The literary musings of a suburban mind in an exotic land

I've always been fascinated by foreign cultures, however, when I began learning about India, I fell in love. With each fact I learned, I wanted to learn more about India, the people, and the culture. People I have met from India have become very close friends, like family to me; they have taught me a lot about their culture, and have fueled my interest in ways hitherto unknown in my American life.

As an American who is a very picky eater, I have found that trying new foods can be difficult. I have tried some Indian food, and have found it quite spicy for my bland American palate. I have tried chicken curry, shrimp curry, and naan bread, to name a few dishes. I've recently tried lamb biryani; Now, I have to say that I have been wanting to try this because one of my friends raves about this rice dish. So, I ordered it and waited for this wonderful dish to arrive. My first taste was interesting, to say the least. Then came the fire! It was way to spicy for my tastes. I really wanted to like this dish because I love lamb, but I have to say I could not eat it. My friends recommended I add ghee to cut the spiciness, but that did not work for me. So, I have learned to ask how spicy the dish is before I order now.

Moving on to other dishes...I will be attempting to make idli, which is described as a South Indian savory cake, it is made of fermented black lentils and rice. So I purchased a mix from my favorite Indian grocery and the idli stand so I can make the "savory little cakes".

And so I will end this first entry with this thought... life should be lived and learn new things everyday!