August 02, 2010

For when you're hungry...

We all know that like an idle mind, an empty tummy is the devil's workshop too! So when you're at home and hungry, here are some quick recipes that you can use to make some yummy snacks and satisfy your cravings:


• Mmmm...Maggi

The best part about a pack of Maggi noodles is that you can tear it open and use just two minutes to cook it in boiling water. But just to make it a little more interesting, we'd suggest that you add some veggies to it. Sautée some chopped up tomatoes, green chillies, onions and garlic in a little bit of oil. Stir this for about 3 minutes and then add your cooked Maggi to the pan. Throw in a dash of salt, pepper, chilli powder and the Maggi seasoning. The Maggi Masala flavour goes best with this recipe. Voilà, you have yourself a tasty meal!

TIP: If you like, you could sprinkle some cheese of your choice onto the steaming noodles.


• Mushroom Toast

We're making snacks but they don't necessarily have to be unhealthy. So in this case, we can very well use brown bread. Now, to make yourself this mushroom toast, sautée some tomatoes, mushrooms (you can buy them from your local vendor), garlic and onions with a pinch of chilli powder, pepper and salt. The tomato lends a tangy flavour to this dressing. Once you've cooked it around for a bit, add the dressing to a slice of brown bread and add some mozzarella cheese to it; cover this with another slice of brown bread and pop it in your toaster. The end-result is a double toasted mushroom sandwich! The cheese will have of course, melted on the inside. Yummy, huh?



• Tangy Salad

For this sweet and sour salad, you will need: tomatoes, onions, green chillies, cucumbers, garlic and boiled corn. For the dressing, you'll need to have the following in your kitchen: salt, pepper, sugar, chaat masala, Tabasco sauce, olive oil and lime juice. In a bowl, add a chopped onion, tomato, cucumber and a green chilly. Add a dash of Tabasco (depends on how hot you want it to be), a pinch of salt and pepper, half a tsp of sugar and a tbsp of lime juice. Add 3 tbsp of olive oil and a little water; now for the garlic, the trick is to chop it sideways whilst mixed with a little salt, this helps release the juices. Add the chopped garlic to your salad and finally, sprinkle some chaat masala and mix it all up. You'll have your lips smacking for more!



• Pancake Toast (Courtesy of Emily)

It only seemed right that after a bunch of yummy and tongue-tingling snacks, we suggest a recipe that is sweet. To make Pancake Toast, you need: an egg, 2 tbsp of butter, 3 tbsp of sugar, 3 tbsp of milk, 4 tbsp of refined flour, 1 tsp of vanilla essence and ½ tsp of baking powder. Mix the above ingredients in a bowl. Once that's done, heat some oil in a pan (just enough to ensure that the pancake-toast doesn't stick to the surface), dip whole a slice of bread (you can use white bread for this recipe) into the batter and then fry it on both sides. Once a little golden you can remove it. The batter should last you for about 8 more slices of bread. When the pancake-toasty breads are ready, serve them with a little maple syrup and cinnamon powder on top.
TIP: Add a scoop of your favourite ice-cream to the stack of toasts and gobble on!


Tell me when you've tried out these yummilicious recipes and sampled them with your friends; I wanna know what you think of them. Happy Eating!

July 28, 2010

Split-Second

You know that moment when you realize that some stupid things are just not that important enough? That's now. It's when you miss what's been right in front of your eyes all along but you were too busy being selfish to notice or care. That's when you start to feel bad, really bad and you feel like turning back time. Because how could this happen? It could be you or me. But the worst part is, you got saved. Your friend wasn't too lucky. That's what hurts even more. Like an insane pain filling up your senses and clouding up your mind. You can't tell your friend not to cry because you can't help but feel horrible yourself. If the world could survive on good karma and wishes, there's nothing like it. But this is life, it just freaks you out insanely but the truth is that we can't change or control what will be. It all comes full circle. You arrive alone, you leave alone. Don't cry, I wish I could assure you that it would be okay.

July 06, 2010

Morphine

You entered my system like a drug
You were in in my bloodstream
You threw my immunity away
I got sucked into you like a beautiful dream

Your taste was sweet, refreshing, different
I'm attached to you, like oxygen
I felt complete with you and;
Even as it hurt me, you got under my skin

You scare me
Because if I cut you off me
I'll lay open in a pool of blood...
And there'll be nothing to see.

They say time heals wounds
But the scars remain.
And as I leave you,
My heart breaks with the pain.

July 02, 2010

Time-pass

So you enter the theatre with a cynical attitude thinking that this movie will be another bubble-gum romance... It is! But it surprises too, so load up on the popcorn and enjoy this rom-com.

Movie: I Hate Luv Storys
Cast: Imran Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Sammir Dattani, Samir Soni, Kavin Dave, Bruna Abdullah
Director: Punit Malhotra




Starting on a mild note, IHLS seems to have the perfect ingredients for (no prizes for guessing this) romance! Jay (Imran Khan) and Simran (Sonam Kapoor) are two different people who when they meet seem to repel one another.


Working as an assistant director to Veer (Samir Soni), Jay is your typical love-cynic who meets Simran, a romantic set designer, randomly at a movie. Forced to work together as part of Veer's way of teaching Jay what goes into a successful romance film, Jay and Simran are at loggerheads about everything. With Simran being a firm believer in roses and romance, Jay is realistic and averse to all the things she likes.


So when Jay tries to change the Simran he knows; the girl with a dreamy job, the perfect boyfriend - Raj (yes, just like DDLJ and they wear colour-coordinated clothes too!) and with her head in love-clouds, something that he didn't bargain for happens. Their 'collision-meeting of sorts' turns into much more when Simran begins to contemplate her perfect romance with Raj as she finds herself falling for the stereotypically wrong Jay.


Not a bad film, as it steers itself from a predictable base and every time you try guessing what happens next, the opposite happens. The background score is not bad and most of the songs are okay to listen to on your iPod. Samir Soni as the romantic film-maker is completely commendable and is pleasing to watch. Imran Khan as usual, charms you with more than just his chocolate boy looks. Sonam Kapoor, on another note, falls flat on her face even after being a couple of films old. She's undoubtedly pretty but still needs to prove her worth; her performance comes off as stiff and boring.


Notably, Imran's sidekick and best friend in the film, Kunal (Kavin Dave), is quite adorable with his constant best-friend banter and charming wit. Take back home the awesome music and some great performances by Imran Khan, Samir Soni and Kavin Dave. With a lead pair that has chemistry for sure; this film is good but could've been tons better if it weren't for Ms. Kapoor. All in all, it's a funny movie and if you must, watch it for Imran Khan.

June 20, 2010

In the Ocean of her mind...

She sees the light now. It's pulling her closer, drawing her in and sucking her in deep.
A smile tugs at the corner of her lips. She finally made it, after all.
To the finish line but also, in some absurd way to the start of new things.

It's almost as if her mind's been swept in an azure blue, her favourite colour.
Her mind's eye sees her on a cliff smiling, eyes closed, hair blowing all over her face and she stands silently, embracing it all and tasting the salt on her lips.

There's hope, she made it happen. It was in the salt of her tears that she found her beacon. Her life, her love, her passion... the things that mattered.

Her darkness found the light after all. It led her there. It called out to her from the shadows and helped her conquer wave after wave...

She takes a deep breath of air and inhales the saltiness of the sea. Here's the big moment. The Plunge. The foamy sea holds promise...

Here I come, she thinks. No looking back. To life.

And she takes a deep plunge, crashing into the brilliant blue sea.

June 18, 2010

Sucker-Punch

You're an asshole!
You're a prick!

How can you be so daft?
Are you blind?
Can you not see?
Or are you just pretending to be?

Climb out of your ass
Smell the real world!

Wake up,
You're burning
I'm not putting your fire out
Not if you can't see it yourself.
How do you live?
How can you pretend?

Your world is crumbling around you
And your eyes are black
I tried to help you once
But the patience, now, I lack.

I'm out of the fire
Into the rain
I smell a new beginning
And there's no more pain.

June 17, 2010

Um.

I've been selfish, I hurt you and those wounds that I've inflicted on you burns me too. I cry on the inside cuz I don't know what to do, what to say. Sometimes I wish you'd leave me be and leave me alone to stay. I feel sad, I'm sorry. I hurt you but the words won't come out, I love you, you know, you're just hard to live with. I'm at a loss for words. Even as I stabbed you, my side has a deep gash too. Why don't you understand me? There is more to life than this. I cannot tell you how or why but I hope you will, someday. I love you.

June 04, 2010

Dead

I never saw it coming. It wasn't like a comet, it was more of a light year. It moved forward but only at a decelerating speed... it deflected my thoughts, it eluded me, it changed me. And now, I see it. Now, it's clear. The pain was inflicted. The wound was raw, the blood made me cringe for a few days, it made me still, it made my mind weep. It was something like bad karma but also like an airborne disease. It sucked at my brain and entered my system. It may have even broken me but as I picked up the pieces, I realized something strange. The moon appeared beautiful at night. Among all that velvety darkness, it remained a thing of beauty. It shone more with its craters and spots. It held high and didn't back down. It provided some reassurance, hope and a feeling of serenity.