2014 : For Health it is

The physical and the blood tests did not reveal the great set of results that I always expected them to... 

Reason being : "everyone in India is a doctor and all time is tea time " most of us think that if we don't huff and puff when we do chore cardio , the heart is in good shape and all the other suspects are doing a great job keeping you firm on the feet.

Then came the most sarcastic but dark humor statement from the primary care physician "son: looks like you are running into your grave, with those sneakers on" you better watch it...else can get you really fast, I mean 30 is the new 40 in our times" 

I also asked the Doc, why do I feel tired ...though the amount that I walk and chore all day long has to spit the happy hormone anyways...

He says " think of yourself carrying a backpack of 30 pounds doing your routines, think of getting that back pack off yourself and do it again, you'd feel on cloud 9. I hope I answered your melodramatic doubts...now kill the jokes and come back for the next bio physical shedding at least 5 pounds "

We'll ....the wife is looking even more aggressive after the doctors visit.... I can already see the sprouts and veggies in her eyes :) what we far people call the #JLo diet :)....if you give a cow that diet, it would promise an extra 2 liters of milk/day :)

This info graphic (courtesy some great cartoonist who cares the obese on the www) popped my mind for sure even when the Dressed Angel was meaning serious business...also my friend Kay aka Kaustubh mujumdar once told me that if you are in the US there is only a 6-7% chance that you might not make it as long as you are able to dial 911  :-)

To add to that it's pretty obvious messaging from the almighty to mankind that everything that god has created and made tasty is blessed proportionately with Calories....phew...for a foodie like me that loves to cook and eat ...it's a tough CATCH 22

WELL .....in short

-Health is the only priority for 2014

- no bacon for me

- no Mc Donald's 

- no BeerZ

Image courtesy : http://wakeup-world.com/2011/11/18/12-top-nutrients-for-a-healthy-heart/

....however suggestions are always welcome

Can already feel the first 2 packs showing up 4 more to go:-)

Happy HolidayZ and hereZ wishing all a Healthy 2014

The 3 Week Consulting gig embeds the Corporate Iron Chef contest, great friends + client accolades

..... I was blessed anyways with great parents, family, adding on ....Amazing eye for detail / crafty / talented wife Mrs Latha Chakraborthy aka Latsy who made my life complete by bringing naughty Rock Hairdo Neev and elevated me to an all new level up on the face of the earth

.... In addition after I quit Infosys in 2010 I followed my boss over to Cognizant further blessed w/ a long term project for almost 4 years getting so attached to Washington DC and Gaithersburg Maryland .... Extremely seldom in the consulting world where my close pal Mitesh hopped 3 successful gigs and 3 locations ever since he landed in the US

I was on bench for 8 weeks once my project ended ....tried like crazy to hold myself down in DC but the ask here is GC or the Citizenship .....bad place for H1B puppies :).....tried to fit in a start up but the time in hand and the situation for survival deemed tyranny....

The Fkn Government shutdown screwed me further as my LCA with Bloomberg was in the hands of Obama and the FedZ ...bench situation pushing me to a real time consulting gig that I love but tried to avoid....hopping MD-WhitePlains NY- St Louis-MD for 3 weeks terminal to terminal

My Boss Kaustubh knew what I was signing up for and all the hush that will come my way when I wipe the slate clean with a near death like experience when I abruptly exit the project....but staying closer and with the family was period ....

Enjoyed the gig, made great friends Kirk , Sandeep Jain & Marcelo ...Won the Corporate Iron Chef Contest with Marcelo on my team making the Steak and Me doing the Pasta and the Desi Style Chicken cutlets ....all this in record 30-45 min serving 20+ people

Graphic above is a fond memory

Though my client boss Meghna was upset with my exit...she left me with these lines that made me proud of being able to Vest trust and roadmap and deliver a hybrid future state solution encompassing the best from the SAP and the Ariba world

Clients parting email

But I am here now and that's what's important ...mixed feelings of working in Downtown Manhattan NYC....always loved working countryside but I guess NY bolsters and fast paces you

...more on NYC life and Bloomberg jumpstart in my next post

Happy New Year 2014 folks...be safe...be healthy

Bengali Mutton curry - ready for it anytime aka Mangsho Jhol

Have cooked this at ease

Have cooked it for my pregnant wife when her hormones called for this ....every Sunday 

....cooked on demand for other people ...bachelor parties... A perfect act almost every time with every target audience

The recipe is easy..but the patience and the slow cooking is the secret

....every Bengali family has this delicacy almost every Sunday and I remember running over to Maa from the time since I was 5 until 25 and more to get the first grabs

So today with a lot of public demand putting out my version of the Bengali Mangsho jhol aka Mutton curry or stew

Goes with Rice, dosa, appam  , idli, Phulkas and even parantha

Use lamb when no goats are on vicinity

For 2-3 pounds of mutton

Ingredients that go into the mixi raw

RAW Mixture - for Mixi

1 big onion

2 tsp coriander seeds or coriander powder

2 big garlic peeled

one small piece ginger

8 green chillies

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp of pepper

2 big tomatoes

2 Cloves

2 sticks of cinnamon or Chaka 

For Sauté 

3 cardamoms

3 tej patta

1/2 onion finely chopped

Process

1) Wash the mutton with turmeric and salt thoroughly

2) Put the mutton and 1 tsp of turmeric in the cooker with 5 whistles

3) let it cool down to room temperature, separate the mutton stew from cooker

4) Grind the RAW mixture in the mixi and keep it ready

5) Heat the cooking pan and 5 tsp of oil, put the tej patta, cardamoms and finely chopped onion and fry until onions lightly brown

6) Put the cooker mutton without the mutton stew water, strain the water, fry the mutton with the tej patta, onion and cardamoms for 5-7 min

7) Put the mixi raw paste into this and fry thoroughly for 8-10 min

6) Put the mutton stew water into this mixture, put an additional 2 tsp coriander powder, fresh coriander and one potato and 1 tomato sliced into the gravy

7) Cook in low flame until the entire curry turns into red / brown, in low flame for 45 min covering the cooking pan

8) Put some fresh coriander on top before serving

All the best, burppppp....ensure to get a good evening walk or couple Rantac  pills to prepare you for the next meal...this is what most Bongs do :)