A Space to Pause

I was caught up with a thought of doing something different for lunch on an active Saturday. I just felt like eating Briyani, after a long time. The best part of cooking is that, a craving immediately turns into a meal without any second thought!! The moment I thought about mushrooms, the only thing that came to my mind was those childhood days when I and my sister ventured out with my older cousins to hunt for farm mushrooms. They were not cultivated, but they grew densely by themselves after a good rain. There used to be heavy competition for picking those. Even before it was dawn, there were groups who set out for such expeditions. The rule was that the mushrooms belonged to those who found them, does not matter whose farm it was on. Few days were really yielding and exciting. Those wild mushrooms were white, umbrella mushrooms, and only few experts in the family were able to differentiate between the good ones and bad ones, as there were few poisonous ones too. Later, mom or ...

Well, Coconut is not a true nut, but a drupe. I fancied a rhyming title, therefore, went for it. South-India is famous for kaappi (coffee), dosa , kanchipuram saree and coconut. Once someone asked me "You apply coconut oil on hair, pour it in some food items such as Avial and  koottu   and apply it on skin, so what is it all about coconut?" That made me think. There is a conception that coconut meat and oil have high cholesterol, and, therefore, consuming it in any amount is not advisable. Agreed! It is rich in saturated fats that increase the LDL levels in the blood. On the contrary, there are numerous health and wellness websites and Health food companies that promote coconut-based food by highlighting its goodness. Some even claim that coconut may cure conditions from indigestion to autism and Alzheimer's. Which of the above claims is true? The first one has been proven scientifically, but the latter part of the second one lacks evidence, as it is all about clinica...

In summer of 2007, just four months after we first arrived in the US, my husband and I were at Penns landing, celebrating India day. That was the first ever-big Indian gathering I attended since my arrival in the US. I was gazing at the stalls, the colorful Bollywood dance and the number of Indians who thronged along the riverbank. I liked it, and was lost in the noise and the mixedness of the event. I did not know anyone there, but got to know a couple of them with whom I am still in touch. But, least did I expect that I would be writing an article for a person whom I happened to notice there, but really got to know and interact much later! I saw this beaming face carrying loads of smile and radiance, walking around. Then I noticed her huge tummy, which she carried at ease. Till then, I thought pregnancy was a tough thing, and there will be more of grimaces throughout than smiles. Her fast-walk, smile, radiance and confidence attracted me. No wonder why Baby P has that sweet, all...