Judgment Day

I was distressed and perplexed. Few people were rushing towards the green light or may be it was blue, peacock blue. It had shades of purple as well. Another set of people were flowing like a sea, towards another beam of light. This color was different but incomprehensible, it appeared grayish and next instant it appeared glowing with hues of silver. This was reminiscent of the northern lights in the upper hemisphere.

The movement of people was all random. I could hear a load sound, similar to thumping of drums. I needed to know, where I was heading to. My eyes were searching for the golden gate surrounded with fluffy clouds and an old figure in a white gown. The questions were all in my mind. I always wanted to ask HIM that why would he get an innocent being in this world; mentally retarded or handicapped or inflicted with disease? But today, the numero uno question in my mind was, why did HE decide to wipe out the entire human race in one go?” Is this the end of three million years of our existence? Or were there any survivors still; some colonies of fortunate people who were entrusted the responsibility of creating a new generation, the seeds of the future. The future which we all ill-fated beings would not witness; we all would just end as a layer of fossils.

I was trying to figure out the pattern but failed to map the relation between the light and the motion of people. The sound intensity increased and was near to deafening. The chaos brought intense fear in me, was I in the dreaded place which everybody feared to be in? My heart beats increased rapidly and the fear kept my feet numb.

As I glanced closely at the people, I could see a lot of marks on their naked skin. Some looked like cave drawings. The only comprehensible image appeared like some ancient numbering system. I quickly concluded that they could be the count of their good deeds or signs of their wrongdoings, but would it be that easy? The entire life plotted on the surface area of the skin. One person had a bright mark on the back of his head. Another had a similar mark. I rambled fast through my mind, “Yes! It was the scar from the HEC: the human embedded chip (popularly known as ‘heck’). These were the people who against all the oppositions and protest decided to get the HEC implanted; the so called prophecy, the mark of the beast. I could not see any markings on my skin. I tried locating people who did not have any markings but failed to find one. I started feeling tensed about it. Why was I singled out again? The world was not enough that out here as well, I was in minority. I realized stress and worries accompanied me all the way here. And out there folks visited yoga camps and spiritual spas which guarantee stress free existence. Stress and worry were peculiar of the homo-sapiens, an alarming system of the illusionary hazard ahead. With this stress, I could not hold myself at one place and decided to cruise along with the crowd. “Wasn't there any administrative staff to guide the masses?” I spoke loudly, but felt like I failed to register the sound in any of the folks walking with me? I screamed, any signs or symbols? Was it the sound of drums that they could not hear my voice, or maybe they were ignoring me? I stopped a fellow being but I could not touch him. I shouted at him but he did not move; that meant he could not hear me as well. I realized that off course even I could not hear anybody except the drums. Now, I was scared. My screams could only be heard by myself. I felt helpless but that was not accompanied by a feeling of grief, the feeling was very different from anything which I had ever felt earlier.

The confusion of directions faded away. I confidently started walking in a direction, as if this was the right way, totally unaware how this realization suddenly stuck me. The sound of the drums now was softer. My eyes felt moist. As I rubbed and blinked my eyes, the images around me started getting blurred. I slowed down, but then an inner voice asked me to keep going. I started to worry as suddenly everything around me blanked, but the soothing sounds in my ears relaxed me. The music started getting softer and hummable. I got a feeling of weightlessness. I was no longer walking and felt like being swayed away with the hush of wind. I felt like a child in cradle and a realization of a LIFE well spent.

Sweet sensation

Year 1984. Somewhere in Filmistan studios, a hindi movie scene is being shot where the hero comes back to the village from the city. And the mother is full of happiness and to express the same, she makes one recipe for his son. To put in Bollywood lingo she goes" Beta haath mooh dho le, maine apne haathon se tere pasand ka gajar ka halwa banaya hain." The next scene has few high octave rendition of the words ‘Gajar ka halwa’ with special emphasis on the word ‘Maa’

Decades later, with the western influence may be the ‘Maa ke haath ka gajar ka halwa’ is fast disappearing from our movie scenes, but its one desert which has caught my fantasy for its rich filmy past, vibrant color and the motherly tag attached to it, which makes you long for it when you are away from home.

To cut the Sunday afternoon boredom, I decided to try out the recipe. That meant rushing to Walmart and getting all the ingredients to give it a perfect taste. The most essential ingredient is getting the Sweetened Condensed milk. Rest all the ingredients Carrot, Milk, Butter were already there. And off course few nuts to add-in and garnish.

This recipe can be summed up as 15-15-6. The grated carrot(1/2 kg) and 1/2 cup of milk to be heated in microwave for 15 mins. After that add 200ml of Condensed milk and another 15 mins. And last a scoop of butter, little sugar, crushed almonds and pinch of cinnamon/ cardamom powder and then 6 mins of last heating session and the recipe is ready.

My Experiment with Beef

My stomach craved for the beef cutlets which my mother makes. As I strolled across the meat counter at Hannaford, I could not resist picking up the minced beef. I was entering new terrains. Before this, I had never cooked beef in any form. I decided to make the Beef Cutlets, my mother's way, and the only help I had, was of my watchful eyes which had captured numerous images of my mother making it over all the years. Offcourse, as you all know by now that I have to achieve the feat with the microwave only.

I tried to pick up all the Indian Spices I could, so I was well equipped to make a sumptuous meal for my first Ramzan iftari. I started off with washing of the meat and I met with my first blocker. Draining minced beef was really tough without a proper weapon. I had to make do with my hands. I always had comments from my mother that I used to drop a lot of food while eating, but I blamed it on my long fingers which left large gaps between them for food to escape. Well, the same fingers ditched me and made my draining efforts more arduous.

As it is true for all meats, the next step was to marinate it well. I added Ginger Garlic paste, Chilli powder, Coriander powder, Garam masala and salt. To add a touch of my own I added finely chopped mint leaves. And then it was break for an hour and a half. The marination looked like perfect dough. I added a little of moist bread to the dough. Once the dough was ready my mother used to ask me taste the same for the spice and salt. Though tasting raw meat was not a great idea, but I used to always oblige her. I decided to skip the tasting session.

I soon realised that I was missing out a key ingredient. The maida biscuits powder or rawa. I decided to substitute it with bread crumbs. Since i did not have dry bread, I made bread crumbs out of the soft fresh bread I had. This was the second mistake, as I struggled to equal up my mother's recipe. I took a portion of the marination rolled on my hands into flat cutlets and spread it on the soft bread crumbs. After that, I rolled it in egg. This was the most cumbersome activity as the cutlet absorbed all the egg on one side and there was no egg left for the other side. I added butter and quietly put it on to a plate and pushed it in microwave for 3 mins. After another 3 mins I changed the side and kept it inside for another 6 mins. Well the result was bad, 12 mins cooking made the beef very hard and turned it a little black and the egg layer was all rubbery.

I ate it with no complains, but for the second round I skipped the eggs, went only with the breadcrumbs, reduced the cooking time to 6 mins and the result was not that bad.

You must be wondering what was my first mistake? Skipping the tasting session. The meat was less in spice and salt. I added chopped green chillies and more garam masala and a little of salt.

In the third round, I did away with the Bread crumbs as well and reduced the cooking time to 4 mins and the result was amazing. Check it out.....

A day when....

The high heat setting in the commercial dryer does not dry your clothes.
The knife refuses to slice tomatoes but slash them.
The cilantro freezes to ice in the refrigerator.
The only news on television is about n th investigation of MJ's death.
You forget half of your grocery in the super market.
The car refuses to align with the parking line.
The onions leave you sobbing more than ever.
The conditioner makes your hair rough.
You stop being a cleanliness freak.
You feel a creased shirt should be in fashion.
The recipe you cook tastes like porridge.
The vending machine gives you back 16 coins of 1 dollar.
You feel like screaming at the people who smile at you.
The only visual you see outside your window is the cemetery across the road.
The toilet paper feels like a sand paper.
You hallucinate that you are getting suffocated in pounds of flesh meat.
At prime time there are back to back episodes of 'Ghost Whisperers'.
Your naked eye can locate all the microbes in the air.
The carpet design appears like a thousand bed bugs crawling at you.
.... I am just having a bad day today.

Flew from US

I feel a new Index need to be determined for all the countries. 'Cost of Life’ as valued by the country. When 3000 lives were lost in 9/11, US deemed fit to open a war against terrorism by blowing out Al Qaeda, Taliban and eventually Afghanistan. Mumbai lost more than 200 civilians in the terror attack on 26/11, but all the security measures are still crawling up the bureaucracy ladder. And larger issues faced by the country will dwarf it further; Swine Flu is one of them.

On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organisation(WHO) signaled that a global pandemic of novel influenza A (H1N1) was underway by raising the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 6. But it took a young child's life for the administration to awaken to the Killer Swine Flu pandemic. The callous attitude lay bare by the fact that the screening of travelers at the airport was almost nonexistent, till the first death from Swine Flu in the country was reported.

I did watch a Pandemic Special on History Channel, which put forward a theory for the arrival of new species of the virus attacking mankind. The theory stated that the new virus travelled with the comets from the outer space. They would be deposited on the Stratosphere. It would take a decade for the virus to travel down. But sun being the nearest star, influences this with its energy thereby hastening the virus trip down to earth. (This reinforces a slight orthodox thought that one should not eat during eclipse). The birds are the first to inhale them and spread them during the migratory journey.

So, while we always wondered about UFO and aliens, these microorganisms from outer space will rule us for the next few months.

"Mumbai Schools to remain close for 7 days."

I have been waiting for this for really a long time, but it never happened during my school days nor college days.

Drug companies are making huge profits in the wake of the pandemic which has risen much faster than the earlier subprime crises. The sale of soaps, tissues, masks have sky rocketed. Chemist shops, media all are up there for making profits. They must have wished for good times during recession and their wish is granted.

This all reminds me of the story 'The Monkey's Paws' by W .W. Jacob. "Be careful what you wish for, you may receive it." So, this is a lesson for all to realign what we long for in our lives. For the next 7 days, enjoy the captivity of the house and students be prepared to spend your Diwali vacations in school.

I did watch 'Love Aaj Kal' and felt that Saif Ali khan was too regressive in a character which is reminiscent of his character in 'Hum Tum' and 'Salaam Namaste'. Imtiaz Ali as a director wonderfully portrays the relationship dilemma of his characters, Viren (Abhay Deol) in 'Socha Na Tha', Geet in 'Jab We Met' and finally Jai & Meera in 'Love Aaj Kal'. The funniest remark by Saif in the film is when asked about ‘fresco’ and he retorts back that he is only aware about disco.

Apart from Jai (Saif) who flew from US for Meera to India, the next big thing to fly to India is a wave of new set of Cookery Reality shows. The Food Network channel currently airs 'The Next Food Network Star' in US, where all from housewives to chefs compete for the top post. Last week saw Melissa d'Arabian, a housewife from Texas, winning the coveted crown. Another set of shows are 'Iron Chef America', 'Chopped'. If they are launched in India, you know where you first heard it.

Five Step Chicken Biryani

Marinate boneless chicken with curd, lemon, red chilli powder, Garam Masala, mint leaves, coriander powder and green chillies for an hour.

Heat half an onion for 10 mins- 12 mins with a blob of butter in microwave till they turn brown. Add them to the marination along with two large spoons of salsa sauce and salt as per taste.

Cook one and half cup of rice in a separate bowl in microwave for 8 mins. The rice needs to be left a little undercooked.

Empty the marination at the bottom of a large bowl. Now spread the layer of rice over it with a little butter and then push the bowl in the microwave for 12 mins.

Cut half an onion, one small tomato, mix them with handsome quantity of coriander. Add half a green chili and salt. You have a side salad ready for your Chicken Biryani.

+ On heating, curd loses water. Ensure you balance your recipe so you have an ingredient which absorbs that. In the above recipe rice will absorb the excess water.
+ Combine meat with raw onions, as they are best when it comes to lowering cholestrol.
+ After dinner, the first thing you do is the dishes. You relax, and the sink stinks for the whole night.

Gorge on the lovely microwave grilled chicken

I owe this to my wife.

This recipe is more interesting than its name, well you cannot grill in a microwave, but this has taste which is as good as Grilled Chicken or Barbequed Tikka.

This is a quickie which I made, but you need to plan 2 hrs ahead as the chicken needs marination.

Marinate four pieces of chicken tenderlions with a big juicy lemon, a spoon of ginger garlic paste, a spoon of red chilli powder and half a spoon of Tandoori chicken masala. Add salt to taste.

After two hrs, pick up each tenderlion and spread them on a microwave safe dish. pour the remains of marination evenly on the chicken. Cut four cubes of salted butter, place it carefully on each of them. Place it in Microwave on the Cook mode for 8 mins. Later, turn the chicken pieces on other side and slide four cubes of butter on each piece of chicken. This time they will melt. Push it in the microwave for the final 3 mins.

Garnish the dish with white onions and capsicum.

This quantity serves three people - Me Myself and I

Key to make this recipe wonderfull.....less of everything...masala, lemon , salt....but lots of taste and offcourse tenderlion.

Trivia:
The tenderloin is an especially tender cut of meat due to its infrequent use, following the general rule that muscles closer to the spine are more tender as they are not exercised as frequently as others.

This is located under the breast of the chicken and will be weakly attached to the breast when the chicken breast is removed. it will be long and slender with dimensions comparable to a finger.

PS: Follow this post as I explore microwave cooking... I am locked up in US with only microwave in my suite kitchen.