In no mood today once again to write the story. I have had a severe acidity attack which has resulted in a bad and terrible head ache. Dad always told us when we were kids that he never knew what headaches were until he was 30! He hadn’t tasted tea until he went to college! I now know why he never had a headache until 30! He was 30 when I was born! He turned a senior citizen this year and I 30! With two kids, now even I can boast, I never knew what headaches were until I turned 28!
My older daughter Jisha was born a few days after I turned 28 on the 28th day in the 3rd Month of the year. She turns 2 in less than 3 days now. I would be having a few friends and lots of kids from the street over for it. However, later that evening, I am planning on a nice large peg of Black Dog and some spicy Paneer Chilly. It’s not that scotch can only be paired with non-veg food. I am a pure vegetarian. We don’t even have eggs at home.
This time I would not be alone. My in-laws are going to be here. So that would mean my brother and I don’t drink alone. I would have my Dad, Dad-in-Law and my brother along! The more the merrier! Any ways, not much to write but I am leaving you with a recipe of Paneer Chilly that I intend to cook myself and serve it with style!
This is a recipe by the master chef Sanjeev Kapoor! You can find it here as well.
Ingredients

Cottage cheese (paneer) 300 grams
Oil 2 tablespoons + to deep fry
Corn flour/ corn starch 3 tablespoons
Garlic,crushed 3-4 cloves
Onion ,halved and thickly sliced 1 medium
Green capsicums,cut into thick strips 2 medium
Green chillies,sliced 6 to 8
Vegetable stock 1 cup
Salt to taste
Soy sauce 2 tablespoons
MSG 1/4 teaspoon

Method

  1. Cut the cottage cheese into medium sized diamonds.
  2. Heat sufficient oil in a wok, roll the cheese diamonds in one tablespoon of corn flour and deep fry on medium heat until the edges start to turn brown. Drain on absorbent paper.
  3. Mix the remaining corn flour in half a cup of water.
  4. Heat two-tablespoon oil in a wok, add the garlic and stir-fry for half a minute.
  5. Add the onion, capsicums and green chillies and continue to stir-fry for a couple of minutes.
  6. Add the fried cheese and stir in the vegetable stock. Add the salt, soy sauce and MSG and mix well.
  7. Add the corn flour mixture and cook on high heat stirring and tossing until the sauce thickens to coat the cheese and the vegetables.
  8. Serve hot immediately.

I have again come to a point where I am at a loss of words. I am really finding it difficult to mince words. If someone were to come down and put words in my mouth, I would lovingly accept them and pen them. Sadly, no one is going to do that. Every writer who has been portrayed in movies, every artist at such a stage is shown to take support of Scotch. I’m planning the same tonight as well. I don’t know how much it is going to work but then I am going to try it.
I am also planning to pick up one of my favourite book from the series that I have been following. The series written by Amish. The Immortals of Meluha and The Secret of the Nagas. The final book in this series is out already now and is waiting to be read. The Oath of the Vayuputras. I have come to expect a lot from the series after reading the first two books. I wonder what Amish has n store for me in his third and final book. How he manipulates the life of Shiva is fairly interesting read.

Whatever you say, I have come to kind of like semi fictional, semi mythological stories. In fact I own a mini collection of that. All these books are classics in my own accord. Lamb by Christopher Moore, Yajnaseni by Dr Pratibha Ray, Krishna Key by Ashwin Sanghi and now finally the entire collection of the Shiva Trilogy. If I were to really look at the Godly figures these books were addressing, I have one on Jesus, one on Draupadi from Mahabharath, one on Vishnu and one set on Shiva. Yet, if I look back at my collection, I am missing so many Gods here! Indira, Brahma et al.
I love reading my books in solitude with no disturbance. But then one thing that I would never want to set aside is my choice of Black Dog. That is the best company I can have with a classic book! How I wish I was of legal age to drink when I studied Shakespeare in school! I would have definitely enjoyed him a lot more! Even today, when I get a chance, I would definitely want to read a Shakespeare. But then again, I think I may have grown out of him now. One shot at school was good enough.

Talking about the classics, I have teamed Rabindranath Tagore and Black Dog. Let me tell you, it definitely is a wonderful combination. While the book grows on you, so does the Scotch. Neither wears away from your senses so soon. Tagore is known for his masterpieces and slowly building up the character. I think Black Dog took a page out of his writing. It so slowly grows on you that you would not want to let it go. Much like a lover wanting leave your arms and go home after spending a passionate evening of romance.
So while I romance my books and Scotch, you go ahead and see if you can catch up on some beauty sleep. It’s Sunday night here. I am planning to live it up in style. What about you?

I have been facing the flak internally almost everyday that I am writing the series. I am not a regular writer but then with this, I was planning on trying something innovative. However, I found it fairly stifling. I had the story line there, up and ready when I first started writing the story. Somehow, I don’t see it progressing the way I want it. Thinking of the way the characters come together and how they interact on a daily basis has been difficult given the fact that I am spending almost all my day studying for the Six Sigma Certifications that I have lined up for myself.
I am planning to complete the Green Belt certification today and hope to be Black Belt certified by end of month. It is not too much to ask but then I cannot forget the fact that I have two beautiful daughters to play with everyday. Even as I write this, my older daughter is jumping over me from my right to my left just for the fun of it and I am juggling the writing bit as she does this! Any ways, for tonight I have a plan to watch a nice movie on the TV while I sip my Black Dog.
I explored the TV guide and there is a Bond movie playing on. Classy huh? I have never been a fan of the ultra classy movies, Harry Met Sally, Benhur or even The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I have not been a fan of the extreme gore inducing movies like Species, Aliens vs. Predators etc. But then, I prefer movies like the games I love to play! Need For Speed series inspired The fast and the Furious, or was it that the movie inspired the game, I don’t know. But then the cars are something I would die for! Another movie series that I loved was the Men In Black and the Bad Boys! both movies were extremely fun to watch and entertaining.
These movies were all that I could watch with the family, but then like all women say, “Men are dogs” and because dogs need their daily fix of bones, there are some movies I do love but then I would not dare watch in front of my family. Brother and wife are ok, but then not my parents and kids! The American Pie series is one such and so is There’s Something About Mary. Both hilarious movies but then best advised with parents and kids on a vacation! And when they are on a vacation, what better way than to live it up in style and catch up with every favourite movie a glass of Black Dog Scotch in hand and the remote in the other!
Ciao for now. And if you have been reading my series, please do motivate me by commenting on at least one of the posts in the series! I badly, terribly need it! I am getting demotivated faster than fizz escaping soda!