"Food for Little Champs" Event Announcement and French Toast

 

Show me a woman who is satisfied with her kid's eating habits, and I will show you a kaaka (crow) that flies upside down. Even with a face as round as the full moon, and a tummy that will put a gulf returned beer bellied appachen to shame, she claims that her child is underweight and attributes the (tiny) tummy to chocolates and water. In her eyes, all other children are taller, stronger and heavier than her own, and she fails to see the resemblance between her baby and Baal Ganesha (check out Cartoon Network to see Baal Ganesha), but that may be because the trunk and the tail are missing. It truly frustrates her when the little one seems to love something one day, but declares it yeaky the next and she is forever trying to come up with recipes that her child appreciates, truly appreciates, the way she would like him to. 

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Palak Paneer and Kulcha

My first and only previous attempt at making palak paneer was, how shall I put it, a fiasco? Yes, that would be the right word to describe it. All I knew about palak paneer was that it was essentially pureed palak or spinach and paneer or Indian cottage cheese cooked together; I had paneer and spinach in my fridge, hence the decision to make palak paneer. That a recipe was missing, and that I did not know what other ingredients went in, did not bother me; I ploughed on bravely, boiling and pureeing, sautéing and stirring and essentially throwing in whatever came to hand.

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Instant Cheer with Orange Chocolate Pots!!!

During my college years, my friends maintained what they called a "Desp Calendar" in their hostel room. They were 6 people crammed into a single room - a big, hot and dirty room according to my friend smi. A single sad/desp(erate)/irritated person (again borrowing smi's words) rubbed everyone the wrong way, effectively resulting in a lot of grumpy ladies cramped together. (I think we mastered the art of snapping right there, in that room.) This could have become a serious issue because at least one person had reason to be down every day - with bad hostel food, exams that happened too often, occasional bouts of home sickness, alarmingly large piles of pending laundry etc. So someone came up with this ingenious idea of writing down every one's names against each day of the calendar, and marking a "desp" person with a happy smiley. Once a week or so, the others were to treat the desp person(s) at the restaurant or juice shop. Though I am unsure how many of these treats actually happened (people always seemed to be short of money - another dampener), the prospect of getting a treat brought instant cheer to the gloomy person :). This tradition was discontinued once I joined them; I can only imagine that the "desp" calendar became obsolete because they found it impossible to be sad around witty, vivacious, charming ME!!!

If you are hoping to lift a close one's mood with food, nothing can assist you better than a chocolate pot. The name itself makes me happy, imagine a pot full of the smooth, silky, luscious chocolate. Mmmm...

Recipe:

Ingredients:

150 grams milk chocolate

2 1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

2/3 cup medium fat cream

1/6 cup milk

1 teaspoon orange rind

1/6 cup orange juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 tablespoon butter (salted)

1 egg

1 teaspoon cornflour

Method:

Chop the milk chocolate into small pieces.

Heat some water in a saucepan till it boils. Reduce heat so that the water is just simmering. Choose a bowl that fits well into the saucepan, but does not come into direct contact with the water.

Add the chocolate along with orange rind into the bowl. Once the chocolate has melted, remove from heat and add butter.

Combine milk and cream in a saucepan. Stir in cornflour so that there are no lumps. Heat over a low flame stirring continuously. When the mixture is warm, add the cocoa powder. Take off fire as soon as it starts boiling. Add vanilla essence.

Blend together the melted chocolate, milk and cream mixture, orange juice and egg in a food processor or blender.  

Pour into serving bowls, and refrigerate for 4-5 hours till set, or overnight.

Qya has a taste of chocolate pot first thing this morning

Tips: You will notice that the inside of the cup (in the first pic) does not look very neat. My fridge was rather full yesterday and as I moved things around so that everything fit in snugly, the rice pot banged into chocolate pot. I tried cleaning the chocolate that almost spilled out, but could not do a very good job. So you need to hold your cups steady once you have poured in the chocolate and avoid moving it around till it has set.

I found that the chocolate tasted nicer a few minutes after it was taken out of the refrigerator.

Try out other flavours by substituting orange with cinnamon, nutmeg, nuts etc

You have probably heard that eating chocolate induces the same feelings as being in love. Three years of marriage and I disagree wholeheartedly. Chocolate is far superior. Enjoy!

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An Evening With My Children

It is twilight and the chirping of crickets is slowly replacing the bird songs. The room is bathed in a faint golden glow and the sound of laughter and merry chatting. I am content watching my two daughters and their children having a good time, though I yearn for my son and his family too. I know they have to be away for their work, but their absence distresses me. My eyes automatically move to the old fan that groans loudly as it rotates.

I cannot remember the names of my grandchildren; it has been like that for quite some time now. It has to be something to do with my age, it is becoming increasingly difficult to move and I am unable to do anything useful anymore. Sometimes I feel lost when people talk to me, unsure how I should respond, often forgetting to respond. Ah, my granddaughter offers me a piece of chocolate. I do like chocolate, though I have lost my taste for many other things. I am sure she likes it too, so I push it back into her hand, but she refuses to accept it. I should check if someone would like a second helping. My daughter cuts short my attempts. She tells me that the chocolate is for me, that I should eat it. Is she angry with me? My children always used to accept my share when they were kids. Why are things different now? Is she just trying to make sure that I get to eat something I like? I feel confused again.

They are getting ready to go to their homes. It is pitch black outside now, and this worries me. Someone complains that the fan makes too much noise and it should be replaced. I suddenly feel awake. "Do you know what the fan says?" I ask. Everyone turns to look at me; they are probably surprised that I am talking, at the strength in my voice. I cannot help smiling as I share my secret, "It says Kunje, Kunje".

Kunju is my eldest son, of course. One day, I was alone in the room, and as is often my habit, I kept repeating  my children’s names in my head. It makes me feel they are near to me. It was at this moment that I heard the fan above my head, that I realized it was actually calling out for my son.

I look at the faces around me. I am unable to understand their expression. My daughter squeezes my hand lightly before bidding good bye. I hope they reach home safely.

(Dedicated to the exceptional group of women called mothers, on the occasion of Mother's Day. Based on memories of my grandmother)

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