2 whole years of blogging! And just over 75 posts to show
for it...
My blogging is like me – always lazy, sometimes funny,
sometimes angst-y, and rarely without drama! So if I can’t find the drama that
goes with a picture or a recipe, that dish will just languish somewhere in my
folder without seeing the light of day. And it’s not just a problem with dishes
I cook up; on all our trips away from home I click away food pictures like
crazy... and then don’t find a way to write about them on the blog without
making it sound too much like a travelogue :(
So that is what has happened to the photos of the Bedmi Aloo
and Milk cake devoured in Chandni Chowk, the Rajasthani white chicken and Papad
ki subzi sampled in Jodhpur, the amazing fine dine enjoyed at some of the most
beautiful restaurants in Goa, and the simple Tambda Rassa and Chicken sukka
savoured in Kolhapur. Huh. Now that I have actually written that down, they
suddenly seem very exciting and full of drama! Damn...
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining at all. Also, it
would be rather strange to complain about my own laziness, no? Hmm... Anyway, I
just like to think of it as Quality over Quantity. Well, obviously not quality
of the recipes, because there are so many food bloggers out there who stump me
with their regular qualitative and quantitative output... Ok, so quality of
drama then!
So keeping up with the tradition of my First Blogoversary’sdramatic post, here is my Filmy version of the highlights of Year#2 at The
Weekend Epicurean... An unhealthy mix of food, film and fantasy! The Best of 2011
if you will:
1. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara – Whole
Wheat Chocolate Chip Muffins!
What is wholesome, full of yumminess, feels sinfully
like a dessert but actually packs a punch of goodness and flavour? Well it is
the ZNMD on my blog – Choco-chip muffins! Like the movie, it left me feeling
happy, giggly, and satisfied, but not guilty about over-indulging in a ball of
fluff. A perfect recipe for a happy meal and a happy me! My personal favourite film
and favourite baked goodie of the year.
2.
The Dirty Picture – Korivi
Kaaram
Make no mistakes, this Chilli-Garlic
Chutney makes no claim of nutrition, health or low-cal! Just like The Dirty
Picture... which I think had no great story, screenplay or sub-plot. But hey,
both have a Red Hot Chilli so fiery and over-the-top that you cannot but smack
your lips in anticipation :D And I think it’s just apt that I compare one
South-Indian bombshell (Vidya Balan) to a fellow South-Indian scorcher (Korivi
Karam)! Spicy, hot, and totally worth burning the roof of your mouth :P
3.
Shor in the City – Avocado
Guacamole
Why am I comparing the beautiful,
earthy, intensely Indian “Shor in the City” to the Mexican Guacamole?? Because
I was pleasantly surprised, no... absolutely amazed by both. I had never tried
Avocado before and was quite wary of how it would taste. And come on, “Shor in
the City” had Tushar Kapoor with a bunch
of newcomers! It was wariness redefined! The only reason I watched this film
was Senthil Ramamurthy and the song ‘Saibo’; much like the only reason I
decided to make Guacamole was thanks to Nigella Lawson’s rapturous descriptions
:D And you know what, both the adventures turned out to be well worth the risk.
To be fair, the flavours of the film and this dip do share some similarities – a
heady mix of the buttery soft avocado and the mushy romance, the tartness of
lemon with the punch of the crazy characters, the crunch of the onions with the
stark realism of the plot, the spice from the chillies mingled with the desi
humour... Definitely one of the best dishes of the year :)
4.
Mere Brother Ki Dulhan/Delhi Belly – Poached
Peaches
This is a very straight-forward
analogy. See, I generally don’t like Peaches. But in this form, they were
actually quite delectable. This dish doesn’t boast of a great recipe or fancy
techniques... but it’s easy and great fun! And sometimes, that is exactly what
you need. MBKD was a film where the title of the movie told you the entire
story; And Delhi Belly survived only on potty jokes and silly humour. But
surprisingly, I actually enjoyed these movies thoroughly! No analysis, no
attempt at deeper meanings or larger social messages – here are two films that
were a lot of fun to watch. Just peachy, I say!
5.
Shaitan – Wasabi
flavored Noodle Broth
Shaitan is like a shot of wasabi in your mouth. It shocks, excites, tingles your tongue, tears up your eyes (not with emotion) and leaves you breathless! I loved this film. Just adored the style, the confidence, the music, the editing, the recklessness... everything. I know there are a lot of people who will say that it’s inspired by Tarantino or Scorcese, that Hollywood does this genre so much better than Bollywood, etc. But please, in the Indian context, no one has done this better. Like my noodle broth, it is a one-pot meal with every wonderful ingredient thrown in. Its wicked, delicious, spicy and you just want to dig in and slurp it all up.
6.
Rockstar – Raw
Papaya Curry
Most of you Rockstar lovers must
be shaking your head in disbelief. Rockstar and a Raw Papaya Curry??!! I must
be out of my mind! But hold your horses, let me explain. My raw papaya “avakoora”
is no bland fruit dish. It has the kick
of mustard, the spice of red chillies, the sweetness of coconut and the bite of
a full-bodied curry. So go on. Judge me now!
Ha. I thought as much.
But let me make one thing clear –
unlike this traditional Andhra recipe which is almost perfect, I think Rockstar was an extremely flawed
script. It was intense no doubt – a love story of star-crossed lovers that sets
your spine tingling. And Ranbir was outstanding as the guy who achieves
everything he ever dreamt of, but still finds himself lost without love. The story
had the potential to bring tears to your eyes, to move you to despair... but it
failed. For one, I couldn’t feel for Nargis Fakhri. No really, every time she
came on screen and tried to act, I had to suppress my disdainful snorts! She
was ridiculous... And I couldn’t feel for a guy who fell in love with this
cartoon :/
But my reservations about the
script and heroine aside, this film much like The Dirty Picture, makes it to my
best dish list thanks largely to the actor – Ranbir Kapoor. He is definitely a
fruit a in a curry. The surprise sweetness in a fiery hot mouthful...
7.
Ra.One – Caramel
Custard
So there it is! A truly filmy celebration of my Blog's 2nd anniversary :) Hopefully this year will be as filmy, as delicious, and even more dramatic than the past year! *Cheers*
