The Lean Veggie - Giada's chocolate orange cookies

Nothing can beat the taste of cakes and cookies that you bake at home. I don't bake as often as I would like to, as almost every tempting recipe has eggs in it. Thats why I jumped at the opportunity to try out Giada's Italian chocolate sandwich cookies.

I did not have polenta or cornmeal, and so I just used all purpose flour. According to the reviewers, the cornmeal made the cookies too gritty, so this was definitely not an ingredient that was missed. After reading the helpful reviews, I modified the recipe and the ingredients, and the end result was amazing. The cookies are super light, with just a hint of orange, and a rich chocolatey taste. The filling is light and creamy and sweetens the not-so-sweet chocolate cookie. So here is the link to Giada's original recipe, and here is my modified recipe below -

Chocolate Cookies:

1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

Sugar - pour till the 100 ml mark in a measuring cup

Cocoa powder - pour till the 50 ml mark in a measuring cup

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 pinch salt

1/4 tsp orange zest

1 tsp orange juice

Orange Filling:

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp orange juice

1/4 tsp vanilla essence

To make the Chocolate Cookies, in a large bowl use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar until light in color and fluffy. In another medium bowl stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, orange juice, and orange zest. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Using your hands, knead the mixture into a dough, gathering the loose powdery ingredients repeatedly till they come together. If the mixture is too dry, add another tablespoon of melted butter. Roll with your hands into a thick log, about an inch and a half in diameter. You can split the mixture into two portions and roll two logs if it is easier. Work on a clean countertop.

Wrap each log in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Then, remove from wrap. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the log into discs, about an 1/8 inch thick. Cover a pizza pan/baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread the discs out. These cookies will not rise or spread, so you can place them fairly close together. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Meanwhile, to make the Orange Filling, combine the butter, powdered sugar, orange zest, and vanilla essence in a medium bowl. Use an electric mixer to cream the ingredients together. Add more sugar if needed.

To assemble the cookie sandwiches, place about 1/4 teaspoon of the Orange Filling on a cookie. Spread with a butter knife. Top with another cookie and press the cookies together.

Book Review - Atonement

I kinda looked forward to watching the just released movie - Atonement. I then changed my mind because -

1) K is not big on watching epic romances, especially in the theater

2) I am trying to clean up my finances before the new year, and need to be frugal ($1 for renting the DVD in the library as opposed to $20 for movie tickets and popcorn)

3) Keira Knightly is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO effing thin. She has so crossed the line between sexy to sick skeletal skinny that she can no longer see the line. The line is a dot to her! (to quote Joey)

4) Movies are almost never as good as the novels they are adapted from

So, I just read the book by Ian Mcewan and found it disappointing despite all the rave reviews. The novel's premise is intriguing - The mistakes of a misguided child prompted by a confluence of events happening on a single day causes the destruction of two innocent adults.
The first section should be prescribed reading for any aspiring novelist. Ian describes the old english house in such detail, it almost becomes another living character in the book. He draws elaborate character sketches. Even though the writing is borderline-boring, the characters come alive in your mind.

After setting the stage so elaborately, Ian succeeds in describing the psychology behind Briony's act (a mistake around which the entire book revolves). But what follows later is a disappointment. Rather than delving into the psyche of the three main characters (Robie, Cecilia, and Briony), Ian plunges into many pages of sobering world war imagery. These chapters are written excellently, but detract from the overall effect of the novel.
You do not get a sense of the immense tragedy behind Robbie and Cecilia's forced separation. And the author does not dedicate a single paragraph to their reunion upon Robbie's return to England from France. While the 13 year old Briony's thought process has been beautifully delineated, the grown up Briony's "atonement" (by volunteering as a nurse) comes across as half baked and insincere, especially when, in a callous display of egotism, she creates a novella out of the sequence of events and submits for publishing (all this during her self imposed exile from the family). The book could have succeeded if Ian had infused Briony's character with irony, and made something like a black comedy. However, he simply glorifies her "atonement", when really, all you see is the lack of. Ian spends way too much time describing characters who play almost no part in the book (like Emily), while paying absolutely no attention to Cecilia's life during the years when she waits for Robbie.

Towards the end of the book, Ian completely loses direction. He gets carried away by his perceived power as a writer who can create worlds and lives at whim. His hubris is blatantly evident in the last page of the book. It was as though Ian was thumbing his nose at every critic and reader, by conveying the message "hey, i am the writer, i can do anything i want with the characters". My criticism may sound harsh, but, after patiently plodding through every page, I could not come to any other conclusion. This book was published (in 2001) after his Booker winning novel Amsterdam (in 1997). Big award...big ego?

Speaking of Booker awards, there are way too many similarities between Atonement, and Arundhathi Roy's "The God of small things". Roy's book won the Booker in 1997, a full 4 years BEFORE Atonement was published.

I googled the two novels to find out if other readers had caught on to this. Unfortunately, I could not find any such web articles. If you have read both the books, please let me know what you think. The core concepts are the same - one person acting on prejudices, blaming an innocent man for a crime that he did not commit, destroying a romance (that was anyway doomed by class differences), and events complicated by runaway twins and cousins. Even the writing techniques are similar - the intricately detailed description of the old house where the main events take place, and the slow but steady building up of dread in the reader's mind, leading up to the catastrophic event.

Roy's book succeeds where Ian's fails. Her tale does not offer any redemption for the sinner(s), and there is no pretense of atonement either. With no grandiose war scene descriptions and distractions, Roy crafted a heartfelt drama, leaving every reader with an overpowering sense of loss and heartbreak.

I am now rather curious about the movie. The reviews proclaim that this is one of the best movies of the year. Maybe the director would have capitalized on the positive aspects of the book, and filled in the holes left behind by the author?

PS: After writing my review, in a moment of self doubt, I checked out Amazon's reader reviews, and clicked on the critical reviews link (which groups all the 1 and 2 star reviews). Thankfully, there are people that feel the same way. The first review is especially good. Check it out here (warning - loads of spoilers, do not read if you plan to watch the movie)

Some random thoughts when travelling...

1) In every Southwest flight I board (where seat numbers are not assigned), there is ALWAYS someone occupying the aisle seat and pretending to be asleep so that no one will occupy the middle seat next to them

2) The air hostess ALWAYS walks right past me during her trash collection rounds even though I desperately try to catch her attention and frantically wave my empty coffee cup at her. Why oh why does she not notice me?

3) There is always the one person that looks at me, takes in my laptop bag and desi looks, and triumphantly asks if I am an SAP implementation consultant. I am not sure if i should take this ethnic stereotyping as an insult, or if I should feel flattered that he considers me a brainy techie type

4) Women in California have a curiously uniform way of dressing.
San Francisco woman = knee high boots + tight jeans + chanel/gucci sunglasses + black turtleneck + tight jacket + high ponytail
Los Angeles woman = Long baby doll style blouse + gray sweater much shorter than blouse + capri style pants/jeans + fabulous boots

5) America is BIG. Really really big. I have lived here for many years, traveled quite a lot, and I can still never get over how magnificently big this wonderful country is

Its the season again...

Sometimes I just...

Love all the wonderful songs of the season and the memories they evoke..
But hate it when said songs are endlessly played in every shop, every second of the day making you long for jan 2

Love the cool deals in every store and the free pass to shamelessly self endulge...
But hate the crass commercialism

Love traditional stories about the resurgence of kindness and hope during this season...
But hate the anger and ill temper exhibited by harried shoppers

Love the sound of the word "holidays"...
But hate the fact that every magazine has self help articles on beating "holiday stress"

Love Starbucks for their heavenly gingerbread lattes and cranberry bliss cakes...
But hate Starbucks for overpricing said goodies, and introducing the holiday red cups earlier every year (whats next? frosty the snowman on labor day?)

Love the idea of baking and gifting homemade cookies...
But hate the fact that I cannot find any eggless cookie recipes or live near friends to gift cookies to

And then, there are times when I....

Hate the fact that there will be no white christmas for me this year...
But love the fact that I do not have to spend four hours on icy roads, dying of fright, trying to driving the 10 miles home from work during a snowstorm

Hate the fact that another entire year rushed past before I even realized it...
But love the fact that a long cherished personal goal of mine finally came true this year

Hate that I will not be celebrating the holidays with all my wonderful friends and family
But love the fact that I have such wonderful friends and family to cherish and miss...

Bad food and good coffee in San Francisco

Take this word of advice from me - if any restaurant has a sign saying "Under new management", DO NOT GO THERE!

We went to San Fran yesterday, to check out the Mind exhibit at the Exploratorium. It was not too bad, but I would recommend it to you, only if you plan to go with kids. K and I mustered up all the enthusiasm we could and had a pretty good time.

And then disaster struck - in the form of lunch. Guided by Yelp's reviews (or should I say misguided), we went to a place for lunch. Despite the veggie dishes in the buffet and menu, this place is most definitely not suitable for vegetarians, especially if you are the squeamish type prone to frequent "komatals"!!! With the channa nesting a little too close next to meat dishes......ewwww....i cannot type anymore...

My frustration increased when we realized that we could have gone to Ssan francisco's north beach neighbourhood for some authentic mozzarella paninis and cannolis. I've been to many Chinatowns in the US (again, not generally recommended for sequeamish vegetarians prone to frequent komatals) but never really to Little Italys. Anyway, K and I jumped off the bus when we saw five consecutive restaurants all having Italian names and hunted for some good coffee.

We lucked out by choosing Cafe Greco. We had what could easily be called the best cappuchino this side of the atlantic. Rich, dark, foamy....the creaminess lasted through even the last mouthful. I kinda killed it a little by adding too much sugar, but sitting on the sidewalk and gaping at the lean san francisco women (all dressed exactly alike), the coffee finally got the bad taste of lunch out of my mind.

Life in California..

You know you are in california when -

1) Even the office vending machine offers healthy triscuits and 100 calorie snack packs
2) You need sunglasses and high SPF lotion - in december
3) A lean bicyclist overtakes you up an incredibly steep mountain slope when even your car engine has trouble coping
4) The safety guide at your hotel includes instructions on what to do in case of an earthquake in addition to fire safety procedures
5) You see more shoppers at the (over-priced) whole foods store than the local walmart (wait....i havent seen a local walmart yet....)
6) You begin using shopping baskets instead of shopping carts because you cannot afford groceries anymore

And you know you still do not belong when -

1) You spend more and more time away from the computer to silently protest and rebel against the hyper-wired silicon valley lifestyle
2) You begin longing for some rain and clouds and curse the endless blinding sunshine
3) You wistfully read weather reports about winter alerts in the midwest and northeast
4) You fondly reminisce the days when you could (but never really did) build snowmen on your deck, settle down with a cup of hot chocolate on the couch and listen to let it snow..let it snow...

The Lean Veggie - Eggless cranberry apple spice cake

I borrowed a recipe from cooks.com, and then modified it to incorporate classic Thanksgiving flavors. The lack of eggs does not detract from the cake one bit. I refrigerated the cake for about 3 days after baking, and then warmed a couple of slices in the microwave for about 30 seconds before eating. Ofcourse, it also tasted great straight out of the oven. Warm, sweet, decadent, and spicy, this really is the taste of fall!

Ingredients -

Applesauce - 1 cup

Baking powder - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1 cup

Cinamon - 2 sticks

Cloves - 2

Cardomom - 1 pod

Sweetened dried cranberries (Craisins brand) - 1/2 cup (can substitute with chopped raisins or other dry fruits)

Finely Crushed almonds - 1/2 cup

All purpose flour - 1 and 1/2 cups

Soft butter - 1/2 cup

Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp

1) Finely chop cranberries/raisins and mix with 1/4 cup flour till fully coated

2) Finely powder the cinnamon, cloves and cardomom seeds with 2 teaspoons of sugar

3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

4) In a big mixing bowl, add apple sauce, sugar, vanilla extract and spices

5) Add softened butter, and with a hand mixer, mix together till incorporated

6) Slowly add the crushed nuts, cranberry flour mixture, baking powder, and remaining flour and mix well. The cake batter will be fairly thick

7) Grease a cake pan, pour the cake batter, and bake for about 30 to 45 minutes, till a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean

8) When done, invert onto a plate and apply the frosting to the top and sides of the cake

Frosting

1) With a hand mixer, cream together 1/4 cup of butter, 1/4 cup milk and 1 cup powdered sugar

2) Mix in 1/4 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries (Craisins)

Sin city for thanksgiving...yaay!!!

I will not be updating this blog till monday. K and I decided that we could not face one more thanksgiving sitting quietly at home with nowhere to go, when the rest of the country is shut down and overdosing on family and turkey. So we picked the one place in the country that will be functioning no matter what......Las Vegas!!!! We are going with great expectations. I have promised K that my winnings will pay for all meals and idhara selavugal for the next 3 days. Wish me luck!

Movie Review - Saawariya

1) Which of the two leading characters in Saawariya is more mentally disturbed?
a) Ranbir Kapoor's Raj
b) Sonam Kapoor's Sakeena

2) Which of the following two is the stupidest thing Sonam's character does?
a) Falling in "love" with Salman (without having a clue about him) and waiting on a bridge with an umbrella every night for him
b) Spending every moment every night with Ranbir, cultivating a weird "dosti" (knowing fully well he is nuttier than a pecan pie), and needlessly falling into his arms every two seconds

3) Which of the following best describes Sanjay Leela Bhansali's (SLB's) state of mind as he was making the movie?
a) Crazy
b) Delusional

4) Clearly, SLB has major issues. Which of the following do you think needs more urgent attention?
a) Repressed dislike for star families,especially Kapoors, which made him reduce two promising star kids to mere caricatures
b) His secret swadeshi ambitions (which foreign studios would ever invest in India again after this?)
c) Some unknown issues with Rani Mukherjee....why else would any director do this to her?

5) Who is the most irritating character ever seen in Hindi cinema?
a) Amitabh Bachan in Jhoom barabar jhoom
b) Rani Mukherjee in Saawariya

6) Who has emerged as the biggest losers in the Saawariya debacle?
a) The producers
b) The audience
c) The world of cinema

7) Who/What do you feel more sorry for?
a) A dignified lady like Zohra Sehgal reduced to acting in movies like this
b) The color blue which will forever be associated with this disaster

8) Which city do you think the movie's sets are inspired by?
a) Venice
b) Pakeezah-land
c) Who cares...its a trip to hell for the audience!

9) How did Sonam Kapoor give such a fine performance?

a) Thanks to her dad's genes
b) As giving halwa to unsuspecting guys is something we all have a lot of experience in

10) What do you hope to never EVER see again?
a) Long haired heroines with backless blouses flirting with every lame guy they come across
b) Ranbir in a skimpy towel or a hat
c) Rani Mukherjee in another not-so-special appearance
d) Another Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie

11) If you are one of the few people (other than SLB and his mom) who watched the entire movie, which of the following two statements describes your condition better?
a) A part of you has died forever
b) You now need therapy for the rest of your life
c) Both of the above

Movie Review - Om Shanti Om

I took a long break from Sharukh Khan's movies. It happened shortly after Kabhie kushi kabhie gham. I was tired of his hamming, tired of over dressed heroines wearing chiffon saries and bra-style blouses, and sick of the Yash chopra chorus going "aaahhhhaaaaa" in the background. And then, I watched Chak de India, and I felt a renewed connection with Sharukh, almost as intense as one during his kkkkkkkiran days. Now, with Om Shanti Om, I am in love again. All hard feelings are forgotten. He really is too cool.

Om Shanti Om has a fairly conventional (atleast for Indian cinema) re-incarnation story. But after a long time, you get to watch a movie that is brave enough to laugh at Hindi cinema itself. Almost every scene is priceless - Kiron Kher's Mother India style dialogues (which are genuinely touching in the second half), and the Filmfare awards scenes (Akshay Kumar deserves a real Filmfare for his cameo) being the most notable. All the reviews complained about the second half being too slow, but to me, the dramatic, and unexpectedly spine-chilling climax more than made up for it.

King Khan is in his element - more importantly, the new Queen Khan is in her element. It takes a lot of guts to laugh at ourselves (because, even with plenty of material, we Indians rarely do that), and she still makes everyone feel warm and fuzzy at the end. However, the 31 star song comes across more like a gimmick, a welcome cigarette/popcorn break really. Shreyas is sincere and Arjun is good. Deepika makes a commendable debut, both in her past and present roles. Except for her slightly over-arched right eyebrow, she is genuinely endearing, pretty, surprisingly innocent, and captures our sympathies in her superstar-with-a-golden-heart role.

"When you truly desire something, the whole universe conspires to make your wishes come true, and if your wishes are not fulfilled, then the story is not yet over my friend!!!"

Rarely has hindi cinema conveyed such an exhilarating message. Making us laugh, making us cry, and making us believe that our wildest dreams can come true....Om Shanti Om is incredibly wonderful cinema. Spoof or no spoof, it really is Bollywood at its very best!

I finally said goodbye to Food network

I used to be a major addict of the Food Network (FN) channel. With FN, I could visit houses and restaurants all across the country. I could celebrate each month of the year, with something special from FN - sweets for Valentines day, Tailgating party ideas, summer barbeques and ofcourse, Thanksgiving turkeys and Christmas cookies. But two things did it for me, and I had to say goodbye - Olive oil and scary people.

You know that the Olive oil cartel (if something like that even exists) has a fishy (or should we say oily) deal going on with the FN. Olive oil seems to have replaced water in most recipes. They no longer drizzle it over dishes. Each recipe calls for CUPS of oil. And ofcourse, it has to be Extra virgin. Sure, it may be good for you, but it does have calories (more than canola oils), is very expensive, and has a very strong flavor and heating temperatures totally unsuitable for different kinds of cooking.

And then the scary people. You could watch FN just for the kicks and giggles from watching these "chefs".

There is Rachael Ray. Anything I type here is purely redundant, as there are many Anti-Ray websites. My grouse? She knows exactly three recipes - a basic tomato+onion+garlic gravy, a burger/meatball, a grilled cheese sandwich that she endlessly recycles, and also totally insults the wonderful world of food, and earnest cooks who try to make healthy meals, and hard working chefs who really know how to cook.

And then there is scary Giada. She is reed thin, but every recipe of hers calls for 2 sticks of butter and 5 cups of cheese (and ofcourse, endless bottles of olive oil). And the low-cut-blouses on every single show? So much for women's liberation!

And then the scariest of them all - Sandra Lee. Someone, PLEASE take her to AA. Every episode has a cocktail recipe, with her tasting the drink the second she pours it into the glass (the food that she makes is mostly untouched). She looks at alcohol with great desire and longing, advocates a "tablescape" which would set you back atleast a 100 bucks each meal, and finally, wears clothes to match the dish she cooks!!!!

So its bye to FN, and a great big hi to Fine living TV

Movie Review - Lions for Lambs

Oscar fishing movie makers have come up with what-they-think-is a magic formula -

1) Have a few parallel story lines. Definitely a minimum of three. Interconnection between the story lines is strictly optional. Extra points if at least one of the stories is based in another continent.

2) Somehow, work a burning current social/political issue into the storyline. Good topics include –
a. Racial tensions
b. Wars (old or new, preferably currently waged wars)
c. Terrorism

3) Choose between one of three conclusions for the movie –
a. End each of the parallel story lines in complete despair and tragedy
b. Show the incredible triumph of the human spirit across religious/racial/cultural divides
c. Leave a bunch of questions completely unanswered.

So the writers of Lions for Lambs choose the tried and tested multiple story technique, base the movie on current wars, and just for a few kicks and shocks, also cast some scary aspersions on another country.

The writers’ efforts come across as insincere. The entire movie, despite its provocative red hot story and stellar star cast, ends up being strictly lukewarm. That is why the unsatisfactory, unfinished anti-climax comes as no big surprise. The actors try to infuse their lines with feeling, but, sitting in the audience, I just did not feel the passion and urgency, despite the movie delving into topics that I am immensely passionate about.

Conceptually, Lions for Lambs looks excellent on paper. It's plot is truly intelligent and thought provoking – The society pushes youngsters to care for their world and try to make a difference. The few that do, end up losing when they are used as pawns in complex geopolitical machinations. In the meantime, the powers that be – namely, politicians and so-called journalists continue along the twisted paths they make for themselves, forged by ego and plain personal ambition, all cloaked under a veil of patriotism.

Its not a bad movie. The performers- Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep, Robert Redford – all succeed in getting your attention. But you walk away feeling disappointed. Like starving yourself all day in anticipation of a big thanksgiving feast, and ending up with only a serving of lukewarm watered down soup.

No, Lions for Lambs is not a bad movie. It is mediocre. Given the importance of it's plot, the wasted opportunity makes for lousy cinema. A total blue collar B.

The Lean Veggie - Easy oven fries

If you are craving for some good ol fashioned fries, but afraid of the calories and the time and effort, this is a really cool recipe. I used a massive russet potato, but you can substitute with a few smaller potatoes. Make sure the dhaniya jeera powder is super fresh. This recipe will go great with rotis and dhal as well.

Ingredients -

Potato - 1 huge russet potato, or 3 medium sized ones

Oil - 1 tablespoon

Spices - Salt, black pepper, red chilli powder, dhaniya-jeera powder (see recipe below)

Method -

1) Set the oven to 450 degrees

2) Peel the potato(es)

3) Cut into halves, and then cut the halves into four longitudinal sections, and then into thin slices. The thinner the slices, the faster and crispier the fries

4) Place the slices in a bowl. Mix in the oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1 tablespoon dhaniya jeera powder. Use your fingers - make sure the spices and oil are evenly distributed and coat every slice

5) Grease a baking sheet or a pizza pan with a little oil

6) Distribute the potato slices evenly in a single layer on the sheet

7) Bake in the oven till the slices are cooked through and begin to crisp. Make sure they do not burn. It will take atleast 20 minutes, but, as you are baking at a very high temperature, keep an eye on the oven and check every 5 minutes. Do not open the oven door too often as the heat will escape, but, turn the oven light on and take a peek every now and then.

Dhaniya jeera powder -

Dhania (coriander seeds) - 3 tablespoons

Jeera (cumin seeds) - 3 teaspoons

Heat a small non stick pan. Dry roast the seeds, constantly shaking/stirring the pan. The seeds turn black very quickly, so constantly keep them moving around the pan. When they turn a little brown, and you can smell the fragrance of the spices, immediately transfer the spices to a spice mill (coffee beans grinder) or very small blender jar (if you leave the seeds in the pan, they could still turn black due to the residual heat). Wait for about 5 minutes for the seeds to cool, and then grind to a very fine powder. Store immediately in an air tight jar. The blender jar has to be very small, otherwise, the seeds will not get powdered.

Note: Make very small quantities of this masala powder. It tastes wonderful when fresh, but can quickly lose all its flavor. You can buy dhaniya jeera powder in Indian or international grocery stores, but, the quantities are too much, and the flavor is lost very quickly.

Women and the niceness factor

Much has changed in this world. Women have made great strides in the workplace, in virtually every field. They are no longer considered an unnecessary addition to the workplace, and people no longer accuse women of having somehow denied a man somewhere his job. But does this mean its all roses for women? Definitely not.

Women had to fight the domesticity factor in the last century - they had to prove that their homes would not completely fall apart if they stepped outside for 8 hours a day. And so they did. And they did incredibly well. However, today, there is a bigger obstacle that women have to fight. This struggle will be harder than the battles our mothers faced. It is against the most invisible, insidious thing - PERCEPTION; the socially acceptable norm that women are supposed to conform to, they are expected to be nice, no matter what the situation.

In the corporate jungle, guess how far "niceness" takes you? I most certainly am not implying that people react positively only to authoritative behavior. However, in certain situations, women aspiring to be in leadership positions have to display strength. And guess what happens when a woman does that, stepping out of the nice box just a little? She is called a bitch. I truly do not get it . What is the equivalent such word for men in the dictionary? A-hole maybe? I have never met a single man that genuinely got upset when called that!

Research now consistently shows that women earn far less than men in the same job roles. Why? Because, we just cannot strike a hard bargain (and i am totally guilty of this). We think a million times before demanding things that rightfully belong to us. We try not to seem too ambitious. Obviously, there are exceptions to this - Indira Nooyi, Meg Whitman, Nancy Pelosi etc etc. But when you look away from these success stories, there are so many untold tales of brilliant, courageous women, who end up not reaching the pinnacles they deserved to.

Trust me, this problem is not due to chauvinistic men. This problem is also not due to domestic commitments. People do not openly preach niceness to women. And in many cases, women do not even realize something like this is going on. The compulsion to be "nice" has somehow been programmed into the female DNA. By "niceness", i am not referring to true goodness of the heart. I am talking about the way women hold back from saying certain things (usually critical), and from asking for certain things (usually monetary), because they somehow are afraid of not looking, what else, nice!

I'm not sure how, but society somehow ends up ingraining this attitude in women, right from the beginning. I saw a classic demonstration of this on TV. A researcher took 2 jugs of lemonade, and dumped a cup of salt into each jug. He served the lemonade first to a group of little boys (maybe between the ages of 6 and 8) in a room, and then to a group of little girls in a nearby room. The videotaped reactions were incredible. The boys, after one sip of the salty lemonade, refused to drink anymore. "Ewww", "gross" etc etc were the reactions. The girls? Many of them (while making faces behind the researchers back), ended up finishing their entire glasses, and also complimented the researcher. Later, he asked them if they found the lemonade salty. They hesitatingly replied "uh..a little!". When pressed further, they revealed that they did not want to hurt his feelings, and hence suffered through the salty drink.

Here are a few more examples -

1) A friend of mine got a job offer, and accepted it. One week into the new job, she got another incredible job that she had interviewed for earlier. Did she take the new offer (which would have suited her family better in many ways)? No. The reason? She did not think it would have been a nice thing to do. At least 3 men I know have jumped jobs right after joining a new one. Is it the nicest thing to do? Most certainly not. It is also very inconvenient for the employers you just dissed. But what if the new job involves no traveling and a better pay which then works out a lot better for your family? Why should you not choose that?

2) Two first ladies - one current, and one, a former first lady. Their approval ratings? The current first lady is highly regarded, and the former first lady has likability ratings of only 34% despite a high profile presidential campaign. The reason? The current first lady is considered "very nice", and the former? Not so much, because she dared piss a few people off, fighting for health care reforms that she believed in, and oh, she does not have a sugar sweet persona.

3) A bunch of presidential candidates - Each more ambitious than the other. The most vitriol is directed at the lone woman candidate. Why? Oh, because she is daring enough to show some personal ambition. And the reaction of the pundits? She is failing as she is not "likeable" enough.

4) Men in the workplace show passion ? They are considered ambitious go-getters. A woman in the workplace shows a little passion and ambition? Oh, shes a bitch

5) A cooking show host on the food network comes across as a little friendly and approachable. She then builds an entire career solely on her "niceness", which conveniently eclipses the fact that she cannot cook at all. "Hey i'm nice, so give me a medal!" seems to be her motto.

Gosh, we have such a long way to go. And we are not going to get anywhere simply with affirmative action or pro-women quotas and reservations. The change has to come from within us. I'm gonna start with me. Sure, I will keep being nice, but, I will also take care of myself, and push for the rewards I truly deserve. And the next time I see a woman kicking butt? Instead of thinking "what a bitch", I will most certainly think, "go for it sister!!!"

Bay Area Restaurant Review - Dosa Place in Santa Clara

I am totally spoiled for veggie food choices in the Bay area. I want to spread the word, so, you are going to read a lot of restaurant reviews from now on. And its ok if you dont live in the Bay area. Hopefully, this blog should come as a handy reference when you visit, or, you could get inspired and try some of the fantanstic dishes at home.

We went to the Dosa Place for dinner last night. The restaurant has just opened this week, and my husband and I truly enjoyed some good ol south indian hospitality. The appetizers - medhu vadai and potato bonda were pretty routine, but got us hungry enough for the main course - the dosas. The menu has the widest variety of dosas I have ever seen, including some really creative ones like California dosa, and Guacomole dosa (er.....i'm not sure if i'll ever end up ordering that). Traditional treats like Adai, pesarattu upma, and kal dosai are also available. With the chef's recommendations, K ordered Chettinad dosa and I ordered the California dosa. My dosa was pretty good - a lighter version of a masala dosa, but with the masala spread all over the dosa (instead of a lump in the middle), and with chopped almonds, a little cheese and lots of green peas.

K's Chettinad dosa was incredible. Again, the masala was distributed almost throughout the dosa, and rolled up in a rather unusual way. It had the trademark chettinad saunf masala taste, and it was absolutely lipsmacking. I usually do not praise restaurant food a lot, but this dosa was too good. I am the type that usually ends up requesting for a second cup of sambar, but we ended up leaving the sambar virtually untouched, as the dosas had to be enjoyed fully. The chutneys were pretty good - apart from the usual coconut chutney, they serve an unusual peanut chutney and really spicy red chilli chutney.

We finished the meal with some creamy mango lassi and chai. I cannot wait to go again. I may just give the guacamole dosa a try!

Two bad movies and two lousy messages

I know...every time I write about a movie, I end up bitching about it. I really cannot help it. Trashy masala adi-dhadi movies are one thing. But the really bad ones are the movies that try to convey a "strong social message" but instead end up preaching the entirely wrong things.

I watched two such movies this weekend.

Katradhu Thamizh...

So this is what Thamizh heroes try to do if they want to become the next Kamalhasan or Vikram. They act in a psycho role. Jeeva resorts to this, and his performance has been praised a lot. I thought he was a lot more sincere and touching in his clean shaven scenes though.

Jeeva loves Thamizh, but not for Thamizh's sake. Its only because his mentor/father figure was a Thamizh teacher. He gets pissed off in life later and becomes a psycho/serial killer, not because of his dismay at the state of Thamizh (which by the way seems to be alive and well), but only because he has "vayatherichal" at the other more-fortunate people of this age. He kills a happy couple, because he does not have a girlfriend (or rather, his soulmate hides in various remote corners in India). His character and ideals are portrayed in a very sympathetic way.

Isn't this the last thing that we need? To have totally impressionable audiences brainwashed into believing that its ok to hate people who do better in life than you and even kill them? Sure, there are vast social inequalities in India, fueled by outsourcing. But, are the techie and call center kids to be blamed for that? They have just had the good fortune of being at the right place at the right time. We all have to work together to make a better nation. Why blame the kids with all the disposable income? And Jeeva's character could have done so much with his Thamizh education ...he could have done research, he could have become a college professor, he could have written novels etc etc etc. Katradhu Thamizh is a pointless, cynical movie and the fact that it is well directed is pretty dangerous, because, the movie is actually convincing and watchable.

Laaga Chunari mein Daag

Soul sis has written a pretty good review of this movie. I watched it and was really shocked. I'm not a prude, but I thought the message in the movie was really scary
- that its perfectly fine to take up a demeaning and dangerous profession
- that the only career choice available for high school drop outs in this day and age is to sell oneself
- that its super easy to become an "escort". You just need a cool haircut, a few hours with a stylist and soon you have a swanky apartment in Mumbai, holidaying in Switzerland and hanging out with cool dudes in their stretch limos
- that a really understanding knight in shining armor will show up one day and everyone in your family will magically forget everything

I'm all for disadvantaged women getting a better life, but the message this movie conveys is dangerous and seriously effed up. Chameli and Chandini bar were so much more honest.

I'm going to watch Chak de India to give my brain the equivalent of a good rinse with water and disinfecting soap!

I'm all shook up

So last night, hubby and I were spending some quality time together on the couch, analyzing the dems debate. Just as I finished declaring my solidarity with Dennis Kucinich (he is a vegetarian and now has also announced on national television that he has seen a UFO!!!), the couch rocked. I immediately looked at the hubby in accordance with marriage law 1 "your spouse is the usual suspect for any domestic disturbances". It was not him. We could feel the whole house shudder and the blinds rattled. For a second we were in a what-the-f? mode, and then we realized it was an earthquake!

With great drama, we ran outside the house. I picked up our shoes on the way out (and entirely forgot about our wallets, passports, cellphones and car keys). To cut a long story short, the tremors lasted only for a few seconds. No damages were reported. We went back inside, and found our rickety book shelf still standing (which meant the condo was still structurally sound). In times of duress like this, we decided the best thing to do would be to get some icecream and so we did. But we parked our car outdoors and not inside the garage just in case.

Turns out, the earthquake was about 5.6 on the richter scale, with the epicenter about 15 miles from us. No damages were reported in the area (except for a few broken wine bottles). Forgive me for resorting to cliches, but I truly have a bigger appreciation for life right now. I am thankful the condo that I furnished just 2 days ago is still in one piece, and that the bookshelf which literally fell apart during it's long journey from Chicago to San Jose was still on one piece last night. It may have been a really insignificant event (did not even make national headlines), but it reminded me how significant all the little things in my world are to me.

The Lean Veggie - The perfect cup of chai

It took me many years, and I finally nailed it today. I made a wonderful cup of tea. The recipe is really simple, you just need the right ingredients and you can find all this in your neighborhood Indian grocery store.

Indian tea - I used the Tajmahal brand
Cardamom seeds - You can either use the whole crushed pods, or buy a packet of seeds (with the green pods already removed)
Milk - Preferably organic, 2% fat milk
Sugar - Real sugar is a must. Sweetners make the tea taste a little bitter
Fresh ginger - Use a vegetable peeler or a small knife, and make about a teaspoon of ginger shavings (including the skin).

Recipe -

1) In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 cup water
2) Before the water starts boiling, add 1/3 cup milk and stir
3) Add about 6 cardomom seeds (or one pod crushed) and ginger shavings
4) Heat till the mixture comes to a boil and rises. Watch the saucepan very carefully, and remove from heat the second the mixture starts rising
5) Add 2 teaspoons of tea (not heaped) and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Return the saucepan to the stovetop and heat gently for one minute. Do not let the mixture boil. If it boils, the tea may turn bitter
6) Turn off the heat, cover and let the pan sit on the heated surface for another minute
7) Pour the tea through a filter and remove the tea leaves
8) Transfer the tea into a serving cup (when pouring into the serving cup, raise your hand, and pour the tea from a height. This will cause the tea to froth a little, incorporate air bubbles, and improve the taste!)

Only 99? Where did the other 1 mark go?

I had a big smile on my face as i read this sentence from the NY times' article today about Bobby Jindal elected as the Louisiana governor) -

"The younger Jindal, growing up in Baton Rouge, was not expected to come home from school with anything less than 100 on tests"

(American politics note for my mom - Governor is the equivalent of our chief minister, and Bobby is the first Indian-American to be elected to such a post)

For any desi born in the 70's (yes, that includes dinosaur me too), this was probably the story of all our lives. A lot is being written about the meteoric rise of Indians all over the world. To me, the reason is really simple. Growing up, we didn't really have a choice. We had to get the 100. The loss of that 1 "mark" was really bad - a sign of how our "future could spoil aaidum". We bitched and moaned, but somehow, that attitude has helped all of us.

Do I want my kids to grow up in fear of the much dreaded 99? Maybe not. But there are times when I am glad my parents brought me up that way. We FOB desis do seem to have come a long way, and we probably have our dads and moms to thank, and maybe the heaping servings of vendakkai curry too!

Tajmahal - Another late movie/music review

I got yelled at for reviewing Unnaale Unnaale. Its so 3-months-ago complained my friends and family. But I really cannot change. Time stands still in my world. I refuse to believe in expiration dates for analyzing long forgotten movies. I dont go trolling for oldies, they just end up in my field of vision, then I start watching, and before long, I cannot get the movie out of my head.

I ended up watching Bharathiraja's Tajmahal on sun tv yesterday. I could not have had a more enjoyable experience. The movie was so incredibly bad, it was really good. Riya does not even bother lip-syching. She just moves her mouth like a goldfish, and there is some entirely different voice over! This was supposed to be Manoj's great launch vehicle. He must have done something really bad to piss off his big daddy, cos he is forced to mouth the most inane dialogues like "nee yen usiru" and "valikkudhu...". HAAAA!!!

But all the bitching aside, this movie does have some really good music by A.R Rahman. I am not a big Rahman fan, but this is one of his few music scores that you can listen to years later without cringing.

Sotta sotta nanayudhu - The male and female versions are pleasant enough to listen to, but this is standard Rahman cop out stuff, also known as "i cannot come up with a tune, so i'll recycle something from my netru illaadha maatram genre"

Eechi elumichi - One of my favorites. Its slow and very sexy. The lyrics are pure rustic thamizh and really poetic

"paasi mani rendu korkayila paavi manasayum kothavaley..."

Question to blog readers - The song credits read Manoj. Is he the same guy as the hero? He is really good in this song.

Kulirithu kulirithu - This is an absolute gem. Unnikrishan and Swarnalatha waltz through the impossibly high and low notes. There are certain songs where the harmony between the lyrics and tune is absolute perfection, and this song is definitely one of those. This song actually comes near close to Andhi mazhai...

So what came first? Sada or her frown?

It is one of those classic conundrums - does Sada perpetually look pissed off because of the kind of the roles that she is offered, or is she offered these roles because she looks perpetually pissed off?

Anyway, she takes to the role of an angry Jaanu like fish to water. Little can be said for the rest of the cast of Unnaale Unnaale (oh, this post is a movie review by the way). I'm still confused by the lead guy Vinay - i cant decide if he's oh-so-cute or oh-so-not. Tanisha is awful! So she has a cute smile, but the second she starts talking, its all downhill and the horrendous dubbing doesnt help.

The movie is kinda weird - it took me a while to understand where the director was heading. I actually kinda liked the theme - a couple splitting because of incompatability, and the fact that its really important that people in love share similar views in life to be happy together. Yeah yeah, they say opposites attract and all that blah, but I do agree with Sada's viewpoint in the movie. Unfortunately, her character is made to look like the bitch.

Tamizh cinema has sure come a long way. From poove unakkaaga (where Vijay decides to stay single all his life because the gal he jollufied has married someone else) to Unnaale Unnaale where the hero casually gets married to the next cute girl that shows up and lives happily everafter...

The Lean Veggie - Garbanzo beans and sprouts salad with Yoghurt-Mango dressing

I threw a bunch of ingredients together and ended up with this incredibly flavorful dish. Its important to drizzle the dressing on the salad just before serving, because, you definitely want to taste the distinct flavors of the crunchy sprouts and veggies, and also enjoy the tangy taste of the dressing. The inspiration for this recipe is of course bhel puri, i just tried to get healthier.

Yoghurt-Mango dressing -

Blend together the following - 1/2 cup yoghurt, 2 tbsp mango chutney (i used the Pathak's variety). Add a little water to thin the dressing out if needed, it should reach pouring consistency. Mix in 1/4 tsp of fresh cracked black pepper, a pinch of salt and a pinch of chat masala (optional). Substitute bhelpuri sweet chutney if you do not have mango chutney on hand.

Salad -

1) Mix together all the below ingredients (you can omit many of these if you dont have them, but at a minimum, the chickpeas and potatoes are very important)
* chickpeas (garbanzo beans) - 1 can
* Soaked whole green moong dhal - 1/2 cup (soak overnight, even better if you let it sprout). Cover with water and microwave for 15 minutes
* Boiled peeled and diced potatoes - 2 small
* Quartered cherry tomatoes - 1 handful (or use 1 regular tomato)
* 1 grated carrot
* 1/4 cup boiled black channa (definitely optional)
* Finely chopped red onion - 1/4 cup

2) Stir in 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tbsp lemon juice and a good few turns of the pepper mill. Check the flavors and add more seasonings if needed. This mixture should be flavorful enough to eat on it's own (even without the dressing)

3) Stir in 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

To serve -

* Scoop the salad into serving bowls

* Drizzle a quarter cup of dressing over the top

* Serve with some chapathis, or parathas, or even microwaved lijjat papads to make a light meal

It is easy to move, but why is it so hard to move on?

I'm moving on to bigger and better things. Then why the heartache? A cosy not-so-little suburb near Chicago was my home for the past four years. I loved it. The dreary gray winters, the searing summer heat, the incredible loneliness of saturday evenings....for some reason, I loved the place inspite of all these, and maybe even because of all these. Maybe it was the gorgeous forest preserves. The fact that you could truly live through the four seasons. Or the fabulous downtown area. Or the proximity to one of the most dynamic cities in the country.

Or maybe it was because of certain incredibly wonderful people. Who did not really have to love me. But did. And endlessly, unconditionally.

Ofcourse, as is expected of me, I will move on, going through the motions, making a new home in the land of sunshine and silicon. New friends, new job... the works. And obviously, Chicagoland and its wonderful people will move on too. Someone new will take my job. It will be business as usual.

But a little part of me will always be in the midwest, just like I left a little bit of myself in Madras. I will always cry a little for everything I left behind, everything that I loved and lost - the little birds that faithfully returned to my deck every spring and patiently waited till I filled the bird feeder, the lofty american flag just outside my window that I silently saluted almost every day, the forlorn howling winds from the lake that kept me company, the beautiful tree outside my house that was my barometer for the various seasons, the friendly indian grocery store where i bought 2 samosas as a guilty pleasure every friday, and last but most certainly not the least....my incredible friends who loved me endlessly and wished me only the very best, even as I chose to move on.

I went to California and found myself in India

There are neighborhoods in the Silicon Valley fondly referred to as Gandhinagar. This weekend, I could see why. The Blockbusters and Kay jewellers were replaced by "Sur sangeet music and dvd", and "Something-ji jems and jewels". We walked to komala vilas at 8:30 am for some hot filter coffee accompanied by MS Subbulakshmi's Vishnu Sahasranamam. For lunch and dinner, it was a literal embarrassment of riches - was it going to be Madras Cafe or the Jain diner? Tiffin or meals? South indian or North indian style buffet? And why eat icecream when you can get fresh cham-chams at Rangoli?

It was fascinating. I saw a mini mile-sur-mera-tumhara video by just watching the parents going for their customary "walk" (do they make it a requirement when approving someone's visa? "thou shalt walk for 3 miles a day through deserted suburban streets"?). I saw a traditional Sardarji, a kadar wearing thamizhian , and a pretty mod jogging Mama - all in exactly 2 seconds.

It was a little mind boggling. I immediately crawled into my virtual shell the way a desi typically does when in the company of other unknown desis. Oh, you know what i am talking about - The soundtrack that runs in our minds as we avert our eyes and frantically (but discretely) head in the opposite direction - Oh...please don't ask me about my employment and GC status and force me to lie and downplay my general good fortune in life..and no....I don't want to become an Amway agent for you...and no....I can barely hold on to my job, there is no way i can sell your "consulting services" to my company....And no, please don't stereotype me by asking "which software platform"....not all we desis are software types

Anyway, I need not have bothered. The junta were pretty cool, nobody gave us as much as a second look. After all, I was in little India, just another face in the crowd. I banished the defensive soundtrack playing in my mind and reveled in my new found status -someone that fits in. And, at the Udupi palace, as I unapologetically attacked my third-trip-to-buffet plate (scaring my husband with my immense appetite), I felt like I was at home. And it felt really good.

Acts of faith

I am not an atheist. Really (though for some reason, my friends and family seem to think I am)

I grew up listening to my family preach the principles of Advaitha - it all made perfect sense -

* You get good or bad things based on your karma
* Your next life time is determined by your good deeds in this life time
* So really, just be good, and suck it up and pay for your past misdeeds
* And sometime in the distant future, you will start pulling out of your good deeds-bad deeds rut and truly start seeking God
* And you will find his divinity in every living thing on this planet
* And you will start loving everyone selflessly and not even hurt a fly
* And you will be released from the bondage of life and death and become one with the One
* And all through this journey, your Bhakthi will help you stay focused on the right path

I always took pride in what I thought was truly absolute devotion, which in my words was complete love and acceptance of God's will. If he wanted me to suffer, I would. I refused to bargain. I chose instead to accept.

However, my friends and family (while acknowledging that i get all basic concepts right), want me to sneak God some favors, and escape from doing time for my bad karma. I truly don't get it. Would my beloved Anjaneya hurt me if I accidentally sang a hymn in praise of Janani instead of his Chalisa on Saturday? Would Dhakshinamurthi refuse to bless me because I didn't have the time to make sundal, as I was busy making money that i am saving up so that my husband and I don't have to work till we are sixty, so that we can retire early and volunteer all our time for good causes?

Don't get me wrong. I am all for prayers. They soothe the heart and help lead you along the right path. But why pray only for 10 minutes a day and why think only those 10 minutes count? Why cant the life that I lead become my prayer? And why cant Love be my God?

I HEART NY TIMES!!!!!!

Its a dawn of a new era....free speech that is truly free! For many years, NY times restricted access to articles by some of it's most important columnists via a subscription only service - times select. NY times has finally figured that there is one thing people truly expect from anything online - free stuff. So, they are offering access to the likes of Maureen Dowd, without the annoying Times Select log in screen!

And why does this matter? NY times is an important voice in the Murdoch era. Their columnists spoke their minds even during the years when toeing the party line was the in thing. So, do yourself and in turn the planet a big favor. Do read the NY times.. its free after all!

Bol na halke halke...

"aaga moththam sangeetham unakku saapadu maadhiriya?

illa, sangeetham enakku swaasam maadhiri"

This is one of my favorite dialogues from Sindhu bhairavi. It totally struck a chord with me. I am obsessed with music. You cannot tell this by looking at my (non-existent) CD collection, or my humble 2gb walkman/SonyPod. Music is in my heart, my head and truly in my swaasam. Its presence is so powerful, its almost like a friend or a family member. Ofcourse, I have the same frustrations as with a real person - sometimes we are simply not in synch. And then, there are times when I truly fall in love.

And I did last week. Reading my cousin's not-so-glowing review of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, i had to watch it. Hey, seeing the final product, the producers should have really called it Doom Barabar Doom (in Su's words), marketed the whole thing as a very clever spoof, and they could have started their own scary movie style franchise! Anyway, after constantly ff-ing the movie (in both ways), i finally got to the Bol na halke song. OH MY GOD! It is truly one of the most brilliant numbers I have heard in a very long time.

The beginning of the song is slow, just a few tentative tabla beats, and then, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's golden voice goes "Dhaage thod laaon..." and you are transported. To the narrow streets of old Delhi in the 18th century. To the Taj Mahal. You can almost feel the swish of gossamer veils, inhale the fragrance of gulabs, and taste the pedas from Agra! The song just keeps getting better. Mahalakshmi's performance is a true revelation - Soulful, romantic, and simply brilliant. She pours emotion into every syllable - not just the brilliant lyrics by Gulzar, but even when she sings plain old swaras.

All kinds of instruments are used. There is a wonderful 10 second electronic guitar piece (immediately after the first time she sings Bol na halke halke). It is simultaneously modern, and wonderfully classical as well, and woefully short. I liked the picturization too, all fantasy, slow motion shots, and Abhishek is kinda cute!

So really, this movie has not been all doom. For the past five days, this wonderful 5 minute slice of heaven has truly made my heart Jhoom.

Music Review Kannamoochi Yenada

Ok, this is really more like a review of one song in the movie - Sanjaram seiyyum kangal. For the past 2 days, this is the only song I have listened to during my drive to and from work. About 40 times to be precise.


Promise to self and more importantly my blog readers - I WILL NOT BITCH ABOUT MADHUSHREE IN THIS POST (though there is enough material, just in the context of this song) Well, I'll probably just make a teeny mention somewhere towards the end of the post about the massive thamizh kolai and just rant a little at Yuvan Shankar Raja. But like i mentioned in my earlier post, this is one of the two things I have to accept if i want to continue to enjoy Thamizh music.


Sanjaram is easily one of Yuvan's best to date. Everything about the song is unique and brilliant. Yuvan seems to deliberately underplay the instruments, and the focus is truly on the lyrics. I was just about to type my favorite lyrics in the song, but then realized I have to type the entire song! Its sheer poetry. There is a violin piece, before the first saranam, and everytime I hear it, I am reminded of Ilayaraja. No, Yuvan is not "inspired" in a plagiaristic way - it almost seems like he is saluting his Dad is the most creative way possible.


Shankar Mahadevan is inspired. His voice soars, and is perfectly complimented by Yuvan's innovative sound arrangement of echoes, which makes the song also sound refreshingly modern and youthful. In the second saranam, there are portions where the percussion instrument is replaced by the sound of water. It almost sounds like someone tapping the surface of a bowl of water instead of a tabla. I LOVE IT!!


Ok - now the rant. I know i bitch about Madhushree non stop. I know i sound tedious and repetitive. I am really trying to keep an open mind and hoping she would grow on me, but no way. She is terrible in this song - many words are bungled, and looks like not one person in the entire production crew has made the effort to correct the mistakes. S.V Shekhar in a drama tells someone "dei, ne pesum podhey eppadi spelling mistake varudhu?" With Madhushree, ava paadum podhey spelling mistakes, and apparently, neither Yuvan nor Priya cared. She ends up taking all the kurils in the song and flipping them with the nedils and vice versa Just a few examples-

* Instead of "un vaasam thangivida", she sings "un vaasam thaangivida". So, the meaning gets changed from "your fragrance lingers in my heart" to "your fragrance is tolerated in my heart"!!

*"Paarvaigal ondrai serkadho" - Should it not be Paarvaigal ondraai serkadho?

* i think its supposed to be "thodu thodu" (which makes sense in the context of the song), but you hear all kinds of versions from "thada thada" the first time to "thoda thoda"

You cannot really blame Madhushree for the lyrics, because to me, Yuvan and the director Priya are to be blamed equally if not more. But, even as a singer, Madhushree ends up sounding very very mediocre, even technique wise. She sings with zero gamakams, does not convey any of the "yekkam" in the lyrics and is barely able to mouth some of the lines in the lower octaves.

I hate sounding like a bitch, and I am normally not this critical about anyone. But music is such a wonderful thing. Bhaava is so important when you perform, and there are so many wonderful singers out there, it is a shame to see someone waste the great opportunities they have been blessed with. Often, years down the line, the ages we lived in are defined by the works of art we created. So, is our generation going to be looked at as one full of "sor-pizhais" and "karuthu-pizhais"???

Music Review - Bheema

I spent the past week floating in a wonderful haze of euphoria, all thanks to three amazing songs by Harris Jeyaraj in Bheema.

Enadhuyirey Enadhuyirey -

This is in the munbe va genre - slow, melodious, romantic. Nikhil Mathew is soulful. Sadhana Sargam's thamizh is surprisingly better than usual, but the song would have been even better if Harris had used Shreya. I checked out the singers on Raaga and found that Chinmayi's name was also listed for this song. Then i realized that Chinmayi has actually sung the second saranam, but i would not have known it was her if i had not read the album credits. This is the major trouble with her - she is an excellent singer, but for some reason, ends up sounding entirely different in every song. Being versatile is not a bad thing, but, I'm not sure how she can make a lasting impression without a signature voice.

Siru paarvaiyaley -

I love Karthik! His voice is young, peppy and near perfect. I'm listening to Harini after a while. She has matured as a singer, and its a pleasure to hear her sing the beautiful lyrics

"thumbiyaaga maari undhan veedu varavaa
thoongum unnai thottu paarthu muththam idavaa"

Mudhal mazhai -

If you ignore the "mehu mehu" throughout the song, this is easily one of Harris' best. Mahathi is superb - she sounds like a seasoned carnatic singer, but her voice is also light, and young, like a really cool version of Bombay Jayshree. I love the lyrics in this song too....

"Ore naal unnai naanum kaanaa vittaal en vaazhvil andha nannaley illai
ore naal unnai naanum paarthey vittal annaalin neellam podhavillai"

However, in order to appreciate these songs, I have forced myself to accept two annoying things that many Thamizh composers do -

*Pet peeve 1 - Use singers who do not bother figuring out the right way to pronounce thamizh words -

I do not have a problem with hindi singers performing thamizh numbers. The wonderful thing about true rasikas is the way we appreciate and enjoy the real spirit of music without restricting ourselves to the narrow confines of languages. Afterall, the mecca of carnatic music is Chennai and not Hyderabad (i mention this in the context of Thyagaraja's telugu compositions), and didnt SPB became the voice of Salman Khan during his best days? I love Shreya Goshal. Her pronunciation of thamizh words is near perfect, and if you listen to her soulful renditions of munbe va and elangathu veesudhey, you wouldnt believe she is not a thamizh speaker. Madhushree however just kills me. Its not her accent which bugs me, but the very mutiliation of one of the greatest treasures of the world - thamizh. In Vaaji vaaji, she sings "azhagai saani idu" instead of "azhagai saanai idu". Small difference? No way!!! Anyway, it looks like i am the only person getting rattled by her voice. She ends up getting to sing really good numbers such as Mayilirage and unakkul naane, and now Ragasiya kanavugal in Bheema. I listened to this song once, and promised myself it would be the last time. She tries to sound sexy when she sings "ilamai ilamai". She really could have focussed on getting the "la" in the illamai right.

*Pet peeve 2: Weird words in no particular language

Harris is probably the worst offender. I was hoping he would have changed with this album, but no. And we listeners have recently been spoilt by Vairamuthu's fabulous senthamizh in Sivaji - "Poompaavai aambal aambal". So, listening to "kaiba kaiba" in Beema's siru paarvaiyale is like nails on a chalkboard.

I waited for many years hoping they would change, but looks like i have to do the changing if i want to listen to good new Thamizh music.

The lean veggie - Something like Puliyodharai

Puliyodharai is one of the most loved south indian foods. I did not have all the ingredients, but desperately craved its incredible tangy taste. So, I took my friend's recipe and made a few changes. The result was pretty good. Having run out of cashews and peanuts, I used boiled black channa instead. It sounds unusual, but goes very well with the rest of the ingredients, and ofcourse, it is a great source of protein and much lower in fat than regular nuts. This is a two step recipe. You prepare the spicy tamarind paste - pulikaachal. You can then bottle this and use as a chutney/spread/pickle, or mix a few tablespoons into some steamed rice and make puliyodharai. When refrigerated, the pulikaachal keeps well for days.

Ingredients for the paste:

* 1 tbsp coriander seeds (dhania)
* 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
* Dried red chillies - 4
* Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
* Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp
* Black pepper corns - 1/4 tsp

Heat 1 tsp oil in a non stick pan, add all the ingredients except the fenugreek and sesame seeds and fry till you get a nice aroma from the coriander. Add the fenugreek and sesame seeds and fry till they brown. Make sure they do not burn, these fry up rapidly. Empty into a blender. Cool thoroughly and then blend into a fine paste.

Other ingredients:

Black channa - Soaked overnight and pressure cooked till soft - about 1/2 a cup (this is optional, can be substituted with peanuts or cashewnuts). You can soak a good quantity, use a portion for making sundal, another for channa masala, and use the rest in this recipe. Even better when sprouted.
Light brown tamarind paste - 2 tbsp mixed in half cup of water
Curry leaves - About 10
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds (methi) - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Dried red chillies - 2
Cooked rice - About 2 cups of raw rice, cooked with 6 cups of water. Use sona masoori or ponni for best results, and make sure each grain of rice is soft, but firm. Spread on a wide plate to cool.
Hing/Perungayam - 1/4 tsp

Instructions for making the pulikaachal:

1) Heat 2 tbsp of oil, add mustard seeds and splutter
2) Add curry leaves, red chillies, and fenugreek seeds and fry for a few seconds. Add the channa (or the nuts) and stir fry for 1 minute
3) Immediately add the tamarind paste and stir
4) Add the hing and turmeric powders and prepared paste
5) Add salt (to taste, atleast 1 tsp. check and add more)
6) Boil on a medium flame for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Wait till the water has evaporated
7) Remove from flame.

Bottle the pulikaachal when cool. To prepare puli saadham, take the required quantity of rice in a bowl, add a little salt, 1 tbsp of sesame oil if available, and mix in a few teaspoons of pulikaachal till the rice is uniformly brown. There are no exact proportions - you can mix a little, then taste the rice, if too bland, then mix in some more paste. This is a great tiffin dabba filler!

Looks like my blog is slowly dying

And why would it not? I am logging in less frequently than even my loyal readers. The widely read ones are obviously the frequently updated ones. And i find myself unable to update my blog. Is it because I am super busy? Not really, i do have a few things going on, but not to the point where I cannot find 10 minutes to rapidly key in three paragraphs of text. No....the real reason is, i find it increasingly difficult to muster up the energy to do anything. I need a paycheck, so I show up at work and go through the motions. But, getting myself out of bed and dressing....thats an immensely painful ordeal.

By the time i go back home in the evening, I am too drained to do anything else. I grab a bite, and hit the sack after re-reading a Harry Potter book. I wake up with a jolt after my mind actively participates in one of two recurring nightmares - major assignment at work that i have not finished, or me at a tranquil beach with a monster suddenly emerging from the sea, and giant tsunami style waves rapidly approaching. I then re-read Harry Potter from 2:30 to 3:00 to lull myself back to some lightly disturbed sleep with acceptable dreams about Voldy and Dobby.

I guess I need to have my head examined. Or I can get all cute about this and quote the following lines...

So no one told you life was gonna be this way????
Your jobs a joke, you're broke, your love life is DOAAAA???
Seems like you're always stuck in second gear,
and it hasnt been your day, or month or even your year.........

Note to mom and sis: Please no calls after reading this post, this is just supposed to be a mildly interesting blog post to fit in with the "i me myself" label

Addicted to Youtube

It all started with hubby (who can be loved dearly just for his impeccable taste in thamizh music) playing Vijay's famous vadu maanga song in the car. I got hooked (sorry, as always, i am the last thamizhian on the planet to catch up with superhits). I used to be a big fan of Vijay in song sequences. My crush started right from the o pyari panipuri days. My sis is even better...she discovered his vast potential right away after watching dhottabetta roattu mela muttai parotta (i'm ROFLMAO as i'm typing this!!!)

So i logged on to youtube to search for vadu maanga's video, getting all misty eyed in the process, thinking about our vastly improved lives with thamizh music on demand. I remembered the doordharshan days when we used to wait all week for the magical 30 minutes of Olliyum Oliyum (took me many years of thamizh lessons to figure out the right words, i always called it oliyum muliyum and thought muliyum was just another unfamiliar word in the vast thamizh world). The video disappointed me. Vijay's dance was awesome as always, but the picturization didnt pack the punch that appadi podu does.

I then spent the next three hours online. Each time you watch a song on youtube, you can immediately check out other similar videos. And soon, I found myself watching some golden hits of Illayaraja. There were some surprises - my favorite Pudhiya poovidhu was entirely picturized on Mohan in a swimming pool (ok ladies, just calm down!)

Nizhalgal's madai thiradhu was picturized mostly on Chandrashekhar, and sung by SPB, but, when you listen to the song, you only think Ilayaraja. His personality, his aspirations, and his spirit jump out right at you in this song, more than any other composition of his. I watched the video, and had to rub my eyes with disbelief, when, they actually show Ilayaraja lyp-synching to SPB's voice (ah...the delicious irony), specifically for the famous (or rather infamous) lines "pudhu raagam padaipadhaaley naanum iraivaney". Is it the height of arrogance? Maybe yes....but hey, as a fan of Da King, I'm not complaining for sure.

And then the clothes. No Manish Malhotra needed. Some of our yesteryear actresses were seriously fabulous. I still have not seen a single actress match Sridevi's look in Thanikaatu raaja (simply with mallipoo and pondy bazaar accessories and simple nylon sarees). And of course, Thalaivar rocks in the song too.

Mohini in Eeramaana Rojave wore some really cute outfits -coordinated paavadai, well-cut salwar kurta (long but with deep side slits) and a skinny dupatta. It looked really feminine and indian, i wish that trend had caught on (like the gitanjali dress did).

And then there was Amala...sigh....she deserves a whole blog post dedicated to her style, so watch this space!

I am done reading, but can't re-enter the muggle world just yet..

WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!IF YOU HAVE NOT READ/NOT FINISHED READING HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS POST!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At first, I could not understand why people wanted to write reviews for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. However, after reading the book, I understood why. Having read something THAT phenomenal, all you want to do is talk about the book and commiserate with fellow fanantics, because a part of you simply does not want to accept the fact that the series is over.

I loved it...no wait, thats a major understatement. I loved it enough to push it to my list of top 5 books ever read. Is it perfect? Ofcourse not. It meanders for a good 350 pages, there are weeks and months that go by without major events happening. But eventually, the pace picks up, and before you know it, you have plunged headlong into the action faster than Harry jumps into pensieves. This post is not intended to be review - there are more than 800 reviews in amazon, covering every bit of the story admirably (and while you are at it, check out the discussion threads too)

The book reads like the screenplay to a blockbuster movie. I laughed, oohed and aahed, and then cried for 10 minutes non stop when a much loved character dies (i really did, no other book has even elicited such a reaction from me).

Here are some of my pet peeves with the book -

* Harry makes the connection between Godric's hollow and Godric Gryffindor only much later in the book. Duh?!!!!

* After building up Luna, Ginny and Neville's characters book after book, they are grossly under-used in this finale

* Other than Bill Weasley developing a taste for rare steaks, there is no other mention of how he is affected by Greyback's attack

* So many peripheral actors are killed, you dont feel death's impact beyond a point

* I always hoped Harry and Hermione would become a couple. After all, Hermione truly cares for Harry and her intelligence is the perfect match for Harry's guts and there is a tantalizing scene at Godric's Hollow where Rowling makes us think just for a few minutes that they could be together. However, in the next chapter, Harry says she is like his sister. I know, i know, Rowling never ever gave any hints about anything other than friendship between the two characters, but still...I was hoping there would be something more.

* The epilogue - I HATED IT! So everyone marries their high school sweethearts and live happily everafter with a 100 kids each? After all that drama, Ginny and Hermione become suburban soccer moms content with getting babies after babies? (not that there is anything wrong with it, but hey, this is supposed to be fantasy fiction...why bring in the mundane stuff?) So what does Harry do? Does he become an auror, or are aurors now passe cos he-who-must-not-be-named is no longer around? Does he become the minister of magic and help foster a new age of friendship between wizards, goblins, centaurs, elves and all magical creatures alike? Does Hermione not do anything at all for the rights of elves?

And this is what i loved about the book -

* When Hermione finally professes her love for Ron - this is arguably the cutest moment ever created in modern literary history/pop culture. Read the book just for this!

* The Weasley twins' radio commentary about Snape and shampoo and their Mr.Holey jokes

* The brilliant twist in the plot leading to you-know-who's end (i had to read this section a couple of times and then refer to the Half blood prince to fully grasp what had happened)

* The transformation of Kreacher (the little flashback with Regulus, Kreacher and the inferi was truly spine chilling)

Rowling perfectly ties together elements from all the previous 6 books, making you think that she had figured out the entire story 10 years ago. To me, that is the biggest triumph of the Harry Potter series - seven perfect books coming together, with all loose ends tied, plus little insights into characters that you didnt even think of giving much attention to.

Every character's strengths and weaknesses are revealed, and that probably explains the immense popularity of the series. There is no absolute good or absolute evil (with the exception of Voldy perhaps). There are no perfect characters - Harry becomes painfully aware of the failings of all the father figures in his life - Sirius, Dumbledore, and James.

The only absolute truth that wins is love. Plain, pure, simple, unconditional love. To Harry, at first, it seems too simple (he even says "yea love, big deal" to Dumbledore), but when giving Dobby his last farewell, and feeling nothing but love in his heart, Harry pushes away all the doubts and uncertainties in his mind and finally moves forward.

So, when Time magazine loftily proclaimed that the one who dies in Harry Potter is God, they could not have been further from the truth. Harry find his God, in Love - true unconditional love felt towards muggles, witches, wizards, elves, hippogrifs, giants, thestrals, and goblins alike. To Harry, love is God.

Sometimes, life is so worth living!

It was a moment of sheer unadulterated decadent joy...opening my postbox and finding a grubby box from Amazon. I opened the box, and held the treasured work of art in my hands....the journey has been soooo worth it...all the days of waiting and wondering. I have quarantined myself from the rest of the world for the past two days, not reading the news and protecting myself from spoilers. It is time now. In a day, i will know how it all ends. I am not sure if i want to review this book. Why would anyone want to review a harry potter book? It is for every person to discover the magic in their own time.

Four more days.....and the magic will begin...and then will sadly end...

I am all set. Having watched Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix and re-read Harry Potter and the half blood prince, I can't wait till saturday!

We went to the theater, and for the first time, I watched American kids act like Thamizhians during a thalaivar movie. They started applauding when the lights first dimmed, cried and cheered when Neville Longbottom figured out a little magic, and hooted during Harry's famous kiss with Cho-chang. I was watching the movie with Mr.you-know-who who was rather incredulous, but my reasoning was, if we can have our super-star/hero, surely they can have their boy hero? And Harry Potter is a hero for one big reason.....he is not a super hero. He fears, is afraid, gets pure lucky many times, is helped by his friends, makes mistakes, worries about flunking tests, and still ofcourse is the only hope for the planet.

The movie however suffers from the curse of being the fifth movie in a septalogy. Neither do you experience the wonderous thrills of visualizing Harry's world on the big screen for the first time, nor do you have the satisfacton of closure. Also, the Order of the phoenix is an inherently weak book, centered around two major plot disappointments - the obviousness of the prophecy and the shattering weakness of James Potter. However, the movie is bolstered by a superb supporting star cast. Professor Umbridge, Luna Lovegood, Sirius, and Lupin are all played by fabulously talented actors. The most notable character introduced is Bellatrix Lestrange. The scene showing her breaking out of Azkaban is truly spine chilling. The movie is brief but could have lingered more on the increasing angst and impatience felt by Sirius as he is holed away in his ancestral home. Also, the graphics for Hagrid's giant half-brother are really tacky (Grawp ends up looking like the guy on the cover of Mad magazines for some reason)

Anyway, I'm glad i saw the movie, because, despite all it's cinematic flaws, the movies help me put faces to the characters I read about. As I re-acquainted myself with the Half-blood prince this weekend (which to me is the best book in the series), the book played itself out like a movie in my mind. I could visualize Ralph Fiennes as a young Tom Riddle, and woke up at 2 in the morning with nightmares about Inferi!

Our parents can proudly tell us that they saw the swinging sixties, wore bellbottoms, lived and loved with the beatles. And we can some day proudly tell our children of our journey with Harry Potter, of the days we spent breathlessly counting down to each book's release, of the sleepless nights spent to finish 600 pages to find out what happened at the end. Seven times in ten blissful years, every now and then, we could leave our mundane world behind and enter the magical world of witchcraft and wizardry...the world of the "boy who lived" and "he who must not be named". This saturday, the journey will finally come to a bitter-sweet end. Yes, I am happy cos i will find out what happens in the end...all mysteries will be solved...all questions will be answered...but then what? What will then make my dreary muggle existence a little more bearable?