Some photos from an old family album unearthed recently

Our house is small and seems perpetually filled with any things that I feel are not really needed. Especially my cupboard is a mess - with literally hundreds of books, CD's, small knick-knacks and assorted trash in all shapes and sizes.

Its not that I really mind that - in fact I am too lazy to keep things in order all the time. But at times things do get out of control - for example, just before leaving for office (with a rush to catch the office bus) I would be rummaging in the tons of rubbish trying desperately to locate my office ID badge :-)

When things reach such a head, I do try to make an effort to put a little method into all the madness. During one such 'clean-up drive' recently, I found an old album containing old family photos.

The photos are old and it is very likely that they might get affected by dust and moisture. So I decided to take digital snaps of all the photos, so as to preserve the memories at least in some form.

Here are some snaps of my childhood from that album....

'Chair-Man'

Once upon a time I had 'bit' more hair!

Evolution into the age of colour photographs...

Delhi - 16th to 20th April '05

An opportunity for attending a training on CRM Marketing took me to Delhi on last Sunday (16th April). I won't use up much blogspace talking about the training - but on the whole we were all pretty disappointed with it. During the training I put up at the IBM Guest House at Safdarjung Enclave.

Sumantra and Mousumi came to pick me up at the airport and drove me to my guest house. Mousumi had to leave for Jalandhar on office work that afternoon. After dropping her at her office Sumantra and I headed straight for some 'light refreshments' :-). We went a restaurant called Ruby Tuesday in the PVR Saket Complex where we spent 5 very 'happy hours'....a number of meat platters made their way to oblivion during this time.

In fact on the whole this Delhi trip would be memorable for the excellent food I had. On Monday Sumantra and I went to a Greek restaurant - 'It's Greek To Me'. The place was small - but cosy and comfortable. The presentation of the food was very nice and quantity was ample. We had Lamb Souvlaki for starters. Sumantra ordered a Lamb Moussaka for the main course and I settled for a Chicken Mykonos (Grilled Chicken stuffed with ham).

On Wednesday we went on the search of a Japanese restaurant in New Friend's Colony - but it was closed by the time we reached. Finally we settled for some Thai food at a restaurant called Ego Thai. The food was quite nice - especially the starter course of Chicken Satay with peanut dip.

Each day, most of the time was taken up by the training but I did do some quick sightseeing with Santanu (an IBM colleague who was also in that training). Here are some pictures of my Delhi trip -

South Block, Rastrapati Bhavan, Raisina Hill.

India Gate, Rajpath

Red Fort, Delhi

Qutub Minar

Mehrauli Iron Pillar

Akshardham Temple

In front of the Bahai House of Worship (Lotus Temple)

The Lotus Temple grounds

Our training class

Trip to Shankarpur (Sankarpur)

The travel bug in me first raised its head when I was in Denmark. Bitten by that bug, I travelled a lot of places in Europe over a relatively small time frame. I started with Paris(which incidentally remains my favourite) then went on to see Italy, Switzerland, Athens, Stockholm, Barcelona, Norway and then the UK.

But I have never really travelled much within India - which I now consider to be rather unfortunate and sad. For example, I feel really ashamed because I have never seen the Taj Mahal. Hope to set this record straight within the next year or so..the destination at the top of my mind is North India - Corbett National Park, Ranthombore, Rajasthan and the Northern Himalayas.

As a small start I went to Shankarpur (or Sankarpur) on March 19 & 20th. This was a mini-reunion of the old gang at Maersk project - with myself, Sanjay-da & Debasree-boudi, Shibaji-da & Durba-boudi & Popai in the touring party. To add to the fun Somnath-da & Sonali-boudi & Sneha and also Pramit joined the gang. The notable absentee was of course Pijush, who dropped out (for a reason which is now part folkfore) at 3 AM (or is it PM, Pijush?) the day we left for Shankarpur.

Shankarpur is around 200 kilometres from Calcutta and we drove there. I had been there before in 2002 but now the roads have improved considerably. It took us around 5 hours to reach there, with numerous 'pit-stops' in between to top-up our 'tanks'.

We put up at the Sandy Bay Hotel, which I would highly recommend to anyone visiting Shankarpur. The hotel is situated right next to the beach with great service and wonderful food.

There is nothing much to do or see in Shankarpur. It is an ideal getaway if good food, good rest and total peace & quiet is what one is looking for.

The beach is clean and wide with very few people. We dived right into the sea after reaching Shankarpur and checking in to the hotel (the photo below is courtesy Shibaji-da).

We went out to the beach in the evening also. The overall ambience is quite different at that time with the sun setting and darkness slowly embracing the beach. We also came out to the beach at night and the combination of moonlight sparking on the top of the waves is magical.

The following morning I planned to wake up early to watch sunrise. However the tiredness from the first day took its toll and I was a bit late in making it to the beach. I missed the moment of the sun rising from the sea horizon but managed to capture the following shot.

Another shot of the beach, early in the morning...

Shankarpur was great fun. It was wonderful to relax in calm & quiet without the hustle & bustle of typically 'touristy' places corrupted by commercial activities. The food too was excellent - especially the pomphret fries...the only thing which we probably regret is missing out on the 'tiffin' on the last evening, as Somnath-da had suggested :-)

We all agreed that we will come back to Shankarpur sometime in the future in the same group - I sincerely hope that that thought materialises!

Food delights found only in Kolkata

Got this list from a friend by mail recently. Would like to thank the kind-hearted soul who took the effort in compiling this. The delight he got from compiling it is pretty evident in hs language :-)

Unfortunately, only people who have lived in Calcutta will realise what these mean or what they taste like. But those for those of us who have - it will help to revive memories and urge us to try them out once again...and again..and again...

These are culinary gems available in only Kolkata!

• Kabiraji Cutlet from Regent (S N Banerjee Road)
• Moghlai Parota from Anadi Cabin (S N Banerjee Road)
• Kosha Mangsho from Golbari (Shyambazar)
• Phulkopir Singara from Mrityunjoy (Lansdowne)
• Double Egg Chicken Roll from Kusum / Park Steet)(Campari @ Gariahat & Nizam is a close contender!)
• Chicken Rezala from Shabbir (off C R Avenue)
• Steak at Oly pub (with beer!!)
• Ujjala's Chanachur ( no comparison anywhere)
• Telebhaja from Putiram (College Street)
• Daab Chigri from Kewpies (Elgin Lane)
• Chicken Cutlet from Baked & Fried (Ballygunge Place)
• Bijoli Grill's Fish Roll
• Mochar Chop Dhoka from Apanjan (Sadananda Road)
• Boudir's Lebu Cha (Deshapriya Park)
• Kochuri & Tarkari from Tasty Corner (Mandeville Gardens)
• Phuchka/Churmur/ Dahi Phuchka from Bilas or Boudi (Southern Avenue)
• Chicken Cutlet near Samur (Bhowanipur)
• Mishti Doi & Rosogolla from Mithai (Beckbagan)
• Sandesh (all types) from Balaram (Bhowanipur)
• Pantua from Bancharam
• Indrani from Ganguram
• Rabri from Chittaranhan
• Darbesh from Sen Mahasay
• Amritti from Bhim Nag/Ganguram (Jalebis are no match)

I wish I could add - Skyroom's Prawn Cocktail & Mixed Grill & BakedAlaska or Blue Fox's Lobster Thermidor - NOT anymore.... even theMandarin Fish from Waldorf is no more available!!

These are unmatched:

• Chelo Kabab from Peter Cat
• Phulkopir Shingara: samosas don't stand a chance against these.
• Phuchka: gol-gappas aren't a match on phuchkas.
• Karaishutir Kochuri: a seasonal favourite, have it with alur dam.
• Luchi: puri and phulkas - no comparison.
• Alurdom: the world's best. Try the offering at Vivekananda Park.
• Jhalmuri: a unique concoction, with nothing to equal it.
• Telebhaaja: these and jhalmuri are like 'made for each other'.
• Chanachur: many have tried unsuccesfully to steal the formula, MNCs included!
• Alukabli: where will you get something like this?Ghugni: again, chana is not the same at all. (And mangshe'r ghugni is even better)
• Radhaballavi: try it with alurdom or cholar daal.
• Chaanp: even Pakistani cricketers have sampled these, in Chitpur.
• Rezala: out of this world, just out of this world!
• Paradiser Sharbat: there is one which is green, and another, pink. No college student from Presidency or the University has failed to sample these!
• Lere Biscut: needed to make the batter for chop-katlet. (Also phata-phati with butter and/or cheese spread)
• Chicken Kabiraji: an unbelievable variation on the chicken cutlet.
• Mutton Afghani: an equally innovative presentation of the mutton cutlet. (Coffee House)
• Dimer Kalia: again, where do you get something like this?
• Kasha mangsho: it's become an institution now.
• Roll: the ubiquitous mutton, chicken or egg roll. Unquestionably superior to any variants in any other city of the world.
• Coffee houser coffee: try the float with ice cream.
• Bharer chaa: on the Maidan, from shining brass vessels on a rainy day.

The sweeter side...

• Roshomalai: a creamy, mouth-watering delight!
• Jilipi: smaller than the jalebis and tastes quite different.
• Lal(Misti) doi: is an experience by itself!
• Kamala bhog: a pale yellow orb, delicately sweetened.
• Notun gurer sondesh: a winter speciality available in no other city.
• Rosogolla: simply needs no introduction.
• Natun gurer Rosogolla: the latest innovation.
• Shitabhog: pure white, sweetened to just the right extent.
• Mihi Dana: golden yellow, saffron scented.
• Maalpoa: rich brown pancakes, dripping in sugar syrup.
• Ranga alur pithey: another traditional favourite in winter

Some off beat specialities..

• Aamer morobba - the best outside Gariahat market
• Kuler achar - the best outside Gariahat market
• Shukno mashla makha tetul - Available with the churanwalas outside all schools, much to the delight of the students and dismay of theparents !!
• Dulaler tal mishri
• Dulaler hojmi - mind boggling and healthy too
• Bikrampurer kashundi - Mustard just pales next to this
• Machher kochuri - Where else can you have fish in such an innovative form ????
• Churmur - In my opinion this is slightly better than jhalmuri and phuchka. The sad thing of course is that it is unheard of in the restof the country.
• Alukabli - Another must at Vivekananda Park or opposite Menoka Cinema
• Muri ghonto - Defies description
• Mochar chop - A delight even for the staunchest non vegetarians
• Kumro phul bhaja - In tiny little food joints around Chittaranjan Avenue
• Kada paker sandesh - A sure winner, especially the jalbhara talshansh with the liquid gur filling, which is sublime
• Darbesh - Our own version of the laddoo
• Bondey - How does one describe this sticky sweet delicacy
• Patishapta - A delicate crepe with a filling of coconut and gur
• Chhanar payesh - Better than rabdi anyday and does not weigh your stomach down..."

Try these out and enjoy!!

Long time no post...

"Its been a long time since I posted something on my blog" - a common enough refrain seen or heard in the 'blogosphere'. Looks like I just caught the disease myself! Last I time I wrote something was over 2 months ago.

Somehow just did not feel like posting something on the blog. Not that I am enjoying writing this post either but just trying to revive my blog here (not sure why because nobody except myself reads it anyway!).

The project has gone live and now I am itching to get back home. Looks like that will not happen before February. More than anything it is the food that beckons me now - ohh what would i give now to have some hot 'karaishuti-r kachuri' in this cold damp weather here!

Speaking of food, it has taken me quite some time to get used to the Danish cuisine. To start with it looked all they had was a bread that quite frankly looked like a log of dark coloured wood and raw meat. But now I am much more the wiser and quite well acquinted with the food here.

The dark coloured wooden log like bread is actually Rye Bread - this is bread that is very popular in Scandinavia, northern parts of Germany and some parts of Russia. It is a heavy, dense bread. The Danes make "Smorrebrod" with this bread and that is what they recognise as their "national dish".

Smorrebrod literally means bread & butter - it is actually a open sandwich (that is you have only one slice of bread, at the bottom). The bread is buttered and is covered with a variety of toppings. The most traditional of toppings is pickled herring, sliced onions rings , beetroot & gherkins. Other other toppings are smoked salmon, liver pate, shrimp salad, spiced meat rolls or roast beef.

This open sandwich is never eaten by picking it up in the hands - it is eaten from the plate by using a fork and knife.

A very traditional dish in Denmark which is typically eaten by many families on Christmas Eve is the "Flæskesteg" - or Roast Pork with crackling. This is a dish of pork rind which has a crisp outer surface and a layer of cooked fat underneath. This is normally accompanied by caramelized potatoes or red cabbage.

The last item that I will mention on this post is "Ris Alamand" - which means rice pudding with almonds. It is somewhat like our own Bengali "payesh" - but a lot less sweeter and more creamier. This is also a very traditional Danish christmas dish. The rice pudding has grated almonds - but a single whole almond lies hidden in the bowl. The person who has gets the whole almond must keep it within his mouth and not reveal it until the whole bowl is served and eaten. Then the lucky one produces the whole almond and he gets a special gift at the Christmas dinner table!

TRIP TO THE UK - ABOUT CORNISH PASTY..

Last weekend I went to Coventry, England to visit my friends Ritaban and Aruneema. The photos from the trip have been posted into the following blog -

http://triptoengland2005nov.blogspot.com/

In this post here, I will cover a typical English food I had there - namely Cornish Pasty. As is evident from the name, this dish had its origin in the county of Cornwall located in the extreme south western peninsula of the British Isles.

It is an oven-cooked pastry case traditionally filled with diced meat—nowadays beef mince (ground beef) or steak. It has a semicircular shape, caused by folding a circular pastry sheet over the filling. One edge is crimped to form a seal. The filling of a Cornish Pasty has evolved over the years to include all kinds of combinations - in fact it is jokingly said that even the Devil fears to enter Cornwall because he might end up as a Cornish Pasty filling himself!

Tradition claims that it was originally made as lunch for Cornish miners who were unable to return to the surface to eat. The story goes that, covered in dirt from head to foot, they could hold the pasty by the folded crust and eat the rest of the pasty without touching it, discarding the dirty pastry. Additionally, the dense, folded pasty stayed hot until lunchtime and, when carried close to the body, helped the miner stay warm.

Tradition also has it that the original pasties contained meat and vegetables in one end and jam or fruit in the other end, in order to give the hard-working men 'two courses'. Cornish housewives also marked their husband's initials on the left-hand side of the pastry casing, in order to avoid confusion at lunchtime. This was particularly useful when a miner wished to save a corner of his pasty until later.

As for me, I thoroughly enjoyed the Cornish Pasty for it was perfect,quick 'takeaway lunch' - it was filling, hot, tasty and not messy. I guess the satisfaction must have been very visible on my face because another tourist happenned to come down where I had got hold of a hamburger in the Warwick Castle. It took a clooser look for her to realise that it was a not a hamburger but a very traditional 'takeaway' food I was having - a Cornish Pasty :-)

That's all for now...keep tuned for more..

GREEK FOOD - MOUSSAKA, SOUVLAKI & MORE!

Lot of time to spare now.....hardly any work these days, so though might kill some time writing this blog regularly...not sure if anyone would read these though :-)

This blog is about mainly about food so I guess it is best to start with a food topic....There was Greek food in the lunch today.

Over the last few months I have started to become a afficianado of Greek food. I feel it is a wonderful balance between Asian and Continental cuisines. By having close interactions with Turkey over its history probably contributed to the fact that the Asian trait is very much visible in their cuisine - kebabs are a regular feature on Greek menus as is the use of spices like cardamom, cinnamon etc in their food. On the other hand, the Continental influence is also evident - the use of various kinds of cheeses and the presence of salads in their menus.

The first taste of Greek food that I had was of course when I visited Athens in May, 2005. For once I did not have to go throught the ordeal of having to eat at McDonalds when on a holiday trip in Europe. In Athens the best fast food to have is 'Souvlaki'. This is a close cousin of our very own Calcutta mutton roll - rolled bread with salad and meat inside. The major difference is that the bread is not deep fried as in back home but it is baked. Another wonderful dish is Kalamari - which are rings of squid, deep fried in butter. A tip here - try Kalamari with a squeeze of lemon juice - that makes it even better!

This page is an authentic guide to Souvaki - http://www.athensguide.com/souvlaki.html

Today we had Moussaka and Tzatziki for lunch. Moussaka is a traditional Greek aubergine based dish. In the standard (3-layer) Greek recipe, the bottom layer consists of aubergine slices sautéed in olive oil, the middle layer is ground lamb cooked with mashed tomatoes, and the top layer is béchamel sauce (or sometimes potatoes or cream). I have heard that this dish is also eaten in the Balkan countries and also the Middle East and that each of these regions have their own variations of this dish.

Tzatziki in Greek cuisine is exactly what Raita is to Indian food. Tzatziki is a appetiser and also widely used as a sauce or dip. It is made of yoghurt, cucumbers, onion and garlic for taste. The flavour of garlic is pretty predominant in Tzatziki.

Another fantastic feature of Greece is it's very own coffee - which is called Frappé. It is a way of life in Greece and a fantastic way to have coffee. It is essentially cold coffee whipped with ice to so that it has a thick, frosty consistency. I would suggest that you have exactly the way it is served - do not add more sugar to it and make it sweet. It is the slightly bitter taste that gives the kick.

I think that is all for now. Going to the UK this weekend. Early flight to catch tomorrow! Will post photos from that tour right here...