Memories and how food plays a really important part in relationships

Think about it for a moment and you will understand exactly what I mean. Food plays such an important role in every aspect of our life. For instance, if there's a celebration we try to come up with the best, or as might be the case, the most appropriate menu for the occasion. Alternately, if someone dies anywhere in the world, the close family and friends organise a 'wake' where good food and drink is served while people gather around in memory of the departed soul. 

Food is also something that can really taste best when eaten in company. For me, the term 'breaking bread' with someone beautifully depicts a scenario where good food tends to taste even better with good company In fact, I'd go so far as to say that even a pastry and coffee or a croissant and a coffee shared with a friend is something that becomes really pleasurable and many a time, truly memorable. Top of my head, I can recall at least ten instances when I've enjoyed the meal or coffee so much more because of the company on a particular day. Then there are some food memories which are very dear to one's heart by virtue of the fact that they centre around the food that either someone cooked for you in a way that was really special, or then it could be about a savoury or sweet dish that you cooked for, or shared with someone and they loved it exactly the way you made it.

                                    Arabic bread basket-  Shangrila Bar Al Jissah, Muscat

Which then leads me to a chain of bitter sweet thoughts. For instance, I can never eat sweet rice, or better known in Punjabi as 'Meethe Chawal' without remembering my grand mother in law, 'Beeji'. For Beeji made the best Meethe Chawal in the world as far as I was concerned. And always, always made it for me whenever I asked for it. And we were such friends- never mind that I was just married and she was already in her seventies when we first met. 

I can also never eat 'Kadhi Pakore and Chawal' ( a yogurt and gram flour based Punjabi dish) without remembering Jairam, my parents' cook for over thirty years who made the most delicious Kadhi on earth. As also my friend Amrita in Muscat who made sure that  she personally delivered a box of her special home made Kadhi to our home whenever she made  it. I can never eat a peppermint without drinking water right after it to check if my mouth really feels cool because that is exactly what my 'long lost and never found again' friend,  Christine Bose from my school in Calcutta used to do. I can never drink 'Elaichi' ( cardamom ) tea without thinking about my beautiful mother Biba Satinder who I lost some years ago, because she always drank hers that way. Or dip a Marie biscuit in that same tea without remembering how she only wanted me and not her nurses to help her drink that cup of tea when she was critically ill in the ICU.

                             ( Image sourced from the net)

I could go on and on but I find that I actually have an ache in my chest remembering some people close to me who are no more, so I think I will stop here. But not before I say that what really brought on this chain of thought in the first instance was when I was making Rajma Chawal (a North Indian delicacy made with red kidney beans cooked in thick tomato based gravy)  this morning,  when I remembered a friend of mine, Akhila, who passed away in the prime of her life some time back.

   For whenever I made 'Rajma' or 'Maa Ki Daal', I would always send her a big bowl, or better still, drop it off to her place personally because she said that it was the best she'd ever eaten.

NB - This is a repeat post, just felt it was still so meaningful 

Memories and how food plays a really important part in relationships

Think about it for a moment and you will understand exactly what I mean. Food plays such an important role in every aspect of our life. For instance, if there's a celebration we try to come up with the best or as might be the case, the most appropriate menu for the occasion. Alternately, if someone dies anywhere in the world, the close family and friends organize a 'wake' where good food and drink is served while people gather around in memory of the departed soul. 

Food is also something that can really taste best when eaten in company. For me, the term 'breaking bread' with someone beautifully depicts a scenario where good food tends to taste even better with good company In fact, I'd go so far as to say that even a pastry and coffee or a croissant and a coffee had with a friend is something that becomes really pleasurable and many a time, truly memorable. Top of my head, I can recall at least ten instances when I've enjoyed the meal/coffee so much more because of the company on a particular day. Then there are some food memories which are very dear to one's heart by virtue of the fact that they centre around the food that either someone cooked for you in a way that was really special or then it could be about a savoury or sweet dish that you cooked for or shared with someone and he/she loved it best just the way you made it.

                 An Arabic bread basket- At the Shangrila Bar Al Jissah, Muscat

Which then leads me to a chain of bitter sweet thoughts. For instance, I can never eat sweet rice, or better known in Punjabi as 'Meethe Chawal' without remembering my grand mother in law, 'Beeji'. For Beeji made the best Meethe Chawal in the world as far as I was concerned. And always, always made it for me whenever I asked for it. Never mind that I was a married lady and she was already in her seventies when we first met.. 

I can also never eat 'Kadhi Pakore and Chawal' ( a yogurt and gram flour based Punjabi dish) without remembering Jairam, my parents' cook for over thirty years who made the most delicious Kadhi on earth.As also my friend Amrita in Muscat who made sure that  she personally delivered a box of her special home made Kadhi to our home whenever she made  it. I can never eat a peppermint without drinking water right after it to check if my mouth really feels cool because that is exactly what my 'long lost and never found again friend,  Christine Bose from my school in Calcutta used to do. I can never drink 'Elaichi' ( cardamom ) tea without thinking about my beautiful mother Biba Satinder who I lost some time back  because she always drank hers that way.Or dip a Marie biscuit in that same tea without remembering how she only wanted me and not her nurses to help her drink that cup of tea when she was critically ill in the ICU...

I could go on and on but I find that I actually have an ache in my chest remembering some people close to me who are now deceased, so I think I will stop here. But not before I say that what really brought on this chain of thought in the first instance was when I was making Rajma Chawal (a North Indian delicacy made with red kidney beans cooked in thick tomato based gravy)  this morning,  when I remembered a friend of mine, Akhila, who passed away in the prime of her life some time back.

 For whenever I made 'Rajma' or 'Maa Ki Daal', I would always send her a big bowl, or better still, drop it off to her place personally because she said that it was the best she'd ever eaten.....

NB - This is a repeat post, just felt it was still so meaningful 

Memories and how food plays a really important part in relationships

Think about it for a moment and you will understand exactly what I mean. Food plays such an important role in every aspect of our life. For instance, if there's a celebration we try to come up with the best or as might be the case, the most appropriate menu for the occasion. Alternately, if someone dies anywhere in the world, the close family and friends organize a 'wake' where good food and drink is served while people gather around in memory of the departed soul. Food is also something that can really taste best when eaten in company. For me, the term 'breaking bread' with someone beautifully depicts a scenario where good food tends to taste even better with good company In fact, I'd go so far as to say that even a pastry and coffee or a croissant and a coffee had with a friend is something that becomes really pleasurable and many a time, truly memorable. Top of my head, I can recall at least ten instances when I've enjoyed the meal/coffee so much more because of the company on a particular day. Shared with family and friends. Then there are some food memories which are very dear to one's heart by virtue of the fact that they centre around the food that either someone cooked for you in a way that was really special or then it could be about a savoury or sweet dish that you cooked for or shared with someone and he/she loved it best just the way you made it.

Which then leads me to a chain of bitter sweet thoughts. For instance, I can never eat sweet rice, or better known in Punjabi as 'Meethe Chawal' without remembering my grand mother in law, 'Beeji'. For Beeji made the best Meethe Chawal in the world as far as I was concerned. And always, always made it for me whenever I asked for it. Never mind that I was a grown up married lady and she was already in her seventies when we first met.. I can also never eat 'Kadhi Pakore and Chawal' ( a yogurt and gram flour based Punjabi dish) without remembering Jairam, my parents' cook for over thirty years who makes the most delicious Kadhi on earth.As also my friend Amrita in Muscat who makes sure she personally delivers a box of her special home made Kadhi to our home whenever she makes it. I can never eat a peppermint without drinking water right after it to check if my mouth really feels cool because that is exactly what my 'long lost and never found again; friend Christine Bose from my school in Calcutta used to do. I can never drink 'Elaichi' ( cardamom ) tea without thinking about my beautiful mother Satinder who I lost recently, because she always drank hers that way.Or dip a Marie biscuit in that same tea without remembering how she only wanted me and not her nurses to help her drink that cup of tea when she was critically ill in the ICU...

I could go on and on but I find that I actually have a pain in my heart remembering some people close to me who are now deceased, so I think I will stop here. But not before I say that what really brought on this chain of thought in the first instance was when I was making Rajma Chawal (a North Indian delicacy made with red kidney beans cooked in thick tomato based gravy) this morning specially for my daughter Neha, when I remembered a friend of mine, Akhila, who passed away in the prime of her life some time bck. For whenever I made 'Rajma' or 'Maa Ki Daal', I would always send her a big bowl, or better still, drop it off to her place personally because she said that it was the best she'd ever eaten.....

The importance of closure, food and an unforgettable lunch at the Bade Bhai Ka Brothers Dhaba, Amritsar

Think about it just for a moment, what does food really mean to you? Is food just nourishment or is it something more? Is food linked with certain people in your life? Is food emotionally charged for you? Does food link you with certain places? And finally, how do you observe meals and meals times in your life? 

The answers to each of these questions may actually surprise you and tell you more about yourself than you possibly realised. I'm now going to tell you a real life incident of what happened some time back when my father's younger sister Rani Luthra passed away.“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust” is a phrase that I’ve often heard, used, and it is also the one which touches a very deep chord in me in any context.But none could be as meaningful and touching as the moments spent when I stood with my family at the banks of the river Beas in Punjab and sent off the ashes of my father’s younger sister, to her final resting place. I was accompanying my father, and Rani Luthra’s family - her husband, her three children and their children who had made this trip all the way from Canada as they wanted to fulfill her last wish - that her ashes be mingled with the waters of the Beas.

The River Beas- Where the ashes were sent off 

Sometimes, it's difficult to put all of one’s emotions into words, but I’m going to try. In the moments that we reached the Beas river after a train journey from New Delhi and opened the casket holding the ashes, her entire family, including myself was weeping unashamedly.There is no way in that moment that one could feel anything else. It was also my first such experience and I felt that this act of immersing the ashes with the river's waters is a very important aspect for closure after losing a dearly loved one.

As I held my cousin Suneet, who had completely broken down, I couldn’t help but think to myself that it was wonderful to be able to have families come together in moments of happiness where one can celebrate, but it's really much more important to come together in moments of grief where one can share the love for that departed person.Even more than that, to share the sorrow that one feels in that aching void that has been left behind. But I’m convinced that time is truly the best healer and with the passage of the next few months, followed by years, the love for our aunt will never fade, but will remain there forever in our hearts and minds, but even more than that, in our souls.

We spent that night at the Radha Swami Satsang at Beas and next morning headed to Amritsar where we planned to visit the Golden Temple as the second part of this journey . Our hearts were heavy and we were all craving the peace that we knew we would get once we entered the hallowed portals of the Golden Temple. Having parked at a designated spot, we had to take cycle rickshaws to reach the Golden Temple. It was a cold, wet and windy February morning and we were shivering as we undertook a cycle ride through the busy and bustling city of Amritsar which I was visiting after a very long time.

A cvcle Rickshaw ride through Amritsar

Making our way to the Golden Temple Amritsar

I could write many pages about the visit to the Golden Temple which I will one day, but for purposes of this blog post it would suffice to say that we all did get that much needed closure that we were looking for and a couple of hours later, we left the venue to make our way back to the city, have a quick lunch before boarding the Shatabdi Express for our trip back to New Delhi railway station.

The Golden Temple Amritsar on a cold, wet, windy and memorable day

Someone had recommended the Bade Bhai Ka Brothers Dhaba very highly, and that was where we soon found ourselves. Must admit, we were all hungry in addition to being cold and rather wet as it rained while we were inside the precincts of the Golden Temple and for those of you who have been there, you would know that the walk around, or the 'Parikrama' as it is known in Punjabi is a long one. 

Entering the Bade Bhai Ka Brothers Dhaba, Amritsar

The Bade Bhai Ka Brothers Dhaba which has been awarded No.1 Dhaba of Amritsar by Dainik Jagran for many years, in the Dhaba and Restaurant category is conveniently located at a prime junction in Amritsar and clearly visible as one returns after a  visit to the Golden Temple from the Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower) side.With most authentic Punjabi food, the Brothers Dhaba specialities are 'sarson ka saag' and 'makke di roti,' 'Amritsari Kulcha and chhole' and a Special Punjabi Thali that includes 'makhani dal' and 'parathas'. In addition, the dhaba also offers a wide range including Chinese, South Indian, Pizza, Burger, Chat, Ice Cream, Sundaes, Shakes etc.

Something told us that we should stay with traditional Punjabi food and we were right. All I can say is that when all of us had finished with that meal, it was almost as if a magic 'food wand' had been waved- one that had taken away our sorrow, fatigue and hunger and replaced with a warm glow- one that made us smile with sheer relief. One more thing, many of us swore that it was one of the best meals we had ever eaten...a wholly vegetarian one at that. 

All Smiles after the lunch- With the  Brothers Dhaba Team and family


There it is then, my real life story on the importance of closure, food and how it impacts every aspect of our lives and an unforgettable visit to the Bade Bhai Ka Brothers Dhaba, Amritsar.

Brand new Waffle Sandwiches, Mousse Glasses and Chocolicious Treats at The Chocolate Room Oman

Any good restaurant is definitely about much more than just the food. It has to have a total package, of which the front house service,  customer care and the efficiency of response to feedback rate very high on my list. For the growing 'chocolate lovers' community in Muscat, there is a great place where one can head to and savour a wide variety of all things 'chocolicious' and definitely meets all the criteria I've just listed. Located in Al Marafah Street, Mirbat Tower in Ghubra, The Chocolate Room which has just celebrated its first anniversary, is  open, airy, well lit with a wide ranging menu for people of all age groups. 

The exciting new range-Chocolate, Nutella  Mousse Glasses, Marshy Berry and Peanut Banana Waffle Sandwiches


We've been there a number of times and enjoyed each of those visits.Last evening we were invited to the Soft Launch of a new range of waffle sandwiches and Mousse Glasses by the Store Manager Jergen Enriqeues and had a really great time trying out the 'chocolicious' range of goodies that were brought out one after the other.

Jergen tells us how these new introductions were created.

Jergen ( who is a trained Barista) and his team went about developing and creating these new dishes in a very patient and methodical way.As he describes it, "the first time creation of the banana peanut waffle sandwich topped by a milk chocolate sauce as well as a delicate cinnamon sauce was good, the second version better and the third version exactly what we were looking for." And take if from me, the version that we ate last evening was absolutely delicious!

The Peanut Butter Banana Waffle Sandwich 
Topped by a milk chocolate sauce and a delicate cinnamon sauce which uplifts it to an entirely different level.

In store decorations marking the one year celebrations

My regular low fat cappuccino- tastes even better than it looks

The Marshy Berry Waffle Sandwich- strawberry, raspberry and a blueberry concoction topped with a delightful marshmallow sauce

The grand finale- Nutella Mousse and an exotic Dark Chocolate Mousse  topped with whipped cream and chocolate chips

It was a really great evening and what we enjoyed most was the understanding of the kind of time, effort, topped by a huge amount of passion and commitment it takes to create highly innovative  potential best sellers

All smiles- Avi and Jergen 

My personal favourite - The Marshy Berry Waffle sandwich

With Valentines Day approaching and a glorious February weekend to boot, I'm positive that the exciting introductions at the Chocolate Room Oman are all set to  delight young and old alike.  And before I close, I'd like to congratulate Team Chocolate Room for the hard work, team effort, enthusiasm and culinary passion that have helped the outlet grow by leaps and bounds in the very first year of its operations in Muscat.

'Luquaimat' and Tea. What I learnt about this traditional Omani sweet at Muscat Festival 2015

Luqaimat  is a well-known Arab dessert and a 'must have' in Arab homes for Iftar. Also known as a crunchy sweet dumpling, it varies from country to country and I had a wonderful opportunity to see it being made 'up close and personal' at Muscat Festival 2015 last Thursday.  

My 'Golden bowl of delights' Luquaimat, accompanied by a delicious cardamom tea.

Halfway through my visit to Muscat Festival 2015, I found myself feeling slightly peckish and the need for a cup of tea was very strong. Heading towards the food stalls, I was wondering exactly what I should have when I heard someone calling out to me. It turned out to be the heroine of today's story, Fathiya, a 43 year old from Rustaq who showed me exactly how it was made, patiently answered all my queries and best of all, allowed me to photograph her at each stage. 

Fathiya putting the dumplings into hot oil

"See they are turning golden  in colour"- she tells me

Moved to a draining bowl and left for a few minutes

 What I learnt from Fathiya however was that the dumpling itself was not sweet but the syrup that is poured over it is what gives it that sweet taste.

Moving to the sit down area, I sat and enjoyed my teatime treats and moved on...refreshed and thoroughly rejuvenated!

For those of you who might be interested in trying it out, I have located a variation of the basic recipe that uses condensed milk at the last stage. In my opinion that really makes it even more delicious. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp of sugar
• 3/4 – 1 cup of water
• Condensed milk
• Oil to taste

Method

• Mix the all purpose flour, corn flour, yeast and sugar in a bowl.
• Gradually add the water and keep on mixing until  you get a smooth batter. It should be in dripping consistency( not too watery or too thick)
• Cover the batter for 1 or 2 hours until the batter has doubled. The batter now should have bubbles and look somewhat bouncy.
• Heat oil in a wok. Scoop a small amount of batter with your fingers and drop them into the hot oil 
• Fry till they turn golden brown. Remove from oil, and place them on kitchen paper.
• Pour condensed milk or your favorite syrup on top.

Sit back with friends and enjoy with a hot cup of tea, coffee or better still, on their own.

A Piece of Vienna- Sacher Torte and Coffee with Mozart at the iconic Landtmann Cafe

No trip to Vienna can be complete without trying out the famed  'Sacher torte' and we certainly couldn't be the exceptions. 

The Sacher-Torte has been the most famous cake in the world since 1832 and the original recipe remains a well-kept secret. The basis of this uniquely fabulous confection is a chocolate cake, thinly coated by hand with best-quality apricot jam. The chocolate icing on top of it is the crowning glory. It tastes best with a portion of unsweetened whipped cream.

Cafe Sacher, a landmark in Vienna

There is a very interesting story about the origins of the Sacher Torte. In 1832, Prince Wenzel von Metternich charged his personal chef with creating a special dessert for several important guests. The head chef, having taken ill, let the task fall to his sixteen-year-old apprentice, Franz Sacher, then in his second year of training in Metternich's kitchen. The Prince is reported to have declared, "Let there be no shame on me tonight." 

While the torte created by Sacher on this occasion is said to have delighted Metternich's guests, the dessert received no immediate further attention. Sacher completed his training as a chef and afterward spent time in Pressburg and Budapest, ultimately settling in his hometown of Vienna where he opened a specialty delicatessen and wine shop. Sacher's eldest son Eduard carried on his father's culinary legacy, completing his own training in Vienna with the Royal and Imperial Pastry Chef at the Demel bakery and chocolatier, during which time he perfected his father's recipe and developed the torte into its current form. 

You can easily understand the relevance of this torte when I tell you that 5th December is National Sacher torte Day in Austria.

 

 The Display insidethe Landtmann Cafe

One late, very cold evening after a show at the Opera House, we decided to take a chance and try out the Landtmann Cafe, which we had heard so much about. This cafe was founded in 1873 on October 1st when Franz Landtmann opened Vienna’s most elegant Café.

This legendary Café has been and continues to be one of the most popular in Vienna with regulars such as: Peter Altenberg, Sigmund Freud, Gustav Mahler, Max Reinhardt, Marlene Dietrich, Romy Schneider, Burt Lancaster, Hans Moser, the Dutch Queen Juliane, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sir Paul Mc Cartney, among many others.

The lovely Menu

Even better from Inside   

As it happened, we were in for an initial disappointment as the waiter informed us that the Sacher torte selection for the day was over. Then looking at the very obvious dismay on our faces, added that there was a very wide selection of other cakes that we could choose from.

 Which is exactly what we did!

Late night coffee and cakes 

My order- A Mozart Torte and a Melange cappuccino

Coffee and chocolate cake for Avi 

It was absolutely delightful- sitting in that wonderful restaurant which has seen artists,musicians, and celebrities from all walks of life walking in through its doors and making a morning, or as the case might be, an evening of it. 

The Logo is unmistakable- after all we are in the city of the greatest music composer of all time, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

As to our share of the Sacher Torte, the most amazing coincidence was that we found it served up in our Breakfast Buffet at the  Hotel Maria Theresa the very next morning!

An exciting Chocolate Fondue Demonstration and High Tea at the Al Bustan Ritz Carlton, Muscat

Just yesterday I came across this great little post on a site called 'Thought Catalogue'.  It was aptly titled '15 things we should stop making a big deal about'.  Something about it struck a deep chord and made me re-read it to understand the real essence of what was  being said. I'm quoting two of the most meaningful lines here "Ordering dessert when you really want dessert. Or that you want to finish all of your dessert, or that you cleared your plate because you were hungry..Life should be a balance between things that are good for you, and things that you genuinely enjoy, and you shouldn’t feel the need to excuse yourself or make a light joke about being “bad.”

Then this morning I went into the Al Bustan Ritz Carlton Hotel in Muscat for a Chocolate Fondue demonstration followed by High tea and these lines seemed perfect!  Life really has to be a balance and I know I will always keep it that way.There will have to be a time to write, a time to click photographs, go out, spend quality time with family and do that little bit for people who need it.

The Al Bustan Ritz Carlton, Muscat

For all the ladies present, the highlight of the morning was the Chocolate Fondue demonstration set up by Executive Chef Jergen Sodemann and his two young assistants Kevin and Julia who took us through the short and sweet steps involved in making three kinds of chocolate fondue.

Executive Chef Jergen Sodemann shows us the superb Ritz Carlton Chocolate cake which we then got to eat- It was in a word, superb!

Kevin then started the demonstration by showing us these  bags of fabulous chocolate ( of course, we all got to eat the chocolate). The three types of chocolate fondue that we were privileged to watch were the Manjari, Tanariva and the Dulcey chocolate fondues.

Bags of the best quality chocolate used to make the chocolate fondue

Adding the  cream and glucose 

For those of you who are interested in trying it out, here is the highly acclaimed original Ritz Carlton recipe for the Manjari ( Dark) Chocolate Fondue

Boil cream and glucose together.

Pour over the dark chocolate . 

Start using a spatula to create an emulsion.

Keep aside

Vacuum into a bag and preserve in chiller for a week

Ready to serve with these mouthwatering options

The taste of the pudding is really in the eating!

The fabulous High tea that followed

Did that make us feel really happy? I'd say Yes. So would the fifty other ladies who joined us for the event.And before closing, I will share my favourite quote on chocolate by Dave Barry."My therapist told me the way to achieve inner happiness was to finish what I start. So today I have finished two bags of M and Ms and chocolate cake. I feel better already!"