A Holiday of Excellent Excess

Thanksgiving has always possessed special significance for me since it falls close to my birthday. Special means while the family gathers for the 3 - 4 Thanksgiving functions, my birthday is always cause for celebration. Now you ask, why would you have so many Thanksgiving dinners? Silly, so that all the members who arrive from out of town can congregate at Aunty Ardys' one day and Aunty Lilly's the next.

This year was no exception, delightful chow at Aunty Edna's for the big turkeyday fest. And yes, we did have a turkey, currified and delish along with spinach balls and divine coconut rice. Matter of fact, so much did I partake that all I could manage that evening was a Telegu movie with the parents, the names of the actors I can't remember but it did feature 2 young kids - Siddhu and Hasini gamboling in a modern Hydrabad Romeo and Juliet.

Friday was devoted to shopping - cashmere cardigan, blue topaz ring and a stunning tri colored gold necklace compliments of Mom and Dad. But in the evening we hoofed it over to our favorite South American joint Azucar for Golden Margaritas (best in the DC area), fish stew, ceviche and the side salad for no reason but the tangy lime buttermilk dressing.

Saturday was lunch at Aunty Jaya's for sour rice littered with fried cashews and onions. Two types of gongera (a sour leaf much like spinach) curry - meat and vege and a glorious Oreo ice cream birthday cake. Hanging with my guy cozs Amit, Anup and Chinnie and running Duke ragged at the local Elementary School. Did my heart good to see him crashed on his bed half an hour later.

That evening, to further celebrate my birthday on Saturday, many of my cousins (12 to be precise) joined me for dinner at Rice on the very chicly renovated 14th Street. Dinner was followed by a live performance by my cousin Rekha at HR 57 . Tons of fun as Rekha fronted piano for her newly formed East Coast band to perform some original and her own jazz. A second chocolate mousse birthday cake was passed around to all the friends and family who joined the celebration.

Sunday was all about Mom. Crunchy dosas the size of tires accompanied by chutney compounded with tomatoes, chilies, onions, garlic, chana dahl and the skin shavings from a bitter gourd. Simply the best dosa and chutney you'll ever have. A chapatti or two thrown in with a brinjal mutton curry while sipping coffee. Raking the leaves (what else is a Rekha to do?) and then I was off with cousin Suj back to New York.

Long, delectable weekend.

100 Things to Eat Before You Die

All the hubbub about Patricia Schutlz's bestseller has got me thinking about the things I'd like to do before I expire. Topping my list of course is food. So I'd like to begin my list of 100 things to eat before dying. Let's start with the first 10.

1. The molten chocolate cake at Legal Seafoods
2. Sangria at Cibeles in Lyndhurst, NJ (fruit qualifies it as food)
3. My mother's vegetable biryani
4. The seared tuna at the Twisted Vine in Santa Rosa, CA
5. Masala dosa from the shop next to the taxi stand in Nuzvid, India
6. The pumpkin ravioli at La Dolce Vita in Soho, NY
7. Roasted salmon in a pea puree from Max's, Brattleboro Vermont
8. The lobster roll from the food shack next to Plymouth Rock, MA
9. Ledo's pizza in Silver Spring, MD
10. My chicken curry.

Would love to hear about your favorite eats.

Houston

Been a long week since I wrote so I'll give a short blow by blow of the week. Wed, the 18th flew to Houston for client meetings and presentations. My colleagues, experts in the field of web globalization comprised of Simon and Melania, both from Ion Global. While our endeavors in Houston were very successful, and while I stayed at a rather posh but decaying Omni, I got absolutely NO sleep. Good news though was I ate rather well. Dinner at a steakhouse (yes, I HAD to eat steak in Texas!) called Flemings. I had the Beef Flemington, encased in a pastry shell and doused in a madiera wine sauce. You bet it was tasty, especially paired with a lush raspberry noted Cabernet that wine-collector Simon selected. Good call. Hit of the evening was the dark chocolate souffle that was devoured not only by the women, but the guys as well.

Thursday after work was followed by drinks at the hotel Derek where my colleagues were staying. Although we were in Houston I distinctly felt as if I were in a club in the Bronx, due to the heavily infiltrated rap guests who were in town for a Big Joe/Little Wayne show. Wait a minute, didn't I see that top at Leslie Joyce? Then off to an art exhibit and hear a loud live band. Ah, the hip Houston art scene. Met a talented jewelry, handbag, furniture designer named Melissa who had the impeccable taste to take us to El Pueblito for dinner. Aye, che wow wa. Crisp fresh lime margaritas. Tangy white fish seviche. A cheesy live band singing every Santana song they could remember. Sangria and the biggest glass of water I've ever seen. All experienced from a lush cabana furnished in wicker and white pleather. Wait, I forgot about the Fish Tacos. Only the best I've tasted in my not so short life. And this was reinforced by a more well traveled person than myself, and also happens to live in Cali, where the Mexican food is unanimously better than in New York.

Final presentation on Friday was a success. Flew back to NY dreading the cold after 70 degree humid Houston temps but was pleasantly surprised by the 50ish weather at Newark. Duke greeted me rapturously as I try to pay the cab driver. And promptly begged for food as he had been on a hunger strike since I left. No worries, he ate 3 bowlfuls that night and slept smack in middle of the bed.

To celebrate Earth Day weekend I stayed in bed and connected with the feather pillows. Sunday I succumbed to the lack of sleep with bad air hangover and developed a cold. A really bad cold. By the way, in case you're an incessant insomniac such as myself, here are a few non medicinal methods to counteract sleeplessness by medical intuitive, Donna Eden. Check them out when you're tired of counting sheep.