Certified crazy

In the Kitchen, ofcourse!

Last few weeks, I have been either busy with work, or cooking in the kitchen, and trying out new things. Among the recent experiments during the past two weeks are:

• Cheese and Macaroni (and veggies!)
• Strawberry tartelettes
• Stuffed colorful bell peppers
• fleur de courgette (zucchini flowers)

I decided to go to the marché provençal in Antibes to do the regular fresh vegetable shopping instead of the normal weekend trip to the Carrefour supermarket. It was a refreshing change – seemed like I am back in the bhaji market of Malad (w) with Maa – only all the haggling was in french

I first tasted the fleur de courgette at a french home last week – I became instant fan of the dish and tried to reverse engineer the dish – almost there, but something is still missing. This doesnt let me down – I am going to try again next Sunday and see if I can remake it the way I first tasted it.

May be, inspired by Runa’s cooking blog, I should start my own instead of twitpic-ing the pictures? Let us see.

Another update on life. Random points jotted down at various points in time.

• Its a bad idea to try to open the door with the same hand as the one that holds an egg or more.
• Always, always, always keep a scarf handy. Especially in Paris. You never know when it starts to get real cold.
• Try and have an extra bath the evening before an important event. If Murphy strikes, the chauffage will go dead the morning you have the important event. And deo or parfum (more than normal) makes it obvious that you have skipped the bath.
• Buy croissants between 8 and 10 am. Most bakeries make them fresh around that time. You can not miss the smell of the butter anyway.
• Dinners have turned into a snack + dessert thing for me these days. Oh I so detest getting used to new electric plates for cooking. Food ends up raw or overcooked.
• eePhone has helped keep up with tweets. I also have tried that thing called twitpic.
• It is also a bad idea to try and tear off a piece of kitchen tissue from a kitchen roll when you have an egg in the same hand.
• A few months ago, my kitchen saw me baking more often. There are yet a few dishes that I would like to try before I leave France. Time will tell.
• I have fallen in love with the butter that you get at Pascal Beillevaire. Démi sel, croquante. And it shows.
• It is better to travel alone than with company that you will probably feel uncomfortable with, later.
• Do not try lenses if your eyes are on the dry side. (That is when you use too much of computers and too less of your brain.)
• DO NOT EAT ANYTHING OUTSIDE YOUR OWN KITCHEN 3 DAYS BEFORE YOU HAVE TO MAKE A LONG JOURNEY. No matter what. Even if you do not get to eat Paneer or Pani Puri for a long time to come. That includes dabheli, sev puri, bhel and dahi puri too. And dosa. And Kulfi. I ended up taking 3 injections within 26 hours. The last one 3 hours before my flight.
• It is a bad idea to read food blogs when you are hungry. And especially when you do not have quick access to good food.
• Its a pleasant surprise to listen to a French or a Spanish guy to say a few words in Hindi now and then.
• Letting go one hour of chatting with friends per day gives you more time to spend on other things in life. Try it. And besides sending and receiving a personal email is always such a good feeling.
• Himesh Reshammia and his songs are funny. No matter if he changes his hair style or his singing style.
• Either plan your travels very well or dont plan them at all.

I hope I put up more of these notes. More for my reference than for that of others.