Pinku-Enchanted Life

Two years ago we were invited to a 2 year olds birthday party at home. We went with our own totally excited toddler to whom the high point of a birthday was the cake and balloons expecting to share a few words with adults over the head of shouting kids and  generally being happy watching the kids interact.  To our delight the gathering was a small one which meant the din was reasonable and some conversation possible.  Post the cake cutting and settling down of the kids the host said let me treat you to something special and brought out a hunk of roasted pork. It glistened with fat the way only pork can and the aroma was amazing. I had a forkful and I was entrapped in its magic. The dish got over in no time and I didn't get the oppurtunity to linger over it longer. Though the intention was to return to the dish at the earliest possible two years and more passed before I could again taste it. The wait was well worth it cause this time it was cooked in my own home and apart ...

The past saturday found us excitedly heading towards Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium to attend the Street food festival being organised there by NASVI . Last year I had heard a lot of good things about this festival and also read up a two page write up in Brunch by Vir Sanghvi which left me salivating for these treats from the streets. So off we went, the hubby, kid and me to check out the fare at the JLN Stadium grounds. Post working out the parking format (essentially about getting your car to climb the pavement and sitting there) we walked up to the gate, paid the entry fee of Rs. 50/- per head and were all set to explore. We decided to take a quick round of the place before choosing the stuff we would like to eat. Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam we looked at before settling for a Chicken 65 at the Karnataka stall.  A big chicken leg wrapped in a spicy batter and deep fried till the outer layer is crisp, the inner layer is cooked and yet the juices have been left intact is what we got on our ...

Christmas for me is incomplete without some serious plum cake eating. Since for the past year or so I have been baking with a vengeance I thought this year the Plum cake too should be home baked.  Research on the hows, do's and dont's took me through various books, blog posts and videos and I finally figured out a recipe that I was reasonably sure would work for me and was close to the taste and texture I had in mind. To me a good plum cake is a dark, well baked almost over baked, moist, filled with dry fruits kind of cake which is rich in spices and has a distinct aroma. Sharing herewith the recipe. Do give it a try and let me know how it goes: Ingredients: To Soak the Fruits ( do this atleast 4 weeks before you expect to bake. Remember to stir it atleast twice every week) 2 cups - chopped dry fruits - include all that you like. and then some. Add lemon and orange peels if you can, they add a lovely fragrance 1 1/2 - cups liquor - I used dark Rum, you can choose to use red wi...

Today is the Persian New Year so Navroz Mubaarak. As I sit in office reading up about all sorts of Parsi delicacies being made and had on my FB timeline while my lunch of bhindi and roti awaits I end up writing this post to mitigate my food pangs somewhat. There is no other way to keep away from it all you see. The kids at the flag hoisting earlier in the day This independence day we visited a small little restaurant in the quaint streets on Hauz Khas village a place which holds a lot of happy memories for us. We planned an evening with friends whose daughter is part of all family portraits my 3 year old draws. So the six of us set out for the Hauz Khas village from our far away village of Dwarka. The idea was to explore the neighboring Deer park and then go on to Faarsi which was our target for the evening. The girls were super excited and created quite a commotion at the back of the Scorpio while we adults tried to have snatches of conversation between telling them to pipe down. Wel...

There are highly promoted eateries at flashy destinations where on a weekend you are sure to spot a few known faces as well. The food there is good, so is the ambience and décor. You come away feeling 'arrived'. And then there are small little places with ho hum furniture, clean but not fancy crockery and an old friend’s home sort of ambience. Typically it would have a restricted menu, no alcohol, no nonsense owners and a small but loyal and frequent clientele. These are places you will frequent again and again to savor that unnamed pleasure of eating a good meal in peace without having to dress up for the occasion and remembering to not slouch over your plate while you try to lick up the last bit. One such place on my list has been Bernado’s the little Goan restaurant in Gurgaon which everyone from tripadvisor to zomato will tell you is a must visit and which over the years has shifted location many a time. With the faithful always sniffing them out and walking in for yet anot...

Some places you visit and then yearn to go back to. Some places your friends in distant cities visit often, swear by and you keep oscillating between what the fuss is all about and wanting to go and check it out for yourself. Lings in Bombay which Knife from Finely Chopped visits quite often has been one such place for me. Since I live in Delhi this has not been an easy thing to accomplish then last year Knife came to Delhi NCR stayed for a few days and reviewed Canton Spice a restaurant at Cyber Hub which happens to be run by the Ling family. This had me excited, now was my chance to try out the Chinese food I have been swooning over long distance. One thing or the other prevented my visiting Canton Spice till the past Monday when I finally got a chance to walk in with a few friends for a on-a-whim dinner plan. The place had a pleasant ambience and it was very non chinese in its décor. What I mean is it didn’t  have red, dragons or frilly lamps. What it did have was a comfortabl...