Odorless and Healthy

Yeah so it’s this lazy afternoon in my lab and just had a plateful of Kung Pao chicken at the famous Chinese Star just across UoH campus. Am back the lab and thinking of working on my research paper, but somehow it doesn’t seem to be a good idea with a burping stomach. Since I have taken up blogging, I thought it would be better to blog than sleep. So here goes yet another stream of 1’s n 0’s in cyber space.

Omlette is my all-time favorite. Especially when seasoned with green chilies, onions, tomatoes and cilantro and served at morning with lightly toasted bread and hot cup of tea. That’s the perfect one for me. Recently (last 2 years) I have had a gamut of omlettes at IHOP, Denny’s and, Dots Café. The way they cook an omlette differs from the way I like it in the sense that, they add the seasoning ON the omlette and I like it IN the omlette. Essentially I like it mixed with the white and yolk!

Making an omlette can be nasty right from the start. That’s what I don’t like about it; the burnt smell of oil leftover from an omlette. So the aim was to avoid that stink and yet satisfy my craving. A little googling helped and found a recipe for an Odorless Omlette (those were not my keywords.. but you can try…) It is not at all rocket science. Ingredients remain the same as for a normal omlette. Still here is a suggested list of ingredients:

1. Eggs
2. Tomatoes
3. Onions
4. Cilantro
5. Green Chili
6. Salt ( pepper and red chili if you wish )
7. Salsa (it’s a nice variation)

Beat the eggs nicely to get that froth and then add finely chopped seasoning to it. Follow it up with little bit of salt. I generally don’t try to taste it, at this point as it stinks and with omlettes I can always add things ON it. Beat it again to mix things properly. Now here is the trick. Besides the items listed above you will need the following.

1. Large vessel
2. Ziplock bags/pouches
3. 3-4 cups water

Put the "egg-beat-mix" above in one of the ziplock pouches. Make it airtight by squeezing out all air from the bag. Zip it off and roll it to form a cylindrical (or oval or whatever shape!!!) bag with omlette stuff in it. Make 3-4 such pouches. Bring water to boiling point in the large vessel and drop these packets in the boiling water. DO NOT worry! Plastic wont melt or burn! Somehow it floats in the water. Let it (omlette not the plastic!) cook for some time. You can sense it when it’s done. Remove the bags using spatula or a spoon with a broader tongue/mouth. Open up the ziplock and lo! The omlette will slide off with ease. No hassles whatsoever, no odor whatsoever and not much to clean up. Let me warn you this is a healthy/quick recipe with minimum efforts before and after eating. I do not have photos of this one, but next time I cook this one, will definitely put up some pics! This is a very renowned recipe and has lots of literature on the internet.

Simple n Savory

One of my friends suggested me to watch the movie, “Julie and Julia”. It was a nice one time watch. The movie was all about cooking but yet, not just cooking. Anyways, this is not a review article but a tasty and crispy recipe with a different approach! So, am watching this movie where the protagonist and her hubby are having dinner. What catches my eye is a small slice of bread with some colorful edible pieces on it. The protagonist was shown shallow-frying the bread slices. Well that was a clue, good enough I say!

The first thing was to get the right bread, the slice of which could resemble what I had seen. So the search began. Fortunately for me, I found a baguette (French bread stick). I guess any other bread should be fine. But this one makes it more presentable. With the baguette in the bag, the next issue was the “colorful edible pieces”. I had no clue what it was in the movie. Oh yes! I didn’t even know if that was meant to be an appetizer or a desert. So it was upto me, to make it up.

I love such freedom in cooking. Somehow, I feel, cooking is an expression… expression of thoughts, feelings and freedom! Many a times cooking has helped me discard a bundle of sorrow, frustration and all not so good feelings. The aroma of food, the thought process in answering the question “What to cook?” and also the internal brainstorming for ingredients is simply amazing. I love to experiment with food. For me there are no defined rules for cooking or selection of ingredients. It’s a symphony of the spices and the base ingredient (BI). The BI by itself may not be the right note, but with the right amount of the right spice (condiment) it strikes a purrrfectt chord! At the end of the day, “good food” is all about being primarily edible, then palatable and at its best, presentable. To top it off, good food accompanied with good music (acchhaa khaanaa aur gaanaa) is bliss!

So to tackle the issue of “colorful edible pieces” I deployed green pepper (capsicum), tomatoes, and onions.All were finely and uniformly cut, so as to form small cubes. A perfect sauté (shallow fry for less than 2 minutes or stir fry) with red chilli powder, salt, and a pinch of chaat masala or sandwich masala gave me what I was searching for… the mysterious “colorful edible pieces”. Once that was done I sliced the baguette in small oval discs about 1.5 cm thick and then smeared both its sides with a small quantity of butter. Butter has a taste of its own. The health freaks frown at it, but a connoisseur knows that it’s the crown jewel of any cuisine (fact corroborated even in Julie and Julia :) ) ! As soon as the buttering was done, those slices were slid down a shallow pan with just 2 tea-spoons of oil for 5 slices of baguette. The shallow fry in oil and butter gave it a golden brown color to the slices. Not letting it char was the key!!

Once the slices are ready, put the “colorful edible pieces” (about a spoonful for one slice). I then garnished it with finely chopped cilantro (coriander). A presentable appetizer was ready in about 30 minutes (from cutting to frying and serving).

The Loved Ones

Yeah… long time since the last blog! Writing entices me back to blogging. Anyways… for the MTv roadie fans, Roadie 7 is on. Today I was watching the Mumbai auditions and was moved by one of the contestant’s statement. She was asked by the panel “What do you miss the most about your (late) mother?” I was taken aback by her answer. She replied “At dinner time mom would plead us to have some food at-least a hundred times. She would even scold us for that. Now that she is not with us, there is silence at the table.”

I was moved not because she was missing her demised mother or that sympathy overtook me. It just shows our nature and our perspective towards Relations that we cherish. That brings me to a very fundamental question: What is a Relation? Or precisely how do we define a Relationship? Some of the common answers that we might hear are: Well.. we are born in the same family (parents, siblings, distant cousins etc)Friends Colleagues
Oh well and there are the degrees of closeness associated with the above terminologies. So ultimately what is a Relation? I feel the above are just means to classify a broader set of Relations. For eg: We call “parents” as friends at times. Sometimes (or most of the times) our “friends” turn into advisors and friends turn into many “other” Relations too… So ultimately the terms are a mere indication of closeness of a person. But still, what is a Relation or what is closeness? Can we understand it quantitatively or qualitatively? I personally think, not quantitatively but definitely qualitatively. A Relation to me is how we perceive the person in front of me and of the person I picture in my brain in the absence of that person. For eg: I may dislike a person standing right in front of me, but at the same time might give up anything, to spend a moment with a person who has long ceased. So, loosely, a Relation is not physical but it’s more or a lot more beyond the 5 basic senses (and the 5 additional senses) of us humans. The senses are nothing but a channel or a prop to “improve” a “Relationship”. Some might argue that the paragraph leaves no room for defining a Relation then. Well I think that’s not true. Look at these links and ponder. (Link 1 & Link 2)

As is questioned in the revered scriptures of Sanatana Dharma (and others too, of which I am not aware!) “Who am I?” Implied in the question is, “I” am different from “myself”. “Myself” probably being the body, which in essence is the beneficiary of those 10 senses and “I” most likely being the soul or the inner-self. So with the premise that each being has a soul and a body, I make a bold claim that a Relation is between “souls”. The moment a soul perceives “something” nice in the other, a Relation is stitched. I feel that the fabric of Relation is sort of hazy and vaguely defined and probably that is the beauty of any Relation. With such vagueness come undefined and unreasonable expectations. Had the Relation been defined in binary logic, that followed by the computer’s soul, probably we wouldn’t have had conflicts in our personal lives. If you or I observe keenly, most of our sorrows come from the people we care the most or love the most. We under the pretext of knowing a person assume and expect a certain course of actions and responses from the Loved one and any deviation from it considered a not-so-good gesture. Let’s not forget that its soul we’ve bonded with and souls are imperfect. Besides that every soul will be bonded to many other souls too so there is always a push-pull effect on us. Let it exist as that is the beauty of a relation. Next time “aai-baba” (mom-dad) scold me for not sleeping on time I will simply say “I love you aai-baba. You are my loved ones!!” Warning for all my freaky friends…. Don’t try my patience… @#%* the soul.. I will make your lives miserable…. Cheers chicas!

Rendezvous with Mumbai

The young and exuberant yellow-blue clad staff stood at the doors of that huge monster and was jubilant at my arrival. They cheered me with “Welcome… Welcome….!!”. Yes, I was responsible for delaying a Jet Airways flight on the ever busy Heathrow airport.

I don’t remember the exact date of this event but, sure enough, I was heading to India after almost a year and a half. Well, for many this might not be a long duration but for me personally it was just getting overboard and had to make this trip. I had a simple itinerary, Houston-Heathrow-Mumbai, with a layover of 90 minutes at Heathrow. From Houston it was United Airlines that bore my weight and from Heathrow I would be in the custody of Jet Airways.

Everything was going per plan. I had 2 bags that were checked in and one carry bag. Besides that I was carrying a laptop bag with only a laptop and it’s charger in it! I bid goodbye to roommates, to the fella who dropped me at IAH and finally with the engines roaring it was time to “¡hasta luego!” Houston. The flight took off bang on time and the journey to Heathrow was absolutely pleasant without the slightest chassis vibration.

Good morrrrrrninggggggggg Heathroww….!!! Least did I know that this was just the beginning of a thrilling 90 minutes. I got off the UA flight and walked through the gangway into the hustling Heathrow airport. For a moment I thought that this was not Heathrow, probably I have landed in Bhatinda….!! It was around 7 am in the morning and had a connecting flight at 8.30 to Mumbai. I walked per directions towards the gate of departure and had to stand in queue for the regular security check. Suddenly a heavy British accent caught my attention and this Caucasian asked me, “Sir, is there anyone else with you? ” I said no, as I was travelling alone. He jolted me saying, “I am sorry sir, you may not carry 2 bags on board!!” I was like “You must be kidding me.. where do you see the second bag?”. He told me that I could carry either the “carry-on” bag or the laptop back-pack. I said, US port of authority and United Airlines had no issues with this, so why is London making a fuss out of nothing? By this point both of us were frustrated and I had to bow down for the sake of LAW (did not have time to argue on racial grounds…. J )

He then suggested that I walk down the hallway to yet another officer who would grant (or may not grant) me the permission to take this bag on! It was about 7.15 am. I walked down the hallway to this huge hall where there were multiple huge queues. I approached a tall lady of Indian origin who spoke fluent English with a Punjabi accent. She pointed at a queue and asked me to wait for my turn. I was getting impatient and frustrated all the more.

It was my turn to explain the situation to the officer behind that small desk. It turned out that he was least interested in what I was saying probably because employees at Heathrow have to pay for their breakfast. This sucker was so slow in asking and responding that I could have had my breakfast and gone to bed having a heavy dinner. After about 15 minutes he tells me that this is the wrong place to settle this issue and I should be talking to the Jet Airways personnel who would be at the baggage belt checking in baggage.

This is about 7.40 and I have to run a cross country across the airport to reach the baggage check in area. Now I am having a laptop backpack and a carry-bag that weighs around 22 pounds (18 Kgs) and am running all over the airport. Totally exhausted my body nutrients are depleting. At around 7.55 am I reach the check in area only to realize that the check in counter was closed. Check in closes 30 minutes prior to take off.

I am shell shocked and run frantically to a security officer and he directs me to a Jet kiosk. A young lady speaking fluent English with a Gujrati accent greets me and I tell her the story. She drops “fat-man” on my saying “Yes sir that’s correct! We cannot allow you to carry 2 bags on board!” Here is the dialogue between the 2 of us:

She : Yes sir, that’s correct! We cannot allow you to carry 2 bags on board

Me : Then what’s the other option?

She : Sir we can put you on the next flight to Mumbai.

Me : Alright, when is the next flight?

She : Tomorrow morning sir!

Me : Whaaaaattttttttttt!!!!!!!!! What do I do till then?

She : Sir you will have to stay over here.

Me : What do you mean by here and who will take care of the expenses?

She : Sir you will have to bear your expenses and you cannot leave the airport premises as you do not have a transit visa.

Me : Ok. So you are telling me that some airline could not transfer correct information and I am being forced to stay over on this airport over night fending for myself? There should be some other carrier flying to Mumbai or anywhere in India in the next few hours. Put me on one of ‘em. Lady, I have waited one and half years to see this day, and I will not let it go just because some airline failed to convey this information.

She : I am sorry sir but there is little I can do. That is the restriction due to weight restrictions on the flight.

Me : So now you are trying to tell me that a Boeing 747 cannot carry addition 18 Kgs on a flight which is not at all booked and is going empty?

She : Let me see what I can do sir.

She then picks up the phone and calls up someone; it is about 8.15 am by now and I am all the more frantic!

She : Sir if you will please take you bag and drop it in that steel frame across the hallway, I can allow you to take it on board.

Me : Alright…

I go over and simply dump the bag into the framework and look at her with agony and anger!

She : Alright sir. Let me see what I can do.

Apparently she calls up the personnel boarding passengers by the flight. Some discussion follows. It is about 8.20 am now. She hangs up the phone.

She : Sir, I think we can put you on this flight. Please wait here for some time.

As I wait a Caucasian male runs in with some kind of barcode reader. He ties one bar-coded strip to my “convicted bag” and one to the laptop backpack. He then reads the code from the strip on the convicted bag and then turns to me.

He : Sir, I will take this bag and have it checked-in with the flight directly. A staff will be here in a moment and will escort you for boarding.

I was plain elated. Din’t know how to react. I wanted to hug that lady and thank her for life. But, couldn’t do it….. she was seated behind a desk. I asked her for her email and promptly sent a “thank-you” note on reaching home. Just when the Caucasian male staff finished his sentence a male of Indian origin came running from nowhere and almost dragged me… his training forced him to be courteous!!! We just started running across the airport towards the boarding gate. On the way I could see a huge “zig-zaggy” line to the security check area. But this fella was in no mood of waiting and pulled out all the separating belts and I was placed at no.1 for the check. His walkie-talkie buzzed when we were almost done.

He : We are almost done. How much time do we have? …. Ok.

Me : What did they (by now I knew who “they” were) say?

He : We have 10 minutes to reach the gates.

Me : What if we don’t make it?

He : They leave!!

Me : No way.. not at this point!!

We are done with the check and again resume our cross country. I really felt like I was in front of an x-box maneuvering a road-roller (yeah.. right !! I had grown into a bulky mass then!!! ) and dodging the passer-by’s. As we reached mid-way a lady staff came panting and yelled..

Lady : Are you Mr. Shete?

Me : Yes that’s me.

Lady : Please follow me sir.

And she started running as if taking the baton from the male who had accompanied me so far and as if it was forbidden for him to cross over that point. I think I was emotionless then as I cannot remember what I was going through at that time. Suddenly she comes to screeching halt and asks me to board one of those vehicles they have on airports to carry seniors or physically challenged. They driver turns on the beeper and the entire hallway resounds with the siren. People make way for ME!! Within seconds we are right by the boarding gate.

As I reach for my ticket. The lady there tells me that they have done the necessary things and hands me the boarding pass stub and suggests that I hop on! As I enter the plane the crew is all gathered by the door and welcome me like a victor. That moment, I remember vividly… It was plain joy and I was filled with immense pride for pulling out this one and wonder how I could sustain such action! Once on board I realize that my energy levels have depleted and I need something to rejuvenate. Come in a vodka and sprite and am on my way cruising to Amcheee Mumbaiiiiii !!!

In the honor of the men and women who made it a memorable evening!

Un Humilde Comienzo, Un Magnífico Acabado!!

He called them on stage and some 500 odd joined their hands to honor the efforts of these good fellas! It was the final moment on 3^rd April, 2009 whenThe President-GISO,delivered the vote of thanks, closing Maitri 2009formally.

The evening was packed with total entertainment. Performances brought back retro-memories, portrayed the finesse of the modern, and flaunted the grace-gait of the otherwise academic human. While melodious rhythms spanned the auditorium, the elegance of kids had the audience in awe! As the people thought about dinner they were served food-for-thought by the organizers. The event unfolded gradually and all were glued to their chairs. The chief guest decided to put his phone on hold and wait an hour beyond his commitment. The Khators, opined that, this was no less than any other professional event on the block. Simply put, if you missed this… you’ve missed something.  Un impresionante evento..!!

Why am I all praise for this… am I biased? I am not… what I saw, I am writing! (Don’t crib about the grammar.. get the idea… don’t go guessing my grades in school… !).  Yeah, some say that a lot of improvements are needed. Some dances were not upto the mark, some songs were out of tune, the lights were on during animation, fashion show lost sync at one instance, they could have got a better script for the skit, the MC’s were not confident blah blah blah……. Ok… give em a break!!! These are a bunch of students who have sacrificed a lot, put a lot at stake and yes, don’t forget the ever demanding professors with their home-works and exams. By the way,these fellas are few thousand miles away from their comfort zones and with minimum resources, with little or no knowledge where to find those! In such hostile conditions and at such low cost, they provide a total fun filled, for-family, entertainment package with dinner… dare we criticize?

To put up an apparently flawless event of three hours it takes atleast couple of months of planning, tremendous practices (improvisations…!) and debates. The entire process revolves around eliminating and weeding out the deficiencies. It is a grueling task since there are few dozen people involved. The complexity lies not in the gigantic proportions of the task, but the nature of the task itself. There are multi-thronged issues like, multiple -participation due to over enthusiasm, different time commitments of individuals at different times, availability of participants, place and props and funds for those. The list just goes on. It’s the committee that has to deal with it and without letting it percolate to the participants who work religiously towards the goal.

To add to all this potpourri of issues is the fact that the organization is voluntary by nature and no one “has” to do anything. It’s the passion to do what needs to be done or the passion to excel that fuels the volunteers. Amazing things happen when this passion is at its peak. The mind stretches beyond its limits to find simple solutions to almost any problem. Some classics were seen this time too. Sand animation needed sand. Galveston grounds offered plenty and plenty was brought. No one gave a thought that it would be damp then. On the first day of practice, the sand didn’t move an inch, leave alone drawing a sketch. The VP- Finance decides to use a microwave at around 1 am somewhere in the school. On the day of the event, while two over-head-projectors were required, only one was available! Some bright mind thought of using a flexible lamp and the day was saved. A well trained couple decides to walk off the ramp for reasons best known to them. Hours of practice helps the other couples to follow them as if it were a part of the fashion show! It’s just amazing to see people being innovative and doing things impromptu.

What seems to be an awesome event to the audience is slightly less than what the performers are actually capable of putting up. If ever their best is to be seen, it is the practice before the event day. All is at stake, there is no audience pressure but the pressure of a performance is enough to bring out the best without messing around. All these efforts, stress, sacrifice and endurance culminate in an eventful evening like that of Maitri 2009 on the 3^rd of April, 2009. Every year, for those who have been around long enough to see a change, there is something new, something better and it’s a sight to enjoy! A lot more can be written but its 2 am and I need to let the eyes drop down else it will be yet another lecture lost ‘morrow!