Petals!

How many of you know that Hotel Park Ascent in Noida has a delectable buffet spread that is just perfect for your next party? I am not kidding about this. It’s true and, now that you have been informed, let me tell you how to make it worth your money. First, decide the number of guests you plan to call and then finalise which banquet hall you want to opt for.   You will be shown a few halls - each one breathtakingly dazzling than the previous - and the prices are affordable. I highly recommend that you nurture a pro-active, warm relationship with the Banquets Manager who is in charge of making your party experience a truly memorable one as it was for me.                                        Once you finalize the hall, the tough part comes next - to finalize the menu. They give you so many delectable package options that it took me three days to figure out wh...

I grew up outside India for many years - which also meant that while I got to eat exciting types of food (nope, sorry to disappoint you, not grasshoppers - I don't think I would be okay with it!), like crispy chicken in the basket or grilled Chambe  fish, I missed out on some desi food options. My parents say that I was such a reluctant child when it came to eating food that I used to take two to three hours to finish a single meal, morsel by morsel! Not anymore....hahaha! Tea-time snacks at home used to include a variety such as dhoklas, parippu vadas, unniappams, murukkus and cakes. Yes, that was my mom's happiest ''cooking days" sort of phase. She would whip up a new dish everyday and it would turn out so yummy that we would want more of it. Looking back, I can't help admiring my mother because I simply don't have that kind of consistency or energy to even try this on a daily basis. She did this for years while we were growing up outside I...

In Cathy Kelly's novel, "Homecoming," there is a lovely quote about cooking and here it is: "There is magic in cooking. It's like prayer. All those heads bent, hearts joined together. That's why it works. It's because of people coming together." What do you say? How do you experience cooking? What does it mean to you?

Growing up in Kochi where rains are an everyday affair, my first concern was always to find creative ways to enjoy it like walking in the rain, feeling the raindrops slide down my face and believing this is what it means to be one with Nature. I always love shopping in the rain so that its a great excuse to get drenched! Of course, I get scolded for it, even now! [READ: Revisiting Old Blog Posts] When I was a kid, I remember my mother teaching me to sing, "Rain rain, go away, Come again, another day" and now I teach my son the same rhyme. Watching the rains with my parents and sister is now a distant memory but it is the memory that springs to mind all the time. Relationships are always based on love, but in today's times, love itself has become an abstract concept. (Shobit whose blog is titled Mindzspeak has an interesting post on this. To read it, click here.) Rainy days make me hungry. I am so used to munching on something hot and having some hot tea while enjoying...