Author: Zed

Celebrating Jharkhand’s Art and Culture

Jharkhand is one of those states in India which are thought to be backwards and under-developed because of one reason or another. In case of Jharkhand, the reason is the inhibition of modern life to keep the traditional values intact.

Jharkhand is a land where from the legendary Asurs and Santhals, to the Banjara, Bihor, Chero, Gond, Ho, Khond, Lohra, Mai Pahariya, Munda, Oraon, Kol or Kawar-over thirty-two tribal groups have left their impression of tradition and culture. The culture of Jharkhand is established on the grounds of these ancient tribal civilizations.

Of these ancient civilizations, all that remains is music, art and culture that is preserved and reinstated by the efforts of these tribes. Celebrations of tribal festivals beautify the actual art forms like music and dance. The dance movements of these tribes are very much like a warrior’s movements on drum beats. Whether one can understand the language and lyrics or not but the cultural heritage preserved so cautiously never goes unnoticed. Some of the very famous folk dances of Jharkhand are:-

Santhal- This is a group dance performed by the Santhal tribe during all special festivals and occasions. It is accompanied by musicians playing flutes and drums. If you want to see this dance of unity, spring is the perfect season. Santhal tribes celebrate the arrival of spring with this traditional dance form.

Paika-

Paika is the traditional dance form of Jharkhand performed to entertain the guests. The musicians playing flute, shehnai and dhols lead the dancers. There is an amazing fascination in this dance form as the dancers with colourful costumes perform this dance and add the flavor to every festivity.

Chau- This is different from other dance forms of Jharkhand because in case of Chau, dancers wear a mask while performing. This mask adds to the attraction of this form. Contrary to most of the other dance forms, there is no need for expressions. The body movements and hand gestures make up for the expressions. Ancient tribal stories are told by this art form.

People of Jharkhand have an artistic approach in whatever they do. Art is like the founding stone of every culture. From wall paintings to wooden crafts there is a treasure of art in Jharkhand’s villages.

The slender and strong bamboo that is grown in Jharkhand is used for amazing crafts like basket making and fishing equipments. The Jharkhand crafts of wood are mainly of day-to-day use. The different articles that the people of Jharkhand make include window, boxes and the panels of doors. On special occasions, they also make wooden toys. There is a special technique of making bowls and plates from grass leaves which are used for big festivals.

Apart from bamboo-work, Seenk-work, Kasida, Pottery, Stone craft, textiles etc these people also excel in body paintings , tattoos, stone cutting, bull painting ( during Bandna) folk painting fresco, sculpting horse, elephant etc; for the uses of rituality. Scroll painting or Paitkar is famous but recently became obsolete. Two great art forms from Jharkhand that have found recognition in the world outside tribe are Sohrai and Khovar. Traditionally these are art forms in which walls are painted during special occasions.

Khovar-

These are the special types of paintings representing bonding. These are painted on the houses during marriage season. Firstly, the house is covered with a coat of black colour. When this coat dries, another coat of different colour (preferably white) is painted. Later with the help of combs the outer cover is skillfully scratched to make pattern on the wall. These make very interesting and beautiful pattern on the walls. In order to preserve this art and make it accessible, tribal people have started making it on hand made papers.

Sohrai-

Technically, Sohrai is a festival celebrated by the Kurmi and the Prajapati tribes during the same time as Diwali. In this festival, the cattle and their god- Pashupati- are worshipped to ensure the fertility of the land and harvest. The tribal people decorate their houses during this festival and that is why the wall paintings are also called Sohrai. These are colourful paintings done totally by using natural pigments mixed in mud. Artists use chewed sticks which people in villages use to brush their teeth with. Just like Khovar, Sohrai artists have also started making this art on papers to keep the tradition alive.

The work of Jharkhand’s tribes deserves a large-scale recognition. But unfortunately, they have not got the fame that they should have. This is owing to the fact that most of these art forms in the state are the domain of the people who belong to a variety under-privileged tribal sector. These people are not well equipped with the ways of marketing and advertising. Hence, they have yet not been able to acquire the promotional skills.

July 4, 2014
On Food and Health Myths

This happened last day when I was wandering around the town all by myself and fortunately- or unfortunately- I stumbled across this naughty little kid and his mother who was trying to make him drink milk shake. Mother pointed out how the protein in milk will help to build muscles like his favourite superstar. Well, wait, I was not deliberately over-hearing. It was just a cute conversation but that conversation reminded me how we are fed on lies about food and nutrition from a very young age and those lies live with us till the end.
Here, I am trying to bust some of the food and health related myths so that they don’t live forever.
1. All fats are bad.
This one takes the prize when we talk about food myths. No, all fats are not bad. It is saturated fats and Trans fats that increases the production of ‘bad cholesterol,’ leading to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. But unsaturated fats are heart-healthy fats. Mono-saturated fats increase the amount of ‘good cholesterol’ and thus reduce the atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. The best source of ‘good fats’ are olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, avocados, and most nuts.

2. Fasting periodically helps to clean toxins from the body
Well, the truth is human body has an elegant elaborate mechanism of digestion and waste removal. Though intake of fiber is always considered to be helpful for this mechanism but there is no such proof that not eating anything or consuming only fluids for an extended period can also help or make the mechanism do its work any better. Therefore, fasting periodically may be good for the diet conscious but toxin removal is in no way related to it.

3. Red wine is the only heart-friendly alcohol

This is a French high-class myth for the aristocracy who can easily afford the high-class drink and make their health better. But the important thing to note is that any kind of beverage that contains alcohol, when consumed in moderation (and that means one to two drinks a day), helps reduce heart disease risk. Alcohol, in general-not specifically red wine, raises levels of protective- good cholesterol-which helps to protect against plaque buildup in the arteries and reduce clotting factors that contribute to heart attack and stroke.

4. Skipping Breakfast helps lose weight
Do you really believe this one? Technically, yes, skipping a meal and thus eating less might very well help in maintaining weight but not in the case of breakfast. Studies show that people who skip breakfast tend to eat more in form of snacks the whole day and take more calories in as compared to those who eat breakfast regularly. On another note, after hours of not eating anything at night how can one even skip breakfast?

5. Microwaving kills the nutrition of the food

This one is as true as cats are devils in disguise. Well, I am not sure about cats but Microwaving is one of the best ways to retain nutrients in the food if you do it the right way. There are dangers microwaving the food if you use the kind of plastic that is not meant for microwave.

6. Spicy food gives you an ulcer
Decades and decades after the true discovery has been made, people still think spicy food is the reason for ulcer. The only reason spicy food is associated with ulcer is because after eating spicy food ulcer patients feel more agonizing pain though simple food is no help either.

7. If you have diabetes, stay away from sugar and you’ll be fine.
Diabetes is about blood sugar management and the sugar in blood is mostly because of the carbohydrates we take in. So, it is not simply a check on literal ‘sugar’ but also the sugar that goes with fruits and other items. Staying away from only sugar doesn’t help. Also, excess of sugar doesn’t cause Diabetes in the first place. Sugar is taken less only after aa person has diabetes.

8. Drinking tea causes dehydration.
Nu-uh, it doesn’t. Though people usually believe that because tea has caffeine, it has everything that can dehydrate a person but in reality, tea- even strong tea is too mild for us. It is actually 99% water and thus counts towards the water intake of the body. Rather it helps to hydrate the body.

9. Drink 8 glass water a day

Well, there is no such magic number that goes with water. The intake of water for a human body depends on various factors physical size, activity, heat and humidity. A body needs to stay hydrated to get going but one can use other things as well as water like juices, tea, fruits. So, it is more of an encouraging number maybe but how many glasses of water is needed by a body depends more on the person’s need.

With the end of all this myth busting scene, all I would say is to check – double check the facts you know about anything so that you don’t end up fooling others as well as yourself.

July 4, 2014
Tea: A Drink for Every Season

Tea, as evident by the consumption in an average Indian’s household, is most widely consumed drink- after water. Tea is found as an important part in every house and that is what I am taking about today. It is the only beverage commonly available hot or iced for every occasion.

It is not just a beverage for the sake of drinking, but it also has numerous health benefits. Oolong tea and White tea, for example, help in weight control. Black tea helps to reduce stress. Various flower teas help to increase metabolism and reduce stress. There are various reasons to drink a cup of tea everyday and to make your tea experience rich and interesting, here is a list to different type of teas you can try in every season.

Summer:-

We can never give up on drinking tea let it be the 45⁰C heat of summer. For this summer, we have got Iced Lemon tea for you. It is easy to make, cool and refreshing; perfect for a summer evening.

Lemon Iced Tea

Ingredients needed:-

1 Lemon

Sugar to taste

½ cup fresh Mint Leaves

1 Black tea bag

Directions to make:-

Using a vegetable peeler remove bright yellow peel from lemon. Combine lemon and sugar in a medium saucepan with 1/2 cup water and boil. Stir to dissolve sugar. Lower the heat and let it heat for one more minute. Remove from heat and add mint. Cool to room temperature.

Now in 1 cup hot water put the tea bag for 5 minutes. Then remove the tea bag and add the syrup, 1 cup cold water and ice cubes.

Serve in tall glasses filled with ice cubes and a few mint leaves on the top.

Autumn:-

In autumn, there is nothing as delightful as sitting at the balcony in the cold breeze with a hot cup of tea nearby. Cinnamon Apple tea is a perfect tea to sip in the autumn-ish cold morning. As evident from the name, it is an apple based tea and doesn’t need tea bags.

Cinnamon Apple Tea

Ingredients needed:-

½ teaspoon honey

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

1 cup water (boiling)

Directions to make:-

Cut the apples and mash lightly with a fork in the bottom of a mug. Add the dry ingredients on top. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the apples and other ingredients and stir. Let it simmer in the boiling water for about 5 minutes. Top with whipped cream and enjoy.

Spring:-

It is the most interesting season for trying new tea flavors. In the flowery spring, add some new flavors to the life with some flowery drink.

Lavender Tea

Ingredients needed:-

3 Tablespoons fresh Lavender flowers or 1 1/2 Tablespoons dried Lavender flower

2 cups boiling water

Honey and Lemon (optional)

Direction to make:-

To make Lavender tea put the flowers in a teapot or container along with the boiling water allowing them to stay for a good 4 to 5 minutes.
Pour into cups straining if necessary to remove the flower buds. Drink Lavender flower tea with honey and sliced lemon for better taste.

Chamomile Tea

Chamomile tea has a naturally sweet tasting drink with a tinge of apple flavor. It is a good source of Magnesium and is used as a soothing and relaxing herb.

Ingredients needed:-

1 chamomile teabag or 1 teaspoon dried chamomile flowers

1 cup fresh water, brought just to the boil

Optional additions to taste such as honey, lemon, or mint

Directions to make:-

Add the teabag or dried flower to a cup. Cool the just-boiled water slightly (chamomile tea is best when steeped in hot – not boiling – water), and then add to your cup. Let it steep for 5 to 10 minutes. Its taste and benefits improves with longer steeping time. Remove the teabag or loose tea leaves. Drink it this way or add extras, like honey, lemon, or mint, if you wish.

Winter

Winter, no doubt, is the perfect season for drinking a hot cup of tea every morning and evening. To make winter more healthy and delicious, there is green tea for you to try.

Green Tea

Green tea, with its incredible taste, has many health benefits. Drinking green tea increases metabolism. Also, it helps to maintain a healthy heart. You can also say ‘A cup of Green Tea a day, keeps a doctor away.’

Ingredients needed:-

Green tea leaves- 1 tsp
Water – 1 cup
Honey to taste
Fresh lemon juice to taste

Direction to make:-

Heat 1 cup of water. Do not bring it to boiling point. Switch off before that stage to reduce bitterness. Add 1 tsp green tea and brew it for about 2-3 minutes. If you brew it longer, the tea will taste bitter, so just 2-3 minutes is sufficient. Strain the tea into a cup.
Add honey and a few drops of lemon juice to taste. Do not add milk in this tea. You can use 2-3 fresh mint leaves to get a minty flavor.

So, what are you waiting for? Go make a nice cup of tea for yourself and others. Drink your health and taste at the same time and Enjoy.

June 24, 2014
Ten Minutes or Less: Food Tips and Tricks
We live in a fast track world where things happen like… whoooosh. There are mornings when one doesn’t have enough time to make a breakfast and there are nights when after a hard day’s work no one has enough energy to stand in the kitchen and cook food for one more hour. In the age when Pizza comes under 30 minutes, who wants to wait for 1 hour for the food? So, here we are today with tips and tricks of Food meals that can be cooked in 10 minute or less.
1. Cereal Breakfast:-
This is the easiest thing that can be made in less than 10 minutes. Even you can get time to read your email and wash the dishes while you complete the 10 minutes of this dish.

Ingredients needed:-

1 cup low fat yogurt

1 tbsp honey

1/2 cup corn flakes

Sliced almonds to taste

Directions:-

Put 1 cup low-fat yogurt in the cereal bowl (we are using this instead of milk). Add 1 tbsp honey to it. Now put the ½ cup corn flakes and sliced almonds for the extra flavor if needed.
1. Egg Toast:-
Egg is simply the easiest food item for any meal. It hardly takes any time to cook and is always a great source of energy.

Ingredients Needed:-

2 Eggs

Salt (as required)

2 Bread slices

1 pinch Nutmeg

2 tbsp Butter

Direction:-

In a bowl whisk the eggs. Add together salt, other spices (if required) and a pinch of nutmeg. Put the bread on this mixture and let it absorb the mixture. Now turn the bread over and let the other side absorb.

On a pan, put 2 tbsp butter and let it heat for a minute. Now, put the well soaked bread on the butter and cook until golden brown and crispy on both sides. Repeat the same steps with other bread slice. Serve with tomato sauce. Enjoy the food.
1. Fried Rice:-
You can prepare a delicious meal with last day’s leftover rice without a fuss. Follow these steps.

Ingredients Needed:-

Cooked rice

½ cup finely cut Tomatoes

½ cup finely chopped Onions

Salt and spices as required

2 tbsp Oil or butter

Directions:-

Put 1 tbsp oil or butter in a pan and heat for 1 minute. Now add ½ cup onions to it and finely cook till it is golden brown in colour. Add tomatoes to it as soon as the onions change the colour. Add salt and other spices to taste. You can add a little Soy sauce too for the taste. Now let it cook and turn into a thick paste and in the mean time, in another pan put 1 tbsp oil or butter. When it is hot, Add cooked rice to it and let mix it well so that every grain of rice has a little oil over it.

Now, Put this rice in the paste and mix it well. Cook it for 4-5 minutes. Taste and add a little more soy sauce if needed.
1. Scrambled Eggs:-
The secret to cooking egg is that you can do anything with them. But in case you are not in mood to do anything, just break the eggs in the pan and get done with them.

Ingredients Needed:-

2 eggs

2 tbsp cream

A little salt

¼ cup finely chopped Onion

1 tbsp butter

Direction:-

Add eggs, cream, onion and a little salt to a bowl and whisk.

Put butter on a pan and let it heat for a minute. Now put the eggs mixture in the pan and cook on medium heat. Use a wide spatula to scrape the mixture off the pan and turn it over. Cook until it gets creamy and take it off the head.

Serve with toast if you wish.
1. Pasta:-
No doubt, it is the undisputed master of 10 minutes club. It is tasty, least fussy and also classy serve to show off.

Ingredients Needed:-

350 gm pasta

½ onion finely chopped

3-4 tomatoes finely chopped

1 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp red pesto

2 tbsp vinegar

Directions:-

Cook pasta according to instructions in the pack.

In another pan, put 1 tbsp butter and heat the onion and tomatoes. Now, put all the ingredients including onion and tomatoes to a mixer and mix them well into a paste.

Tip the paste into the pan again and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the pasta, put into this gravy mix it well and serve.

It isn’t over yet. As the food is incomplete without dessert, here is the recipe of a dessert as a bonus that can be cooked in less than 10 minutes too.

Instant Chocolate Cake:-

This is the easiest and tastiest chocolate cake that can be cooked in such less time.

Ingredients Needed

½ Cup Flour

¼ cup Sugar

4 tbsp Cocoa Powder

Egg

¼ cup Milk

4 tbsp Vegetable Oil

3 tbsp Vanilla Cream

Pinch of Salt

Direction:-

Beat flour, sugar, cocoa powder and egg in a bowl. Add milk and vanilla cream when it is made into a thick paste. Now add the vegetable extract and a little salt. Keep mixing it till it is made into a smooth mixture. Put the mixture into the microwave until it is smooth and puffed. It will take 2-3 minutes. Take the dish out and enjoy.

Now, what are you waiting for? Go, make the dishes in 10 minutes or less and enjoy life without any compromise with taste due to time constrain.
June 24, 2014
Pastafarianism: All Hail His Noodliness
Let me have the pleasure of introducing you to one of the oldest religions in the world, Pastafarianism. It might be an unusual name and over the internet you will find a whole lot of people announcing it as a spoof religion but it is NOT. It is as true as the Flying Spaghetti Monster Himself.

According to the Holy Scriptures, everything started 5000 years back when the lord Flying Spaghetti Monster created the earth.

Deity of Pastafarianism:-

The deity of Pastafarianism religion is Flying Spaghetti MONSTER, called so because of his distinctly non-human form. As you can already see we humans are not created in his Noodliness’ image, not even a slight possibility of that.

Theory of Creation:-

The story of Pastafarian creation is simple. First, there was a word, and that was ’Aaaaaaaaaargh!!’ His noodliness created the heaven, the trees and the midget. Following days, he created everything else. But then He got so tired that He needed the last three days for rest.

In alternate theory, Flying Spaghetti Monster drank heavily and had a hangover when He was creating Earth and everything. This is the reason for all the flaws and problems. After creating all this, His Noodliness rested and made some pasta. When He returned to check up on His creation, He discovered that thousands of years had already passed and there were pirates roaming the seas.

Origin of Religion:-

Because the religion is so ancient that it is hard to track its beginning, but according to Holy Scriptures, it started when His Noodliness gave Pirate Captain Mosey the eight I’d Really Rather You Didn’t. Since then, Pastafarians increased in number steadily but the revolt and chaos created by other religions forced Pastafarians into hiding.

Renaissance of Pastafarianism

In 2005C.E., the prophet Bobby Henderson, a Physics graduate from the Ohio State University was enlightened by Holy Noodliness, the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

This resulted in Bobby Henderson’s famous open letter to the Kansas State Board of Education in order to add this holy religion in Kansas State Schools as a part of their curriculum in Alternate Theory of Evolution. You can read the letter here. Though he failed in that attempt but he succeeded in restoring and popularizing this centuries old faith.

Worship

Morals

Morals of Pastafarians are guided by the eights Condiments, though two are lost which is a sign that His Noodliness won’t mind if you skip some of the rules of religion. The traditional dress of Pastafarianism is Pirate Regalia which pastafarians have to wear all the time or at least some time.

The Eight Condiments

Some of the Condiments, also known as I’d Really Rather You Didn’t, are mentioned below:-
- I’d Really Rather You Didn’t Act Like A Sanctimonious, Holier-Than-Thou Ass When Describing My Noodly Goodness. If some people don’t believe in me, that’s okay. Really. I’m not that vain. Besides, this isn’t about them so don’t change the subject. OK?
- I’d Really Rather You Didn’t Use My Existence As A Means To Oppress, Subjugate, Punish, Eviscerate, And/Or, You Know, Be Mean To Others. I don’t require sacrifices and purity is for drinking water, not people.
- I’d Really Rather You Didn’t Judge People For The Way They Look, Or How They Dress, Or The Way They Talk, Or, Well, Just Play Nice, Okay? Oh, and get this in your thick heads: Woman = Person. Man = Person. Samey-Samey. One is not better than the other, unless we’re talking about fashion. Then, I’m sorry, but I gave that to women and some guys who know the difference between teal and fuchsia.
You can read the rest here if you want.

Noodle Dance:

Noodle dance is the complex traditional ritualistic dance of the religion which is assosciated with Holy Noodle Ceremony.

Prayers and Hymns

The Noodles prayer is the most common prayer as dictated by the Prophet Ragu:-

“Our saucer which art in a colander, draining be Your noodles. Thy noodle come, Thy meatballness be done on earth, as it is meaty in heaven. Give us this day our daily sauce, and forgive us our lack of piracy, as we pirate and smuggle against those who lack piracy with us. And lead us not into vegetarianism, but deliver us from non-red meat sauce. For thine is the colander, the noodle, and the sauce, forever and ever. R’Amen”

There is another ‘Hail Meat sauce’ prayer which is common among followers of this religion.

For Hyms, various songs by the beloved Prophet Ragu can be used like Holy Holy Pastaroni, A Meaty Pasta is Our God, By His Noodly Appendage, What Sauce is This and others.

Afterlife

Pastafarians believe in Heaven and afterlife that includes Beer Volcanoes and Stripper Factory. It is also believed that the people with proper measure of Meatitude will join the Flying Spaghetti Mosnter in the Great Pasta Bowl in the afterlife.

Have faith on His Noodly Appendage and you will be rewarded in Afterlife with Noodle-y delights.

Towards other Religions

Every religion is welcome to come and join the Pastafarian religion. Pastafarians might be considered spoofs but they are not and they don’t judge others too with any such label.

Personal Views on this Religion

IN PASTA, WE BELIEVE. Basically, for the last word, Pastafarians are not anti-religion. They are anti-nonsense done in the name of religion. Isn’t it fair?
June 19, 2014
What They Write When They Write About Food?

Food in Literature

It all started when I was reading J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit where one can find description of food and feast on every third page. The word-ly delights guided me to see the divine connection between food and literature.

Well, this reference of food in literature is not new at all. It has been there since the very beginning of written and verbal art. Homer’s Greek epic Odyssey has extensive descriptions of sacrificial food and wine in every chapter. Early Roman literature is full of food and festivity. Bible too is not untouched by this. Remember that bread and wine miracle?

In literature, food is not only a means of survival but also a medium of interaction in society, a plot twist, reunion, symbol of change and what not. Food, in general, is a reflection of culture as a whole. No doubt writers have utilized this device of representation to their best.

“Take some more tea,” the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.

“I’ve had nothing yet,” Alice replied in an offended tone: “so I can’t take more.”

“You mean you can’t take less,” said the Hatter: “it’s very easy to take more than nothing.”

… Alice did not quite know what to say to this: so she helped herself to some tea and bread-and-butter.

                This has been my favourite way of asking people have some tea. Alice comes to terms with the world around her through this little tea party. Lewis Carroll has effectively used food, in both of his books Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, to represent as well as critique on social behavior and ideals of Victorian society.

Queen said. “The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam yesterday—but never jam to-day.”

“It must come sometimes to ‘jam to-day,’ ” Alice objected.

“No it can’t,” said the Queen. “Its jam every other day: to-day isn’t any other day, you know.”

                As we are talking about a society’s critique, Tolstoy’s opinion of the excesses of nineteenth-century Russian aristocrats can be seen in Anna Karenina where the characters Levin and Oblonsky share a meal of three dozen oysters, soupe printanière, turbot with sauce Beaumarchaise, roast beef, poulard à l’estragon, parmesan cheese, macédoine de fruits, vodka, champagne, and two bottles of Chablis.

A person’s eating habits also shows his character. In world’s most unread classic, James Joyce’s Ulysses, the protagonist Leopold Bloom’s description is like this:

Mr. Leopold Bloom ate with relish the inner organs of beasts and fowls. He liked thick giblet soup, nutty gizzards, a stuffed roast heart, liverslices fried with crustcrumbs, fried hencods’ roes. Most of all he liked grilled mutton kidneys which gave to his palate a fine tang of faintly scented urine.

                Our protagonist is a man of tremendous appetite and similarly in later part of the story, we can hear his belly grumbling. As the story ends and he reaches his home, all he asks his wife to do before falling asleep at her feet is to make him some breakfast.

One of my favourite story A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens also has a special role of food in it. First when the Second Spirit brought Scrooge to Bob Cratchit’s dwellings and at the end of the story when Scrooge sent a turkey to Bob Cratchit’s place.

“Do you know the Poulterer’s in the next street but one, at the corner ^?” Scrooge inquired.

“I should hope I did,” replied the lad.

“An intelligent boy!” said Scrooge. “A remarkable boy! Do you know whether they’ve sold the prize Turkey that was hanging up there?—Not the little prize Turkey: the big one?”

I’ll send it to Bob Cratchit’s,” whispered Scrooge, rubbing his hands, and splitting with a laugh. “He shan’t know who sends it. It’s twice the size of Tiny Tim. Joe Miller never made such a joke as sending it to Bob’s will be!”

                In Scrooge’s story it is shown as a first step towards change. Still my all-time favourite dining table moments are following:-

First would be the Harry Potter’s feast in Hogwarts. For both Harry and reader it was the most amazing experience. A new world for Harry, where his life truly begins.

“He had never seen so many thing he liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.” (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, J. K. Rowling)

                Last but not the least, we will go back to the starting point, that is, Tolkien’s The Hobbit which is full of Hobbit-love for food but the best isthelittle feast right at the beginning of story which decides the future of Bilbo Baggins.

Already it had almost become a throng. Some called for ale, and some for porter, and one for coffee, and all of them for cakes; so the hobbit was kept very busy for a while.

A big jug of coffee had just been set in the hearth, the seed-cakes were gone, and the dwarves were starting on a round of buttered scones, when there came- a loud knock.

“Now we are all here!” said Gandalf, looking at the row of thirteen hoods- the best detachable party hoods- and his own hat hanging on the pegs.

“Quite a merry gathering!I hope there is something left for the latecomers to eat and drink! What’s that? Tea! No thank you! A little red wine, I think for me.”

“And for me,” said Thorin.

“And raspberry jam and apple tart,” said Bifur.

“And mince-pies and cheese,” said Bofur.
“And pork-pie and salad,” said Bombur.
“And more cakes- and ale- and coffee, if you don’t mind,”
called the other dwarves through the door.
“Put on a few eggs, there’s a good fellow!” Gandalf called after him, as the hobbitstumped off to the pantries. “And just bring out the cold chicken and pickles!”

There are so many references that it is impossible to put together all of them. So the story ends here. Next time you pick up a book, pay attention to the food too as it tells a story in itself.

June 18, 2014
Going Places: A Street Food Junkie’s Survival Guide
Holiday season is here and bags are packed. Every year some travel bug feasts on my family members and we end up in some random town. So when travel bug bite my brother this year, we ended up in Kota (Have you heard about it? It is a beautiful town in Rajasthan).

Traveling to a place where you have never eaten before is a Food Junkie’s dream destination. To tell you the truth, it is every Indian’s delight. How can you NOT like trying new food items, tell me? Though there might be some exceptions like my brother who has no appreciation for food and thus always judges me on the account of unhealthy street food I eat.

Out on street, the first thing my cousin, who is a resident of Kota, told me was, ‘As long as your taste buds are not used to this city, you shouldn’t take any risk with the street food’. Well, that’s true to every word, I swear. Else there might be some bad consequences.

Coming back to the point, every Indian city has its own street delight. Let me be sure you know exactly what I am talking about when I talk about street food. When somebody mentions street food, you might think about chaat without wasting a moment. Yes, chaat is street food but it is a small portion of the bigger universe.

Street food, as one can understand by the name itself, is food which is sold (but may or may not be made) in streets. It ranges from the light chaats to hearty meals like Daal-baati choorma, Rajma-Chawal, Pulao and Curry. Just anything and everything. The only thing that stands out between a Dhaaba and Street vendors is that these street sellers are too poor to start a dhaaba. But at the same time, due to their easy availability and reasonable prices, they are always a hit among lower to middle class and college going people. Also, the quality of celebrated street food is that it might not be the mainstream found in restaurant menus but it stands as the heartbeat of the city, adored by common people.

In other words, as historic monuments are a must visit in order to study the culture of a city, same way, eating street food and exploring regional arts is also a must to indulge in the culture of a city. It gives a new flavor to life. These things are only known by Street Food Junkies who go out in the streets to rejuvenate their taste buds.

Now, if you are a Street Food Addict or aspiring to be a Street Food analyst (if there is any such thing), you can follow some of these tips in order to enjoy Street Food without mulling over consequences.
1. Give your taste bud a little time to get along with the local taste.
Especially if you are not used to local spicy food. Proceed with small amounts at first and build up tolerance to the taste.
1. Have you ever played the game ‘Follow the Leader’?
You have to do the same. Follow the crowd and have faith on the locals. They know more than you. If they are avoiding a particular street vendor, it isn’t a time to act all radical. Go with the flow.
1. Make sure food is being cooked freshly.
Fresh doesn’t mean something cooked 8 hours earlier and heated in the present time. Sneak peak in the vendor’s utensils to check if he is continuously cooking. If not, this isn’t a place for you.
1. How many flies can you count at the counter/the vendor’s utensils?
You know the rule- higher the number of flies-lower the quality-worst the consequences. However tasty the food may seem, if it is already taken by the flies, you shall not claim it.
1. Fact-Fruit is healthy. Reality-It depends on circumstances.
Don’t let the worldly pleasure of pre-sliced fruits tempt you. ALWAYS make sure fruits are freshly cut or get it sliced right in front of you. Don’t take the chance with heavenly-looking fruits if you love your stomach.
1. Last but not the least, when you are out in the street, keep clean drinking water handy. You shall be a teenage rebel or a liberal minded person. But water is water. It should be clean and hygienic.
There is a lot more to learn in the art of Street Food eating but we believe what the elders have told us, ‘Experience is our true teacher’. Being broke teaches us the art of bargaining, especially if there are no written prices. Loyalty towards a particular street vendor earns us the extra sauce. And a lot more such tricks.

Now, go out in streets and don’t be afraid to try new dishes. In this free country, we have every right to eat the food we want without being judged by those who don’t know anything about the pleasure of street food. Feel gratitude towards these people who feed us Food Junkies.

Also take adequate precautions to fully enjoy the trip and food. You will survive, just like I do every time.

As for me, I’ll go back into the street for another street photography session hiding this eating bug somewhere inside me that will guide me to the final destination- a Street Vendor’s Stall.
June 15, 2014