Revisiting Good and Evil…

I saw a movie this weekend that left me with a lot of disturbing thoughts. The interesting thing is that this was a Telugu Movie, a language I am not familiar with and I mostly understood happenings through subtitles…despite this fact the movie had a deep impact on me  and it was humbling (JL, I won’t ever laugh over your tears for KKHH subtitles…I understand). The movie was Manirathnam’s famous (infamous) Villain which has also been remade in Hindi as Raavan with a famous actor son playing the lead role.

The basic premise of the movie is that ethics is very personal. As Aristotle put it,

When a person acts in accordance with his nature and realizes his full potential, he will do good and be content. At birth, a baby is not a person, but a potential person. To become a "real" person, the child's inherent potential must be realized. Unhappiness and frustration are caused by the unrealized potential of a person, leading to failed goals and a poor life. Aristotle said, "Nature does nothing in vain." Therefore, it is imperative for persons to act in accordance with their nature and develop their latent talents in order to be content and complete. Happiness was held to be the ultimate goal. All other things, such as civic life or wealth, are merely means to the end. Self-realization, the awareness of one's nature and the development of one's talents, is the surest path to happiness.

Our Indian Belief system however has very clear cut definitions of Good and Evil and it was inconceivable that what might be treated Good by one belief system could be bad in another…take for example Ramayana – Rama was absolute good vs. Ravan who was the epitome of bad. In reality, Rama lost a little bit of my respect when he distrusted his wife and asked her to go thru’ Agni Pariksha to prove her virtue…but how can the acts of a God be deemed Evil…yet by doing what he did Rama actually ensured that women were assured a lower place in the already firmly patriarchal society. The movie  strengthened my belief that there is no right answer on ethics – it is very personal and shaped by the way you have been socialized. To toast this discovery I want to share with you a very special recipe that I created this week…

Black & White Chili

Soak Overnight Black Beans (1 cup) and Canelli Beans (1 cup)

1.       In a pressure cooker or Dutch pot – Fry 2 finely chopped  Red Onions, 2-8 pods of crushed garlic (based on your preference), 1-2 Chilies ( Serrano, Jalapeno, Poblano…or Habenaro depending on your spice tolerance level)

2.       When the Onions have browned, add three chopped tomatoes (you can add some veggies like Carrot or Celery but this week I decided not to add any).

3.       Roasted Cumin Powder, 3 crushed All-Spice (optional), Cardamom Powder, Turmeric  Powder (again optional and I use it for health benefits)

4.       At this stage add in ground meat if you are adding any for browning ( I usually skip this stage as I don’t add meats)

5.       I add the beans and Organic Vegetable Stock

6.       If you are simmering in Dutch Pot, let it simmer for 60 minutes to 90 minutes. If you are lucky like me and own a pressure cooker, let it go for 12 whistles on low to medium heat…trust me seems like a lot but it needs it.

7.       Let the Chili rest.  Stir add Salt to taste and squeeze in the juice of a lemon to taste.

8.       Serve with lots of chopped fresh cilantro and a piece of crusty bread

This dish is ALL good for you, with each cup of Chili giving about 15-18 grams of fiber (over 65% of DV) and 7-10 grams of Protein. I usually serve an easy tomato and cucumber salad with this chili. What beans do you have in your pantry? I currently have Dark Red Kidney Beans, Lima Beans, Pinto Beans, Aduzki Beans, Black Beans, Black Eyed Beans, Black and Pale Garbanzo Beans…one of my tenets for simple living – Eat less meat, add more organic lentils and legumes as a good solid source of protein…

Change...and Ganesh Chaturthi.

I am a creature of habit – I like the same old music (think “Dil Apna Preet Parai" genre”)…I abhor the shuffle and remixes, I love to rewind and replay the originals; I love the smell of lavender, Crime Serials, my hot cup of green tea and dark chocolate pieces in the night, my landline phone and the long chats to India, my Sunday trip to the Farmer’s Market …the only area where I have gotten out of my comfort zone and accepted change is Food and my Son. No two days are the same with K2; it’s almost like living on the seat of my pants wondering what new things I will learn today.
The long weekend was relaxed. Some shopping for K2…actually a lot of it…he had his first turkey hot dog on a stick and relished it…we grilled some Salmon Burgers in the night and K2 enjoyed his burger too. On Sunday after our trip to the Farmers Market where we picked up Tomatoes, Broccoli, Carrots, New Potatoes, Shallots, Spinach, Habenaros, Eggs, Babaganoush and Scones, we went down to the Greek Festival in the afternoon, we admired the old church in the hills…listened to some melodious hymns, had some awful souvlakis and breaded fried calamaris that were being passed on as Greek cooking…came home hot and red (it was 100 degrees outside). In the evening we met R& M and A& his parents for dinner…some spicy south Indian food and animated conversations later, we realized it was midnight and time to head home. On Monday we met up with N square and B for a foodie inspired lunch cooked up by Dahling N…she had made hummus that she zussed up with Habenaro peppers, a corn relish and she grilled up tonnes of veggies along with a Moroccan inspired lamb and Salmon…we trundled home all full and happy and spend the evening getting ready for the week.
This week was a blur of early morning meetings and Friday saw us with some “big news” at work…not sure yet how this will play off but the biggest emotion I feel is – hope. As I said before, I am not big on change but in this case change is necessary for not just surviving but winning…failure is not an option and only existing is not a criterion….so we will see how this change plays out for us. I welcomed the weekend with open arms…a grounding yoga class, a trip to Whole Foods and a relaxed Friday dinner at home with the 2 A’s and 2 R’s was the precursor to a relaxed Saturday.
Saturday is Ganesh Chaturthi…a very famous festival in India. I have seen a lot of people look at the elephant pendant I *always* wear – he is Ganesha, he is the God who removes all obstacles…lore says that if you rub Ganesha’s huge tummy while you mentally ask him for a wish, he will grant it. He is my absolute favorite god. I remember spending time in the Siddhi Vinayak temple in Besant Nagar and the total sense of peace I got…anyway the morning saw K1 and me go serially to the gym…him for his workout, me for Yoga after which we went to the Sunnyvale temple with R& M and S and A and his parents. We went to a new place for lunch called Mayuri…the food was good. We will be going for puja to a friend/colleague’s house in the evening…we are looking forward to introducing K2 to Hindu rituals, pujas and things that we grew up with as kids…Sunday I hope will be relaxed – I am planning on buying this beautiful Kabocha that has been seducing me with it’s green golden beauty…reminding me that Summer is almost over giving way to Fall…hold still time…let me enjoy the last of the sweet corns, the tangy tomatoes and the delicious juicy peaches…Change why do I look forward to you and yet at times resent the very fact that you exist…

Angels have wings...

This working mom ain't that sentimental anymore...yet there are times like this when she gets introspective and pens a couple verses...for those who enjoy poetry ---  enjoy ; for the critics --- please dissect, just don't judge ; for the ones I wrote this for- Be Happy! and for the ones who  don't get it - I promise I will get back to writing in plain English...but it isn't like I tied you up and made you read this...

                                              Angels have wings

The mind is wandering a dozen places all at once…
The world seems at peace,
Yet there is a seething cauldron of dissent and disagreement.
A voice whispers – she is right
And yet another one – he is right…
A rational angel chimes in between – doesn’t matter who is right, what is key is making it right.

Voice of reason has escaped,
Tired I am, Broken I am, Frustrated I am – the tiny voices say
Running away – seeking solace and healing,
Life has passed so many of us by…seeking salvation elsewhere,
Forgetting the dormant spring within,
From wherein stems the elixir of health, wisdom and peace
And we keep searching everywhere….
And in reality much of it lies within…

We cloud our lives with many things,
Pontificating, Placating, Persuading…
Driven by ambition,
Consumed by love ,
Weakened by the need to possess, control
Yet, all that we needed is both inside and beside...

As I lie in bed today…sleepless,
Watching my family sleep…
I question my mind's flight,
And an acceptance of unanswered questions,
Some of the cobwebs in my mind,
Cleared as I write…
Yet there remains many a things unknown.

I pray a little prayer for love, hope and peace…

I sigh a little hearing my little boy’s soft snores…

As he dreams of the gentle flutters of Angel Wings…

Yes, I believe...I really do believe Angels have Wings.

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…