It is spent at a beautiful house in the suburbs of the city. Like me and my colleagues did at S’s place for a Sunday feast. And what a feast!
Kicked off with barbecued fish, juicy seekh kebabs, crispy chicken drumsticks, spinach pakoras, mushroom and baby corn fritters, grilled cottage cheese, paapris with dahi bhallas. To the accompaniment of Bloody Marys and Shandies.
By the time lunch happened we were already full. The mean eaters we are, we did not hesitate to pile up further on makke ki rotis smeared with generous dollops of butter, daal makhni and sarson ka saag. Not to forget the mutton curry with rice. All rounded off with apple pie and hot gulab jamuns. And washed down with more Shandy.
So there we had the perfect feast laid out for us.
At the end of which I threw myself on the big bean bags in the back garden and soaked up the sun. I had company. S’s golden retriever -- Pollu.com. An adorable, fat baby who lives the good old life of minimal movement – plodding on two steps and eventually flopping down on a chosen spot. Once in a while waking up to watch the world though droopy, sad eyes. She actually cannot run. So when one of my colleague’s kids was scared of going near her, I told her: “Rest assured, Pollu does not believe in chasing anything.” I am not exaggerating. Once in a while though her ears perk up at the mention of mice. You have to meet Pollu.com to know what I mean!
Now the house was so pretty, I was besotted with it. There were lovely warm colours on the sofas and beds, brightly painted walls, ancient haveli-style doors, Oriental dragons, sun soaked verandahs, the occasional nook with family photographs, a corner bar, an entrance with those huge bowls of floating rose petals and marigolds…just what I would love my home to be like. With of course the cute tangerine tree at the entrance, a picture to behold with tiny tangerines hanging from each branch!
I have to be off – for a historical novel wants my attention – but let me add this that those of you who live in Delhi have to try out the churros with hot chocolate in Choko-la, Khan Market. A treat on a chilly winter’s evening!
18.1.08
Let’s see what it means to be living
How has the year started for you all? Mine started on a bruised note. I fell down on a road in front of my office one day while trying to cross, it in the face of cars rushing in suddenly from a bylane. It gave me a bloody knee, taking me back to my childhood badminton days, days when I often fell on pebbly roads and got scars thereafter.
Though the present wound has healed after giving me a few sleepless nights, it has left patches I could have done without, considering a much-awaited holiday in Goa is coming up.
Just talking about Goa makes me feel so tra la la. If you know what I mean. This floaty feeling that takes care of the cares of life. It’s the kind of feeling that swamped my senses today even as I sipped on reds, whites, rosés and the sparkling varieties of wines at a wine and food show. They came from all over -- Argentinia, Hungary, South Africa, Italy.
I had august company I realized when I fell for the pale amber and sweet Tokaji Aszú. Louis XIV apparently, according to the Hungarian at the counter, dubbed it the ‘Wine of Kings, King of Wines’.
I tried both the 3 and 6 varieties which refer to the number of baskets full of rotten grapes that have gone into the making of the wine and thereby affect its sweetness. It goes best with dessert or as my Hungarian friend informed me, “simply by itself as you put your feet up on your porch staring out into the horizon”. Unfortunately I own neither the porch nor the Tojaki *sigh*
An Italian sparkling red wine, the Brachetta, earned me a kiss from the chic Italian lady at the counter. And an invitation to mail her on her personal mail ID! It was as feel-good as it gets. The Brachetta with its fruity flavour was most unlike a full bodied, rich red. Do let a glass of it pass through your lips. You will thank me and hopefully buy me a round.
Another hit with me was the Pearly Bay from South Africa. I had both the white sparkling and rosé Pearly Bays. Both to watch out for. The Argentinian Malbecs and Chardonnays meanwhile lulled me since by then I had tried out innumerable sips.
I did pick up a few tips as well for choosing one's wine. The common ones: Pair the reds with spicy kebabs or other rich dishes and the whites with fish and other light dishes. And the uncommon one: never go for aged rosés. Unlike the reds and whites, they are best had young.
Enough wine talk for a day. And enough wine to drench the self. You can picture that by the time I got out of the show I was blissful as blissful can be. I have been in a happy haze since!
Though the present wound has healed after giving me a few sleepless nights, it has left patches I could have done without, considering a much-awaited holiday in Goa is coming up.
Just talking about Goa makes me feel so tra la la. If you know what I mean. This floaty feeling that takes care of the cares of life. It’s the kind of feeling that swamped my senses today even as I sipped on reds, whites, rosés and the sparkling varieties of wines at a wine and food show. They came from all over -- Argentinia, Hungary, South Africa, Italy.
I had august company I realized when I fell for the pale amber and sweet Tokaji Aszú. Louis XIV apparently, according to the Hungarian at the counter, dubbed it the ‘Wine of Kings, King of Wines’.
I tried both the 3 and 6 varieties which refer to the number of baskets full of rotten grapes that have gone into the making of the wine and thereby affect its sweetness. It goes best with dessert or as my Hungarian friend informed me, “simply by itself as you put your feet up on your porch staring out into the horizon”. Unfortunately I own neither the porch nor the Tojaki *sigh*An Italian sparkling red wine, the Brachetta, earned me a kiss from the chic Italian lady at the counter. And an invitation to mail her on her personal mail ID! It was as feel-good as it gets. The Brachetta with its fruity flavour was most unlike a full bodied, rich red. Do let a glass of it pass through your lips. You will thank me and hopefully buy me a round.
Another hit with me was the Pearly Bay from South Africa. I had both the white sparkling and rosé Pearly Bays. Both to watch out for. The Argentinian Malbecs and Chardonnays meanwhile lulled me since by then I had tried out innumerable sips.
I did pick up a few tips as well for choosing one's wine. The common ones: Pair the reds with spicy kebabs or other rich dishes and the whites with fish and other light dishes. And the uncommon one: never go for aged rosés. Unlike the reds and whites, they are best had young.
Enough wine talk for a day. And enough wine to drench the self. You can picture that by the time I got out of the show I was blissful as blissful can be. I have been in a happy haze since!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)