Suvir

Rich in Poverty, Poor in Richness - Astounding Humans, Majestic Humanity

An hour or for that matter even ten minutes can change so much. All one needs is perspective, open eyes and a mind that thinks and sees reality for what it is.

Farm life when celebrated without blinders on and when one is free of prejudice - is nothing short of miraculous.

A Supremely Succinct and Poignant Letter

 

Young in years, sage in spirit, inspiring in his actions

 

Watch this video if you are ready to see a glaringly wonderful face of our society. No drama or vulgarity here. Pure magic! Simple, honest, uplifting, inspiring. Jacob Rudolph's story is one we should hope for every young kid in America and beyond to have. 

40th birthday, a cookbook (a gift to me), a sacred city, and a memorable dinner

Charlie gave me 40 gifts for my 40th birthday in November of last year.

One of the gifts was Jerusalem, A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi.

Like 99.9% of the cookbooks (of the thousand plus we have) that we have, which never go opened, or used - I had thought this one will also be put to rest on a shelf. Waiting to be pulled out by a guest, borrowed and never returned or just there for posterity using space and making a room look rich.

That was not meant to be. Afterall Jerusalem is no ordinary city. Why then should a book with that name be anything expected?

New year, new thinking, new beginnings, new recipe, new tastes - new life! A reflective guest-post by Ellen Tarver

I’m making my peace with food. And I won’t give up. 2012 will be a year of adventure—learning from both successes and failures—and of new tastes and discoveries.

I’m more determined than ever to leave the children’s table behind me, to care about what I eat, and to shop in the produce aisle and not the frozen foods section. What an exciting year this will be!

This is how I ended my blog a year ago, when I wrote about how Suvir Saran’s recipes and encouragement had changed my life and awakened and educated my palate. And I was right—2012 was a year of great culinary adventure and excitement.

There is always some light, even in the deep depth of dark darkness

Woke up to CNN doing a “How to Survive a Mass Shooting” feature. 

Sad that kids have to spend time learning this and yet we question if science and evolution should outweigh football and baseball. 

Perhaps we can demand full separation of Church and State at the very minimum if the GOP will not allow a comprehensive dialog on the country’s archaic gun laws.

It is clear that the Founding Fathers did not want the Church involved in Governance. It is to some not clear how far the same wise old men would go with the freedom to carry arms. We will never know what they would have done. But we could easily comprehend that they would not be happy with the status quo.

Happy Birthday Suvir!

It is now November 29, 2012 in Singapore, and that means Suvir is celebrating his 40th!

Be the Smartest (And SHARPEST) gift giver this holiday season

Tired of giving gifts that never give back?

Well this is your chance to give a gift that gives back in more ways than one.

It is the gift of the sharpest knife money can buy. It brings sharp knives, better prepping, happier cooking, more enjoyable food and deeper satisfaction - all with the effortless and precise cut of a truly sharp knife made with passion, attention to detail, best materials, respect for tradition and immaculate care.

www.chuboknives.com

Vegetarian dishes to be thankful for and get comfort from

PARTY CAULIFLOWER

Gobhi Masalam
Serves 4 to 6

Panditji used to make this dish for my mother’s very fancy, annual dinner parties when I was a child.  I loved those parties: the table would be lavishly set with our best china, silverware and linens and we all feasted on a vast array of exquisite foods complemented by Panditji’s best pickles.  I make this now for special occasions because it never fails to impress. 

Why we need to vote Correct and NOT RIGHT this November

 

Mio Bistro (Dorset, VT) - An oasis of honest/tasty dining in a culinary desert

Mio Bistro - The baby of Beverly Bee and Leo Ledoux is a gem of a restaurant. It would be a place to go wherever it existed but especially so in North Country (So. VT and North Eastern NY) which is otherwise a food desert. It is an oasis with great comforting powers.

Potato salad unlike another - pleases and comforts with magical ease

Ed Schoenfeld, a restauranteur, consultant and chef, makes a version of this potato salad for many of his dinner parties. Before I met Ed, I was never a fan of mayonnaise-based potato salad. Once I tasted his ve rsion, my opinion changed forever. What’s unusual about this potato salad is that there is sugar in it. The sweetness combines with the sweet-sour taste of the gherkins, the tang of the lime, the spiciness of the cayenne and the herby freshness of the basil to make a potato salad that hits the ground running. With lots of mayonnaise and olive oil, I admit that it isn’t the healthiest salad in this chapter. But it’s not the kind of salad that you make every day—it’s worth the splurge.

Woman in Command - Betty Osborne at 80

Betty Osborne is a proud New Yorker (Brooklyn born and raised in LI and VT, now living in Upstate NY). NY is lucky to have her as its daughter. She is the kind of citizen that would make any nation or people proud. Happy to serve her own and those unknown. Service like this is not found today. People serve to serve their own type. Her's is a type that is So-American and yet today, So Un-American. 

Marshmallows - Softening my experiences around food

Known to mankind as far back as Ancient Egypy, these pillowy soft confections are perhaps one of my all time favorite candies.

Sadly, as many things that go ruined as the Industrial Revolution took grip on our world, the marshmallow of yesteryear lost its sparkle. I have resigned myself to only having an occasional magical moment with marshmallows. They are rare and without much frequency at all.

A reason to be engaged this election season!

Please do not allow emotions that ought to be separated from politics to creep into your head as you vote for the highest office in the nation.

It seems religion may rob the President of fulfilling his vision, and that would be a sad day for this nation.

Religion is a personal journey and ought to be kept so. If this is a public face of religion,  this deeply spiritual and also religious man from India may decide to turn athiest.

Operatic Voice and Expressions - Malika-e-Turranum, Noor Jehan of Pakistan (and pre-partition India)

I have some of the fondest memories of music related to Noor Jehan and this song in particular.

Thanks Razak Khan and Marvi Mazhar for bringing this video to my life. I am in your debt. Noor Jehan is indeed the light of the universe. Camp as they can be. Electric and Dramatic. Special and precious!

Eggs - A seasonal delight that delights beyond belief

Egss - Of course we wonder if the goose, duck or chicken came first or the egg. But it hardly matters, In end, it is tha magic that is unleashed on our tongues and through that on our senses that is all exceptional, especially at this time of the year.

Poverty is Richly Flourishing in the RICHEST Nation of the World

 

The video tells you all you need to know. But do yourself and those living and struggling in poverty a huge favor - vote as you ought to. As intelligent citizens not protecting just their own right and privilege, but also that of those not privileged enough. You too (we all, really!) could be rendered poor by circumstance, you too will then be needing anothers vote to protect your interest and help you out of your then situation.

There is hope! The sky's the limit! - Guest Blogpost by Ellen Tarver

I would never have thought that turning off our cable could have changed my life in so many ways. Hey, wait a minute! I thought this was a food blog! Now, don’t get ahead of me—I’m not going to talk about saving money, making better use of my time, getting off the couch and getting into life, all those things you’re thinking of. Or wait…maybe I am…

Book Signing and Sharing of Tastes - Gardenworks, Salem