I haven't been
able to find his personal favorite, Heat & Eat Achari Mushrooms, here in Richmond. But on a whim I tried Kitchens of India, complete with complimentary CD with music by Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. A winner on both counts! Honestly, if I had been served the Chick Peas Curry at a restaurant, I would have been very pleased--it was very spicy (read: hot), and really delicious. And I didn't doctor it up at all: I just took it to work and heated it up.
17 comments:
Hi ,
I was reading ur blog posts and found some of them to be wow.. u write well.. Why don't you popularize it more.. ur post on Indian food took my particular attention as it is an interesting topic of mine too ;)
BTW I help out some ex-IIMA guys who with another batch mate run www.rambhai.com where you can post links to your most loved blog-posts. Rambhai was the chaiwala at IIMA and it is a site where users can themselves share links to blog posts etc and other can find and vote on them. The best make it to the homepage!
This way you can reach out to rambhai readers some of whom could become your ardent fans.. who knows.. :)
Cheers,
You should try the chana masala recipe from my friend Liudwih. If it's not on my blog, I can email you...1 can of chick peas, 1 box of chopped spinach (if you like spinach) or some chicken. It's yummy and there's ALWAYS leftovers for at least 2 or 3 more meals. Just an idea...
... I'll have to look for Kitchens of India, the stuff on their website looked yummy. I find myself cooking fish or meat with rice and the Indian dishes make it a real meal. The Achari mushrooms are great with Grilled Cow (sacred?)
hey but why dont you try and post something on rambhai.com.Iam sure there are many food lovers in there and you will get your desired response. so just try iot out once.
Nice site, Ray. But much as I enjoy Indian food, movies and music, I write about things Icelandic instead. Good luck with rambhai, though!
Hey, you probably don't remember me commenting last fall on your blog, but I live in Victoria, BC, and I'm about to go to Iceland in September. Just about to finish up teaching English in Korea.
Do you have an off-season experience in Iceland? Will that little mythical island in the north still offer tours?
And is Bonus really that affordable?
Thanks for your time.
Hey Joel,
We lived in Iceland for 2 1/2 years...you should still be fine to get tours through September. The days don't really start to get dreary until October. However, there are things to do all year long. Bonus is more affordable than Hagkaup or such but food is still very expensive on the island. Email me through my blog if you would like any further information...
Joel and Shannon,
Great to hear from you again, Joel. I'll be in touch. I'm glad you hooked up with Shannon--I'm the Icelandic Cheering Squad, she's The Information. Shannon has the practical info that will actually be of some help ;-)
Hi again Joel,
Now that I have a little time to write I want to ask about your year in Korea...how was it? Are you going to keep a blog or a journal of your Iceland trip? How long will you be in Iceland? Have you read any Icelandic novels or sagas yet? Don't forget to take a sleeping bag...that will save you money even in standard hotels.
Do you plan to focus on one or two areas, or try to see most of Iceland? I'm looking forward to hearing about your trip...please let me know if you do a blog!
Dear Rose and Shannon,
Just about to finish up my contract in Korea. I am pretty drained to be honest. Korea is busy, most people and students have their schedules jammed tight with activity after activity so that after a while everything seems work, school related.
The food is great, the people are outgoing, and caring, the architecture ugly, we're packed in like sardines really (apartments have been going up non-stop around me the entire year), and the air polluted (much of it coming from Seoul and China), at least where I live. But at least the planners don't develop the mountain ranges, which are mostly forested.
The East Sea is much cleaner. And, I live with a Korean family whom I've befriended, and another family and their kids whom I've become somewhat of an uncle for and will miss very much.
Well, I have been dreaming of the Iceland since last fall. I'm in need of some space to work out what next as far as my studies are concerned. Should I be a teacher or librarian, an archivist, or ...?
Been planning on getting into the sagas when I get back. Would like to make my way around the entire island, but wouldn't mind spending most of my time in the South hiking, hoping to stay in those free (?) huts around Landmannalaugar. I thought about walking (perhaps hitch-hiking?) most of the time since car rentals are pricey, but may have to rent one for at least a week.
And, I will think about the blog a bit more. I have a love-hate thing with writing.
Thanks for your responses. I hope to pick your brains for ideas and travel tips. Oh, and I'll be there for almost a month! What am I doing?!
Joel, well if you decide to become a librarian, Shannon and I are the ones to talk to. Thats what we are.
And you may find the bus service adequate, and be able to avoid car rentals.
Is the bus service adequate in September of all times. Lonely Planet has the idea that once August is over everything, including buses, grind to a halt. Are there still local buses running around the island?
How much money should I bring if I want to make it around the island, have a nice dinner here and there, groceries for a month, camping, a hostel for a few nights (with sleeping bag)?
I know this is asking a lot, but any shot in the dark would help. How much did you need on your trip for food and shelter? (you don't need to answer that one if you prefer not to).
The guidebooks will give you a better idea as to price, combined with looking at the exchange rate. It's been 2 years since I went, so...
You can find a lot of ways to save money if you're creative. Going to the market and packing lunches, staying at places that include breakfast or have a kitchen, and so on.
We took a collapsible ice chest, you know, insulated fabric type, and that helped a lot.
And Joel, check out "Hot tips from Iceland eyes":
http://icelandeyes.blogspot.com/
She has great trips on travel such as "cheap food", "driving" and so on. It is on the left side of her home page, scroll down...
thanks rose, just a little antsy. sorry for bombarding you with all these questions unrelated to your post. not near any English bookstores besides the one in Seoul. so I'll be doing my research online for now, plus I'll be home soon, so no worries. cheers!
Hi Joel,
I am not sure of your age but I am betting you are eligible to stay in the youth hostels in Iceland. Look here for some information...I haven't read it in detail but it looks promising. http://www.hostel.is/displayer.asp?cat_id=13
Hitch hiking was a very safe way to travel when we lived there (we left in 2003) and I'm betting it still is. Most people speak English, unless you get out in the country and are on a farm with an elderly person or something odd like that. Oh, another tip, if you can take a small tent, you are allowed to camp overnight on ANY property. As Americans, we are not used to that but it is not uncommon to see tents in people's yards in Iceland! Of course, it would probably be polite to ask permission first, but the rule exists just the same.
Do you have a credit card? If so, you do not need to worry about carrying cash. You can pay for a stick of gum with a credit card and you will get the best exchange rate that way as well.
A book I would recommend to you is called "The Visitor's Key to Iceland" published by Randburg Publishing. http://www.randburg.com/is/ib.html
Fresh air and space are plentiful in Iceland. I hope you will enjoy it there! After Korea, it should be just what you need to think clearly. And as Rose said, we are both librarians, so you know what we'll advise you to do! (although, in defense of Archivists, that's also another great choice) I hope some of the above information will help you. If you have more questions, just let us know! ~Shannon
thanks shannon,
if I have any questions I'll let you both know, about iceland or being a librarian. i really appreciate it. that's wild that you're librarians!
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