Green Cilantro: Japanese Cheesecake

Green Cilantro: Japanese Cheesecake

An Easter Reflection

As another Lenten season comes to an end, let us reflect upon this time of prayer and penitence and what it means to us, individually.

To some, it may not sound very exciting. The very idea of “giving up” certain things that we most desire, for lent, may have seemed like a cumbersome task. With everyone around, making an effort to keep the Lenten Spirit going, even our liturgies had changed bit. We had put away the ‘Gloria’ and the ‘Alleluia’ until the great celebration of Easter. We even scaled back the music at mass, so that there was a noticeable difference from the rest of the liturgical year.

What is it that we actually achieved by all the deliberate sacrifices that we made? Why is it that once the Lenten period comes to an end, we are overjoyed to greet the Easter season with glee, that normalcy has now been restored?

How many of us actually realize that it is in these symbolic sacrifices that we make in our own little way, during lent, do we partake in the passion of our Lord? For, it is not in the kind of sacrifices we make, or how great or small each of them may be, but it is in our attitude towards it, that we are able to fully understand the true meaning of Easter: Jesus’ supreme sacrifice of life, by his death on the cross. Just as his resurrection gave final proof that he had conquered death, once and for all, similarly, we have to first die to some things that bring us joy.

It is difficult, especially in our extremely busy days, to set aside time for family prayer and to help make Jesus the focus of our family celebration. It certainly takes a bit of dedication and time to make sure that our kids understand that it is Jesus, who is the center of all celebration and that his sacrificial death on the cross is the reason behind this season of Easter, and not just a fancy bunny with a basket, who gives away eggs and goodies.

As we enter into this joyous Easter season, let us contemplate Christ’s humanity, by how he lived his life on earth, his kindness and his tolerance. We must measure our goodness, not by what we deny ourselves or by what we resist. Instead, we should measure ourselves by what values we embrace and what good we create in our lives and in the lives of others.

Happy Easter!

Me and You, We Stick Like Glue

It's funny how I find myself, more often than never
accusing you of being so damn organised and no fun at all.
You move like someone set your trial on fire
and you just have to shovel through the virtual mess
to find that pivotal pail of water that sets you free.

I'm not sure I quite understand sometimes,
and I wish you'd just let me be,
doing the things I wanna do,
just breaking all the rules.

But then, you go away...
and I feel myself missing you so much,
that I feel an emptiness right in the pit of my stomach
and I wish you were back here again.

coz I like it that you're so damn organised and no fun at all.
I like it when you move like someone set your trail on fire
coz you are my hopeless lobster,
and we're walking sideways, arm in arm.
Coz you and me, we stick like glue,
yeah baby, we sure stick like glue !

True Calling - Living life on purpose

Have you ever really thought about what you were born to do ? What is it that truly defines who you are ?
There are so many of us who may be sucked in to a profession that keeps us constantly on our toes; a profession that demands so much of our time and effort and yet provides so little in terms of fulfillment. Then there is the big question, "Why do we submit ourselves to permissible torture when we can choose to walk on another road ?" The reasons may be varied and quite personal and i wouldn't want to get into the dynamics of that topic just now.
To put it fairly, there may be many reasons why we choose to do what we do, but that's definitely not the subject of my blog today.

It took me a long time to realize that the shoes i was meant to fill were casually lying around in my closet gathering dust, while i trotted along life's rocky terrain wearing flip-flops ! Yep, it sounds rather goosey doesn't it ?
It took me years, but i finally saw that the very "calling" i was pushing away on grounds of being "unessential", gently pushed it's way back into my life and stood at a distance, watching me with clear disapproval of how i had chosen to fit-in to a career which by then, had gotten the better of me. It was as if a little angel was waving a tiny red flag in my direction, beckoning me to "STOP" and look up!
So what did I finally choose to do? Did i embrace this calling like a long-lost friend or did i ignore it, letting myself snap out of sudden introspection and in to the rat race again ?

For a long time, I just waited. That's right, I waited for my life to steer it's own course, hoping that it would eventually lead me on the road to happiness. Now, at this point if you find yourself thinking "that's what a spineless person would do !"; you may exit from this blog and pretend that you never read the first bit, because the latter half may not interest you either ! (However, if you still choose to read further, then can we please be fraaands ;) ;) ?)

Have you ever crawled in to bed at night hoping that the next day would just decide to "take the day off" for a change, instead of you having to do it? (That never happened did it? The next day just decided to greet you in your face with an extra ounce of cheer !)
Have you ever miserably let out a heavy sigh as you dragged yourself out of bed and into the arms of the day that tells you that there is so much to be done today at work?
Have you come to realize that you have allowed your life to just happen and not really live it?

A job that may constitute more than 50% of your day, is meant to put food on the table and pay the bills. However, if it fails to satisfy the spirit then is it truly worth all the attention and stress?
I found myself asking these questions more often with each passing day and it only made me feel sad and unfulfilled ! I decided that it was time - time to stop letting my life just happen and to create a life circled around my dreams and values. With each passing day i was only getting older and the fear of life just melting away seemed like a dreadful thought.
Right then, I had made a promise to myself, that i was going to take the bold step of a career change. I just had to do it on behalf of my dreams.......
Today, I am by far a happier person. I choose to do what i'm good at and i feel responsible for my actions. Quoting excerpts from a famous Whitney Houston song "If i fail, if i succeed, at least i live like i believe. No matter what they take from me, they can't take away my dignity. Because the greatest love of all is inside of me !"
Today's blog is dedicated to all those lovely, honest and brilliant people who have at one point or another felt a steady decline of life's purpose.

I would definitely tell you this one thing - Beleive as i do, that you were put here to follow a calling that is uniquely yours; And when you find that calling, your life will be transformed. Guaranteed.

Have a wonderful life !

Cooking - A Science or an Art ?

There has been a varied opinion when it comes to culinary skills.
Some say it is purely an art that starts with coalescing ingredients through a process that involves inherent culinary skill, and ends with a dish that is so appealing to the taste buds that it could send the desired taster, into a world of great fulfillment.
On the other hand, there are many who argue that cooking, like any other academic subject is a science that can be mastered by merely following a set of carefully arrived procedures to produce quite a palatable result.
When I initially tried my hand at cooking, I was appalled by the effort that it took to accomplish a trivial recipe. I mean, it seemed so easy to me at first. After all, how long could it take to dice a couple of vegetables, add a few ground spices to it and let it cook? Not very long I thought as I gallantly proceeded to cook up a mixed vegetable stew. I wouldn’t say that the end result was inedible; however it wasn’t as delectable as I had imagined it to be!
It mildly dawned upon me (I say mildly, because I hate to admit that this was a complete "duh" kind of moment for me) that there are certain rules to cooking that I may be totally oblivious to! I immediately dialed an SOS call to my mother, who was pretty amused by the melodramatic account of my very first cooking attempt.
She of course assured me that cooking needed a whole lot of practice and above all an uncanny knack of combining the "right" ingredients that culminates in a savory dish. She never forgot to very brightly add, "Cooking is so easy!”
Over the days, I decided to try out the "easy" recipes that my mother had very gladly shared with me. I re-tried the mixed vegetable stew, this time following my mother's carefully dictated recipe to the tee. Of course it involved blanching the vegetables and caramelizing the spices before cooking, (something that I had no clue about, the first time round) but I was completely satisfied with the results. I had created a culinary marvel! (Generally, I hate to brag but when the occasion demands it, I go all out! :)) Indeed, as my mother had promised, cooking is easy!
So, what is cooking really? Is it a science of carefully practiced techniques or an art of combining just the right proportions of chosen ingredients to create a toothsome treat? I am still trying to figure out the subtle line that differentiates the two.
Not many have an inherent talent for cooking. Over the past generations, there have been people who have devoted a lot of their time and effort to this theme and yet today, it is evident to many that it seems quite commonplace.
What i can undoubtedly say is that it is the result that truly matters.
As someone once brilliantly quoted "The discovery of a new dish does more for the happiness of mankind than the discovery of a star”
I'm only too happy to agree!

Relationships and Complexity

Relationships are difficult. Especially when there are ones which need constant attention and which maybe linked with another relationship that matters most of all ! I believe that handling difficult people in relationships is an overwhelming task and just may stir up a large amount of negative energy that if not tamed, maybe cause one to wreck inner peace.
The prime quality that one needs to possess while dealing with relationships is surely a whole lot of tact and an enormous ounce of patience. And of course, to never lose your cool !
Well, it's definitely easier said than done but with a little bit of focus and a conscious effort at overlooking some annoying acts of the other person, one can surpass the initial hatred felt and may even start understanding the other person better.

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep

A light hearted movie about the pure hearted and simple bond between a litte boy and a mythical sea creature called the waterhorse. The movie stems from a situation where the little boy, who struggles with himself for reasons of inconfidence, mothers a baby waterhorse in the secrecy of an old workshop next to his home. The movie brings out the innocent yet supreme bond of friendship that the two share.
An entertaining movie not only for children , but even adults that reminds us of the simple joys of giving , of a friendship that survives the test of time in the cruel demeanor of the world !