Food and Friends

On Sunday we hosted 8 people for dinner most of whom had been to India with me at least once.  I used the cookbook "Good Cooking from India" by my friend Shahnaz Mehta.  Our mothers were very good friends and we feel like family to one another.  So you know this was not watered down easy cooking, but the real thing with many steps.  I made dal and plain rice, chicken curry, string beans with ginger, raita, and lamb Biryani.  And of course served with naan and chutneys.  Preparations did take much of Saturday and most of Sunday.  Homemade Indian desserts were brought by guests;  gulab jamins and kheer.  The kheer was made from a recipe I got from a dear co-worker many years ago and shar with friends.  I call it Meher's kheer.

We spent a great deal of time around the table enjoying the meal and stories from our travels.

Today I went to an annual luncheon I enjoy because I get to spend some time with people I've worked with over the years.  Imagine my surprise when I saw Noreen, Meher's daughter, who is working again with the same agency where we all first met. She was happy to hear about Meher's kheer and I know she will tell her Mom.  And so the circle of friendship goes on.

A Visit from India

I had the privilege of meeting a missionary based in India yesterday at First Presbyterian, Northport.  It is hard for those of us in the US to understand, but I have been asked not to post information about her on my website, so as not to jeopardize her safety or that of her family.  Christians are still the target of discrimination and violence in many parts of the world and that includes parts of India as well.  We delighted in finding out we know some of the same people in India and talked about the importance of teaching people about the plight of Dalits in India.  I really liked how she explained the meaning of "Dalit", as India's poorest describe themselves.  Dalit means broken and she had a dish of split peas, which are naturally broken.  The split peas are made into a dish called dal, which is the basic diet of everyone in India and an excellent source of protein when served with rice.  Dal...Dalit

It turns out there are several people in the Northport church who have expressed an interest in a mission trip to India in 2013.  It should be an exciting trip with folks from Smithtown and Northport together.

Asia Society Visit

We did see William Dalrymple speak at the Asia Society. History came alive as he used illustrations from the exhibit, "Painters and Princes in Mughal Delhi (1705-1857")' which took five years to come together. He turned out to be a good speaker as well as writer and art historian. I am now reading his "Nine Lives" which chronicles the stories of faith practitioners of nine faiths of India today.H Hooefully I can find some of the pictures he used in a format that can be part of qqa talk on India I am preparing for local libraries.

A William Dalrymple Day

It's a William Dalrymple day.  William Dalrymple is a Scottish historian who first encountered India when he was 17.  He has been entranced ever since.
 First, I came across an article in the New York Times about a literary conference he is helping to direct in Jaipur.  Salman Rushdie, an invited participant, was notified of threats to his life and advised not to attend.  He did not attend, but some authors present read paragraphs from his work.  This is illegal in India.
Next, the three Dalrymple books I ordered last week arrived.  He is an amazing historian, with excellent narrative skills.  I read "The Last Mughal" which focused on issues surrounding the princely states as India headed toward Independence. Now I have "White Mughals", the true story of a great romance between a British resident of the court of the Nizam of Hyderabad and a direct descendant of Mohammed, a great niece of the Nizam's Prime Minister.  It took place in the late 18th century after two centuries of British rule in India and casts light on the many British colonizers who "went Native."  The other books are "City of Djinns" about the many layers and complexities of Delhi, and "Nine Lives in Search of the Sacred in Modern India".
All this Dalyrmple reading is in preparation to seeing him speak at the Asia Society next month.  I'm not a history buff, but he makes his subjects so fascinating that you can't help but want more. .

Reading and Rice

Time to soak the basmati rice for kheer, a yummy rice dish flavored with cardamom, and spiked with nuts and coconut. Tomorrow night friend Lois and I are presenting "The Space Between Us" by Thrity Umrigar at the book club of the Smithtown Presbyterian Church. It bears many similarities with "The Help" and highlights the difficult relationships between servant and employer in a culture which defines people by their caste. At the meeting we will serve the kheer as well as an Indian carrot dessert that Lois is making.

Marigold Hotel

Can't wait to see "Marigold Hotel."   I saw the trailer today at the movies and all the color and joy of India were right before me on the screen.  It looks like a great ad to help convince people that they MUST see India.  As indeed, they must.

A Great Read

"A Princess Remembers, The Memoirs of the Maharani of Jaipur" by Gayatri Devi is the fascinating story of a beautiful woman who makes her own radical life choices as a Princess of a Princely State in Pre Independence India. We follow her through incredible wealth and turbulent political times, meeting along the way the people who made Indian history in the 20th century.
 We enjoyed drinks and dinner at one of her homes, Rambagh Palace (above) and toured City Palace, the centerpiece of Jaipur.  All of the "pink city" reflects the importance the Maharajas of Jaipur placed on city planning, architecture and beauty. Even as the Maharani mourns the deterioration of her beloved city, we find glory in it's forts and palaces.