One of my favorite photograhers, William Corey, just passed away. His brilliant pictures of Japanese gardens have been my inspiration on many days. The pictures capture the spirit of the gardens like I have never seen before. He leaves behind an amazing and rich legacy that I know will continue to inspire, amaze and captivate generations forever.
For more on his amazing work, click here.
When my first son was born, we headed to India for a visit with his grandparents. My parents and in-laws filled their houses with toys and books for the baby and with loads of desserts for me (my obsession with desserts is nothing short of insane).
Indian desserts, I feel, are one of the most misunderstood foods here in the West. There is so much more to Indian desserts than the standard rice pudding, kulfi (Indian icecream), gulab jamun (milk dumplings in a sugar syrup) and gajjar halwa (carrot pudding) shown on Indian restaurant menus.
Desserts are an integral part of Indian cuisine and culture. When you visit an Indian home, the host will generally produce a plate of “mithai” (milk based sweetmeats) or some other type of sweet - since guests are considered a form of God . Wedding announcements are, to this day, sent to close friends with a box of mithai – not including a sweet is, as my father says, “Simply not done.” Festivals find people exchanging boxes of mithai. Merchants are producing this milk based desserts in every shape, size and color imaginable. In Delhi I am served desserts prepared with figs. From cashews to bottle-gourd all kinds of ingredients are used to prepare these desserts. The variety of desserts being offered at places like Halidrams (huge restaurant chain in Delhi known for its desserts and savories) is mind blowing. Btw, Halidrams is known not only for its desserts but also for the beautiful way in which it packages these desserts.
But I digress, back to my story about visiting India with my first-born. It never occurred to me that I would encounter a dessert I could not eat. After devouring what seems like a ton of besan ladoo (prepared with roasted chick pea flour and sugar), bowls of vermicelli pudding, and mounds of puran poli (a special sweet bread stuffed with jaggery), I began to eye the gelatinous slab of white that my father-in-law placed in front of me. “You will love this, it is a specialty of this town,” he beamed.
To this day, I am not sure what prompted me to ask him, “What is it?”
“It is a dessert made from the first milk of the cow after she gives birth,” he said.
Something about that made me uncomfortable. Perhaps it is because I was still nursing and the thought of a colostrums based dessert just did not appeal. My father-in-law, I think, understood and did not force me to eat it.
Later that evening, we had several guests who enjoyed the Kharwas and regaled me with stories of how their mother’s first gave it to them and how wonderful it tasted. I just could not bring myself to eat it.
There are plenty of discussions on the web if you are interested in what it is and how to make it. Some sites are even saying Whole Foods sells the cow’s colostrum so you can buy it to make the dessert. Just don’t ask me for a recipe, this is one that is not in my books!
PS- For Kharwas lovers – I am not saying that this should not be eaten, just that it made me squeamish so forgive me this negative reaction, please.
THe Mandarin Oriental just announced their $1000 Bento Box! According to a press release sent out by the hotel --
“1K Bento”
Café MoZU will dazzle diners with the extraordinary “1K Bento”, designed to create a truly unique culinary experience. Elegantly presented in a traditional Japanese wooden bento box, this luxurious offering includes a sampling of Jamón Ibérico, the finest of hams, cured in La Alberca in western Spain; a tasting of mouth-watering, decadent lobster; flavorful sushi freshly prepared by Master Sushi Chef Minoru Ogawa; 4.5 ounces of Sterling Royal Caviar, characterized by its large, firm beads bursting with an intensely rich flavor; prime cut and fine-textured Kuroge-Japanese Black Wagyu Zabuton and Tête de Moine Swiss cheese, boasting an “Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée” since May 2001.
The “1K Bento” is priced at $1,000 and includes a bottle of champagne (choice of Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 1996 or Louis Roederer Cristal 2000) along with a gift card for two to enjoy the scrumptious “Bubbles & Brunch” buffet, available every Sunday at Café MoZU."
If you try it, do post your comments here. Would love to know what a $1000 bento box tastes like!
The past few weeks have been filled with many dissappointing moments. As I reflect over what life has and has not offered up of late, I am reminded of a saying I read several years ago -- "Maan ka ho to aacha, maan ka naa ho to aur aacha -- If you get what your heart desires, it is good. If you don't, it is better." You know, I never truly understood that saying until now.
When I was a kid, I wrote a paper on a spring morning that earned me an F. It was an essay about a spring morning in a war-torn country and filled with vivid sketches of death and distruction. I wanted an A, I got an F -- I did not get what my heart desired. Turned out to be the best thing that happened to me. I promised myself that I would continue to write the way I did, never following the easiest path or the one that promised the most and best. Instead, I swore to follow the path of passion, a path that has led me to where I am today.
So as I reflect on the dissappointments of the weeks gone by, I feel inclined to say thanks to the Universe. I did not get what my heart desired but I am now blessed with the promise of a better tomorrow.
THoughts?
My son has been inconsolable for close to six months now. The issue is hurting his self-esteem. He constantly says, “I am different.” Before you think it is issues like different skin color, hair color/style, physical challenges or other such social encumbrances, let me tell you that he is seven and, for the most, still blissfully unaware that such difference exist. His problem revolves around his teeth. He does not have ugly teeth, buck teeth, cleft palate, cavities, bad root canals, bleeding gums or a strange smile. No, it is none of those things. In fact, had it been one of those issues, it would have been easier to deal with..
No, ours is a different dental dilemma. He has beautiful teeth, just perfect. And that is the problem – he HAS all his teeth. He has not lost a single one, unlike his buddies who have lost many. His friends in little league team picture are all smiling with gaps in their teeth. He points them out to me and says, “Look Mamma, they have all lost their teeth. And this kid is not even seven. When will I lose my teeth?” I try explaining to him that each kid loses their teeth at a different time. His big brown eyes look at me pleadingly, “why not me” they seem to ask. Why would a child be so upset about not losing his teeth? I brush off the topic. Really, I tell him, there are bigger things to worry about in life then losing your teeth.
He begins to avoid brushing his teeth and broods when reminded to do so. A cheerful boy on most days, it makes me sad to see him get upset over something I view to be so minor. I wonder what to do, what else to say.
Then I get invited to the end-of-the-year parent-teacher conference at his school and I see the crux of the problem. In his classroom is a chart. A chart that is meant to be fun and cute and I guess it would be if you “belonged” on it. It is a large piece of green paper, tacked on a sideboard on a large board facing the classroom. The title is something about tooth fairies. It then has all the names of the kids in the class and how many teeth each have lost. So Sam has lost four, Jordan has lost two, Hailey has lost five and then at the bottom of the chart was the name of one single kid who has not lost any. Yes, you guessed it. My son Jai. In that instant it hits me.
What I have been viewing as minor is his whole existence. This first grade classroom is his world. He wants to be just like his friends.
I ask him about the chart. His gentle explanation breaks my heart even more -- Each day the kids come up and add their tally of their newly lost tooth on the tooth fairy chart. Then they chat about what the tooth fairy got them. He stops and I realize that it is not really about teeth but about belonging and my child feels left out. I wish I knew how to read between the lines of my seven-year-olds complaint. I wish I had seen what was really bothering him instead of being so literal and focusing on the teeth.
School ends and summer passes quickly. He seems to have forgotten about his teeth for now. He still has not lost any. I call his pediatrician who assures me that it is normal and that every child loses their teeth at different times in their life.
A few weeks after the new school year begins, I notice a change in his behavior. He is no longer obsessing over his teeth, still a full-set.
I take him to see his grand-aunt who also happens to be a pediatrician. The teeth issue comes up again. “You are lucky to have such strong teeth; the others had weaker teeth so they fell out. Yours are strong and when they fall out, your new teeth will be even stronger. Just like you are,” she says gently. He smiles, with all his teeth still intact, and laughs. “I know.” I am baffled. “I know” was not the reaction I expected. But something has changed.
I discover the truth at the next parent-teacher conference in his new grade. I enter the new classroom and instinctively turn to the walls. They are filled with maps, sayings and beautiful pictures.
This new classroom has no tooth chart.
Now, he feels like he belongs.
UPDATE -- He is now 8 and the proud "loser" of two teeth.
