Book Challenge- February

3) TIMELINE - MICHAEL CRICHTON
                                       The book is full of details.. there are places where the information and the intensity with which the author describes the medieval period is a little difficult to read... Definitely not light reading. The beginning sets the pace with which the story progresses ... by the time you finish reading half the book you are tuned into the language and the pace of the book. the book is a good read and definitely lives up to Crichton's standard. The ending is obvious but has a nice twist to it.

4) A 1000 SPLENDID SUNS - KHALEED HOSINENI
                                         The book follows the story of Mariam, who is a young girl living with her mother. After getting married she moves to a different city where her life is inter twined with Laila's life who is many years younger. I couldn't relate to book as I have never been in any of the situations.But it made for an interesting read, just for the simple reason the book captivates you and you are transported into their world and you wonder if thats how it would've actually been ! All in all its a very good read.

Coriander and Mushroom Noodles

The first food show I ever saw was Kylie Kwong's cooking with the soul... I love Chinese food andthis show tickled my taste buds visually...

Visually because I'm not a cook.. I love to eat and find cooking tedious and an appetite killer.

This recipe has been adapted from her Coriander Noodles, I tweaked the recipe to make it way way simpler ... so there are some different ingredients and some which I haven't used at all.

The ingredients I used are:

 -Mushrooms 

   - Rice noodles

   

- Garlic 

         
    - Coriander  
                                                                

       - soy sauce
     - Rice vinegar
     - Salt
     - sugar 

     - Red Chilly powder

• Fill a pan with water ... add some salt and boil the noodles in the water.
  
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             Strain the water and then rinse the cooked noodles under cold water.

• It's alright if the noodles are a little uncooked... They will cook when you add them to the mushrooms..

• I added the coriander to the mushrooms ... but the actual recipe by Kylie Kwong has the coriander added to the noodles.. You can do whatever suits you best.

In order- Butter, Garlic, mushrooms, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, sugar, coriander and chilly powder.

• The dish tasted yummy though I could've added some more soy sauce and oil with vinegar to give it a gravy ....
  Add salt and sugar as per your taste.. soy sauce is very salty as it is ... sugar is what balances the taste.
• Best Served HOT .. ! :)

Camera Chronicles..

The Dastakari Exhibition which showcases handicrafts from all over India was in town. I have a few friends for whom I had to buy birthday gifts. Usually, I put off buying gifts till a day before I'm going to gift it to them but this time I found so ,many pretty things at the exhibition...It was beautiful.. crafts that were made with such care and so much variety ... from footwear to bags... ceramics.. fabrics... bird baths .. wind chimes...

It is a file and an address book with these cute dolls on the cover... There were beads on them and they looked very youthful and different...

Book Challenge - January

This year hasn't been off to a good start. It feels like there is no short term goal. So I decided to challenge myself to something that I love. Reading. The challenge is to read 24 books this year... preferably 2 books a month. I don't have a list ready... I'm planning to take it as it comes. I have already read 2 books in January. I'll include some pictures from this month and maybe write a review of the book with a short summary. There aren't too many books that I don't like.

JANUARY:

1. INFERNO - DAN BROWN
   I heard that this book by Dan Brown isn't his best piece of work and doesn't live up to the other books that he has written. It wasn't a bad read but could have been better in some parts.
   The book follows professor Robert Langdon who wakes up unconscious and has no recollection of how he was injured or he landed up in the hospital.The book is all about how he rushes against time to prevent the downfall of the human species. The end has a twist to it,where the person you thought was his ally turns out to be the enemies ally.
   
   
2. SONS OF FORTUNE - JEFFREY ARCHER
   My friend has been trying to get me to read Jeffrey Archer and lent me this book. I am hooked. At the very beginning of the book when I realised that the twins were going to be separated and might meet as rivals I screamed out loud.  Screeched more like it ... I didn't want it happen.... Isn't that what a good book is all about ? Making you feel what the characters are feeling ? I waited and waited for them to meet and realise that they were brothers.. twins and the bond they had. I'm glad the book had an indirect happy ending. They at least came to know they were brothers. It was definitely worth the read and its definitely become one of my all time favourites!