meaning of my life - I don't know, yet, but I have to live and experience to find out, don't I?! I live because I can and I should and pain is unavoidable, and perhaps, essential, part of that. So, I just have to learn to accept, endure and take it as it comes.

2. I have always been a control freak with an OCD tendency to plan. I should learn to let go. Not easy but desperately holding on to fraying fragments of past details does me no good.

3. Signed up for this Bread Intensive at the ICC, starting next week. I am super pumped! I will try to capture my experience here post and of course instagram is going to be a constant companion!

4. Am scheduled to do a few photography projects through the year that makes me happy.

5. I am hoping to, finally, attend this stellar conference organized by my very talented friends every year.

6. Wrote (with pencil and paper, yes!) down a nice long list of recipe ideas I want to execute and share on this blog over the next few months. Some of them involve new techniques that I am excited to experiment with. Some of them are cool ideas that need collaboration with friends and will also push my creative boundaries both in food and photography! I am looking forward to put them out here and find out what you think!

7. Realised I am plateauing a bit on my photography and need to push myself to the next level. I have a few ideas in mind and am curious to see how they take shape.


Other things that make me happy, every day -

There is a new life born every day and there is new hope. Congrats to Zita and her boy friend on their gorgeous baby! The little boy makes me smile :)

I am incredibly proud of Regula; she not only perks me up with her food, but apparently Jamie Oliver is smitten too! She is his favorite blogger! Hats off darling, and totally derserved! Regula's research into every recipe she shares and her absolute passion for British food is such an inspiration! Also check out Regula and Bruno's interview here; such creative minds and the article reflects it!

I am exhilarated to have the love I want from those whom I want it from. I don't know if I say it enough, know that you are appreciated for all the little things, the flowers, the walks, coffees, lunches and dinners, the phone calls... the presence mean much and I am incredibly grateful for it! :)

And, I am so thankful for the power of language, for how would we resolve without it! ;)

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A Fresh Beginning

Spring, when the buds shyly peek out and then blossom into gorgeous show-stopping flowers!

A beautiful time of the year that signals rebirth, new beginnings.. a new lease on an old life. :) It is a season that gives reason to smile. Even the very unenamored cannot possibly be not swayed by the sheer beauty of nature at this time; clear blue skies, a fresh nip in the air that is neither chilly nor warm and a burst of outdoor activity. Laughter seems to be suspended in the air now and with the promise of only echoing louder as the warmer weather rushes in. Lighter clothes, colorful accessories, vibrant ochre and fuschia in shoes and bags and all things green and rich popping up.




Speaking of which, it is the time that farmers' markets really start becoming welcoming and bountiful. Besides, the warmer weather affords the luxury of stopping and having a real conversation with the farmer and finding out more about what's happening in the farm and how their lives are. Yeah, I like chatting! :)

With time on my hands, I make it to the market at Union Square atleast twice a week. Oh! I also realised why I found this place to be unapproachable (atleast for my wallet) before. It was because the handful of times, I had been before, it was on Saturdays when the same exact produce is marked up atleast a time and half. And, the place is packed with NYers and tourists and I find crowds a natural turn-off! So, moral of the story, avoid Saturday markets unless they are flea markets. For the latter, the outside vendors are always a better bargain!



So, anyway, ramps and leeks are now in season and I just love both their flavor and their flourishing greenness! When I am not making ramp and leek soup or ramp pesto, these little drop scones rich with the flavor of young ramps make a perfect snack or accompaniment to Sunday brunch eggs.

Happy May folks!

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