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Parippu Vada: Goes With Both Chai and Chianti

Well, if you are of South-Indian origin, you’ll recognize the name of this dish:  Parripu Vada.  If you’re not, but still simply of Indian origin (of any region), you’ll at least recognize the vada part of that.  So, what these are, are fried lentil fritters.  But these aren’t you’re ordinary vadas:  they’re crunchy and chewy and crispy and spicy.  Because they’re packed with all kinds of goodness:  the dal (chana or even arhar) is soaked overnight and processed with ginger, onion, kari patta, and green chillies.  Then, they’re fried until they pop up golden crisp like this. 

And then here’s the thing: you thought you needed to serve them only with tea or coffee?  Of course, you could do that, but then, if you’re in my house, you might very well find them paired with a glass of the finest Chianti. Like last evening.   I suppose the Italians might say Buon Appetito, but around these parts, we say Yeh Hui Na Baat!

Parripu_vada

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A Greener Salad, Greek-Style

Yesterday, I posted about a Salad that didn’t look too green, and a friend of mine was fast to point it out!  Well, today, at a lunch meeting, I had a salad that was a lot greener, and thought I should post this for the record as well!  This was a Greek-style Salad, and here’s what was exactly on this plate of mine:  Iceberg Lettuce, Shredded Carrots, Sliced Red Beets, Sweet Banana Peppers, Red Onions, Black Olives, Feta Cheese, and a tangy Vinaigrette Dressing.  SA-TIS-FY-ING! 

Well, it would have been great if that was the only thing there, but they also had a big spread of Pizza, and I couldn’t resist a small square-slice that had Grilled-Chicken and Spinach on a Marinara Saucebase and a Mozarella topping.  Oh, and that piece of Fried Chicken and three Fries— I couldn’t resist those either!  Check it out:

Greeksalad

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Love In The Mail: Two Years Old, But Still Fresh

This post was first published in my private blog almost two years to this day on Friday, March 20, 2009.  Two years later, the show does indeed go on… but the love remains the same.

It comes to us in different ways: in person, on the phone, in a letter or an e-mail or even a text message. Sometimes it even comes in a small parcel. All the way across the oceans. Love, that is. 

Shorroshandadi

Last Friday, I came home to find it on my doorstep– a small parcel sealed at every seam and corner, with lots of bright stamps on the front, and AIRMAIL written on the front and back. One look at the return address told me it was from my cousin, Shorrosh in India. I picked it up, took it into the kitchen and needed both scissors and a knife to open it up! Inside, were three lovely long silk scarves. And a small note from him that said he hoped I would like them. What for, this present, you say? Well, for nothing. No birthdays or anniversaries or other milestones to mark. No special occasions that needed kudos or congratulations. It was a just-because present, the best reason ever.

But to me, there was another reason that love arrived in the mail on that day. It happened to be a day that was a rough one at work. A day that had left me confused and bewildered. A day that took me by surprise and actually knocked me down. And so, when I came home in this bruised state of mind, there was this little parcel– another suprise, but what a lovely one, this. What an instant pick-me-upper, what a sweet comfort coming from so far off just for me. Love in this little parcel, all wrapped up, and sent to arrive on just the day that I needed it most.

And that’s how love manifests itself so many times. Sometimes when we least expect it; when we don’t even realize that we are in need of it. And so it creeps up to us. And wraps itself around us, and enters our hearts, and assures and reassures us that we are loved– just as we are. And for no other reason than just-because. No special occasion necessary.

So, this one’s for you, Shorrosh! Thank you for loving me, and for reminding me that you do. Your love comes to me in so many ways, but this way through the mail is so terribly sweet. I love it. And I love you.

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Texas Ranger Museum in San Antonio, Cont…

So, if you think I’m going a bit crazy about this whole Texas Ranger thing, may I assure you I am not.  Only, it is only proper that I catalog the remainder of the pictures that I took in the section devoted to the TRs.  The lore of the Texas Ranger runs deep and strong within the state of Texas, nay, within popular American culture itself, and it is therefore a part of all things Americana.  The most recent reference to the spirit of the Texas Ranger was in the recent movie True Grit.  And so, here’s some of the memorabilia gathered up in this museum that has been collected and displayed so well.  These are the images of the old-world style of the men who earned the title of Texas Ranger.  Slideshow follows:

Texasrangers

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Souper Salad! Yes, There's A Place Like That!

So, if you ever find yourself in the great state of Texas, and find yourself on I-35 northbound somewhere after Austin but before Dallas, you might want to check out this little restaurant called Souper Salad! in a strip-mall which is where you’ll find exactly that:  soups, salads, and even some other not-so-bad things that hit the spot when you want to get in and out quick-and-easy.  Oh, and did I mention it’s an all-you-can-eat bar– or a series of bars, I should say:  for the salad, soup, nachos, and soft-serve icecream. 

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Texas Ranger Museum and Buckhorn Saloon & Museum

So, when you’re a tourist in San Antonio, you do it all and see it all.  Matters not if you’re truly a saloon afficianado, or if you’re a hunter, or even a fan of the famous cadre of the old Texas Rangers.  When you’re a tourist, every place is interesting, and every thing a curiosity!  That is how and why we found ourselves taking a tour of the Texas Ranger Museum and the Buckhorn Saloon & Museum.  See for yourselves what we saw in the slideshow below:

Trm

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Sexy Sax Man (Careless Whisper Saxophone Prank!!)

Mental Health Break for the day! (plus, i’m soft for the sax anyway!)

Gm

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Japanese Sunken Gardens in San Antonio, Texas

The winters are mild in Texas, but sometimes they’re cold enough to dry out the grass and other plants.  But even so, the beauty of the Japanese Sunken Gardens in San Antonio, Texas remains intact.  The quaint pagodas, the fish ponds stocked with the brightest of gold fish, the high waterfall from one side of the mountain in the garden, the winding stone steps, and the carefully landscaped garden has a most tranquil feel to it.  See it through my eyes, or my camera lens, if you will, in the slideshow below:

 

Jsg