Sing?

“Because if you couldn’t lose yourself to music, if you couldn’t trace your steps back to where it all started, just following the lyrics of the songs you have loved through the ages, you never lived… And you most definitely, did not Love.”

I live by these words. For me, I have found, in music, the life I have always longed for, that perfect romance, that beautiful ending, stories that followed the graph, triumphs of heroes, and pain that finally heals. In songs, I have found elusive closures, pursued unending horizons and met a girl walk past, who looked a whole lot like the woman that I am could never have been. I also met the woman that girl would have grown up into, look back at me, and she looked just a bit like someone I once knew.

You know those words I once used in an old post, “I am the Universe”? I know they are true, because inside our head, we have an entire Universe. I know I have one inside me. Countless characters live out their tales, legends are born and travel across lyrics penned by others, finding their destiny, making me laugh, cry, making my feet want to dance. Except, for some reason, in the last few months, I seem to have lost my music. I really don’t have a reason. In my world, everything is where it should be. But in my Universe, Planets full of dreams collide, on their course charted by fears, longings and journeys never quite made.

Which is why I need music. Because it completes this tiny, infinite Universe of mine. Whether it’s the languid charm of Damian Rice, or the firm beckoning of Glen Hansard… my real heroes sing, stealing scenes from my own story, penning them down, and playing them out to the world, so one day I will find those words, and know where I need to be, to find that missing chunk from my own story. In music, I find purity of human soul that our real lives miss. In a song alone, one can find that love that will survive togetherness and happy endings. In words fit perfectly my dreams pint sized and gigantic. When I am crying, and someone demands a reason, most of the times, a song can be the answer. Because music, to me, is the perfect language. It is fueled by something yet untapped in all of us.

And yet, I sometimes lose my music, and cannot quite find my songs. But then, it turns out that I had just misplaced it for a while, and my Universe comes alive again. So if you live in my world, and you think you know me, think again. Because to think that you know me, would be like assuming that I know you. I cannot. I’d rather not. There is an entire Universe, right here, inside my head. You know nothing of its existence. If only you could see… But then, you don’t sing, do you?

Karma Is a … + Tomato and Basil Sandwich recipe

Can’t believe the Bitch Karma is ! I might lose this blog and all its content as the domain name was bought for me by someone else who can’t quite figure out how to transfer it in my name Well, life goes on. In any case, I have always been a bit mixed up about mixing food with Philosophy. Whatever gives! I might move this blog to another name, and hope you all read it there. After all, what’s in a name! The show must go on. And all that jazz. I hear a lot of talk about blogging around me. Phrases like SEO, Monetization, Blog Integration, Sponsors, Go-Pro… But truth be told, I never started blogging for money. I have a day job, and I love doing what I do. More money has never been an objective. Finding joy and balance in life are truly the pursuits I prefer. This blog has been a healing power for me, and perhaps that’s why it irks that I might have to move house. But as always, cooking comes to the rescue. Ironically, more people have started reading the blog since recipes made an appearance here. Just goes to show, that food heals faster than Philosophy, right!

For now, I leave you not with the burden of my rant, but with  a simple and easy breakfast recipe. never ever again can you excuse yourself for leaving for work hungry. Just a couple of minutes to have some happy food sticking to your ribs.

Tomato and Basil Sandwich

2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

Italian pizza bread or a baguette

½ cup chopped fresh basil

1 tsp olive oil

½ tsp balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

Butter or Nutrilite spread

1. I used Pizza bread for the sandwich. Lightly toast the bread, spread the butter or Nutrilite on one side, and keep aside.
2. I usually toss everything together in a large bowl. To give it an extra flavor, I used a thin sliver of an amazing Hungarian Pepper Sauce I had, but you don’t really need it for this recipe.
3. Spread a layer of tossed sandwich filling on the buttered pizza bread base. Top it with another base, and slice into four pieces. There are many things you can add to this sandwich, like avocado, prosciutto, roasted peppers and anything else you like in your sandwich. I prefer this simpler version.

Breakfast Project – Day 7 – Zucchini and Potato Burger in brown bread buns

This wasn’t a good day for me. I had woken up with the blues, and felt a bit feverish. So I needed a filling breakfast, that might also do wonders for my mood. I am a great fan of Zucchini, and use a lot of this wonderful summer squash, whenever it’s in season. Add to that it’s many health benefits, and you will run out of reasons to make friends with Zucchini when it comes to breakfast! Please remember, one cup of zucchini has 36 calories and 10% of the RDA of dietary fiber, which aids in digestion, prevents constipation, maintains low blood sugar and curbs overeating. So here is my recipe for a goodness filled breakfast that also washes away the blues.

Zucchini and Potato burgers in whole-wheat burger buns

4 whole wheat burger rolls

250g potato, boiled, grated
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 zucchini, grated and excess water squeezed out
1 egg lightly beaten
2 tbsp olive oil
½ cup bread crumbs

Instructions

1. Mix potatoes with garlic, parsley, zucchini and egg. Form into 4 patties.
2. Roll patties in bread crumbs
3. Heat large non-stick frying pan. Brush it with oil and heat. Cook patties over medium heat for 4-5 mins on each side or until cooked. Keep warm.
4. Halve the rolls and toast. Top one half with burgers. You can also add lettuce, onion and tomato. Place the other top on this one and serve warm.

Day 5 and 6 – Roadtrip to Bordi

Idli and Rawa Dosa at Walton Hotel

Poha, Omelet, toast at Bordi

We went out for a road trip to Bordi, and what a trip it was! It fascinates me that right outside Mumbai are such beautiful treasures tucked away within thick green covers, by the beachside… On the first day, we decided to stop for breakfast at this joint called the Walton Hotel. Now, I must confess that I love eating at roadside joints. I think some of these have really amazing food. At Walton, I ordered a plain, steamed idli with Sambar, while Husband ordered Plain dosa and sambar. We ended our breakfast with some excellent coffee. Watching the Highway as we ate was an added bonus delight.

I have to confess that I am a road trip girl. And I am fortunate to have as a partner, someone who shares my passion for road travel.

Once we reached Bordi, we checked into this lovely, quaint guest house run by a wonderful Parsi Couple. The place is very basic, with a swimming pool, and the beach a small walk away. But what makes it a truly special experience is the food. Cooked in their own kitchen, the veg and non-veg meals are truly divine. Our Sinday breakfast, served under the Garden Gazebo, was simple onion poha, omelets, and crisp toast. But amidst all the green cover, and super-relaxed after our morning swim, we devoured the generous helpings, enjoying every bite.

The trick to breakfasts while travelling is to keep it simple and stick to the basics. Most places won’t go wrong with these. Also, keep yourself hydrated, and ask for fresh juices.

I am now looking forward to our next trip. On an average, we aim for at least one weekend trip every month. That ways, we cover at least twelve new places around our city.

Breakfast Project – Day 4 Recipes

Leftover scrambled Roti and leftover paneer sandwich, coffee shake

I love this kind of breakfast. I think that leftovers from the night before so often make perfect inspiration for a delicious morning meal. So on this day, we had a stack of chapattis (Flat bread), and some paneer tikkas from the night before. Together, they made an excellent morning feast!

Ingredients

• 8 leftover chapattis, broken into tiny pieces
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup chopped spring onions
• 6-7 pods garlic, chopped
• 1 small carrot, chopped
• 2 tbsp Tomato ketchup
• 2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 cup water

Preparation

1. Add the oil to the broad non-stick pan. Once it heats up, add the chopped garlic pods and let them brown a bit. Add spring onions and stir for a while.
2. Add water, salt and chopped carrots to the pan. When water boils over, add crumbled chapattis, slowly, stirring continuously.
3. Cover with the lid, and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring in between.
4. Remove the lid and add ketchup, stirring till water evaporates, and the scramble begins to dry.

Paneer sandwiches

1 cup paneer tikkas

6 slices of multigrain bread

1 tbsp schezwan sauce

Butter

Preparation

1. Crumble the paneer, and heat it in a pan. Add the sauce and cook for a while. Remove from the gas.
2. Put a thin layer of butter (or any spread of your choice), and toast the bread slices.
3. Put a thin layer of paneer on a slice, cover with another slice and press gently.
4. Grill in the oven for about five mins.
5. Serve hot.

Coffee Shake

Instant coffee powder

Ice cubes

Sugar/ Agave nectar/ Splenda or any sweetner of your choice

Skimmed milk

Preparation

1. Put together in a blender and blend of a couple of minutes, till frothy and light.

"Leftover" breakfast!

Breakfast project – Day 3 – Recipes

Microwaved idlis , with freshly made organic forest honey lemonade

Ingredients

• 500 gms ready idli mix, you can get this at your local grocers
• 1 tsp salt
• 2tbsp olive oil
• 4-5 chicken sausages, steamed and chopped
• 2 spring onions, chopped
• 1 small carrot, chopped

Preparation

1. Add 1 tbsp oil to the pan. Once it heats up, add the steamed sausages, onions and carrot to the oil. Sprinkle salt over the stir fry, cover and cook for a couple of mins. Remove from heat.
2. Brush some oil of the microwave idli mould, and spoon in some idli mix into each section. Top it up with half a teaspoon full of the sausage mix.
3. Cover with the lid, and microwave the idlis as per the manufacturer’s instructions. My idli mould takes about 5-6 minutes of cooking at 80 % power.
4. Serve hot.

Organic Forest Honey Lemonade

Half a cup of organic honey. I use “Under The Mango Tree”.

4 cups cold water

Ice cubes

Some mint leaves to garnish

Preparation

1. Blend the honey, ice cubes and water together.
2. Pour out into tall glasses, or recycled bottles, garnish with mint leaves and serve chilled.

Breakfast Project – Day 2 – Recipe

Bruschetta, topped with tomato chutney and roasted peanuts

Ingredients

• 2 ripe red tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 3-4 chopped and deseeded green chilis
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 tbsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 small piece chopped ginger
• 3-4 pods garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tsp chopped roasted peanuts
• 4 slices of brown bread, lightly toasted

Preparation

1. Add the oil to the pan. Add chilis and fenugreek seeds. Stir fry for a few seconds. Do not let the seeds burn.
2. Add chopped tomatoes, garlic, ginger. Fry for 2 minutes.
3. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or till tomatoes are just done. Cool the mixture.
4. Add salt to the tomato mix.
5. Once the chutney is done, scoop some to cover each slice of bread.
6. Sprinkle roasted peanuts for some added crunch. I had used a ready-made peanut chutney.

Apple and Pear Smoothie, sugarless

• 1 red apple, chopped
• 1 ripe pear, chopped
• 2 tsp organic honey
• 2 cups cold water

Preparation

1. Put the chopped fruit into a blender and blend till a smooth puree is formed.
2. Add honey and water and blend till a consistent smoothie is formed.

Day 2 Breakfast

Breakfast Project – Day 1 Recipes

Day 1: Breaded, oven-fried zucchini slices / Stuffed Eggs

Zucchini Chips as I love to call them, are an extremely healthy alternative to fried chips. And so easy to make!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fat-free milk
• 2 1/2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) slices zucchini
• Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.
3. Place milk in a shallow bowl. Dip zucchini slices in milk, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture.
4. Place coated slices on an ovenproof wire rack coated with cooking spray; place rack on a baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

Stuffed Eggs

Ingredients

• 4 Eggs, boiled
• 1 tbsp English Mustard
• 8 Green Olives
• 1 tomato, finely chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fat-free milk
• 2 1/2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) slices zucchini
• Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Peel the eggs and cut them into halves. Carefully remove the yellow part.
2. Combine chopped tomatoes, yellow of ONE egg, mustard, and some of the leftover milk from the Zucchini! (Yup, I never waste food)
3. Fill the eight egg halves with the above mixture. Top each stuffed egg with an olive and serve.

Zucchini Chips with Stuffed Eggs

Zucchini slices ready to be put into the oven...

Chips all ready to be served

Breakfast Project – 356 Breakfasts in 365 Days…

I was really contemplating whether I should put the project details and recipes on this blog, or create a separate one. Well, it’s difficult enough for me to maintain one blog with the project going on. Creating another one would be rather self-defeating. Moreover, the  project is a part of me ridding a sense of general directionless in my life. I did my whining in the past few posts, and having vented my angst (not gotten rid of it, though), I decided to have something to do that would make me look forward to every morning.

It’s not that I don’t like my day job. It’s just that at the end of the day I need something to keep my sanity intact. So here is the deal. In the next one year, I will be sharing with you, through Facebook, this blog and Twitter, 356 separate breakfasts, taking a few days’ break. Out of the 356 breakfasts, almost ninety percent will be cooked by me. The rest of the breakfasts will be at some of my favorite breakfast places across Mumbai, and hopefully in other parts of India and the world.

I already started the project on 22nd May, my birthday. It’s been easy so far. But trying to have a different breakfast, almost every day of the year will increasingly become more challenging with every passing day, week and month. And that’s what I am looking forward to! On this blog, I will be posting the pictures and recipes, along with some breakfast tips and stories to make you start your day with some fun and knowledge. You are also requested to send in recipes and suggestions to make this project a meaningful one.

Why the Breakfast project? Well, you can’t really have a bad day when you have a splendid meal to begin it with. Well, I plan to have a year-full of nearly good, hopefully fabulous days. That’s more than what most people can claim to have in their lives, right?

Redemption is so hard to come by…

Like I mentioned in my post before this one, I am trying to channelize a lasting bout of anger, angst and a sense of helplessness into something less self-destroying than cynicism and a perpetual state of bitterness. A lot has happened in the last couple of years, a lot of hurt has festered within me and has brought me to this point in my life where everything seems so pointless. When I meet people, friends, acquaintances, even loved ones; I see the same patterns of behaviors, repeated over and over again. The same play of polite conversations, attempts to portray themselves as modest, while also trying to subtly put across how much they have achieved. The same patronizing, concerned looks, shrieks of joy at any mentions of any new events in my life, the warm hugs, and the sighs as they remember the troubled life I have led. The appropriate noises they make while trying to one-up themselves in a group. They all think that they have a unique tactic; someone is trying to be a good listener, someone is the patron saint of all friends unhappy, someone is the silently suffering workaholic, and someone is the sweetest thing ever. What they don’t know is that there are a million others, doing their thing better than them.

One extremely unfortunate thing about cynicism is that it makes you so objective that you can observe your own behavior, weigh it on the same scale as others. And something similar is happening to me. I see my fake “Hello!”, my practiced smiles, my calculated words, my well-polished smart-ass statements, and I want to throw up.

We are a sickening race. We all know what empty, meaningless lives we lead, but instead of resigning ourselves to the fact OR doing something concrete to make ourselves feel less like vermin, we try to project this image of ourselves, this image we want the world to see. Let’s face it, how many of you have posted unflattering pictures of yourself on Facebook, pictures in which your friends looked gorgeous, and you looked like a sack of socks? If you are reading this and thinking that you are an exception, no you are not. You are delusional.

I think I am so done. But emotional purges are the toughest of all. In order to reach the core of all the angst, one has to embark on a journey inwards, and mine is an angst ridden landscape. There are a lot of memories locked and packed away. Tons of denials. Lies, deceit, envy, self-denial, grief, guilt… so much to sort through and sort out. I don’t even know if I am upto such intense unveiling of my own self. If the outer world disgusts me so, I am terrified thinking of where my own yellow bricks road will lead me to.

There is, however, no looking back. As I already stated, I am treating this year like it’s my very last one. So no further procrastinations. Walk into that dark attic, clean those cobwebs, and let some sunshine in. I am not dying dark and desolate. I don’t believe in organized religion, and no reincarnation for me, either. What I have is here and now. And I am in a hurry.