Holidays and a visit with Aditi

Merry Christmas! As usual, the Texas weather precluded me from really feeling the Christmas vibe. Friday, the day after Christmas, broke a record with postings of 83 degrees. Bah. I miss my snow. Mihir and I managed to have a nice Christmas in spite of that. The highlight was a visit from Mihir's cousin Aditi, who flew in from California to spend the weekend with us. What a lovely excuse to check some things off our "to-do" list! On Friday we finally went to the King Tut exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art. We have mixed feelings about it, primarily because Tutankhamun himself was a no-show. The PR folks at the DMA craftily lead D/FW residents to think the mummy of King Tut himself would be on display and if not that, then at least the famous golden death mask which is featured very prominently in all of the ads for the exhibit. Well, allow me to spill the beans: The mummy is still in Egypt and the death mask is also conspicuously absent. We felt slightly scammed. It was a great exhibit, but probably not worth the $32.50 per person price of admission. Not to mention the inflated ($20) parking fees. The next day the Dallas Morning News ran a story about low attendance at the exhibit. Hmm. Can't imagine why. But I'm never one to miss a cultural event and I suppose this still counts as such. We also went to the Nasher Sculpture Museum, which was nice. This Picasso especially caught my eye:

On Saturday we saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the new Brad Pitt movie. Again, mixed reviews. The film is about a man who was born with the wrinkled body and ailments (cataracts) of a man in his 80s. As he grew he aged backwards. Perhaps I'm missing some deeper meaning but I can't help but think it was nothing more than an attempt to tell a love story (that of Benjamin and Daisy) with a certain creative twist. I'm not sure it worked.
Yesterday was another nice day, with highs in the 60s. We went to White Rock Lake in Dallas for a walk. Aditi took the above picture of Mihir and me. From there we went to the mall, and then to the Preston Hollow area of Dallas to see this house, which may or may not be the future abode of a certain President when he leaves office in a few weeks:

Today everyone goes back to work, including me. With that in mind I really have to go to the gym so I can get ready to meet two new clients. Happy New Year, everyone!

What I'm Reading

Life has been very busy lately for both of us. Mihir's job keeps him constantly engaged, so much so that he is rarely without his laptop computer, even at home. And since starting my own law practice I find myself without a moment to spare. Most days I'm so fried from hours of drafting documents or conducting legal research I can't stand the thought of reading anything more. And I regret that. Mihir loves to read Agatha Christie mysteries (they remind him of childhood, I think) and he's always able to do that. I, on the other hand, have gotten lax about my reading. Anyone who was present for my childhood knows what a voracious reader I was. Now I'm taking a vow to be that again. I've joined a reading challenge (again) in order to commit myself to reading at least six books during 2008. Here's the list:

1. A book with a profession in the title: The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman;
2. A book with a time of day in the title: Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie;
3. A book with a relative in the title: Difficult Daughters by Manju Kapur;
4. A book with a body part in the tile: The Frontal Lobe by Katrina Firlik;
5. A book with a building in the title: A House for Mr. Biswas by V.S. Naipaul;
6. A book with a medical condition in the title: Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Curry Turkey Burgers

Mihir and I never eat red meat anymore. There are many reasons for this, with health and ethics ranking at the top of the list. There are times, however, when I really miss sinking my teeth into a burger. I am American, after all. Luckily, I found a great recipe for turkey burgers one day while perusing the Whole Foods website. I've toyed with other turkey burger recipes but I always fall back on this one. I especially love how it blends Indian flavors with an American classic. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/3 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 tablespoon mild curry powder
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground skinless white-meat turkey

Method
In a medium bowl thoroughly combine breadcrumbs, carrots, raisins, cilantro, curry powder, ginger, salt and pepper. Add turkey and gently bring all ingredients together with your hands, being careful not to overwork the meat. With dampened hands, form turkey mixture into 6 patties of even thickness. Arrange patties on a lined baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Light the grill or preheat the broiler. Cook burgers, turning once with a spatula, for 6 minutes per side, or until no longer pink inside.

The original recipe calls for dark-meat turkey, but I can't justify adding extra fat when white meat works just fine. I also use a dollop of ginger-garlic paste (available at any Indian grocery store) instead of plain ginger. AND I think I use more than one tablespoon of curry powder--just a tad. We love to eat these with sweet potato fries. Yum!

Thanksgiving 2008

Another Thanksgiving has come and gone. It was another quiet one for us, but we did enjoy some great turkey at Avanti Neighborhood Bistro in Addison, Texas. There were a handful of restaurants open for Thanksgiving dinner, and we decided that was the best option for us. Although I love to cook, my one foray into cooking a Thanksgiving feast resulted in way too much leftover food. I made the reservations during the Cowboys football game, which meant we had the restaurant mostly to ourselves. Immediately before dinner we finally got around to seeing the new Bond movie,
Quantum of Solace. Again, we were he only people there.
Still, we took time to reflect and give thanks for our good fortunes. For those of you who don't yet know, I officially opened my own law practice this year and so far everything is going very well. I practice family law and already I have had my share of high-drama moments. Mihir continues to enjoy his work at River Logic. Alfie probably doesn't realize the luxurious nature of his life and rarely seems thankful for anything.
We hope the holiday season got off to a nice start for everyone! Mihir and I are thinking about everyone, especially family members in Mumbai as they persevere through this senseless attack on their city.

We are proud

Turning 30 at The Grape

It happens now and then that my birthday falls on Labor Day weekend. It would seem that my 30th would be more tolerable if it passed discreetly during the middle of the week without much fanfare or notice. But surprisingly, turning 30 during a holiday weekend has been quite pleasant. Mihir and I went to the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, where we perused their ongoing Impressionists exhibition. I suppose Monet is the most famous Impressionist painter, but my personal favorites are van Gogh and Gustave Caillebotte. I can't say this often enough--I love D/FW for giving my opportunities to see art like this once in a while.

For dinner we tried a new restaurant--The Grape . I love to try to restaurants. This one was no disappointment. My appetizer was crispy corn and peeky toe crab patties; Mihir had mushroom soup. Our entrees were quite unusual for us because we both had meat. I ate steak and bistro frites (French fries) and Mihir had a pork chop with a habanero/Dr. Pepper glaze. And dessert--warm apple pie for me, creme brulee for Mihir. It was a great meal. Our constant point of comparison for restaurant meals, however, is Nick's Fish Market in Maui. Even though the Grape was fantastic, Nick's still reigns supreme for us. But Dallas has so many great restaurants, I'm sure someday we'll find something to top it. I can't wait to try!

Campion Trails

Finally, some relief! This past weekend finally saw the temperatures dip into the low to mid-80s. We took advantage of the break by heading to one of our favorite places in Irving--the Campion Trails. Part of the Irving Parks system, Campion Trails are approximately 7 miles of natural area right in the heart of Irving. It's the only place I can think of where it's actually possible to smell nature--leaves, grass, water, etc. We even saw a snake! We normally cycle the entire route two times around, which is approximately 20 miles. Sunday, however, we walked the more lengthy section of the trail, which was probably about 5 miles. It was fun. Words can't express how nice it felt to be outside for the first time in weeks.

Update from Texas

Hello All: I know it's been a long time since I updated, but it has been a pretty quiet summer for us. Currently we're enduring the highest temperatures I have ever experienced in my life. At this moment it is 105 degrees, and it feels like 109. Apparently. I wouldn't know, because I have not ventured outside the confines of this air-conditioned house since this morning. But it was 100 degrees at 11:30, when I came home from the gym. It's CRAZINESS!

I'm continuing to do some fascinating work with Legal Aid of Northwest Texas and Human Rights Initiative. I stay busy. I am representing a young man who is seeking asylum in the United States, and his trial is coming up in September. I'm excited and nervous, and above all grateful that I believe in the work I'm doing. It's certainly not making me rich, but I enjoy every moment of it. It's easy to forget that sometimes. I have to make an effort each day to reflect and count my blessings.

Alfie turns 2!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BOY!

Our first magazine cover!

Weekend Excursion

Here is a picture of my boys at the White Rock Lake Dog Park in Dallas. In the picture, Mihir is trying to persuade Alfie to play with the other dogs. He declined to do so.

Favorite D-FW Restaurants

If there's one thing I love, above all else, about living in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, it's the wide variety of restaurants. We discovered some favorites, although I have a list--about a yard long--of places I still need to try. But these are the ones we go to over and over again:

1. Madras Pavilion, Richardson, Texas: There is no better place for South Indian vegetarian food. Their weekend lunch buffet is amazing--that's what we most frequently eat. But the a-la-carte menu is actually very tasty, too. Mihir usually gets an idli platter, while I opt for a dosa. Also enjoyed: the mango lassi.

2. Queen of Sheba, Addison, Texas: Ethiopian food! When I was in college, I ate at an Ethiopian restaurant in Ann Arbor. I thought it was to-die-for. I'd never eaten in a place with such an ethnic ambiance. And, I guess, it was good. But it was NOTHING compared to Queen of Sheba. I think part of the reason I love this restaurant so much is because the people are so nice. But, of course, the food is superb. If you have never eaten Ethiopian fare, you should try it. It's a very unique experience. There generally aren't any utensils, just spongy porous bread called injera. You tear of a piece, use it to collect your morsels from a common platter in the center of the table, and eat! Sometimes we indulge in lamb (my true food weakness) but their vegetarian dishes are very light and healthy. I definitely don't feel I'm sacrificing great food if we order the vegetarian plate.

3. Ferre, Dallas, Texas: This is where we went for our wedding-day dinner, so obviously it has a special place in our hearts. We went back for New Year's Eve and for our first anniversary, and it never disappoints. It's a seemingly authentic Italian place. Having never been to Italy, I can't be certain, but it does seem rustic. I've eaten steak, meatballs, pasta, and margherita pizza--all divine. The waitstaff are also very knowledgeable about wine, and they help me pair.

4. Bread Winners Cafe, Dallas, Texas: This place is a little gem. It's a local chain, with 2 locations in Dallas and one in Plano. We go here primarily for brunch on the weekends. My favorite is the Normandy French toast: sourdough bread, cream cheese, raspberry jam, and fresh berries. Mihir enjoys the Bananas Foster waffles--which are very good. I've tasted them. We also enjoy the mimosas and pomegranate margaritas. They are also a bakery, so we buy fresh bread when we visit, anything from gingerbread to pumpkin streusel, or just plain old whole-grain. We once bought Alfie some gourmet dog biscuits which had been dipped in carob, but he didn't care for them.

5. Obzeet, Dallas, Texas: I think this might be my favorite just because it's the wackiest place I've never seen in my life. You can't help but smile when you walk through the door. Picture silk plants, strands of white lights, healing crystals, plastic yard furniture complete with gaudy plastic tableclothes, plastic parrots, yard gnomes, and any other kind of kitsch you can conjure. Obzeet has it all. The full name of the establishment is Obzeet Restaurant Tropical Bar Furniture Home Decor and Gifts. And it really is all of the above. The food is truly junk food, but it is good. Sometimes we even share dessert, a slice of one of the dozens of beautiful cakes they have that day. After lunch, we peek in on the store. We once bought ourselves a bronze Lord Ganesha statue, one of the best we could find anywhere. The owners, I believe, are Turkish and they import beautiful handcrafted furniture from all over the world, most of it with an Eastern flavor. It's awesome. You'd think you were in a museum.

HONORABLE MENTION

*Avocado California Roll & Sushi: This place would probably be on the list above, but Mihir hasn't been there yet. I went with friends, and I'm hooked.

*Our Place: This is the Indian Restaurant across the Street. It's good, even better because it's right across the street.

*Gueros: Mexican Food. Their tortilla soup/chicken taco combo is our favorite.

*Hunan Dynasty: Chinese Food, also across the street. Come to think of it, I think it's the only Chinese place we've ever gone to here in Dallas. It must be satisfying!

Spiced Salmon with Mustard Sauce

Mihir and make every effort to maintain a healthy, balanced diet. We eat organic food when we can. Our main source of protein is plant-based, mostly beans and lentils. We never eat red meat, just the occasional chicken and white fish. Lately, however, I've made a concerted effort to incorporate salmon into our diet because it contains omega-3 fats, a valuable nutrient. This isn't always an easy task. We very much prefer milder-tasting fish, such as tilapia or mahi mahi, so it takes come great recipes to mask the strong salmon. Well, I think I found a winning recipe. I was planning to make salmon for dinner last night, and this recipe literally came to my email just as I was about to surf the Internet for something quick, easy, healthy, and tasty. I get daily recipes from this website and, lo and behold, there it was when I needed it most. And it was great! Last night we feasted on spiced salmon with mustard sauce, wilted spinach with tomatoes, and couscous. Here's the salmon recipe:

Ingredients
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
Cooking spray

Preheat broiler.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a fork. Rub mustard mixture evenly over each fillet. Place fillets, skin-side down, on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.

That's it! It's that easy! It's a 15 minute meal. Note on the ingredients: I only prepared two 6-ounce fillets, and the mustard mixture was just about enough to coat them evenly. My fish turned out looking exactly the the photo above. For the mustard, I used Grey Poupon harvest coarse ground. It has whole mustard seeds in it, which I think is essential for flavor and texture.

I ♥ Jhumpa Lahiri

This isn't the kind of entry I normally post on this blog, but I am so overwhelmed by the gravity and perfection that is Jhumpa Lahiri's writing that I just can't help myself. Everyone should read her latest book, Unaccustomed Earth. It's been awhile since I read something so obsessively. Come to think about it, the last book which captivated me so completely was another of Lahiri's, The Namesake. Even Mihir, who generally eschews fiction, read The Namesake in a single afternoon.

Jhumpa Lahiri is Indian American or, more precisely, Bengali American. Her books have that strong "stranger in a strange land" theme, but I happen to believe she is darned good at writing about people, emotions, marriages... life.

Unaccustomed Earth is Lahiri's second collection of short stories. The first part of the book consists of five unrelated short stories and most of them are very strong. My two favorites are "Hell-Heaven" and "Only Goodness." Overall, though, the characters in each and every story live and breath until the end, when you're sad to see them go. The second half of the book is three interwoven stories, a novella of sorts, about Kaushik and Hema. The stories span the course of their lives, from New England to India to Rome. They're wonderful.

I just finished this book 15 minutes ago, and now I'm so bereft, as if a close friend has left me. It's rare, these days, that I connect to a book so strongly. But when I do...boy, do I cherish it. I can't recommend this book, this author, any more wholeheartedly.

Jhumpa

Dad Visits Dallas

My dad came to Dallas to visit for 2 weeks in March. Finally! The timing was perfect; the weather in Dallas was just becoming consistently warm and sunny. We did, however, have one very rainy day. Overall, I think dad fell in love with Texas weather--and maybe even Texas itself. We did the usual tourist stuff: the Stockyards, the Fort Worth Zoo, and attempted to take a trip to the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Instead, we treated ourselves to one very long day in the car, driving to Houston and back again the same day. That's a long story. Here are some pictures of the better days of his visit:

An orangutan at the Fort Worth Zoo



Old-fashioned candy store at the Stockyards



The marching herd, again at the Stockyards

Nerds' Night Out

In case you haven't guessed, Mihir and I can be downright nerdy at times. We just can't hide it. We're bookish grammar czars who spend weekends in museums and bookstores. It was during our trip to the Dallas Museum of Art in January that I noticed--with great surprise and delight--that one of my favorite authors, Tracy Chevalier, was coming to Dallas for a reading at that very museum. Not being a fiction fan, Mihir has never read her books, but I certainly have. Her best known novel is Girl with a Pearl Earring, which was adapted into a film starring Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. Her lasted effort, Burning Bright, is about the 18th century British weirdo William Blake, and it's just recently out in paperback. The timing of her appearance was a little inconvenient--just 3 days after our return from India, and only an hour after Mihir's flight from Atlanta landed at DFW. The poor man hadn't been home at all since we left for India, and I whisked him off to this reading. He was a good sport. What a great husband I have. The reading didn't disappoint. As someone who would love to write, I'm always enthused to hear about authors' inspirations and work habits. Ms Chevalier is very inspired by art and the process of creating art. While I don't necessarily share that affinity, but she did validate my suspicion that inspiration comes from a variety of places, and few authors are the same. It was a great evening for me. I've long wanted to meet her, and she made it an experience to remember.

Tracy Chevalier

Subir and Roohi's Wedding

We're back from India! This was the shortest trip ever - barely 5 days.
We were there for Subir's wedding. The festivities were on Saturday and Sunday and left Wednesday. We had American all the way to London and then Jet Airways to Mumbai. Jet was a pleasant surprise - Great food, good service, new planes, complete AVOD (audio video on demand) and it took away from the pain of the long journey. We landed without issues and quickly went to my grandmother's place. My aunt had it nicely set up for us and we were insulated from the hubbub of Mumbai.

The next day we had dosas for breakfast and decided to go to Churchgate where Mummy was staying. We had to go by train (it would have been 1.5 hrs otherwise) so Steph got her taste of Mumbai trains. The fast local to Churchgate from Andheri was jampacked. Steph had to ride with me in the general compartment inside of the ladies compartment, and I'm guessing the phrase "packed like sardines" was totally experience. But it was short - 30 minutes (the drive back that evening took 2 hrs) - we parked down at Churchgate with Mummy, Subir, Poonam Aunty, Angie, Emily, Kirk and Molly - the tourists had just returned from Elephanta island and were exhausted and just willing to chill out for the afternoon.

The evening was at Roohi's place - the haldi (turmeric) ceremony and Steph got to wear her new salwar and participate. The first two pictures are from that event.


The next two are from the wedding the next day. It was a great event. We met all my Mumbai relatives and the food was great. Subir looked very happy and so did Roohi. Both looked great. The nice thing about Maharashtrian weddings is - they aren't long! We were all dressed in our finery. The final event in this ceremony was the "pangat" - the traditional lunch where all the groom's and bride's side sit and break bread together - in this case, more like chapatis and cauliflower and rice and varan.



We had to ride a bus back to Pune. A bus ride together is always fun. We had several stops - including one for masala popcorn. We finally reached at 9:30 and got ready for bed. The Nadgars were Steph and my hosts, and we quickly hit the sack.

The next day was more casual. Angie and Molly needed some blouses, I needed to buy some food and we hit Laxmi Road and ended it with lunch at Vaishali. The reception was in the evening and Stephanie got to wear her first sari. The reception was a smaller affair - 150 people or so, and the hall was beautiful. The crowd here was mostly our neighbors, Mummy's colleagues (also my teachers) and Pune friends. It was fun. Mummy was much more relaxed - weddings are always stressful on the parents, and I had a good time mingling and introducing Steph to our friends. The last two pictures are from the reception.

Monday was more casual - we hung out with Aditi and chatted with the gang at home. Subir and Roohi had to leave for Goa in the afternoon and the place already looked empty. We also prepared for our evening ride back. It was just too short! Next time, we'll make more time....

If you're interested, the rest of our photos from this trip to India can be viewed here.

Coffee Conneseurs visit the Dallas Museum of Art

We're one month into 2008. So far it's been a quiet new year. January is always the coldest month here in North Texas, so that precludes a lot of outdoor activity. We had some below-freezing mornings and 30-degree highs of late. I know it's still much warmer than Januaries of my childhood, but the body loses tolerance for the cold quite quickly! Last night, however, Mihir and I went for a long walk around our Valley Ranch neighborhood. It was warmer, and we needed only a sweater. It was nice. We're lucky to live in such a nice, walker-friendly neighborhood. The canal is especially nice.


We've finally broken down and acquired a coffee pot, mostly to conquer our growing Starbucks addiction. We're enjoying it--a lot. We bought one that grinds the beans immediately before brewing coffee, which is fun. Currently we're brewing French Roast. I take mine with a splash of soy milk and Splenda; Mihir prefers black coffee.


Last weekend we visited the Dallas Museum of Art to see a special exhibition of Indian painting and jewelry. It was an impressive collection, but just short of rivaling what we saw in various museums in Mumbai and Pune last November. We always appreciate the endless opportunities to experience art and culture in Dallas-Fort Worth. I spent my entire life wishing I could have more access to such cosmopolitan experiences, and now I finally have. In just under two years, we been to several museums, the opera, the ballet, and a wonderful rarely seen Tennessee Williams play. Life is good in Texas!