tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68452965876833378602024-08-31T00:50:38.209+05:30~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845296587683337860.post-79359697758047995512015-12-01T20:20:00.000+05:302015-12-01T20:29:32.687+05:30

Today, I am in binge mode. I want deep fried deliciousness entering my system. And I want carbs. Lots and lots of carbs. Enough to soak up all my cravings.  So I hop out of my house and take a quick jaunt down my lane to the uber popular wada pao* stall. From a distance alone I can see people milling around him, but I’m a regular, the privileged one, the fair girl from the North, and I

~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845296587683337860.post-41494346255668146462014-08-07T19:36:00.000+05:302014-08-08T00:01:09.673+05:30

The year has gone by in a flash and some more, and while I sip on some delicious memories in the comforts of the valley I call home, one question I often ask myself is: what was the best form of cultural exchange that I experienced at INSEAD? Was it the multi-lingual parleys in the classroom or the varying dance moves during the gazillion parties? Could it be the differing sense of humour or

~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845296587683337860.post-72796899266407706922013-12-30T19:40:00.000+05:302013-12-30T23:18:14.127+05:30

What a year it's been! From start to finish, it has been a complete roller coaster, and the last 5 months have been additionally so, partly why I have been missing in action from this space (Now, now, I am not providing pretexts for complacency, for I have been far from lazy. I am simply elaborating on why there have been no new posts, while there has been a lot of new food, and also to explain

~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.com3Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India30.3164945 78.03219179999996430.0971985 77.709468299999969 30.5357905 78.354915299999959tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845296587683337860.post-63522745294121799592013-07-03T00:34:00.000+05:302013-07-03T01:17:08.708+05:30

When one is back in the valley, surrounded by mountains that have recently seen a spurt of the worst possible devastation, one must search for reasons to rejoice, to keep the faith and to live through one more day -- and one such reason is the tremendous effort the locals have put in to assist those in need. Another reason is simply that one is ALIVE. And finally, my most favorite reason is that

~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.com10East of Kailash, New Delhi, Delhi 110048, India28.5586999 77.25089789999992728.5447529 77.230727899999934 28.572646900000002 77.27106789999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845296587683337860.post-62899066731958080792013-06-06T21:53:00.001+05:302013-07-03T01:20:50.349+05:30

Thunder growling in a distance. Humid winds, an overcast sky. The promise of rain and perfect music. Ah, my soul's sigh!  I dream of Paris, and a café -- a page in cursive -- billets doux. And Thai flavors -- palm sugar, holy basil, phrik ki nu... Yea, yea, I seem to be in such a romantic, poetic mood, but blame the weather!!!! And what is romance, if it is not coupled with the idea

~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.com6East of Kailash, New Delhi, Delhi 110048, India28.5580709 77.24698130000001628.5441239 77.226811300000023 28.572017900000002 77.267151300000009tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845296587683337860.post-26069056239481504212013-02-17T14:30:00.000+05:302013-02-17T15:14:22.645+05:30

Wedding season is on and how... Ask parlor owners or farm-house p***s, florists or halwais, and they will each recount with delightful rapture just how happy this season is and how they are literally raking in the moolah... And talking of weddings, I had the good fortune of attending the wedding of a dear old, AST (read Bhabha) who is now a certain Mrs. Goel with all beauty and grace *hoot hoot

~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.com10East of Kailash, New Delhi, Delhi 110048, India28.5580709 77.24698130000001628.5441239 77.226811300000023 28.572017900000002 77.267151300000009tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845296587683337860.post-59630142110116165462013-02-07T22:55:00.000+05:302013-02-07T22:55:46.004+05:30

So the world didn't quite end as expected (and even hoped by many!), and here we are, fat in the middle of the second month of Twenty13 -- yea, already! Middle? Not quite! Fat? Oh, completely... But then again, why wouldn't we be, given all the winter gorging like there would be no tomorrow, thanks to the Mayan indicators, but lo and behold, we are (read I am) FAT and ALIVE, and that my

~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.com0East of Kailash, New Delhi, Delhi 110048, India28.5580709 77.24698130000001628.5441239 77.226811300000023 28.572017900000002 77.267151300000009tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845296587683337860.post-71104662381087194912012-12-16T15:46:00.001+05:302012-12-16T16:32:56.933+05:30

I'm living as though the world might end this Friday -- shopping, restaurant hopping, bingeing and happily meeting all and sundry, never turning down a single invitation, for WHO KNOWS!? Though I do know, it shall not, and had BETTER NOT, for I have many, many plans for 2013, and if this world ends, dear Mayans, I will kick your a*** up there! So in order to live like we are dying (yes

~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.com10East of Kailash, New Delhi, Delhi 110048, India28.5580709 77.246981328.5441244 77.2272403 28.5720174 77.2667223tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845296587683337860.post-48602656277352387482012-09-25T17:54:00.000+05:302012-09-25T22:10:19.099+05:30

<!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>

~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.com9East of Kailash, New Delhi, Delhi, India28.5580709 77.246981328.5441244 77.2272403 28.5720174 77.2667223tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845296587683337860.post-84904598623880825142012-08-21T00:57:00.000+05:302012-08-24T01:07:09.698+05:30

It seems as though I have become completely Oriental all of a sudden. Gone are the days of French language classes and Italian cooking, Spanish vacations and Swiss sojourns, for here are the days that Anka enjoys a ton of sushi anywhere and everywhere, elegantly picks up chopsticks AND uses them, enrolls herself for Kickboxing *feels uber cool B-)* and even attends Thai cooking classes! Oh, and

~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845296587683337860.post-83634278265762816542012-06-09T19:38:00.001+05:302012-08-21T00:54:49.877+05:30

Ah! Of course, in this scorching, almost infernal heat a title such as this makes one dream of an infinity pool or the heavenly Mediterranean stretching on till eternity... A cliff jump into the holy Ganges or a still, backwater lake on a beach in Goa... But Ploof! And there I was in Lodhi Colony, basking in the heady aromas of freshly baked breads that blended with the zesty lemon juice

~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845296587683337860.post-21397974640658520272012-04-06T16:34:00.000+05:302012-08-21T00:55:29.603+05:30

Dear All, I used to be a passionate coffee drinker, never leaving my quarters without a beer-mug full of home churned cold coffee. As the morning would turn to afternoon and then evening, I would rarely shy away from cups of machine-spewed latte or a cafe's hot cappuccino. And any coffee with a hint of Irish Cream -- oh heaven! Big on regular coffee and bigger on the exotic kind (Read:

~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.com10East of Kailash, New Delhi, Delhi, India28.5586999 77.250897928.5447534 77.2311569 28.5726464 77.2706389tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845296587683337860.post-25847511845989617952012-01-28T21:51:00.000+05:302012-01-29T01:07:56.901+05:30

I woke up at 4:50 AM with the worst bout of sneezing I had had so far this year and then, just as I managed to doze off an hour later, the crazy pigeon family outside my window began driving me berserk with their maniacal wing flapping and extremely-loud-for-that-hour chirping. This was one bird family taking the "early bird" idiom quite seriously!&nbsp;As I finally dragged myself out of bed for

~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.com14East of Kailash, New Delhi, Delhi, India28.5586999 77.250897928.5447534 77.2311569 28.5726464 77.2706389tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845296587683337860.post-83296069252707270892012-01-08T00:18:00.000+05:302012-01-08T00:18:02.787+05:30

And there I was, in a city that claims to be PINK but which is more on the lines of a PEACH gone wrong; in a city of Royalty and Rajputness, in a State that the world associates with leheriya and bandhini; in the very capital of the land of camels, deserts and dunes. Yes, there I was, in good ol' Jaipur, or as I enjoyed calling it all through the trip like an excited firangoo&nbsp;tourist --

~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.com18East of kailash28.635308 77.2249621.9886965 67.117538 35.2819195 87.332382tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845296587683337860.post-18422919520577827982011-12-18T14:24:00.000+05:302011-12-18T14:24:32.155+05:30

For weeks now I have been in search of a gastronomic awakening, an epicurean epiphany, a taste-bud bungee jump. I have eaten out and indulged in multifarious culinary delights but something has always&nbsp;been amiss. Last night I was at Pandara road gorging on the uber rich Butter Chicken, while a week before we were at Gunpowder, an entire eleven of us, and the food, as usual, was&nbsp;

~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.com6East of Kailash, New Delhi, Delhi, India28.5586999 77.250897928.5447534 77.2311569 28.5726464 77.2706389tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845296587683337860.post-80404751238079744682011-11-21T00:46:00.000+05:302011-11-21T11:14:19.414+05:30

Courtesy: The Benetton Blog, www.blog.benetton.com After having seen the furore over the recent Benetton "Unhate" campaign, I must admit I was inspired. Why I personally like the campaign is because it is not expecting the Utopian of us by delivering the message of forgive and forget, or to begin to like that which we loathe.&nbsp;It doesn't prod us to love, for loving can be a whole new

~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.com4New Delhi, Delhi, India28.635308 77.2249628.4123265 76.909103 28.858289499999998 77.54081699999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845296587683337860.post-12528435398350848422011-10-18T19:24:00.000+05:302011-10-18T19:24:14.295+05:30

For an entire month I have been less of a gourmand and more of a glutton. Right from my gourmet affairs at Punjab Grill, Mamagoto and several others, to the mini food festival on the way to and at Patiala,&nbsp;to delicious (and free!) French wines, this month I have had it all.&nbsp;While in Patiala, I ate like there is no tomorrow, especially because the trip marked the end of the nine day

~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.com2East of Kailash, New Delhi, Delhi, India28.5591294 77.250573328.5451829 77.2308323 28.5730759 77.2703143tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845296587683337860.post-53926807070553011782011-09-15T21:59:00.003+05:302011-09-16T00:39:37.073+05:30

So I was at the DLF Emporio this morning for a coffee date with myself. Well, not quite, as I was waiting for someone, but considering the predictable Delhi traffic scenario that disallows people from arriving on time, I decided to indulge in a cuppa. I made myself comfortable at Cafe E and carefully pored over the coffee menu (limited but interesting). That's when it caught my eye, that exotic

~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845296587683337860.post-86608184224831881852011-09-13T23:57:00.001+05:302012-11-19T22:03:24.303+05:30

I have been hoping to cook and wishing to create for over three weeks now, but what with the new job (yes, people, I've finally been employed for more than a month now :p) and a certain set of emotionally draining circumstances, the all-elusive and ever-transient inspiration constantly gave me the royal miss. However, I have learned now that when inspiration is at an all time low, all you can

~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845296587683337860.post-14731220098865636672011-08-21T03:20:00.002+05:302011-08-21T10:48:27.229+05:30

The maid has left us and gone. Yes, we no longer have the luxury of a full time domestic help, thanks to the revival of NREGA in many states as well as the somewhat rapid rural development in our country. (Why she left makes for a whole new blog post, but let's avoid that territoy!). I am not denying I am happy for these sections of our society who benefit directly, but for people like me, who

~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845296587683337860.post-36544217491891294852011-08-02T17:50:00.001+05:302011-08-02T22:43:25.688+05:30

I enjoy walking and believe there is no better way to connect with a city or discover what guides its rhythm other than by simply traversing its streets, for one might chance upon wonders that are otherwise missed while speeding across in air-conditioned snooties, and such a chance meeting, more often than not, may turn out to be a transforming journey from hatred to love. There was a fury

~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845296587683337860.post-25965005932528281922011-07-23T06:41:00.002+05:302011-07-23T07:01:34.349+05:30

What can one expect to have as consequence when an unemployed youth sits and watches food shows on NDTV Good Times all day, I mean other than the feeling that there's nothing Good about the current Times? Quite obviously it stirs a hunger so profound it's almost religious, and one that leads to kitchen experiments and yet another blog post. So, Vicky (Ratnani, of course) was making a delectable

~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845296587683337860.post-13206260477680035162011-07-16T01:40:00.003+05:302011-09-26T03:11:38.297+05:30

I have always loved my food, and believe a good meal possesses divine, curative powers that can heal the body, mind and spirit, precisely why there is chicken soup for the soul and also why one is always asked to feed the cold. I cannot&nbsp;accurately&nbsp;recall when was the first time I felt so passionately about food, but it was probably around the time I was packed off to boarding school.

~anka~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05942818329147277735noreply@blogger.com12