A calorie here and a calorie there !!

In a gastronomist's world there are only two types of people. People who eat to live and others who live to eat. I am fortunate and proud to belong to the latter group , epicurean gourmand. Wow what a fancy name. My passion with food probably began as a toddler devouring everything that was white, round and chewing into my mouth. With time and few visits to the hospital, I realized that alas not everything is edible and god has shown his cruel streak by tormenting mankind with the creation of few gorgeous, tantalizing objects which look so good but unfortunately uneatable.

As a kid , my favorite days were when school used to be closed on festivals and I could relish the scrumptious delicacies my mom whisked out of the kitchen. With no interruption from the ringing bell I used to savour the tangy flavoured , subtly colored Pulihora for hours and still have palatial room for desserts. Something that my parents tried in futile to instill in me was sense of sharing which fell deaf on my ears.Sharing of food was a transgression in my world. How could any sane person with a good appetite like mine do that?

My days away from home during my first few years of work introduced me to various cuisines,both indigenous and exotic.The fragrance of Hyderabadi biryanis drove me to every bon vivant's haven ,Bawarchi and Bahaar.Oodles of ice cream from Ohri's which melted in mouth with a sensual flavour leaving you yearning for more.I could go on forever on my delightful adventures with food but somebody cast an evil spell on my blithe existence.

My life has gone topsy-turvy with my arrival in London few years back. Ignorance is bliss when it comes to knowledge, and a boon when it comes to food. The varieties galore found in the supermarkets not only confounded me but put me in a predicament:bang.No yogurt is tagged as plain yogurt. It has to be whole, low fat, very low fat or fat free.A poor soul like me bombarded with the media to go with the low fat was just the starting point of miseries in my life. To me exercise was brushing my teeth, bathing and then probably a walk to the lift should suffice for the calories. To my horror, people jogging amidst the busy traffic in London and everyone heading to the gym as a religious practice was something that I could not comprehend initially. At a point ,I was so intimidated with the hue and cry that I stopped going to the aisles filled with deserts for fear of not being able to resist the urge to grab them. The more I used to read the ingredients dissected remorselessly giving you the gruesome details on the calorie contents, I thought I was so better off with the ones in India with just a price and brand on the cover.

One day the deliverance came.It came in the form of goddess of kitchen 'Nigella Lawson' and her effort to bring good , rich , luxurious food back to life.A foodie's day out with no qualms on accumulated calories and no strings attached to pounded fat. I ventured out with vengeance this time to the forgotten lands of savouries gleeing at the products and the luscious pictures on the cartons. I filled my cart with everything that I could lay my hands which said creamy, extra filling and king of cheeses.

Now ,I am still a food fanatic and can never lose this innate trait of me.I realized that it is not worth to relinquish those tiny urges to have the ice cream, innocently looking at you wide eyed sitting on that top rack. I listen to my heart and once in a while go for those lovely delicacies, which would give a supermodel run for her life. I just try to put a calorie here by eating and then try to lose a calorie there by exercising.:thumbsup

 

Aishu ,

Thanks a lot for your encouraging feedback.

I agree , in fact it is lot more difficult in maintaining then losing.I don't remember the gentleman who wrote in a paper that people lose weight while worrying where as I put on weight eating more when I am really worried.

 

Chitra ,

Thanks for your lovely comments.The more we get to know each other I feel we were twins in previous birth and probably our idiosyncratic behaviour was so unacceptable to the people around us back then that their prayers were answered and now we are separated.Alas destiny still brought us together ..:thumbsup.Gosh that was so philosopical of me ...

 

Dear Paulina ,

Thanks for your lovely and as usual encouraging feed back.It means a lot to me..Your gracious presence is much appreciated.

I always have a reserved place in my tummy for desserts no matter how many courses the meal is :thumbsup

 

Dear Gowri ,

Pleasure is all mine to have you here providing me with such good feedback.

Ironically , good eaters are bad cooks ... so I am happy as long as you enjoy my virtual feast and don't venture to taste in reality or else all hell will break loose..:hide: