J's thoughts

Don't be scared by the name and think that this calls for some lengthy method of preparation. This recipe is adapted from Edmonds cook book. The cook book was given to me by a friend and she told me that in New Zealand, every household has a copy of this book. And that all the recipes come out well. And it is true. I have tried a few recipes from the book and all have come out good. Ingredients 1. Oil - 2 tbsp (olive oil or vegetable oil) 2. Onion - 1 large (finely chopped) 3. Tomato paste - 1/4 cup (21 gm) 4. Canned tomatoes in juice - 1 can (400 gm) 5. Minced beef - 500 gm 6. Garlic - 1 pod 7. Turmeric powder - a pinch 8. Oregano - 1 tsp 9. Basil - 1 tsp 10. Water - 4 cups 11. Spaghetti - 200 gm 12. Salt - to taste 13. pepper - to taste 14. Grated Parmesan cheese - as needed Method Cook the pasta as per the instructions on the packet and set aside. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add the minced garlic and saute. Add the chopped ...

The museum is called 'Habitat'.  It explains about Kuwait's environment and landscapes. As you enter, you have to give your civil ID  to the person in the front desk. After that, he directed us to another person who handed over some funny looking gadgets.  The rectangular shaped black contraption is to be worn around your neck and the white round one is to be hanged on your wrist. There is a head piece which is connected to the black box. Once you start walking around, it automatically starts playing about the things in front of you. Pretty cool eh! It's like a guide, no humans required. The  museum is worth a visit. They have utilized all the new-gen technology to run the show. This huge wall showcases the preserved parts of dried up plants - species found in Kuwait. The name of the founder and the name of the plant, botanical name and the year in which it was discovered is also stated. I found the name of an Indian  which made me feel ...

This is a great option on those days when you have no time at hand but still wants to have chapathi for dinner. It's half cooked chapathi made of 100% whole wheat and it is machine made. Also it is a made in Kuwait product. The picture says it all. The cooking instructions  and the ingredient list is mentioned on the packet. It has a shelf life of three days but the quantity is not mentioned on the packet. I counted and there were 7 half-cooked chapathis in the packet. That is how it looks after opening. They are all perfect round chapathis [since it is machine made; unlike mine which will look like the map of asia :)]. Even though it is mentioned as half cooked, the chapathis were sticking together a bit; it was like peeling of one chapathi from the other one but it came off easily without tearing. The chapathi really puffed up and tasted good. One packet costs 0.200 fils. It is available in bakalas.

Who doesn't love chocolates. And the shops that sells chocolates exclusively---aaahh---heaven. Today I visited such a  heaven :) :) - Ganache chocolatier.  On my my they have such a variety of chocolates. And the good lady in the shop let me try a few.  Oh they tasted so divine. Ganache chocolatier sells premium Belgian chocolate. I am impressed by the quality and the quantity. The packaging is also awesome.  You can check out their Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/GanacheChocolatier/) and Instagram ( ganache_choclt) accounts. Thank you for this free heart, filled with chocolate :) P.S: The chocolates disappeared in no time; thanks to friends who have sweet tooth like mine [I think we had a competition finishing it off :)...aah ..happy day]

It was with great expectation that I walked into the theatre to watch this movie.  Well, here I go, take the seats, popcorn in hand, the lights go out, the movie starts with a thank you note from Nivin Pauly to his parents, spouse, kid and fan association. It is then that my friend whispers in my ear that he has started his own production company. Kudos to him. Now the actual movie starts. And for the first 20 minutes I am left wondering what is happening. Is he trying to mimick Mohanlal- similar punch dialogs, music....but the dialogs lack the power and punch it is supposed to deliver. What am I seeing? Is this a movie or a vlog of some events? I sit there raking my brains to get a grasp of what I am seeing on screen. Gradually it dawns on me that what is being portrayed is the day today life of a policeman. Nivin Pauly plays the role of the  protagonist SI Biju. Characters walk in and out of the movie, each having its own important role to play. All the scenes feel so...

I always have some leftover custard powder at home. What usually happens is, it sits in the kitchen cabinet without any use and then finds its way to the garbage bin. But this time, I was determined to find a way to finish it. Off to google.com and I came across halwa recipes using custard powder. My first reaction was 'What? Halwa! and that too with custard powder. Seriously!.'   Now to the fun part. I took it to work and asked my friends to guess the ingredient in the halwa. They came up with pappaya, carrot, mango, pineapple and even pumpkin. And the expression on their faces when I revealed it was custard powder was priceless...lol. The colour is bright orange and the texture is smooth. It is so easy to cut. Believe me, there is no need to add any food colour. This is one dessert recipe which can be prepared in no time if you have all the ingredients at home. It is definitely a keeper for those days when you have a party at home and you have prepared...

The weather in Kuwait is lovely now. It is perfect for a visit to the zoo.  The entry fee is 0.500 fils for an adult. Some sights around the zoo. What really bothered me was the people feeding the animals in spite of boards everywhere not to feed them. Seriously, can't you read! The monkeys,giraffes and peacocks are fed Pufak and kubboos. How horrible! Then there are others who were teasing the poor animals; as if being in a cage was not enough torture for them. There is a train that takes you around the zoo. You have to pay 0.500 fils per ticket (even for kids irrespective of age). Those are water coolers :) :) It was a wonderful day out. Enjoyed every bit of it.