Fast Food Nation.

Over the long weekend, we took it slow - we strolled in the mall and bought nothing, just walked around people watching, we hung out with A whom we hadn't seen in more than 2 months. We spent Saturday with good friends C and P over a pot of delicious Paella and store bought Dhoklas...C I hadn't seen in over 2 years and she was (is) one of my closest friends,so catching up was great.We went to the library on Sunday and picked up a bunch of movies...K2 is in the Berenstain Bears phase and I scrounged in the kids section for  their DVDs and  found Get Organized and Mind your Manners...and while I was on this hunt for K2's DVDs I spied on  "Fast Food Nation" and picked it up. A long hike down the bay trails later, K1 and I sat down over a relaxed dinner and watched Fast Food Nation - let me tell you I was glad we were eating a vegetarian meal that day (and even more glad that I didn't eat hamburgers...ever!)...the movie was a candid view at different issues that plague the American Society - Conformity, Apathy...among others and interwoven is a killing story about   America's fast food industry - when a marketing executive for the Mickey's burger chain is told there's a nasty secret ingredient in his latest culinary creation - The Big One, he heads for the ranches and slaughterhouses of Colorado to investigate...but discovers the truth a bit difficult to swallow....

In this country where we find it easier to just dress up, pick up the car keys and run out to pick up some food...or even better order take-out with the press of a few phone buttons - it is hard to cook food from scratch -- and who am I to judge, there are days when I come back all tired from work and all I wish for is a warming bowl of Khichidi with some spicy achaar and all I have on hand is zippo...we do try and make healthy choices then - a creamy organic tomato soup from TJs, or a burrito from Amy's or a Naanwich from Sukhi's.

There is a joy to slowing down and enjoying a stroll down the farmer's market while sampling their fresh produce and buying local, buying a beautiful mint plant and planting it in my backyard  and watching it grow and planning a meal with my family (a salad made with leaves from that mint plant)...and most importantly watching my son's interest in food grow and his food knowledge and horizon expand (he tried Ethiopian food last month and pupusas and tamales the month before and empanadas this week)- so with a commitment to trying to cook more I brought myself this weekend - a beautiful Le Creuset Cookware set (I have waited  awhile for this beauty).
At our place we are having  tonight a spicy Zunka (made from Jalapenos) and saucy Usal with rotis - a maharashtrian's dream meal...what is cooking in your kitchen?