Once Upon a Time in India…..

When I think hosting a party for friends and family, the first thought that comes to my mind is what is going to be the theme. For me a party is not complete unless we a have theme and the rest goes around that particular theme for the whole evening. And yeah! The party usually is fun in the evening.

I remember how I and Rayyan had planned on a crazy party. It had loads of fun with crazy competitions and games for children and adults. The point is, no matter what the theme, if you have something in your mind than the party is going to be a hit with everything.

What is the toughest part in arranging a party? For me it is the cooking. I do enjoy cooking normally, but when I plan a party I usually wish I did not have to do all that cooking and cleaning up later. Often the cleaning up is managed by my son who needs just a little help from me, and now I see I have a solution to my other problem also. The gourmet products from Kitchens of India give me a wide variety of choice to suit my party and taste so that I can concentrate on other aspects of an entertaining evening.

Now it is time to go back in time when the Maharajas ruled India. Yeah! That is going to be my theme for the party. Enough of the modern day music, karaoke and discos; for now let us relive the glory of past India. Why not when the kitchens of India will provide us with the cuisine of those old days? With the secret recipes which have been handed down through the generations which are readily available for me, I am sure I can create a super hit party in my home itself.

The invitations will not be sent, but I would personally go and invite the important people to this party and explain the theme to them.  It is time to pull out and iron all those silks which have been stacked at the back of cupboards for a handful of my friends and family members now.

To create the right ambience, I would find the best of Indian historical documentaries and movies to run on my TV. The music would be classical too. The guests to the party will be welcomed cordially and made to sit comfortably. For a change, this is not going to be a serve yourself party. The guests would be taken care of and served food like in old times.

The menu would include recipes have been crafted by the Master chefs of ITC hotels, from royal recipes guarded closely over the ages which I could easily pick up from Kitchens of India. Does that not make me proud? Why not try out some chutneys and conserves to go with the snacks and starters when they are readily available?

The menu would include starters with Chicken Tikka, Fried Prawns and Paneer 65. They will be dipped in delicious dates, in a tart and tangy tamarind base comprise the tongue tingling Tamarind Date Chutney and the Tomato Chilli Chutney instead of regular sauce. The slices of tomato with garlic and green chilli, is sure to lend its fiery nature to the starters and party itself.

The main course would include Naan, Rumali Roti and Ghee Rice which could go well with the gourmet meals of Mughlai Paneer, Dal Bukhara and Chicken Darbari. It would also include Hyderabadi Biryani – A culinary specialty with a royal combination of saffron, spices and condiments to re-create the masterpiece from the Nizam’s kitchens where most of the hard work has already been done by Kitchens of India. All I have to do is add Basmati Rice, chicken, water and cook.

Mango Lassi, Sherbets, and Badam milk will be served in elegant glasses to quench the thirst.

As for desserts, the first thing to crop up in my mind is ice-creams, but according to the theme I am going to stick with the Jodhpuri Moong Dal Halwa -A Rajasthani dessert made from moong dal simmered in milk and garnished with almonds & saffron, Awadhi Badam Halwa- A delectable delight made from the choicest almonds, grated and simmered in milk, ghee and khoya and Hazoori Petha Halwa -A North Indian delicacy made from grated petha, cooked in ghee, milk and khoya, garnished with raisins. The distinctive flavours of this halwa make it the perfect dessert for any occasion. They will be right desserts to follow the gourmet meal.

Finally the guests will be lavished with Gourmet Gifts of Halwas 4 Pack to remember the party by as this is not going to happen very often. Now I am going to check my bank balance and see if I can really afford this party for my closest friends and family.

This post is written for the 'My Gourmet Party' contest at Indiblogger in association with Kitchens of India

Being On Cloud Nine

On June 2^nd, we joined Microsoft & IndiBlogger at The Tower Kitchen where they promised to unlock the power of the cloud! With the Office 365 for students they can stay connected to the learning community – anytime, anywhere. Being a student myself, though not the full time college going one, I was curious to know what they had in store for us.

I am extremely sorry to say this, but unlike the other meets of Indiblogger, this was not well planned or organized. The letter received by Inditeam confirmed it too. This is what they had to say. “Thank you for all the awesomeness, and for making it a fun afternoon! We hope that you enjoyed it despite the shortage of food and the lack of chairs. The venue was confirmed at the last moment, and getting things organized was rushed, to say the least. We're sorry for any inconvenience caused to you!”

Actually despite everything, it was an informative and entertaining Sunday with good time spent with Microsoft team, inditeam, indibloggers and friends. We had many different games and fun activities too. Bloggers who had questions regarding Office 365 were answered with patience by the Microsoft team.

Personally for me, the highlight of the event for me came from the Mircosoft team including Ramkumar Pichai (GM, Microsoft) who assured me of help regarding my dream of starting a virtual counseling center for cancer survivors about which I had written earlier as a part of reviewing Mircosoft office 365. If this ever works out, I am going to be forever grateful to Indiblogger and Mircrosoft team.Click on the picture to read more about my dream project. 

Now to answer the question what we wish we had in our school or college, and how it would have helped us. As I said earlier at the meet itself, I missed the convenience of search engines in my school days. It was difficult to find perfect information or answers to the questions as simple as why the sky appears blue when viewed from earth, or why do stars twinkle where as planets do not.

I was a perfectionist as a student and would search the libraries to find answers for the questions that cropped in my mind. I could not accept what was presented to me without proper explanations. Our teachers were at loss as to where to find answers for all the questions I asked. I wanted to know the answers for the questions not only that appeared in my text books or exam papers, but also that came in my mind while learning. There was so much of curiosity to know about the oceans, human psyche, wars, animals and moreover the space and world beyond our solar system.

Finally, after crossing my 30’s I did find the perfect way to quench my thirst for facts, trivia and knowledge. The day I found search engine, I was on cloud nine. In fact I even searched for the information on how the phrase ‘Being on cloud nine’ originate. Then I found the Encarta Encyclopedia which was a special learning experience for me.  As a student of M.S. in psychotherapy and counseling now, I find the search engine and internet to be my best guides and teachers. Unfortunately with family and various responsibilities, I do not have much time to spend on learning. If I had search engines back in my school days, I would have enjoyed my learning immensely.

Now with the advent of Cloud for Education, the life of students will be more simplified. Sharing information, answers and notes taken will be so much easier as will be discussion regarding a subject.

The hunt is on at the moment for the 50 brightest minds is on across 10,000 colleges throughout the country. Those students who have it in them will be mentored by the world’s leading software company. Students can use you’re their Office 365 institute email id and blog their way to win an opportunity of a lifetime – a 4 week Virtual Mentorship with some of the best brains in the country.

Overall it was a memorable experience which ended on a happy note for me and my family. 

https://www.cloudblogathon.co.in/Default.aspx

55 Fiction - Gift!

Furious, she stared at the clock.

11:55 p.m. In five minutes her birthday would be over.

No signs of him.  
She waited, with painful memories of how he forgot her first birthday after their wedding. 
The clock struck midnight.

Angrily she stomped to bed.

And saw him. Dressed in nothing but a big red ribbon.

Thanks to Vidya Sury for wonderful editing!