My World of Food and Travel

I took a look at the photographs and re-read the article. My mind made up, I picked up the phone and dialed the husband at work. “We are going to Maidenahalli Blackbuck Sanctuary this Saturday”, I announced. The husband’s confused voice came through after a long pause. “Wait, what did you say? Which place? How come I was never consulted?” In reply, I sent him the link to the photographs and the article, which was actually a trip report by a fellow INW member. That was all it took to convince the husband - he was in. Thus, we woke up at 3.30 am on 29 th December (2012) and by 4.45 am the entire lot (husband, baby, in-laws and I) were on our way to Maidenahalli. Of late, Maidenahalli has come to be known as Jayamangali Blackbuck Reserve. It is one of the only two blackbuck reserves in Karanataka and is located around 145 km from Bangalore.    We took the Bangalore – Tumkur - Dabbaspet – Madhugiri – Puravara – Maidenahalli route. The moon accompanied us for ...

Let me begin by stating that this dish did not find favour in the household. Except my sis and me. There, I said it. So, now you have the choice of either hating it or liking it. However, given the fact that this dish was an improvisation on the roast chicken I was planning to make for Christmas , it did not do too badly. I was still under shock at finding cut pieces of chicken instead of the whole one when I made up the recipe. Perhaps the anger showed up in the food as well. Hmm. Anyway, I had just around half an hour or so before the guests showed up for Christmas dinner. My original plan was to have a leisurely chat with my guests while my chicken roasted slowly in the oven, filling up the house with the aroma of herbs and butter. Instead, there I was, ransacking my kitchen shelf too see what ingredients were there to cook the chicken with. I was trying for something ‘exotic’. Finally, I found half a bottle of orange marmalade and some English mustard. Some vague rec...

This was not how I had envisaged my first post after Christmas. I had grand plans of putting up a picture of an herb-roasted chicken with the title ‘Chicken roast for a merry Christmas’ or something like that. But thanks to someone , someone who reads my blog and is accountable for the shopping, it did not happen. That particular someone conveniently forgot to get the whole chicken required for the roast and brought cut pieces instead. And he insisted that I never told him about the roast. Okay, before this rant turns more sarcastic, let me concentrate on the food. Perhaps that shall calm me down. So, my plans crashed and I had to improvise on the chicken. I shall put up a post later on the chicken recipe. Now, my original Christmas menu included a vegetarian dish of methi paneer (cottage cheese with fenugreek leaves), a dish I had been wishing to make ever since I read it on P’s blog (presentedbyp.blogspot.com). She is a fantastic cook and I trust each of her recipes. Unf...