Memorable weekend in the Catskills :))

Memorial day weekend for the past two years has been the one annual camping trip that my husband and I undertake. My husband's birthday also falls around the same time and he loves outdoors stuff. So, I always gift him a camping experience and its a convenient gift for me too - I don't end up stressing myself out thinking of gifts every year :).

This year we camped in the Catskills region by the Willowemoc river. The Catskills is a state park about two hours NW of New York city. We have been there multiple times before - the region has many interesting bed and breakfasts and of course hosts some of the best ski slopes in Hunter and Belleayre mountains. Anyway, this time, we decided to discover a portion of the 300,000 acres that constitute the park. Our chosen area was in the south of the region near the town of Livingston Manor.

One tip for those trying to camp in the region - Book your camp sites early if you want to get a good one esp. over long weekends. We were a little late in starting the hunt and I spent countless hours calling up campsites only to find them booked full.

By accident I came upon the Covered Bridge Campsite in Sullivan county. Obviously the camp ground has a covered bridge on site :). The Catskills area has a lot of these structures built over the rivers. They are wide and tall enough to allow vehicles to pass. For me, the lure to this place was not the historic bridge but rather the privacy that the place advertised on their website. That was it! A peaceful weekend with nature that is free of by madly partying groups and more importantly pesky brats!

In a bid to avoid the holiday traffic out of NYC we left in the early hours (7 am) on Saturday and made it to the camp in about 2.5 hours after a pit stop for breakfast and fuel (Man! Have the gas prices rocketed!!!!! $4.15 a gallon.. GULP! If it stays this way, I may have to rethink all the grand travel plans I had for this year :( ).

So, we got there and were pleasantly surprised to see that the camp ground which is privately owned also doubled up as the owners' farm :). The lady of the house, who also mans the camp, rescues cats and has 20 of them on the property, mostly outdoors. They were cute and fun to play with and we spent good amount of time rubbing their bellies and scratching their ears over the next three days :)).

Her son breeds rabbits and not the small cuddly ones at that! These were huge and were apparently entered into contests.. Not surprising actually. All we saw them doing was....Eat! constantly gnawing at the grass in the area. She had dogs of course - we saw a cute, friendly-looking yellow Lab, whom I desperately wanted to pet but did not quite get near as he was a enclosed behind a screen door. Then, she had hens and rooster and cocks and ducks (white gorgeous ones!). Last but not least (am sure there were more animals that we did not sight!!) she had GOATS!!

That camp seemed to be completely self sustaining!! Wake up to a cup of goat milk coffee and a breakfast of bread, goat cheese and fresh eggs. Lunch on goat meat or chicken etc. Hmmm.. not bad living I say. Every time we passed the goat pen, which was often because it was en route to the restroom, I saw biriyani :D... hehe..

Finally, after a loong chat with the owner (she talks a looot!) we settled in at our site. Our site was a riverfront one. Unfortunately, the Willowemoc river decided to become lazy around our camp area. So, we had a constant swarm of mosquitoes, gnats and God knows what else around us. But hey! that's part of the "outdoors" experience.

Anyway, we kicked off the experience with a brunch of spicy Italian sausage dogs cooked over the newly set up camp stove :)..Yumm! It is a special experience eating outdoors - esp. since the food is mostly red meat :D.. We had packed in a bunch of different meats- steaks and shrimps marinated at home the previous night, uncooked and cooked sausages, cans of chili. Apart from various sides such as chips and salsa, peanut butter etc.

After a filling meal, we decided to explore the area. The lady at the office told us of a waterfalls in the vicinity and we went to check it out. We had to go through the covered bridge to start our walk into the woods. BTW, this is really backcountry. The whole area is woods - trees and river everywhere. If you plan to come here, make sure you tell your near and dear that you will be completely inaccessible. There wasn't a whiff of cell phone signal for miles around. The nearest is the town of Livingston Manor.

Anyway, back to the bridge. I am not sure when it was built, but, it seemed pretty old. Everything was wood - even the joints. The walk was at most a half mile and passed through many small falls till we reached our destination - the 20 foot waterfall. It was nice walk, although a bit cold. And being near water and falls is a relaxing feeling; the sound of flowing water is sooo soothing to one and makes you forget the little worries in life :)..

On our way back, we stopped to watch people fishing in the river. The area is known for trout fishing and people come in hordes for this, though frankly in all the time we were there, I did not see a single fish swimming past! So it was surprise (to me that is) that as we watched, one of the guys fly fishing in the river actually managed a catch - a reasonable sized trout, a decent dinner for one. BTW, on the subject of fishing, I don't quite understand the concept of catching the fish, maiming it with the hook and then letting it go! What's the point?! I say, when you catch it, eat it; don't throw it back with a wound so it becomes a meal for the nearest predator! :O. Anyway, here, thankfully, they seemed to be catching it for the purpose of eating.

We came back to the camp to set up the fire for cooking and warming ourselves. Our dinner was steaks and fire grilled shrimped followed by s'mores for dessert :). Food cooked (actually charred) in wood smoke tastes fantastic and eating by the campfire is an experience itself :).

It was a good thing we had all that meat to eat; because it was getting very cold out there. By evening, the place had become really chilly with a stiff breeze blowing in and by the time we turned in, we were all frozen. Temperature apparently dipped below zero degrees during the night; not an altogether pleasant sleep that night.

Fortunately, Sunday morning dawned surprising pleasant with a sunny morning and sans the chilling breeze. A good timing too - It was my husband's birthday :). And to commemorate the occasion, we went on a hike. Wat else! :).

The hike we planned to do (Big Indian/ Slide Mountain hike) was about 35 miles away from our camp. The drive itself is picturesque through meadows and fields and farm houses. After getting slightly lost, we eventually found the trail head. and began our climb around 2 pm. At the head of the trail was board marking the Big Indian at 4.5 miles. When we started we did not realise that this figure was one-way. Innocently, we proceeded along on the trail.

It took us through a few steep climbs including rocky scrambles and some flat ground walks. All around us was the fresh green of spring leaves (which by now, you must have guessed I adore after raving about them in every post :) ), untouched woods, quiet solitude (there was no one on the trail!) and flowing streams. It was perfect in many ways :). We passed by many small streams and rivulets and one major brook named Biscuit Brook (I really wonder what story there is!). After hiking for about two hours, it dawned upon us that the our hike was actually be a 9-miler. We did not have enough time before sunset to summit and had to turn back midway.

I had a feeling of incompleteness because we did not hike all the way up but realistically, the experience was fantastic and am glad we had those 4 hours in that tranquil environment :). Back at the campsite, it was chilly again after the lovely day but it was perfect for a dinner of chili cooked with left-over sausage and beer. The night was warmer than the previous one and I think we all slept better.

The third and last day dawned bright and sunny again. I don't like the last day. It brings in the note of reality and suddenly you are brought back down to Earth and the chores of cleaning and packing up :). No matter how much you delay the leaving, its always in the back of your head..We regretfully packed up everything, bid a final adieu to the kitties and the camp and headed back into the city and to our usual lives.....

The weekend was fantastic - camping was great with all the added perks of the farm animals and the area was beautiful! I would definitely go back there. I am already browsing around more camping ideas :)..

The call of nature in its pristine splendor is insistent and addictive :)

Chocolate and Cream - Pure joy for the sundered soul !!!

I hate NY weather! :(((.. It has been overcast, windy, chilly, gloomy and drippy for two days now and that is enough to sap all the cheerfulness out of a person. I mean, its supposed to have been Spring, for God's sake. It was a month late in coming to start with, and now, after a brief showing of 3 days, wants to go off on a vacation again, leaving behind this depressing substitute and no forwarding address! What ever happened to dependability?!

This place is starting to resemble London! First, it was the accent -on which topic BTW, digressing a bit, I really must question the American ad minds. The Brit accent is definitely "Oooh so sexyyy" and can be a potent pick-up accessory. But, it's really a bit too much to expect people to switch their insurance and house purifiers especially when animals speak in that come-hither accent!! :O.... Anyway, now we seem to have imported some of their weather too! It really is becoming all too unpredictable!

My miff is this. I woke up today with a head full of plans of spending the morning lazing in the sunny park with a bagel and cream cheese in one hand and a book in the other, sitting on the fresh grass and viewing the world through the greenest leaves and the most benevolent eyes. With such energizing thoughts, I stretched, yawned, made my morning cup of tea and peeked out through the blinds - and then, my dreams of the lovely spring picnic came crashing down! :-(( There was no splendor of the sunny spring outside... it was just a wet blanket! Bah!

I needed a pick-me-up and a really strong one that would actually turn this day around for me. So, I browsed my cookbooks - an exercise which in itself lifts my spirits, I mean, look at all those de-lish stuff that I could eat.. Droooll! Today, I wanted something quick and easy to make (when you are feeling this down, you need cheering up real fast). So I settled on a yummy looking chocolate recipe. Now, I don't really like chocolate having been temporarily forced off it for health reasons in my impressionable years. But, it seemed to be just the thing which could turn out into a gooey, warm, cuddly, sweet thing that I could enjoy while smiling on the erratic weather.

So I made a flourless chocolate cake out of a bar of Ghirardeli bitter-sweet chocolate bar and tons of butter (Of course!). Its really simple to make, and without the flour you save a lot of time by not having to blend the batter into a smooth lumpless paste. So, in under an hour, I had my helping of indulgence for the day. And to make things even more decadent, I whipped up some heavy cream with a bit of rum and chocolate bits and doused it all over my cake!:)))) I know it's Rich but its OK; Having to forego a day of fun and frolic in the sun is really a traumatic experience!

Ahhhh!!! What pleasure! When you are done licking the plate clean of the last crumb of baked chocolate and the last molecule of the cream, you can sit back and feel happy and blessed that God made this day so miserable outside that you could have this sweet pleasure sitting in your home. That is, if you are spiritual. If you are not, like me, you don't think and just enjoy the taste and afterglow! :-)

I was feeling high and very happy with the world. I know, there will be a time in the next few hours when the cocoa-induced high will ebb and I will fall back into an abyss of the real world and made cognizant of the side effects of this trip to sin-land - the stubborn extra pounds.

But then, that will be then and this is now... and right now there is another slice of my fabulous cake with my name on it! :)

P.S. : You don't really need a bad weather excuse to make this sumptuous delight. It serves a perfect end-of-meal for any special occasion. Like when you want your significant other to overlook your most recent shopping excess :D or more traditionally, the family celebration... :)

Warm Flourless Chocolate Cake with Rum and Chocolate Chip Cream

For the cake:
1/4 pound bitter sweet chocolate
1 stick butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs separated, white beaten to soft peaks

For the cream:
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 tp rum
1/2 cup chocolate chips (if you love chocolate increase amount)

Cake:
Melt the chocolate with the butter. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar and combine with the molten chocolate. Gently fold in the stiff egg whites (Do not beat in the egg whites as this will take away all the fluffiness that the whites will bring to the cake). Pour into a buttered 8" cake pan and bake in preheated over at 350F for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Cream:
Making the whipped cream can be tricky. You need to know exactly when to stop whipping, else you can break the cream. Start whipping at a low speed and then shift into higher speeds. Keep whipping at high speed till you the volume of the cream building up. Keep whipping and add the sugar and rum. Shift down and whip for a few more seconds and stop. Fold in the chocolate chips into the whipped cream and refrigerate.

Serve the cake with loads of cream on it. The cream with the touch of rum provides a delicate balance to the deep flavor of the chocolate.

jam jam Jambalaya!!

My husband made this yummy Cajun-Creole sausage and shrimp Jambalaya for dinner tonight after I complained that I was tired of cooking (sure, I love to cook, but a little distance is good for the love.. :-) Besides, its always great to have someone cook good stuff for you!).

The wonderful thing about this dish (other than the taste, flavor etc.) is that you can put in an assortment of meat into it. You can prety much throw in whatever is in your fridge! I had bought some spicy Italian pork sausage with the noble intention of making Spanish style omlette. And from my trip to Chinatown, had about a pound of shrimp in my freezer. What better way than to combine the two in this traditional recipe of the South for a flavorful meal that hits you in all the right spots leaving a soothing after-glow of satisfaction! :-)

The Jambalaya itself can be done in three ways - Cajun, Creole and new age. Our dish was cooking as a combination of the Cajun and creole styles.

Of course, I did not really get my temporary retirement from culinary duties. My smart husband put my two hands and legs into full use sending me off to the grocery store to pick sauces and veggies. When I returned loaded, I was promptly put on the task of peeling and de-veining the shrimp. I don't know about you guys, but every time I clean a bunch of shrimp (and I seem to be the defacto cleaner in the house owing to completely gnawed finger nails of the other half!), it seems that the pile of the unpeeled creatures seems to stubbornly stay constant! Have you ever felt that?? Or maybe it was just me lamenting at not being to sloth on the couch till dinner time..LOL..

Anyway, I finally managed to sloth as I wanted after the shrimp part. While there, I indulged myself in the wonderful smells wafting from the kitchen (ours is a tiny apartment and you really cannot escape getting a whiff of anything that's cooking!). The smell of sausage (browned first) cooking in a broth of the holy trinity, stewed tomatoes and thyme is enough to thrill even a content stomach down hunger's way! Add to that shrimps and flavored rice (we used Basmati - very very Indian, indeed!). It was a heavenly journey of aromas that sustained me until plating time.

Two hours, and many mouth watering peeks into the pan, later, the Jambalaya was on the table and all set to be devoured. And did we attack it! It was all hands aboard! :-) And hey, I can even take some credit for the dish! :-))..After all, it was the quality ingredients and expertly peeled shrimps that was the base of all the deep flavor.... hehe...

Louisiana-Cajun Jambalaya

1 lb spicy sausage - you can use Andouille also
1/2 lb peeled and de-veined shrimp
1 cup rice
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
3 ribs chopped celery
2 cloves garlic chopped fine
2 cups chicken broth
1 can stewed tomatoes
2 tp fresh thyme
1 tp Tabasco sauce
2 tp paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Brown the sausages in olive oil - remove and slice them into bite size pieces. We use the same pot for cooking the jambalaya. The bits of meat that stick to the pot during the browning actually give the color to the dish and add to the flavor. If you are using other meats, season the pieces with paprika and brown them too and keep aside.

Saute the holy trinity (onions, celery and bell pepper - so called as it constitutes the base of most Italian dishes...wow! the gods must rejoice!) along with the minced garlic. Once cooked, add the tomatoes, stock, seasoning and all the meats. The stewed tomatoes add the Creole flavor and coloring to the dish. Cover the mixture and simmer for an hour on medium-low heat. This gentle simmering will work to bring together the flavors of all the ingredients while concentrating them into a tempest.

Now bring the mixture to a boil and add the rice. If there isn't enough fluid in the pan for the rice add some water before adding rice. Add the shrimp and cook on low until rice is cooked. Do not open the lid after adding the shrimps, else the rice will not cook well as the steam escapes. This will take about 30 minutes.

Once rice is done, let sit for a few minutes before serving....

Yaaaawwnnnnn! Oh for a cup of tea.....

Hmmmmm... Maaaan...I can't wait for these long lazy post-lunch hours to tick along to my favorite time of the day - TEA TIME! :-)))

Tea time symbolises for me lovely, quality time with my family over a steaming mug of the milky sweet Brooke Bond masala chai (imported from India, specially bought and packed with extra dose of love by parents!). Its the time to trade stories on the day's activities or the uselessness our jobs and bosses or simply gossip about people we know. It's the time to peel away the layers of worry and stress and live in the moment.

As you know, I grew up in Chennai, where the evening cooled down enough from the sea breeze to allow us the pleasure of sitting in our garden under the shade of the mango and chikoo trees. Ours was a corner house located at the intersection of two major roads with a lot of footfall and considerable traffic. Sitting there with my granpa and leisurely sipping the sweet and spicy concoction, it felt like being on an oasis while the world around us carried on in its frenetic pace.... Of course, the fun was in the many observations one could make of human nature, sitting in the relative obscurity of one's garden - and my granpa was great company in that bit of indulgence :-)

This was a treasured time especially after a long 1 hour journey from my college, which was in the middle of nowhere, riding back to the city in a college bus that was starved for seats (we were literally piled two-high on almost every seat!!). As I entered the work force later, tea time was no longer a specific time but was more a symbolism - for escaping the claws of work and taking a few minutes for self or a quick catch up with friends for a short chat or a time to unburden ones worries while drinking the hot, soul-cleaning tea.

But, no matter how many times I have had tea during the day, I never skip having a cup of tea with my husband when we get back from our offices. The countless images built over the years of sharing thoughts and time has to be relived yet again...every day! :)

My first apartment in NY had a balcony, where we used to sit on a camp chair and observe everything around. From the height of the 17th floor, it was like looking at an ant farm bustling with vigorous activity down below... In our current apartment, there isn't a balcony but the window with the tree outside and the biscuits accompanying the tea are sufficient to create the ambiance. To me, the true pleasure in eating a biscuit is derived when it is dipped in hot tea making it so soft that melts in your mouth - my favourites are Marie, Parle G or even Brittania.

Speaking of biscuits, I have a bone to pick with the Americans. The US of A does not seem to get the concept of Indian (or is it British?) biscuits. They have cookies, which are too heavy and buttery or crackers which are not sweet! Their "biscuit" is actually just a bread roll! A biscuit has to be crunchy, sweet and above all dippable in tea!

Oh! look at the time - it's already tea time indeed! Well, how time flies when one relents to just a little bit of nostalgia. :) I am off for my cup of awakening................

Apshawaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Yaaaaaaayyyyyyyy!! I got my wish again last weekend :))).. We had a change in weekend plans and I got to leave the smoke and tension of the city for the tranquil of a tiny state preserve in NJ - Apshawa State Reserve - near the town of Bloomingdale, just an hour drive West from the city (if you have the luck to be in a car with my cousin driving, buffer another half hour for losing your way, retracing, food and restroom pit stops, so on and so forth ! :)).. travelling with her is a lot of fun, nevertheless :-) )

Anyway.. We were initially supposed to leave at our usual hiking time of 8:30 am on Saturday morning. But, after a very late Friday night (for all of us) and more importantly, a minor crash involving my cousin's car the same night (I did say, travelling with her is eventful!!), we eventually left the city after repairing the car and a peaceful lunch in the sleepy mid-afternoon hour of 3 pm.

Getting to Bloomingdale was straightforward enough but getting to the trail head itself from the town can be a bit tricky but the locals are happy to point you in the right direction. Parking is right at the head of the trail head. There is a kiosk with the trail map - I would suggest carefully reading it before starting the hike.

We reached the kiosk, all set with our gear (camera and water) at 5 pm. Given the late hour (sunset in 2.5 hrs), we were looking for a short hike. We choose to do the Green trail, a two hour loop which took us through the woods, along a nice stream, pond, dam, small waterfall and some rusty ruins.

The fun part of the hike was crossing the stream! The stream was a little more than ankle deep and was running off the dam which fed into it from a good size pond. Ofcourse, I got my shoes and socks completely wet trying to hop across using the rocks on the stream bed. But what the hell! that's the fun! :)

We climbed up the bouldery escarpment to reach the top of the dam (all of 20 feet) and came at water level with the pond. Looking at the pond and its serene waters in the slant rays of the evening sun was a peaceful and reflective experience - which, ofcourse, was shattered in a couple of minutes by squeals of the others in the party trying to communicate with us atop!

Anyway, along the way we passed a cute and tiny waterfall that was trying to muster up as much power and force of water as it could. I feel it is always refreshing to hear the sound of fast running water. It, somehow, enthuses you and sends an adrenalin rush through your body! Well, atleast it does for me. :-).


A mile or so from the falls, we summitted at the grand height of 600 feet. Despite the rather short stature of the peak, the view was breath-taking. We overlooked a sea of green of the adjoining hills. There was not a single building we could see for miles across. It definitely felt like we had completely escaped the city and had managed to invite ourselves to a private orgy of an untouched Earth!

And the setting sun peeking at us through the leaves of the nearby trees added a lovely tone to the leaves and the evening...I am rather glad, we did this hike in the evening as the descending sun mellows the experience into softer strokes - the green of leaves reflecting the sun just rightly so, the breeze carrying the cool of the late-day and the heat just enough to walk through the woods without the need for a jacket.........

After that, it was a rather steep descent and a short walk back to the car. In a way, even though it was a short hike and not so much in the way of exercise (we ended up doing the reverse loop and so descended most of the steep parts!), I enjoyed it a bit more than the previous hike. I think it was because of the varying scenery (water and woods) and also because the woods looked sooo green and fresh especially since the previous day had provided a good dose of rain in the region. :)

Of Crabs, Curries and Chinatown!

Little China - there is one in almost every city, definitely every major one. NYC is no exception and in fact is supposedly the largest one in the US!! Chinatown here covers approximately two square miles covering the streets branching out of Canal street on either side; bounded by Kenmore street on the North, Worth street on the South, Allen street on the East, and Broadway on the West. And it is definitely part of the "New York City Tour" that almost every tourist and city resident (when they entertain out-of-towners with little time and huge expectations from the Big Apple! lots of ground to cover!) has taken at some point in their stay in the city.

Well, I suppose NY city itself is like a quilt stitched from many and different immigrant and native(?) cultures...The little Chinese enclave is definitely distinctive enough to really be a city by its own right! Its reputation as being the best place for a good bargain is well-founded; from fake Gucci bags with genuine looking name plates at $20 (that's just 1/20 of the original and looks just the same!!) to 'Burberry' coats to even 'Rolex' watches! The reputation carries from the mainland itself. When I was in Tokyo, I heard that many Japanese wives did a quick weekend hop-stop at Beijing to get the latest fashion in genuine looking fake labels!

However, my reason for going there today was far from such material possessions. The lure for me was the fresh seafood that you get here for great prices (relative to NY supermarkets!). I love shellfish and my biggest woe with the Food Emporiums and Wholefoods here is that a. they are at least once-frozen and b. they are super expensive!!! Growing up in Chennai, which is a coastal city, I had been pampered with the fresh catch of the day and I missed eating fresh seafood.

I usually trek all the way up to Flushing (there is a good sized pan-Asian settlement there) in search of such fresh catch. Along Kissena Blvd is the Chang Jiang supermarket that offers great fresh groceries and meats at bargain prices. If you find yourself in the neighborhood, a must pit-stop is the Quickly Bubble Tea shop across the street from the super market for some refreshing, cool, flavored tea (with or without milk) with the tapioca baubles. Definitely a great booster, prepping you for the long ride back home. :)

Anyway, today, I wasn't quite in the mood for the 1.5 hour trek to Queens and decided to check out the Chinatown in my backyard. And, I am glad I did. I took the 6 train all the way to Canal street (just a 20 minute ride). A short walk east and I was at the main market area. There are quite a few seafood markets along Canal and neighboring streets (I would suggest a leisurely walk comparing the fare before settling on a store).

Was I pleasantly surprised??!! :-)) These markets are the only place I have found in Manhattan that offer live seafood! They had everything I wanted - from fresh caught fish and shrimps to live crabs and lobsters. For meat lovers, there are also specialised meat stores like the Mulberry Meat Store on Mulberry street which sell both fresh and frozen meats.

You can even pick out the fish/seafood you want from a live fish tank (personally, I find that very difficult to do but I suppose there is some satisfaction in choosing the creature you are going to devour!). I was particularly attracted to the bucket of crabs especially at $5.50 for half a dozen! The sight brought back mouthwatering memories of mom's crab curry which I used to devour and I wanted to relive the experience.

So there was my dinner menu - Crab curry over rice! :)

My mother is a spectacular cook and I never saw any reason to be in her way for all the time I was at home. So, cooking all these delectable meats is always new experience for me - particularly I feel very very guilty about killing the poor creatures. But what to do! I love their meat!!! Ah! the sweet, succulent flesh of a happy, egg-bearing female crab. So, I made a compromise - my husband does the killing and I do the cleaning and cooking! Smart eh! ;-)

The most humane way of killing a crab is put them into a pot of hot boiling water and close the lid. They die in literally couple of seconds and never know what hit them (see! I am not all bad after all).

Once the crab is cleaned, you can cook them in a curry or fry them in a peppery mix. Both are great ways to appreciate the distinctive sweetness of the crab flesh. I grew up eating the curry form and hence have a soft corner for that preparation. The body is cooked whole along with the pincers and legs. The legs usually don't have much meat but add flavor to the dish (You can also use the legs to make yummy seafood broth).

Eating the whole cooked crab is definitely a messy affair and not recommended in company :). You really have to take apart the body into small pieces to get every molecule of yummy flesh! But the fruit of the patience is sweet (pun intended! :)) My husband finds the ROI (as he puts it) of the dish drawn down by the effort involved in getting to the meat..lol.. But for me, the effort is part of the cherished experience..

Incidentally, when you are in Chinatown, check out the bakeries. They offer a wide selection of sweets and meats - traditional and western. On Canal street is the Taipan Bakery which offers an interesting array of meat buns and breads, egg pudding pastries, cheese cakes which did not have any cheese for sure. A good choice of dessert to end the meal! :)

Our crab curry dinner came out perfect, just like mom's! :) and I am happy to have found a shortcut to fresh seafood!

Madras Crab Curry

6 Medium sized crabs cleaned

2 big red onions minced

1 tp ginger minced

2-3 cloves of garlic minced

3 ripe plum tomatoes pureed

2 T tomato paste

3 dry chillies

3 cloves, 1 piece cinnamon, 1 star anise crumbled, 3-4 whole peppercorns - whole spices

3/4 tp Urad dal

1/4 tp fennel seeds

1 lemon sized tamarind soaked in warm water

3/4 cup grated fresh coconut

1/4 cup coconut milk

1-2 cups water

Oil and salt as required

1/2 tpTumeric powder, 2 tp chilli powder, 3 tp garam masala - Dry spice

Heat two tablespoons of oil and roast the whole spices till they pop, then add the urad dal, fennel seeds and dry chillies. Continue roasting till the urad dal starts turning golden. Take care to not over roast the fennel seeds as they tend to emit a bitter taste to the whole curry. Saute the onion paste along with ginger and garlic till the raw smell goes away. Then add the dry spice and salt to taste. Roast for a couple of minutes to cook the spices. The curry is purposely on the milder side to ensure that the spices do not overpower the delicate meat flavor.

Add the fresh tomato puree and tomato paste and 1 cup water and cook till the tomato is cooked. Stir in the coconut milk and grated coconut and another cup of water and let the gravy come to a light boil on medium heat. Set the heat to low and then add the juice of the tamarind and bring back to rolling boil on medium. Turn heat low to simmer and add the crabs. Cook on low to medium for another 20-25 minutes till the crabs are fully done.

Let the gravy sit for atleast 2 hours so the crab meat absorbs the flavor of the curry. It is best when eaten the next day! Serve with hot rice cooked a couple of cloves and piece of cinnamon!

Its Spring...Finally!!!

Oh! The THAW!!! Thank god Spring is here and good bye to the unbearably loooong and cold winter nights!! New York city literally blooms with the warmer weather - the cherry blossoms in central park, the fresh green leaves on the trees outside my apartment and the smiles on New Yorkers' faces as they can finally forget about layering clothes for a few months ! :))..

And with the warmth, buds my deep and intense craving to inhale some fresh country air (laden with pollen ofcourse. luckily, I don't suffer from spring allergies! Thank god for small mercies!) and relish the rich greenness of spring.... A walk in the city's myriad parks was not doing "it" for me. I needed to get out of the city and its glass walls!

And one actually need not go too far from the city to satiate these desires. Across the Hudson ofcourse is Jersey with its splendid set of national and state parks. But, as a non-car-owning city resident, transportation is a touch of a spot. Fortunately, the east side of Hudson also has much to offer in the way of country life and is very accessible by good ol' Metro-North. And here was our destination for the first hike of the season - Coldspring, NY - one hour North of the city.

The "Village of Coldspring" as they call it is a lovely quaint little hamlet that was established in the late 1800's. The town itself has a charming atmosphere of quiet wealth with brick stucco houses and well maintained ball fields. In fact, most people as we have seen here seem to be in the middle-aged age group and definitely well-heeled ( a quick peek at the house prices in a realtor's window confirmed the suspicion!). I love just walking the little streets in the town, browsing the antique stores and have a bowl of soup at the cafe.

For the strictly outdoors inclined, this town provides access to a number of trails in the region. My husband and I have come here every year for the last 3 years and hiked a different route each time. Trail heads are just a short walk through the town itself (allowing you a quick tour and glimpse of what you can indulge in post-hike)... There are trails for every skill level - easy walk in the park to steep rock scrambles. Arguably, the most difficult hike (the locals warned us to be careful the first time we came here) is the Breakneck Ridge. A friend once told me that the trail was so named because there have been quite a few incidents of drunken falling! :) However, to its credit, a lot of the trail does involve some steep rock scrambling which can be dangerous form certain angles.

So, we (me, hubby, cousin and a friend) set out to Coldspring and since this was the start of the season, we chose a relatively moderate to strenuous hike to the summit of Mt. Taurus. The hike started off fairly on schedule and at a reasonable incline. But soon, the months of slothing on the couch and eating out rich foods with friends over winter showed and I was ofcourse the laggard.... nevertheless, the weather was perfect - sunny with a light cooling breeze... and after many mini-catch-my-breath-stops and snacking breaks, we completed the hike in under 4 hrs..

Interestingly the best view of the hike was not from the summit but rather about half a mile before it - but the view was incredible!!! the Hudson, Bear Mountain across in NJ and in the distance all the ground we covered from the city getting there!!! It was a beautiful moment, to stand at that height with the panoramic view in front of you, with the spring breeze caressing your sweat-streaked face....

You know, the one thing that I miss in hikes in the US is fauna.. There are lots of flora but very little of the animal kingdom seen - would love to see some form of wildlife; some deer, rabbits whatever. Well, this hike did provide some excitement of the sort. we saw a ...... SNAKE!!!!! a black one which seemed to be sunning itself merrily on a log of a fallen tree until the moment we braked sharply in front of it (exclaiming loudly ofcourse!) and disturbed it peace. Wonder if it cursed us in parsel-tongue! Hmmm... Oh well! Ignorance is bliss....:)

On the way back, true to custom, we stopped at the Foundry Cafe for lunch before browsing the shops in the place. There is a good shoe store which has always had good discounts on outdoor apparel whenever we have been there! Definitely worth checking out!

After that, it was a sleepy train ride back to the city and its crowds... Man! I can't wait to get out already!! :))

Too many apples... and a little spice

I loooove apples.... or so i thought!! Every time I go to a grocery store I become animated at the sight of the lucious red apples and I make promises to myself (and my husband) that "this time" I will definitely eat them all and not let them rot. But, alas, it was always the same story .. everytime.. The lovely apples over-ripen and end up in the trash!

So a few days back, when we were buying fruits for a hike, I launched on my usual "OH! look at those apples!!! they are soo red and yummy looking!! We have got to buy some!!!!" . It so happened that I managed to get my way and bought a whole bag of Macintosh apples :))) - all of a dozen apples!! Oh! the thrill.. Now i can have any leftover (from the hike) apples everyday!! such healthy thoughts!

As it came to pass, we had exactly 2 apples during the hike and I had none in the days that followed.. hehe... so the 10 apples sat forlorn on my dining table for almost a week, ripening nicely and willing me to eat them or be thrown in the trash...again! But, things, I decided, would be different this time.

So I scoured the net and my cook books for apple recipes that were not the usual strudel, pie and other sweet cravings.. I wanted some spice!..Ta-da.. I had an inspiration!! Spiced Apple Chutney!!!! Made with guess wat ?!Apples! and as many of them as you want!! and it has a longer shelf life than the fruit at its freshest...I put my spin (recipe below) on the recipe I found here

The chutney was the perfect way to use atleast half my stock in one go and the best part is that this sweet, tangy and spicy sauce is beautifully versatile in its use! It's perfect on a piece of toast for breakfast or when spread on a slice of toasted baguette with some goat cheese crumbled on it makes a rich appetizer. Or even in an entree as a lovely accompaniment for roast chicken or pork!

And no meal is complete without dessert! atleast not for me :))..What better way than to end with some slices of spiced apple and nuts topped by a scoop of icecream of your choice with a dash of nutmeg... YUMMM!!! Spiced apple slices are the simplest thing to make too..

Who would have thought you can have a 3-course meal of apples!!! Anyway, that's the happy ending of my story!...My husband for one is relieved that he doesn't have to bunk them out.. He soo hates that :)

Spiced Apple Chutney

3-4 sweet, ripe apples (any kind you like) - peeled and chopped, makes about 2 cups
1 medium onion chopped fine
1 tp minced ginger
3/4 cup white sugar; If you prefer brown sugar use 1 cup
1 tp salt
1.5 tp all spice
3 red chillies; I use 2 spicy ones and 1 milder one with more color
1 T Jaggery
1.5 T Rum
1 cup cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar
1 cup water

Mix all ingredients except the rum in a heavy bottomed pan and bring to a boil. Then keep heating on medium till the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. As the apples cook, you can mash some of them and leave some in chunks to get a salsa like texture. Once the sauce gets thickened, add the rum. Heat on low for 5 more minutes and the chutney is ready.

The rum and jaggery are my twists to the recipe. I find that the rum not only tempers the spice and vinegary taste but adds its own giddy flavor to the chutney. And the jaggery is a great balance for the vinegar and gives a lovely rich color to the chutney. You can ofcourse leave out the liqour if you prefer.

Spoon the hot chutney into containers, seal and let cool. Store in a cool place but once you open the jar, store in the refrigerator...

Never too late to start :)

Hmmmmmm....I have been toying around with the idea of blogging for a while now, but never really got around to doing it....Oh, I had no shortage of excuses - no time, no energy (come on really!! After 12 hrs of slogging at an i-bank, one can hardly expect literary outpourings!!!), what do I write about, why would anyone be interested,... blah blah...

Well finally, now I have more time on my hands... And I figured out a topic that is really close to my heart and soul and all that....FOOD!! :D... So I thot I'd get my hands dirty after all...

So that's the long story cut short... My blog, if you haven't guessed from the name (duh!) is going to be mainly about food - recipes, restaurants, verbal doodling on the subject, etc...

I love eating and cooking and trying out various exotic foods and recipes...So I am going to indulge in a bit of culinary fun and you are welcome to join of course! :))

Cheers and Toast!
Ash