Treading the tech-savvy path

How did we manage without the computer?  Pen and ink of course, later ball point pens, reams of paper, typewriters, erasers, correction pens and we were all set. I’ve carried my writing book to doctors’ waiting rooms, trains, airports and kept a pad and pen in the car!  With the computer, the drudgery is literally off penning several drafts. Now it is a question of cut, paste and delete,  and viola there’s a neatly typed manuscript in the font of your choice.  But what we don’t realise is that the workload is on the rise. Expectations are increasing, you are expected to perform in a relatively short time, shorter deadlines have to be met and communication either through social networking, or email is all instant, where conference calls are the need of the moment, and you don’t have to leave your office or your chair to discuss serious issues with your colleagues.

And there is Facebook, Twitter and Blogging. “c’mon ya, how else will you reach out to friends across the globe?”  And you don’t have to be a computer nerd for that.  Well, the result is that the mind goes on an overdrive.  According to researchers at the University of California, the average computer person consumes  almost three times as much information as what the typical person did in 1960.

The experts tell us that you could have loss of vision due to over excitement of the ocular nerve by screen frequency or due to EMF entertainment.  Your tendons could get inflamed, and you could have skeletal, wrist and elbow disorders. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common computer disease, and how about DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) due to lack of circulation. One has to remember to blink at regular intervals and shift your position in the chair, stand up and walk to avoid just that. What I dislike intensely is the anti social atmosphere it creates. You visit your children and they are so informal with you that they sit with the laptop and attend to matters much more important than you. No need for an office, as they can work in any room in the house, even the bathroom,  and repeatedly send out messages through email or the cell phone. And their children who are computer geeks themselves, presumably “read a lot” through Kindle or I pads. When you talk to them they don’t hear, not intentionally of course but because they have tiny ear phones plugged into their ears where they are listening to pounding music. The way they are multi-tasking is amazing, they can work on the computer at the same time have a cell phone glued to the ear and nod appropriately when you talk in a dreary monotone!

Never mind if you try to tell them that multi-tasking on computers and digital gadgets affect the way information is processed. With the onslaught of information coming in you can digest it anywhere, in your pocket, in the car or even in the bathroom. Even if we sit on ergonomically designed chairs, nature did not intend us to sit in them for a major portion of the day crunching numbers, filling in IT entries, writing accounts using Tally and detailing administrative work without side effects!

When I look at my library of books, among them my dog eared collection of cookbooks, some of them treasured acquisitions over generations, I sigh because there will be no takers. My granddaughters say they can with typing a few words,  get any recipe, and with You Tube to boot with demos so you can’t make a mistake. The Dictionary is getting obsolete, for the computer fills in most effectively. All those heavy Readers Digest books on how to find the Right Word, the Thesaurus and other heavy books which occupied shelf space can now be dispensed with.

Though the computer is among my most priceless possessions as it contains years of research and writing, I swear to myself that I will not become a slave to the machine and thereby lose my social skill and have a congested gridlock brain that is either frazzled or numb!

When I get quizzed on culinary topics!

Button mushrooms are now easily available in the market. Can you suggest some easy ways to make them? Eat more mushrooms, as they are good for you , considering the total fat  and carbohydrate content  is minimal  and low cholesterol to boot. Do not buy mushrooms that are wet and dark. Store them unwashed in a brown paper bag or plastic containers and in the frig. Do not store them for over two days, they taste best when consumed fresh. My favourite recipe for 100 gms mushrooms ... Clean the mushrooms thoroughly and slice them, discarding  the edge of the stalk. Chop 2 spring onions both the white part and the green tender stalk. Fry in a tablespoon of butter, add 1 tablespoon of refined flour and switch off the stove. Work in a cup of milk, reheat and cook till thick. Add salt to taste, ½ teaspoon of freshly ground pepper, ½ .teaspoon of mustard powder and 3 tablespoons of grated cheese.  Top on toasted buttered bread, or use them to  make sandwich toasts. Use sliced button mushrooms to make a pulao, or  just fry them in oil with salt and pepper, or serve them sliced on pizzas with a layer of grated cheese. Make delicious mushroom soup as you would any other vegetable soup, liquidise before serving. Note: Do not  eat mushrooms before cooking or steaming them, it may be dangerous. What is the difference between cupcakes and muffins? They do look alike don’t they?  A cupcake really is like a miniature cake, light and decorated with icing often with a small fruit or nuts and made with refined flour. A muffin is significantly heavier in texture and also in weight. You do add fruit before it is baked, also using nuts or chocolate chips, and as a rule muffins are not iced, and taste like a fruit cake which is not too sweet. Some recipes call for cooking with bran as an ingredient. I use the Victoria Sponge cake recipe for cupcakes  ¼ kg butter beaten till light and airy with ¼ kg castor sugar. 4 eggs added one by one to the mixture, beaten well with each addition, a teaspoon of vanilla essence for flavour. ¼ kg of refined or all purpose flour sieved with 2 level teaspoons of baking powder and a pinch of salt folded into the mixture. ¼ cup of milk makes the cake lighter. Place paper cups in muffin moulds and spoon the batter into the cups allowing room for the mixture to rise. Each batch would take about 15-20 minutes in a moderate oven 180 degrees. Lift off the paper cups, and start with the next batch. Do not overcook. Blend 50gm of butter with 100gm of icing sugar, apply over the top of each cupcake when cool, stick a cherry or a pineapple piece and please eat the little cakes fresh! As with all children, mine reach out for junk food. My son loves burgers. How do you make these complicated things at home? Not at all complicated if you know how! Junk food commercially sold, often have leftover meat, stale butter and other undesirable ingredients. At home you know what you put in. Firstly prepare the patties at home. Use minced meat, minced chicken or soya granules for the vegetarians. Cook the mince with salt and allow to dry and absorb the water keeping the utensil on low heat. Grind the mince with green chillies, green coriander, a little bit of onion, ginger garlic paste, and bread slices immersed in water and squeezed dry. Sometimes I mix in mashed potato and any other vegetables I have in my refrigerator.  Make balls and flatten them into patties, shallow fry in oil. Buns commercially available are sliced in half, and  mayonnaise spread over each half. Place a cleaned, washed lettuce leaf, a slice of tomato, a slice of cheese, then the pattie. Close the burger with the other half of the bun, fix with a toothpick and place in the oven just for a couple of minutes,  before serving. Indian food is  so laborious to make and yet so delicious. Can you give tips on how to make it easier to prepare? With our current lifestyles crowded and the pace of each day certainly accelerated, we don’t have the time grandmothers did to labour over wood fires, grinding masalas fresh on stone! I believe in short cuts without compromising on the taste. The ginger-garlic paste for instance without which survival is difficult, if you love Indian food.  Take equal quantities of ginger and garlic, clean thoroughly and grind together.  I prefer grinding them separately, as some recipes call for one ingredient without the other. Store them in small airtight plastic containers, in the refrigerator. Use only clean dry spoons to take out the specified quantity and place the containers back in the frig. This way the pastes can be safely kept for two weeks without spoiling. Mine last! Other ways of ensuring that the pastes keep, are adding a pinch of salt when grinding, or use a few drops of vinegar. Coconut is an essential ingredient, and I always grate the coconut ahead and store in plastic containers in the freezer compartment of the frig. You may grind the coconut and store the paste, but I do find that this does not work so well. Of course coconut paste and milk are commercially available if you are hard pressed for time. If you have a lot of cooking to do, onions chopped and stored in airtight containers for the next day work well. But they have to be used up, and it is not advisable to keep them for long. I keep my spice powder mixed and ready. For our type of cooking, we use chilli powder and dhania powder in the proportion 1:1 ½  I have them ground in a mill and store this in my pantry cupboard. When tomatoes are in season, puree them and pour into ice trays and place in the freezer. You can straight away use tomato cubes for cooking. 1     .I am always afraid to cook cauliflower, as it has worms  sometimes.  I also find that it gets soggy very easily when I make them. What can be done for this? You have to be very careful when you cook cauliflower. Buy them when they are fresh and white. Cut them into florets the size the recipe calls for, and soak in a large vessel of hot water with salt. Alternately, place them in a vessel of cold water to which a tiny pinch of potassium permanganate is added. Wash thoroughly after 20 minutes of soaking. Cauliflower cooks very soon, and is  tasty when crunchy. The best way is to steam them in very little water, and then use them in whatever dish you are making. If you are making a baked dish, there is no need to steam the cauliflower but just wash them thoroughly before you bake them. 2.  Bread always gets leftover, and when it gets mouldy, I just throw it away. How can I use left over bread? There are many ways you can use leftover bread. You can just sun dry them or warm them gently in an oven, and leave them in a cold oven for a day. The exposure dries out all the water, and the bread becomes hard, after which you can make them into breadcrumbs. You can use the stale bread as a base for making au gratin. Use them in a bread pudding, or shape into vadais, deep fry them and pour beaten curds over them, and add the seasoning to taste. 3. Many recipes call for pine nuts which are not easily available here. What can be used as an effective substitute? The most effective substitute are walnuts. Gently warm the walnuts before using. Here is a no fail recipe for pesto sauce. Recipe for Pesto Sauce Grind to rough paste the seven ingredients below, adding the oil little at a time. 1 heaped cup parsley (substitute with green coriander) ¼ cup pine nuts or hazel nuts (substitute with walnuts) roasted lightly 2     cloves garlic chopped 4     tblspns olive oil ¼ cup parmesan cheese ½ tsp salt ½ tsp pepper powder 200 gm mushrooms Chopped red capsicum, yellow capsicum (1/2  each) 200 gm pasta of your choice, preferably fusili (spiral) Cook the pasta al dente,  in a large vessel of water where a table spoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of olive oil have been added.  The pasta should be soft not mushy, and not chewy. Drain the water in a colander and run cold water over it. Set aside. Clean mushrooms, slice and cook in a teaspoon of water and set aside. Dice capsicums. Heat a little oil in a wok or kadai and fry the chopped capsicum and mushroom. Add the pesto sauce and ¾ milk just before serving. Mix in the milk, stirring all the time. Remove from fire. Pour over the cooked pasta just before serving, and mix lightly. 4. These days excess of salt is considered very bad for health.  What do I do when there is too much salt in say a gravy, how can the salt content be reduced so that I can still use it? All of us maids included have used extra salt at some point.  If your curry is salty, just add a whole potato, skin removed and cut in four into the gravy and boil till the potato is cooked. Amazing how this versatile vegetable uses up all the salt. In a dry fry, add a little water and add pieces of bread to it. 5. I always make excess of chutney and keep it in the frig. But I don’t like to eat it cold. Would heating in the microwave oven spoil the taste? This is a genuine problem.  The chutney would have lost moisture and becomes thick.  Heat or boil about half a cup of water and stir it into the chutney just before serving. Voila!  You are able to use the chutney at room temperature.

  

1. What is the difference between a mousse and a soufflé?

Both are similar in many respects. A mousse is a light soft preparation either sweet or savoury, where the ingredients are whisked,  and then folded in. It is set in a mould and usually served cold. Sweet mousses can have fruit in them and the most popular are chocolate mousses with the addition of coffee and served as a dessert, in tall glasses.

 

A souffle is rather like a cake but more airy and cooked and refrigerated in baking dishes. This could also be a savoury souffle like cheese, tomato etc or a sweet souffle. A custard is made with egg yolk, milk and sugar and the whites beaten into peaks and folded into the mixture..the flavouring could vary like lemon, strawberry or chocolate with an inclusion of cream. When a hot souffle is required it is baked and served immediately after removing from the oven, so that the whole mixture does not collapse.

2.  Is there any way of preparing an Xmas cake faster…it is so laborious!

Some things in life do not work with short cuts!  More so in cooking when you take time over a dish and prepare it with love it turns out beautifully.  I always make the traditional Xmas cake a month earlier. It is the preparation of fruit which is laborious. Wash the fruit and dry out with paper towels or. sun them. Then soak in brandy for a few days. This eliminates the drudgery of doing everything the same day

3. We don’t eat turkey. What is the best way to prepare stuffed chicken instead of the traditional turkey roast?

Buy a fresh  whole chicken.. Clean the insides thoroughly and smear salt.

The stuffing for 1 ½ kg of chicken:

8 slices of bread, 1 apple, 1 bunch spring onions, 1 bunch celery, 1 capsicum,salt and pepper to taste ,½ tsp dry rosemary, 100 gm butter

1.      Crumble the bread, chop the apple and other vegetables.

2.      Melt butter mix in the chopped ingredients, add rosemary and adjust seasoning.

3.      Pack the stuffing tightly into the cavity of the chicken. Insert the legs into the cavity and bind with twine so that the stuffing does not spill out.

4.      Heat the oven to 180 degrees and roast in a baking pan for 1 hour and turn at intervals so that it browns evenly.

The same recipe applies for turkey, whenever you change your mind and want to try it out!

4.  What is a healthy alternative for bread croutons for soups?

It is when you deep fry bread croutons that it packs in the calories.  Cut the bread into cubes and toast them in the oven ….and you have the same crunchy croutons  minus the dangers of deep frying.

5.      Can you use anything else other than white bread crumbs for cutlets?

It is better to avoid refined white flour which is the main ingredient in bread that is usually bought. You can use stale brown bread slices to make the crumbs, but care should be taken when frying as the brown bread crumbs will assume a darker colour and look burnt. A better option is to use fine soojee or crushed cornflakes.

For the December issue one more question

I have heard the term “praline” used, but could never make out what exactly it is?

Praline gives a caramelized delicate flavor or filling to desserts and sweets.

Blanch 200 gm of almonds, remove skin and toast them in the oven to a golden brown. Place ¾ cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of water in a heavy pan and melt over high heat. When the mixture bubbles, add ½ teaspoon of vanilla essence. When the sugar melts and turns brown , add almonds and mix briskly for a minute. Leave to cool and pound praline finely as required.

Praline is also a cake which is layered with the sponge cake and praline butter cream and sprinkled over with chopped almonds.

1. When we lived in Bangalore, Aapams came out beautifully because my mother used to add toddy to the batter.  Now it is just not available and I am unable to make good aapams in Chennai, could you suggest a substitute?

Yes, nothing works better than the natural stuff. But we do have to learn to improvise!  add grated coconut while grinding the batter. While it is being ground,  add 1 teaspoon of dry yeast to half a cup of warm water, adding 1 teaspoon of sugar. After the batter is ground,  add the fermented yeast mixture to the batter, and a tablespoon of curds.  When the batter ferments overnight, you can make lacy aapams the next morning for breakfast.

Recipe:  1 cup raw rice, 1 cup boiled rice, under ¼ cup urad dal, 1 heaped tsp fenugreek seeds to be soaked together for 4-5 hours. Grind to a smooth paste with ½ cup of grated coconut, add yeast mixture, and curds and salt and allow to ferment overnight.

Serve with vegetable stew and coconut chutney.

2. What is the secret to making good crisp dosais which are uniformly golden brown?

Dosai making is an art, the aim should be to make golden brown dosais, which are crisp on the outside and soft inside. The batter should not be as thick as a cake batter at the same time not thin as in a pouring consistency. You will determine the consistency with experience. The tawa (cast iron is best) should be warm not hot. The dosai should be poured quickly in swirls, and the heat increased moderately, and kept till it is evenly brown and the heat switched off. If the inside is cooked, there is no need to flip it over. When one dosai is made don’t just pour the next. Test if the tawa is warm, not hot. Use a cloth dipped in water and rub it over the tawa to cool it down quickly. I use two tawas which makes it easier, if you alternate between the two.

And please please, this fabulous dish is called DOSAI   not DOSA!

3. I have heard the term, “baking blind”  what does this mean?

We bake blind when we prepare pastry cases and flans. Prepare a pastry dough according to the recipe you want to follow. Roll out to a thickness of 3mm. Grease and flour  a 11” flan ring or pie dish, and mould the dough to fit inside, lining it in a way that it stays fixed, pressing the sides and top gently. Do not stretch the pastry. Pass a rolling pin on the fluted  edge  of the flan ring so that extra dough rolls off. Prick the base with a fork, and cover with a greaseproof paper. To keep it flat  sprinkle some dried beans or peas on the paper. Bake in a preheated oven about 180  degrees C for 10 minutes. You can add the filling of your choice after removing the paper, glaze the crust with beaten egg and bake for another 5 minutes.

4. Is it easy to prepare au gratin at home?

Of course it is. It is a French style of cooking. Once a casserole is prepared with say vegetables and a cheese sauce, it is given an au gratin topping.  Season breadcrumbs with pepper and salt, blend in butter and grated cheese and sprink liberally over the casserole and place under a grill or in a baking oven. The dish is ready when the top turns golden brown and a crust is formed. Even sliced potatoes with béchamel sauce can be served with an au gratin topping.

5. How do you prepare asparagus for various dishes?

This exotic looking vegetable can seem daunting! Cut off the tips of the asparagus, and discard the portions of the stalks which are hard.  Tie up the tips  which should be about 4 “ long in bundles of 10.Peel the lower part of the asparagus which have been cut  away and chop into small pieces. Boil in water for 4 minutes, then add the asparagus tips and cook uncovered for 8 minutes. Remove bundles and dip into cold water. The tips and the water could be used for soups as garnish or as a tasty dish with mayonnaise or cheese sauce.

What is a quiche?

Quiche is pronounced “keesh”.  It is an open tart originating from Lorraine.  You make a pastry shell, which is baked blind as described in my previous column. Do not bake the shell for a longer period, as the shell becomes hard. Remove when the pastry shell is light brown. You can vary it with fillings of your choice.  My favourite is mushroom with a cheese sauce base, blended with cream, spiked with mustard, salt and pepper. This mixture is poured into the pastry shell, and baked again.

Can mayonnaise be prepared without egg?

Yes. Make a cup of thick white cheese sauce, seasoned with 2 tsp mustard powder, 1 tsp sugar and ½ tsp freshly ground pepper powder. Add oil in a thin stream, very very gradually, till the mixture becomes thick and light cream in colour.  Add the juice of a whole lime, and more if you like the mixture to be tangy.

When you boil vegetables say for poriyal it loses its colour and looks insipid. How can you make it look attractive? Can I add a pinch of soda?

When you cut the vegetables the pieces should be the same size. Boil with very little water..approx 2 tablespoons of water for 1 cup of finely diced veggies. Boil on high heat uncovered and keep on heat till all the water is absorbed. Vegetables should always be crunchy and never overcooked and soggy. I never use soda. If you cook them in the microwave the colour will be retained.

I have seen crisply fried colocasia.  Is it because it is deep fried?

When you buy the vegetable select all the same size. Scrub them clean. Boil water and place the vegetables in the water, and allow cook. Test for being done using a skewer or a fork, and if necessary, remove the ones which are cooked earlier. Peel off the skins, and cut into  roundels less than ¼ inch in thickness. Prepare a marinade with 1 tsp chilli dhania powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder,3/4 tsp salt and 1 tsp thick tamarind juice. Add one heaped tsp of rice flour. Mix it into the cut  colocasia pieces and leave for ½ an hour.

When we visit Kodaikanal or Pondicherry I get tempted to buying loads of cheese. How do I preserve it?

Firstly, don’t buy loads of cheese its not good for you!  Keep out only a smaller amount of cheese which you will use up and the rest should be stored in the freezer in the refrigerator, in a box.  Another recommended method is to cut the cheese into sections and store in an air tight jar in the refrigerator. If you would like the cheese stored whole as it is ideal for grating, wrap it in a cheese cloth moistened with white vinegar, which may be kept outside if you are using it regularly.

What about paneer? Is it better to buy it as an when you need it?

To keep the paneer fresh, a slab of paneer may be  immersed in water in a bowl and kept in the refrigerator. But please remember to change the water every day!

1. What is the difference between red onions and white onions?

Onions are normally available in three colors: yellow, red, and white. Yellow onions, originally from Spain, are full-flavored and are a reliable standby for cooking almost anything. Yellow onions turn a rich, dark brown when cooked and give French onion soup its tangy sweet flavor. They are mild tender and sweet, and can be eaten raw or cooked.

The red onions have dark purplish red skins and extensively used  in India. The Italian red onion is smaller than its French counterpart and is generally oval in shape and a bit elongated.   In terms of comparisons with other onions like the smaller onions they are mild and slightly sweet. The red onion is a good choice for fresh uses or in grilling and char-broiling.

The white onions are larger in size, with a white skins and are milder than the red and sweet. They are quite tough. They are excellent for salads. White onions are the traditional onion used in classic Mexican cuisine. They have a golden color and sweet flavor when sautéed.

Once peeled onions oxidize rapidly and can become toxic, so peeled or cut onions should be stored in a covered box.

2. What are the different kinds of tomatoes available in the market and what do we use them for?

Tomatoes are rich in lycopene and ward off cancerous cells. Tomatoes are originally from Peru..the name itself is derived from Aztec (tomatl) Until the 18^th century, tomatoes were thought to be poisonous, and were grown as ornamental plants. It was only in the 19^th century that it became well established and used extensively for cooking. Most of the Indian recipes 2 generations ago, didn’t have tomatoes in the list of ingredients.

In the market today we have Bengaluru thakkali (higher priced) and naattu thakkali. Lately cherry tomatoes are also available.

The Bangalore tomatoes are large, internationally known as beefsteak tomatoes, they are sweet and ideal for making stuffed tomatoes, because of their firm thick skin. This apart they have excellent flavour.

The medium size tomatoes or nattu thakkali and have all round uses, in curries, stews, salads etc. They are sour and not sweet as the large tomatoes.

The cherry or miniature tomatoes have thick skins and can be used for salads either halved or whole. They can be skewered with kababs or used whole or braised in gravies.

Recipe for stuffed tomatoes

Use firm ripe tomatoes. Cut a circle round the stalk, and remove the seeds with a spoon. Enlarge the hole slightly so that the stuffing will go in. Lightly season the inside with salt and invert the tomatoes on kitchen paper so that all the liquid drains off. Arrange the tomatoes on an oiled baking sheet and warm them for five minutes in a hot oven. Drain again and stuff with ingredients of your choice.

You can opt for mincemeat made as you like, or soya granules prepared like keema but fried dry. Or you could use mashed potatoes seasoned with salt and pepper with cheese, crushed garlic and chopped coriander or parsley. Stuff the tomatoes carefully, sprinkle breadcrumbs on top to seal the opening, dot with butter. Smear the tomatoes with oil and bake in  a preheated hot oven for 20 minutes.

Hint

If the stuffing is precooked gently for about 10 minutes the tomato will not collapse when stuffed and baked.

3.What are waffles?

A waffle is a thin light batter which is cooked between two greased and heated plates of a waffle iron. The sandwich toasters you get in the stores have waffle plates, and are made of non stick material.. Popular in the US waffles are served with maple syrup for breakfast.

Sift 500 gm refined flour with two teaspoons baking soda, 4 teaspoons baking powder and 2 teaspoons salt. Add 3 tablespoons castor sugar, 150 gm melted butter, 5 eggs lightly beaten, and 3 ½ cups of milk. The batter should be runny. Heat the waffle plates in the toaster itself. Pour a ladle of butter in one half of the open waffle iron. Close the mould and turn it over so that the batter is distributed equally in both halves. Leave to cook remove waffles, sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.

4.I have heard that you can use flowers for cooking.  Can you give me an example of at least one flower that one can use?

The nasturtium is a good example. It is an ornamental plant with edible leaves, flowers and seeds. They are colourful and look beautiful when arranged in a salad. The leaves are a bit pungent, peppery but the flowers are milder by comparison and can also be used as a garnish, including the leaves.You can pickle the seeds and use them as condiments. The flower buds and seeds  can be pickled, and have similar taste to mustard. The Tuber nasturtium come from Peru, can be used as garnishes for hors d’oeuvre and cold cuts.

5.What is a fondue?

A fondue is a Swiss speciality, essentially cheese, two or three different kinds of cheeses. The cheeses are melted in a pottery fondue dish, and it is flavoured with wine or other kinds of seasoning. It is blended to creamy consistency then gently warmed  over a small spirit lamp. There can be many variations, like the addition of cream, milk or shaltlots. Some prefer adding sliced mushrooms. Strips or squares of toasted bread are forked and dipped into the melted fondue and eaten as an accompaniment to the main dish. Roast meat cubed can also be  dipped into this delicious  fondue and eaten hot.

Then there are vegetable fondues as well. It is a name given to finely chopped vegetables cooked on a slow fire till they become pulpy. Fondues made with carrot, leeks, celery etc can be served as accompaniment or as an ingredient for other dishes.

1.  There are so many different vinegars available in the market.  Can you describe some of them and what best they are used for?

Vinegar is a sour liquid used for enhancing the fIavour of certain food, as a dressing or as a marinade. It is a dilute solution of acetic acid obtained by  fermentation of wine or any other alcoholic solution. I will  list the commonly used vinegars.

Balsamic vinegar is the most expensive and is a richly flavoured wine vinegar from Modena Italy. It is made from selected grapes which are reduced to a concentration of liquid and fermented for at least a year in wooden casks. Sometimes it is allowed to mature for 10 years and hence is precious and should be used sparingly. It is used as salad dressing, or drizzling over roast meat or vegetables or cheese.

Wine vinegars red and white are used more often, to make vinagarette sauce, salad dressing or marinades. Red wine vinegar is used to flavour red meat and vegetables and white wine vinegar for fish and chicken.

Apple cider vinegar is a milder vinegar and not all that expensive, useful for dressing, and providing the sharp tang to sauces and  drinks also for pickles and cooked chutneys.

Malt vinegar is obtained from malted barley and is slightly milder than wine vinegars. The Brits consider malt vinegar part of the traditional accompaniment to fish and chips.

Rice vinegar is made from rice and the mildest of all vinegars and used in Asian and Chinese cooking.

Vinegar should be kept in tightly closed bottles in cool, dark places, and generally are good for a year then lose their flavour.

2.  What is apple crumble?

Apple crumble is a dessert made with apple and a crumble mixture and baked in an oven/

Recipe

1 ¼ cups (150 gm) refined flour, 150 gm butter, 150 gm castor sugar processed in a mixie till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.Mix in ¼ tsp cinnamon powder or grated nutmeg.Remove the skin of the apples,( 1.5 kg) core them and chop into quarters.  Lay the apple pieces in an oven proof dish and spread the crumble mixture over them, and bake in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes at 200 degrees C.   Serve with any custard.

3. What is lemon grass and how is it used?

       This is a special variety of grass which grows in South East Asia with a lemonish smell and flavour, and used for Thai, Indonesian, Malaysian and Vietnamese cooking. You can grow it in pots very easily. It could be used fresh or dried and powdered. The grass should be fried before placing it in curries to get the full flavour, and ideally removed before serving.

4. How is a sweet potato different from the usual potato?

A sweet potato is also an edible tuber which was first discovered in North America and it reached New Zealand, Europe and Asia besides other countries. It is reddish or violet coloured as opposed to the creamy colour of the potato and is floury and much sweeter. It can be cooked with the skin, baked or pureed and added to desserts, in gratins and even in souffles. Many people confuse this with yam, which is tough and quite different.

5. What is a good substitute for sour cream? And for cream cheese? So many recipes  call for these ingredients..

      Commercially sour cream is available. But I find that our home made curds make good substitutes especially if you know how to make thick curds. I strain the curds and use the thick portion immediately to substitute for sour cream, blending it first to a smooth paste.  For cream cheese you could make hung curds, where curds are strained and hung overnight. This is firm and can be used for many dishes.

Traffic Nightmares

We were rather amazed when some visiting friends from Bangalore complimented our traffic regulations. I thought at first they were being sarcastic.  “Your traffic at least moves, my dear,” was the observation. I guess we never know when we are better off. “Yes, the Metro Rail has thrown you off gear, but at least you get there”, remarked our friends.” Many a time we decide to turn tail and reach the comfort of our homes if the traffic permits!” If we grumble at our Chennai traffic, it would do each  grumbler good to stay in Bangalore for a week and move around “at leisure”.  With the city ripping its seams, and the growth  uncontrolled it is a commuter’s  nightmare. It puts you in a bind to confront flyovers galore in various stages of completion, and “one ways” reversed at whim.

We were staying at Millers Road, Bangalore, and had invited guests  for dinner. We thought we would make a quick dash to a friend’s place in Trinity Gardens. Mercifully this took us about 20 minutes.  We left her place at 6.15 pm hoping to reach home by 7 pm well in time to receive our guests. Our optimism was alas short lived as we drove into a traffic gridlock. The cars moved bumper to bumper and when we prudently maintained a safe distance, cars and autos would squeeze in, so that we were behind in the queue. Queue? Might was right and I was amazed at the dexterity of the Bangalore drivers as they expertly wove in and out of the lines, with screeching brakes and burning tyres making James Bond films pale by contrast. The motor cycle wallahs, two wheelers and autos were not to be outdone. They zigged and zagged in a game of musical chairs, and we felt totally incompetent at such awesome driving skills in this city.

The traffic inched forward, then came to a dead halt for what seemed eternity. The pattern continued till I lost all consciousness of time and place. The roads were horribly bumpy with potholes, and speed breakers.. I prayed that our vertebrae may not be displaced. It was well past Ulsoor that the traffic congestion cleared. It had taken us exactly two hours and twenty minutes to reach home. Ignoring the guests who were waiting in the lobby we rushed to  the bathroom!!

When we murmured our apologies, sheepishly, they assured us that this was a common occurrence which they faced frequently!  One had to know which areas to avoid at certain times and update ourselves on the routes and non entry points..And we were not to feel guilty, they should have issued warnings. It was a lesson well learnt.

I thought of a whole lot of compensatory measures for the poor Bangaloreans since most of the people I talked to were resigned to their fate.  If you are a computer fiend, take your laptop and use a card to activate your internet, so you could save time answering your emails. The Kindle if you have downloaded some good books. Of course your cell phone is a must, to make those urgent phone calls. All the better if you have a Blackberry.  The newspaper can be read from beginning to end, and with luck you can finish your suduko.. Take some DVDs with you so you can view them on the computer, and you could watch a full English movie comfortably. You have such a wide choice and it is a pity if you don’t use this opportunity. All this is possible only if you are privileged to have a driver. If you drive yourself, I would earnestly urge you to have your blood pressure checked regularly. I’m not sure whether you could consume water in plenty while you commute. You’ll  have to choose between  dehydration and a full bladder.

Car manufacturers could have a field day designing the interiors for emergencies and charge a well deserved premium. The back of the front seats could hold a small cloth holder for novels, magazines and newspapers, to house a mini library. The back seat should have a push up device to reveal a concealed chamber pot in times of emergencies for the ladies and children, the ones with built in chemicals which would just diffuse the contents and keep the pot hygienic. It wouldn’t do to have the contents splashing around while riding over speed breakers and potholes.

And what happens to someone having a heart attack or a stroke, or a pregnant woman who develops labour pains? The city planners thanks to their poor vision have to make one  facility available. A helicopter service which can be summoned at will to the site of the emergency and the person concerned bailed out and taken to the nearest hospital.

We are fast reaching a stage when online shopping and door delivery for all commodities are the only way out, especially for senior citizens.. And we need not visit anyone. There is email and Skype where the webcam gives you pictures of your loved ones and we can continue to live in virtual reality.

Then we can dispense with cars.  So the traffic will ease.. But what happens to the empty flyovers and the planning and vision which has eaten up several crores of rupees? Not to worry, the visionaries will take care of that.

One last fervent prayer I made was that Chennai would not take its cue from its sister city Bengaluru....or will it?

Driving me up the Wall

If you drive, it is mandatory to carry your original driving license with you, even if it is to the post office across the road. My driving license was due to expire and I had to  renew it. It meant going to the RTO’s office. I needed to be examined by  a practising doctor so he/she could attest that I am medically fit to drive. My heart sank. Suppose…suppose? I took  Step One. Passed!

Next. You stand in a long queue, the sun beats down on your head, and you shuffle forward on uneven ground which houses a dilapidated building where licenses are issued. “There is no other go,” my husband says with that twinkle in his eye. “after all we need not come again for probably 5 or even 10 years.” Not trusting me to wander off on my own for such important matters, he drives me to the RTO’s Office. Parking is a nuisance as  usual, so I get off and walk ahead,  round the building, and encounter several gates with intimidating padlocks and chains. Finally I discover a small wicket gate, which is open,  and tread gingerly on carelessly strewn  bits of concrete and stone till I reach a queue. The man at the tail end assures me that this indeed is the queue for getting the papers for renewal of driving licenses. The queue moves slowly. I can tell my husband that I have made sufficient progress.  The moment he appears, he enquires around and tells me I am in the wrong queue. Another very informative man tells us that we need to reposition ourselves at a different counter to receive the forms. We join the tail end of the new queue. Step two, we fill in the forms diligently.  Step three, we join another queue.

My husband  retrieves the old license from his pocket and keeps it handy. I sigh with relief, when he waves me on to a bench which is thoughtfully positioned  for people like me. The big bag I carry is crafty and attracts a great deal of attention,  more so when  I extricate my knitting which is most  handy for such situations.  “My God!” exclaims a young man in a brightly coloured lungi. “Look at those long. thin dangerous looking implements! In these days of terrorism and bombs such things should not be allowed.” My ball of wool rolls off and reaches his foot. He stifles a scream, softly muttering “bomb” and his friend convulses with laughter.

“Enna da madaya (you silly idiot)! All this lady is doing is ‘weaving’ a sweater.”

“In this hot Chennai weather? No chance”, is the glib reply. By now curiosity gets the better of them. I sense them peering over my shoulder, watching as I put needle into stitch, draw out a new one, and go clickety click. 

“Look how fast she is weaving…look look she is gazing somewhere else and weaving.” By now I am getting exasperated and drop stitches. It will take me quite some time to retrieve them. I give them both a withering glare. “ I am not a weaver, I am a knitter.” I mumble, but only to myself. Squinting, I pick up the dropped stitches, and get on to a new row.

“Madam, your man calling!”  I hastily stuff the wool, and knitting paraphernalia and reach my “man”. Not before I trip over someone’s foot and wind an arm round the lungi man’s neck to prevent my falling. He lets off another scream, convinced more than ever that I am a terrorist. His friend assures him that I am harmless, at my age and moreover I’m a mere woman.  I mumble an apology and move red faced to the window.  It takes about ten minutes to reach an irate official with an exasperated expression. He compares my old driving license with the form I have filled in very carefully, peering at me over his glasses at intervals. He is interrupted by another official who moans that one of the applicants are giving him endless trouble. The trouble maker sticks his head before mine in an unceremonious fashion and demands that he should be attended to.  The official stops examining my papers and tells him patiently that his form is not complete and he needs certain other certifications. This goes on for five minutes, and I wish I had sat on the bench for a longer spell and knitted…

“OK Madam I see you got your license in Bamynoor…You tell me if this is correct.”  I didn’t want to sound ignorant. “What state is this city in?  As far as I know I’ve only driven in Madras.”

“You might have driven in Madras, madam, but it is important for me to know where you got your first license from. I have to hear from you.”

I could not help my amnesia. What did it matter? The city was named in the original license so why couldn’t he just copy it? How cussed can these officials be!

“Sorry Madam, we can’t proceed till you clarify this point…”

“Which state is this wretched city in?”

“Wretched, Madam? Did you say wretched?  Not good to say things about any city, Madam. You got your license there.  Well it is in Karnataka.”

Light dawns. Of course Bangalore. We went there on holiday, and I passed my driving test there. I clarify. Both the man and I sigh in unison.

Armed with the stamped form I proceed to the next queue which is hopefully the last one. This is for the photographs. I look around…no one has come in their Sunday best to be photographed. I must have looked so pathetic that the big man in front of me offers to let me go in first. The kind hearted people behind him, give their permission as they are convinced I am sick and will get sicker if I wait in the photo queue. I am helped over a mound of slippers and reach the sanctum sanctorum.

“OK  Madam, sit straight.”    I oblige and clench my teeth, and get ready with a smile.

“Madam look at the little red light. Yah, OK over”, he says before I even smile. My signature is checked on the computer,

Should we join another queue to collect the license? Mercy falls on me like gentle manna from heaven.

“You can send someone to collect it madam, but with an authorization letter.”.

The next day, husband waves the driving license triumphantly. Darling, you ARE photogenic. I grab it, and choke as I gaze at it. There is this  jaundiced version of a frog in place of my photo.  “Who’s this?” “You, my dear”, says my husband stifling a broad smile.. God, is that how I look? Wait a minute, where have I seen the face before? Of course,  the old time villains, Edward G. Robinson, or is it James Cagney? 

The license nestles in my wallet  ready to deflate my ego whenever necessary for the next five years. Five years is a long time. Modern technology will make sufficient strides to knock out queues and horrendous photographs……I hope!

TREADING THE TECH SAVVY PATH

How did we manage without the computer?  Pen and ink of course, later ball point pens, reams of paper, typewriters, erasers, correction pens and we were all set. I’ve carried my writing book to doctors’ waiting rooms, trains, airports and kept a pad and pen in the car!  With the computer, the drudgery is literally off penning several drafts. Now it is a question of cut, paste and delete,  and viola there’s a neatly typed manuscript in the font of your choice.  But what we don’t realise is that the workload is on the rise. Expectations are increasing, you are expected to perform in a relatively short time, shorter deadlines have to be met and communication either through social networking, or email is all instant, where conference calls are the need of the moment, and you don’t have to leave your office or your chair to discuss serious issues with your colleagues.

And there is Facebook, Twitter and Blogging. “c’mon ya, how else will you reach out to friends across the globe?”  And you don’t have to be a computer nerd for that.  Well, the result is that the mind goes on an overdrive.  According to researchers at the University of California, the average computer person consumes  almost three times as much information as what the typical person did in 1960.

The experts tell us that you could have loss of vision due to over excitement of the ocular nerve by screen frequency or due to EMF entertainment.  Your tendons could get inflamed, and you could have skeletal, wrist and elbow disorders. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common computer disease, and how about DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) due to lack of circulation. One has to remember to blink at regular intervals and shift your position in the chair, stand up and walk to avoid just that. What I dislike intensely is the anti social atmosphere it creates. You visit your children and they are so informal with you that they sit with the laptop and attend to matters much more important than you. No need for an office, as they can work in any room in the house, even the bathroom,  and repeatedly send out messages through email or the cell phone. And their children who are computer geeks themselves, presumably “read a lot” through Kindle or I pads. When you talk to them they don’t hear, not intentionally of course but because they have tiny ear phones plugged into their ears where they are listening to pounding music. The way they are multi-tasking is amazing, they can work on the computer at the same time have a cell phone glued to the ear and nod appropriately when you talk in a dreary monotone!

Never mind if you try to tell them that multi-tasking on computers and digital gadgets affect the way information is processed. With the onslaught of information coming in you can digest it anywhere, in your pocket, in the car or even in the bathroom. Even if we sit on ergonomically designed chairs, nature did not intend us to sit in them for a major portion of the day crunching numbers, filling in IT entries, writing accounts using Tally and detailing administrative work without side effects!

When I look at my library of books, among them my dog eared collection of cookbooks, some of them treasured acquisitions over generations, I sigh because there will be no takers. My granddaughters say they can with typing a few words,  get any recipe, and with You Tube to boot with demos so you can’t make a mistake. The Dictionary is getting obsolete, for the computer fills in most effectively. All those heavy Readers Digest books on how to find the Right Word, the Thesaurus and other heavy books which occupied shelf space can now be dispensed with.

Though the computer is among my most priceless possessions as it contains years of research and writing, I swear to myself that I will not become a slave to the machine and thereby lose my social skill and have a congested gridlock brain that is either frazzled or numb!

published July issue of Gym Mag

MADRAS MUSINGS

Vintage thoughts
By Sabita Radhakrishna
– To gift its building new life-->
A Point of View
Chennai is greying faster than Madras ever did... the numbers of old people are on the rise, people are living longer with the help of medical science. It is not a mere long life that we should wish old people but a quality life for as long as they live, blessed with a sound mind, reasonably good health and a cheerful disposition.
Next comes the question, where and how do we live? The beautiful heritage famiuly homes where children were born and raised nurturing joint families which busied themselves with various activities, and where every room used to resound with laughter, are now empty ghost palaces devoid of life with a couple of old people who are walking apparitions themselves, watching their children themselves growing old and developing health setbacks too.
Most of the children are NRIs who have sought greener pastures abroad to better their prospects, encouraged by the parents themselves. They make it a point to make the occasional visits to the parents who in turn pretend they are well and happy. Most of them can afford to be generous and we have visited many old people who are apparently well equipped with lap tops, I-pads, ipods, DVD players, and various other gadgets which lie around evidently proclaiming the status symbols, because the offspring lack the patience to teach them how to use them. Vasanth stifles a yawn. “I can’t stand the cell phone or any other gadget my son brings me with so much love. I just accept them. I don’t even know how to use these things, and get tired of requesting the neighbour’s children to come and demonstrate.” It is so easy to hand out dole of material objects, but what is more precious is to spend time with old parents, understanding their needs and providing some kind of comfort and security.
On the flip side of the coin, some parents like me are excited at living in this era of accelerating technology, accepting with grace some of the new-age gizmos which I cannot afford but which give me immense pleasure while experimenting and discovering how to use, particularly when the nimble fingers of grandchildren unlock the secrets. There are, of course, thoughtful, considerate sons and daughters who agonise over their parents’ problems. Priya and her husband took time off to spend a month in Chennai, made the old home user-friendly by installing a stair-lift, hand-rails and grab-rails in the toilets.
Another family I know, whose son lives in Germany, was happy that he came down with his family and helped his parents downsize their home. Too weary to even attempt exploring old trunks which have been left in the loft, the parents wondered what they would do if they had to shift to a smaller place. The son took charge and, helped by his wife and grown up children who “sacrificed” their mornings and pursuits of small pleasures, separated the innumerable thingies into different piles, packing them into cartons, labelled “Junk, destroy” “Donate” “Imponderables” and, lastly, “Preserve” which of course fitted into the smallest carton.
Yet another family from abroad visited their parents and discussed their future and also the finances they would need, tidied up their investments, placing all their money in banks or fixed deposits in a manner that they would be able to handle with ease as, in this case, the mother hadn’t a clue as to how her husband managed their finances or where their money lay.
In the past, old people were content to live in sprawling homes till the end of their lives, and the “We’ll see later” attitude dominated their thinking. Taking a step which would jolt them from the complacency and despite realising that familial living was unthinkable, and while their friends decided to develop their property and move into apartments, they, however, stayed on stoically coping with perennial plumbing and electrical problems, not to mention leaks and cracks in the old building and trying hard to get reliable domestic help who would not exploit the helplessness of the aged people.
These are the reasons why these days enterprising builders are able to sell the idea of senior citizens’ homes to the growing numbers of old people in the city. They offer the environment of gated communities, villas, with complete management for daily living, food supplies, all for a price. The fact that these properties are far removed from the thrum and throb of the city does not deter some, as they would like to trade this factor for peace, security and not having to worry about running a home or lamenting on the lack of home help. They are further reassured that good hospitals are nearby and that assisted living would also be provided should the need arise. Many of the NRI children, relieved that the parents need not worry about living alone, encourage this concept and buy the homes for their parents. The carrot at the end of the stick is that even this property would be a good investment, as the value would appreciate in the years to come.
There are, however, the other group of NRIs who do not like the idea of the big move. They would like their parents to stay where they are, prepared to pay more for services or assisted living. Ideally, this would be the best option, with their own comfort zone, friends, established hospitals, doctors whom they trust and, more than anything, familiarity with everything around which is a big factor of security in old age whereas shifting at that juncture would pose its own set of problems.
When an old tree which has sunk its roots deep, spreading its branches wide, offering shade to all those who stand beneath it, is uprooted and replanted somewhere else, the question of survival is a moot point. Regardless of whether or not it manages to get a new lease of life with all the care bestowed on it, the fact remains that a part of it is already dead and buried where it grew with abandon.
For the next generation, the possible choices will not be difficult, for they will slip into the scheme of things. With the families totally nuclear, unmarried children will leave the homes earlier, parents will learn to be independent of support from their offspring, insightful property developers will have their heyday selling retirement homes which will be grabbed by senior citizens. Parents will seek the permission of their children to visit them. And probably vice versa. The guilt which eats into some of the children will be removed from them without a scar. Values surrounding family instincts will change drastically. And I hope I won’t be around to see that happen!
Yet, it is not right to sound the voice of doom. What happens is right for a particular period of time, and it is unfair to want to turn the clock back. What we can and we should do is to accept change, have no expectations and thank the Lord for all his small but endless mercies. Not forgetting the duty of our contribution to society, helping the needy when our minds are still active and keen, perpetuating our culture, loving our heritage and values and doing whatever we can to preserve it ... what more do we want?

Namma Pattu

GEETA PADMANABHAN

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Celebrating culture Sabita Radhakrishna Photo: V. Ganesan

“Threads of Tradition”, a presentation by textile activist Sabita Radhakrishna, was the second in the Namma Chennai series, an initiative by The Hindu MetroPlus and Sheraton Park Hotel & Towers

Kancheepuram idlis, delectable athirasam, sundal on leaf cups and brass-filtered coffee; copper venneer thavalai and kolu dolls as corner décor and Sabita Radhakrishna as the chief presenter; the topic could only be pattu pudavai, that symbol of grace and grandeur in Chennai's gatherings. In its second edition of the Namma Chennai meet, a very interested group assembled in their Kancheepuram best to know about the Kanchi heritage and its fabric of international fame.

“Pattu is not made of just threads, these are dreams of the weavers,” said Sabita, in a flawless presentation that traced the history of traditional pattu weaving that journeyed into Kanchi some 400 years ago. With stunning pictures as supporting material, she traced pattu's history, its patronage from the local deities and kings. She gave the audience a glimpse of the magnificent sari collection of Rukmini Devi Arundale whose crafts centre at Kalakshetra makes those beautiful Kalakshetra saris.

“River Palar flowed in Kancheepuram and its pure waters covered the threads with fine sheen. This patina along with the quality of weaving, weight and durability made Kanchi pattu a must-have in Tamil weddings, gave the textile a niche it so richly deserves,” Sabita went on. Woven into the pattu's history are these facts: Kancheepuram allowed space for the spread-out weaving, had close-knit families and water in the form of Vagvathi. It blossomed when the local deities wore the hand-woven silks and cottons, when the royals gave it patronage. In Kanchi, religion and weaving melded, hand-weaving was done with a sense of bhakti. All activities of the household, preparing the dye, loading the bobbin or twisting the thread, went on around the loom that was the centrepiece of the house. All the members were engaged in the creation of the masterpieces. In an oral tradition, the “secrets” of the art were passed on in a father-son lineage. It was in that sense a truly cottage industry.

Low returns

But all is not well with the industry now despite the crowds at the stores, said Sabita. Saris are not worn regularly and those who wear them choose synthetic yards over Kanchi cottons and silk. Even at weddings, the preference has shifted to other “dresses”.

Weavers have started encouraging their children to look for occupations with guaranteed income and job security. Those who still weave have moved on to hybrid threads where wages are higher. Weaving these saris is hard work and the returns are low.

“This beautiful art with its wealth of designs will languish,” said Sabita in a fervent appeal to the audience. “Don't let it die. Buy a few, patronise them.” She had suggestions for making Kanchi cottons and pattu a contemporary high-fashion fibre. “Traditional weaving could be a studio craft, weavers can be trained and paid a salary and the yardage can be used to make what this generation prefers to wear, for modern silhouettes.” It can be used for furnishings and accessories, anything, as long as the craft is kept alive.”

Anaka Narayanan, the young designer/boutique owner of Brasstacks, is keen to make that experiment. “Sari is figure-flattering, I love the silhouette, like the aesthetics of the handlooms,” she said. “But to me, design is about what the market wants.” Having tried hand-woven material in her designs, she promised to introduce Kanchi silks and cottons to the young as everyday wear.

Also present at the venue was Vijay Ganesh, a seventh generation weaver who has been persuaded by Sabita not to give up his craft. He didn't have to say much. The saris from his family looms in Thanjavur were part of the surrounding décor. Stunning in colours and traditional borders, they got the women leaping to have a look at the end of the presentation. “Exhibitions in metros have not been successful. Their only salvation is to hitch their wagon to young designers,” said Sabita, making a final request. “Don't melt your old saris for their silver,” she said. “You can use them to replicate the designs. The craft is irreplaceable.”

Pattu

* Pure zari is red thread wrapped in pure silver and dipped in 24-carat gold.

* “Korvai” is when the border and pallu are woven separately and then into the body. The fine weaving between body and border makes the joinery invisible. Here Pallu and border contrast with the main colour.

* It takes a week to a month to weave a pattu sari.

* The setting up of a loom costs Rs. 80,000 and an extra Rs. 10,000 each time the design changes, so order 3 at a time.

* Heavy saris weigh 700-1000 grams.

Keywords: Threads of Tradition, Namma Chennai, Chennai culture, Kanchi heritage, pattu saris, pattu pudavai, Sabita Radhakrishna