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Post by mouse on Dec 26, 2011 2:55:04 GMT -5
i belive theres a road named after one of my ancestors in either callcutta or delhi i never can remember which one of them it is
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Post by fretslider on Dec 26, 2011 5:05:41 GMT -5
Economic progress has given India the Western material goods but taken away the time to pause to live.
I can relate to that. It's only when you get into a rural situation, away from the cities, that you can slow things down a bit.
I'm sure mouse will agree.
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Post by mouse on Dec 26, 2011 6:38:26 GMT -5
Economic progress has given India the Western material goods but taken away the time to pause to live.I can relate to that. It's only when you get into a rural situation, away from the cities, that you can slow things down a bit. I'm sure mouse will agree. i agree 100%...time relax..time to look at the sky be it clouds or stars..smell the grass or herbs or the scent of flowers time to hear the drone of a bee or the call of an owl or dog fox the city has its place but there is little joy in just being an anonymous cog......
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2011 20:33:02 GMT -5
26 December, 2011 The 3 of us visited Central Kolkata. I walked once again on the pavements and along the narrow alleyways that were my daily journey to College over half a century ago. For the others it was a new experience, rewarding in part. We boarded the Metro at Kalighat station and alighted at Chandney Chowk, one stop past Esplanade. That was a mistake. Chandney Chowk is the stop for the largest Mosque in Kolkata, the Nakhoda Masjid. kolkata.clickindia.com/tourism/nakhodamosque.html The streets in the area were just as unsavoury as it was half a century ago. The most noticeable change is the new and shiny electronics mall which had drawn me to this area. But not for long. I left as fast as possible to progress to Lalbazar, the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Dept. It is here that I obtained the pass to ascend the Shahid Minar (formerly Octerlony Monument), to enable an English Colleague and guest to experience the tower on a previous visit. My revered mother (long departed) used to buy tea from a tiny shop opposite Lalbazar. It wasstill there. Tiny but economically very significant. It exported tea all over the world. Behind the unimposing almost invisible facade was a large store with hundreds of crates of precious tea. At least 30 different teas from the finest plantations in Darjeeling, Assam and South India and Ceylon could be found here. We took two bags, 250g each, one of the most delicate and fragrant Darjeeling Orange Pekoe @ Rs 800/- (10 or $16) a kilo or 1000g. The other a robust Assam CTC @ Rs 250/- a Kilo ( £3 or $5 per 1000g). Right opposite Lalbazar on the aptly named Rabindra Sarani, the row of old and original shops selling Indian Musical Instruments were still there. It was a delightful and rewarding reminder. In the evening we attended a Birthday party for a close relative. That was very enjoyable. The meal was elaborate and sumptuous, the talk enjoyable and invigorating, the venue a masterclass in internal design. It was the pride and joy of my brother who had designed and project manged the apartment. It was truly magnificent, an adequate demonstration of his engineering, planning, management and design skills. It was a privilege to experience it first hand. Regards. Prashna
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Post by mouse on Dec 28, 2011 3:13:07 GMT -5
always used to be assam for breakfast and dargeeling for afternoons back in the day when different teas were for different ocasions AND when i was a child different tea pots were used for different teas and a hot day nothing better than earl grey with lemon...hot or cold
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2011 20:11:30 GMT -5
always used to be assam for breakfast and dargeeling for afternoons back in the day when different teas were for different ocasions AND when i was a child different tea pots were used for different teas and a hot day nothing better than earl grey with lemon...hot or cold Quite so, mouse. A good Assam CTC (Crush, Tear and Curl) will certainly wake one up! second flush produces the famous "tippy teas." It is this feature of the teas of the second flush which makes them more preferred. (Tippy refers to black tea with gold tips or what appears to be golden-coloured leaf). The amount of tip varies, depending upon where in Assam the tea estate from which the tea comes is located.
The golden tip present in Assam tea, tends to lessen the bitter characteristic of the tea and make it sweet and smooth. Therefore, Assam tea can be malty, sweet and smooth, which are qualities enjoyed by all tea drinkers.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 28 Dec. 2011 7 pm ITC Sonar Bangla, Kolkata
ITC Sonar having a distinctively modern and sleek architectural design contrasting with the rich historical essence of Kolkata is nestled amidst acres of land, resplendent with greenery, sunshine, and water. This five-star deluxe hotel is en route from the airport and a 30-minute drive from the city centre. Modern, cavernously spacious, seductively luxurious with its expanse of mirror-finished Italian Marble floors, hauntingly beautiful with its famous lily pond, a memorable experience. Very security conscious, with armed guards, airport style scanners and gates at entry. But also with well-liveried and very courteous concierges to welcome the guests on arrival. We were guided to the famed and fabulous Peshawri Restaurant in the basement to our pre-booked table for 15. The youngest was our niece, only 4 and captivatingly vivacious. She regarded the spacious stone floor of the Peshawri as some sort of stage and gave an impromptu performance of her dancing skills and made intimate friends instantly with us having never seen us before. The food was sumptuous and superbly cooked. We had the Peshawri Kebab, a well-seasoned barbecue type combo of lamb, fish and chicken. mouth-watering. This was followed by Nan, Dal makhawni (lentils with ghee) and little pieces of lamb in sauce. For dessert, we had their version of Rasmalai, little pieces of sweet cottage cheese immersed in delicious reduced milk, I personally prefer the classic version introduced by K C Das or their legendary Khirmohan But failing that, the ITC Sonar version is an acceptable alternative. Here is a selection from the enchanting range of sweets from K C Das, master sweet maker:
Ah well, one cannot have everything! The meal was astronomically expensive by Indian Standards, just affordable bu Western standards. It came to Rs 28000 for 15, or about £350 0r $560. I speculate £33 per person is the average price in a good London Restaurant, but quite out of reach for the average Kolkatan. We returned home satiated and our wishes well-met, after a death-defying and expensive ride in a taxi, but that must await. Regards. Prashna
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Post by deyana on Dec 29, 2011 22:00:40 GMT -5
mmm....those look good. But the price of the meal is wayy over priced.
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Post by beth on Dec 30, 2011 1:47:23 GMT -5
Yummy! Those look delicious, Prashna. That would be just under 40$ each person plus tip, wouldn't it? That's about average for the nice restaurants here, too. When I pay that much, I expect something special in food and service. That doesn't always happen but it appears you got your money's worth this time. I don't suppose they hand out recipes?
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Post by fretslider on Dec 30, 2011 4:56:35 GMT -5
London prices - must be for the elite. Looks very good though, Prashna. Buon appetito
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Post by mouse on Dec 30, 2011 10:06:43 GMT -5
my daughter drives miles to get indian sweets..of which she and grandson 2 are inordinately fond..she is going to be wildly envious i think £33 perperson is reasonable and can think of places that the bill per person would come higher...you pay for the ambience as well as the food..sounds to me like you had really good exchange for your money
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nira
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Post by nira on Dec 31, 2011 5:09:33 GMT -5
Hi Prashna. Hope you are having a great time. The sweets look absolutely delicious. Dal Makhani with pieces of lamb, you say? Someone have mercy on us poor vegetarians ! Hope you all continue to enjoy your rest of the stay there.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2011 21:12:16 GMT -5
London prices - must be for the elite. Looks very good though, Prashna. Buon appetito Elite, Fret? Perhaps in sense 3 here, dictionary.reference.com/browse/elite taking into account the sad but inescapable fact that the old adage applies more and more as the 21st c advances inexorably: Money talks!But I normally use that term in senses 1 or 2 and I wouldn't use it in that context. The stench of an obscene amount of money and associated human arrogance would have caused me to leave except for my allegiance to my obligations. Fortunately my Vulcan training came to my aid yet again and I was able to apply adequate negative feedback to neutralise my inward evulsion. But having done that, the ambience was palpable, company memorable and cooking impeccable. It was a worthwhile experience. Regards. Prashna
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2011 21:23:37 GMT -5
Yummy! Those look delicious, Prashna. That would be just under 40$ each person plus tip, wouldn't it? That's about average for the nice restaurants here, too. When I pay that much, I expect something special in food and service. That doesn't always happen but it appears you got your money's worth this time. I don't suppose they hand out recipes? Actually, Beth The bill came to $550 for 15 or $36.67 per person. I paid with Mastercard credit card (a perfect plastic version) and did not leave a further tip as service charge was included. Recipes handed out? They don't but I could. The recipes are indeed available in the web for free as well as in good books on Indian cookery. All that is needed is a little empathy, skill and imagination. I believe you have all those in plenty. I shall try to fulfil your wish once my trip is over. Incidentally the pictures of the sweets that I cited are from K C Das, very reasonably priced AND they do export worldwide. ITC Sonar despite its exorbitant prices doesn't even begin to approach those in quality, flavour, taste or presentation. Regards. Prashna
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2011 21:29:27 GMT -5
Hi Prashna. Hope you are having a great time. The sweets look absolutely delicious. Dal Makhani with pieces of lamb, you say? Someone have mercy on us poor vegetarians ! Hope you all continue to enjoy your rest of the stay there. Dal Makhani, Nira is a strictly vegetarian dish. Lamb in that is out of the question. Not only that, it does not even contain onions or garlic. As you know, those two root herbs are not considered strictly vegetarian. Dal Makhani is a lentil Possibly Moog Dal, with a lot of ghee and spices that are acceptable to the strictest of vegetarians. Usually taken with nan, paratha or roti. I took it with the plainest of nan. It met my own spartan taste admirably. Regards. Prashna
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nira
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Post by nira on Jan 1, 2012 2:42:13 GMT -5
Hi Prashna. Hope you are having a great time. The sweets look absolutely delicious. Dal Makhani with pieces of lamb, you say? Someone have mercy on us poor vegetarians ! Hope you all continue to enjoy your rest of the stay there. Dal Makhani, Nira is a strictly vegetarian dish. Lamb in that is out of the question. Not only that, it does not even contain onions or garlic. As you know, those two root herbs are not considered strictly vegetarian. Dal Makhani is a lentil Possibly Moog Dal, with a lot of ghee and spices that are acceptable to the strictest of vegetarians. Usually taken with nan, paratha or roti. I took it with the plainest of nan. It met my own spartan taste admirably. Regards. Prashna Indeed Prashna, Dal Makhani is a strictly vegetarian dish. As you know, in traditional Indian fare, classic vegetarian dishes and meat are never mixed together. But,as you cross over - I am sure you know this already - in to the Pakistani side of Punjab or for that matter into North West Frontier, the distinction between what is vegetarian and what is not , ceases. It is not unusual - I could say it is common - to find meat in a traditionally vegetarian recipe like Dal Makhani. Pakistani cooking prefers it that way, perhaps. But, anyway, Dal Makahni is yummy; with dollops of butter how could it be anything but? Have a wonderful time. Is there any chance that we could all sample the yummy stuff you've sampled , over a virtual party for your friends on this MB, Prashna ? Who's with me for this party?
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