Friday, November 30, 2007
Thiruppaavai
As I had mentioned earlier, I love to know more about Tamil literature. My parents are just back from Tirupathi and there was this talk about thiruppaavai. A google search about it brought me on this amazing blog on Thiruppaavai. You will find the verse in Tamil followed by a thelivurai(explanation for each and every word) followed by rephrased explanation, also a pictorial illustration and the ultimate, a youtube video of the verse sung in carnatic music. Piggy has done an amazing job. See it for yourself :)
Do you ?
I noticed I tend to chew food on the right side of my mouth and hardly use the left side :P. Do you do favor one side over the other ?
Water
I was in a mood to watch some nice movie. Somehow, I stumbled upon this article, which piqued my interest to watch the movie "Water" on youtube. Its a very nice movie to watch. It reminded me of the hypocrisy in the Indian society in the name of tradition. The Chuhiya's character reminded me of the stories my great granny used to narrate from her childhood days. She was one lucky woman though that she had one of the best mother-in-laws who pampered her during her childhood days.
My great granny's younger sister(chinna paati) was married at a very young age to my great grandpa's brother. She became a widow at the tender age of 9 and remained a widow until her death last year. My great granny's mom was a very enterprising woman.. she pretty much ran small businesses from within the confines of her home, that the wealth she earned is still feeding many a family generations later. The story goes like.. my great granny's mom let my chinna paati wear silk clothes and jewels after her husband died until she reached puberty. My great granny's father-in-law was so irked that he used to fight with my granny's mom.. whether she's conspiring to get her daughter married again. Later, when my chinna paati realized her status as a widow, she switched to widow attire. The pathetic part of the whole story is she remained a widow of somebody whom she had hardly seen. People within my family never shunned her under any circumstances that she was let to plait or dress up the brides on their wedding day.
Everybody felt that she should have been remarried..damn the customs of those days. As the Narayan's character clearly puts, its the economic factor that lets people to keep such traditions alive.
Dont get me wrong that I am condemning traditions on the whole.. its just the practices with total disregard for the feelings and welfare of the affected individuals that I find ridiculous. Even to this day, I find widows in many families not participating in auspicious functions. The case of my chinna paati has brought about a totally different attitude in my family that they ensure such a treatment is not bestowed on somebody for no fault of their own.
My great granny's younger sister(chinna paati) was married at a very young age to my great grandpa's brother. She became a widow at the tender age of 9 and remained a widow until her death last year. My great granny's mom was a very enterprising woman.. she pretty much ran small businesses from within the confines of her home, that the wealth she earned is still feeding many a family generations later. The story goes like.. my great granny's mom let my chinna paati wear silk clothes and jewels after her husband died until she reached puberty. My great granny's father-in-law was so irked that he used to fight with my granny's mom.. whether she's conspiring to get her daughter married again. Later, when my chinna paati realized her status as a widow, she switched to widow attire. The pathetic part of the whole story is she remained a widow of somebody whom she had hardly seen. People within my family never shunned her under any circumstances that she was let to plait or dress up the brides on their wedding day.
Everybody felt that she should have been remarried..damn the customs of those days. As the Narayan's character clearly puts, its the economic factor that lets people to keep such traditions alive.
Dont get me wrong that I am condemning traditions on the whole.. its just the practices with total disregard for the feelings and welfare of the affected individuals that I find ridiculous. Even to this day, I find widows in many families not participating in auspicious functions. The case of my chinna paati has brought about a totally different attitude in my family that they ensure such a treatment is not bestowed on somebody for no fault of their own.
Mmmm...Awwww...Ohhhh!!!
Chocolates :). Just started my India shopping. I wanted to buy something different. The last time I went to India, I took Aplets and Cotlets, a pacific northwest speciality. Unfortunately, it didnt take off well with my folks. They are not yet over with chocolates. I was super excited to find Merci in the local walgreens. My first encounter with Merci was almost 12 years ago when my neighbor had returned from Germany.. all I remember was I ate all of them in a couple of days and ended up with a cavity within a week or two..lol. Hey.. they are very yummy...that I can promise :). Another set of chocolates that I intend to take are Turin liquer flavored chocolates(Italian). I would love to take liquer chocolates but my folks are not the target audience for the same :). Ofcourse, they are not yet over with Ferrero Rocher. For some reason, I have smitten by Ferrero rocher oflate.. man its just damn good. I have the same feeling for Lindt truffles(Swiss).
Few years ago, when I looked around for sugar free there wasnt a big selection. Now, you find sugar free chocolates( sweetened with sucrose) pretty much in every brand and at reasonable prices.
If you intend to gift a box of chocolates to an american, you should try Whitman's sampler. Its a brand that is intertwined with the lives of multiple generations of americans...you will hit the soft spot.
Last but not the least, Seattle's brand of chocolates(Dilettante and Seattle chocolates) are great gifts to outsiders.
If you have any new suggestions, I would love to hear from you :).
Few years ago, when I looked around for sugar free there wasnt a big selection. Now, you find sugar free chocolates( sweetened with sucrose) pretty much in every brand and at reasonable prices.
If you intend to gift a box of chocolates to an american, you should try Whitman's sampler. Its a brand that is intertwined with the lives of multiple generations of americans...you will hit the soft spot.
Last but not the least, Seattle's brand of chocolates(Dilettante and Seattle chocolates) are great gifts to outsiders.
If you have any new suggestions, I would love to hear from you :).
Yet another Restaurants' review
Tamarind Tree in South Jackson Street, Seattle. I went here after almost 2 years. The menu has been improved a lot with a much bigger selection. Just make sure you stay away from crepes and the steamed rice cakes :). Great ambience tucked in a not great locality...you will definitely be taken by surprise :).
Maarakesh, moroccon restaurant in Seattle. The people at the restaurant were surprised to see us show up without a reservation but gave us a seat to sit. The seating is not very convenient.. you sit in a very low cushion. There was a live performance by a belly dancer, the ambience was different.. definitely a good experience. The food was pretty good. Myself and my friend went in to just try out something.. did not really have an apetite for their full course meal. We did mention that to the restaurant folks and they brought us the a-la-carte menu. I ordered Marrakesh vegetarian delight and my friend ordered Lamb M'Rouzia. Both of us liked the dishes. Its worth a visit :).
Naan n curry in Renton. Based on the recommendations made by a couple of friends made 3 trips to the place so far. The food is americanized but tends to be on the oilier side. So far, I liked bhindi masala and vegetable biryani here. Dont ever try their chai( its too milky) and the tikka masala(its very very sweet). Otherwise, the food is fresh.
Spice route, Bellevue. Ok.. my earlier comment about Spice route has become a joke among my friends since I frequent this restaurant more often than I claim to like. Well, the main reason being they serve south indian food and the closest to my house. I have two more complaints about this restaurant. They charge too much for the quantity they provide and often dont have coffee/tea. Can you believe a restaurant saying that they dont have milk to prepare tea?.
Maarakesh, moroccon restaurant in Seattle. The people at the restaurant were surprised to see us show up without a reservation but gave us a seat to sit. The seating is not very convenient.. you sit in a very low cushion. There was a live performance by a belly dancer, the ambience was different.. definitely a good experience. The food was pretty good. Myself and my friend went in to just try out something.. did not really have an apetite for their full course meal. We did mention that to the restaurant folks and they brought us the a-la-carte menu. I ordered Marrakesh vegetarian delight and my friend ordered Lamb M'Rouzia. Both of us liked the dishes. Its worth a visit :).
Naan n curry in Renton. Based on the recommendations made by a couple of friends made 3 trips to the place so far. The food is americanized but tends to be on the oilier side. So far, I liked bhindi masala and vegetable biryani here. Dont ever try their chai( its too milky) and the tikka masala(its very very sweet). Otherwise, the food is fresh.
Spice route, Bellevue. Ok.. my earlier comment about Spice route has become a joke among my friends since I frequent this restaurant more often than I claim to like. Well, the main reason being they serve south indian food and the closest to my house. I have two more complaints about this restaurant. They charge too much for the quantity they provide and often dont have coffee/tea. Can you believe a restaurant saying that they dont have milk to prepare tea?.
Everything for $1.50 or more Store ...
In the lines of dollar tree but far better in the variety of things you get, there is a new chain store in the US called Daiso Japan. One such store has opened up in Westlake center mall. All I can say is, I am very impressed with the amount of things that you can get here from decorative stuff to kitchenware. They have a good selection of toys. I was pretty impressed with the selection of wooden toys that you get here that you can pretty much construct a doll house with them or a transport system. Just check it out :).
And yeah, 90-95% of the items carried in this store are $1.50 , the rest up to a maximum of $5. They have stores in several locations in California and Washington. Just check it out :).
And yeah, 90-95% of the items carried in this store are $1.50 , the rest up to a maximum of $5. They have stores in several locations in California and Washington. Just check it out :).
One of the last family owned Italian grocery store..
Hmm.. one of my friends forwarded this article about the grocery store which is right in our office parking lot. We had a 15 minutes walk through the store. Well.. I got a soft honey almond bar and a bottle of papaya jam. I am quite excited about checking this store in a more leisurely manner. Huge selection of Italian cakes, cheeses, turkist sweets, fruit molasses, sauces, pastas, etc. I have been parking my car right in front of the store and never realized it was a grocery store :P.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Quick 5min Indian recipes - 4
Keera Kootu
Frozen spinach from Indian/American grocery section.
Frozen grated coconut from Indian grocery.
Butter milk or yoghurt.
1. Grind 1 or 2 greenchillies with some coconut, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and pinch of turmeric in mixie.
2. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dhal and curry leaves.
3. Add frozen spinach and the ground paste.. cook in high for 5 minutes.
4. Just before removing from stove, add 1/2 cup of buttermilk or beaten up yoghurt to the above stuff with some salt to taste.
Frozen spinach from Indian/American grocery section.
Frozen grated coconut from Indian grocery.
Butter milk or yoghurt.
1. Grind 1 or 2 greenchillies with some coconut, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and pinch of turmeric in mixie.
2. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dhal and curry leaves.
3. Add frozen spinach and the ground paste.. cook in high for 5 minutes.
4. Just before removing from stove, add 1/2 cup of buttermilk or beaten up yoghurt to the above stuff with some salt to taste.
Quick 5min Indian recipes - 3
Potato gravy (Chappathi side dish)
Get Ore Ida Potatoes O’Brien from your local grocery store ( Frozen Hashbrowns section). Its a bag of diced potatos, green peppers and onions.
1. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dhal and curry leaves.
2. Add sufficient quantity of Ore Ida potatos, 1/2 or 1 tomato diced .. saute it. Add some red chilli powder, pinch of turmeric and salt to taste. Add 1 cup of water.
3. Let the mixture boil at high or medium high for 5 minutes.
4. Garnish it with some coriander leaves if you want.
Get Ore Ida Potatoes O’Brien from your local grocery store ( Frozen Hashbrowns section). Its a bag of diced potatos, green peppers and onions.
1. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dhal and curry leaves.
2. Add sufficient quantity of Ore Ida potatos, 1/2 or 1 tomato diced .. saute it. Add some red chilli powder, pinch of turmeric and salt to taste. Add 1 cup of water.
3. Let the mixture boil at high or medium high for 5 minutes.
4. Garnish it with some coriander leaves if you want.
Quick 5min Indian recipes - 2
Quick Rasam
Two tomatos, 2 green chillies - grind in mixie.
1. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dhal, cumin seeds and curry leaves with/without some garlic.
2. Add the ground stuff with sufficient water, pinch of salt, turmeric and 1/2 tsp of rasam powder.
3. Add sufficient water and let the whole mixture boil at medium high for 5 minutes.
4. Garnish with coriander leaves before switching off the stove.
Two tomatos, 2 green chillies - grind in mixie.
1. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dhal, cumin seeds and curry leaves with/without some garlic.
2. Add the ground stuff with sufficient water, pinch of salt, turmeric and 1/2 tsp of rasam powder.
3. Add sufficient water and let the whole mixture boil at medium high for 5 minutes.
4. Garnish with coriander leaves before switching off the stove.
Quick 5min Indian recipes - 1
All of the following recipes are 4 step processes first being the thadka and fourth being garnish, third "cook for 5 min on medium high". So, essentially, the second step is all that matters :).
Beans curry
French cut green beans - available in frozen section of american groceries.
1. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dhal and curry leaves with a pinch of asoefetida.
2. Add the frozen beans, add some salt, red chilli powder and a bit of turmeric .. close with the lid.
3. Cook at medium heat for 5 min.
4. Remove from stove after adding some coconut(frozen grated coconut from Indian stores) to garnish.
Beans curry
French cut green beans - available in frozen section of american groceries.
1. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dhal and curry leaves with a pinch of asoefetida.
2. Add the frozen beans, add some salt, red chilli powder and a bit of turmeric .. close with the lid.
3. Cook at medium heat for 5 min.
4. Remove from stove after adding some coconut(frozen grated coconut from Indian stores) to garnish.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Amazon Kindle
Hmm.. so we are also into the business of selling gadgets :).
Check out... http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Amazons-Wireless-Reading-Device/dp/B000FI73MA/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=fiona-hardware&qid=1195593793&sr=1-5
Check out... http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Amazons-Wireless-Reading-Device/dp/B000FI73MA/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=fiona-hardware&qid=1195593793&sr=1-5
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Some quick ways to fix your credit report/score
1. Remore unauthorized inquiries from your report by contacting the inquirer. You get the necessary inquirer information from your annual free credit report that you can receive from freeannualcreditreport.com
2. Remove late payment information from your report by talking to your credit card company.
2. Remove late payment information from your report by talking to your credit card company.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Its a shame
100 USD fetches only 90 Canadian dollars. I cant believe things can change within 2 years. When I was in Vancouver the last time (Feb '06), 0.67 USD = 1 canadian dollar. Now, I have to really think twice everytime I buy something.
Nool puttu, kothu parota
I am in Vancouver.. came for my visa stamping. I wanted to have a nice dinner but not the usual ones or something as close to home as possible. There were very few south Indian restaurants and were quite some drive away from my hotel. Thats when I came across Nooru Mahal, serving Indian and Srilankan. Looked at the menu.. kothu parotta, string hoppers, puttu,.. I was like wow.. I need to try this place. The place looked very small and there were only one set of customers sitting. Ordered string hoppers with sothi and sambal, and veg. kothu roti. Food was great.. packed the remaining and I am now having it for breakfast :)). Life can't be better. These guys seem to have more takeout orders. You should visit this place.. here's the menu.