Dork

I finished Sidin Vadukut's Dork - The Adventures of Robin 'Einstein' Verghese two weeks back and I want the rest of the trilogy NOW. I chuckled through the book and not just because Sidin (I guess I can be on first name terms with him because I have been reading his blog ever since he started writing :P) really, really has a knack for humour, but also because there was a stark similarity between some of the people I have known in my workplace(s?) and college, and the characters in this book. Some downright stupid, some annoyingly naive, some cunning to the point of no return, and some just plain forgettable. And contrary to popular belief (probably Sidin's himself :P), I did not find Robin as naive as I found him shrewd. In a very humorous way though. An example - when the man thinks about a girl in a non-platonic way, he justifies it to his diary. Now the act of justification may be naive, but the justification itself was shrewd. I am not going into details here because I don't want to spoil the humour. But I have to say that if you have gone to college and/or work, read the book. The men - both Sidin and Robin - are hilarious.

While we are on the topic of books, I happened to buy a copy of  Varsha Dixit's Right Fit Wrong Shoe. Now I can't mention the book without ranting full blow about how disgusting it is. Yes. Disgusting is the word. Here's why. I just have one suggestion for her. Before she touches a keyboard/ pen again, she should really learn where commas are needed and where they look like typos and how many commas are enough to make someone flush the book down the toilet. Also, it is enough to mention once that one of the characters in the book belonged to a filthy rich family. People remember. I promise! Implying it once on every page in not very subtle ways can get extremely annoying. Yes. So the book is annoying too. What is with Rupa? I am sure we have people who can churn out better stories. And let us face it. Not everyone can write.

And no sir, I still don't do book reviews. Please lower your expectations (in case you have any).

Of books. Movies. Easy Chicken curry. And other such banalities

At long last, I finished reading Madhav Mathur's The Diary of an Unreasonable Man. Actually "at long last" is just for the added effect. This is one book I finished the fastest in the last couple of years. Why I have become a slow reader, is a story for another day. Back to this book, I was extremely skeptical about it, mainly because how far fetched, Rang De Basanti-ish the plot sounded. But I was surprised at just how much I enjoyed it. If you have been working for a couple of years, been wondering why you aren't making the kind of difference to the world that you once, at 21, associated with becoming "independent" and minting (ha!) money, this book is for you. Or not. You also need to be patient, believe in shallow revenge (cow dung on expensive cars is not my idea of a well thought, intense revolution, but it's fun!), and in the mood for "far fetched". Now don't get me wrong. My life revolves around shallowness and "far fetched" and often, revenge, so obviously in my dictionary, these are quintessentially good adjectives. It is a fun read, although I don't see myself quitting "real" work to bring in any kind of revolution. The book doesn't speak of anything that you and I don't speak of everyday, albeit in our cozy living rooms, and with no cow dung around to spoil the party. Consumerism, mall culture, why the cars we drive and the machines we own have become factors that guide whether or not we have arrived in life. Whatever happened to living simple. To the deserving making it big in life. What is "making it big in life" anyway? So yes, the book sure is close to our reality. But this is where the "reality" bit ends. But at least the book is not a documentary on the faults of urban living. Overall a fun read, mainly on flights and loos. What? You want a review? I am not qualified to give you one. Read it to find out! I liked it. At least 10 times more than Eat, Pray, Love. Now on to the next book about corporate rut - Sidin Vadukut's Dork: The Incredible Adventures of Robert Einsein Verghese. At this rate, I am soon going to be on my way to the Himalayas. Away from MY corporate rut. Or so you would think. Sigh!

Anyway I did start watching Heroes after wondering what the fuss was about. In fact I finished a whole season. And no, I still don't know what the fuss was about. Just like I don't know why people love Harry Potter and Twilight so much. Heroes is way beyond imagination. And not in a good way. Too many superheroes, too much fantasy. The men are cute though. And no, I am not going to watch another season. Excuse me while I return to the 5th season of Frasier. It's real. I have always suffered the underdog syndrome, I like Frasier Crane more than any superhero. Krrrish included :P

I am back from a tragic-comic movie outing - I Hate Love Stories (I refuse to spell it incorrectly.) What on earth was it? I liked the movie, I haven't seen a love story I didn't like. But IHLS was extremely amusing, and not always intentionally. What can I say that hasn't been said before. Except don't believe all the reviews you read. The movie was actually fun. Shallow, almost stupid, but fun. But someone tell Sonam Kapoor she is not half as pretty as she thinks. So she can really, really drop the pretty damsel act and start being a little more.. I don't know.. Human? Imran Khan is the show stopper. Someday I want a son like him. Bah! I am getting old!

What's for dinner tonight? The Easy Chicken Curry. I don't think this recipe exists anywhere. It is some random things done to the very normal chicken curry recipe you read in most places, to make sure the cooking time doesn't exceed 15 minutes. And it is.. Err.. Healthier? Not a Bihari recipe by the way. Although it can pass off as Dehati Chicken. What? There actually is a chicken recipe that is called that. I found out only a couple of weeks ago. Coming back to my recipe, here you go..
Curd - 1 cup
Beans - 100 grams
Catch chicken masala
Ginger garlic paste
Chilli powder
Haldi
Onion
Coriander powder
Garam masala
Cumin powder
Dhaniya (to garnish.. Heh!)
And chicken of course. 500 grams. Serves two adults who like to overeat, this dish.

Whenever you have a few minutes during the day, marinate clean pieces of chicken in curd, ginger garlic paste, haldi, and chilli powder. Refrigerate the marinade. This recipe is pressure cooked, so make sure the pressure cooker is free and clean.

20 minutes before you sit down for the meal, saute jeera and small pieces of onion in mustard oil, add the beans and fry for a few minutes. Then add a little haldi, a teaspoon of chicken masala, some coriander powder, garam masala, and cumin powder. Pretend to fry the masala a little, just in case someone told you you weren't doing it right :P

Add the marinade, mix well. Cook the mixture for 4 seetis - the first one on high flame, the rest on low flame. Do NOT add water if watery chicken curry is not your idea of home cooked food and you liked it only during desperate hostel days. Of course I am speaking from experience!

Garnish the chicken curry with coriander (not the powder, the leaves) because trust me it will not look even half as nice as it will taste. Serve with steamed rice. This is Good food. Also because it hardly involves any effort. I might put a picture here later. Or maybe not!

Of old friends, pretentious cafes, and brilliant deals

So after a getting a lot of Burrp mobile alerts for Matteo Coffea on Church Street, I finally went there today. And I did NOT think it was worth the 5/5 it's been getting. Let me make myself clear here... The food is decent, the ambience is decent too... But it's definitely not worth all the raving and ranting. 

So I reached this place a little after 12 and all tables were occupied either by IT folks (they ARE a different category and they are everywhere man!), precocious school kids, hippie firangs, and extremely wannabe.. err.. locals. I got a seat by their pastry shelf and it wasn't exactly comfortable. One of the waitresses came and thrashed down a menu card on the table. She smiled at me AFTER I smiled at her and she almost looked like she didn't like her job. Come on lady, most of us don't! :P

Soon some hippies left and I got a table overlooking the road and the chairs were a lot more comfortable. I didn't notice much after that because soon the friend I was supposed to meet there arrived and I was seeing her a good three years... And what fun it was to catch up. She knows a lot more about my life than even a lot of very, very close friends in my college gang and it was good to talk and bitch and crib and laugh, no holds barred. The high point of my visit to Matteo was the friend and all the conversation and the awesome gift she gave me today, which in a way made me glad because I wouldn't have wanted it any other way... Thanks dear girl, you really made my Saturday! :-)

The food was quite decent - the pasta was to die for and the salad was pretty good too. The iced tea was just about average but I don't blame them. After years of overly sweetened iced tea in the Nescafe counter of my college campus, I can somehow never develop taste for the real iced tea like they serve in the Baristas and Matteos of the world. The service was strictly OK, nothing mindblowing. But then again, today I wasn't out to crib about a restaurant and my day was made already :-) 

Roxie, this one's for you. Like I told you earlier too, this IS one of the best gifts I have got in my entire life. Big bear hug, my dear girl! :-)

After Matteo, R and I went to buy a new phone for him, and here's a little piece of advice for people looking to buy a new phone anytime soon- Go to Just Call, a Nokia priority dealer on Brigade Road. We got a free gift - a range of 2D-3N packages in places like Yercaud, Munnar, and even Goa. And it is valid for a whole year! Like my mom would put it, "aaj kisi achhe insaan ka chehra dekh ke uthi hogi" :D

I rate my Saturday a 5/5 already... And it's not even over yet! :D