Chocolate and Coffee Mousse a la Sen...

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 200 ml packet of Amul cream
3 tsp sugar
1 tsp instant coffee
2 Dairy Milk chocolate bars
2 tbsp hot milk
Grated chocolate for garnish.

Method:

1) Break the chocolate bars in small bits and melt it in a double boiler. (which means, boil water in one vessel, place a stand in it and place the smaller vessel which contains the chocolate pieces on the stand, the heat from the boiling water will melt the chcolate without burning it.

2) Add the milk to the instant coffee and sugar.

3) Add the melted chocolate to the coffee and sugar mixture and keep aside.

4) Empty the cream packet into a vessel and beat till nice and thick.

5) Add the coffee and chocolate mixture to the cream and beat till smooth.

6) Pour into small bowls, garnish with grated chocolate and refrigerate.

Easy Pizza

1 Pizza Base
1/2 Onion (Chopped)
1 Capsisum (Chopped)
1/2 cup Tomato Sauce
Pepper Powder
1 cube cheese (grated)


Method:

1) Spread the tomato sauce on the pizza base.
2) Add a layer of chopped onions & capsicum.
3) Sprinkle the pepper powder.
4) Top it with a layer of grated cheese.
5) Microwave for three-five minutes on high.
6) Cut and serve hot.

Movie Review : The Stoneman Murders

Ok People, my first attempt at Movie Review writing, I have some large shoes to fill(Karthik being my mentor), I hope to live up to the expectations. Every now and then Bollywood takes a break from churning out meaningless and stupid movies to comeup with a superb film like The Stoneman Murders.

As a rule I am not a big movie fan, at the most I will watch the re-runs of popular movies on Star Movies or HBO. As I have said in the past to make me go to the multiplex I must either be in a near suicidal mood or the movie must strike a chord with me. On my way back from work a couple of days ago I noticed the hoardings for The Stoneman Murders. I am a sucker for conspiracy theories and whodunits and to be fair the hoarding were pretty intriguing.

So, that is how I found myself yesterday at Fun Republic, Andheri buying the tickets to have a dekho at the movie.

Here is what I have to say about the movie.

Movie: The Stoneman Murders
Cast: Kay Kay Menon, Arbaaz Khan, Vikram Ghokale & Virendra Saxena.
Director : Manish Gupta
Duration: 1 hour 45 mins.

This movie is based on the killings that started in Mumbai in 1985 and lasted for about two years(the killing, I mean, Duh). The killer crushed the heads of sleeping pavement dwellers with large stones. Somewhere around the middle of 1987 the killings stopped as mysteriously as they had started. The killer was never found.

The film is gripping and fast paced and keeps you glued to your seat. Also a movie which has Kay Kay Menon can't go wrong. He is one of the few actors (Irfan and Rahul Bose being the others) whose films are watchable and you have to forgive them a few lemons like Drona and Maan Gaye Mughal-e-Azam which complete their repertoire. Kay Kay is absolutely superb as the Special Unit Officer Sanjay Shelar, who is trying to solve the case. There are also fine performances from veteran actors Vikram Ghokhale as the Special Unit Chief and Sanjay's mentor and Virendra Saxena as Constable Kamble. Arbaaz Khan as Police Inspector Kedar who is Sanjay Shelar rival and intensely dislikes him is good.

The story is nicely woven into reality and you really start believing that what is being shown on the screen could infact be the truth. Sanjay who is suspended post a custodial death takes on a parallel investigation after getting the green signal from his boss and mentor (Vikram Gokhale). The further carrot is that he might get his job back if he manages to solve the Stoneman Case. Inspector Kedar who is officially incharge of the case spends more time jeering at Sanjay and eating free food off the roadside stalls.

The film plays with your mind as more than once the person Sanjay meets is the next victim. Also Sanjay is suspected to be killer as he is found in the vicinity of the scene of the crime a little too often.

On the flip side the film could have been longer with some more emphasis on why Sanjay thinks that there is a pattern in the murders and how he goes about cracking the case. Also not sure what message Manish Gupta wants to give when he has Sanjay telling his wife, "Tum Puchti ho na, kala dhan kyon ? Aaj issi kale dhan ke wajah se yeh ghar hai, jis ne bacha liya" meaning, "You always ask my why we need Black Money, today it is the black money that saved me, this house is thanks to the black money". The twist in the end is good though you begin to suspect that it is Mr.X whodunit. I am not gonna say anything more, go watch the movie!!!

True story of Valentine's day!!!

In spite of what you have been told by everyone, the truth is that Valentine's Day originated hundreds of years ago, in India , and to top it all, in the state of Gujarat !!!

In the days of the past the men, specially the Patels, continually mistreat and disrespect their wives (Patelianis). One fine day, it happened to be the 14th day of February, one brave Patelani, having had enough "torture" by her husband, finally chose to rebel by beating him up with a Velan (rolling pin to make chapattis).

Yes....the same Velan which she used daily, to make chapattis for him.... only this time, instead of the dough, it was the husband who was flattened.

This was a momentous occasion for all Gujarati women and a revolt soon spread, like wild fire, with thousands of housewives beating up their husbands with the Velan. There was an outburst of moaning "chapatti-ed" husbands all over Anand and Amdavad.

The Patel men-folk quickly learnt their lesson and started to behave more respectfully with their Patelanis.

Thereafter, on 14th February every year, the womenfolk of Gujarat would beat up their husbands, to commemorate that eventful day – the wives having the satisfaction of beating up their husbands with the Velan and the men having the supreme joy of submitting to the will of the women they loved.

Soon The Gujju men realised that in order to avoid this ordeal they need to present gifts to their wives....they brought flowers and sweets. This is how the tradition - Velan time - began.

As Gujarat fell under the influence of Western culture, the ritual soon spread to Britain and many other Western countries, specifically, the catch words 'Velan time' !!! In course of time, their foreign tongues, this got anglisized to 'Velantime' and then to 'Valentine'.

And thereafter, 14th of February, came to be known as Valentine's Day and now you know the true story of Valentine's day!!!

OK, guys, I know you want to kill me for this post, I am suffering from writers block and Kartik asked me to put up some thing for Valentine's day, so have dug out this old forwarded email :)

Enjoy.

The status quo has changed!!!

Dil to Pagal hai was on TV today, it is one of my favourite movies...Nisha is the character that I like most and I believe it is one of Karisma Kapoor’s best performances. The hero’s best friend, the one who loves him to distraction but knows she can only be his best friend. Your heart bleeds for her, you feel her pain, her helplessness as she watches her friend fall for someone else.

Very poignant few lines from the song Chand ne kuch kaha...from the same movie...

Jis pe hum mar mite, usko pata bhi nahin
Kya gila hum kare, voh bewafa bhi nahin
Humne jo sun liya usne kaha bhi nahin
Ae dil zara sochkar, Pyar kar, o ho ho pyar kar

How many times in life do we come at crossroads where we have to let go. They say,

If you love something, let it go
If it comes back it is yours
If it does not, it never was...

Why is letting go the hardest thing??

Is it because we feel that no one will be able to fill the vacuum??...But Nature abhors a vacuum, doesn’t it??

Atleast that is what the film said, Nisha meets Ajay in the end... the vacuum left by Rahul is filled by Ajay... the film ends with hope...

As a rule we resist change, the reigning feeling is don’t rock the boat... We don’t want any change in the status quo... but at times a change in status quo is just what the doctor recommended. My favourite quote is “The status quo has changed” from the movie National Treasure... it is in our hands how we make sure the status quo changes in our favour!!!

Leaving you with the below quote from Voltaire,

Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her. But once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game.

To wed or not to wed is the question...

I for one hate weddings ...thing is I am really tired of going to weddings and having elderly aunties and uncles elbow me with a “You are next!!!” Honestly if it happens to me one more time, I will ensure that at the next funeral I give that person my undivided attention by repeatedly saying “You are next”...

The issue of getting me married seems to be more important than national security these days, everyone seems to be out to get me...neighbours, relatives, friends, acquaintances, all and sundry for the matter, even the neighbourhood dog seems to look askance at me whenever I cross paths with it... People seem to get into groups or huddles like the Indian cricket team to discuss the problem at hand...”GET SEN MARRIED”... is the blood curdling war cry on everyone’s lips. This brings to mind what one of my friend says whenever he is being discussed without he himself having any say in the discussion about him, he retorts ”Kya main ganga mein beheke aaya hoon ??” ...I understand a translation is needed for my international audience, it mean...”Am I like driftwood that came along the Ganges, that is the impression I get the way you are discussing me ??”

I am not anti-marriage...before you jump to conclusions let me clarify that it is not a case of sour grapes or anything...I have no illusions about myself...it is just that I like my freedom a little too much and of late I seem to be meeting guys who are more interested in either doormats or in maids who will also help pay the bills.

I have been giving it a lot of thought...rather have been made to give it a lot of thought of late... what if I end up a spinster... this is a list of positives I have managed to come up with...

1) Control the TV remote at all times!!!
2) I wear the pants in my house!!!
3) Don’t have to worry about the toilet seat!!!
4) Will positively go to heaven as I will earn loads of brownies points for sparing some poor guys life by not marrying him!!
5) Get to keep my surname!!!
6) Don’t have to worry about what to cook or how I look!!!

This is totally my point of view, it may be right, it may be wrong, I am not judging anyone... your views are welcome !!!

Weight Loss update number # 1

OK people...fifteen days have elapsed since I started on my journey towards the ideal weight...so here is update number # 1

The best part of the journey is I don't have to starve myself..."eat everything in moderation" seems to work wonders... I have also started noticing what I put in my mouth...I also allow myself to eat a few chips and chocolates every now and then ...I am loving my new diet...

I have also discovered the joys of walking... something that I have not done since my cash-starved article clerk days... these days instead of jumping into the rickshaw the minute I walk out of the house... I walk... it maybe a trip to the bank, the local vegetable market, etc... just keep walking... it really helps... not only does it burn the fat... somehow I feel great after a good hour or so of walking...I am sure there is some logical explanation about some kind of hormone or something getting activated thanks to the excercise... of late I have been getting a lot of "Your skin is glowing"..."You look refreshed"... etc, etc, etc...needless to say, I love the attention :P

I am glad to announce that I have managed to lose a little over a kilo and half which in turn translates to some heavy duty inch loss... clothes are fitting better and I am feeling great!!!

I am already looking forward to the next update that I will post after 15 days :)

Cheers