The July Hiatus: Hardest of all

I get highly disconcerted by the online hiatuses. But at times, we do not but have any choice. The July hiatus ended up in a sad tone inspite of all the fun time I had. With lot of work pressure, unwinding schedule and a lazy body that needed to relax every now and then, I was sort of composed and delivered my best.

So, how well was I? Well, not so bad. Work is good, better is the complacency of the productivity. Nothing like being done with your job in time and well. The accolades are the incentives.

This hiatus, however, will hold a heavy feeling forever, for always. Nothing could reverse the heavy heart when long associations are being cut short, unprecedented. It was a unanimous decision though and for the better. Three of our very old and good friends left the organization for better opportunities. They deserve the best and I wish them success and best of luck in life. I know we will meet up, hang out and continue to have the fun, but still it’s not going to be the same. Lunch time would be not the same without them. Neither would the impromptu parties, pizza breaks, the fun faces...

The July hiatus was the hardest of all.

You are beautiful!

Look within to see the inner self. You were never hopeless or helpless. Wake up, find a reason, follow your heart and get going. Love yourself more than ever. You are beautiful!




Photo credit: webMD

Leafy Fish Mustard Fry: A delight for the fish lovers

Some days you just don't feel like eating the usual food. You want something interesting, different, filling yet healthy. Yesterday was one such day. Something different, something new, experimental was the need of the hour. So, my mom tried something new for the night. She prepared Leafy Fish Mustard Delight. This is nothing but small fish stuffed in gourd leaves, dipped in mustard, rice and gram flour paste.

How she thought of the recipe

She sorted and cleaned the leafy vegetables which you would always find in our house. We also never run short of fish in house. Mom selectively took the small fishes and mixed it with onion cut into small rings, chopped garlic and chopped green chili. She then poured mustard oil, salt for seasoning.

Stuffing the fish

She then placed the seasoned fish stuff in the middle of the leaf, folded it from all the sides and locked it with toothpicks nicely.

Making the batter

She mixed mustard paste, rice powder and little gram flour with a pinch of salt and sugar and water to make a nice thick batter.

Frying

She dipped each patty into the batter and fried it in oil. I prefer shallow frying so she did that.

Serving

The Leafy Fish Mustard Delight goes best with freshly cooked boiled rice. It should be eaten hot and fresh to get the best of it.

You will feel the individual flavors of the ingredients with each bite. And if you are a fish lover you will just love it and want more.

Bengali Kalo Jams: sweet dark balls soaked in sugar syrup

Kalo-jams (bengali term) are dark colored, almost black, sweet balls, soaked in sugar syrup. They are a little larger and darker in color than the Gulab Jamuns. It is a hot favorite with the Bengalis who are known to have sweet tooth.

Ingredients

Khoya or Mawa

Paneer or Indian Cottage cheese

White flour or maida

White oil or ghee for deep frying

The sugar syrup should be prepared the usual way. Add 1/2 tsp of green cardamom powder, 1 tsp. rose water or a few drops of rose essence, or a few strands of saffron (optional).

Making the kalo-jams

Grate and mash mawa and paneer solids into a bowl.

Add flour and make a smooth and soft dough. Knead it well.

Make about 1- 1 1/2 inch balls and then shape them into round shapes, by rolling between your palms.

Heat oil to low-medium hot, not smoking hot or the kalo-jams will burn very quickly.

Fry kalo-jams in small batches, until they are dark brown in color.

Dip immediately in warm syrup. They will absorb syrup and enlarge in size but remain floating in syrup. They roughly double in size after they are soaked in syrup.

Serve at room temperature.

Super fast Egg Omelet:: what else do you want!

One food that I just cannot get enough of is egg. I invariably like any preparation that has eggs in it as major ingredient. So, it goes without saying that omelets are my all time favorites. They are not only

easy to prepare but also has varied mix and match recipes catering to your taste buds and kitchen ingredients.

It would be interesting to trace the origin and metamorphoses, however, today I will stick to only one omelet recipe that makes me a complete person even amidst the surrounding incompleteness. And if you forget the rhetoric, egg makes contribution to a healthy diet as well.


Ingredients

3 eggs, separated

Salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

Freshly chopped green coriander leaves, onions, chilies (optional)

Tomatoes, capsicum cubed (optional)

1 tablespoon butter/ white oil

1/4 cup shredded cheese (optional)

Directions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, salt, pepper, and other ingredients.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy. Gently blend the whites into the yolk mixture.

Add the chopped coriander leaves and onion cubes.

Melt the butter/oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and cook, without stirring, until the eggs begin to set but are still slightly runny in the center.

Sprinkle the cheese. (optional)

Fold the omelet over, forming a half-moon slowly. Cook until set.

Serve hot.

What to ask Your Doctor before Coronary Angiogram?

Coronary angiogram is a complex yet arty procedure where the cardiologist dexterously inserts a narrow tube called catheter through the femoral/ radial artery with plastic introducer sheath. The catheter is guided through the artery into the heart and then dye is injected into the artery. The dye flows through the artery to the heart and stops or goes slow at the clogs in the heart arteries. The percentage of block is asserted by the cardiologists. This whole process is monitored through a highly defined x-ray machine managed by specialized technicians. As much as it sounds easy, coronary angiogram has immense risks attached if not performed by specialized team.

This article will give you insight into the urgency of the procedure or if at all you require it or if you will benefit from it or not

How important or necessary is this test for diagnosis?

Angiography is an important procedure that confirms the ailment. It's just an invasive diagnostic that help the doctors decide on the treatment thereafter. The urgency and the immediate need of the procedure can only be decided by the consultants, who will be knowing the degree and the importance of the procedure.

When is it done?

Doctors recommend angiography when you are symptomatic of pain in your chest, jaw, neck or arm (that can't be explained by other tests), unstable angina, a heart defect you were born with, a heart valve problem that requires surgery.

What to keep in mind before angiogram?

If you:

Are allergic to iodine dye used in the test

Have ever had a serious allergic reaction

Have asthma

Are allergic to any medicines

Have any bleeding problems or are taking blood-thinning medicines

Have a history of kidney problems or chronic diabetes

What will happen during the procedure?

During a coronary angiogram, a type of dye that's visible by X-ray machine is injected into the blood vessels of your heart. The x-ray machine rapidly takes a series of images (angiograms), giving a detailed look at the inside of your blood vessels and the heart.

What are the risks?

Most of the times, major complications are rare. However, potential risks and complications include: heart attack, stroke, injury to the catheterized artery, irregular heart rhythms, allergic reactions to the dye or medications used during the procedure, kidney damage, excessive bleeding, infection, blood clots, radiation exposure from the X-rays

What does it reveal?

An angiogram show doctors what's wrong with your blood vessels. It can:

Show how many of your coronary arteries are blocked or narrowed

Locate the blockages in your blood vessels

Show how much blood flow is blocked through your blood vessels

Check the results of previous coronary bypass surgery or stenting

Check the blood flow through your heart and blood vessels

Check the size and movement of the heart valves

Based on the results, your cardiologist decides on the treatment from which you would be optimally benefited. For instance, that you would benefit from having coronary angioplasty, bypass surgery, valve replacement or just medical management.

OSAMA BIN LADEN DEAD: Some important questions to ponder upon

After decade long search for the mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Centers in New York City, Osama Bin Laden is dead. US National Security Team discovered a lead on bin Laden’s whereabouts in August 2010.

Several months of investigations to follow-up on these leads finally led to ‘actionable’ evidence that bin Laden was living in a Pakistani mansion just outside of Islamabad in a city called Abbottabad. It is located in the northeast part of the country, just 75 or so miles from the seat of government in Islamabad.

A strike was authorized by President Obama on April 29, 2011. Reports state that bin Laden was shot at least once in the head. It is believed the operation was carried out by The Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). JSOC is a component command of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and is charged to study special operations requirements and techniques to ensure interoperability and equipment standardization, plan and conduct special operations exercises and training, and develop Joint Special Operations Tactics.

It is also known that the leaders of the Pakistani government were not informed about this mission until after the attack. The President Obama gave an order without informing the Pakistan about his intention. This was due to a suspected informant or informants inside of the Pakistani government leaking information to bin Laden.

Senior White House Officials said that Bin Laden was hiding in a custom compound built in 2005 located on a secure land, 12-18 foot barbed wire walls, and two security gates. The total property value is 1 million dollars. Osama was living there with a few family members and his youngest wife. It was actually a mansion compared to the expected hiding in a cave similar to the finding of Saddam Hussein. It is also believed that bin Laden had no phone or Internet running into the house to secure the best hiding possible.

Three adult males were also killed in Sunday’s raid, including one of bin Laden’s sons, whom officials did not name. One of bin Laden’s sons, Hamza, is a senior member of al-Qaida.

Source:intel-central

Now, Osama's death shoots up a few queries:

1) How to cudgel the al Qaida legacy? The battle is won but not the war. How will be the demolition of Al qaida possible?

2) How will now Pakistan stand clean? How come Pakistan did not know about the whereabouts of Osama when it was right in the heart of the military residences, right under the nose of the urban Pakistan?

3) What will be the strategic political development between US and Pakistan? Reportedly, US was suspecting informant or informants inside of the Pakistani government leaking information to bin Laden and did not keep them in confidence.

4) How safe are really we are?