Curry Made

Apple pie

2012-01-25T18:18:00.002+01:00

and tea for breakfast.

Homemade vanilla extract

2012-01-07T19:46:00.004+01:00

Talking about Christmas presents,

no, no. Not the Polish vodka! I received a generous stash of vanilla beans from my sister-in-law and her fiancé.

I'm not sure why I haven't thought to make vanilla extract at home before. It couldn't be simpler! Most sources online recommend a ratio of three beans per eight ounces of vodka (or rum). I sliced the beans down the centre, scraped the caviar and put all of it in sterilised bottles. Each bottle held a wee bit more than 16 ounces, so I used seven beans per bottle.

I've squirrelled the bottles away in the darkest part of the cabinet. Now all I have to do is give the bottles a good shake once in a while and more importantly, be patient!

2012

2012-01-04T17:51:00.007+01:00

Things have been quiet here lately but I closed 2011 doing some of my favourite things. I had the opportunity to travel, celebrate holidays with family, try new recipes in the kitchen and finish a few sewing and knitting projects. Although I have been remiss in writing, I had to share one of my Christmas presents from my husband.

Voila! It was a complete surprise, too. He picked out this particular model based on reviews online, and so far so good.

He also rather wisely gave me some reading material to go along with it! After perusing the book, the serger manual and other blogs, it seemed like threading the machine would likely be my biggest challenge. I was prepared! It must have been beginner's luck but I managed fairly easily. I tied on the new thread to the spool the machine came threaded with and just pulled it through. It worked for one out of three spools. For the rest, I just followed the manual. I've already started a project from the book and will write more about it soon.

Happy 2012!

Another refashion

2011-08-18T09:53:00.003+02:00

I refashioned another of my husband's shirts recently. This one is from a store in India that mainly features cottons and linens in their collection. The fabric is very soft and summery, and I was quite excited to convert it into something to fit my wardrobe.

I had less fabric to work with this time around - an Indian extra-large is a lot smaller than an Eddie Bauer large-tall.

I followed the same steps as I did for my last refashion. The part I found tricky was trying to incorporate the shirt's shoulder/back detail, since I didn't want the cut-out to appear misplaced on my shirt, but I think it turned out well.

Like the last time, the sleeves are my favourite part! I used the original cuff to make tabs so that I can wear the sleeves rolled up or down.

Like my previous refashion, I didn't shorten the shirt at all, and used the original hem. I left the back longer, used French seams, and finished the neck with bias tape made with left over bits of the sleeves. All-in-all, a refashion success, me thinks!

Thanks to my husband for helping me with the photos.

Another Sorbetto top

2011-08-12T17:11:00.003+02:00

After I made my first Sorbetto top, I had planned other versions but we haven't had much sun in Paris this summer. So by the time I got down to making a second one, I had all but forgotten the design elements I had wanted to incorporate.

I had envisioned converting the original pattern to a racer back, but the only thing I did differently was curve the armholes in a little bit, add length in the body, and leave out the front pleat. I cut out a small pocket for the front but ultimately decided to leave it out since it was lost in the floral pattern of the fabric. I had wanted to make a curved hem but by the time I got to it, I forgot and cut a regular hem! I guess I was in a hurry to wear my new shirt before the sun disappeared!

Thanks to my husband for taking the photos.

Eats

2011-07-21T08:21:00.003+02:00

Coffee and pain au chocolat.

Dill ricotta topped with cucumbers and tomatoes and fleur de sel from Guérande spooned over a piece of fresh baguette.

Pasta with creamy leek and garlic pesto from Bittman, and Dorie Greenspan's garlicky crumb coated broccoli.

Gâteau au Citron, an absolute favourite chez nous.

Breakfast on most days. The yogurt is not homemade but one of my favourites, Malo nature.

Mozzarella, tomato, basil, olive oil, pepper and fleur de sel.

White beans, spinach and potato in a creamy coconut curry over couscous.

Weekly homemade pizza.

Breakfast on the weekends after a trip to the boulangerie: chausson aux pommes.

Not photogenic but very tasty. Leek, potato and zucchini pancakes from NYT's Diners Journal. I always add garlic.

Chocolate chip cookies from David Lebovitz's Ready for Dessert.

New top with Peter Pan collar

2011-07-18T15:23:00.004+02:00

I finally drafted a Peter Pan collar using Gertie's three-part video tutorial that I've had bookmarked for a few months now. Gertie's tutorial is very detailed, and overall, I found the collar quite easy to draft, as I followed her directions exactly.

I drafted the collar for a smock pattern I've made before from this Japanese book. Once I sewed the collar pieces together, I wasn't quite sure how to attach the collar to the top but it worked out rather well in the end. I used a 2" bias strip folded in half as a facing, and again, followed Gertie's directions.

As for the smock pattern itself, I changed quite a bit. I obviously left out the ties and slit down the front. I also reduced the front piece by about 1" on the fold for a better fit, and converted the gathers of the original pattern to an inverted pleat in the center. I added gathers to the sleeves by extending the original sleeve about 1" on either side at the cuff end, and finished the sleeves with bias tape.

Even after having washed it once, the fabric is a little stiff owing to the sizing but I'm hoping it will soften with use. It was a cut-piece of about 1.5 meters that I picked up months ago for five euros, so I can't complain. It was perfect to practice new drafting techniques!

I'm most chuffed about having drafted a Peter Pan collar, and about manipulating the smock pattern to make something different. I love this top! Despite the sleeves, it feels summery, and since Paris has remained rather cool this month, I really appreciate having sleeves.

Thanks to my husband for taking all the photos!

Le quatorze juillet

2011-07-17T09:29:00.004+02:00

I didn't take a single photo on France's independence day but I did enjoy being in Paris for the holiday. We started the day with a run along the Seine, looking up at the sky to watch the flypast of helicopters and jets accompanying the parade down Champs Élysées. After brunch, as we watched cyclists climb the Pyrenees on le Tour de France, I made another chocolate cake to bring to a potluck dinner.

This photo is months old but we enjoyed a similarly spectacular sunset with the same vantage, from a friend's apartment with a fantastic view over the city. We nibbled on delicious food and sipped on wine as we waited patiently for the fireworks. The theme this year was From Broadway to Paris, and the show didn't disappoint. La Tour Eiffel made for a grand backdrop, and it was probably the most extravagant fireworks show I have ever seen.

All in all, a splendid day in the City of Light.

Indian spiced peas with tomatoes and dill

2011-07-11T08:39:00.003+02:00

In India, dill is often prepared like spinach or any other green leafy vegetable. It isn't simply reserved for garnishes or used in small doses like other herbs but rather cooked up as a side dish to be eaten with chapatis and dal.

When I was younger, it definitely wasn't my favourite option for dinner but as an adult, I have grown to love the flavourful 'vegetable', often prepared with roasted, crushed peanuts or roasted mung dal.

I had a small bunch of dill left over from this dinner but not enough to make a stand alone vegetable side. I though it might pair well with peas and tomatoes, and it does! The dill definitely takes center stage but is not overly powerful. If you aren't a big fan of dill, leave it out all together; the peas and tomato combination is wonderful by itself.

I realise too, that cooking Indian recipes often involve a long ingredients list which can seem intimidating if you are not accustomed to cooking Indian food regularly. So I've decided to post simple Indian recipes as and when I cook them. I can also post a few tips for cooking Indian food, if that seems useful to anyone.

Indian spiced peas with tomatoes and dill
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

sunflower or vegetable oil
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic minced
2 medium tomatoes (not too ripe) cut in large cubes
2 cups fresh (or frozen) peas
1 tsp corriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
red chilli powder (to taste)
2 fistfuls roughly chopped dill
salt

Add oil to a hot frying pan. Add onions and cook till translucent. Add garlic, and cook for a minute.
Add corriander, cumin and chilli powder. Be careful not to burn the spices. Keep stirring and add water, a teaspoon at a time, if needed, to avoid burning the spices. Cook till 'raw' smell of spices disappears, about 1 minute
Add tomatoes. Cook for a minute or two, till tomatoes still hold their shape but skin starts to pull away.
Add peas, stir, and cook till peas are almost done. Add dill, stir, cook for a minute. Turn heat off, cover pan for five minutes.
Serve with rice or chapatis and yogurt. Enjoy!

No bake chocolate cake

2011-07-07T10:11:00.003+02:00

We had a friend over for dinner last night; instead of cooking up several courses, I served a number of small plates. The spread included roasted red peppers with garlic and basil; a mozzarella, tomato, and strawberry salad (from Dorie Greenspan's Around my French Table); tomato-chèvre tartlets with homemade pesto (also from Dorie Greenspan's Around my French Table); a simple lettuce salad with balsamic vinaigrette, and plenty of crusty baguette to mop up the juices.

Heidi's No Bake Chocolate Cake made for a wonderful close to the meal. I kept it simple, and left out the allspice and espresso. I also replaced the heavy cream with crème fraiche, and was tempted to arrange some sliced strawberries on the top but ultimately went with some chocolate curls instead.

It was a simple and delicious meal, focused on fresh, quality ingredients. I will definitely be making all of these dishes again!

Sorbetto top

2011-07-05T15:29:00.003+02:00

The Sorbetto top from Colette Patterns was perfect for the one-meter piece of cotton fabric that a friend gave me. I cut out the smallest size and lengthened the blouse by several inches so that I could finish it with a wide hem. It is loose and comfortable, and it made for a quick and easy addition to my wardrobe. As for the black linen skirt, I made it using the pattern I drafted last year to make this skirt.

I made this top a couple of weeks ago but today is the first day I was able to wear it without a cardigan. I wore it to the park for a picnic lunch date with my husband, who kindly took this photo!

Salmon cakes

2011-07-01T12:40:00.003+02:00

Salmon cakes with a yogurt-mayo-dill sauce, lemony spinach and pan-fried garlic potatoes.

Before I forget, here's what I did:

Mix cooked salmon, minced onion, minced garlic, lemon zest and juice, mayo, fresh dill and ground pepper together in a bowl. I also happened to have some sweet relish in the fridge so I put some in but capers or minced pickles with a pinch of sugar would taste equally good.
Add a lightly beaten egg. Mix.
Shape cakes with hands, coat with bread crumbs (I was out of panko), and fry in batches till golden brown on both sides.
For the sauce, mix yogurt, mayo, fresh dill, a wee bit of relish and harissa. Season with salt.

Enjoy with a nice glass of white wine from the Loire Valley!

Eats

2011-06-30T06:56:00.003+02:00

Pea-mint pesto with spaghetti.

Channa masala and chapattis.

Alphonso mangoes. Although we didn't make it in time to buy a box from one of the grocery stores near Gare du Nord, a friend from India was kind enough to share a few that were shipped to her from Bombay! Yes, these mangoes are that good.

Last-minute picnic. We didn't have much at home that day but enough for a few sandwiches. Jambon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper.

Homemade ricotta gnocchi using the same recipe I used before.

Masala omlette with onions, red and green peppers, tomatoes, chillies, and fresh corriander. With crusty baguette and Bordier butter, naturally.

Parsley pesto rice pilaf with peas, sardines, and sauteed veggies.

Lemon bars using this recipe. Very, very good but not the best.

Roasted peppers with capers and mozzarella also from Smitten Kitchen.

Almond flounder meunière (except it wasn't flounder; the fish monger recommended something else) with a side of braised fennel; from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table.

Treats from Aux Merveilleux de Fred. Check out David's review here.

Refashion

2011-06-27T11:36:00.004+02:00

For several years now, I have been wanting to refashion one of my husband's shirts into a dress for me. I have a small pile of his shirts that have either shrunk in the wash or that never fit him well to begin with, slowly accumulating in India and the US. Since storage space is notably scarce in our rented Parisian apartment, there really is no room for piles of anything. So I finally gave it a go, taking inspiration from Antoinette and her clever refashions.

I was working with a large-tall Eddie Bauer shirt, so I had quite a bit of fabric to work with. I started with ripping out the collar and the shirt pocket. I initially wanted to keep the collar stand but it was much too large, and it had to go. After I cut along the side seams on the body and sleeves, I converted the box pleat on the shirt back to gathers.

I used a self-drafted pattern to cut out the shirt fronts and back, and the sleeves. The sleeves are my favourite part!

I also sewed the original pocket back on the right front of the dress.

I added small gathers to the shoulders, which you can't see very well in these photos, and I left the back of the dress longer than the front (inspired by Wiksten's Lissa dress).

I finished the entire dress with french seams, and I had enough fabric left over to make bias tape, which I used to finish the sleeves and neck. I wore it the day to wander around Paris!

Thanks to my husband for taking all the photos of me in my new, refashioned dress.

Fête de la Musique

2011-06-22T13:53:00.003+02:00

The first official day of summer started off rather gray and cloudy but the sun made a brief appearance before the day was up. We spent the evening wandering about the city and listening to music. Without a pucca plan, we were able to stop at street corners, in front of cafés and mairies, and at various parks to listen to whatever caught our fancy. We returned home with exhausted feet, tired and weary but we had a good time! Here are a few photos from the evening:

World Wednesdays: Vientiane food edition

2011-02-23T14:59:00.003+01:00

We enjoyed our first meal in Laos on the outskirts of Vientiane. It was a Sunday and most of the preferred noodle shops were closed, but we eventually found a bowl of steaming hot noodle soup.

This photo takes me right back - I remember perspiring from eating too many chilies, and worrying about the water used to wash the fresh herbs. I remember chasing away flies with a flick of my wrist and trying not to step on the matted dog under our table. I remember children lazing in hammocks and chicken scratching the dry dirt. I remember vividly, the excitement from being in a new place.

Thum muk hoong, Lao papaya salad. Bursting with flavour and fiery hot (by far the spiciest thing I ate on that trip). The Thai version, som tam, is much sweeter than the Lao version.

My first taste of dragon fruit, a perfect respite to all the spice.

Grilled fish along the banks of the Mekong.

We were also lucky to be part of a baci ceremony, where we got to try some expertly prepared traditional Lao dishes by our friend's family. A few food photos from the ceremony:

The spread included,

beef laap,

a delicious soup (that I can't remember the name of),

fresh vegetables and herbs, and sticky rice (that I don't have a picture of).

Of course, there were crates of warm Beerlao to wash down all of this delicious food.

The aftermath.

Thanks for indulging me as I reminisce on this especially grey day in Paris.

Eats

2011-02-21T14:38:00.003+01:00

Croissant sandwich with comté and thyme roasted mushrooms and shallots, with a small salad.

Sautéed onions, mushrooms and broccoli with lots of garlic. I can't remember what I did with them once cooked!

Homemade roasted pumpkin gnocchi in a brown butter sage sauce, with a side of caramelised leeks.

We bought okra from one of the Indian grocery stores near Gare du Nord to make a delicious bhendi masala.

Masoor dal to go with the bhendi masala.

My first attempt at homemade yeasted doughnuts turned out rather well. Except our apartment smelt a little like a diner after all the frying, and I cut the holes a little too large! I used this recipe.

A box of Arnaud Larher chocolates to nibble on.

Crusty baguette with ripe camembert, tart apples, and a grainy mustard-balsamic spread.

Our weekly homemade pizza in the oven. My preference is for a slow-rise pizza dough but this time I tried Jamie Oliver's recipe. Tasty but a little bread-like. Also, I miss my pizza stone.

Spagetti with roasted eggplant and mushrooms in a basil and tomato sauce with buffalo mozzarella.

Chocolate ganache custard tart from David Lebovitz's Ready for Dessert. Easy and fantastic!

A lemon-looking clementine that we found lurking in the piles of clementines at the market this weekend.

World Wednesdays: Vientiane, Laos

2011-02-09T10:32:00.003+01:00

Last year at this time we were in Laos. Vientiane, the capital city felt miles away from the crowds of India. We rode bicycles in the cool of the mornings, sought shelter in the shaded temples as the day warmed, and watched the sun set over the Mekong while sipping on Beerlao. I took several hundred photos on our trip as we travelled north through the country, and then beyond. Here are a few pictures from Vientiane:

If you are interested, I'll be adding more photos here as I edit them.

Japanese smock

2011-01-28T10:33:00.004+01:00

I bought a couple of sewing books on my quick trip to Japan last month. It was difficult to decide which ones to buy, there were several shelves of books to pick from!

My decision to buy the ones I finally chose was influenced by the many lovely creations I have come across online. Most of the patterns in these books have clean lines and are minimalist, which I find very appealing.

I picked Smock no. 21 from the Adult Couture Dress and Smock Blouse book (yes, it translates to a rather odd title in English) as my first project. I don't read Japanese but the drawings provided sufficient direction.

I traced out a size 7 but took in an inch or so at the sides, and left out the ties in the front.

I've never sewed with any material other than cotton and (occasionally) silk, so my fabric selection stays pretty limited in the winter months. I used a lovely cotton kalamkari from in India, not at all suitable for winter, but I wear it over a wool turtle neck top, which works pretty well. I'm hoping to try my hand at sewing with other materials soon.

One last photograph of me taken by mon marie at the Musée de la chasse et de la Nature in front of a forest made out of corrugated board!

Eats

2011-01-25T16:30:00.002+01:00

Raw oysters from Normandy with lemon and shallot vinaigrette.

Fenouil

One of my favourites: Pascal Beillevaire demi-sel beurre.

Mid-morning snack: basilic chèvre on pain de campagne.

Deliciously smelly: Mont D'Or

Spicy chana masala for those particularly cold days.

Creamy, cheesy, garlicky rice with Swiss chard and a poached egg, inspired by Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table.

Basil, beef and vegetable stir fry

Peanut butter cookies from David Lebovitz's Ready for Dessert.

On my mind

2011-01-20T11:06:00.004+01:00

This past Sunday was the sunniest day we've had in the last three and a half months. We took advantage along with hundreds of Parisians. We ate lunch in a park, walked a lot, and closed the day with a run. It was fun to see everyone come out and enjoy the weather but it also makes me treasure the grey-er days, when I have the sidewalk café tables to myself. Mostly.
I had the best confit de canard on Tuesday. I didn't even know that I like duck. Maybe it was all the butter it was cooked in. And the garlic. Yum.
Our apartment is beginning to smell of cheese. At first I thought it was only the refrigerator, but now I'm certain the aroma of ripe cheese is taking over. Honestly, I don't really mind. For now.
I made Khao Soi last night. I had fallen for it the first time I'd tasted it in northern Thailand: spicy, creamy coconut curry, with egg noodles. What's not to like? Except that I substituted spagetti for egg noodles. Blasphemous, I know, but I didn't have any at hand. Nevertheless, it was delicious! I'll be making it again. With egg noodles.
I hope to spend some time sewing today. I've made a couple of shirts, but have yet to write about them. Right now, I'm working on a project that is turing out way too large for me. More about that later.

Enjoy Thursday!

Red tweed beret

2011-01-19T10:26:00.003+01:00

You sure do see a lot of berets in Paris, although I've noticed that people here don't wear knit hats much. If they do, their hats are mostly slouchy, and they are saved for the coldest of days.

I have been guilty of enjoying my red beret for the last two months without posting about it. We even had the sun peek out of the clouds for a few minutes back in November, long enough to take a few photographs.

I used the Tweed Beret pattern by Kirsten Tendyke from the Winter 2006 issue of Interweave Knits, and a little over one ball of Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Aran. I haven't yet blocked it, so I'm not sure if it will grow or shrink, but for now, it's perfect.

It sits nicely on the top of my head, doesn't slide down over my eyes, and the knitted fabric stays pouffy and beret-like.

I'm unintentionally wearing three hand knit items in this photo - my beret, a knit scarf (to be blogged), and my hoodie-less Central Park Hoodie (knit before I started this blog).

I'll leave you with one last photo, where I follow a fellow red beret wearer up the stairs. In case you are wondering, hers was not hand knit.

Thanks to my husband for taking the photographs!

Bonne année

2011-01-11T15:26:00.004+01:00

I closed the year with a quick trip to Japan,

with buying lots of sweets from a confiserie, and enjoying them with my husband,

wandering the boulevards and rues of Paris and taking in the festive lights,

decorating a teeny, tiny tree with handmade ornaments, and cooking up a big feast.

We brought in the New Year with champagne, and then, more wanderings about town,

with visits to museums,

and cat sitting for a friend,

waiting patiently in queue for a baguette at our neighbourhood boulangerie,

and cooking, and eating some more.

Here hoping the New Year brings health, wealth, and happiness. Bonne année, mes amis!

Après le storm

2010-12-10T11:04:00.004+01:00

Turns out that is was a record breaking snowfall. A full 11 centimeters. A generous dump of 4.5 inches. And, Paris was totally unprepared.

It was a beautiful sunny day après la neige, so I took another walk. At my own risk, I might add.

While most of the "catastrophic" snow had melted, the rest had compacted down and was icy. No shovels in sight.

But what does a girl from India know about snow? I was just trying hard not to grin and to not break a leg.

Snow in Paris

2010-12-09T14:26:00.004+01:00

This is what it looked like outside my window before I decided to take a walk yesterday.

No one was really prepared for that much snow ('that much' by Paris standards).

Not pedestrians,

and certainly not cars. The roads were in a general state of disorder as cars slid around in the dirty snow. I saw a fancy Mercedes being pushed by five or six police officers with it's rear tyres spinning furiously, and I saw a young woman break down in violent sobs in the middle of a busy intersection with sheer exhaustion from pushing her scooter that had stopped working. It wasn't all bad, but that was when I stopped talking pictures.

I heard a couple of girls giggling and singing, "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas..." at the top of their lungs while crossing the street, and I saw several kids and puppies enjoying the wet, heavy snow on their walk back home from school.

I certainly enjoyed the snow. I loved it!

Last week

2010-12-06T12:20:00.005+01:00

I celebrated my birthday with a French meal at A La Biche Au Bois, which was authentic, cosy and delicious.

It snowed off and on all of last week. Not much, but just enough to make all of Paris look so pretty.

And, in addition to a rich chocolate gâteau, I had several other petit birthday treats. Yum. Hope you had a good week too.

Thanksgiving in Paris

2010-11-25T15:11:00.002+01:00

This year we get to enjoy two Thanksgiving meals. Last night's dinner was a pot luck, to which I had agreed to bring cranberry sauce. I fretted a bit about finding fresh cranberries after having so hastily volunteered, but I easily found some at La Grande Epicerie.

I added some sugar, fresh orange juice, zest, and finely minced ginger to the cranberries, which cooked down to a delicious sauce.

I'm looking forward to our second Thanksgiving dinner this evening. I realise that not everyone who reads this blog celebrates Thanksgiving but for those that do, I hope you have a good one. I, for one, have much to be thankful for.

World Wednesdays: Treats from Tokyo

2010-11-17T15:31:00.005+01:00

I know, last night's dinner didn't photograph well, and I haven't been to Japan, but we cooked dinner with a couple of Japanese friends last night, and it was pretty exciting. Ingredients included kimchi, tofu, soya milk, fermented rice paste from making saki (not sure what it's called), a delicately flavoured herb that I didn't recognise (it was like a fennel bulb but much smaller and really quite different), shitake mushrooms, and sea weed. We made the unformed looking tofu in the center of the pan at home using the left over soya milk and a small sachet of nigari (magnesium chloride) that came with the soya milk. I've made paneer several times before but never tofu. I told you, it was pretty exciting!

We also scraped a little of this Japanese orange (mikan? mandarin orange?) into our bowls after serving ourselves. The flavour was exquisite. I'm planning to use the leftover fruit to flavour a simple chocolate sauce to go over vanilla ice-ceam for dessert tonight.

Other goodies that our friends brought along -

Time for a coffee break. Happy Wednesday!

Eats

2010-11-15T14:35:00.003+01:00

Some of our meals from the last few days:

Seared salmon (marinated in a basil-balsamic vinaigrette) with pan-fried garlic potatoes and braised leeks with lemon.

Basmati rice with chicken and wild mushrooms in a creamy red wine sauce, and a pear and chevre salad.

Spicy stir-fry with egg fried rice.

Sardines served over lentils, french beans in a creamy mustard sauce, and pan-fried potatoes with chives.

Pain aux céréales smeared with a homemade onion-shallot-ginger-tomato chutney, Comté, and fresh salad leaves.

Couscous with whatever was in the frigo - assorted mushrooms, beans, lemon and parsley.

Poulet roti leftovers with garlicy spinach and curry roasted potatoes.

Caramel and citron macarons from Sadaharu Aoki.

Now I know

2010-11-12T09:26:00.004+01:00

Most mornings start with a cup of tea (sometimes a cup of coffee) and a croissant (often times a pain au chocolat). For an entire month, I have been buying croissants and pain au chocolats the previous evening. What a fool! For one whole month!

Last week, I was inspired to take a walk in the morning, and I came back with the most delicious croissants. Buttery and flaky on the outside, soft and light on the inside. So much better than when I had been buying them in the evening.

Yesterday, the air was cold but invigourating as we walked to the boulangerie in the morning. Our reward for getting nicely dressed before our morning tea - a perfect pain au raisin. Never again will I buy in the evenings.

Diwali in Paris

2010-11-08T13:20:00.005+01:00

It rained all day on Diwali, but that didn't dampen our spirits. We met up with a few friends for a late lunch at Krishna Bhavan. We shared a few plates of the samosas and onion bhajjis while we waited for our main order. I got a masala dosa and chai to follow. It was a satisfying meal but let's just say I still haven't eaten a fantastic masala dosa outside of India. I would go back to try their thali but would skip the samosas and bhajjis. If you like chai, I recommend it. It hit the spot.

We wandered around a bit, familiarising ourselves with the neighbourhood. I stocked up on spices and would have bought more but the store was very crowded. Next time.

We bought some sweets to celebrate Diwali and then headed south along Canal Saint-Martin, eventually stopping by at Louis Vuitton to check out the Diwali lights.

I have to say that being in the store was strange because I am not typically one to make a beeline for the Louis Vuitton store on Champs Elysees but we went anyway, took it all in and headed home after a long day.

Trying to get a metro back to our apartment, our tickets wouldn't work. Yes, they were valid. We were trying to figure out what the problem was when a woman started talking to us. Assuming that she was asking us to hurry up and get out of the way we tried to move, but she very kindly let me pass with her through the ticket gate, on her ticket. She even held the door open for my husband to pass. When I thanked her and tried to explain that I couldn't understand why our tickets didn't work, she said pas grave. She didn't really have to help us, but she did.

Several friends and acquaintances shared their experiences about Paris with us when they heard that we were moving, and I've had much time to reflect on their comments. I've even read a few books about the various cultural differences. I have to say that so far Parisians have been nothing but nice. You know, in their culturally different sort of way, but always nice. Every person that I have spoken to has tried to understand 'my' French and assist me. At the markets at grocery store, on the street, at the boulangerie. Nothing but nice. I know, now that I've said it, it's going to bite me in the behind, but the kind lady in the metro made me do it.

And it was Diwali. Hope you had a good one.

Happy Diwali

2010-11-05T15:03:00.002+01:00

This is a photo from last year in India. No rangoli for us this year but we are going to the Indian neighbourhood at Gard du Nord tomorrow to soak in the festivities. The plan is to try the vegetarian thali at either Sarvana Bhavan or Krishna Bhavan. I'm also hoping to stock up on spices and other Indian treats. And if we have the time, we might check out one of the Louis Vuitton stores; we hear they are decorating for Diwali this year. Diwali in Paris!

On being a confused foreigner

2010-11-05T09:33:00.003+01:00

I have never been in any country for more than six weeks where I couldn't speak the language with fluency. That either means that I know a lot of languages or that I haven't been to many countries! Well, I can speak English and two Indian languages fluently, and I used to have basic French on my resume. But since moving to Paris I've decided to scratch that off the list. Seems like four-year olds here can manipulate the language better than I can. I hope to put it back on the list at the end of our time here - perhaps I'll speak better then.

I share this with you so that you can better imagine first, the surprise and then, utter confusion I experienced at Le Bon Marche a few weekends ago. We were wandering the store gawking at women toting Hermes handbags, browsing through the books, sniffing at perfumes, and in general being flabbergast at the prices, when we stumbled upon a fairly substantial crafts section in this fancy-pants store. Knowing the French shop-keepers' dislike for customers touching their wares, I cautiously walked the small isles, not touching any of the yarn or the extensive and luxurious Liberty of London fabric that they had. I noticed red TBM signs with 20% off marked on several of their yarns. [I didn't know at the time, but TBM=tres bon marche=sale, in plain 'ol English. I googled it after coming home. Yes, google is a verb.]

Anyway, as I was picking out some yarn for a scarf, I notice the saleswomen taking away some of the TBM marked yarn. It wasn't very organised, as they didn't target all the sale stuff, but most of what was in the larger bins and not the yarn on the shelves. It was only 6-ish in the evening and the store didn't close for another couple of hours. I was tres confused. Why were they putting up all the stuff already? on a Saturday, when people would be coming out to shop? When I inquired, the saleswoman told me (I think) that I had two minutes before the TBM was over. What?! So I hurried along, still confused, picked out yarn, and successfully bought some on sale.

Here's what's I got:

Of course, for a red beret to be worn with flair in Paris. Not sure which pattern to use yet - suggestions welcome.

I cast on immediately for a scarf - 26 stitches, 2x2 rib. I've long since finished making it but haven't blocked it yet. It's over 5 feet long and is cosy, squishy, and WARM. It is the only scarf I've ever knit for myself, and I'm certain that I'll wear it a lot this winter. Modeled photos to come.

Also on the needles, but the yarn was not purchased at Le Bon Marche -

Knee-high socks that I started in India using Trekking XXL; 60 sts on US 0 needles, toe-up, short-row heel. I finished the first sock and I cast on for the second in India, but turned the heel this weekend, and it's time to knit the increases for the calf. I can't remember exactly what I did on the first sock, but it should be easy enough to tell by looking at the completed sock.

Tweed Beret from Interweave Knits Winter 2006 using recycled yarn; I unravelled one of my husband's sweaters that shrunk pretty badly years ago. The beret is not slouchy enough - I didn't check gauge - and I think I'm going to frog it.

So that's what I've been working on. If anyone can help solve the mystery of the hurried end of TBM, feel free to enlighten me. Till then, I shall remain a confused desi in Paris.

World Wednesdays: Paris

2010-11-03T13:33:00.002+01:00

I've had the opportunity to travel a fair amount this year but I haven't yet managed to sort through all the photos, ponder over my journal entries, or even try cooking some of the tasty dishes I tried along the way. With moving around so much and with most of our stuff in storage, it is hard not to feel a bit scattered. So this is a first in a series of posts that details some of my observations and thoughts from this last year of travel. I thought I'd start with Paris.

Parisians might think this next statement bold. Or even absurd. But Paris sometimes feels a whole lot like India. Big city India. Not like New York or D.C. but more like Bombay or New Delhi. I think it serendipitous that my husband and I spent so much time in India before our move to Paris - "good training", as we like to say in India.

A few observations -

Let's start with the greve. Within two weeks of being in town, there were people protesting on the streets. I had only ever read about French strikes in the newspaper and watched reports on the news. But this time I stood in the middle of the rue and watched hundreds of people protesting. In India, we like to protest a lot as well. We have morchas for everything from Bt brinjal to movies about child brides. Effigies are set on fire and cinemas are torched. Liberty.

What about all the merde? Parisian sidewalks are full of dog poop. Some stretches more than others. I've seen several posters encouraging pet owners to pick up after their dogs, and I hear there's a new law, but there is still a healthy amount of dog poop waiting to be stepped on. Especially by the unsuspecting new-to-town-ers. Just so you know, I haven't stepped in any yet. My 'training' in India has paid off. In Bombay we had to deal with not just dog poop, but big cow patties. And yes, sometimes human poop too. Moving on..

People like to walk straight into you on the sidewalks in Paris. Sometimes they are unarmed, but other times they come armed with prams carrying little children, fabric carts carrying groceries, or parapluies waiting to take out an eyeball or two. They just don't step aside.

A couple of weekends ago, there was a hand scribbled note in the elevator up to our temporary apartment. It was written in French but we read it and chuckled. It went something like this "...no heat, the lifts don't work, expensive parking, and now, no water...", and then it said that the apartment's management sucked. We felt bad for the person who wrote it. We unlocked the door to our apartment only to realise that there was NO running water in our flat as well. Not in the loo, not in the kitchen, not anywhere. It was Saturday afternoon. The problem was not fixed till 4:00 PM on Monday. Wow, that even beats our experience in India!

What? No, I'm not complaining. Just saying - I feel right at home. Shopkeepers seem like they don't really want to sell you anything, no one smiles at you (initially, anyway), and women wear their hair long. Meme en Inde. I've fallen in love with Paris - with all it's cliched beauty and it's not-so-chic side.

Ricotta gnocchi

2010-11-02T15:12:00.003+01:00

Halloween is not very big in France. At least not in Paris. So no costumes or trick or treating for us. We did enjoy a three-day weekend and some nice weather, though. The Salon du Chocolat was tempting, but as much as I love chocolate I didn't feel like standing in queues to taste some this weekend. Instead, we took a long walk and ate lunch out on Saturday, wandered the stalls at the local market and ate dinner with friends on Sunday, and enjoyed a lazy, relaxed Monday at home.

I made ricotta gnocchi with browned butter for the first time for dinner on Monday night. It was a big hit - a lot easier than I expected, and very delicious! Before I forget, here's what I did -

Ingredients

250 gms of whole milk ricotta

1 egg, beaten

1/2 clove of garlic, finely minced

1/3 cup grated Comte (I didn't have any Parmesan at hand)

minced parsley

salt

pepper

about 1/2 cup flour (and more for dusting)

Combine all the ingredients except the flour.
Slowly add as little flour as possible - enough to bind the mixture together but not too much, otherwise the gnocchi will become dense.
Working on a well floured surface, mix together gently. Cut into four pieces.
Using your palms, roll the mixture into a cylindrical tube about 1/2 inch thick.
Using a knife dusted with flour, cut into 1 inch pieces. Shape pieces using a fork.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt. Put in 12-15 gnocchi at a time. Once they float to the top, they are cooked.
For the browned butter sauce, I didn't have any sage, so I used basil instead.
Toss gnocchi in sauce, sprinkle parmesan cheese, and enjoy.

I've made a lot of fresh pasta but I had never made gnocchi before. It was light and fluffy, and so much quicker than I had anticipated. I'll definitely be making some again soon.

I found this tiny leaf by our shoes while cleaning the apartment. A little bit of fall love this Tuesday morning. Have a fantastic day!

Walking around Paris

2010-10-28T13:32:00.003+02:00

Yesterday started off dark and cloudy but I set off with my camera anyway. I started my adventures with a Metro ride to the north and wandered all the way south, well beyond la Tour Eiffel. The camera started to feel heavy towards the end of the day but Paris really isn't a very large city - perfectly enjoyable to explore on foot. The sun came out and I truly had a wonderful time. Here are a few shots -

Sacré Cœur

Not really sure what this is...street art?

Porte Saint Martin, I think.

Pit stop - falafel sandwich at the famous L'As du Fallafel.

No photos of my sandwich; I needed both hands to wolf it down.

Notre Dame

Writing on one of the ponts crossing the Seine.

I stopped by Pierre Hermé for my first macarons, which were overwhelming to pick because there was a queue, and I couldn't see the different kinds available. Anyway, I picked a couple of the Infiniment Chocolat and a couple of the Infiniment Caramel, knowing that I couldn't go wrong. They were perfect! They made it back safely to the apartment but again, no photos, since we ate them too quickly after dinner. Maybe next time.

Steve Alan knock off

2010-10-20T12:58:00.003+02:00

One of the last sewing projects I finished before we left India was a skirt. I wanted to make a cute, high-waisted skirt, and Steven Alan's ikat Ella Skirt proved to be good inspiration. I used my usual pattern drafting sources, and came up with a very basic pattern - waist band for the back and front, plus a couple of carefully measured rectangles for the skirt body.

The pockets turned out to be the most challenging part! I didn't know how to make kangaroo pockets, so I had to wing it three times with an old curtain before I was satisfied.

The fabric is a 100-percent hand loom cotton ikat, similar in colour as the Ella Skirt.

I painstakingly finished the raw edges with bias tape that I made, and hand hemmed the fully lined skirt. It took a while to finish but it made for a very neatly finished skirt.

I finally got to wear it a weekend ago, when the sun was shining, and all of Paris came out to enjoy the fine weather. I like the gathers between the pockets, the pockets work, and it is very comfortable to wear. All in all, a success!

Mixing it up

2010-10-18T14:07:00.003+02:00

It isn't very surprising that my carbohydrate intake has gone up significantly in the last two weeks. Good thing I'm not counting. We are in Paris after all, and as cliché as it might sound, I have been stopping by a boulangerie every single day since we got here.

My lack of a sizable French vocabulary, and the pressure of people queuing up behind me waiting to order, had me a little stuck. Stuck ordering baguette traditionnelle, pain au chocolat, and croissant. Not that I haven't been enjoying these; I just didn't know how to ask for anything else.

So last week when a friend suggested that I try a new bread each week, I set off to a new-to-me boulangerie with a definite goal. From my carfeul homework, I knew that Poilâne didn't sell baguettes, so it was a good place to start since I couldn't chicken out, and I had to order something new.

I came away with a few slices of their famous levain, feeling rather pleased with my little victory, and for venturing out of my comfort zone and mixing it up.

I might have picked up a familiar treat as well!

The bread was delicious, smeared with butter and a sprinkle of sel de mer. I'm not sure what I'm going to try to order at the boulangerie this week, but I'm looking forward it.

Five things

2010-10-15T12:51:00.004+02:00

We've moved to Paris temporarily and I hope to continue blogging from here.
I brought my sewing machine and knitting needles across the ocean, so there should be some crafting chez moi.
I brought every garment I owned that was black and I still don't have enough black clothes.
I need to clean my camera's lens filter.
I am in Paris! Did I mention that already?

Stay tuned.

Gateau au Citron

2010-09-03T02:57:00.004+02:00

I usually bake a carrot cake for my husband on his birthday but this year he felt like something lighter and more tart. In the past, I have made this delicious Meyer Lemon Cake with Lavender Cream from epicurious but this year I was aiming for something simpler but equally delicious. This Gateau au Citron fit the bill perfectly!

I used Orangette's recipe but replaced the canola oil with olive oil for a more fruity flavour. I've used it in cakes before and have been surprised by the lightness of the crumb and the mild, delicious flavour. Since I only had self-raising flour at hand, I only used 1/2-3/4 tsp of baking powder. And since I only have an OTG (oven, toaster, grill), that's what I used! Despite of the non-exactness of my methods, it turned out very well. It was such a hit, we promptly baked a second one!

Ingredients

1/2 cup yogurt (I used homemade yogurt)

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp grated lemon zest

1/2 cup olive oil

For glaze:

Juice from 2 lemons (I used 1 1/2 this time)

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine yogurt, sugar and eggs and mix well. Add sifted flour, baking powder and zest. Stir till just combine. Add oil, mix.

Butter and line 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper. Bake for 30-35 minutes. When cake is completely cool, mix lemon juice and powdered sugar and spoon over cake.

Enjoy!

Anna Tunic

2010-08-22T02:59:00.003+02:00

I had attempted this pattern some time back, well before I had a blog, and had to resize it after cutting into the fabric. I had cut out the XS but it turned out too large for me. I was able to salvage the tunic by taking in the sides significantly but had to fidget a lot before the armholes fit nicely.

So this time, I resized it before cutting into my fabric. I took in about 1/2" on either side from the back and front pieces, and dropped the armholes accordingly; I'm glad I did.

It fits well. It's a simply constructed garment, with a yoke and two large pieces of fabric. No darts or zippers. But there are buttons...

... an attractive detail but I couldn't find the perfect ones. I like these well enough for now. The pattern calls for cloth, shank style buttons but they don't sell kits here. How do other tailors in India do it? They either make them without a kit or give it out to the sewing supplies shop and someone there makes it for them! I didn't have patience for either, so these will have to do for now.

I made it using a mul mul, a very finely spun cotton, and lined it with a thicker cotton. The dress is very comfortable and cool, and perhaps versatile enough to wear it as a jumper on cooler days. The pattern is straightforward and easy, and like all of Amy Butler's patterns, the directions are well spelt out.

After taking photos of the dress, we found puppies! All huddled together by the parking area. We let them be since mama dog was lurking suspiciously in the distance, but they were hard to resist. As always, thanks to my husband for taking photos of me in my new dress.

Travel wallet

2010-08-16T02:30:00.004+02:00

Before we set off on our long trip in February, I made my husband a travel wallet. He wanted something that could be concealed but also be easily accessed. There are several sturdy ones that can be purchased (he owns one) but he wanted something smaller, less bulky, and more comfortable to wear on the road.

I used some sturdy fabric to make a couple of loops that fit over his belt, and attached them to a basic, lined zippered pouch that I made using scrap fabric. It's just large enough to hold his passport and other travel documents. It flips over easily and is almost completely concealed!

He wore it every single day for four months, after which it began to look pretty weary and tired!

The next time I make one, I'm going to try and incorporate a water resistant lining or perhaps use some sort of water resistant fabric. Nothing that will make it too bulky but something to help keep travel documents and money dry-er, the next time we are caught in a heavy downpour again!

A week of rain

2010-07-28T07:54:00.004+02:00

I almost skipped yoga class last Wednesday because of the downpour, and here I am, feeling lazy to go to class this evening because it's still raining. I haven't seen the sun for a full week! I am thoroughly enjoying the cool temperatures and the steaming cups of chai with fresh mint that go with.

All this rain has mostly kept us indoors and I have been crafting a fair bit. I finished knitting a knee-high sock and cast on for the second one, and I finished sewing a couple of tops and a skirt. Quite productive but they still have to be photographed.

I do, however, have photos of some of the things I cooked over the weekend. You may have noticed that a lot of the photos that I have been posting here lately (especially of dinner) are rather dark. I have been playing around with the settings on my camera in an effort to take better pictures in low light conditions without the flash. Seems like I am now able to shoot dark photos with less of a blur!

I'll try and take some photos of my sewing this week. In the meanwhile, here are a few from the weekend.

Tamarind rice with vaal

Aloo saag

Tea time snack: spicy sweet potato chips

Chilli paneer in-progress

Pomfret in a green curry

2010-07-23T02:43:00.003+02:00

One of the things I like most about cooking in India is shopping for the ingredients. It takes a while, mind you, but it's always nice when the vegetable vendor recognises me with a smile and the grocer asks after my husband if he hasn't seen him for a while. It is a very personal shopping experience and sometimes I have to avoid certain stalls simply because I'm in a hurry and can't chat!

When it comes to buying fish, however, I rely on my aunt or mother. I'm not really sure how to recognise 'fresh' fish. Last week, I got some pointers from our neighbour (a different one from the last post) and bought some pomfret from the lady who sells fish door-to-door.

I used my grand mum's recipe, given to me by my aunt. Here's what I did:

Ingredients

1 smal onion

1/2 cup grated fresh coconut

3-4 green chillies

4-5 cloves of garlic

1/4" piece ginger

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp corriander seeds

3-4 pepper corns

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1 lime-sized piece of tamarind soaked in water

1 bunch fresh corriander (cilantro)

1/2 kg pomfret

1/2 tsp tumeric

2 medium-sized tomatoes, cut in quarters

To make:

Wash and salt fish. Set aside in a collander.
Grind first 11 ingredients in a food processor. Add water as required to make a thick paste.
Heat saucepan. Add oil and the fabulously green paste and tumeric. Fry for 5 minutes.
Add fish. Cook a while, add quartered tomatoes.
Cover saucepan. Turn gas off when fish is cooked completely.
Serve after 5 minutes.

Fire in the house

2010-07-14T04:03:00.007+02:00

Wangi aka brinjal aka aubergine aka eggplant.

When I tasted the bharleli wangi (stuffed brinjal) my neighbour brought over the other day, I immediately wanted the recipe. She was happy to share it, so I went over on Monday and watched over her shoulder and took notes as she made some. She even sent me back with some of her special Kolhapuri masala.

It's the deeper red masala on the top of the photo. I added way more peanuts than shown in this photo.

Turns out that once each year, they visit their preferred masala shop in the old part of the city and pick up ingredients for a batch of masala which they then grind and store for the entire year. This year they made 3 kilograms! The masala includes corriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, onions seeds, cloves, and tens of other spices, giving it a rich, complex flavour.

So I made some bharleli wangi last night. And...it was absolutely delicious but way too spicy. About ten times too spicy! Seriously. I guess I didn't realise the full potential of the special masala.

So spicy, I almost forgot to take a picture once it was ready. Left overs.

But I still have some unused masala and I plan to make it again one of these days. My neighbour didn't specify any measures or proportions, so it's just a list of ingredients, really. To help me remember:

Finely chopped onions

Garlic

Ginger

Cumin seeds

Salt

Kolhapuri masala

Turmeric powder

Roasted+ coarsely ground peanuts

Roasted+ground cashew nuts

Mix the above ingredients together. Wash brinjal, cut tip of stalk keeping base intact. Score brinjal, cutting almost all the way to the stalk. Saving some of the mix for later, stuff spice mix into each brinjal carefully.

Heat oil, throw in some cumin seeds, sugar (a pinch, for colour), add remaining mix, stuffed brinjal, water. Cook. Add chopped fresh corriander. Serve.

Hopefully take two will be significantly less fiery!

Built by me: Simplicity 3835

2010-07-08T03:54:00.006+02:00

I had cut out the pattern to make view C several months ago but never got down to sewing it. That's certainly not because it's a complicated one! I've used this pattern at least three times before so it was a good way to dust off my sewing machine, which incidentally needed some coaxing before it started working again.

The fabric is a bright cotton-silk blend. I cut out size 4 but used 1/2" seam allowances instead of 5/8". I could just as easily have cut out size 6 and stuck to the 5/8" seam allowance. I used back darts for some shaping and skipped the elastic for the sleeves and neck to give it a more classic look. Besides, I wanted to tweak the pattern a bit to make it a little more challenging!

In lieu of the elastic, I made some pleats on the sleeve caps and gathers around the rest of the neck, and used bias tape to finish it. Initially, I didn't make any neck gathers but it was gaping pretty badly, so I had to incorporate a few.

Quick, easy and a pop of colour to compensate for grey monsoon skies!

Super sized

2010-07-06T04:41:00.004+02:00

Chicken tikka kathi roll - possibly my husband's favourite snack!

We were gone four months, and now you can "upgrade" your meal at the local kathi roll joint.

Add a bag of chips and iced tea.

It's still a very tasty bite!

Aloo tikki burger

2010-06-23T03:24:00.004+02:00

Sorry for the dark photo. We were experimenting with the settings on the camera.

This meal transpired because of the burger buns we found at a small bakery close to us. A quality bun, slightly on the large side. The burger itself was a bit of what was in the kitchen at the time. Potatoes, peas, carrots, onions and some mint-corriander chutney that needed to be used. After mixing all of it together, I shaped the mixture into patties, dipped them in beaten egg, covered them with rava (semolina) and shallow fried them. I also made some potato crisps and a small salad to go with the burger.

Tasty. The burger reminded me of the McAloo Tikki. The iconic McDonald hamburger is not on offer in India. Chicken, fish and veggie options only. The few times that I have been, I've had their McAloo Tikki, a potato version. Carbs on carbs, just like we like it here! It's quite tasty but I can't compare to the real deal. I have never been to a McDonald's in the US of A.

Christmas carols in June

2010-06-20T04:20:00.006+02:00

I barely finished my first cup of tea this morning and I found myself humming Silent Night. I often have the strangest songs stuck in my head in India. Like, the Bridal Chorus or Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On.

You see, certain cars that are manufactured in India come with a very special feature - music whilst in reverse gear. It is helpful I suppose, in a country where not all drivers are accustomed to scanning their rear view mirror for pedestrians and cows before stepping on the gas pedal in reverse gear. Jingle bells...watch out! I'm three inches away from you...one-horse open sleigh! Hey!

All's well and good until a new driver is trying to park his car in a tight parking spot in the neighbouring apartment building. After about 12 tries, which include several minutes of staying put in reverse gear, I hear the engine turn off. Success! The car is parked. But a tune has now insidiously lodged itself in my head! And this morning Silent Night it is. A mere six months before Christmas!

Welcome back!

January in Tamil Nadu

2010-02-04T23:02:00.004+01:00

Delivery!

I didn't mean to take such a long break from blogging but it's hard to blog on the go. I'm back but without much crafting news to report. And while I haven't been sewing much, I've certainly had it on my mind! I saw a cart load of new sewing machines being delivered in Tanjavur, and I even bought some beautiful silk and linen fabric in Pondicherry. But not much sewing. You see, we spent most of January in Tamil Nadu, a southern state in India. I took a lot of photographs on the trip and I have yet to sort through them but here's a quick post about our trip.

Work took me to Chennai where we happened to be for Pongal, an important harvest festival in the south. We soaked in the festivities and ate some very good food.

Revellry in Chennai.

We took an extended trip along the East Coast Road to Mahabalipuram,

Five Rathas.

and then on to Pondicherry and Auroville.

Matrimandir

We visited tranquil Tranquebar, a former Danish colony on the coast,

Fort Dansborg

before heading inland to Tanjavur where we were lucky to catch a Bharatnayam performance at the Big Temple.

Dancers getting ready for the performance.

From there we headed to Trichy, spent Republic Day in Bangalore and then took the overnight train to Hampi. Our visit coincided with the 500th anniversary of the coronation of King Krishnadevaraya, and the air was full of celebration.

We returned home and had but a few days to pack and leave on another trip. Yes, I'm on the road again! And, I'm finding it hard to blog. I'm not travelling with a laptop, so I have to use an internet cafe. Any tips on how best to blog on the go? I'd appreciate your thoughts.

I managed to finsh a small sewing project before leaving on this trip but I'll save that for another post, so stay tuned.

2010

2010-01-07T02:29:00.003+01:00

I hope the new year has been treating you well thus far. The last few weeks of 2009 were busy and full. Full, just like 2009. Full of travel, celebration, challenges, love, new experiences, hard work, learning, gratitude, hope, expectation, and a brand new blog (!).

The start of a new year is always exciting for me, and the first week of 2010 has started off....well, pretty full. Full of work, plans of travel, reflections on the year past, expectations for the new year, and love. I'm excited to see how 2010 unfolds. I hope that it's a good one.

Happy new year to you all. Thanks for stopping by, and thank you for all your kind comments.

Happy holidays

2009-12-24T04:05:00.002+01:00

Just popping in to wish you and your family the best this holiday season. I'm working on last minute presents,

Using scraps to make a few zippered pouches.

and hoping that the cake I'm making for Christmas this year turns out well; it's the first time I'm making it.

More than pies and candy, cakes are popular with those that celebrate Christmas in India. The fruit-y bits (including petha, candied gourd/pumpkin) have been soaking in rum for the last 3 days. Should have been more like 30 days. Ah, well.

We are going to the cinema this evening and then to dinner, before which I must sew, sew, sew. So I'll sign off now. Stay warm, have fun and happy holidays.

Oh, dear!

2009-12-22T04:33:00.003+01:00

I didn't realise that we are exchanging gifts this Christmas till 6:45 a.m today. I knew that my mum was hosting the meal this year and that I had volunteered to cook the bulk of it, but Christmas presents hadn't entered my thinking. It's partly because even though we always celebrated Christmas growing up in India, we didn't always exchange gifts. And because no one said anything.

Oops. I suppose some last-minute gifts are in order. I'll have to buy some but I'll also be trolling the internet for some ideas (feel free to share any that you might have) in the next few hours, so I must be off. I'll leave you with some of my favourite photos from the last few weeks.

Kids getting ready for their first Communion at Church, Vasai.

At a rural school for tribal children in northern Maharashtra. All smiles.

I spy.

Juna Bazar. A bi-weekly street market where you can find all manner of cool things.

From our rasoi*

2009-12-21T03:48:00.009+01:00

I've been busy in the kitchen these last few weeks but I haven't been good about documenting our eats, so here goes -

Poha (flattened rice) for breakfast; typical Maharashtrian fare. Tastes like lunch to the uninitiated!

Gorging on sitaphal (custard apple). Sweet, grainy, a little tedious to eat, but absolutely delicious. A new favourite for my husband.

Salad with basil pesto vinaigrette.

Curried pumpkin soup with crushed peanuts, masala (onions, green chillies, fresh cilantro) grilled cheese sandwich, salad with honey mustard vinaigrette.

Bhendi (okra) fry with freshly ground spices, garlic and onions.

Roasting spices for the fish curry.

Fish curry and neer dosas for dinner.

* kitchen in Hindi.

Own two hands

2009-12-18T07:08:00.005+01:00

A couple of inspiring things:

1. My husband is painting a mural on our bedroom wall. He has wanted to paint one for several years now but I guess the timing was never quite right. Several weeks ago, it started off looking like this -

Now it looks more like this -

I really love it. It's beautiful. It's a work in progress and he says he has several hours of painting ahead of him to complete it.

2. I recently discovered that my cousin likes to hand embroider. Here are some of the things she made -

Pretty, no? Maybe I'll ask her to teach me.

Built by me

2009-12-15T03:09:00.003+01:00

I picked up this popular Built by Wendy (Simplicity 3964) pattern on my trip to the US couple of months ago. I used a light-weight cotton to make a wearable muslin. I wanted it to be long enough to wear with tights in India but I ran out of fabric for the sleeves. I don't care too much for the sleeves in the pattern anyway! I cut out the smallest size (size 4) but I should have made the armhole cuts a little deeper. I can't comfortably wear this top over a t-shirt on cooler days.

The hardest part for me was sewing in the inset. I find it difficult to make gathers on this sewing machine. It's easy to change the stitch length but I can't adjust the tension, which makes it a little tricky to pull up the gathers without breaking the thread. So the gathers are not spread out evenly but I don't mind too much.

The ties at the back are a fetching detail but you'll have to excuse the wrinkles - I had been wearing this top all day before the photographs. I used french seams and took in about an inch on either side to make it a little more form fitting. I'm very happy with how neat it is on the inside. All in all, it's a cute top with much potential. It's not quite cold enough here but it would make a great jumper in a heavier fabric.

Thanks to my husband for indulging me and taking the photographs!

Being thankful

2009-11-26T04:03:00.003+01:00

for my health and safety, and the health and safety of my family.
for the food and comforts I enjoy each day.
for the chance to pursue things that make me happy.
for the beauty of nature.
for a great sense of direction!

Cabbage kofta curry

2009-11-24T01:53:00.003+01:00

I like my cabbage sabzi crunchy but the usual recipe seemed tiresome last night so I thought I'd try something different. This preparation was slightly more time consuming than my standard recipe but resulted in a creamy curry with melt-in-your-mouth koftas. I looked at a few different recipes online but mainly took inspiration from this one. I tweaked it some (and didn't measure any of the ingredients) so I thought I'd jot it down before I forget what I did.

Ingredients

For koftas:

1/2 head cabbage (it was medium-large in size) shredded

1/4 cup channa dal (also called Bengal gram dal) boiled; about 80% cooked

1/2 tsp chilli powder (or to taste) (Indian chilli powder is more like cayenne pepper powder)

2 tsp+ 4tsp besan flour (chickpea flour)

salt

oil for frying

For curry:

1 medium-sized onion finely chopped

1/2" fresh ginger minced ( I smashed it with the garlic with my motar & pestle after mincing)

2-3 cloves of garlic minced ( I smashed it with the ginger with my motar & pestle after mincing)

1/2 tsp cornflour (optional) as a thickener. You could used ground cashew nuts, but I didn't have any at hand.

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp red chilli powder (or to taste)

1 1/2 tsp corriander powder

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 to 3/4 cup yogurt beaten well

1/2 tsp garam masala (I made my own)

1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

fresh corriander leaves (cilantro) (I didn't have any at hand, but will add some the next time)

oil for cooking

salt

To make koftas:

Mix cabbage and channa dal and cook well together. I used my trusty pressure cooker.
Drain the water well (reserving liquid) using muslin.
Mash the mixture; add chilli powder, 2 tsp besan flour and salt. It might release more liquid at this point because of the salt, so squeeze the liquid out again, if need be.
Make small balls; roll in remaining besan flour; fry till golden brown; drain and keep aside. I didn't roll the initial batch in additional flour and they fell apart while frying. You could use egg, I suppose. But rolling the balls in extra besan flour before frying worked remarkably well.

To make curry:

Heat oil in pan; add cumin seeds; wait 30 seconds.
Add onions and fry till golden.
Add ginger+garlic and fry till raw smell disappears.
Add turmeric, chilli powder, corriander powder, cumin powder and fry till raw spice smell disappears. Be careful not to burn the masala. Add a little bit of reserved liquid to keep from burning. I added a bit of cornflour at this point to thicken it a bit but I may leave it out the next time.
Add yogurt; cook for a minute; add reserved liquid; bring to a boil.
Turn flame to low; add garam masala; simmer for a few minutes.
Crush kasuri methi by rubbing it between your palms and add to curry.
Once the consistency of the curry is to your liking, gently add the koftas, garnish with chopped corriander leaves.
Serve hot with naan, rice, roti.

Like I said before, I didn't measure any of the ingredients while making it so these are just approximations of what I think I added! The ingredients list is long but the recipe isn't necessarily complicated. I promise.

If you try making it, let me know how it turns out. Also, if you have questions, feel free to email me.

Mahabaleshwar

2009-11-20T02:48:00.006+01:00

Mahabaleshwar is a hill station in the Western Ghats at an elevation of about 4,500 ft. It was the summer capital of the Bombay presidency during the British Raj and its enjoyable climate continues to attract flocks of tourists in the warmer months.

"The woods are lovely dark and deep..."

My main goal for the trip was to walk; I miss unobstructed walking in India. We tried to buy a map in town, but could only find a cartoonish one that didn't serve our purposes. So when we found Tiger path by accident, we were all too happy to spend the rest of the afternoon sauntering down it. The lack of signs along the trail probably keeps most non-local 'walkers' at bay and we didn't rub shoulders with more than a handful of people.

Mahabaleshwar is not known for its restaurants but we managed to get a respectable masala dosa and a steaming cup of chai for lunch/dinner on getting back to town. We then walked down the main market taking in all the sights:

He was about to cut into the fabric. That's not much space to work in!

Lots of sandals, some made here, some carted all the way from Pune.

Prettily stacked up - it was still a little early for strawberries.

Some of the power lines running through town had to be repaired after the storm, and we didn't have electricity through the duration of our stay. I enjoyed the candlelight and didn't mind so much.

No sandals, no harness, no safety gear.

After a good night's rest, we walked up to Wilson's Point to take in the sunrise but since the sun was hiding behind a thick layer of clouds we had some masala chai instead.

Chai at Wilson's Point.

After brunch, we walked to Babington Point (not a remarkable viewpoint) and then drove out to Arthur's Seat for sunset views.

No sun, this is all we saw. Pretty, nonetheless.

In the evening, we were witness to scores of tourists descending upon Mahabaleshwar (it happened to be a Saturday). Luckily we didn't have to fight for elbow room at the dining table; we had arranged for a special Parsi dinner at Hotel Mayfair the day before. I wasn't sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. It was quite the spread: sweet corn soup (nothing specifically Parsi about it), dhansak and spiced rice, an omlette-quiche-like egg dish (no Parsi meal is complete without eggs!), a spicy tomato veggie dish, bottle gourd Parsi style (??), and meat and vegetable kababs. My least favourite was the bread and butter pudding, but I was so full of food by then, I didn't care. It was a memorable way to spend our last evening in town.

The highlight of our trip however, was sighting the Giant Malabar Tree squirrel. Three times. I don't have a lens appropriate for wildlife photography, but I did my best. Both these pictures are of the same squirrel.

A lot of effort is being made by residents and civil society to protect Mahabaleshwar's natural heritage but it is an uphill battle. Over the years several unsightly hotels have sprung up all over town, many of them built illegally. I really enjoyed Mahabaleshwar for its views, walks, and quiet but I would definitely avoid visiting during the summer or over the weekend.

Spring Ruffle top

2009-11-17T04:56:00.002+01:00

Still reporting grey skies, but here is a top I made a while ago when the weather was more spring-like. I used this tutorial by Rae from Made by Rae blog. Simple, cute and quick, the pattern can be customised to fit any size.

Up next, a post about our trip to Mahabaleshwar.

Rain and grey skies

2009-11-12T02:59:00.005+01:00

The skies have been grey for the last three days because of cyclone Phyan. It's uncommon for a cyclone to hit the Konkan coast in November, and it has rained relentlessly for almost 30 hours. It's interesting to listen to the talk this has drummed up on the news channels (and read print media), especially because the Copenhagen conference is around the corner. I'm keen to see how things unfold and what stand India takes, since there has been much back and forth on the subject by the environment minister.

Anyway, we managed to stay dry; I even dug out my knitting needles. My knitting mojo has been very sporadic in India in large part because of the weather. But the cool breezes (more like winds) of the last few days were enough to give me some inspiration. These are for my mum - a basic 3x1 rib ankle length sock on US 1 needles. I picked up this yarn on our trip to Himachal. I'm not entirely sure what it is (definitely a blend of wool and nylon), but its what the locals use to hand knit socks. The yarn is a little bit stiff and hard on the wrist but the knitted fabric is very warm.

Marinated bangda waiting to be fried.

I also cooked. On grey, rainy days I always feel like a cup of steaming chai with something fried and spicy, usually samosas or kanda bhajias (onions coated in a spiced chickpea flour batter and fried). We had some bangda (mackerel) on hand, so bangda fry it was.

It was a simple lunch of aloo rassa (potato curry with lots of tomatoes), rice and bandga fry. I know, potatoes on rice seem redundant, but it is a fairly popular combination in India, and we quite enjoyed the meal.

I see some blue skies out the window as I type. Just in time for our weekend trip to Mahabaleshwar. We leave tomorrow for a wee vacation. I know it's a little early but here's wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

A hop down memory lane

2009-11-10T03:43:00.003+01:00

I found her in the process of trying to organise my mum's storage space. She wasn't sitting in the plants but after years of being stuck in storage, I thought she might enjoy some green! I had lovingly made her in my 6th grade arts & crafts class at school. She's one meticulously made bunny rabbit.

Coffee Date dress

2009-11-08T06:07:00.000+01:00

I finished sewing this dress several weeks ago but never got around to blogging about it. It is a free pattern available at Burdastyle. Let's see if I can remember all the details.

I made a muslin (using one of my mum's old saris) to see if the 32 petite would fit. I didn't like the way the bust darts looked; they seemed pointy and a bit high. Apart from that, the fit was perfect. So I sought help (thanks Christina!). With the tips that she gave me, I lowered the bust darts by 3/4" on my muslin, but it still didn't look quite right. I decided that it was the sari fabric that I was using for the muslin rather than the placement of the darts that was making it look strange, so in the end I went ahead and sewed the bust darts as they were originally. I did curve the legs towards the ends to make them look more rounded and less pointy.

The only changes that I made were to: lengthen the skirt hem by 1.5", line the dress (by basically making a second dress using the lining fabric), and skip the ruffle (my print was busy enough to begin with).

Like the pattern suggested, I used the all-in-one facing technique to attach the lining to the dress. It took me a little while to figure it out, but it looks very neat and I'm with happy with the finish.

The pattern is straight forward and fairly simple and results in a basic dress with a well fitted bodice and flowing skirt. I would definitely make this dress again.

I'm very happy with it; I think you can tell! Thanks to my husband for taking the photos.

A little more about Kerala

2009-11-03T04:34:00.000+01:00

Soon after my husband wrapped up work, we got a ride to the Central Bus Stand in Ernakulam and found seats on the 2 PM bus to Munnar.

The buses in Kerala are small and pretty basic. We got, what we thought were, the best seats on the bus - plenty of leg room for my husband, and enough space for a couple of bags. The glass-less windows made it easy to take in the beautiful sights. It was a 130 kilometer ride (about 80 miles) but it took us approximately six hours to cover the distance. There were a lot of stops along the way to pick up more passengers and the road was narrow and winding, but still. Six hours!

Munnar is a hill-station at an elevation of about 1600 m (~5,250 ft); high enough to warrant cool mornings and crisp evenings. We woke up the next morning to mist covered mountains and 360 degree views of tea plantations. We didn't have much time at hand, so we hired a rickshaw for the day (yes, we know how to travel in style!) visited the tea museum, sampled some tea, and bought a bunch as well.

We headed towards Top Station, famous for the rare Neelakurunji that blooms just once every 12 years. We bought honey from this chap sitting just off the road. He let us try a bit, pouring some out of the bucket, through a sieve, into our cupped hands. It was definitely the purest honey I've had!

We took another state-run bus to Thekkady in the afternoon, arriving well after sunset. It was the most scenic bus journey either of us has ever taken (and we've been on a lot of buses!). As we headed over the Cardamon Hills, we could see tea plantations for miles (looked like a well manicured lawn). We also passed several spice plantations (pepper, cardamom, cloves, vanilla, cinnamon).

The first morning we walked to the boat jetty in the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. We weren't allowed to do anything once inside the Sanctuary, as it was closed to tourists in the wake of a boat accident. It was a very sad and disturbing accident, and easily avoidable (in my opinion). As people grieved, officials played the blame game. So no walking in the woods, seeing wild elephants, or trying to avoid blood sucking fat leeches for us.

Since it is much visited by foreign tourists, the town has several shops selling Kashmiri and Rajasthani shawls and trinkets. While Indian alright, nothing local about it. It was also hard to find authentic Kerala food. Restaurant menus were full of Tandoori and Chinese (Indian-Chinese) options. I guess when south Indians go out to eat, they don't want to eat south Indian food! We looked hard and found a 'mess' that seemed popular.

Served on a banana leaf (the gave us a banana leaf look alike), we had beetroot veggie, a coconut chutney, avial, gooseberry pickle, green beans with coconut, cabbage veggie, papads, rice, dal, sambar, rasam, and buttermilk (last three not in photo). It was a no-frills place, with not a tourist in sight, and delicious food. We couldn't have asked for more.

The plan was to visit a spice plantation after lunch but we had to cancel because of sudden and heavy rain. It was a bit deflating, but our hotel room was nice and had a balcony, so we didn't mind sitting out and enjoying the rain.

The next day, before we got on the bus to Fort Cochin (via Kottayam), we went back to the 'mess' for breakfast. We were served appams with a runny potato curry. Spicy and flavourful.

The bus ride was uneventful and crowded, and we were glad to get to our home stay by sunset. We walked around town, and then went to the restaurant attached to the Old Harbour Hotel for dinner. It is a beautifully renovated 300 year-old building, which is now a boutique hotel. We sat outside and sipped on wine while waiting for our fish curry and talking about everything we had experienced in the past week. Dinner was a treat, especially since the rest of our trip had been pretty low budget.

Kerala is a friendly, relaxing, beautiful place to visit in the cooler months of the year. There is plenty to do and see, and it is gastronomically delightful. My only lament is the slow erosion of local flavour, if you will, in some of the more touristy towns, the loss of the very 'thing' that brought tourists there in the first place.

But enough about Kerala. Up next, some sewing news. Stay tuned.

God's Own Country

2009-10-31T05:33:00.005+01:00

Our second visit to Kerala this year was a work trip for my husband. We were put up at a hotel in Cochin close to the airport (read: far away from anywhere else!).

While my husband was working, I caught up on sleep, took a dip in the pool, and wandered the streets of Fort Cochin. The hotel runs a complimentary shuttle from Cochin to Fort Cochin, and I took advantage.

I then walked from Fort Kochi to Jew Town and stopped at some of the several shops that dot the road along the way. Most of them are traders that sell rice, spices and tea in bulk, but there are several shops that cater to the tourist crowd.

I managed to get a few shots, but my camera battery died just as the light started to get nice. It was the first time since I've owned my camera that I thought it would be handy to have a spare.

I remembered this lady and her shop in Jew Town from my last visit there. She sews and hand embroiders kippahs, little baby dresses, and a lot of other stuff. She didn't look nearly that concerned the entire time I was chatting with her!

The older buildings on the island reflect Portuguese and Dutch architectural influences (including a synagogue and a Dutch Palace), but sadly, I don't have any photos to share. I walked back to Fort Cochin giving myself enough time to get out of the heat, sip on a fresh ginger-lime soda and read my book.

Re-entry is difficult

2009-10-21T04:33:00.003+02:00

So much has happened in the past month and half, I'm not quite sure where to begin. So here is a random list of things to help me start:

1. I spent the second half of September in the US of A. Spending two weeks on the other side of the planet made for a lot of rushing around and jet lag, but it was lovely to see family.

2. I was in Kerala for a week after we got back. Our trip involved some long bus rides and stunning country side. And we ate well.

3. I finished a couple of sewing projects before I left on the trip.

4. I missed yoga class for a month. It's dark when I get back from class these days. Sorry, no photo.

5. We enjoyed being in India for Diwali this year. It was noisy, but very festive.

Festival of Lights

2009-10-18T05:15:00.003+02:00

Happy Diwali.

Biryani for dinner

2009-09-10T12:27:00.003+02:00

My first attempt at making a biryani last month was such a sucess, I decided to make it again a few weeks ago when we had company for dinner. Second time around, it didn't turn out quite as well. Why does that happen when you have people over? It passed the taste test, but I made some basic mistakes. I used too much rice (and then over-cooked it), and I didn't cook down the chicken curry enough before layering it with the rice. It made for a tasty but slightly mushy feast.

A biryani is primarily a rice dish made using a lot of different spices in combination with meat or vegetables. It is different from a pulao (pilaf) in that the rice is prepared separately from the meat. The semi-cooked rice and meat are then layered in a large pot, which is then sealed tightly (with dough) and the biryani is cooked on dum (very slowly, traditionaly using hot coals) till it is ready. I used quality basmati rice, chicken, potatoes, and a gas stove! Attempt number three was perfection.

Third time lucky. I served it with a mint-cucumber raita.

The 2007 Zampa Syrah complemented the biryani nicely. It made for a memorable dinner.

A new top

2009-09-09T07:18:00.005+02:00

I bought a couple pairs of tights recently (the wonderfully pleasant weather made me do it), but I didn't have a sigle top in my wardrobe that I could wear with them. So I decided to make one.

Using my pattern making book and the Burdastyle website, I finished drafting a basic bodice block. I then lengthened it to make a hip block. It had to be sleeveless, since I only had about a meter to work with, and I hadn't drafted a sleeve block yet. I made a few sketches, and had a lot of different ideas in my head, but this is what I came up with in the end.

It was very breezy on the hill!

I kept it simple, but threw in a waist band and pleat for interest. I used bust darts and back darts for shaping, finshed the neck using interfaced facing, and made bias tape using the left over fabric to finish the armholes.

I really enjoyed my outfit yesterday - I wore it all day long! Thanks to my wonderful husband for taking the photos.

Wine country

2009-08-31T11:10:00.009+02:00

We headed to Nashik over the weekend to celebrate my husband's birthday. Nashik is considered a 'holy' city that hosts significant religious events and weary pilgrims each year, but we mostly went to check out the wineries. It is Maharashtra's (probably India's) wine capital. The weather was perfect - a little wet, but with the cool breeze, it felt like spring in high-country Colorado.

View from the deck at the Sula vineyard.

We sampled some wines (Dindori was a favorite) and went on a tour of the Sula winery on the first evening.

Hills around Trimbak.

We went to Trimbak the next day, around 30 km away. Trimbakeshwar temple houses one of 12 jyoti lingas (Shiva shrine) in India. Without planning to visit them, we've quite accidently seen two of 12 jyoti lingas in the last six months!

Hiking up to Gangadwar.

Our plan was to hike up Brahmagiri hill to find the source of the Godhavari, a major Indian river. We took the path up towards Gangadwar, climbed 500-odd stone steps (the locals love to tell you how many steps lead up to the various temples), and took a quick chai break before hiking on.

Vanita, Sunita, and their dad. He makes a good cup of chai.

Can you spot the trail that goes up the hill? I'm not sure how to draw arrows on my photos (maybe one of you will enlighten me), but it's the steep path climbing up smack in the center of the photo.

It felt a lot like hiking in Scotland - it was misty and wet - but we had a wonderful time. You can view more photos of our trip here. We closed the evening with a tour of another winery (no pictures, I forgot the camera in the hotel), and tasted some more wine.

We had a lovely time in Nashik, although I did feet guilty enjoying the verdant countryside knowing that the farmers in the surrounding area have been badly affected by the poor Monsoon this year (it had started raining a few days before our trip, therefore the green hills). Hopefully, there will be more rain soon and hopefully it will bring some respite.

Ganpati bappa moriya*

2009-08-25T06:06:00.003+02:00

After a typical Maharashtrian breakfast of poha (flattened rice, all spiced up), we decided to take a walk around the neigbourhood on the first day of Ganesh Chaturti.

The streets were decorated,

and people were waiting patiently in anticipation of the evening's celebration.

We saw Ganeshas being transported on foot, bicycles, and motorbikes. The smaller ones are generally for peoples' homes, while the larger ones are put up on a makeshift stage in the neighbourhood, like this one below.

We were inspired to make our own little 'shrine' when we got back home. Bringing a 'real' Ganesh idol into your home for Ganesh Chaturi is considered a big deal. Once you decide to do it, you are committed to bringing one home each year (along with carrying out a whole slew of pujas) for the next several years. We almost bought one this year, but then decided to refrain from angering the Gods!

It rained in the evening, but with the setting sun, the larger processions took over the road. I didn't get too many good shots in the dark.

We also stayed busy in the kitchen, making sweets and snacks. And eating! More pictures tomorrow.

* A cheer heard throughout the festival of Ganesh Chaturti.

Glimpses of the city

2009-08-23T05:47:00.004+02:00

I upgraded to flickr pro today. It is an auspicious day and all, so I went for it. In celebration, I'm posting a few photos. And, in celebration of Ganpati...well, that deserves it's own separate post. Hope you are enjoying the weekend.

Chillies and lime to ward away the evil eye.

Sandals, anyone?

Gajras, garlands of jasmine flowers worn as an hair accessory.

A trip to the barber shop.

Buying veggies in the rain.

A heap of fresh ginger.

He has been selling veggies for a long, long time.

Urrgh

2009-08-21T07:44:00.000+02:00

Why does blogger mess up my font size and formatting?

A-line skirt

2009-08-20T23:53:00.009+02:00

Photo taken by my husband.

You are probably getting bored of seeing this fabric. I know my husband is! My apologies. It was relatively inexpensive, and I might have bought more of it than I know what to do with. For my self-drafted skirt pattern, I wanted to make a wearable muslin, and this fabric fits the bill rather well.

I lined the skirt and used an invisible zipper. I don't have changeable feet for this sewing machine, and I was a bit skeptical about using the regular foot to put the zipper in, so I started sewing it by hand. My husband had to only ask why I wasn't using the machine, and I promptly abandoned the hand sewing, and gave it a shot on the machine. I'm glad I did; it turned out very neat, and pretty nearly invisible.

I also tried french seams for the first time, and I am a fan. I'm not sure why I haven't tried it before. I have been noticing that a lot clothes I have purchased in India have french seams. I don't own a serger (although, I do covet one), and my machine doesn't even have a zig zag stitch. I see a lot of french seams in my future :)

The only thing I would do differently is get rid of the darts in front. The darts on the back look very nice, but the ones on the front look bunched up and frumpy. I don't think I really need them, and will leave them out next time.

On the whole, my first attempt at drafting was a success - the skirt is very wearable. What started out as an intimidating processes, ended up being a very satisfying experience. I am already working on a basic bodice block.

Unrelated - but we saw this little guy on our way back home. It might be the tiniest toad I have ever seen!

Luggage tags

2009-08-18T05:37:00.003+02:00

I didn't mean to make them quite this large or this sturdy!

When my mum mentioned that she needed luggage tags for an upcoming trip, I offered to sew her a couple. I didn't think it would take too long for me to whip them up. But when I realised that I didn't have any vinyl or plastic on hand, I had to put on my thinking cap and improvise.

I knew these conference name tags would come in handy some day.

My husband and I attended a conference several weeks ago, and I distinctly remember making a suggestion to the conference organisers to recycle the name tags. I even remember being disappointed when they didn't. But I'm glad I brought them back home with me with the hope of reusing them. I finally did!

I didn't fully know what I wanted the tags to look like, so it took me much too long to finish the first one (I had to rip out quite a few seams). The second one was a breeze to make. I used bright scrap fabric, a couple of wood buttons and two of my hair ties. My mum loves them, and is now worried that someone might pinch them. Only in India!

Leading up to Ganesh Chaturti

2009-08-17T03:00:00.007+02:00

Ganesh Chaturti is a celebration of the elephant-headed god of good fortune, Lord Ganesha's birthday. It is a 10-day festival that doesn't start till the 23rd of August (the date is based on the lunar calendar, and changes each year), but I was able to get some work-in-progress shots of the murtis (idols), so I thought I'd write up a post.

Waiting to be painted.

Each year, several hundred Ganeshas are made leading up to the festival. All the ones I saw were Plaster of Paris (lime or cement plaster) idols that are painted over.

Depending on the kind of paint used, it can be a pretty toxic environment.

Some of the idols can be very large and have to be commissioned ahead of time,

but you can also shop around for a smaller one last minute.

During the festival, a puja is performed each day, sweets are prepared (modak is a favourite - a rice or wheat dumpling stuffed with dried coconut, jaggery, nuts and then steamed or fried), and it is generally a very festive time.

Which one is the brightest?

The festival ends with visarjan (immersion of the idol in water) in a lake, river, or the sea. Commercialisation of the festival over the years, the increasing number of idols, and the move away from using clay Ganeshas, has severe environmental consequences. People are being encouraged to "reuse" idols made of stone, and perform a symbolic visarjan in a bucket or bath tub. Considering the hundreds of Plaster of Paris Ganeshas I saw being made, I don't think it is a very popular option. Yet.

It used to be a lot of fun as a little kid, to watch the large, bright Ganeshas being paraded through town; when Plaster of Paris idols, and loud speakers with blaring music didn't use to bother us so much. This year, I'm going to channel the kid within and enjoy the festival with my husband, who gets to experience Ganesh Chaturti for the first time.

My week

2009-08-16T13:38:00.002+02:00

I sewed like a fiend on Tuesday...

My first time sewing with silk. Very nice.

We went to a wedding on Thursday and Friday...

Apres mehendi (henna)

And we celebrated our third wedding anniversary on Saturday...

I made some Chicken biryani to go with the sparkling wine.

It's Sunday already and now it's time for an afternoon nap. I finished making my a-line skirt a couple of weeks ago, but haven't been able to take a photograph yet. Perhaps tomorrow.

Egg-citement in the kitchen

2009-08-11T05:32:00.005+02:00

Egg curry, spicy green beans, and parantha.

My husband made the egg curry last night, and it was gob-smacking delicious! He used to find it amusing that such a dish existed, but it has soon become one of his favorite things to eat. So when we moved to India, he decided he wanted to perfect the recipe. He got the recipe from my uncle (who happens to be an excellent cook), and that's what we had last night for dinner.

I have stayed away from taking photos of our dinners, because of the low light and my inclination to not use the flash. Do you have any tips about taking photos in artificial, low light conditions?

Aurangabad Part I

2009-08-09T03:05:00.004+02:00

It has taken us a while to sort through all the photos we took in Aurangabad; here are but a few. I thought I'd break it up into three posts - here's the first.

Daulatabad fort in the distance.

Late morning the first day after work, we took the local bus from Aurangabad to Daulatabad fort, about 13 kilometers northwest. This fort dates back to the ninth century and was occupied by Hindu tribes, the Bahmani dynasty, the Mughals, and the Marathas.

Chandminar or Victory Tower

The fort is surrounded by a spectacular moat cut out from the basalt.

First step well I've seen.

View from the top.

This time of year, there are very few tourists, and we were glad to take in this grand fort minus the crowds (there were quite a few langurs, though!). I have visited a number of forts in India, but this visit was memorable for a variety of reasons. Although it rained off and on, we spent more time at this site than we thought we would.

Raksha Bandhan

2009-08-05T05:34:00.002+02:00

Today is Raksha Bandhan, a day to celebrate the brother-sister relationship. Raksha means protection, and Bandhan means tie. Sisters tie a rakhi (symbolic thread) around the brothers' right wrist and in return, the brother vows to look after her and protect her.

Really, it can be anyone that you think of as a brother/close friend. I don't have any brothers, but I always tie rakhis to my four cousins (or at least try to send them one when we are on different continents).

Lots of pretty rakhis

Sadly, like most festivals, Raksha Bandhan has become mired in consumerism. But I'm not going to delve into that. I think it's a wonderful celebration. I already tied one of my brothers' a rakhi. He promised to protect me, and very sweetly, gave me some chocolate too. :)

A trip to the sewing supply store

2009-08-04T05:44:00.004+02:00

This is my friendly neighborhood sewing supply store. Well, except that it isn't any where close to where I live. It's located in the heart of the city - the old part of the city - and is my one-stop shop for sewing-related supplies. They don't carry fabric, but have everything else a budding seamstress might need.

The sales people behind the counter are always men. Very helpful men, I might add. Browsing is not an option, so I end up asking them several questions. It can become interesting, since I don't necessarily have the vocabulary to buy sewing supplies in India. For instance, interfacing is called canvas, zippers are called chains, and pins...well, I'm still not sure what they are called. So I explain what I need, the nice man goes to the back of the store, and usually returns with exactly what I want.

I think they are mildly amused by me, since almost all of their customers are men that buy supplies for their tailoring shops, and know exactly what they need.

This is what I bought on my last trip. I didn't want such a large hank of elastic thread, but that's the smallest they had. I plan to join the shirring madness that is taking over the internet, and maybe make Heather Ross' Mendocino Dress (if I can get it to print right).

I hope to wipe the dust off my sewing machine today.

Look what came in the mail yesterday

2009-07-30T03:58:00.002+02:00

Kayla had a giveaway for her 200th blog post. I was one of the lucky winners. Thanks so much!

Monkeys in Maharashtra

2009-07-29T14:16:00.002+02:00

Langurs on a temple roof

I had to make an unexpected trip to Aurangabad for work last week. Since my husband hadn't been to this part of Maharashtra before, he decided to come along. We were able to take in quite a few of the sights around town. The weather was perfect for the most part, cool enough to knit, and I was able to finish my Monkey socks.

I used size 0 needles and followed the pattern as written with the exception of adding a picot edge. I enjoyed knitting this pattern, and look forward to using it again.

I have a big report due this month end, and as usual, I'll have to scramble to get it done. So no sewing till I finish work, but I hope to upload some photos from our trip soon. Stay tuned.

Diana messenger bag

2009-07-20T04:21:00.003+02:00

Last year, I made three bags using Amy Butler's Birdie Sling pattern. I gave two away as presents, and kept one for myself. It is the perfect size for me (80% of the original pattern), and very sturdy, so I brought mine with me to India.

I have been using it almost every day since I got here, but as you can see, it shows dirt very easily. I figure India is a *touch* dustier than the U.S., because I can swear it never got so dirty there! Although the bag washes well, I have to wash it quite frequently to keep it clean. I decided to make a new one, using a darker fabric. Besides, I wanted to test my newly repaired sewing machine.

I used the Burdastyle Diana bag tutorial, and added a few features - a zippered pocket at the back, and a simple slip pocket and another zippered pocket on the inside. I used two layers of interfacing on the strap to make it sturdy, and used a magnetic clasp to keep the flap closed.

Photo taken by my husband.

It easily holds an umbrella, a book or two, my wallet, my water bottle, and a snack. I think it'll see a lot of use, and also keep my other bag looking clean, longer. I really like it! So do my husband and sister, who have both put in a request for a bag of their own!

Happy Monday.

Sewing machine update

2009-07-19T05:39:00.003+02:00

I have never seen anyone repair a sewing machine before, so naturally I was a little anxious when the repair man brought out a hammer from his tool bag. He also used a spanner (wrench) and a screw driver. It took him about 25 minutes to giver her a tune up, and now she sews like a dream. I feel a little silly for not having done this earlier. I just assumed that it was user error and not the sewing machine, since I have never used a non-motorized sewing machine before.

I plan to sew a bit today, cook lunch, do some report writing for work, and depending on what the Rain Gods have in store for us, maybe go for a nice walk. Enjoy your weekend!

When it rains, it pours

2009-07-16T04:13:00.006+02:00

Figuratively speaking. And literally, I suppose.

My sewing machine has a mind of her own. The tension is off, but I'm not quite sure what to do about it. I have tried all I can. I plan to call the repair man today. It should be an easy fix.
I had a bad bout of hives. I'm feeling much better now, but it was not fun. Probably something I ate.
Our wireless router died. Just like that. We are still figuring out what to do with it. I'll have to call the service center in Bangalore (I think).
Everything happened all at once.

Oof.

In other news,

It has been raining almost without break for the last three days. I *love* it. It smells wonderful, the temperature is perfect, everything is green.
I even pulled out my abandoned project and knit a few rows.
I went to yoga yesterday after a week-long break.
We baked chocolate chip cookies. I couldn't find brown sugar in any of the grocery stores here, so we used jaggery instead. They were delicious!

I'll leave you with some shots I took at the Sunday market.

Replacing Summer with Monsoon

2009-07-11T06:22:00.006+02:00

A summer time favorite: nariyal pani. Drinking coconut water and then scooping up the tender coconut inside.

My favourite monsoon snack: bhutta. Roasted corn on the cob, with red pepper powder, salt, and lemon.

Pattern making

2009-07-07T04:11:00.005+02:00

You might remember my lament from before about not having any sewing patterns at hand in India. I have been sewing mostly bags and other odds and ends, but no clothes. I considered taking a sewing class, but most of them focus on kurtas, churidars, and salwars. While I want to learn to sew all of these garments, I also want to learn how to make a simple skirt and top. Besides, most classes have long hours (or run all weekend long), making them too much of a commitment for me right now.

I looked in several book stores around the city for a pattern making book, but couldn't find anything to suit my needs. My urge to sew clothes led me to the old part of the city. Narrow lanes and old architecture make visits to the area an adventure each time. I was afraid of getting run over if I stopped paying attention for even a second, so no photos, but I found a book I liked!

After much measuring, squatting and bending over newspaper and tracing paper, I came up with my first sewing pattern. I decided on an A-line skirt. Although it is a very simple garment (almost doesn't require a pattern), I figured it would help me understand dart size and placement, issues of ease and proportion, and about pattern drafting in general. I am excited to see how the skirt turns out, and will keep you posted.

Do you have any experience or tips on drafting patterns?

The weekend

2009-07-06T06:45:00.005+02:00

It wasn't a long weekend here in India, but we made the most of it.

Bandra train station

Drinking chai at the train station

We watched a play on Friday night, and then went to dinner. The food was tasty, but rather rich. I didn't think it was altogether possible, but the play was ~~though~~ thought provoking and entertaining at the same time. We enjoyed it.

It rained all day on the 4th of July, but we braved the rain and traffic, and made it to the American Consulate party. It was fun, and my sari didn't take too long to dry either!

Hope you enjoyed the long weekend. Happy Monday!

Most mornings...

2009-06-30T04:39:00.004+02:00

...start with a cup of tea and the newspaper. Sometimes I have a couple of Parle-G biscuits, but those are usually reserved for evening tea. I've been enjoying this tea lately (it comes packaged in a blue box in India), with a dash of milk.

Lunch

2009-06-29T03:30:00.004+02:00

Red rice, a cocnut-based curry with kairi (raw mango), drumsticks (fruit of moringa), and potato, cauliflower, and a few slices of cucumber with lemon and ground, roasted cumin.

The Konkan coast

2009-06-28T04:38:00.008+02:00

My husband recently returned from a week long work related trip to southern Maharashtra. The Konkan is famous for mangoes, cashews, jack fruit, paddy fields, and yummy fish. I didn't get to go, but I recommended that he eat a lot of mangoes and a lot of fish. Unfortunately, mango season was almost over down there, and it's not really a good time for fish.

So in lieu of bringing back real mangoes, he brought back some wooden ones from Sawantwadi, which is famous for wooden toys, and wooden models of fruit and vegetables. I was inspired to make another box bag, but with an orange zipper in celebration of mangoes!

With a gentle tap, this beautiful doll wobbles (dances) at the neck and waist.

The grey yarn is from the fleece of a local breed of sheep. It is a bit rough, and probably better suited for weaving, rather than knitting; the purple yarn is jute. I was impressed with the canvas bag the shop gave out with each purchase.

I have also been enjoying spinning this top.

On another note, the Monsoon is here at long last. Subdued and disconcertingly late, but here nevertheless. Enjoy Sunday.

From the neighbourhood

2009-06-17T07:15:00.004+02:00

A few photos I took on an evening walk around the neighbourhood...

Not quite sunset

A little too big, you reckon?

This little one was very intrigued by me.

Ubiquitous Coca-Cola

Boys and puppies

Lunch

2009-06-16T08:23:00.002+02:00

Rice, chawli (black-eyed peas), doodhi (bottle gourd), salad, pickle, and yogurt.

New wallet

2009-06-15T11:00:00.005+02:00

I have been using the same wallet for the last six years. There' s nothing wrong with it, but when I bought this fabric and saw this tutorial, I decided it was time for a new one.

Old

New

Yes, the new wallet is very similar to the old one, but I love the red and black fabric! I changed a few things - mine only has four credit card slots, as opposed to the six in the tutorial. Instead, I have three large pockets for notes and papers (vs. two in the pattern). I used interfacing for the largest credit card pocket, inner zip pocket, on the outside, and the snap tab closure. If I were to use this pattern again, I would make the snap tab closure a little narrower and shorter.

Did I already mention that I love the fabric?

Plenty of fabric, but pattern-less in India

2009-06-13T15:07:00.007+02:00

I moved to India without any of my sewing supplies or patterns. I did bring my knittng needles and a few balls of yarn, but I wasn't really sure if I would have the opportunity to sew here. Since I now have a sewing machine (very different from the one I have in the U.S.), I have been enjoying trips to various parts of the city in search of sewing supply stores (which are very different from the ones in the U.S.) to buy scissors, needles, thread, and other notions. I've also spent a fair amount of time looking for patterns online. I will undoubtedly be browsing the internets some more. I'll save that for another post. Here is a photograph of my latest fabric purchase. Enjoy the weekend.

Washed and ironed.

No monsoon yet

2009-06-11T03:16:00.003+02:00

Still waiting for rain. I think we may get some today. Here are some shots I got after the superb pre-monsoon showers we got recently. I took this shot from just outside the flat. It had almost stopped raining by then.

We went for a short walk around the neighbourhood to take in the sights and smells. Others people were coming out to walk too. The sun was peaking out behind the clouds, and the light was wonderful.

I saw at least three vegetable vendors in action - setting up after the rain.

This vendor was selling some lovely greens. He comes from a village less than 10 miles away, so the veggies were very fresh and local. Lots of people were interested in the greens - they went fast! I ended up buying dill and a red spinach like veggie, which we cooked up for lunch the next day.

Yesterday's lunch

2009-06-09T08:10:00.008+02:00

Lunch was particulary tasty yesterday. Rice, chapatis, channa masala, a red leafy spinach like veggie with potatoes, and a couple spears of tender cucumber. No meal is complete without some homemade yogurt. Recipes to follow.

Pre-monsoon showers bring flowers

2009-06-09T07:06:00.012+02:00

Photo taken by my husband.

We got some impressive pre-monsoon showers recently. Lots of chirping birds and beautiful new flowers. Monsoon is supposed to hit the city today.

Off to yoga! Photo taken by my husband.

Waiting for rain, I made a yoga bag for my mat. I used Amy Butler's Nigella yoga bag pattern. While sewing it, I wasn't convinced about the utility of the pockets. I didn't think I'd use it for anything other than car keys, but my Klean Kanteen (not in the photo) fits perfectly. I used it yesterday, and the fact that it doesn't have any closures isn't such a big deal.

I recently bought a bunch of zippers and notions, and had no place to put them. To reduce the clutter and mess, I made a box bag from some scrap fabric. To make it pretty, I used some zari. I rather like it!

Egg burji for breakfast

2009-06-08T04:07:00.003+02:00

Now that we've moved to India, I do miss some of my kitchen tools. I miss my knife the most. Although the gas stove here more than makes up for it!

Burji refers to anything scrambled - eggs, paneer. For the egg burji, I used some finely diced onions, green chillies serrano peppers), and fresh coriander (cilantro). I've also used capsicum (green peppers), mushrooms, corn, and tomatoes in the past. You could use pretty much anything that suits your fancy. I like to keep it simple for breakfast, but you could add garam masala, if you feel inspired.

Saute the veggies (for about 30 seconds) while you whisk the eggs, add fresh coriander, pour frothy eggs into the pan, and let eggs cook. Enjoy!