Useful Kitchen Tips

This post is different compared to my other posts . But thought it would be useful to a vast majority of people who have stepped into the kitchen - to cook  ..
Many times we are faced with tricky situations in the kitchen and at our wits end on how to solve them , so I have collected some tips gathered over different places and from different people , hope it would be useful to all you people at some point of time . Here we go ..

- Add a peeled potato or a ball of dough to over salted soups or gravies to reduce the saltiness.

- Empty airtight containers will not be smelly if a pinch of salt is added.

- Warm pods of garlic in a microwave and you can easily peel it.

- Apply mayo on sides instead of butter while making sandwiches for crispier and tastier sandwiches.

- Saute mint or vegetables in some butter and add to pulao and see how it enhances the flavour.

- To remove the skin of almonds easily, soak them in hot water for 15-20 minutes.

- To chop dry fruits, place them in fridge for half an hour before cutting. Taking the fruits out and cut them with a hot knife (dip it in hot water before cutting).

- To make tasty filter coffee - add a little sugar to the coffee filter before adding coffee powder, then add boiling water to it.

- a mixture of turmeric in lemon juice can help you get a natural red tandoori colour.

- Remove coffee stains from china cups by scrubbing them with equal parts vinegar and salt.

-Add milk powder in cake to make it soft and fluffy.

-Boil potatoes in salty water for two minutes before frying to get crisp chips.

-If you burnt rice ,place a loaf of bread on top ,which will absorb burnt rice smell.

-place rolled puris in the fridge for about ten minutes before frying .. it'll consume less oil and be crispy

-Add a handful of salt +half cup vinegar and boil for 10 mintes and wash off for cleaning burnt pots.

-If your dough is sticky , refrigerate for sometime and then use.

-To prevent an egg from cracking (while boiling) or to boil a slightly cracked egg without the liquid coming out.. add salt/vinegar to the water.

Some tips for Cleaning microwaves
---------------------------------------------.
- The quickest way to clean a microwave oven is to place a handful of wet paper towels inside and run it on High for 3-5 minutes. You don't need a science lesson to know that the steam from the towels will soften the grime. Once the paper towels cool down, use them to wipe the oven's interior.

-Cut a lemon in two and place on a saucer . Place it in your oven after sprinkling a tablespoon of water on the lemons .Run the microwave on high for one minute .Once the microwave gets steamy , all grime will loosen , wipe away with a wet cloth and add the lemon to garbage disposal to wipe away kitchen odours.

- Place a wet sponge with detergent in the microwave and run on high for a minute.Remove all the loosened grime and you will have a sparkling clean microwave.

Incompetent service but with a happy ending :)

Last week was my parents' anniversary and I had planned to gift them something nice. I settled on a gift worth several thousands as I wanted it to be a memorable one. Now came the dilemma , how was I to shift it safely from Hyderabad to Coimbatore without it getting lost and damaged . So I settled for the best(?!) known courier here - Blue Dart . Although they charged me five times more than the smaller couriers I went for it going by the brand name.

They collected the parcel from me on a Saturday and promised me a Tuesday delivery or at the most Wednesday .I waited and waited till Wednesday and when it was not delivered by 7 pm started a spate of calls. By 9 pm my hubby and I had to give up exhausted as there was no proper response from the offices at Hyderabad and Coimbatore or from their call centre . And I was left fuming as the usual helpless Indian customer who pays a high price for everything but gets pathetic service.

I was so irritated as I had paid a high price and didn't want to take it lying down . At around 9:45 at night fortunately I had a brain wave which urged me to do a google search for the Blue Dart MD . And surprisingly it threw up a result with the MD's details and his email ID. Within minutes I drafted off an angry email explaining about the pathetic service and how disgruntled I was . I didn't expect any response but at least was happy at venting out my anger on someone. And what a surprise ! Within 10 minutes I got a reply from his regional head apologizing profusely and telling me that the matter would be resolved at the highest priority. Another 10 minutes and I got a call from the Coimbatore office saying my parcel was on its way . My parents received the courier at 10:40 that night and I learnt a major lesson . In India to get any customer complaint resolved ,we always need to approach people at the highest level , no use raising a hue and cry at the lower rung . And it pays to actually contact people at the top of the hierarchy and they DO respond . Not sure it would work out always but guess I was lucky .I did thank him and ask him to train his employees at providing  better customer service and he promised to do so :) 

It’s almost routine that you can expect poor customer service in India, whether it’s a restaurant or store. Let's hope indian companies are challenged into being more customer friendly by increased competition. 

Exam woes - food for thought

The other day I was just going through my son's exam papers and he was feeling bad on receiving an A grade inspite of preparing well for his Computer Science exam (Yes he's only in the third grade and they have Cse from grade 1)I went through his papers and felt it was a little unfair on him considering the actual knowledge he had. 

Question: What is system software?
Expected Answer by teacher: A software which controls and manages all the activities of the computer system.

My son's answer: A software which sees to all the activities of a computer.

Question:Features of MS Windows?
(One of the expected features present in the text but not given in teachers notes):
It contains icons which help to do work easily.

My son's answer: There are icons in MS Windows.

While technically the teacher's expected answer might be perfect, expecting a third grade student to remember these terms seemed a little too much. And she had underlined all the above answers written by him and reduced his grade.
Somehow this seems to show the basic problem in our education system - learning by rote and answering in exact words.

Wouldn't it have been better if they had been given objective type questions and asked to pick out the right system software ? This would have shown if they have actually understood the concept rather than grading them based on their choice of words in theoretical answers. And isn't computer science all about practical knowledge? It isn't even given weightage here.

My son was feeling bad as he was not upto the standards of his fellow classmates with an A+ grade and I actually had to console him saying he was good enough. And to top it all the teacher who handed out his paper said this to him "I'm sorry Adarsh, you're getting only an A. "
Isn't appreciation of the child's effort more important than the grade.

My words provided him little comfort , wish the teacher had been a little more sensitive towards him. Can't blame them fully either as they seem to be under a lot of pressure from the school to produce 'results'. Hope teachers are trained to be more sensitive towards children and hope education is designed 'to learn' something new and not ' to study'

The Lush Backwaters of Kerala

It had been a really long time since I had been on a holiday and I had been begging my hubby for one . Surprisingly he didnt need much convincing (as is the wont usually) and we together surfed the net for a suitable holiday spot . After a lot of searching - scanning we booked a houseboat in the lush green backwaters of Kumarakom with overnight stay in the houseboat  . It was a 24 hour package and I must say totally worth it . It was a lovely brush with nature after a long time of being in the concrete jungles of Hyderabad.

We boarded the houseboat at Kumarakom at around 11AM and were immediately given a welcome drink which we thoroughly enjoyed . I was surprised at the interiors of the houseboat which were much more posh than I expected .My son had a great time running around the entire houseboat which even boasted of a first floor .The entire houseboat was well furnished and beautifully maintained and we fell in love with its interiors.

First floor

Lazing away and taking in the beautiful scenery as the boat set sail, we spotted all kinds of birds which we had never seen before . The entire stretch was dotted with coconut trees and sparkling waters .After a relaxed time came the best part - the freshly cooked lunch on board the boat . Being strict vegetarians we were treated to more kuzambu, sambar , cabbage thoran , raw banana fry , olan , curds and an array of cut fruits .I wanted to click a picture of the food but being too hungry we promptly tucked in. The scrumptious meal  made us want to doze off but we didnt want to miss any of the scenery . We spotted a lot of fishing boats and chinese fishing nets and I envied the fishermen who could bask in the backwaters daily .

Evening bought with it piping hot masala tea and freshly  prepared onion pakodas We finally halted near a tiny village at dusk. It was pure serenity untouched by humans and the view where we halted was breath taking .

The night was event free except for a few insects found on our boat .After a blissful sleep , we awoke to the most breathtaking morning view which was almost like a divine experience. My son absolutely enjoyed himself jumping off the boat and wandering into the village where we halted . .We took off after a light breakfast and savoured as much as we could before arriving at 10 AM back to the spot where we took off .
A student going to college by boat , breath taking houses and a a host of other things were a feast to the eyes as we sailed along.

Lucky Student !

Village

                                     

 It was truly one of the best travel experiences I ever had . Rejuvenating , refreshing and totally one with nature , I was awestruck by the beauty of the backwaters of Kerala. It is pure bliss and definitely ought to be experienced . Though a bit on the expensive side, it is totally worth it , if you want to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life . Hubby , myself and son felt totally refreshed and we would recommend this once in a lifetime trip to everyone . Only word of advice and caution is to look for a genuine houseboat which is well maintained and always go in a group since the village where the boat halts is a totally isolated one .It leaves us in no doubt as to why Kerala is called 'God's Own Country 'Bon voyage !!

Exam Stress

I am filled with excitement anticipating a family function I've been invited to attend. I eagerly await the day when I would meet all my relatives and chat away to glory . Upon arriving, I notice all the teenagers are missing especially the ones in high school. Model exams,coaching classes,tuitions are the responses I get from their parents on enquiring about their absence .
This leaves me pondering ..Are our youth so hard pressed for time that they cannot spare a day to relax and attend a family function. And this was not even the exam month...
One of the most disturbing factors noted among the young in India is the enormous pressure on them to perform well academically . Majority of the students in their teens are eternally confused and have conceded to the fact that their worthiness in school and society is to a large extent determined by their academic performance . Coaching classes for competitive exams like JEE , AIEEE have mushroomed now as early as class 6  and parents make a beeline towards such centres . Academics to a large extent is equated with science and maths in such a scenario. A disturbing trend in India is where students commit suicide unable to keep up with academic pressure.

This kind of stress isn't limited to any particular course or college. Right from premier institutes like IIT to a student who fails his regular school examination, the problem is widely prevelant.Majority of schools in India lay exclusive emphasis on academics and advertise for admissions with poster pictures of exam toppers . How many times do we see schools advertising a student achieving in sports or the arts for their admissions .
Comparison of a student with the over achieving siblings or neighboring kids could also spell doom to their confidence . If a student conveys to his parents about being interested in arts like music or fashion designing he or she is met with scorn and is told to do something useful like computer science .
Right from kinder garten where children are 'interviewed' upto college the student is guided in a fixed path of excelling in academics ,choosing a course with science and graduating preferably with a campus job.
Activities like sports , music take a back seat and are viewed as distractions from class 9 and stopped.
.Boards like CBSE have been making an effort to ease the burden of students by doing away with ranks , reducing excessive study portions and so on . More emphasis could be made right from school to make education less text book dependant. Subjects like science could be taught on a practical basis and the way to test the students learning could be through interesting projects rather than homework . Instead of viewing arts , sports as extracurricular activities students could be given the freedom to choose their area of interest like a sport or music and monitored for progress in their area of interest alongsideacademics.
How is it that in a country where such importance is given to academics , we hardly have any Noble Prize winners or cutting edge inventions and discoveries . Top US universities give a lot of weightage to CCA and extracurricular activities where they want people who can add value to their universities through their activities. This definitely boosts the confidence of youth and is also a great stress buster . It is time our education system eases the burden of exams on students and helps them in attaining all round growth and build a confident personality rather than a stressed out individual who refuses to take any risks.
Parents should also realise that placing undue pressure on their children would only unnecessarily stress them out. They should encourage their children to pursue activities they are interested in. Encouraging them to put in their daily hour of physical play at the playground would go a long way in inculcating physical fitness in them as well as act as a stress buster. This should be continued late into their teens and even in college. These steps would go a long way in making our country a world leader in all disciplines.

Those memorable Summer vacations

As my son's summer vacation approaches, I am at my wits end as to how I would keep him engaged for a period of two months. Options are aplenty with everblooming summer camps or a fancy vacation to some exotic place. After spending a small fortune for experience coupled with fun I am sure he would be delighted .I indulgently asked him if he was happy.
"Amma leave me alone.I hate all this." he said.
This leaves me pondering ..How did the parents of yore engage their children during their summer vacations .It also brought back refreshing memories of my own childhood where devoid of summer camps or luxurious visits abroad ,we had the time of our lives enjoying the little pleasures life had to offer us .As I sit back and recollect , a wave of nostalgia sweeps through me and takes me through a scintillating journey of my childhood .

Greenery galore

Every year as children we eagerly awaited our summer vacations as it was the only time we could play with our friends without any time restrictions .Our activities involved indulging in board games in the morning .We relished the cool lemonade served by my friends' mom to quench our parched throats.The evening were spent playing games in the sand of construction sites nearby .
Each day would pass eagerly anticipating the announcement of our trip to our native lace,Palakkad where all our cousins lived. And lo and behold, once it was announced, we packed our bags not leaving behind even petty stuff like marbles!We always took the slow chugging passenger train from Coimbatore to palakkad which took an hour and a half to cover . Till date after having travelled in closeted flights I could say it was the most enjoyable journey we've experienced. Munching on peanuts,vadas or anything edible that was sold we took in the sights and sounds of the lush greenery that began once we entered Kerala .Halting at Palakkad junction, I was always fascinated by the aroma of the banana chips sold there. The buzz in the air was palpable and in sync with our excitement.We slowly made our way to my Grandmother's house and the fun began .
The following month was spent with compulsory visits to the nearby temple every morning and evening . The feel of the cold sandalwood paste as I applied it one my forehead was enchanting. We spend the days playing in the small coconut grove adjacent our house sipping on endless supplies of tender coconuts .I was totally in awe of my local cousins whose idea of a bath was wallowing in the ice cool water from the well ,something which a city child like me could never dream of . Evenings were spent visiting each relative residing nearby and I would eagerly anticipate the goodies they'd offer . Sometimes the local temple had small festivities and if we were lucky we got to perch atop decorated elephants.All our meals were traditional Kerala fare and there were yummy delicacies like jackfruit jam which we tucked into. By any means if we fell ill, the treatment pertained to only grandma's remedies.Our outings included visits to the nearby single Theatre or the tiny Summer Fair . Before we knew it, time had sped by and we reluctantly bade goodbye taking the passenger train back home . Every year it was the same visit but it left us so refreshed and longing for more. We returned to school highly energized and with lingering memories to last a lifetime .

Temple

Today I wish I could take my son there and recall each wonderful experience . Unfortunately most relatives have migrated to greener pastures . I wish he could experience all the joys I did back then forgetting about TV,cartoons and summer coaching .Of course times have changed and we need to embrace the change . The remaining academic year can be dreams . Right now is the time to indulge , to laze away and experience the simple pleasures of life which would persist in his imagination for a lifetime .There will be no fancy vacations...I will take him to a village this summer.