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I eat through my eyes,

Quench through my nostrils

It is savoured even before it is tucked in,

For it is in its colours and  smell that you feast in!

Yes I am talking about FOOD. I remember as kids what mattered the most was the presentation. Food had to be colourful and very well exhibited so that it was appealing to the human senses. For the creator it was the process that mattered. In today’s fast world where time is precious you would want to go for a easy, healthy and friendly lifestyle. Recently I had visited my friend’s place for dinner and she was in the midst of all the hullabaloo. I had imagined the kitchen would be a mess with dear pal at wits end.

But I was completely wrong. She was very relaxed and ensured I had the best drink in hand to refresh from the tryst of the hot sun. Summer was at its peak and so were the watermelons. The Borosil Vision Glass with the red, ravishing  juicy drink and some chunks of the fleshy fruit swimming through it parched my soul. I held it in the light and found the bubbles sparkling and giving it a perfect hue. I perched myself on the dining chair and laid my eyes on the table.

I could see the Borosil variety platter square right in the middle with a wide array of food. It was arresting, for I couldn’t get my eyes off it. A plethora of chaat items was set for the guests. I looked like a cat about to have its bowl of milk. I felt ashamed at my audacity but couldn’t restrain myself from giving it multiple fleeting glances. Yellow circles adorned the plate like the discs of the sun and they had the most colourful topping on them. A perfect dose of sev on the crushed boiled potatoes with a little bit of greenery brought in by the coriander leaves. The mounds were a mouthful and they had the slight tinge of red and black flakes of the chaat masala. Few had the pure white amalgamation of the curd and the brown tamarind sauce. They seemed to do a perfect salsa together. How I longed for them, they would go well with the cooler in hand.

My friend figured my temptation and very politely asked me to check if the chaats tasted good or needed any alterations. I obliged to her demands by carefully picking up the mound in between my fingers and in one stroke pushed the towering snack into my mouth. I looked like a distant cousin of my ancient ancestors and played around with the pabulum using my tongue. It exploded into my palate to give a crunchy, tangy sensation with a perfect hint of fieriness.  She got a peck on her cheek after this lip smacking exercise.

I finished my drink and stood beside my friend to check if she needed any help. She stood in front of the stove with a perfect demeanour and held no trace of weariness. I wondered how on earth could this be possible? Not that she is the impatient sort but then when you have to cook at a bigger scale you naturally get rumpled and uneasy. On imploring she replied ” Rathina when you have something that is reliable, dependable and trustworthy in terms of quality, time then you needn’t worry about anything. Things go as per plan and you just go with the flow. Performance shouldn’t nag you”. I pushed her further to explain in detail when she gave away with her secret mantra.

It was Borosil that did all the magic. Microwave friendly, easy to serve and clean, cook and serve and last but not the least it is extremely safe. Unlike other metals or plastic it doesn’t affect the food and release chemicals. Healthy and Friendly Borosil had made her life easy. She could cook and serve in the same glassware. I was surprised how could that ever be possible? Glass item wouldn’t it crack when placed on a stove? She smiled at me and exclaimed, “Wait and watch!” The veggies had been beautifully cut.

Long and slender like a swan’s neck, ooh so very french were the beans;

Off white flowers they call cauliflower and the round so ever peas 

Bright and orange like the spring’s cover were the diced carrots;

Like the pink blossoms in bloom, the glow of onions,

They tossed and played around in the pot

In a very short time she had managed to prepare vegetable biryani. When she opened the glassware the aroma wafted around the house perfectly balanced with the spices, rice and veggies.  It was a riot of colours and seemed as if all the colours of the rainbow had landed into the glassware. I could notice the distinct layers of rice and vegetables. I remembered my aunt’s dum biryani and one look at the no mess kitchen top stated that you could attain the traditional taste, perfection with the beauty of Borosil. I noticed the Borosil Tea Light cast its shadows across the dining area. Dinner was a feast for the eyes and a celebration for the breadbasket.

But I wasn’t yet done, the final show-stopper for the night was the rice kheer. The perfectly slow cooked rice granules in the white milkiness envelope and later doused with the right quantity of sugar, drizzled with dry fruits melted in my mouth. The mixture slid like honey through my mouth. I found myself licking the Borosil bowl shamelessly. Tempted as I was I went for the second round of this lip smacking dessert. I returned home with a resolution to get the Borosil brand to adorn my kitchen rack and be a part of my culinary journey that I call Celebration of Colours and Performance.

 This post is my contribution to the My beautiful food contest held by Borosil in association with Indiblogger.

Mahabaleshwar, is termed as the queen of the hills in Maharashtra. It is a beautiful town perched on the Sahyadris in the Satara district. Come monsoon the hills turn a soothing green with a carpet of velvet grass laid out across the hills and mist playing hide and seek. The clouds descend to kiss the mountains and you find yourself floating in the midst of it.

Every view has its unique beauty and you are left wondering if there is anything still left to be offered. The beautiful sunrise splashes the sky with its colours and then suddenly there is a mighty shower which parts away to give a view of the waterfalls cascading down the hills every nook and corner. Streams, rivulets surround you and they make you wonder where on earth have you arrived? You walk through the canopy of trees that is all towering above you with leaves and twigs strewn down the path.

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 Restaurant Review Salt

Salt is a restaurant serving Indian and Oriental cuisine since last couple of years in the suburbs of Pune at Baner. It is just round the corner at the Baner Balewadi junction.  When I first saw the hoarding I found the name quite unusual. I mean why Salt? But then this is one item that one cannot afford to miss from our food, food would be lifeless and tasteless.

I happened to meet my friend over dinner in this restaurant one weekend. She had called up earlier to book a table for two. As it was summer time we preferred the alfresco dining which is a small area that has been converted into a dining area with few tables laid out.

The evening breeze was soothing and refreshing as we started with a Mojito Cocktail that didn’t meet the expectation. It was a diluted version that needed some serious alteration.

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I climbed the stairs to step out of London Bridge’s tube station.  A cold draught blew in and I zipped my jacket. It indicated I was getting closer to the murky waters of River Thames. A thirty minute ride in the Jubilee Line from Wembley, would deport me to Central London. From there on it would be a seven minute walk traversing through the concordant and organized Borough Market in Southwark Street. This was my daily regime to reach office for the last one month.  It was the time of the day when the Borough Market traders would clean their stalls, arrange their products and throw open the doors to the world.

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I got the opportunity to visit city of Bath on a true English Day. Well the sun seemed to be playing games by hiding and peeping out of clouds. When I stood before the Bath Cricket Club I got a clear sky view of the beautiful Bath City and its structures built with honey coloured limestones.

For interesting Skywatches visit http://skyley.blogspot.in/

 

I had the opportunity of visiting London twice and each stay was for two months in summer. The first stint was mostly solo travelling in London and a short trip to Scotland with a friend. The second trip was one that I enjoyed the most as I had a group of friends to hang around. I got a chance to visit Cornwall, Devon, Bath, Brighton and the beautiful Durdle Door. More on these destinations would follow, here is a short list of some random things about London.

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The large  stones stand testimony of time unheard. Spread over a circular perimeter of a vast expanse it is considered as a burial ground by few and astronomical observatory or a religious site by the rest. It is often told as Mystery of Stonehenge considering the multiple theories and myths that have been raised around these stones.

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They swayed in rhythmic cadence like a woman’s long braid swaying around her hips as she walks gaily. The two trailers tethered to the tractor carrying sugarcanes were a sight to watch as they swayed and rumbled on the NH4. I had left Pune on a spring afternoon and was driving down the Pune Bangalore highway towards Chikmagalur in Karnataka. Acacia, Mimosa trees lined the highway with the harvested sugarcane fields in the background.

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We left at 6 a.m. in the morning from our homestay in Handi, Chikmagalur. It was a lovely morning and we were on our way to Sringeri the Adi Shankaracharya matha. The drive from Handi to Sringeri traverses through winding roads lined with tall, slender silver oak trees and coffee plantations.

Sringeri a small town in the Malnad region is around 72 km from Handi and around 90 km from Chikmagalur. You need to cross multiple mountain passes to reach this quaint and sleepy town. I would suggest an early morning drive as the scenery is absolutely breathtaking. The hills were wrapped in mist and the small villages en route depicting a simple lifestyle with the sunrise in the background was a beautiful sight.
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I woke up at dawn and got ready for the safari of my life. Have you ever been part of the limitless azure sky with white puffs sailing around? Carried away with the wind to places unknown, unheard and untouched. The smell, the colour and the taste of fresh air exhilarates the dull mind. You are in this zen state from where you wouldn’t want to return.

Does it sound too much of a mystery? Well I was on my way to experience The Balloon Safari by Skywaltz. They have been in operation since January 2008 at Rajasthan ( Jaipur) and October 2013 in Maharashtra (Mumbai- Pune belt). Having read and heard a lot about this unusual safari in paper and radio I decided to experience it. We reached Talegaon (a town close to Pune) after which we were picked up by the Skywaltz team and brought to Kamshet. A small helium balloon would be released at around 4 a.m. daily to test the direction of the wind. Based on the wind direction the team would decide to take off from either Kamshet or Talegaon.
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