The Thought Thali: Weekend Lovin’

Weekends… an oasis from the five days of work and more work and even more work. And what innumerable pastimes one can pack into 48 hours! And I pack mine with ‘Kitchen Time’!

Being a foodie and an avid baker, I am the happiest whisking and kneading, icing and toasting! My love for baking comes from my mother. As far back as I remember, my mid-morning tiffin boxes at school would be lovingly filled with ginger biscuits, banana bread, carrot cake, shortbread cookies, jam tarts--the list is endless. Weekends were spent baking, with both my brother and me involved (licking the dredges of the cake batter bowl was an important part of the process!) Mondays would bring a sense of excitement as the recess bell would go off, and let me tell you a couple of school girls can do a very fine job of swiping clean half a weekend’s worth oven duty!

The last few months have kept me busy, what with Christmas good cheer and liqueurs being in high demand. Now that sobriety is the order of the day, I am working on flavored cupcakes and icings (present favorite Vanilla Espresso..buttery heaven). Fruits and nuts have also piqued my interest and (yea!) I’ve just discovered a great way to make Cashewnut and Fruit Spread. It started of as an experiment in making a fruit bar and somewhere it turned into this golden bejeweled mass pliable enough to raise a humble piece of toast to stunning heights. Isn’t it grand when mistakes work out just fine. (I had my Madame Curie moment!)

Being an inveterate foodie, I am up to any cuisine, in any place, at any time. And there is no better way to start your gastronomic adventure, than with breakfast. Do not miss Prakash next to Sena Bhavan, Dadar West--the most authentic Maharashtrian breakfast you can find this side of town. The must to haves—the Sabudana Vada and the sinfully good Piyush. If you are more the egg and meat kind of person, do not and I reiterate do not miss the Kheema Ghotala at Rajasthan on SV Road at Khar. Accompanied with fluffy bread and hot sweet milky coffee seal the deal. Moving on to the next suburb, there’s ‘The Kejriwal’ at Theobroma’s at Bandra West, which most definitely warrants a mention here. Toasted Buns, topped with Cheese and Chilli crowned with a perfect sunny side up egg make this a meal to be reckoned with. With hearty meals like these, no wonder the saying goes – breakfast like a King. Dedications to lunches and dinners will be added over the next few blogs. So watch this space. But if there are any fun places for breakfast that you believe are worth a visit, give me a shout out.

Here’s a snapshot of what I do on weekends, as covered by Mumbai Mirror this weekend. I hope it inspires you to follow your passion and make each weekend count. Bon appetite!