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.