My World of Food and Travel

And so, I am on vacation. Here, at my parents’ house in Guwahati. Let’s skip the part where I am super tensed about an upcoming report that I am currently working on. Yes, office work. Oh, did I just say that I am on vacation? Boo-hahaha.  Anyways, what I have decided is that whatever comes up, I shall NOT miss out on all that I had planned these long months. I will NOT go home regretting that I did not do this or go there or eat that. In fact, I am just back from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary which is located in Mayong, the epicentre of (black) magic and I had a very good mind to cast an amazing spell over my boss for making me go through this difficult time. Oops I said that aloud. Okay, I think I feel a bit better after letting this out. So, ask me what I have been gorging on these days. Home grown fresh vegetables and luscious winter greens! My dad’s kitchen garden is stock full of my favourite leafy greens – mustard greens or lai xaak (in Assamese), to be precise. In fa...

Doesn’t the picture look dreadful? So unappetizing! And yet how much we all loved the dish. Just goes on to prove that looks can be so deceptive.  I had to prowl on the net again when the husband brought home this 2.5 kg rohu fish. I hardly know a few fish recipes and I generally keep on carrying out experiments till all of us get tired of them. As a matter fact, I don’t think I made this recipe the correct way. Oops! The secret is out! Maybe that is why the picture did not come out well. Hmm. Then again, I made the recipe with rohu fish steaks, which is an Indian fresh water fish and is very mild in taste. The original recipe (or rather recipes, as I mixed and matched 2-3 of them) called for sole, flounder or haddock fillets. Now, who wants to wait till those fish come home?  Anyhow, the recipe seemed super simple and I thought I could whip it up easily for dinner after a hard day at office. As usual, I am always hit by trepidation when the dish ...

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...