Phoenix

When the cold winds blow from the mountainside,

I miss your touch, I miss you.

You scarred me for life,

The pain still remains in the darkest dungeon of my heart.

I wish to be reborn again,

Like a phoenix that rises from its own ashes.

I wish a life full of myriad colors,

With all the hues that speak of love.

I wish you were here by my side,

You could see life through my eyes.

I dreamt of a world of our own,

Now all I see are shards of glass.

Pasta

I have posted a lot of Lunchbox recipes on my Blog for the last few weeks. I do not carry lunch on a daily basis. Sometimes my mom makes my lunch. Sometimes, I do it. Whenever I do it, I am always in a hurry to rush for work. Although I post it on my Blog but you will hardly find more than one picture of the recipe. Pardon me for that. 

For me, Pasta is a comfort food. I can always have a bowl or two. I have made Pasta at home in the past in various ways. One of the best things about making Pasta is that, it's very easy to make and also you can make it in different ways each time. This time it was a tangy one!

Here comes the recipe:

Ingredients:


Pasta - 3 cups.
Onions (finely chopped) - 50 gms.
Ginger-Garlic paste - 100 gms.
Tomato Puree - 100 ml.
Sweet Chilli Sauce - 1/2 cup.
Eggless Mayonnaise - 3 tablespoons.
Green chillies - 2.
Oregano - 1 teaspoon.
Salt to taste.
Oil- 3 tablespoons.

Procedure:

In a pan, add water, a little of salt and oil. Bring it to a boil. Add the pasta.

Boil it for some time. Remove it from flame. Drain out the hot water. Add cold water. Drain it out again. Keep it aside. 

In a wok, heat oil.

Add the chopped onions and green chillies. Fry till it's translucent. 

Add the ginger - garlic paste.

Add the mayonnaise, sweet chilli sauce and tomato puree. Cook it for 5 minutes.

Add the pasta. Keep it in medium flame. Stir it continuously.

Add salt and oregano. If it's too tangy, add a little bit of sugar. 

Enjoy!

Poha-South Indian Style

This recipe is just the twin brother of the Upma recipe that I posted a month back. Almost all the ingredients remain the same, except Upma is made from sooji and Poha is made from flattened rice. I tried this recipe for the first time for lunch at work. As a first timer, I didn't disappoint. This can be a good breakfast option too.

Here comes the recipe:

Ingredients:

Flattened Rice (Chira)- 250 gms.

Ginger-Garlic paste - 50 gms.

Onions - 100 gms, finely chopped.

Sweet Corn - 1/2 cup.

Frozen Peas - 1/2 cup.

Ghee - 2 teaspoons.

Dry chilli - 2.

Green Chillies - 2.

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoons.

Mustard seeds - Few.

Curry leaves - Few.

Salt to taste.

Oil- 3 tablespoons.

Procedure:

Wash the flattened rice. Don't overdo it. Keep it aside.

In a wok, heat oil. Add the dry and green chillies,curry leaves and the mustard seeds. Let it flutter for a while. Make sure it doesn't get burnt.

Add the onions. Fry till it's translucent. 

Add salt.

Add the ginger-garlic paste. Fry it for some time.

Add the turmeric powder. 

Add the frozen peas and sweet corns.

Cook it for some more time.

Add the chira. Turn off the flame. Mix it well. 

Add the ghee.

Bon Appetit!

Keep calm and love Supernatural

Ever since I started blogging, I get these sudden urges to write about something on specific days. Earlier I have written about Harry Potter and about the onset of festivities on Janmasthami. This post was totally unplanned. I posted something about the show completing a decade on my Facebook timeline but then I thought, why not write something on my Blog too.

The show "Supernatural" completes a decade today. It's a 10 year old kid now. For starters, it's an American fantasy television show which premiered on WB on 13th of September,2005. It subsequently became a part of CW's line up. Primarily it's a show about two brothers, Dean Winchester played by Jensen Ackles and Sam Winchester played by Jared Padalecki.

 For the last 10 years, Sam and Dean Winchester have been saving people, hunting things and keeping the family business alive. But it all began today, a decade ago when the Winchester boys took their first ride in the Impala together. After that, there was no looking back. 

This show is part of my life now. I have pledged my loyalty to it.  The whole world of U.S. television shows came alive to me through this show. I remember, I started watching this show, around 3 years back and my life has changed in more ways than one. I might be mad about Vampires or like an episode or two of Homeland or Game of Thrones, but my love for this show is eternal. There is no greater joy than seeing the Winchester brothers come alive on the screen. It feels like coming home.

I always knew that I will write something about television shows, but I made sure that I will write something about "Supernatural" before any other show because this show takes a bigger place in my heart than all the other television shows put together. The characters are so relatable and humane. They have flaws. They grieve about their losses, they celebrate their successes and the believe in everything that they do. 

The best part about this show is that it only and only revolves around the Winchester brothers. They were the main plot of the show in the last ten seasons and will remain so till the end. The importance has never shifted to any other characters. What I absolutely love about this show is that that there are no unnecessary sub-plots and characters even after the show has completed ten seasons. This is perhaps one of the major reasons as to why the show has a loyal fan following across United States and India. I am so proud to be one of them. 

In all these years, there has never been a time when I told myself, "What's happening with this show?". A lot of credibility needs to be given to the creator of the show,Eric Kripke. I bow to you, man! 

This blog post will be incomplete if I don't mention the name of three characters, Bobby Singer played by Jim Beaver, Castiel played Misha Collins and Crowley played by Mark Sheppard. These characters are so intertwined in the plot that the show could have never survived without them, although the character Bobby has died in the show. I am a little biased towards Castiel, the angel of the Lord. That's for obvious reasons.

Ten years, ten seasons and 218 episodes. I have lived them all. I have fought my inner demons just the same way Dean and Sam have fought with the monsters. So many things in my life like family, bonding and friendship have found a new meaning after I started watching this show. This show had a life-altering effect on me. I just don't want to know what my life was before I started watching this show. There have been days when I just sat back at home and watched one episode after the other. It was like a drug for me. 

Stories are important part of our lives. If people label me as stupid because I relate to them more often than not, then that's their problem, not mine. This show has helped me to see myself in a whole new light. This show has helped me feel my feelings, made me laugh when I felt low and helped me to understand the world in a better way. 

To quote Ashley Clement, "We should never diminish the power of fictional stories. Do not apologize for being moved by movies, TV shows, theater, art, books, or even a webseries that puts out 5 minute episodes twice a week. Jump into them whole-heartedly and let them transform you. Let them be your friends. Why not? They want to be yours."

It's rightfully said, "Let the thing you love, be your escape."

"Supernatural" is my escape but sadly, I am held captive till 7th of October because the 11th season won't return before that.

(P.S. All the images have been googled. The copyrights are that of the individual owners.)

For cupcakes' sake- Mrs. Magpie

In my Blog, I have posted a hell lot of recipes. I love cooking and on the other hand I also like eating out in new places, so I thought, that why not incorporate the reviews of those places which I have visited, in my Blog posts. Food review or restaurant review, for that matter is something very new to me. Although I regularly visit www.zomato.com to check out new places to eat out, I find writing reviews of eating joints, a little tedious. 

Mrs. Magpie is a cafe situated at 70 Lake Terrace Extension (Keyatala), Kolkata: 700 029. The name is a pleasure itself. It's not a place where you enter,sit, eat and forget. It's a place which welcomes you with its bright interiors, good ambience and friendly staff. There is beauty in each and every thing of this place.  This place was suggested to me by my brother as he is well aware of my 

sweet-tooth and my love for cupcakes. Although its a cafe, Mrs. Magpie is a place which is famous for its cupcakes. 

Mrs. Magpie is a 21-seater cafe, open from noon to 9p.m. It's the brainchild of Le Cordon Bleu London alumnus Sohini Basu Behrens. The decor is a combination of a birdhouse and a dollhouse. The interiors are chic and classy with  powder-coated cast iron chairs, ceramic cake stands, wooden upholstered benches, glass top coffee tables and chalk board wall-mounted menu. The display counters feature a cute collection of cupcakes. Apart from cupcakes, in the food section, you can get a sandwich platter and bites like Chicken Ratatouille Tart, Chicken and Cheddar Puff, Broccoli Mushroom and Pepper Tart.The cafe also serves coffee and tea and their special afternoon Tea served with four cupcakes, four scones and six sandwiches.The mini cupcakes come in an exciting combination of flavors, wonderful miniature designs and a rainbow of colors.  The items on the menu can actually make a delicious tea spread.  

It was a lazy week-off, when I went to this place. I was already full owing to the awesome Chinese lunch that I had. I ordered cupcakes and trust me, it tasted heavenly. After 8-ish, is a must-try if you love cupcakes like me. Everything is cute about the place, even the billing system.When you ask for the bill, it will be handed over in a super cute basket with a bee on it. The place is extremely pocket-friendly. For a meal for two, you get charged something around Rs 600 - Rs 800.There is only one disappointment associated with Mrs. Magpie is that it's not a place to look forward to, if you're dining out or you want to have a full course meal. I would always want to go back to this place in the future. Whether t's a lazy Sunday afternoon or a date with your bestie,this is one place that will always linger in your mind for sometime to come.

Methi Rice

I have never cooked a Pulao or rice sort of thing because I was always scared of messing it up. I came across this recipe in http://indianhealthyrecipes.com and trust me, this is the first time in my life, I didn't make any modification in the recipe. The recipe was easy and tasted good too. You can either have it as a quick lunch for a day at work or have it as a main course in an elaborate dinner on a Sunday afternoon.The choice is yours!

Here comes the recipe:

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 2 cups

Cumin Seeds - Half a teaspoon.

Green Cardamom - 2-3.

Garlic (crushed) - 2 teaspoons.

Green chillies (chopped) - 2.

Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Kasoori Methi) – A bunch.

Peas - Half a cup.

Sweet Corn - Half a cup.

Garam Masala powder - 1 teaspoon.

Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon.

Ghee - 1 teaspoon.

Salt to taste.

Oil - 3 tablespoons.

Procedure:

Cook and cool the Basmati rice. Add the salt. Keep it aside.

In a wok, heat oil, add the cumin seeds, green cardamom, crushed garlic and the chopped green chillies.

When the garlic is slightly fried, add the methi leaves, peas and corn.

Fry it for approximately 3-5 mins. 

Add the garam masala powder and turmeric powder. Stir it for some time. 

Switch off the flame.

Add the cooked rice. 

Add the ghee.

Bon Appetit!

The colors of life!

Human life is like a kaleidoscope. You look into it and all you get to see is its psychedelic colors. It’s transient. As mortal beings, all we get is some time to celebrate the vivid colors of life. When I started blogging, I always wanted my Blog to be all-encompassing. I wanted my readers to get a slice of life and its colors when they come to check it. 

In our lives, festivals have the brightest hue. It’s that color we want to paint our lives with. We look forward to the festivities in our otherwise drab, grey life. Since our childhood, each one of us has distinct memories of festivals. We had vacations in school; new clothes to wear on special days, our homes were decorated, so on and so forth.

Being born in India, I have always known the significance of festivities. In fact, we are one country which has festivals throughout the year. For us, a cricket match between India and Pakistan or a football match between East-Bengal and Mohunbagan also calls for a celebration. Although As a Bengali, Durga Puja is our festival, but we celebrate all the other festivals with equal fervor. 

I wanted to start something new on this auspicious day of Janmasthami which was 2 days back. I know I am late. I always am. I do not have much memories of this festivals except a holiday in school days. But at home, we did celebrate Janmasthami because worshipping Lord Krishna runs in our bloodline. Well, I don't want to quote the Wikipedia page and go on and on talking about it. We all know, that it's a very important festival throughout India.

As we grow up, with the trials and tribulations of life, festivals loses its essence. But it's always a good thing to celebrate the festivals with friends/family.

The purpose of this post is to mark the beginning of the festive season which is just a month away.There will be a good number of posts about festivities, every now and then because what's life without some colors?

To be continued...

(P.S. The image has been googled. The copyright is that of the individual owner.)

Maybelline Color Show Lipstick - Product Review

Lipsticks are the love of my life. I don't even remember when I started growing fond of it. I believe, it's one of most basic necessities of day-to-day make up. It gives your face an instant makeover that is much required to go on with an otherwise drab day.

　

I am fond of all kinds of lipsticks. Matte, sheer or gloss. On the other hand, Although I am more fond of dark lipsticks, but I find a light colored lipstick is ideal for a day at work. As far as the brands are concerned, I am again not that biased.

　

In my earlier post, I have already spoken about the brand i.e. Maybelline India. I want to reiterate that all the beauty products are really good and affordable.

This particular range of lipsticks from Maybelline India is called Maybelline Color Show Lipstick. It has a creamy base but can stay long with moderate snacking. The lipsticks are housed in black tubes. There is a colored ring in the centre to indicate the color family the shade belongs to.It comes with a very affordable price tag of Rs 299 for 3.9 g.

The range is divided in four broad categories;Red, Mauve, Pink and Brown. The entire range has 32 shades.The lipsticks are rich in pigmentation and will suit all Indian tones. I happen to own "Red My Lips" from the "Classic Reds" range.  The exact tone is brick red..The packaging is simple and functional, the lipstick cap locks with a click sound and the cap always stays put.

The lipstick has a soft texture which glides easily on the lips. It has a very smooth texture and you don't need to use a lip gloss after wearing them.The lipstick also has a very light fragrance. There is only problem with the range is that they a leave a light stain behind after the lipstick fades away.

But, the lipstick is worth the price. Nowadays when most lipsticks come at an average price of Rs 500, this range is affordable and is also also of good quality. So, it will not be a bad idea to buy one or two from this range. 

There can be no special occasion for which you have to buy a new lipstick. The occasion is now. Make one yours and show off your colorful side today!

Malai Chicken

It always goes like this, that I intend to cook something but I end up cooking something else. I wanted to make butter chicken this time but I made something which tasted totally different. This might be because I don't follow any recipe to the hilt. I always make my own modifications. 

I made this recipe for my friends on the occasion of a house party last weekend. The plates were wiped off clean in few minutes. I somehow love cooking chicken because it's very easy to make and is also versatile in nature.

When I was a kid, we only had chicken on Sunday and that too only on lunch. It was a luxury for us because being a typical bong household, we only ate fish throughout the week. Nowadays, it's the other way around, I eat so much chicken in some way or the other that I make sure that I eat fish on Sundays. 

Here comes the recipe:

Ingredients:

Chicken (minced) - 500gms.

Lemon Juice - 2 tablespoons.

Turmeric powder - One teaspoon.

Red chilli powder - One teaspoon.

Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Kasoori Methi) – A bunch.

Ginger-Garlic paste - 100 gms.

Yogurt - 100 gms.

Onions (finely chopped) - 100 gms.
Tomato - 1

Fresh Cream - 3 tablespoons.

Bay leaves - 2.

Dry red chillies - 2.

Green chillies - 2.

Garam Masala powder - One teaspoon.

Butter - 4 small cubes.

Salt to taste.

Oil- 5 tablespoons.

Procedure:

Marinate the chicken with red chilli powder, turmeric powder, yogurt, lemon juice, kasoori methi, half of the ginger- garlic paste and salt.

Keep it aside for at least 4 hours.

In a wok, add oil. Add the bay leaves, add the red and green chillies.

Add the onions. Fry it till translucent.

Add the remaining ginger - garlic paste. Fry it for some time. 

Add the garam masala powder and the tomato. Cook it for at least 5 mins.

Add the fresh cream. You need to be a little careful while cooking with dairy products as it gets burnt fast. So, it will be better if you can stir it continuously. 

Cook it for some time. Add the marinated chicken.

Cook it in medium flame till the chicken is soft and is properly cooked.

Add the butter. 

Serve hot.

It's time to go back home, Harry!

It's the 1st of September, it's time to go back home. It's time to back to Hogwarts!

Well. I always wanted to write something about Harry Potter, Hogwarts and the magical world that engulfs all the true-blue Potterheads. I don't want to consider myself to be a Potterhead because I feel I did not do enough justice to the term. I am yet to read the final installment of the book, although I have watched all the movies, a zillion times by now.

I wanted to write this post on 31st July which marks the birthday of Harry Potter and our very own queen J.K Rowling but just could not get time but then again I thought that I could write about it whenever I want to because one doesn't need a special occasion to write about something that one truly feels about. There is another reason, this is my Blog! But yes, I really wish to write more about it because I believe that it's not humanly possible to fathom something like Harry Potter at the very first go, leave alone in one blog post.

For me, the date of September, 1st is truly remarkable only for one reason and that is because the most important events in almost all the books/movies starts on this date. I don't remember this date having a special significance in my life before I knew who was Harry Potter. This day opens a floodgate of memories for me. My mind goes back to a place known as the King's Cross Station at 11 a.m. I can picture myself standing in Platform 9 3/4 in front of the Hogwarts Express along with Harry, Ron and Hermione.Soon enough, I am transported to the Muggle World where I have to go to work! Such a sad life but then I remember what Dumbledore said, "Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"

I know, Harry Potter and his world of Hogwarts school of Witchdraft and Wizardry are not real. It's too good to be real. People laugh at it thinking it to be juvenile. They outgrow it because they think they are too old for it. They reject it because they think that it doesn't fit to be called "Literature". But something which is as grand as 7 books and 8 movies, it goes beyond being called Literature, it's much bigger than that. It's a phenomenon. It's something that we go back to every now and then.

Although, I am not much of a book-reader but I generally go back to my Harry Potter mode when I am upset or when I think that real life sucks a bit too much. It gives me food for thought, a reason to look forward to a new day. When I again hear those magical words, "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.". I feel that life isn't bad as I think it to be.

The term, Hogwarts is entwined with Harry Potter, be it the movies and/or the books.  This is the place, where Harry, Ron and Hermoine became friends for life,  this is the place where Dumbledore and Snape died. Hogwarts is the place where the "Order of the Phoenix" fought against the Dark Lord with great valor in the Second battle of Hogwarts. This is the place where Remus, Tonks and Fred Weasley died. Last but not the least, this is place where Voldemort died.

I believe that it's never too late to know what Harry Potter and Hogwarts are all about. One is never too old to watch the movies and/or read the book. One must ought to know why we are so crazy about it. If you wish to experience the magic that soon follows, trust me, life will be never be the same again. It's rightly said, "Whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home."

Always.

To be continued...

(P.S. All the images have been googled. The copyrights are that of the individual owners.)