Cooking recipes

Saying Thanks to the Santas on Saffron Trail

I have to write this note of thanks for the generosity of certain people, who have played Santa to me, in the last two months.


It started with Kulsum of Journeys Kitchen. One evening, i tweeted about a hummus-Baba gannoush-pita bread Lebanese dinner preparation at home, and she asked me where I get my Tahini. I admitted to her that ive always made my own and have never tasted the real stuff. She immediately told me that her sister was leaving for India in a couple of days and shed love to send me some. Given my love for this cuisine, it didnt take much coaxing on her part to send her my address. In less than three days, I received a whole big bottle of Tahina (sesame juice, as they call it), Zataar, Sumac and Dried Mint.



Another friend I found on Twitter -  Kishi Arora, the Foodaholics lady who bakes some of the best cakes in Delhi sent me a foodie package with parchment paper, cacao nibs, tea, nutmegs, Chinese 5 spice and 7 spice powder PLUS her delicious fudge. While the fudge was polished off in no time, and the parchment paper was put to good use while making Xmas fruitcakes, Im still wondering what good stuff I can make using the cacao nibs.


A blog reader, Mani Mama as I call him, was the first to write to me a week before he was leaving US to come to India and ask if I would like some stuff from there. After writing back and forth half a dozen times, I finally sent him a list and when I collected my package from the person he had sent it to Hyderabad with, I couldnt stop smiling. You can see for yourself.


Another Twitter contact, Jigar Parmar showered some festive cheer on me by sending me two lovely books, one on Food in Italy and the other a coffee-table book on Mumbai.

I had tasted this peanut gajak for the first time at Preethis house a couple of weeks ago and boy, it was addictive to say the least. When I tweeted about how I loved it and how I feel like having some more, my friend there said she will send me some. And just yesterday, three boxes of the sesame-jaggery goodness reached my doorstep. Yet to take a pic of that, as each time I go near the box, i end up eating some more of it, and forget to take a picture.

Thank you, my dear Santas. May be I have really been a good girl this year. You have really cheered me up with these lovely foodie-gifts.