Ladies Coupe by Anita Nair

Meet Akhilandeshwari aka Akhila. 45 years old, spinster, an income tax clerk, a daughter, a sister, the only provider for the family after her father died. She has played all the roles all her life but she has never been herself. One day, she decides to shed off all responsibilities and buys a one way ticket to Kanyakumari, the southern most part of India, to be away from all the people she had known all her life, to find the ‘Akhilandeshwari’ which was lost somewhere in the midst of duties and responsibilities.  She travels in an all female coupe where she meets five other women, each of whom has a story to tell. These stories changes the way Akhila thinks and that changes her life.

The stories are all an attempt to answer Akhila's problematic question: Can a woman stay single and be happy at the same time?

In this novel, Anita Nair has tried to dwell on the complex issue of women's freedom in a male dominated Indian society, her dreams, desires and her needs. Although, I could not bring myself to connect with all the stories the women in the coupe tells Akhila, I can very well understand the plight of women who suffers because society does not see them at par with their male counterparts and it is always them who has to compromise with their aspirations. I found the whole premise scary, in the sense that it was depressing at times - women suffering the brunt of the rigid society. The end of the novel was somewhat uplifting, when Akhila comes in terms with her life, she knows what she wants of her life. The confidence she radiated was exhilarating. To me, the author has left what happened there after to the reader's imagination. 

What I could not comprehend was, how someone could pour out their life story to a stranger in an over night train journey. One of them  telling about her life is possible but when all five of the fellow passengers are so forth coming with their life story, you know it is part of fiction. However, the book made me ponder over how so many times women consider living is mere existence. It made me realize that a great deal inner strength is needed to break free of the bonds of relationships be oneself and be in charge of one's life.

A full blown chick lit book that will take you on a ride of deep introspection.

Creamy Veggie Filling In Potato Bowls ~ For Blog Hop Wednesdays ~ From UK Rasoi!

The second edition of Blog Hop Wednesdays is here. This week I am paired with Nupur of UK Rasoi. To give you an insight into how this event works - every alternate wednesdays, bloggers participating in this event are paired with a partner and each of them has to chose a recipe from their partner's blog, prepare it and blog about it. To know more about it and participate check this.

Nupur has a good collection of scrumptitous recipes on her blog and it was a hard choice for me. But finally I decided on her Twice Baked Herby Potatoes. Using this recipe as an inspiration, I created Creamy Veggie Filling In Potato Bowls using the ingredients I had at hand. As, I was preparing them as appetizers, I just used half of the measures as given in the original recipe.

Ingredients:


2 baking potatoes.
2 tbsp butter
11/2 tbsp AP Flour.
1/2 tsp ground white pepper.
 salt to taste.
1 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup or little more warm milk.
2-3 tbsp cream, optional.
2-3 tbsp chopped green pepper.
2-3 tbsp sweet corn.
3 tbsp shredded mozarella.
1/2 tsp mixed herbs.

Process:


1. Microwave the potatoes for 6-8 minutes. Read the instruction given on the packet for cooking them in microwave.
2. Let it cool down. Once cooled, cut them in half and scoop out as much flesh as possible without distorting the shape. Keep the scooped potatoes aside.
3. Heat the butter in a pan and add the chopped pepper and thawed sweet corn and cook it for a minute. Then add the AP flour.
4. Cook it for a couple of minutes stirring, till the raw smell goes away. Add salt, pepper, herbs and sugar and stir. Add the warm milk, stirring all the time. Make sure there are no lumps. Add 3 tbsp of the scooped potatoes. Cook for another 2 minutes and turn off the heat.
5. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Keep the potatoes with the scooped side up. Fill them with the prepared filling and sprinkle the shredded cheese.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 175 C for 15-18 minutes till they are golden brown.
7. Enjoy them as they are or add a dash of tomato sauce. Serve them fresh from oven.

Check out other Blog Hop Wednesday Bloggers and what they are up with for Blog Hop Wednesday

Thanks for stopping by! Cheers!

#18 Teaser Tuesdays ~ Mistaken by Neil Jordan

I have chosen the very first lines of the book, Mistaken by Neil Jordan for the teaser tuesday this week. These are powerful words that set the tone of the book.

"I had been mistaken for him so many times that when he died it was as if part of myself had died too. And so, I attended his funeral, to say good bye to that part of myself that would abide now in the cold clay of Deansgrange..."

Page: 1

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Share the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists!

Chocolate Truffles ~Sinfully Delightful ~ For 100th post | How to Make Chocolate Truffles | Chocolate Recipes

Chocolate Truffles #Recipes

These Chocolate Truffles are the ultimate treat for any chocolate lover. Intensely chocolatey they just melt in your mouth, leaving behind a tantalizing chocolate flavour in your taste buds.

I am so delighted to post my 100th blog post today. And co-incidentally the festival of Raksha Bandhan is also today. I have a younger brother but he is miles away from me today. So, through this post, I am conveying my wishes and love to him and a virtual treat!

For those who are not aware of this Indian festival here is a brief introduction.

"Raksha Bandhan is a festival primarily observed in India, which celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters. The festival is observed by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs. The central ceremony involves the tying of a rakhi (sacred thread) by a sister on her brother's wrist. This symbolizes the sister's love and prayers for her brother's well-being, and the brother's lifelong vow to protect her." (Source Wiki).

As I am writing this 100th post, I feel as if I have achieved an important milestone!  Till date, I have posted a number of book reviews and some recipes too. Thank you all for supporting me on this blog journey!

Without much ado, here is today's recipe ~ Chocolate Truffles!

Adapted from here

How to Make Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients:

100gm semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces

125gm milk chocolate, cut into small pieces

120 ml double cream

2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder for coating.

Makes about 25-30 truffles depending on size.



Process:

1. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium-sized heatproof bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for a minute or two.

3. Stir with a rubber spatula until smooth. Make sure the chocolate has melted. If not, microwave it for 20-30 seconds.

4. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight to make the truffle mixture firm.

5. Place your coating cocoa powder for the truffles on a plate. Remove the truffle mixture from the refrigerator.

6. With a spoon or melon baller or a small ice cream scoop form the chocolate into round or misshaped bite-sized balls. Greasing your palms slightly helps in the process.

7. Immediately roll the truffle in the coating and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet or tray.

8. Cover and place in the refrigerator until firm. Bring to room temperature before serving.




Looking for some other chocolate dessert ideas, check out

Eggless Chocolate Molten Lava Cake
Coffee and Chocolate Pudding

Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by! Cheers!

Wordless Wednesday - Tulips 3