Eureka! Eureka!

I found it! Its a piece of magic! It will bring world peace...Well, maybe that is a stretch, but think about this - when you have a divine cup of coffee in the morning, the happiness it gives you really lasts all through the day. You would then spend the whole day in a happy coffee buzz and not do something silly like say, start a fight?

My blog readers obviously do not need introduction to madras filter coffee. If I assumed wrong, then check out this wikipedia link for an introduction to heaven-in-a-cup. And while we are on the subject of Madras, here is a really interesting article by Tishani Doshi.

A few years ago, I moved here from Madras. Like any other true FOB desi, I was most distressed by the fact that coffee here, in its most basic form, is AWFUL! It took me two years to adjust both to life in the US and less than perfect coffee. I learnt to make do by using disproportionately large amounts of creamer, or making folgers with lots of milk, aathufying it for all its worth, and telling myself that it tasted a bit like filter coffee.

In 2003, I went to Madras for my wedding and returned with a slim stainless steel coffee filter as part of my "seeru". As a new bride, I found that the one and only thing my accomodating husband expected from me was a good cup of filter coffee. I also realized that I could become completely americanized, but I could never ever get coffee cravings out of my system.

So, every weekend morning started with the same routine - I would grind regular american coffee into a finer powder, boil water and pour it into the filter. It sure sounds simple, but the little devil had a mind of its own. Many days, I would watch the filter all morning, and not even a drop of decotion would percolate through. Grinding the coffee was also a real pain in the wrong place.

Anyway, after many months of lamenting, cursing, and experimenting, I solved the coffee powder problem. I now buy "Eight o clock coffee" - whole arabica beans, dark roast. I then set the instore coffee grinder to the espresso setting and walk out of the store with a fresh bag of super fine coffee. It is so fragrant, that it reminds me of the days when I would walk back home with a prized bag of leo coffee and every passer-by would turn around to catch a whiff.

Well...getting back to the topic (the piece of magic remember?) - I woke up this morning, and I knew i could not battle the coffee filter anymore. After many hours of extensive online research, I reached the conclusion that espresso coffee is probably as thick as decotion. The method for preparing espresso is radically different though. Hot water is forced through coffee powder at high pressure, and then escapes through a spout.

There are a wide variety of espresso machines available in the market, starting from $30 for a simple Mr.Coffee or many hundreds for a starbucks style barista machine. I wanted to go in for something really simple, and hence chose the stovetop "MOKA EXPRESS" machine. Apparently, this machine is a big italian icon, and a great favorite of many european households.

Using the moka express is as simple as a kettle. Just fill the lower compartment with water, place the coffee powder in the filter part, screw the top portion on and place the contraption on the adupu. I followed all the instructions and held my breath. And I think i hit bulls eye! The decotion was prepared in a couple of minutes, and the resulting coffee tasted pretty good. Here is the link to this product in amazon - do check out all the reviews.

Some more experimentation needs to be done - I used turkish ground coffee instead of espresso ground coffee. This caused some coffee grounds to get mixed up with my decotion. Also, i did not tamp the coffee powder sufficiently. However, with a little practice, i am sure i have found the magic keys to heaven in a cup!

Summer movies

I am still crazy about watching movies in the theater. The magic of an enormous screen and greasy popcorn cannot be replicated at home. Also, I love watching trailers. These days, trailers give away the entire story line (remember the movie Forgotten?) or they show all the good scenes and watching the entire movie is a wasted effort then (King Kong).

When watching the DaVinci code, I saw two trailers that had me shaking my head in disbelief. One is for "The omen". I guess every person on the planet has watched the original. From the trailers, this movie is not different ,so why are they even bothering? Another movie is the World trade center (yes really, that IS the title of the movie). Starring Nicholas Cage, this movie seems blatantly exploitative.

Here are some (hopefully) good movies to watch out for -

Cars - Way too cute, this is another potential winner from Pixar
Danielle - In the same genre as the DaVinci code, this is a limited release. Given its controversial subject, i am not sure if it will even make it to many screens
The devil wears Prada - The book was a fairly good read. With good direction, it could translate into a deliciously bitchy fun movie
Lady in the water - M.Night Shyamalan. Need i say anymore?
The reaping - Another movie based on religion, the synopsis looks promising

Movie Review - The DaVinci Code

Huh. It was not a bad movie at all. I was pretty surprised, because, www.rottentomatoes.com made it sound like it was as bad as Cat woman. The movie is a faithful adaptation of the book. Typically, when a book is made into a movie, it almost never lives up to your expectations. However, in case of the DaVinci code, the book and the movie are at the same caliber - kinda ok...not bad..but not too great..

Heres the story in two line - A professor of religious symbology is called to solve a murder case in Paris. However, there are sinister forces at work, and with the help of a pretty french cop, he embarks on a quest to find a secret that could shake the foundations of Christiantity.

The director (Ron Howard) tries his best to prevent the movie from looking like a boring history lecture. Many computer graphics are used to illustrate the clues that Tom Hanks is trying to decipher. There are flashbacks in black white, with heavy snippets of history, and these add to the pace of the movie.

There are two major flaws in the movie. The lead actors - especially Tom Hanks. With really awful hair, Tom Hanks looks like he just got out of bed, walked to the set and sleepwalked through the movie shoot. The french actress that plays Sophie tries valiantly (and ends up looking cute in some scenes) but receives absolutely no help from Tom Hanks or the cinematographer.

The second flaw is the cinematography. The movie could have had a really spectacular look, considering the locations that the script takes the viewer to. However, the movie ends up looking about as visually appealing as a hospital waiting room.

With a pair of really passionate lead characters, and shot in rich sepia tones, the movie could have been taken to a whole new level.

So the final verdict? This may be a hit movie, but dont expect to see a big Dan Brown movie franchise (and i must say i am a little relieved. Dan Brown is one author who plagiarizes himself, but thats another subject all together)

My work week...

I realized the following -

* forget the Sarbanes Oxely act - bullshit needs to be regulated (as complete elimination is practically impossible)
* WTF (what the f***) needs to be legitimized as an appropriate response for deserving emails
* The act of asking for updates from someone should be placed in the same category as other harassment acts
* Every question need not be considered a good one. Some questions are pretty stupid
* Laptops and cellphones should be banned from meeting rooms. Noone is THAT important
* Blackberrys should be banned. Period.

My hot new laptop

This is my first post from my super cool Lenovo laptop. It has everything except a built in coffee maker. I can even swipe my finger print to log in (instead of a password)

My professional life is threatening to absolutely engulf my personal life (if it hasnt already), and hence, i consider my laptop buy an "investment". I can now blog from my bedroom, listen to music in the kitchen, watch a movie online anytime etc etc etc......

I have made a resolution to do atleast one thing every single day that will enrich my personal life. It could be something as simple as reading a chapter in a book, or something as big as buying a laptop. So, this is how my week progressed ..

Monday - Painted three walls in my house and decided to stop eating cookies from Subway (each friggin cookie is 220 calories!)
Tuesday - Learnt a new keerthanai in Hamsadhwani and spoke to mom and sis
Wednesday - Bonded with hubby dear.....

There is really an art to living a balanced life, i hope i figure it out someday soon...

Sudhdha Dhanyasi, MLV and Sudha

My morning commute turned from mundane to sublime when I listened to M.L Vasanthakumari's rendition of Naarayana Ninna Namada smarana. I have long been a big M.S Subbulakshmi fan. Now, my regard for M.L.V is almost equal to my love for M.S.

To me, no other singer's voice can convey bhakthi the way M.S Subbulakshmi's does, and I am also now convinced that noone else's voice can be as sweet and melodious as M.L.V's.

Another big bonus with listening to M.L.Vs concerts is that you can hear snatches of a very young and brilliant Sudha Raghunathan. The harmony between guru and sishya is so evident. Sudha's voice never over powers M.L.V's, and M.L.V generously stops singing occasionally so that Sudha can shine too.

The song Naarayana ninna is a Purandaradasa composition in the Sudhdha Dhanyasi raagam. Different raagams evoke different emotions in the listener's heart. While every raagam is beautiful in its own way, raagams like hindolam and kalyani are sure more easier on the ear than raagams like saveri or mayamalava gowla.

Sudhdha Dhanyasi falls in the former category - it's combination of swarams is dramatic. A seasoned vidhwan can sing complex alapanas in this raagam, but it is also easy enough even for a novice to identify, appreciate and sing along.

Along with Sindhu Bhairavi, Sudhdha Dhanyasi is an apt raagam for conveying feelings of devotion, love and wonder to the glory of God. Other songs in this raagam are Azhaga (in praise of Muruga) and the timeless Himagiri thanaye (G.N Balasubramaniam's rendition of this song is unbeatable).

Moving on to light music, this is also one of Ilayaraja's favorites. Check out some of the songs below -
* Sempoove poove from Siraichalai
* Poondhaliraada from Paneer pushpangal
* Maasi maasam aalana ponnu (Dharmadurai)

Here is the best of all.. .The original Thottal poomalarum from Padagotti!

Love you Simon and Garfunkel

Some lyrics from "I am a rock"...

I have my books
And my poetry to protect me;
I am shielded in my armor,
Hiding in my room, safe within my womb.
I touch no one and no one touches me.
I am a rock,
I am an island.
And a rock feels no pain;
And an island never cries

Book review - Monsoon diary by Shoba Narayan

After a long time, I read a truly delightful book - "Monsoon diary" by Shoba Narayan.
The actual book does not have a lot to do with Monsoons - however, the evocative beauty and the innate Indianness of the word captures the feeling the book creates in you .

The subject is pretty simple. It is an account of the author's life, intended to focus primarily on the culinary aspects. Shoba is a typical tam bram girl. She is brought up in Adyar, her grand parents from from Kerala, she goes to grad school in the US and ultimately marries an iyer aathu america mapillai. (sounds familiar?)

If R.K Narayan immortalized life in the small towns of Kerala and Karnataka, in the pre-independence era, Shoba comes pretty close to doing the same for the old Madras. Madras in the 70s and 80s (and even the early part of the 90s) was a quiet green haven, striking the perfect balance between its ancient Dravidian heritage, and the remnants of British colonialism. Shoba captures the spirit of that Madras. The book also beautifully describes one of the most endearing aspects of life in India - the people that you encounter all through the day (the paal kaaran, kariga kari, isthiri kaaran etc!!!!)

The pace of the book lags a bit during the latter half, especially in the chapters where the author describes her grad school life in the USA. Also, there are a number of recipes listed in the book. They are very good, but the most glaring omission is the absence of a good sambar recipe! Ofcourse, this book is not intended to be another Meenakshi Ammal's cook-and-see, but, isnt the cornerstone of our lives a good cup of arachuvitta sambar?

Shoba's book is a must have for any Madras born thamizh lover's library!