So I made AMAZING pizza yesterday! Its from this recipe i found online!
http://www.woolfit.com/december2006.html#03b
Mine had mushrooms, sausage and thyme and was HEAVEN.
Fatema and her mother are teaching me how to cook. Rotis for two days and when i finally got round to making them on my own at home tonight, they still ended up crisp and dry! OK, so I'm exaggerating a bit.. It was definitely better than any roti I've ever made before, but it still wasn't as good as theirs!
Oh well, tomorrow is another day... I'm hoping I don't bump my head on the car door tomorrow too though.. among other things!

Tags: cooking, food, pizza, recipe

I can't believe it. No, really, its not just one of those cliched things that everyone says. I really can't believe its going to happen. In a little under a month, I'm supposed to be in new york, studying at the French Culinary Institute. Only, I'm SO sure that my flight will get canceled, or there'll be a problem with my visa, or (horror of horrors) I'll actually get there and then realize I don't have the necessary forms to do the course!
So instead I a going to cook everyday and pretend I have no doubts. And I will not, NOT celebrate until the 3rd of September when I actually begin the course.
I know no one will be reading this since its been almost a year since I updated, but in case you do, please PLEASE pray everything goes as planned!

Tags: cooking, culinary school, food

ok, im FINALLY back!
26 weeks is almost half a year! or is it a bit more? whatever.
anyway, the point is, SO much has hapened. god things and bad.
someone i loved a LOT and was very close to committed suicide.
but thats life isnt it...shit happens and all that.
TONS of good things have happened too though!!
i getting a puppy! yay for that!!
and college is going pretty well.
most importantly my parents seem to have become more understanding!
they might actually be meeting raghu next month!
so basically, this is just to say im back, and will be updating! so keep reading.
PLEASE.(im begging. i need SOMEONE atleast to be intertested in my life)

the exams are over!!! well, mostly... i have practicals next week...but that's AGES away...
i had only 2 days off :(
anyway, i have another amusing story for everyone...
at my expense obviously.
sigh...sadness...
still..., here goes...
a week ago, my friend ash's girlfriend , anusha, called me.
she's studying visual communications (which incidentally i think sounds a LOT more interesting that m.b.b.s)
so anyway, she called.
it seemed she was planning to make a short movie...so i thought (forgive me my ego here) that she wanted ideas and was calling. so i did the whole, 'tell me about it' thing, and guess what???
she said that she wanted me to act in it!!
ok, now you might be one of those lucky people that look fantastic, is photogenic, and is picked up by movie scouts all the time, and a student's movie might not seem like much to you. but since the only thing i've ever done is be narrator in any plays i've ever been part of, i was SUPER flattered!! (yes, adi, im STILL supergirl!)
but anyway, i OBVIOUSLY had to go all modest and do the whole 'are you SURE you're talking about ME???' thing. and she said 'yes! the minute i decided, i realized i wanted YOU to be in the movie'
and she wanted me to play the female lead!!!
so i silently went YAY!!!atleast somebody realizes im amazing!! FINALLY!
and i almost accepted. ALMOST.
something told me i'd better listen to the story. because she KEPT assuring me i was PERFECT for the part. and that it had reminded her of no one so much as me.
so i will now tell you all the story. and leave you to decide what you would have done if you had been in my place.
here goes.
(please remember, she told me about 10 times in that one conversation that the character reminded her of ME)

there's this girl....she's an orphan, and doesn't have anyone to care for her. she's also a loner and doesn't socialize AT ALL. (am i like that???)
also, she's a LITTLE old. only about thirty (do i lOOK thirty???? TELL ME!!!!)
(i was already irritated a little)
then anusha tells me, that the only thing the girl ever does is go to work and come back home.
'and another thing' she says, the girl has a problem...
'what sort of problem', i asked (honestly i was imagining something like a secret past or something, but no, nothing that simple)
'one of her legs is shorter than the other'
(fuck! i mean, isn't it enough i have crappy eyesight, a lisp and had to wear braces since i was six????? and what about me can remind ANYONE of one short leg??????)
ANYWAY.
i was beginning to get both scared (because i had a feeling i was going to be trapped into playing this damn part) and irritated (look, i don't think im stunning or irresistible, but thirty and crippled?????)
so basically, she told me about how this idiot girl meets this HANDSOME and MUCH younger man....(for adi's clarification, yes, ash is the HANDSOME MUCH younger man) and falls desperately in love with him
he of course doesn't give a damn.
(by this point i was ready to strangle her. wasn't making me old and lame enough?? now i was desperate and stupid as well!)
so i asked her why she didn't play the role herself!
and to that she says 'oh no, i'll look like some child being kidnapped" she says.
that girl is SO lucky she wasn't near me then!!
and she went on to reassure me that i was PERFECT for the role.
anyway, the story is that she tells him she's in love with him.
the guy's freaked out and is so upset he says that she's lame and can't dance with him when he goes out partying and so it's not going to work (?????)
she's hurt and she goes away to her apartment.
damn, i missed a bit in the middle.
here it is:she's also this super weirdo who heals little boys and talks to cats in the middle of the night. and she's got a "book of spells" (does that make your flesh creep? it really did mine! i was imagining having to do all that!)
so she decides to use her spell book, and since she isn't normal(normal people would either make the guy fall in love with them or fix their leg, but our girl is"special")she decides she wants to break HIS leg with a spell.why you might think. so he'll know how it is to be disabled and to be rejected by society it seems.
(at this interval, both my mother and my friend vrinda wanted to know why the hell she needed a SPELL to break his leg. wouldn't other more convenient everyday objects do the job more easily?)
but getting back. she does something wrong.
so in the evening, she gets news that he's dead.
and (i quote anusha here), on hearing this, she 'sags'
at this point i was very strongly tempted to ask which goddamned part of her sagged? her boobs i bet! or her butt.
after all, she IS 30!
but i promise you, neither my boobs not my ass sag.
so now that's cleared up.
that's how the story ends.
were you expecting something more???
sigh...
and now, i'm leaving the ACTUAL ending to you all,
what would YOU have done if you'd been in my place???
plz plz let me know.

sigh...it's been SUCH long time since i posted an entry....that's all because of my good intentions...to study, to be responsible, to work out...EVERYTHING. my whole LIFE is full of good intentions (mostly), but you know what, that would mean i'm well on my way to hell :(
anyway, what happened today was probably because of BAD intentions.
see, it all started last week. my friend siddharth is supposed to leave for australia....(EVERYONE'S leaving. EVERYONE. but do you hear me complain one but? NO. STILL i somehow get into messy situations...)
im going to make this crisp and short and all that. first i took him out because he was broke (or so he said) and spent 1300 rs on a stupid lunch. then I was TOTALLY broke, and sid was all rich (again, or so i THOUGHT!). so i thought, let HIM spend some money and take ME out instead...
so we had lunch today...and guess what, the idiot didn't have enough money!
HELP me here. plz. why do things like this happen to me ALWAYS?
anyway, i paid half the bill. that was about 900.


i got asked out by this guy a few days ago. now, im not the kind of girl that gets asked out every other day...so while i'm not boasting about it, i'm definitely not going to be all modest and not mention it.
man, it was SO fucking creepy. i dont' even know him. some guy who was in the same school as me. and he kept insisting he'd waited for me for nine years..YUCK! and he's even copied parts of my orkut profile. and when i told him i liked someone else, he kept telling me to promise i'd consider if i broke up with my boy. YUCK. how the fuck can some guy assume all he had to do was ask. the asshole kept insisting all this went wrong because he was too late.
so i tell raghu, and he gets angry. help me here again. isn't he supposed to be soothing and supportive? i mean, i feel like i'd been in a major road traffic accident. after having gone through a bottle of BAD vodka (and he knows how i am when i've had bad vodka...but that's another story for another day) so not only am i REALLY messed up, i'm also VERY nauseated!...anyway, now as if a unsupporting boyfriend and a creep who's promised to haunt my college for the next 6 months (he actually will be working there it seems! *ew*) aren't enough, i'm having nightmares....this is how it starts, im with raghu and im having a WHOLE lot of fun, and im REALLY happy...suddenly i turn around and it's not raghu anymore! it's the creep! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
basically, i think i need a psychiatrist. and if anyone comments saying they agree, i'll RIP your head off!
sigh...besides that there's nothing much happening... i got a pretty bag...and im working out ok. studying REALLY bad as usual.
made HEAVENLY chocolate mousse 2 days ago. if anyone wants a recipe, plz let me know. it's SUPER easy.
alright everyone, byebye, love you and all that. will probably blog 2 weeks form now. after my exams!
oh, there's also some news.
bad news :amrita, bina aunty's father is sick. heart failure. and HE isn't being optimistic, because the old photographer person you saw, bina aunty's father's friend, the one that gave you the book, he's passed away this month... bina aunty told me to tell you.
adi (my custard barbie, my love):i was expecting SO much more! that was NOT a good enough comment! express yourself! im going to madras next month with abi and my mother. raku and vrinda have promised to take me out! so i'll get to meet their friends! FINALLY! also, guess what, nikhil's engageed! the wedding's in september! there's a picture on his orkut profile with his fiance! look and tell me!
and to everyone else, yes, i have a MILLION things i want to tell you, but i can't remember.
raghu: (im saving the best for the last) i love you.

ok, i've realized that from all my previous entries, it sort of looks like a HATE my boyfriend and will probably have him tortured, raped and beaten to death if i had the opportunity.
i would like to say now, and make it VERY clear, that while i would NEVER allow any beating or raping to happen to him, i would not mind slapping him every now and then. so raghu, while i love you very much and would probably do almost anything for you, i can't nauseate everyone, including me, by saying mushy things i don't mean on this blog. (no, not on the phone either)
and i'll also tell you another secret. that boy has slapped me about 6 times in all. and i've only done it some 4 times.
so now you know who deserves your sympathy. ME.

it's the 2nd of january already!
so on the night of the 31st, i went out with my friends...to a million clubs..they were ALL great...and i partied till 5 in the morning...was TOTALLY trashed!...and had the BEST time EVER!
riiiight.
that was raghus new year anyway.
not mine.
i sat at home.
with my parents.
i watched a movie that i already knew the story of.
and ate a not so good dinner.
so here's the weird part.
i had fun.
now im not sure if it was the fact that my parents tried to surprise me with dinner and a movie.
or if it was the mango duet ice cream (for those of you that have no idea what it is, it's vanilla ice cream on a stick with mango on the outside. HEAVEN)
so now im back to trying to study.
i made these really nice brownies the other day.
only the walnuts were spoiled and i didn't know.
that's how everything is...
and yes, you could use a brazilian wax.

also, in case you're interested, my model exams went better than usual, but i really fucked up the last part. there was this kidney. and i thought it was a specimen of someone's testes. so you can imagine how well that went.

but all that aside, i hope you have a good year. and please, don't tell me what your resolutions are and all that shit.
oh and in miscellaneous news...someone proposed to someone else and they said something VERY funny...if you know anyone that's getting engaged next month, then you know whom im talking about. call me for ALL the dirt on that!
i learnt how do finally wear my hair in a chignon! so fucking sexy. (not me. my hair.)
also, im thinking of getting a tattoo. on raghu's face. saying dickhead. beacuse now,. he's throwing tantrums every other week.
finally, i read vernon god little (SO so good, you've GOT to read it), emma (not bad at all!) and northanger abbey (only ok) last week.
so my advice is, buy vernon god little. about 10 sticks of mango duet, any switchfoot cd you can find, and lock yourself up!
so THERE'S personal space for you raghu.

it's the weekend!!! perfect!
ok, so here's the thing. didn't do my exams as badly as i thought!
AND im going to brazil next year!!!
it's been an ok week. i worked out faithfully everyday. over ate every hour.
but there were some high points...
like when this person told me that he thought strawberry blondes were called that because they had STRAWBERRY PINK nipples (interesting. really. that's NEVER occured to me before)
and when someone ELSE told me that they really like the london bridges video and song by fergie(of the black eyed peas) and how they thought it was SO brave of her to go ahead and do something like that when she's a duchess and prince andrews wife and all..
prince andrew???????? where do they even come up with that stuff...
next im sure someone's going to ask me if queen elizabeth is that woman in the a rated movie. im not being a general knowledge snob (mostly because my gk's really bad), but come ON.
also, hopefully this new years eve, i won't be sitting at home watching tv with my parents..im planning to go out with my friend abi...
and raghu's sent me something...all the way from new jersey...it hasn't reached me yet, but the way he's been acting, for all i know, it might be dirty undies (yes, you can have them if that's what it is)...
so if you know someone in brazil that will take me out (without kidnapping, raping and torturing me), plz let me know.
i've been listening to a LOT of keane and switchfoot this past week...switchfoot's really good. you SHOULD listen...
also, im trying to feel less insecure about studying with the top 1% in the state by reading the classics. while i realize that reading pharmacology will help me better, i have to say that jane austen is WAY more fun.
and on that note (why is it called a note anyway?)
byebye for now...

Current Mood: chipper
Current Music: dare you to move-switchfoot

BIRYANI (south indian)
chicken - 1/2 kilo (or 1lb)
rice (basmati) - 1/2 kilo (or 1 lb)
water - 4 cups
yogurt - 1/2 a cup
lemon juice - 1 tb spn

cinnamon* - 4 sticks (of 1 cm each)
cloves* - 3-4
cardamom* - 4-5
dry red chillies* - 10 (the REALLY spicy kind)

garlic - about 10-12 cloves (if they're big)
ginger - 1 and a 1/2 inches
onions (small) - 1 and a 1/2 cups when peeled
coriander - 2/3 of a cup
mint (leaves) - 1/3 of a cup

onions (large) - 3-4
tomatoes - 3
green chillies - 5
salt - as needed

oil - 7 spns
ghee - 7 spns


TO PREPARE:
first, mix the chicken with 2 tbsp of the yogurt. set aside.
grind all the ingredients marked * to a powder.
make a paste with the ginger and garlic.
finely chop the large onions.
finely chop the tomatoes.
roughly chop up the small onions.
20 minutes before you begin cooking, soak the rice in water.

COOKING:
heat the oil and ghee in a pressure cooker or a pressure pan. when the oil and ghee begin to smoke, add the onions and fry until golden brown. then add the tomatoes and saute until they're well done.
add the spice powder that you've made. allow it to cook for 2 minutes.
then add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for about 5 minutes (this is the part where it begins to smell HEAVENLY) add the chopped small onions and cook for another 3 minutes. add the coriander and mint. allow the mixture to cook for 1 minute more.
then add the salt and chicken. allow the chicken to cook for about 5 minutes.
take the rice you've soaked and drain out the water. then put in the rice, add the 4 cups of water, yogurt and mix well.
allow it to boil and then close the lid of the pressure pan.
allow 3 whistles for the biryani to cook.
and it's ready :)
you can make a raita if you want, but honestly, i think it tastes really good by itself.

finally!
it's been so long, i even forgot my password...which is sad
my computer died twice and now it has a virus...and that's even sadder...
so maybe it'll be good if i write about all the bad stuff first...and THEN the good stuff...
i flunked the last 2 exams i wrote and im sure it'll be the same for the rest of the week...
i've probably put on 2 more kilos in one week! and im working out pretty regularly...
ok. enough with the shitty news.
on the bright side, i've eaten some REALLY good food, got to meet my favorite baby cousin, had my mother tell me she's ok with my being with someone i choose in the future (which, by the way, is REALLY something)... ok, so maybe it's not much in the end, but im happy. sort of.
i read in the paper last week that 75% or more of all bloggers are male. and that the most popular blogs are those by industrialists (this is in india), now, why the hell would anyone want to read that? i can't even PRETEND i understand that.
and it also seems that most people like blogs that aren't too self involved!
and here i was thinking that the whole point of this was ME!
so im sorry, but if you're expecting me to write about the newest gadgets or to review "ground breaking" books like the argumentative indian (which i thought was crap incidentally), you're better off finding other people.
because in the end, my life is about me.
ok, enough of that.
so this time, i'm going to post this biryani recipe...its from this cousin who made it when i visited her...and it's not the usual hyderabadi biryani or anything fancy...it's the kind that tamil muslims make...and its SOOOO good! not now though...when i find the time.. because i should now be reading pathology for this exam i have tomorrow :(
so ta and all that, and tc.
(if ANYONE'S reading this at all that is...)