Bye bye 2013... Bring it on 2014

Those of you who have been following my blog must be wondering what happened to all those goan sweet making maskachaska?

And I am so proud to tell you all that I passed the litmus test of sweet making! Critiqued by the experts in the field ....my own family elders... Guys I made guava cheese, marzipan, milk cream, Baath, rum cake, kulkuls, date and walnut cake, jujubes, and neuri...ya and I can't think of more.... Hahaha but each sweet was bit into by five top family chefs who made comments like .... Aaah this gauva cheese is like how the Goans make it.... Someone else cried, no but the East Indians make it better.... The third shouted marzipan needs more flavouring while the Anglo Indian said no no no this how my mum made it... It's perfect (and val goes smile smile smile) the rum cake they said didn't have enough rum though half a bottle was poured into it.... I guess that part I discount as the family is use to more than half a bottle each day... So that's why the taste wasn't strong enough or coming through. Haha and ahem ahem not to miss the racist remarks within ;-)

Well this year we started a family tradition of the big Christmas brunch with a secret Santa. And we did so well.... Reindeer bands and sangria added to the flavour.... Hmm no wonder they couldn't taste the rum in my cake. Haha

2013 for one, brought me closer to family. Taught me to respect, cherish and value family. It rekindled the love I had and from here on I promise to be there for each one of them in whatever way I can.

This year has made me a different person..... A person who has woken up from slumber ..... A slumber of life... I now see, real people, real friends, real colleagues and I have stopped being naive or believing everything I hear or see.... I realized there is more to everyone who comes into your life.... They seek a purpose...they seek a reason.... It's for you to see that, understand it and and accept it. Refrain from  believing that what we read in fairy tale books as children that people love u for u. They love u or are with you because of a reason.

I also learned expectation is the mother of all disappointments. The moment you expect something ..... Baby your never getting it!

My mum use to say,'don't be selfish' .... But I learned that in today's world you have to be a weee bit selfish....live a little for yourself.... Love yourself.... And do what makes you happy.... And the whole world will follow u.

I also learned that your best friends are your pets. They love you and share your joy sorrow and pain selflessly like no other human could ever do. I love my puppies and I will give them all I have for the rest of their lives.

And finally no one can take you for granted unless you want them to...... So be strong express what you want, love yourself and respect what you have.

So 2014 here i come.... The new val... All geared up for a new beginning..... Living the phrase I coined for myself..."life is full of surprises... Live it"!

I promise myself to let myself go a bit next year.... Travel like a maniac, dance like no ones watching, and experience people in different shapes forms and nationalities. .... I promise my blog of experiences will keep you all entertained.... The new food I try, the new places I visit, the new people I meet and the old art I revisit...... 2014.... Bring it on!

7 days to Christmas ...l are u ready to maskachaska;-)

And so as I promised you folks, here is the start to my Christmas sweet discovery journey. I will take u through a little fun take in Christmas sweet making. U will learn it as I do, along with me and sure if u just wanna ignore... Go for it!

Today I decided to make guava cheese. Now I know most of u are going to say.... What? Is that even a dish?? Is it a sweet? Is it a cheese? Is it bird, is it a plane.... Ok I'll stop here... This ain't no batman...

Well the Goans make a sweet called 'Perad' called guava cheese.  It's actually a Portuguese sweet, had during the festive season... Not like u cannot have it otherwise... And I decided to make it because I like guava.... And I like the Portuguese too ;-)

But my friends, this turned out to be one of the most most most difficult off all sweets one could ever make!! Along with the ingredients which is simple sugar, lemon and guava, they forget to mention, as part of the ingredients,  an extra arm and a leg and a neck too.

One has to keep stirring and stirring to get that thing into a ball like stage. Before it sets. But once it does and once it's cooled off its soooo ready to eat!

It's soft, filled with the taste of the guava, with a hint of lemon! One bite and there is no denying u will long for one more and one more and one more.

I hope this sweet of Christmas was the most difficult and that my other sweets are going to co-operate with me and help me accomplish my goal.

Watch out for the next one.... I am going to attempt two... Marzipan and milk cream. Wish me luck!

Confessions of a foodie whose caught a stomach bug

God are you listening? Am I fulfilling a penance of my past life karma? I love food. Meaning I really love food. Meaning if food was a man I'd marry him. And to be sitting at a table at Trishna with all the exotic seafood dashing across my eyes is torture of he highest order in my view. It would have been less painful to whip me with a whip of nails rather than have me sitting in front of a butter pepper garlic crab at Trishna smelling so awesome and delicious shine to the texture leaving my mouth watering and me salivating.

Then comes the tandoori rawas. One of my favourite fish, but no val u can't touch this! The smell of the fish and the masala was just starring at me saying "aren't u gonna try?" Just a little bit?" And I go like sigh! And I try! And my mouth is burning my throat is crying saying what the f...

Ok so u must be wonder why can't I eat. I can't because I caught this bacteria called Helecobacter pylori- a bacteria u catch through drinking water or through raw food. It hides in your system and gets activated regularly. It feeds on your heamoglobin. That's terrible. As u cannot eat, you throw up, and you run to the loo like a comet is falling from the sky at 500 Kms per hour. So there u go, not a great bacteria to have. Apparently it takes a year to get out of your system. Jeess I say that's disgusting.

I am devastated! I should just hibernate for that long. But hey on the brighter side I am pure from within. I have not an ounce of shit in my body and that a fact in everyway! Boiled veggies and yogurt make up my diet and I am loving it a each day passes by. And and may I tell you that I have lost 10 kgs and look like a million bucks. So hey I shouldn't be complaining. From a foodie I can go to a hottie and extend the facet of my blog ad start writing a single at 35 diary. I am sure that will be as interesting as my food escapades.

But yeah, I long for food a glass of wine and sometimes a bottle of chilled beer. Those are not too much to as. I am slowly but surely getting there. This Christmas will be a truly pure one. But I am going start my sweet making and will fill you in on every delicacy I manage to get on that amazing Christmas plate.

For more watch this lace guys!,