My Friend Anil Sen : Bengali Englishman in a Jat Regiment

 My Friend Anil Sen : Bengali Englishman in a Jat Regiment 

I met him  Anil Sen in the Kalkaji U Spl in 1982… he was in Hansraj doing Eng Hons  which slowly made him eventually a little bit of an English Msn or was it his Fathers’s influence.I was in KM doing History…

In his off time he rode a Black regular Cycle with pride while we aspired for motorcycles..

We smoked Wills King Cigarettes… he continued I quit that’s probably what took him down..

To continue we studied French together, and had a crush on our French teacher at Alliance Francais , she was petite sexy well endowed and cute… we imitated her beaucoup ( large) hands on her breasts whenever we met , it was our code.

We met in college infact he and Kabir Dubey forced me to fill the CDS form to join the Indian Army as an officer. I very reluctantly did it . As fate would have all three of us got selected.

Once commissioned , I went 15 Armored, he went to 16 Jat, which I think his father commanded it and Kabir went to Punjab Regiment.

As fate would have it in 1988 or so 16 Jat came to my neighborhood in  Mamun Cantt , a stone’s throw away behind our tank garages perhaps in tented accommodation… I invited him and he  invited  me to his mess…

We were sitting around fire and drinking when I started rolling a joint… slowly we were rolling many and every one there joined…that’s another story that someone that evening bragged or sneaked and I was summoned to the Intelligence Corps the Gestspapo of the Indian Army for interrogation at the Brigade HQs a day later… well that’s another story as this about my friend Anil Sen…more about that some other day.

One weekend we wanted to test out his new Hero Honda CD100 we decided to head to Dharamshala and onwards to Mc Leod  Ganj after that… 

He rode hard that day both taking turns riding from Pathankot until we took a break at St John’s Church and Cemetery short of Ganj, the clouds came down I was listening to Beethovens 5 th Symphony on the Walkman and we smoke a joint in that setting… was ethereal and one of the most memorable setting and moments… it felt that day we had been to heaven and come back..time stood still.

We went to the Ganj and  had a Tibetan Meal.. we saw so many hippies and heard Neil Young and Credence Clear Water Revival wafting from restaurants . We saw some live gambling games  among the westerners till was late in the night we began to ride down the hills to Pathankot…

Farmers offered us Morrels or Gucchi Mushrooms at Shapur Kandi which we didn’t buy as we then didn’t understand their value . 

We were back and then we got onto our lives…

Somewhere in the early 90s while dating my wife… we stopped by to meet Anil his Mom and his wife briefly at A6 and then nothing for 34 years.

I met him last year at our course SS42 reunion at PBG Presidents Body Guard Mess… he was looking like a Gentleman Cadet with straight gait and narrow waist but still smoking away.. I did mention I quit 6-7 years ago he shrugged… we exchanged numbers… I messaged him a few days ago later he didn’t get back or he didn’t get my message…

3-4 days ago Sanjay Saini a dear friend and a course mate in the manner of speaking said your friend Anil Sen you should speak to him.. I said give me his number he gave me the same number I spoke to him day before.. 

He picked up and said in A guttural voice something.. I felt he has some tubes in his mouth and throat and heard a suction sound . I couldn’t bear it.. he was having difficulty in speaking.. I politely said goodbye and said don’t worry science and technology and your will power will help you overcome.

Overcome it did and took away my friend a day later.. I am very sad. All I have is his memories … each of us mourn differently… I wish him beaucoup love in the great GiG in the Sky no un peau ( little) measures there.

My love to his family if they read this.

Jaat Balwan Jai Bhagwan

Rust to Rust: Rust in the Wind

 Jyoti Chugh was my boss in Bombay, in International Representation, Times of India in Bombay. Until , she became Jyoti Verma, she was dating Vivek Verma circa 1993….we were called by PG (Pradeep Guha) to a restaurant in the back lanes of The Taj, in a Bungalow which later became Indigo.. and then something else, that evening as some partners were also invited to cocktails and a Hyderabadi dinner..

Vivek Verma was wearing a burnt rust shirt with light a nearly white blue jeans and a rust or matching suede Moccasins, he used to work with Haferz Contractor who has perhaps designed / refurbished parts of the Times office, perhaps Response office..  which was the talk of the town..

But this is not not about anything about that but the burnt rust shirt , I had to have it regardless…

I looked for it high and low, in days of no internet… Praveen picked up on my penchant and search somehow brought an Espirit identical shirt( the brand was a rage in late 90s or early 2000s). Nearly a decade later.

I wore that shirt to the ground almost threadbare.. and forgot about it satiated for another a decade or so.. 

Unknowingly the seed had grown into a large looming tree in the background… covertly I did keep looking for a replacement a little low on the search meter…though 

5-6 years ago I got a similar colored Benetton T shirt.. I wore it half heartedly probably the fit.. then a Ralph Lauren similar one  last year.., it had a lot of spandex and not a great fit either…

Of late I have been browsing and picking up stuff from the mass affordable fashion store Zudio, near our college… catching on the trend me-too brands like Style Union, Ownd by Aditya Birla and Snitch have also opened massive 5-6000 square ft stores… all two decades later… on the trend of Primark an Irish Company that took UK and rest of the world visiting by storm..by the wear for a season wardrobe good on the pocket but bad for the environment as Bandana Tiwari a colleague and now a fashion environmental activist educated me that a Tshirt takes up a few dozens of gallons.. and so on and so forth…

Recently watching a film on Netflix with dear daughter Ananya , People you meet on a Vacation… seeing the male lead in one… albeit in linen, my interest was yet again rekindled. The Sartorial sense provoked me to visit the nearest stores looking for one.. I finally found a round neck at Style Union..  it was an itch I had to scratch…

I was back and smug as a bug in rug with latest and fresh fresh burnt rust Tshirt yet again…Rust to Rust… all we are is Rust sorry Dust in the Wind

The Sausage Tomato Sandwich Story at the Tavares Home…..

 Glen Tavares was a friend of mine in B Block GK1 , those who know will know, it was a posh address then it is  a posh address now…

We lived in the backlane which had nallah coming in from Panchseel, which is now covered and a posh.. park had come up on it.Glen played excellent football as our full back.

He had studied at St Columbus school- so did his brothers Mark and Trevor. His mother taught at the same school. mark and Trevor were younger Mark was in School and Trevor had gone to a Seminary very young to become a priest, he was later Brother Trevor until he became perhaps Father Trevor..

I got closer to Glen after 12 th when  he joined Bhagat Singh College and I joined KiroriMal College, we met every evening for a smoke … he always had a 20s pack and I ate eucalyptus leaves after every smoke to erase and obliterate the cigarette smell as my mom was the KGB agent, as we called her.

He was A Goan Catholic maybe Anglo  Indian some trace of Saraswat Brahmin from his mother’s side.. His father had passed away long ago, his Uncle Richard lived with them a man about town well dressed, would dress up for Golf.

We had other interesting people in the neighborhood including Jessica Lal, who later became famous for the wrong reasons.

This story is not about any of them, but the sausage sandwich I had at their place as hurried dinner his mother prepared before we went off to a night show movie at Archana Cinema. Which happened quite often.

Now the sandwich, white toasted bread slathered with butter… then horizontally sliced very large fried pork sausages with sliced tomatoes… salt and pepper….. just tooooo good. The memory the visual the tastes.. the juiciest  sandwich, the memory stuck with me forever…

It’s nearly 42 years ago I never forgot it… tried to replicate a couple of times over the years perhaps never could until last week when the earth moved for me the same sausage taste which took me to my boyish days… the juicy tomato and the butter slathered on the white toasted bread… there could have been more butter… well it was a dream fulfilled.

LIIT : Long Island Ice Tea

It was the mid 90’s … India was looking hopeful…we had first multinational paying well.. 

The  empty well was filling up fast … buy a car plan a trip abroad… new clothes … eat out at restaurants without having to look at the menu prices… a child wasn’t yet planned.

Amidst all this euphoria of launch of McDonalds, KFC, there was the launch of TGIF…Thank God it’s Friday.. American style dining and bar with hoola hoop of waiters and service… I loved the atmosphere…. It was near our Discovery Channel Office, we went often.

Welcomes, farewells and even Birthdays and Anniversaries. Akash a colleague even took up their dining membership card.. a loyalty program. 

I went often with family as a pre movie drink or dinner and even Sunday Brunch… 

In all this milieu we were ordered Long Island Iced Tea it was a potent one all whites and cola (white rum, vodka, gin, tequila etc) it was a large goblet or chalice.. amazing…the same year visiting USA presented more such opportunities…of cocktails but LIIT …was all pervasive..

Then Vib Sharma Praveen’s boss described his experience of the LIIT the huge drink in Singapore perhaps had with spouting straws… I always imagined what that would look like…

From the 90’s I forgot about LIIT and then suddenly i ordered one at Cedar House, the other day was satisfied with 75 ml of alcohol, with so many whites they could have done more…

Within the same week I had another at the Past Times Bar at IHC it was a one plus one night, but found it to be weakened version of the original memory….

Though an accepted cocktail by the IBA International Bartenders Association.. it’s orins are debatable Long Island Tennessee or Long Island New York… it’s an interesting and potent drink which is easy to drink and brings back many youthful memories…of then and now.

Madhumalti And Firangipani Finally Bloom

I have been for over a month having serious performance anxiety that my plants are not flowering…..not blooming… everywhere I saw tiny Firangipani trees in full bloom… and Madhumaltis spreading their fragrance in the neighborhood almost bent over and flower laden.

I thought to myself and discussed with nearly everyone I could …

It was lack of soil , daughter said to my many plants and trees in a patch of soil, all fighting for existence. Some said no fertilizer…

I opined a tree find its nutrition in from the roots way below the concrete as the trees and creepers are so tall..(a tree is as tall under the earth as above the earth).

I thought spring had passed me by …. I thought of another creeper with orange bell shaped flowers in the backyard that had stopped flowering for years.

It kept gnawing at me as these are my favorite loved ones ( Firangipani) was planted by my brother Sanjiv and the other Madhumalti very lovingly planted by my mother and nurtured by my father… the pride of the neighborhood..both my father and the madhumalti. I have been the caretaker, the watchman and the gardener watering them lovingly for over half a decade… actually everyone in my family likes to water the plants.. my mom , me, my daughter , the driver and maid we are all excited to water the plants…

So spring was long gone.. and this year so far has had a mild summer… the Gulmohar trees have had a similar fate before they bloomed the constant storms and rains… blew their buds away.. hence weak flowering this season…

I am very observant of the changes in the flora and measure the year and seasons with Tesu … around Holi… followed by Gulmohar… followed by Amaltas in the strong summer …and so on…

So coming back to this evening in an effort to complete my steps.. I lo and  behold saw them both trees in the front porch flowering … I was overjoyed… I had to something… I had to celebrate… I had to write… 

The metaphor life finds a way is so true and I was beginning to be a doubting Thomas… but here I am back to being a believer… 

Like a all good times don’t last so similarly all bad times don’t last … 

Life finds a way … Love finds a way..

Oye Lucky Oye- Biryani

 If you lived / worked at a certain time in Bandra Khar Juhu in the late 90s to 2010 … for a Biryani your go to place was Lucky Biryani.

It still is quite and institution even today with my contemporary food writers and presenters Kalyan Karmakar, Kunal Vijaykar and few dozen food appreciators you wouldn’t have heard of…

The toss up was between Lucky, Candy or if on a tight budget Rajasthan Restaurant which had nothing to do with Rajasthani food but more about Paya Kabab Biryani and Kofta and even Kaliya but really cheap…

Origins and History 

Lucky Restaurant in Bandra, Mumbai, is a legendary food destination established in 1938, renowned for its Irani-influenced biryani and extensive menu. The restaurant is a staple of Mumbai's culinary scene, with a history tied to Iranian settlers who moved from Pune

Establishment: The restaurant was originally opened as "Bombay Restaurant" on Bazar Road in 1930.

Renaming: It became known as "Lucky Restaurant" on September 9, 1938.

Founder: Founded by Sayed Ali Akbarul Huseini.

Location History: The current, iconic location in Bandra was previously a British car showroom.

Evolution: The restaurant started with a limited menu of four or five dishes but has since expanded to offer over 200 items. 

Biryani Style and Features

Style: Lucky Biryani is a popular Mumbai-style biryani, known for being flavorful and rich.

Distinct Elements: Unlike the classic Kolkata style, Lucky's biryani contains small pieces of potato, but not the large, whole potatoes found in Kolkata, often featuring a distinct, thick gravy-like masala paste (jhol) integrated into the rice.

Specialists: Many of the cooks at the restaurant are from Uttar Pradesh.

Celebrity Patronage: Due to its location in Bandra and its long history, it is a well-known hangout for Bollywood celebrities. 

Legacy

Today, the restaurant is managed by the sons and grandchildren of the founder and remains a 24-hour spot known for its biryani, non-vegetarian food, and Indian-Mughlai cuisine. 

Now, today I had to replicate Lucky  Chicken Biryani…at home at New Delhi about 1200 km as the crow flies…

Humble effort in the kitchen huge step for Biryanidom was able to bring about a similar taste smell look aroma with a memory of the Channel [V] Star days and nights spen in Khar Juhu Bandra Pali Hill Union Park and Santa Cruz ….remembering all the people Mohit,  Debu Ranvir Shorey Gaurav Kapoor, Mandar Thakur Shaji Mathews, Sanjay Das,Vivek Arora,Suresh Bala, Mahesh Murthy, Shashank Ghosh , Arnab Choudhary, Jignesh Shah.  Albeit Vegetarian, Vivek Paul , Rahul Merchant and a million more

Which is your favourite Biryani..

When the Cookie Crumbles

 The story of Biscoff goes back almost a century—and it started very simply.

Origins (1930s)

Biscoff was first created in 1932 in a small bakery in Lembeke, Belgium by Jan Boone Sr., founder of Lotus Bakeries.

The biscuit was originally called a “speculoos”, a traditional spiced biscuit popular in Belgium and the Netherlands, especially around winter holidays.

The name “Biscoff”

The name Biscoff came later and is a mix of biscuit ” + “Coffee” (portmanteau)

because it was designed to pair perfectly with coffee 

Rise in popularity (1980s–2000s)

Lotus standardized the recipe and began mass production

Airlines and cafés started serving it with coffee, which made it globally recognizable

It became known as that “little caramel biscuit you get with coffee”

The game-changer: Biscoff spread (2007)

A Belgian TV show, De Bedenkers, featured an idea to turn the biscuit into a spread.

Lotus took the concept seriously and launched Biscoff spread, which became a massive hit worldwide.

Today

Sold in 100+ countries

Used in desserts, drinks, and even gourmet recipes

Considered one of the most recognizable European snack brand

Despite global popularity, the recipe has stayed almost unchanged since 1932, which is why it still has that signature 

caramelized taste.

I was unaware of all this, I had seen the biscuit mentioned in many menus combined with desserts, but didn’t pay heed to it…

One day looking for other stuff on Blinkit… I saw this and ordered… and I was hooked… the caramelised… crunch.. the simplicity of the taste… the layering and depth it offered was overwhelming… and now I am a fan … offering it to all .. 

just amazed at him simple things can have so much success without changing and producing the same product for a century…truly a Centurion