and/or insofar
It's small-type, 12 page long Terms and Conditions that made me sure about NOT wanting to be a lawyer.
Sitting North
Found this written in a notebook from long ago -
Do you remember that oily uttapam and syrupy sweet coffee high up in Auli... We sat on the ice-cream tip – the real north – high up on snow mountains; the plains with rolling rivers and the south with banana plantations below. This was the top; where we sat and relished Mr Iyer’s cuisine.
Here the rivers did not roll or meander, they shot down arrow straight, tripping n skipping, hurtling over stones and obstacles like a savage army of guerilla warriors with war cries and bloodshot eyes. They only knew how to proceed on the offensive, never on the defensive. The rivers and jagged mountains contrasted with the soft, milky, rosy, petite people of the area. It was a reversal of things as they were where I came from, where rivers went around, the terrain was mild, yellow and malleable; but the people were aggressive and determined not to be cheated, not buckle down, not end up signing a clause in small type.
So, sitting up there with the world turned upside down, we were frozen by snow, blinded by the sun and intimidated by the utterly fit ski instructor. Like tourists we complained about consumerism, globalization, homogeneity and pollution as we drank in nature and silence. And then we cut short our 3 day trip to 1 and returned to
Wantings
Need Papaya orange muffler. Not the snuggly-wuggly-woozly thick type. Not the mean narrow strip. Just the usual. Strong color. Genuine. For when I don't want my black overcoat to be impersonal.
Pineapple Upside Down cake
Upside down part
¼ cup butter
¼ cup dark sugar
7 pineapple slices
Melt butter and sugar in a pan to bubbling levels.
Pour into the baking dish.
Lay the pineapple slices in it.
Cake Part
½ cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 2/3 all purpose flour/ maida
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
Whisk butter, sugar, eggs together.
Add flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla essence, milk. Whisk.
Always whisk in one direction to trap air.
Pour the batter into the baking dish, over the pineapple rings.
Bake at 325 degrees F for 80 mins.
Poke a knife into the cake. If it comes out clean, it's done from inside.
Turn the cake upside down and serve.
Banana Walnut cake
After the success of the quick apple pie, here is banana cake.
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
2 cups all-purpose flour/ maida
1 tbsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
I/3 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 large bananas – chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Beat the eggs, sugar and butter in a bowl. Whisk in one direction to trap air in the mix.
Add flour, baking soda and vanilla essence. Whisk.
Add the banana and walnuts. Whisk.
Add milk if the batter is too thick. At the correct consistency the batter should pour from the spatula in folding ribbons.
Grease the baking pan. Pour the batter into it.
Put it in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). It will take about 80 mins to get baked but I would rather you trust your instincts. You can always poke a knife into the cake to see whether it’s cooked inside.