Showing posts with label vodka. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vodka. Show all posts

Saturday, April 30, 2016

Appetizing Kiss and Sexy Dish – a Story and a Recipe

I am feeling “Hungry”. 

So – let me dig deep into my creative writing archives – and pull out this delicious article I wrote long long back – more than 15 years ago – a story  – followed by a mouthwatering recipe.

This article features in my Foodie Book APPETITE FOR A STROLL too ...

Enjoy the Appetizing Kiss with a Sexy Dish ...

APPETIZING KISS and SEXY DISH
A Story and A Recipe
By
VIKRAM KARVE
 
There is a thing called PERCEPTION. 

Do you know what the word “perception” means? 

It is all in the mind.

First I will tell you a story. 

And then I will feed you a delicious snack.

First – Food for the Mind – and then – Food for the Body

So, Dear Reader, read on – the story and the recipe.


APPETIZING KISS

Eggs – Vodka – and – a Kiss (a story)

Long back – I heard this interesting story – a folktale – surely apocryphal – about eggs, vodka and a kiss.
 
Tamerlane’s wife started to build a magnificent palace for him as a surprise, while he was away at the wars, but when she got word of his imminent return, one arch, the victory arch, the “Arc de Triomphe” still remained unfinished.

She went directly to the architect and begged him to hurry but the architect told her he would complete the work in time only if she gave him a kiss.

“One kiss – one single kiss – just one kiss – that’s all I want from you – and I will build the most magnificent triumphal arch in the world,” the architect said to her.
 
Tamerlane’s wife was not only very beautiful and very virtuous, but also very clever.

She went to the market – bought a basket of eggs – boiled them hard – and stained them a dozen different colours.

She called the architect to the palace – showed him the basket – and told him to choose any egg he liked – and eat it.
 
He took a red egg and ate it.
 
“What does it taste like?” she asked.
 
“Like an egg. It tastes like an egg,” he said.
 
“Eat another,” she said.
 
He took a green egg.
 
“What does that taste like?” she asked.
 
“It tastes like an egg, just like the red egg,” he answered.
 
“Try another,” she said.
 
He ate a purple egg.
 
“How does it taste?” she asked.
 
“Like an egg. One egg tastes just the same as any other egg,” he said intrigued by all this.
 
“There you are!” she said, “Each of these eggs looks different – but they all taste the same. It’s the same with a kiss. So you may kiss any one of my serving women that you like but you must leave me alone.”
 
“Very well,” said the architect. But soon he came back to her and this time he was carrying a tray with two bowls on it, and you would have thought the bowls were all full of water.
 
“Drink from each of these bowls,” he said.
 
She took a drink from the first bowl – then she drank from the second bowl – and when she drank from the third bowl – she coughed and spluttered.

Yes – Tamerlane’s wife went into a fit of coughing when she took a mouthful from the third bowl – because it contained vodka, not water.
 
“See,” the architect said, “This vodka and that water both look alike but each tastes quite different, isn’t it? It is the same with love – all love may look the same but each love is different!”
 
Primed by the Vodka in her veins – Tamerlane’s wife kissed the architect on the mouth.
The moment the kiss was over – the architect rushed back to the palace and finished the triumphal arch – and – on the same day – the victorious Tamerlane rode back with his army and banners and his cages full of captive kings.
Tamerlane was impressed with the magnificent palace – especially the grand victory arch – and he lavishly rewarded the architect.
But – when Tamerlane went to congratulate his wife – she turned away from him – because no woman returns to the harem after she has tasted vodka.
And what happened to her and the architect – well that’s another story...! 
 
SEXY DISH

Sexy Eggs (recipe)
 
Now – Dear Reader – here is the scrumptious mouth-watering Recipe – which embodies the essence of the story:
 
The recipe for SEXY EGGS 

Now let’s talk of eggs.

In the story we had boiled eggs which looked different but tasted the same.

Now – I am going to tell you how to make boiled eggs that look the same but taste different (just like the water and the vodka in the story).
 
And talking of vodka and eggs, apart from vodka, this snack goes very well with rum-pani, whiskey-soda, chilled beer. 

You can take my word for it for in the good old days when I loved to drink this was my favourite cocktail snack which I prepared when I called people over and was appreciated (sadly – I am teetotaller now)
 
Hard-boil as many eggs as you want [at least two per person], plunge into cold running water to cool rapidly, and shell smoothly. 

Carefully and very delicately cut each egg lengthwise into two halves. 

Remove the yolks carefully.

Mash the yolks into a paste.

Season with a pinch of salt, pepper and red chilly powder, and keep aside.
 
Now, comes the interesting part.

Take some kheema [mince meat] and boil it in water along with finely chopped onions, a piece of dalchini [cinnamon], tejpatta [Bay Leaves], a few lavangs [cloves] and peppercorns [kali mirch dana], badi and choti Elaichi [cardamom], a few cloves of garlic, strips of ginger, one or two fresh green chillies and a bit of salt.

Cook on slow fire [to facilitate absorbing of the flavour and aroma of the spices] till the meat is well-cooked, tender and dry.

Now, divide the cooked mixture into two.

In half the kheema, blend in a bit of mashed yolk paste and as per your taste add salt, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder, tandoori masala, red chilly powder [depending on how spicy you like it] and grind in a mixer into a smooth paste. 

In a flat bottom pan, heat oil, fry fine onion strips till translucent, add finely chopped tomato, then the spicy kheema paste and deep fry till it turns nice and brown and the oil begins to separate.

Take the other half of the kheema and fry it the same way with everything else, but without adding the mashed egg yolks. Put in all the ingredients mentioned above except the mashed egg yolks.
 
You now have two non-vegetarian fillings ready.
 
Now use your imagination and prepare a few more non-vegetarian and vegetarian fillings both with and without the mashed egg yolk paste.
 
Here are some ideas:
 
Mayonnaise, cooked chopped fish, salt and pepper. 

Mayonnaise, chopped peanuts, salt, chilly powder or mustard paste.
 
Soft Butter, Cheese, Chilly, Pepper and Salt or so many combinations of spiced up cheese with finely chopped green chillies and tomatoes, mustard paste, and all the sauces you want to blend in.

Let your culinary imagination run wild.
 
Now carefully stuff in these delicious fillings into the cavities of the eggs in place of the removed yolks and delicately rejoin and press together the two halves so that it looks like a boiled egg.
 
Now you can either:

(a) dip these eggs in seasoned besan paste and deep fry into crisp pakoras and enjoy the appetizing snack nice and hot along with your drink

or

(b) just chill the stuffed eggs in your fridge and relish them with tomato sauce or green chutney or maybe with a yummy lip smacking dip like a tomato dip or a cheese chilly dip or a green dip which I will tell you about later.


PERCEPTION IS LIKE SEX – IT IS ALL IN THE MIND

Now pull out your Rum Paani, Whisky Soda, Chilled Beer, or just some good old Neat Vodka on the Rocks. 

Say cheers, and bash on regardless...!
 
All the eggs look the same but taste different, don’t they...? 
 
Well, Dear Reader, that, in a nutshell, is PERCEPTION :
 
Some things look the same but taste different
and
Some things look different but taste the same
 
Perception is like Sex – it is all in the mind – isn’t it?

Cheers !!!

I hope you enjoyed the Appetizing Kiss with the Sexy Dish.

VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 
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© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:
All Stories in this Blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:
No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.
Copyright © Vikram Karve (all rights reserved)

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

HOW TO PREVENT A HANGOVER


HOW TO PREVENT A HANGOVER
Musings on the Art of Drinking
By
VIKRAM KARVE

THE “MORNING-AFTER” THE “NIGHT-BEFORE”

A Hangover is a terrible experience. 

You wake up in the morning with a throbbing headache, you feel a disgusting nausea and you may even throw-up and vomit, your mouth becomes dry due to dehydration, your whole body aches and you feel dizzy and sometimes your hands tremble and you experience the “shakes”.  

You curse yourself for drinking so much at the party the previous night. 

You know that the more you “enjoy” on the “night-before” the more miserable you feel on the “morning-after”. 

A hangover is the best way to ruin your Sunday morning after your weekend partying. 

But despite this you repeat the same binge-drinking at the next party and you land up suffering a hangover on the morning-after. 

Drink-Hangover-Drink-Hangover - it is a vicious cycle that seems to become the rule with your partying. 

But how do you stop this vicious circle of drinking and hangover?

Your friends tell you about so-called “cures” for a hangover - like the “hair of the dog” - but soon you realize that nothing works and the only thing you can do is suffer in silence and “sleep out” the hangover.

There is a saying: “Prevention is Better than Cure”.

This applies to hangovers too. 

How do you prevent a hangover?

The sure-shot way to avoid a hangover is to stop drinking alcohol and become a strict teetotaller.

But obviously you don’t want to to that and give up all your enjoyment and your partying and social life. 

You want to enjoy drinking but you also want to ensure that you do not get a hangover the next morning.    

The aim of drinking alcohol is to feel good. 

If I ask you “Why do you drink?” you will say that you drink because you want to “feel good”.

So, whenever you drink you must drink enough to raise your spirits and feel good. 

There is no point in drinking so little that you do not feel anything. 

Yes, you must drink enough to feel good but you must also make sure you do not get a hangover next morning.


HOW TO PREVENT A HANGOVER


HOW TO DRINK TO AVOID A HANGOVER

So how do you enjoy your drinks yet prevent a hangover on the “morning after”?  

It is simple. 

Just follow these 2 steps: 

1. DRINK ONE GLASS OF WATER BEFORE YOUR FIRST DRINK

and 

2. DRINK ONE GLASS OF WATER AFTER YOUR LAST DRINK 

Before you have your first drink, have a glass of water, cool down and then start drinking.

It is a good idea to have plenty of snacks while drinking.

After your drinking session is over have a nice cool glass of water.

Then, proceed for having your dinner.

Do not drink alcohol with your meal or after your meal. Yes, you must avoid drinking any type of alcoholic beverages while eating your main meal - even wines are best avoided if you want to prevent hangover. If you feel thirsty while having your meal drink water.

After your dinner, make sure you eat dessert or pudding, especially a milk-based dessert like ice cream. 

Then, end your meal with a glass of water.

Never have after-dinner drinks like liqueurs or brandy if you have had alcoholic drinks before dinner.

In case you are fond of liqueurs do enjoy them after a relaxed meal which has not been preceded or accompanied by alcohol.  

One more tip. 

During your drinking session if you ever feel tipsy all you have to do is to just interrupt your drinking and have a glass of cold water. 

Then, if you feel okay, resume your drinking. 

If you still experience tipsiness, keep drinking cold water till your drunkenness disappears and you feel a bit good again. 

Remember, the aim of drinking alcohol is not to get drunk - the aim of drinking is to feel nice.


WHAT TO DRINK TO AVOID A HANGOVER

Your drink must match the “colour” in the sky on top of you at the time of the day.

In the mornings it is best to drink light coloured liquor like like Vodka, Gin, White Rum, Coconut Feni etc

As the day progresses and the afternoon approaches drinks like beer and bright cocktails are suitable. 

As the sun goes down and the evening approaches, you will relish blended Whisky with plenty of bubbly Soda in the evening as a sundowner with the setting sun in the twilight.

As the night darkens, there is nothing to beat dark Rum. 

You can drink your Rum neat, or with water as Rum-Pani, or have Rum and Coke. 

If you prefer Whisky, sip neat single-malt Whisky to get you into a mellow mood.

And if you like the taste of good Brandy you may like to savour a drink of neat rich Brandy at night. 

I always drank my whisky or rum with plenty of water and avoided cocktails and “down-the-hatch” shots. 

I will advise you to avoid “shots” and binge drinking.

Also, you must never “down-the-hatch” your glass or gulp your drink in a hurry. 

If you are drinking a rich brandy or single malt whisky neat, drink unhurriedly, take a small sip, close your eyes and roll the liquor on your tongue, in a relaxed manner, savour every sip till the alcohol is absorbed within you and relish the feeling as it slowly warms your insides and elevates your spirits

Remember the saying:

मज़ा à¤²ेना à¤¹ै à¤ªीने à¤•ा à¤¤ो à¤•म à¤•म à¤§ीरे à¤§ीरे à¤ªी 


HANGOVER-FREE DRINKING

Try this technique the next time you drink:

Have a glass of cold water before your first peg 
and 
remember to have a glass of cold water after your last drink. 

This is a sure-fire way to feel good on the “night-before” but avoid a hangover on the “morning after”. 

Breathtaking in its simplicity, isn’t it? 

This two glasses of water technique works – you can take my word for it. 

Try this and you will never have a hangover again.

So if you must drink, enjoy the experience and make sure you feel good - but make sure that you prevent that hangover.

Cheers … !!!

VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2012
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. 
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Did you like reading this article?
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About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer and blogger. Educated at IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and an anthology of short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional  and academic research papers in journals and edited in-house journals and magazines for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing and blogging. Vikram Karve lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
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Email: vikramwamankarve@gmail.com
      
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