Disasters with cooking :)

From: Tina
Sent: Friday, March 07, 2008 7:36 PM
Subject: Disasters with cooking :)

They say ‘The way to a man’s heart goes through his stomach’ but if that’s the case then I guess I will never reach my hubby’s heart…
The type and edibility of the food I prepare is something which is highly debatable.

And ‘Amche Aaho’ comments that I cook in auto pilot…
Yea which is true I guess when Television is on but otherwise I do not think so...

Well missing putting sugar in coffee or putting too much sugar in tea is by default I guess…
But some curries turn out in such a way that he is forced to ask…exactly what this was before you demolished it.

Once it happened that I went ahead to cook cabbage by the time I turned on the gas and went ahead with putting all ingredients I realized I had missed out something and that ingredient was not available at home too. So went ahead with cooking just put some pepper. Got distracted while cooking and ended up with semi burnt sabji. :) That day at dinner convinced ‘Amche Aaho’ that I put extra pepper and that’s the reason for cabbage looking black…

Another day thought of making some dessert so tried Gulab Jamun. The ad in the ready to mix pack and the actual product were two different stuff.
If you know how rock is then you should have some idea as to how the Gulab Jamun was ….
Though putting it in sugar syrup did have some what better effect at least you could break the small rocks :)

Of course how difficult will making rice be…
Well I can make a mess of that too..
With putting in more water that I guess we had rice soup one day :)

The icing on all this cake is Cake itself.
Thought of whipping up a cake as a surprise.
Got all ingredients, mixed it and put it to bake …
Set the timer and went ahead to kitchen to cook sum other stuff.
After a while thought will check it out , but could not make out how the cake baking dish size reduced so much.
Quickly opened the oven and cake is crisp and burnt and cake dish is partially melted…
I by mistake se set it on conventional bake time instead of normal bake time.
That month our electricity bill was also a packet: D

Of course ‘Aamche aaho’ had a good time clicking photos of the cake in Top view, Side view, on plate, with white background (to emphasize on the burnt color and texture ) etc.
He just wanted that ppl back home should not miss the wonderful top part like vanilla(i.e white) and bottom part like chocolate (i.e burnt black)

For the life of him, he cannot understand what I do so much in the kitchen with the final product sometimes questionable.
So best and healthy suggestion is just cut all veggies and brings it to the table so we can have a healthy non –burnt food…
Yea got to try that too :D

Well these are some of the disasters I could remember while penning this …will update more if I remember..

Till then will inflict such a pain to ‘Amche Aaho’ only
In case any one wants to try at your own risk, you are always welcome :D

Warm Regards,
Tina :)

Njoiiiing Pootharekulu

From: Tina
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 6:28 PM
Subject: Njoiiiing Pootharekulu

Office just seemed to return back to normalcy with people coming in after a long weekend after Pongal. One of my team mates had just returned from Rajahmundry. So once most of the team mates were present he started distributing sweets. I was outside, away from my desk and had just landed when the distribution as well as consumption of the sweet was done.
So when he saw me my team mate came and distributed to me a plastic wrapper with tissue.
This is specialty of our place, Happy Pongal.
Wishing him Happy Pongal and taking the plastic wrapper went back to my place.
Checked a few mails and thought of tasting the sweet.
But it seemed such a delicate wrapper, and was planning of opening up the wrapper i.e thin plastic foil. But something was not right.
I looked up to see couple of my team mates njoiiing my predicament …

I : Hey how do u eat this?
Collegue1: I was just waiting to see what you are going to do?
I : I am trying to open the wrapper but it seems so delicate.
Collegue1: (Burst out laughing --- It was only good 2 mins ke baad she responded by calling a few more colleagues) Hey Tina is asking how to eat this :) She is trying to open the wrapper.
I : Yea .. :) what is it made up of.
Collegue2: It is made of rice , sugar and ghee.
Colleague 1 : That is not a plastic wrapper but the sweet. The outer thin layer is thin layer of Rice inside which has sugar powder with slight ghee…It is called pothareku..
I : So are we supposed to eat directly or open the outer cover.
Colleague 1: Directly :) (called the colleague who was distributing and mentioned mine predicament and then had a hearty laugh)

And so with some doubt as to whether my teeth will sustain the plastic exposure bit into the sweet directly and lo it melts into you mouth and no tooth broken…
So this was my exposure to pootareku….
Very soon collegue1 went around trying to see how others especially those who never had exposure to pootareku having it..
Most of the colleagues, especially those from north, who have never had seen pootareku faced the same predicament as me.
So in case if you get a chance to bite into pootareku go ahead njoii it and yea it is not plastic foil :)
Just to give u an idea please find additional info ………

Rough Picture :
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/18/Pootharekulu.JPG/200px-Pootharekulu.JPG

Additional Info :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pootharekulu

Warm Regards,
Tina :)

Kismis.. :)

From: Tina
Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 7:37 PM
Subject: Kismis.. :)
Bleary eyed was eying at the tasks to be done before leaving for wrk....
Maid had just made an entry and told something in telegu....
Normal conversation with maid goes something like this...

Maid : Telegu ...telegu ........bhabhi .....telegu....
Me : Ok ...Telegu radu (dunnot know telegu )
Maid : Phenyl telegu...telegu
Me : Phenyl khatam ho gaya ? Will be able to get only on weekend...Saturday....chalega
Maid : nods.
So after such attempts at communicating generally i am quiet thinking why to unnecessarily trouble her and myself....

Another day her conversation went...
Maid : Bhabhi ...hindi...
Me : Haan Hindi aatee
Maid : Telegu ?
Me : Little little..Koncham Koncham .(Actually know only Telegu Radu..)
Maid : Bhaiya telegu...
Me : Bhaiya telegu radu...(Now how to tell i knw atleast telegu radu , bhaiya does not know that too )
Maid : Kya bhabhi telegu telegu ( in a gist i guess...god knows how we will communicate)
So after a week of such conversation or rather no conversation

I braved and just attempted some more small talk...
Me : So baachee kaise? (thoda actions ke saath)
Maid : Telegu baache school etc etc telegu telegu
Me : Ohh Ok... (smiled sweetly)

Me gave up on small talk and went about with something in kitchen.

Maid : Bhabhi kismis hai ...
Me : (thinking - Gas connection bhi nahi hai ....She want to cook or what...No dry fruits also...Then dry fruits mein kismis se some cleaning. ohh maybe for kids) Kismis....Kismis kyun chahiye?
Maid : Nahi bhabhi....kismis telegu .telegu
Me : Kismis khane waala ...Pakane ke liye chahiye ?
Maid : Radu bhabhi ..kismis kismis....telegu telegu telegu..
Me : (Totally clueless)....kismis par weekend ko hii laa payenge ,....
Maid : radu bhabhi..

Both of us are looking at each other for communication gap...Almost at verge of giving up then realization dawned upon me...
Ekdum cartoon character zaise bulb jala siir ke uppar :)
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Me : CHRISTMAS .......Ohh ...Aap Christmas ke baarein mein pooch rahein ho ...
Maid : (thousand watt smile) haaa bhabhi
Poor thing was trying some conversation at her level too...
Me : Haa hain naa....(gave a brief description of x'mas)

Then we slipped back to oblivion ..i.e back to silence....
I guess we will take some more time to discuss abt "new year" or for that matter any other festival....but that will be another story...
Till then see ya and keep mailing

Take care
Tina :)

Being Engaged ;)

From: Tina

Sent: 10/11/07 02:48 PM

Subject: Being Engaged ;)

One of my friends asked that so do you feel engaged? I said yes ..Now slowly slowly i do feel engaged or committed.

On asking what exactly prompted the feeling ....i thought little bit abt it and then thought will better frame the answer in a mail.

Here are the reasons which include a bit on the wackier side :D

-- Of course phone bills increase and if you have pre paid then monthly bank statement seems like only prepaid recharges.

-- Guessing game starts whether whose SMS it is.

-- Everyone starts asking you are you all set for the 'D' Day.

-- ' What ur still doing in office ? ' or ' When are you going ?' As if ppl have nothing better than getting rid of me .

-- People are wondering whether you changed Orkut profile so as not to mislead others and if you have not changed then they want to know when you would.

-- All friends stop communication like as though you are hot potato... Like as though you are continuously on phone with ur would be better half. Thanks for the consideration :)

-- Casually ppl mention now you are going away from group or ur have already stopped communicating to the group. This esp after u have written a huge mail. And to top it all the explanation is 'It is expected that you would now that you are engaged.'

This was a mail which i almost did not send. but hope it makes out esp inspite of the mail sending restrictions ;)

Take care

Regards,
Tina :)

P.S : Ppl in cc will not get this mail ... If it can be reforwarded by some one that would be gr8 ..Thanks.

Marie Gold

From: Tina
Sent: 8/19/07 8:05 PM
Subject: Marie Gold

There are some movies that you should risk to see...some that are so inspiring that you can see multiple times...
But there are some which you should definately not see esp after seeing the rushes and promos...

Marigold was one such....
After seeing an good and inspiring movie.like 'Chak De' just a few days back....we went to see Marigold......

It was as bland as marie gold biscuit....
Salman was doing favor to be somebody by acting in it i guess.....atleast that favor was not to the audience...
Went with a couple of friends who were wondering what in the name of god was I thinking when i was taking the tkts....
They were like Rush hour 3 ke bhi lete toh burra nahi lagta....

Neways my sincere and warmest wish....try not to see marie gold in any decent theatre ..get a DVD or rent it yaar...

regards,
Tina :)