Falafel and a Cookbook Giveaway .....

Birthdays Then ........

The Birthday Boy/Girl is excited and begins the countdown months ahead. The father goes to the nearby grocery store and picks up a packet of hard boiled candy the day before. The packet is opened .... the birthday kid and the siblings gather around with sparking eyes. Father counts the candies and puts them in a plastic bag ...... enough for the classmates and the teachers. Remaining is shared or rather fought over to be shared by the siblings.

On the birthday morning ......... the birthday kid gets special attention, is also pampered by the parents and grandparents. Wears a new dress, goes to temple with his father's riding on their faithful Bajaj Scooter. A special puja is performed by the temple Pujari(priest). Comes back home, distributes the prasad and seeks the blessings of the elderly.

Again the candies are counted one last time before leaving for school. Friends and teachers at school sing the 'Happy Birthday'song. The Birthday kid goes around distributing the candies ....... tries to save some for his special friends.

Mean while ...... a cake is being baked at home. There is a little hustle bustle in the kitchen. The menu for the birthday is decided on the fly. Aunts and women from the neighborhood gather and deep fry Poori's, also a special curry is prepared to go as a side dish .... mostly it's alu, chanaa or chole and not to forget the kheer. The halwai at the street corner caters to the samosa which are served as snacks.

Kids from the neighborhood are invited a day before, may be some friends and cousins from the same city .....

Hanging of balloons and streamers is an optional affair ..... Kids gather during the eve. Birthday fella blows the candle and cuts the home made cake. Friends give gifts to the Birthday boy/ girl ..... They mostly were pencils, Diary Milk/ 5 Star Chocolates/ Amul Chocolates (Yah once upon a time people considered them as gifts), pencil boxes, lunch boxes .... sometimes one or two toys and books.

Mats and bedsheets are spread on the floor. Kids are served on steel plates with Poori and sabji. And in the end kheer is served as dessert.

The kids play and parents chit chat before they call it a day !! Simple isn't it .....

Birthdays Now .........

The Birthday Kid is excited and the parents are tensed. Budget is discussed. Search for restaurant / banquet hall begins months in advance. Parents squabble over choosing the venue and pay a fat cheque to book it. Menu is decided days ahead and it has to be better than the neighbor's or colleagues ..... least at par ! A birthday theme is decided and shopping is in full spree.

Parents buy clothes to complement with the kids ..... may be the color of the balloons too !! An Evite invitation is sent weeks ahead .....

And yes .... I forgot to mention about the cake. This time Mom doesn't spend time in baking one. She is given some concession as she has many more things to bother about .... but yes she does spend a lot more time browsing and gawking photos of expensive cakes .... Cinderella, Winne the Pooh, Spiderman, Dora ... It's an encyclopedia. You tell me.

Well this era is about 'Return Gifts'. Weren't we taught in our childhood about 'Give and Take' .... I am sure this makes the other kids equally excited as the Birthday one. Fair enough !

Gifts are bought and packed in fancy colorful packets to be given away. It has also become a trend to play games at the party .... oh I am not just talking about the kids. The older ones too are roped into it ! Some of them play it even more seriously than what it takes to prepare for the IIT's OR MIT .... the bait - a gift wrapped in a glossy paper.Well I don't deny that it's fun too .....

Food is no more served .... Come on I must be kidding !! You serve it for yourself. Thanks to the buffet system ..... Eat all you want and what you want.

Well time changes and so have we ..... for the better or for the worst !!

So I did celebrate a virtual blog birthday ..... You remember na ? Didn't I treat you all with stuffed bell peppers.

What ?? 'Return Gift' .... Yah Yah I have something.

A book on Mediterranean Cooking.

You will be amazed to know that it has quite a lot in common with Indian Cuisine.

I will be giving away this book as a gesture to thank you all for motivating/ criticizing and helping me come all the way.

The Meditterenean Cook Book for the Give Away .....

Here's the deal ......

You can do anyone or

All of these to participate in this Give Away !!

1) Follow my Blog by clicking the 'Follow' button. You must follow Publicly.

2) 'Like' or 'Follow' 'Food for Thought' on Facebook.

3) Leave a comment on my blog and tell me what you like most about my space. Is it the write up, the photographs or the recipe that draws you to 'Food for Thought'.

4) You can also participate if you are a non blogger. Just leave a comment with your email id and name so that I can hunt you down.

This time the give away is just for US residents. I will be selecting a winner randomly. To increase your chances to get this fabulous Mediterranean cook book you can do all the above.

The Give Away is open till ...... June 14th 2011.

Here is the recipe of Falafel from this book .... I tweaked it a bit though !!

Preparation Time - 40 minutes

Makes - 14 small Falafel

Ingredients

Dry chickpeas - 1/2 cup (soaked overnight or at least 10 hours (will be about 1 cup when soaked through)
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp (per taste)
Garlic - 4-5 cloves
Chopped Cilantro/Coriander - 1 cup
Onion - 1/3 cup chopped fine
Freshly squeezed lemon juice - 1-2 tbsp
Bread Crumbs of 1-2 bread

Salt per taste

You may also add chopped green chili to make it more spicy

Oil to deep fry

Method of Preparation

1. Drain the soaked Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans/ Chole in a colander till the water is completely drained.

2. Add the garlic cloves,cumin seeds and chickpeas and grind in a food processor to make a coarse paste. Do not add any water. If at all needed add very little.

3. Remove to a mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Mix well.

4. Pinch out small balls, roll them between your palms and then slightly press them to give it a desired shape.

5. Heat Oil in a Kadhai/ Wok and deep fry them on medium heat on both sides till golden brown.

6. Remove on a paper towel.