A cup of Assam Tea

             A year had passed in the blink of an eye. Yes, both of my kid's school year is over. A few goof ups along the way, yet at the end a few achievements as well. There are so many graduation parties to look forward to. We were invited to a friend son's graduation party. I was just speculating what to wear. As it is an Indian friend's party, I decided that I am going to dress up in Indian wear. Living in New England , a few days of summer is bliss after the winter hibernation. I can't wait to wear my Indian outfits which I got from India during my last visit. As I was deciding on my dress, I assumed crowd would be more youth. They will wear western so to blend with it I need to wear something subtle.        While going through my wardrobe, I finalized on my off-white chanderi silk flared kurta with silver banarasi border, and a black dupatta with silver weaves. As the dress is simple and fuzz-free, it gives...

“And one day she discovered that she was fierce and strong, and full of fire and that not even she could hold herself back because her passion burned brighter than her fears.” –Mark Anthony Her passion accentuates in her designs. Working and established as PR professional Pranami, there was always a thrive, drive and love that let to give up her career and choose what she love most. A Masters in  International Public Relations from Cardiff University, her quest for fashion designing began when she came back from London, and to the cherry on top, within the first year she got into the country's illustrious Lakme Fashion week 2016, and her line Pariah by Pranami got launched into renowned fashion house Ogaan Delhi. Her darn determination and endurance well paid off. Woman…..She wears so many feathers on her hat…mother, daughter, sister, friend, fiancé, in spite of all those she remains in her signature, her individuality. The same can be adorned for Pranami Kalita’s crea...

I have a great fascination for filling breakfasts as it serves you longer, I mean, if you have a great breakfast your day will start with more energy more zest. I love Indian breakfasts as it is very filling and satisfying at the same time. When it comes to southern Indian food, I always love to have breakfast or brunch. Just recently, I had a scrumptious breakfast at Saravanaa Bhavan in Edison, New Jersey. My southern Indian friends always make fun of me, since I haven’t had a chance to visit Saravanaa Bhavan yet if you haven't been to Saravanaa Bhavan than you really have not tasted great south Indian food. As I entered, my expectations were more traditional interior and space, but it was quite the opposite of my expectation. Saravanaa Bhavan owned me over at the very first sight by its beautiful modern interior with bright crimson red and opulent orange looks and attentive and humble service. We started our day with Madras filtered coffee that something you need for...

I needed to slow down a bit, there are so many things going on in my life, and as a mother or parent you might very well relate to me. My blogging, two kids, husband and home, end of the school year picnic, summer recitals, concerts, etc... I told my husband I need a break. Every now and then we do take a break. Memorial Day holiday was coming by, but this time I wanted something different than a usual break. Then one of my good friend's message came as a blessing; they wanted to go for a vacation rental, and she was just wondering if we could join them. It was an obvious yes. My friend and her family have been doing vacation rentals for many years. She is very pro at it. She made all the planning, bookings, and everything. She spoke with the owner to get photos from the location or the property where we were going. It made everything so much easier. The significant part of living in New England or more precisely Connecticut is we have access to the all beautiful pla...

      Wherever I visit a college town whether its Burlington in VT, Newhaven in CT, Cambridge in MA, North campus in Delhi or Providence in RI, it alway gives me such ample energy and enthusiasms that none other can offer. A college town always has that organic and raw energy that slips into you. Today's college kid and youth always fascinate me the way they take their food seriously. We in our 20s or college days did not take it that seriously what goes into our body and what is on our plates. Probably that consciousness in youth food intake is why you always find a great restaurant in any college town today.       Light, wholesome, savory "Veggie Fun" is a new age Asian vegetarian fusion cuisine. Casual open space with a huge bar, beautiful dim lighting and overlooking the streets creates a nice ambiance.        We started our day with Veg Dumpling. Coming from the eastern part of India inclination for momo(dumplings) is...

An Assam silk sari with zardozi work clutch       When you build a classic wardrobe, you need to pay more attention to quality than quantity. A piece that you invest in, you should be able to assemble on it, mix and match and repeat on successfully many times.       I will list the item right below... 1.       A silk Sari-Sari is the soul of any Indian wardrobe. There are plenty of saris and fashion trends also changes quite often. If you don’t want to worry about the fast-changing fashion trends, it is the perfect reason for one to go for traditional saris. In this case, it is the silk sari. There are options like Assam silk, Kanchipuram, Paithani, and Panchapally to Ikkat and many more. A Chikankari sari 2.      Since you own a silk sari, you can either go for a Chiffon printed sari or Chikankari sari, Kantha work sari, Kashmiri embroidered, or one with Gujrati mirrored work is great too. 3.     ...

When two cultures assimilate, the result is always brilliant, and when it comes to the assimilation of cuisine from two cultures, the effect is even more brilliant. Whether its Chinese-American, Latin-American or Mexican-Italian, but when Chinese meets Indian cuisine the food and flavor take it to another level. Yes, Indo-Chinese a very popular cuisine in India, seasonings, and flavors from both countries come under one roof. Born in Calcutta, Indo-Chinese seasons in Chinese way merged in Indian cooking techniques. If you ever taste it, you won’t forget it. After moving from India to the USA, I always look for Indo-Chinese cuisine. Some restaurant's menu does include a few entrees but not a whole lot of items. Recently, I was lucky enough to visit Red Chutney in New Jersey and fortunate enough to find the same flavor in the restaurant. Eclectic, oriental interior with urban feels, sophisticated modern lighting, Red Chutney naturally create a great ambiance. It was an incr...