Fasting Fury

Today is Shivratri and the fact that I come to love this day, is because of the impromptu holiday from work. People and what they say about India is so true, too may occasions for the public to declare it some holiday or the other, and no ones complaining. It also turned out that a lot of people fast on this day so I decided why not vehemently please the Gods (It is after all a grand night dedicated for the worship of Lord Shiva) and maybe they will bestow upon me some luck, any luck, nothing in particular (who doesn’t need more luck?).

Anyway, so I had sorted everything out, I would feast with the rest of the household, yes wonder isn’t it our fasts contain food, fasting dishes, but food after all. I feel this is getting all so convenient. I had fruits dished out at breakfast time, there’s the special sago dish called “sabudana khicdi” which is prepared during fasts and I was gorging on it with the fruits, sweets were brought out made out of full fat milk and I was unstoppable. I think I must have spent a lot more time at breakfast during a fast day than what I usually do and it was quite exciting. I was fed, full and blessedly adored by all the household (including the help) who were proudly beaming that I was 1/3rd successful in the mission of today (I still have the rest of the day ahead, don’t forget).

Now comes the fun part, or atleast for the others who think I am having a good time. I decide to sit around and mess with my new website (which by the way is now www.nonchalantgourmand.com, I have moved on from www.nonchalantgourmand.blogspot.com) and was contemplating new ideas, which I realized five minutes into the thinking process, was not a very good idea as all I had to think about was new dishes, old dishes, what to write, what to cook and so on. Now, thinking about food, however full you may be, brings about some awkward signals from your brains, more like just because you cannot eat a certain thing, that is exactly what your body will crave for and you eventually go ballistic with that craving. I decide this was not a good time to work on my website and scooted over to the kitchen to ask what was for lunch (this is indeed turning out to be an interesting fast), well surprised I was, this was all I was going to get young man – fruits, more fruits, full fat milk sweets and more sago dish. OK! This is not what I had signed up for. I busied myself with reading.

Now, comes the second part of the test, my sister-in-law, just down from overseas with her new baby, rings in as she had heard I am on the so called impromptu holiday and decides to drop in with an excited warning – you guessed right – “make me something special”. I meekly ask her if she was fasting too. You guessed right again – no she was not, remember she has her new baby and baby and she has to be well fed for a good long life and health. OK! This is again what I have not signed up for. I busied myself with looking up towards the heavens and wondering what I have done to not appease the Lord above.

So I am back to thinking about food, food I had to make, food I could only touch but not eat. Well, this is what a real test takes and I think I passed with flying colors (don’t know about you though, hence I am posting this a little late in the evening, lest those who are fasting are reading this)

I land up making spaghetti with a creamy, robust and handsome red pepper char-grilled sauce, lots of salad with greens and a touchy balsamic dressing and of course – garlic bread with cheese. There were the other dishes too, the fasting dishes, now not looking very appetizing, placed in front of me, mocking me to eat them.

This particular sauce is an extension to my arrabbiata which you can refer to by hitting up http://nonchalantgourmand.com/freeze-italy/ and makes for a wonderful change from the regular tomato sauce. Enjoy this while you can and easy to whip up last minute.

Ingredients:

• 1 Red Bell Pepper
• 5 cloves Garlic – finely chopped
• 2 Large Tomatoes (diced)
• 1½ cups Arrabbiata Sauce (prepared)
• 3-4 Basil Leaves
• ½ Lemon Juice
• 1 tsp Red Chili flakes
• ½ tsp Italian Spice Seasoning (optional)
• 2 tsp Cream
• 2 tsp Olive Oil
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper to taste

For the Pan-Seared Butter Vegetables

• 1 tablsp Butter
• 1 Large Onion (diced big)
• 1 Carrot (Sliced into half roundels)
• 1 Large Capsicum (diced big)
• 1 small Zucchini (sliced into half roundels)
• Cracked peppercorn to taste

Stick a fork into the top of the red bell pepper and roast the pepper, whole, on an open gas flame or fire. Turn around frequently till the skin blackens. Remove, scrape off some of the blackened skin and slice thinly.