Learning to Cook

I've been going regularly to my 'Tiffin Club' (cooking club) and the last session was held at the Courtyard Marriott last week. We were learning how to make different soups and salads. I'd had a really late night the night before (well, I didn't actually go to bed) as I was playing Sims so I was late to the meeting.

The Chef made the most amazing tomato soup and minestrone soup. I didn't try some of the salads, such as Caesar because of the anchovies. It was really nice and I'm learning how to make all sorts of new dishes. The next Tiffin is a Cookie Exchange, which should be nice.

Magic Hand

Penri and I went shopping the other day to Spencer's Plaza. As we were driving there, this guy walked in front of our car (even though we were going quite fast) and put his hand out to tell us to stop as he was walking. You would be amazed how many people do this in India. Whether they're walking, driving or on a motorbike, they put out their hand to indicate for you to stop so that they can go in front of you. Penri calls it the 'Magic Hand' because they never consider that you might be going too fast to stop or that you might not want to stop for them - the Magic Hand stops all! It's really crazy - they cross main roads and just put their hand out to stop all the traffic coming towards them and as you have probably read in my previous blogs, the traffic here is CRAZY!

Using my new food mixer

The other night, my friend Megan came over to play computer games. We were both playing Sims (her on her laptop and me on my computer). I have just introduced her to Sims 2 and she is totally addicted - worse than me I think.

Anyway, I decided to have a break and make some humus and babbaganoush with the new food mixer we bought (that Penri said I would never use). Before I could start cooking, I spent about 20 minutes trying to figure out which piece of the mixer to use as there are about 30 different attachments. Once I finally got it all together and put all the ingredients in it seemed to be going smoothly. I was cooking like my mum cooks - no measurements, just throwing a bit of garlic in, then a bit of olive oil and then some lemon juice and just really hoping for the best.

I was so carried away with making the humus that I forgot I had put the aubergines in the oven. The next thing I knew there was a massive BANG! like a gunshot. One of my aubergines had exploded and when I opened the oven door it was everywhere - hanging off the sides, stuck to the back and all over the door. Luckily I managed to salvage the other aubergine before it exploded.

So I successfully made humus and babbaganoush, which I have been eating every day since.

Feeling Better

As I've been writing on my blog recently my health has been up and down and I've been back to the doctor several times. I am really happy to say that I am finally feeling better. I think whatever it was has passed and I'm feeling better. Don't know about 'Dehli Belly' is there something for Chennai?

Buying a Blender

Last week I bought a food mixer from a lady who was leaving Chennai to go back to the States. We agreed that I would pick it up from her house (where Penri and I have been once before).

We set off at 11 a.m. to head to Erin's house. Penri was driving (as I still haven't risked the roads here yet) so that left me navigating. If I've told Penri once, I've told him a hundred times 'I cannot map read', but he just told me to follow from here to here and tell him which roads to take in between - sounds simple!

Erin told me they lived on 2nd Avenue in Alwapet so I found it on the map and led Penri towards it. We missed a few roads on the way (which was probably my fault) and had to double back a few times. Eventually we got to 2nd Avenue in Alwapet which was the tiniest little backstreet I have ever seen. There were fruit stalls down both sides and small shops behind the stalls and there were people everywhere. Penri literally had to drive down the street with his hand on the horn to get people to move out of the way.

We got to the end of the road and I said to Penri that it didn't look at all familiar. So he snatched the map off me and said 'Let me look'. I phoned Erin in the meantime to ask here where on earth we were. She said they lived in 2nd Avenue, Venus Colony in Alwapet. So, there are TWO 2nd Avenues in Alwapet. While Penri was trying to read the map to figure out where we were, I spotted a shop called 'The Museum Company' and remembered that Erin lived on the road to the left of it, which I told Penri. He argued that there was no way they could live on the left as we were in completely the wrong place. I told him to just drive down the road on the left and he would see. I was right - even if I can't map read, I have a good memory.

So, I ran inside to get the blender/food mixer while Penri waited in the car. He was then going to drop me at my friend's house to play Mah Jong before going to work. Here we had another dilemma - I had to direct him to my friend's house. I'd only been once or twice before but both times I'd been with Megan's driver so I hadn't really paid much attention. So, we got lost again. By the time we finally got there it was just after 1 o'clock.