Temperatures Rising

What happens when you put a really sick child and a doting mother in the same room…the above mentioned mother plying her young un with OJ, Pediasure, Rice Pudding etc. etc. What you get is a sick mother…over Friday, I felt like death warmed over, a throbbing headache, a really sore throat and a slow fever. I dragged myself to K2’s pre-school, picked him up and took him to the pediatrician…and then crawled into bed with a dose of Tylenol. Superwomen do exist – on Friday I was one…despite the fever and discomfort, I accompanied the 2 K’s to PF Changs for a dinner…K2 loved his “Flied Rice” and K1 was happy with his spicy Dali Chicken…and I was happy for having averted meal planning for Friday.
Came back home and took my temperature 101.5….hmm…I went to bed not a happy camper. Next morning my fever had steadily gone up to 102.something and that was when I called up my MIL (yes, she is the doc) and started on heavy duty antibiotics…fever was steadily rising and almost touching 103…the 2K’s were keeping K1’s cousin from Dallas entertained, while I was in the master bedroom, dozing, hallucinating and having bouts of self pity…all in parts or together. What I did realize was – I am a low maintenance patient…no complaints, no requests…at times I remember K1 coming in and saying – you need to eat something; however, I went with the tenets of Ayurveda for most of the day, no food just warm teas and fruit juices (Bossa Nova). The fever is down to 101 today, slowly and steadily on the path to Getting Better. K1 and I are giving K2, uncomplicated simple meals – lunch today was a Puran Poli ( a flatbread made with yellow lentils and jaggery); Breakfast was a Pediasure and a banana. No plans for the rest of the day except rest up…
I am reading 2 books right now- The Strength Finder 2.0, especially after a lot of urging from K1 who is a huge fan of the book. The second book is called “Hungry Monkey – A food loving father’s quest to raise an adventurous eater”…there is a nagging question in my head -Are you really what you eat or what you read ? What do you think?
I raise my Bossa Nova to temperatures NOT rising…and right now I feel like eating something hot and nourishing and what I want is a bowl of hot Pho Ga or JL’s wonderful Chicken Soup or my mama's cool hand on my warm head....

Kicking it up a notch...

Things were hectic over the weekend…but slowly and surely things are almost back to normal. After about three days of soul nourishing Khichidi, my palate was craving something super charged spicy. Given the lack of time, coupled with necessity driving creativity and an almost endless cavern called the “freezer” – I conjured up this master piece. Don’t be fooled by the humble orange color, this sandwich packs a whopping punch. K1 made the comment that – You can sell this Sandwich and make profits on it - and he is not one to make such profound comments about something as mundane as food.

My mother makes a killer Grilled Cheese Sandwich – the secret ingredient was Amul Cheese. I will share that recipe with you soon I promise and that recipe is the basis for this sandwich…but you gotta make this sandwich if you have a hankering for SPICY

The Spiced Up Griller

• ½ Red Onion – Finely Chopped
• 1 Habenaro Chile – Finely Chopped
• Deep Madras Tomato Chutney
• Habenaro Jack Cheese ( I usually pick up whatever is available at Whole Foods)
• 4 Slices of Whole Wheat Bread ( I used the TJ’s 100% Whole Wheat sweetened with Honey)

Take a bowl. Mix all the ingredients (except the bread). Sprinkle Salt and Cracked Pepper to taste. Put one sandwich slice on the sandwich grill and pile it up with the filling. Put the next slice of Sandwich on top. Grill for 5 minutes or until the Sandwich has this wonderful smell and a crisp brown look...Killer Sandwich Griller…!!! I am dedicating this sandwich to my colleague “V” who is the first Finn I met who can “spice out” an Indian. I am truly deeply impressed...
To welcome K2 back to the world of solids today, I made him a special porridge of Red Quinoa cooked in Vanilla Almond Milk and brown sugar, laced with blanched almonds and raisins’. On his favorite plate (bright and sunny just like his disposition…) I layered a banana…doled out the porridge on top and frizzed it with Organic Non-Fat Whipped Cream. He ate half of it, though he didn’t seem totally into it for the amount of time it took me to whip it up…
So how are you spicing up your week….?

A bite of the Big Apple & a trip to the ER

Ok…so I have a confession to make. In the almost decade and a half that I have lived in the US, I had never been to New York or the Emergency Room…wait a minute that came out sounding not quite right. But I have averaged about 2-4 hours of sleep in the last week, so if my blog sounds fuzzy today, blame it on the fogginess in my head. Let me rewind…

I was in NY on work this week and yes work was busy but I did get a glimpse of the Empire State Building, Central Park, Time Square and some of Manhattan in the short 2 days that I was there. Food wise, I had some really good meals…my favorite meal was all of ten dollars at a food cart called Halal Cart on 52nd and 6th, right next to the Hotel. I had the Chicken on Rice with a liberal sprinkling of a devilishly spicy red sauce and a mild and creamy white sauce….spectacular (I did get to spend a couple hours with my cousin, saw him after 3 years). I also ate a killer spicy red vegetable curry the next day with some great company and a red quinoa salad for lunch that I am itching to recreate (it had I think red bell peppers, cucumbers and dried cranberries with parsley and lemon juice).

I literally came back home to a sick child. K2 had developed a cough and cold. On Friday I got the call from K2’s preschool that he was running a fever and I needed to pick him up…the long trek late afternoon from the office to K2’s pre-school and the rush to hit the last pediatrician appointment was nerve wracking. Friday evening and Saturday was a blur of repeated cycles of Motrin, Tylenol and Cold Compress (and I can’t forget the antibiotics)…early on Sunday Morning (about 2.00 AM) K2’s fever was almost 105 and my panic mode was on red alert…we rushed K2 to the ER (yes that was my first trip to the ER…) and honestly I was pleasantly surprised at how humane all the doctors and nurses were …they did a battery of blood tests and cooed over how amenable K2 was to the blood draws and exams…finally red eyed and exhausted, we made it back home about 5.00 AM…a couple hours of restless sleep and we are not really out of the woods – K2 still has a high fever but I think we are finally in the “cope” mechanism where we are able to take care of him without me hitting panic button.
For the past 2 days, sustenance wise I went back to my roots for comfort food – the humble Khichidi. I made it twice this weekend and it is seriously a 10 minute effort and one of the most nourishing meals and the most prescribed Ayurvedic meal for nourishment and recovery. Here is one of the Khichidi recipes (of course it was a grab what is in the pantry and cook fast kind of a deal).

Butternut Squash Khichidi
½ Cup of Brown Basmati Rice and (¼Cup of Red Lentils and ¼ cup of Moong Dal) – Soak for ½ hr and rinse and keep aside.
1 Carton (Imagine Organic Butternut Squash Soup – 16 Ounces)
Ghee, Cumin, Hing (Asafoetida) and Turmeric
Steps

1. Heat the Ghee in my pressure cooker (Don’t have a pressure cooker, then make it in your Dutch/soup pot)


2. Add in a pinch of the Hing, Cumin and Turmeric. When it smells fragrant, I added in fresh chopped garlic and fried it till it carmelized).


3. Add in the Rice and Dal mixture. Fry till the Rice and Dal mixture smells nutty


4. Add the soup and additional water depending on how soupy you want the Khichidi.


5. The consistency totally depends on you. Some people like their Khichidi firm. Personally, I like to make my Khichidi soupy (so I keep it in the pressure cooker longer and I make the proportion of liquid to the rice and lentils 3:1 instead of 2:1).

This meal helped us keep our balance during the over-the top weekend. I know that the next week will be hard but I am ready for it (Dear God – just grant me a couple extra hours of shut eye this week and I will be a happy camper…and please make my little trooper better).

How was your weekend?

Cooking for Real

A furrow of concentration around the brow as I focus on caramelizing the onions to perfection, while the pressure cooker startles me with its shrill whistle, the new potatoes roasting in the oven and letting out an amazing aroma…yet it isn’t this harmonious every time…there are times when the tea boils over, the curry just doesn’t taste right and I just got battle scars aka blisters and burn marks galore…the marks of a Chef in Training.
The past 3 months has been a revelation to me…till K2 had his Aunty, his food habits were set – Breakfast was 2 organic fruits stewed and mixed with barley cereal, Parathas (whole wheat flat breads filled with grated broccoli and carrots) or Khichidi (Brown Rice with Moong Dal cooked with zucchini and carrots, a touch of ghee), a dinner of Quinoa and Sweet Potato pudding . The focus was on getting him to eat healthy foods…in the past 3 months all learned food habits have been set aside – K2 gets to experiment with food – Let me give you a rundown of some of his new food experiences in the past 10 days –

• Duck Foie gras with mini toasts


• Butter Chicken with Jeera Rice


• Spiced Kheema Matar (Chicken Mince with Peas) and Rice


• Flan


• Rice and Spiced Mexican Black Beans ( with Red Onions and Bell Peppers)


• Pinto Beans cooked Indian style with Roasted Mushrooms


• Falafel & Babaganoush


• Fish Cakes


• Baked Salmon


• Healthy Egg Chowmein ( homemade with tons of vegetables)


• Mac & Cheese (tons of vegetables)


• Vegetable Frittata

And if I am totally honest with myself, some of the dishes he absolutely adores, the others not so much…for the days when I don’t have the time to cook , I do have healthy alternatives in the fridge and freezer –

• Amy’s - Cheese and bean Burittos, Vegetable Lasagna, Spinach Pizza


• Trader Joes - Turkey Bolognese Sauce


• Aidells – Teriyaki & Pineapple Chicken Meatballs, Chicken and Apple Sausage


• Alexa’s Sweet Potato Fries


• Monterey Company – Spinach and Mushroom Tortellini, Tomato and Gorgonzola Pasta Sauce


• Red Pepper Babaganoush (from Sinbad’s), Sabra’s Pinenut Hummus


• Scones and Pumpkin Bread ( Beckmann’s)

I just packed and froze a couple lunch boxes for K2 for his lunch box for the week (did I mention I am gone to the Big Apple for next week)…I have roasted some new potatoes, cooked some green Moong beans for K1….now it’s all about Cooking for Real…no longer a whimsical mood based thing but a realization that my cooking is what my family is eating. Life is exciting…
I am looking forward to watching Next Food Network Star today and am hoping Aarti wins…

Redefining Boundaries…

My legs hurt, as do my arms and my so-called nonexistent core…yet there is a sense of satisfaction. Five days of bloody hard yoga (stretching myself to the very edge, bending into a pretzel, holding the warrior while ignoring the burning thighs…). But what did stay from the practice is I am rewriting my own boundaries – while juggling work, taking care of a demanding toddler and cooking healthy meals for my family, I have given up on the constant procrastination that I can’t exercise because there is no time to making the time…and what I have found on this journey is a vibrant enthusiasm for life, a lot more energy and happiness.
I am still that person who tries to live with little – frugal to the point where K1 questions my sanity. I am learning to live on little not because I have to but because I want to...from shopping at the Farmer’s Market for seasonal vegetables and fruits to buying my organics on sale to cooking my meals from scratch. Here is an example which makes my case – I asked my son what he wanted to eat for dinner on Monday evening – he said Mac and cheese mommy…now the nutritionist in me wouldn’t just quickly make a quick cook Mac and cheese for my son …so out comes Annie’s Organic Mac and Cheese. I sautéed about equal amounts of vegetable to pasta in lemon infused olive oil and K2 got a semi-gourmet Mac and Cheese ala vegetable bake. I of course had left over Mac and cheese the next day. So when I asked K2 what he wanted for dinner he said Eggs – So was born the idea of Mac Frittata and lo and behold – two wonderfully nutritious and healthy meals for K2 ( did I mention the pasta was whole grain)…for visual stimuli please check the pictures taken with my E72.

I show my roots every time I quote Freud, Maslow or Herzberg BUT Herzberg with his 2-factor theory makes my point for me – there are 2 kinds of factors that motivate/demotivate people – Hygiene Factors (which in my case are basic things like a clean house, an organized closet/pantry/refrigerator, a diminishing to-do list, a well fed and happy family for Personal Needs and my work needs are not very different – good interpersonal working relations, job security, self worth, the list goes on…). However, in the past couple years I have noticed that money is not as big deal as it used to be about a decade ago…nor is it branded clothes, cars, fancy house/appliances (ok here I do have to confess that I have been lusting after a Le Creuset Dutch Pan for about 3 months and my self restraint will crumble and I will probably end up buying it…). In terms of the Motivators which is the other set of important factors in life – I am looking for in my personal life Health, Contentment, Happiness and constant learning…big words I know, but every day I strive to learn, change the little habits that I can change and grow…I won’t say it is easy and I won’t say I succeed every day but I try. In my work life I want to have an impact, I want to help change the way people perceive things and I want to learn and be liked and respected…(I never did say I was self-actualized). Every day of my life is a day I adapt, grow and constantly redefine boundaries…ask me a year back and I would have never been able to say that a Mac & Cheese can morph into a Frittata…but today I know different.

How was your weekend? Mine was pretty eventful. A wonderful dinner on Friday at a fancy Californian French Restaurant (whatever that means) with a 4-course meal of Crab Cakes, Caesar Salad, Grilled King Salmon on a bed of Greek Salad ending on a sweet note of Chocolate Ganache (accompanied by a blackberry mohito). Saturday saw us at a picnic in the zoo with close friends followed by a family style Italian dinner with another set of close friends, celebrating K1’s B’day (I won’t tell you how old he is). Sunday saw me take a trek to the Farmer’s Market – I got from my vegetable guy – Habenaros (a pound), Cherry Tomatoes, Persian Cucumbers, Broccoli, Cauliflower and sweet corn; From the fruit stand – Black and Red Grapes, Juicy White Peaches; from the Egg Ranch – Jumbo Organic Brown Eggs and Quail Eggs (the little guy wanted those) and from Beckmann’s Bakery - Lemon and Currant Scones and Shortbread Cake (tastes divine with fresh berries) – Life is good. Yes, there have been a couple hiccups along the way – what with K2 getting a fever on Monday…but we will survive.
How have you been redefining your boundaries…?

Of Competitive Advantage and Fish Cakes...

For some reason the title music of Monk is playing in my mind “It’s a jungle out there”. As a fresh starry eyed graduate straight out of B-School eons back all I wanted was to join the “Big 5”…at that point it was a set of consulting companies that most graduating B-School students wanted to get into. With razor sharp focus on my goal and lots of luck I did end up getting into the company of my dreams…years later and a couple career changes later, as I contemplate the industries that I have worked in – the reality is there is always a Big 3/5 in every industry. It is the living nightmare of those companies (especially the market leader) to stay ahead and maintain their competitive position. The reality is that the “Challengers” have not much to lose and are constantly testing boundaries and strategies – fearless, hungry, disrupting existing business models…biting away slowly into market share by showing the market a new way of doing things.
I believe very strongly that maintaining “Competitive Advantage” in a dynamic market like ours is a tough deal and at times like this, what really marks a company different is what are the steps that it is taking to maintain market share, mind share, agility and innovation. I think that a company needs to take a holistic approach to market leadership -it begins with Organizational Agility and ends with product execution (and everything else in between). I always use the analogy of an Organization as a human being – both are very similar. What is necessary for both their progress and well being are five seemingly simple things –

1. Health – could mean financial, operational, physical


2. Instinct – How well does your “flight or fight” gut instinct work…very essential for survival? For an Organization, that killer instinct filters “Top Down”.
   a. Can your management team make hard decisions (For eg. eliminating a Business Unit if the ROI or potential is not realized).
   b. Can they wean out the real technologies from the fads and the hype…or do they have a team of professionals that doesn’t feed them hype but moves them forward in this competitive game
   c. Are they only about grandiose vision and planning or is the focus more on execution. A thousand start ups have great ideas but the ones that make it also have flawless execution


3. Social Networks – Can the Organization play nice with other companies to create something of value and unique. Just like we humans cannot exist in a bubble and need social relationships for our existence…such is the case with Organizations today – the need for building their ecosystems


4. Kaizen – It is very easy for us to become complacent in our own achievements – I am an executive at this company or I am a market leader in this segment. Organizations and Individuals do not keep an eye on the ball and end up losing their perspective on where the market is…the reality is that “Continuous Improvement” is key. Understanding that success is transitional and what is key is constant betterment is critical. For us individuals – I am not proposing a constant discontent with the state of existence. Take my case – I am happy where I am career wise and personal life wise (in fact I would go as far as use the word content – yeah I am making myself sound like a heifer). However, every day brings to my life both personal and professional learnings and truth be told I am the sum of all my experiences – stretching, learning, growing.


5. Humility – It is so easy to get stuck in past glory and wallow in false ego – I am indispensable or I am a market leader. Get over it – Every stage for the individual or Organization is about a fresh start – No one really cares about what you have already achieved…it is about what you are about to achieve.

To remain relavent and not become obsolete, an organization or an individual will need to achieve a delicate balance – it is not all about action and no reaction, it is not about all execution and no strategy, it is not done in isolation and has elements cooperation and relationships --- but it is about the five elements discussed - it is a jungle out there and only the fittest can survive.

On a personal front, I learnt in the past couple months that Fish is a healthy option for growing toddlers. I buy sustainable fish from my Organic Vendors. The fish I cooked for K2 today is a crispy Almond Crusted Sole Fish Cake which I pan fried in EVOO…K2 ate two of the fish cakes without any complaints...Life is good.

Life in Perspective...

"I have become my own version of an optimist. If I can't make it through one door, I'll go through another door - or I'll make a door. Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present."

This was a quote from Tagore and I try to live life with this as a guiding principle and the truth has been that this has generally held true through most of my life. There are times when the logic just isn’t there, rationality has to take a back seat and emotions seems to govern those moments…for me those moments used to be few and far between but lately there seems to be an extra deluge of emotional vs. rational…yesterday while I was putting K2 to sleep…he said “Mommy Song” and I sang to him my favorite song from the movie Anari – Kisi Ke Muskurahaton Pe Ho Misar…he fell asleep in no time but I was left with the sentiments of that song –

Be someone's smile,
Take the pain away from someone,
Be there for someone with love in your heart,
This is what is called living.Based on the content of my pocket, I am a beggar,
But I am rich if you look at the content of my heart.
If I am gone tomorrow,
You will remember me in your tears,
The flower will tell the buds my stories – This is what I call living….

Today I watched this Bengali movie “Anuranan”.. Anuranan stands for resonance and yes Bengali is like a 5th language to me…I grew up in the South so my 1st language is English, 2nd Hindi, 3rd Tamil, 4th Oriya…so there were parts where I had to replay the dialogues to get the subtle nuances yet the movie left me strangely dissatisfied – not resonating a clear message…the actors were superb, yet there was something missing. However, it made me long for Calcutta…the graceful old city – with its maniac taxi drivers, the stately Victoria Memorial, the sprawling Howrah bridge, the buzzing Ballygunge market where I went to satiate my soul on second hand books and my stomach on kathi rolls; I missed watching the beautiful Bengali women in their beautiful saris and large bindis and the Babus in their pristine white Kurtas and Dhotis (I was an outsider getting a brief glimpse into someone else’s life). I missed the trips to the guy selling Mishti Doi near our house in Ballygunge, making the driver stop the car at an intersection for my phuchkas…the long trips to Tangda for the best Indian Chinese food ever…but most of all I miss that culture which was accepting…refined….educating.

This has been a week of relaxation and joy for me. Taking pleasure in the simple things – Eating Poori & Choley at the Chaat Place, an impromptu picnic with the boys, Roasting Fresh Corn, watching the beautiful fireworks in the Bay Area night sky, watching the awe on my son’s face as we took him through the car wash for the first time, his joy watching Toy Story 3 (his first movie in the theatres)…I couldn’t agree with Tagore more – Life remains when hope and joy remains…this is what I call living.