Link for published article in Chillibreeze -Key ingredients of a good travel piece

http://www.chillibreeze.com/articles/best-kept-secrets-travel-writers-612.asp

Just another day

Sometimes, in the middle of the day,
When nothing seems to be going your way.

You smile, you laugh, as if nothing's wrong.
But your heart's not in it, you've lost your song.

A chance predujiced glance, a remark snide,
O, how you wish you had a stronger hide.

You wish for a moment alone, just to reason why,
Away from the madness to just do and die.

But then, a voice tells you, it's just another day

Under the shattered sense of peace, you don your 'don't care' mask,
In the sheltered cabin of glass, you go about your next task.

The best mushroom recipe

I live in constant hope that the day will come when my daughter will start appreciating vegetables more.

At present, she is staunch 6 year old non-vegetarian who has grown up watching cookery shows such as Masterchef Australia and leafing through covers of BBC Good Food Magazine, Nigella Lawson and Gordon Ramsey's books. She probably learnt about pork ribs, well-done steaks, chicken kababs and fish tikkas even before she learnt her alphabets.

Not to mention the annual trips to various cities and countries where she gets exposed to local cuisine ranging from "Meen Moilee" (kerala style fish) to "Spaghetti bolognese" (Italian spaghetti recipe with beef).

So the poor vegetables have a tough task at hand competing with the fancy fishes, chunky chickens, tasty turkeys and the wide world of non-vegetarian delicacies that my daughter is hooked on to.

So, when I chance upon a vegetarian dish that she likes, I am thrilled and want to share with other mothers who might be in the same boat.

This is a mushroom dish that I chanced upon in BBC Good Food Magazine and added some of my own   flavors to. My daughter simply adores this dish. The recipe is mentioned below:

Mushroom Stroganoff

Ingredients:

• Mushroom
• Garlic 
• Onion
• Fresh cream
• Mustard sauce
• Parsley
• Chilli flakes

Method:

• Cut mushroom into pieces. I generally steam them in the microwave for 5-7 minutes first.
• In a non-stick frying pan add 1 tsp of olive oil
• Add onions and freshly grated garlic
• After onions are cooked, add the mushrooms and saute them
• You can little bit of salt at this stage
• Add fresh cream and mustard sauce so that the mushrooms are not dry and are just covered in the sauce
• Turn down the heat and let the dish cook for about 10 minutes till mushrooms are soft
• Add parsley leaves and chilli flakes. Chilli flakes can make it spicy so you can add as much as the child's palate would allow.

Serve with rice or simply as an evening snack.

Hope other kids enjoy this simple yet tasty recipe too.

New year resolution

Don’t want wild animals roaming the roads,

Calling themselves humans but preying in hordes.

Don’t want to wake up each day in fear,

And wonder; are my loved ones still here?

Don’t want this New Year,

If it can’t give me this.

Let’s not make empty resolutions for ourselves,

Let’s resolve and act together for our India’s peace.

Time for action

I am outraged.

Not just because I am woman and I cry at the loss of such a brave and beautiful life at the hands of such merciless and brutal attackers. But because, I feel ashamed that this could happen in our country, in our capital. That this has happened countless number of times and will continue to happen unless action is taken right now.

I am outraged.

Not just because I am the mother of a 6 year old daughter and I want her to be safe. But, because when I see the faces of all the children around, I cannot help but wonder, 20 years from now, will they too have to face a day like this if no action is taken now?

So, I want action.

I don’t want the powerful people in the corridors of Delhi to hide behind their AC offices. I want them to own up to the flaws. I want them to act swiftly and decisively.

I want heads to roll from politicians to police. I want the transport mafia to be brought to task and the rapists to be punished without any mercy. I want the voice of the common men to be heard and respected and not ridiculed for being “dented and painted”.

Above all, I want all parents to teach their children to respect and honor women. Our children should not have to face this when they grow up.

This is my country. I want to feel safe. Is that too much to ask?

When will we be free?

She had dreams and hopes in her young heart,

You wiped them off as you ripped her body apart.

But you can’t kill her now…

She may have died in mind numbing pain,

But her death will not be in vain.

As millions of people rise up in protest,

And ask questions that cannot be put to rest,

Powers that be can discuss change in the archaic laws,

And the system can rush to cover its flaws.

Politicians and police can play the blame game,

But tell me, please tell me things will no longer be the same.

So, you can’t kill her now     

           

The nation is awake.

Run and hide you pitiful, soul less fellows,

Worse fate awaits you than the darkest of gallows.

If after 50 years of independence, you cannot let people be free,

I wonder if you really have any reason to even be.

Monday morning lesson

When I woke up this morning,

My feet were heavy as clay

For the Monday morning meeting,

I knew I had nothing to say

But when I looked out of the window,

And heard laughter at the gate

And saw the tiny feet running, not to be late

I saw happy faces waiting to just start their day

‘Thank God its Monday’, the faces seemed to say

I closed the window, it was time to go

And start this morning, begin the show

Monday didn’t scare me, not anymore

I can take it, bring on some more.