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Raising a toast to high-end whisky Cheers! High-end liquor is flowing in Chandigarh like never before. It may hit you like a strong drink, but more and more connoisseurs across the city are nowadays saying glass-down to standard whisky. Right, they are raising spirits by picking up tainted bottles full of untainted “expensive” pleasure from so many liquor stores, steadily. No wonder, the sale of first-class liquor is soaring, along with the spirits. Quoting rough estimates, Area Sales Executive working with a top-brand liquor manufacturing company Gagan Dhamija says, “The sale of quality liquor has almost doubled in Chandigarh even since the UT Administration raised a toast to the concept of issuing licenses for setting up liquor stores in the city.” Flashing an intoxicating smile at an impressive ceremony held Saturday at Captain’s Retreat for commemorating the launch of “Black Dog Centenary”, he says: And it’s not just the high-society that is guzzling premium brands of golden elixir in clubs and bars for soaring spirits. Even the bourgeois in the city are fast graduating to first-rate liquor, happily and openhandedly.” If you are staggering with doubts about the stimulating popularity of finest whoopee water, just push your way through the impressive glass doors of liquor super marts in the city. Less than six months after these stores came into existence, you will find merry residents picking up the top brands, dazzling on the glass shelves, with rock steady hands. Among the devotees of Bacchus are not just young professionals working in the call centers or worse-for-liquor girl students staying as paying guests across the city. Even housewives are there, buying pricey Demon Rum in full public view. The apprehension of being “labeled” is the last thing on their ever-shifting minds. Busting at the brim with eagerness, they pull out hard currency notes from their leather handbags before carrying away avant-garde firewater for igniting the sparks of enthusiasm in parties strictly for women. Associated with liquor business in the city for over a decade, Dhamija says: “Almost every liquor enthusiast in the city has traveled one brand up ever since the new liquor policy came into existence. The ones enjoying brands costing between Rs 100 and Rs 150 are now going in for bottles priced at double the amount. The ones earlier in the middle segment are, in turn, picking up the gods’ nectar ranging anywhere between Rs 800 and 900”. In the entire process, individual consumption of whisky has happily gone down: “As the residents have to pay more, so many of them simply avoid reckless drinking,” says Dhamija. “Otherwise also, they get more satisfaction in less due to good quality.” Raising a toast to the stimulating trend, the owner of liquor superstore “Spirit” in Sector 9 Rajiv Suri, says: “To begin with, the prices of liquor have gone down with the introduction of the license system in the city. Convinced of the uncontaminated fact that there will be no adulteration, they are no more apprehensive in buying quality whisky. Then, a heady cocktail of unadulterated environment and refined salespersons in the well-lit stores encourage them to buy classy liquor in style.” Sounds neat! Hurray to him!
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What is the vision of the top fashion designers for spring and summer, 2007? All eyes are thus on the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week that is springing many a surprise in the Capital. Here is what some of our famous designers are up to: Manish Arora’s Spring/Summer 2007 look is a journey through forests and a paradise of animals, birds, fish, flowers, rivers, waterfalls, ocean, pear and trees. Swell well Rohit Gandi and Rahul Khanna return to innocence with a sweet, soft collection with neutral colours like black, white, grey, porcelain blue and beige and the embellishment and cutwork placements on the skirts, blouses and dresses moved gracefully from hemlines to side seams to all over for that graceful look. Men’s wear was basic with white shirts, innovative jackets following the
colour and embellishment theme. Jattinn’s Kocchar’s collection titled “Swell Well” is dedicated to the millions of mums-to-be in India and abroad. Gold & ivory From the rusts, indigo and gold of last season, Rohit Bal did an about turn towards Nacre – Mother of Pearl with a hint of glint. Rohit unleashed a line of stunning long coats, bumble skirts, textured ruffled jackets, long slender skirts, glamorous gowns, slender dresses all topped with jackets, caftans, shrugs, boleros. Rohit Bal returns to his favoured colour ivory after several seasons with texturing for Spring/Summer 2007 for a memorable collection.
— TNS
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What’s cooking?
Simple, solemn and eager, Kishan has come up the hard way but none of life’s cynicisms seemed to have seeped into him. Orphaned at an early age, his formative years were spent in struggle and today through the sheer dint of his hard work he is the proud proprietor of a catering service that is fast gaining a reputation for variety and palatability in the city. ‘Kishan Delicacies Cuisine Caterers’ may not rank high in the language employed in its moniker and neither does Kishan himself come across as the suave cordon bleu chef right out of a Swiss finishing school, but let him stir the ladle in your Thai Red Curry, and voila the taste is finger-licking. From the district of Almora in Rajasthan, Kishan lost his mother at the age of one and his father when he was ten years old. He was sent by his relatives to work in a hotel in Delhi from where he went to Rohtak and spent four years in various dhabas around the city. Next in line came Gazebo Restaurant in Ludhiana where he worked as a helper for one year and the bug bit or shall we say the whiff struck! “Earlier, the cooks would not let me see what they were doing, but my attention would be on their preparations. That is how I picked up everything,” he explains. Moving around every year from then on he worked as a helper in continental kitchens and Indian eateries until 1993 when he was appointed Chief Chef at a hotel in Bokaro, Bihar. One year later he was back in Chandigarh and this time at the city staple Chopsticks in Sector 7 rustling up Indian and Chinese cuisines. However, his next stop was to change his life. Going back to Delhi, he spent the several years working for a catering service run by a European lady named Jenny and that is when he learnt all he knows. Italian, Thai, Mongolian, Mexican, even Pilipino and Andalusian cooking were delved into. Finally Kishan was ready to do his own thing. In 2001, he finally started his catering facility and with delights such as Italian Chicken with Honey Chilli Sauce, Cheese Pancakes, Eggplant Curry and Continental Chicken with spinach, feta cheese in parsley sauce, there is not one colourful ingredient he does not know off! So what is his speciality we ask? Well, “everything” is the confident reply and no, he is not being immodest for he knows he has a pulse on taste-buds. “I am very fond of cooking and I try and cook healthy. Not too much oil and masalas. In fact, I prepare most of the masalas myself,” he says. He wears his earnestness on his sleeve and is justifiably proud of what he has achieved. “I was very poor but I had no bad habits and I worked very hard.” Armed with a keen smattering of English (for which he expresses a continuing gratitude to a city-based gentleman, Prem Singh, who taught him the rudiments of the language without asking for anything in return) all this man hopes for is to have his own restaurant one day.
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S for Spinach It is loaded with vitamins including A, B, C, and E and also several vital antioxidants. Thus it forms an important part in the diet of the growing children. When cooked, its volume is decreased by three quarters. It also consists of folic acid. It is better to steam it than to boil it. The history of spinach takes you to the South-West Asia. It is believed that it was first cultivated in Persia. The word itself is derived from the Persian word esfenaj. An important leaf vegetable, now it is grown throughout the temperate regions of the world. It is most productive in cool seasons and climates. In Indian households spinach holds an important place. The baby spinach with its round leaves is used in salads. The regular spinach can make mouth-watering delicacies like pakodas, kebabas, parathas, and can be cooked with almost every dal. Palak kadi will not only tantalize your taste buds but will provide you with additional health benefit. A dieter’s dream, with only about 41 calories per cup, it has also been regarded fighter of cancer. Paneer and spinach parathas Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes Makes 6 parathas. For the dough 1 1\2 tea cups plain flour 1 1\2 teacups whole wheat flour 2 teacups chopped spinach 1\2 teaspoon lemon juice 2 tablespoon ghee 1 teaspoon salt Stuffing 1 tea cup grated cauliflower 1 tea cup crumbled paneer 2 table spoons chopped coriander 3-4 green chilies chopped 1\2 tablespoon finely chopped ginger Salt to taste Ghee for cooking How to make it Blend the spinach and lemon juice with 2 tablespoons of water in a liquidizer. Sieve the flours with salt. Add ghee and mix well. Add the spinach mixture. Make a semi-soft dough by adding enough water. Divide the dough into 6 portions. Roll out one portion of the dough. Put about 2 teaspoons of stuffing in the centre and seal the edges. Roll out again into a thick paratha. Cook on a hot griddle (tawa)on both sides using a little ghee until pink spots come on top. Repeat for the
remaining dough portions and stuffing. Serve with fresh curd.
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Herbal touch “These days we have a wide spectrum of herbs to choose from like basil, thyme and rosemary,” says Cookie Marwaha, a cookery expert. “Herbs are essential in continental cooking for
flavouring and garnishing. In Mexican cooking we have celantro, in Italian we have basil and oregano and in French cuisine we have thyme.” Herbs are available in dried form as well as fresh bunch. Farmers’ Fresh super market in sector 34 has different brands in dried herbs: Dibonas costing Rs 32 per 10 gram, Easy Life, costing Rs 62 for 20 gm and also imported ones costing Rs50 for 20 gm. Says Rohit Gawari, manager, Peshawari super market, sector 19, “We have a wide variety of dried herbs such to offer to our customers from brands such as Solar and dibonas costing Rs 30 to 60 per 10 gm . Fresh herbs are with us available during the winters.” If you are keen on gardening, then you can enhance your kitchen garden by growing these herbs in your garden. Amit, manager, Durga Seeds Farm, Sector 26, informs: “We have seeds for Herbs such as rosemary, mint, sage and thyme. Their seeds are sown in October. These can easily be grown at home.” Rohini Walia enhances our knowledge of herbs saying: “Oregano, basil, parsely are commonly used herbs. Oregano is the most heard of herb and we use it for pizzas. Basil is what we call tulsi in hindi. Then we have parsely which has flat leaves, coriander (dhania) is from the parsely family. Lemon grass is used for making lemon tea and is also used in continental and Mexican cooking.” “To give that hint of mouth-watering element it is important to add basil to pasta sauce and marjoram to any non-vegetarian continental dish,” says Cookie. She further advises “Use dried herbs in small quantities as too much of any dried herb can make the dish pungent.” Apart from flavouring and garnishing, Richa Jain, dietician, says that herbs have more anti-oxidants than fruits and vegetables. Culinary herbs have 42 times more nutritional value than apples and 30 times more than potatoes. “Doctors recommend the use of herbs in salt restricted diets to enhance the flavour of the food,’’ she says. Using fresh herbs is always a good idea. Don’t over cook the herbs otherwise their nutritional value will be lost. So are you getting those hunger pangs? Quickly go and cook something yummy for yourself and don’t forget to top it off with a smattering of herbs.
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The Apple of One’s Eye
French Apple Pie For the shortcrust pastry 2 cups plain flour ½ tsp salt ¾ cup chilled butter, diced 5-6 tblsp cold milk For the filling 4 ½ cups chopped apples 1-2 thinly sliced apples for topping ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup breadcrumbs ¼ tsp powdered cinnamon 1 tblsp lemon juice Sieve together the flour & salt. Rub the fat into the flour till the mixture looks crumbly. Add just enough cold milk to form a ball. Allow the dough to rest, covered, for 30 minutes, then, roll out and fit into a pie dish. Combine chopped apples, sugar, breadcrumbs, spices & lemon juice. Pile the filling into the prepared pie-shell. Arrange the apple slices on top, overlapping one another. Dot the pie with butter & sprinkle some sugar over it. Bake at 180º C, for about 40 minutes. Apple & Raisin Chutney 1 Kg peeled, cored and grated apples ½ Kg sugar 2 onions, finely chopped 50 gm ginger, chopped ½ cup raisins ¼ cup dates, chopped 2 cups vinegar Garam masala, salt and chilli powder to taste Method In a heavy vessel, simmer the apples, onion, ginger and garlic in one cup of water. When the apples have softened somewhat, tip the sugar, raisins & dates into the pan. Cook for another 15 minutes, then add the vinegar and garam masala. Now boil rapidly to evaporate the liquid, till a jam like consistency is obtained. At this point, check the seasoning. You may require more sugar, salt, or vinegar, depending on the original tartness of the apples used. Transfer into jars when cool.
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Music: Alive and free Is there musicality in animals? Yes there is, if bohemian French composer Eric Satie is to be believed. And interpreting his piece Intelligence and musicality in animals (amongst other things) are French artists—pianist and composer Christine Chareyron and director Brigitte Foray—weaving the music and literary texts of the composer in a concert that promises to be unique. It all happened when Christine wanted to do something with Satie’s work and approached Brigitte to string it together with her. Not too difficult since both of them love Satie’s music and his sense of humour. With works spanning compositions for the piano, melodies and ballet theatre, “his music is not only very popular but is also representative of Paris. What is more he also wrote a lot of articles, not literary, but impressions” avers Brigitte which will be part of Christine’s performance along with the piano recital. While Christine has been involved with music since the age of 8 and Brigitte, a film director having worked with theatre since 1976 and writing and directing short fiction documentaries, it is not surprising that these two talented women came together for this endeavour. “Actually Christine does everything, I just stand around and say are you alright,” laughs Brigette but what Christine wanted was “the presence of Satie throughout the show” and that is where the direction comes in. “It is not a dramatic performance so much as conveying the text to the audience, but we had to work on how to do this along with the recital,” says Christine crediting Brigitte with having worked the production out. Is this a novel approach to performances? “Music and text is not common but it is not new either,” says Brigitte and both of them are involved in another production on the same lines except this one will be an interpretation of the work of a Greek poet. Scheduled to be shown in Chennai in December, the direction will be handled once again by Brigitte, while the music will be composed by Christine and will also be acted out by a dancer and actress friend, Nirupama Nityanandan who was also involved in translating this current production of theirs from French to English. Also in the offing for Brigitte, are a series of documentaries on relationships between people. “It is the same script but I hope to film these using people from different countries to see how these relationships differ.” All this will have to wait till until this tour on Satie’s work plays out. Till then Brigitte, a self-professed free spirit, “I do what I want; every second of my life is my choice”, and an India-lover has to wait for her great big dream which is to spend the last days of her life in this county, “sitting under a banyan tree with little boys and girls around me.” Surely the spirit of Satie would approve. The concert brought to the city by Alliance Francaise de Chandigarh and the French Embassy will be held on September 2 at 6:30 pm at Law Bhawan, Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana, Sector 37.
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Says Shivali, one of the two designers, whose effort is at display at the sale, “Basically, what we are offering is something different. Being young, we understand what the ladies want. Each of our products is the result of a painstaking eye on detail and craftsmanship.” “We have something for everybody,” says Shivali. While the price of the kurtis ranges from Rs 250-5000, the sarees can be yours for Rs 4,000-15,000. Ms Shivali, who is a trained designer from International Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi, and her partner, Ms Himba, also runs a boutique in Mohali. “We know the ladies in the tri-city want only the best. And, that is what we are offering. Anything matching our collection is not available in the market,” says Himba. The exhibition-cum-sale will be on till Sunday evening.
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What Kathy likes about Punjabis
Gender norms Kathy is in India to interview young women for her M. Phil research project for the University of Lund, Sweden on ‘Gender norms within Punjabi culture’. Into research for the past one-year, Kathy says the freedom to be themselves is there for women everywhere; only the cost of this freedom varies from culture to culture. Getting to know various cultures has made her realise that there are different ways of living and that only cultural illiteracy leads to confusions manifesting riots and connecting a turn\ban with the Taliban. Strong ties Already having travelled to cultures of Western Europe, Spain, Canada and Sweden, Kathy who was born in Liverpool, U.K and raised in Ontario in Canada, was always drawn to India, its culture and spirituality. “Indian culture without the gender restrictions would be my ideal world,” she says. “ It is a vegetarian’s paradise and the oiling of the hair and the use of batna for the skin fascinate me. I also like the strong friendship network among girls as well as the strong family ties.” Talking about what makes her soul love the culture here, she says it is the fluid religious traditions rather than the formal and centralized religions, the sheer beauty, festivity, joy and happiness of festivals like Diwali and Holi. Role models Talking of women in both western and Indian cultures Kathy puts forth her doll model for the West it is the anorexic Barbie with skimpy clothes, make-up and a boy friend called Ken. for a women in the Islamic culture it is cover-cover and the Indian doll is the quintessentially married sari clad girl with kumkum, and a smile on her face. All cultures are making men and women follow a certain model, telling them what is their acceptable behaviour and in India the married-centric culture is making girls less autonomous. The western culture is telling women to dye their hair blonde and fit into a certain size of jeans to control women through clothes and that is why when she wears her loose comfortable salwar kameez that she finds very comfortable. In the West, she is seen as a non- conformist. However when she came here the first thing she stopped wearing was the dupatta, seeing how it is a form of hijab meant for women to cover their chests and be ashamed of their bodies. Feminine power What she loves is some very strong concepts the culture has like the concept of ‘Kali’ ad ‘Shakti,’ symbols of feminine spiritual power, the concept of ahimsa or non-violence, which she has applied to herself. What she does not like “is the girls saying that the bell is ringing for them to get married by 25 years of age and the dowry system,” says Kathy.
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Tarantella Pictures Pvt Ltd, one of Asia’s biggest software producers, ventures into animation with the globe’s first 3D film on Lord Ganesha. The film on the life of the elephant-headed God with universal appeal will be the first of its kind in the world on Ganesha. “The story traces the life of Ganesha with interesting known and unknown facets of the elephant-headed God, and brings with it over three years of research,” says director Sharad Sharan who admits that Ganesha is every animator’s dream come true. “Ganesha as an animated figure is a very interesting with unique artistic forms. I have never seen such a beautiful mythological form. It took us over thee years of research before we embarked on the script with Dr Vyas, a Ph.D Scholar in Vedic Science (in Sanskrit), Ramchander Sadekar, Amjad Sheikh. and veteran writer Brij Katyal are heading this team.” Technologically the product boasts of superiority as we, as also by virtue of being the first-of-its-kind venture. “It would be a 32 to 50 camera set-up and we are capturing a lot of live action animation,” elaborates Sharad Sharan. Tarantella Pictures Pvt Ltd, in the past two years, had focused on conception, production, and distribution of feature films and television software for the Asian market and has directed over 65,000 minutes of television software in Indonesia and has produced award-winning series like Janjiku, Istri Pilihan, Bidadari among others.
—DP
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The city has seen a complete makeover as far as shopping and eating outlets go. The latest is a store completely dedicated to fashion jewellery in Sector 37. This is a one-stop fashion store with jewellery and accessories including pendants, earrings, rings, bangles, clips, belts and whatnot. Not just that the store has sets and earrings in genuine Swarovski, Polki and Austrian stones. Sandeep Arora Suraj, the proud owner of the store that bears his name, says: “The store has been designed to cater to the needs of the young generation of the city. There is a wide variety of stuff that the teenagers can well afford to pick up and branded Trenz jewellery is a special attraction.” What is more interesting is the struggle that Suraj has put in to make it thus far. After doing his Class X, he was forced to sell milk for a living. Hailing from Shahkot he moved to Chandigarh in 1994 and sold rubber bands on the roadside. Hard work got him where he is and not only does he own Suraj, a very upmarket store in Sector 37 but several other outlets here and Ludhiana. Ask him of his future plans and he says: “”We will be coming up with several of our counters in Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. Well, keep it up Suraj for the sun is certainly on the side of those who work hard.
—TNS
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Gardens: Dahlias on display Dahlias are the easiest bulbs to grow and the most flamboyant to look at. Soft soil, adequate water, manures and plenty of sunshine is the recipe for perfect dahlias. Their variety is mind-boggling. You can choose from miniature buttonhole varieties to huge, giant, 10” blooms. There are two-toned petals as well as solid colors, all facing you with their perfect petal whorls. Wild dahlias were discovered in Mexico around 1570. Their seeds were brought to England and then some one realized that propagation could take place through bulbs too. Eureka! Settlers carried the flowers to America. I am sure the “Mayflower” had many baskets carrying tubers! Giant dahlias need at least 3’ between rows and plants to give the best blooms. They need well-manured soil, good drainage and bi-monthly fertilization through -out the growing season. Like us dahlias are 75% water. Before the shoots appear, an inch of water a week is advised. Once the leaves appear, give a weekly soaking in the early morning so that the soil dries out by nightfall. Dahlias can be planted according to size. As there is such a variety, plant the giant ones at the back. They will grow to around 5’ in height. Next add a row of medium sized ones. The nearest row can sport miniatures. Spacing has to be according to size. Be sure to identify your bulbs according to height and color before you plant them or you will be landed with a lop sided display. The types you can opt for are: single, anemone (curly, delicate petals), collerette, water Lilly, ball, cactus, semi-cactus, giant, pom-pom As with other bulbs, dahlias can be left in the soil once flowering is over. Be sure to manure them once before they become dormant. Tubers can be separated or sliced with a knife if they become too large. Cut edges have to be brushed with insecticide. As with all bulbs, store the tubers immediately as the roots must not be allowed to dry out. Once the rains stop, plant your tubers. As August is almost over, get your materials ready.
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High tea with Magppie
Adding a touch of sophistication to the art of drinking tea, Magppie brings you an excusive collection of tea accessories in its fusion range. Combing the delicate looks of bon china with the strength of stainless steel, Magppie lends an inimitable element of delight to an everyday experience. The accessory set which includes two teacups with saucers, an elegant teapot, milk jug and sugar bowl, combines the soulful and serene look ceramic with the permanence of steel. The set is priced at Rs 15,000. This special creation is available at exclusive Magppie Boutiques in Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Banglore, Delhi and Gurgaon as well as at all leading lifestyle stores in the country like shoppers stop, lifestyle etc. Free hair shine treatment! For the first time in India, L’Oreal professional, the pioneer in the hair dressing industry world wide, has launched a colour-service innovation that is empowered with a new technology that long lasting shine to the hair as the number one benefit to the client. Thanks to a new hair care technology develop by the L’Oreal Labs, RICHESSE, the new ammonia-free coloration segment meets the no.1 expectation of women: Long Lasting Shine. Ammonia free caring hair- Pamper your tresses with the RICHESSE, an ammonia free colour, whose gentle, generous and premium values, equipped with extra conditioning elements, respects your hair as it colour, providing the ultimate shine and colour result to all women in quest for hair with long lasting protection and shine. Conditioning colour- apricot kernel oil, nourishing lipid and patented molecules provides nourishment and long lasting shine to your hair as it is coloured. The hair fibre is protected twice, on its outer layer as well as its core structure. Anti-dimpling decongesting serum The no.1 dermocosmetic brand in European pharmacies has for the first time, introduced a derma soothing technology that reduces the appearance of orange-peel skin in just a fortnight: Lipocure, an anti dimpling decongesting serum Lipocure, anti-dimpling decongesting serum a massage-free shock treatment to visibly level out dimpling and resurface skin. Expertise: Women’s bodies naturally tend to form reserves of fat in area like thighs buttocks and hips. Zero exercises and a sedentary lifestyle aggravate the problem. Cellulite, the common term used to describe these superficial pockets of trapped fat, causes uneven dimpling or ‘orange peel’ skin. It is a chronic problem that appears in 90 per cent of adolescent and post adolescent women. Lipocure is available at selected pharmacies across India, with trained advisers at the counter to guard consumers for the usage of product. Available in 100ml priced at Rs. 1290. Eau de Perfume This month is marked for independence! To compliment the occasion, Avon brings to you the latest from its perfume collection- Women of Earth, eau de perfume. The fragrance will leave you feeling fresh, cool and confident. Women of Earth, a fragrance so wonder that will transport you into an ethereal world. Feel the divine essence come alive!!! With mesmerizing floral notes of apple Blossom and fruity Bergamot, women of Earth will leave you feeling refreshed and self-assured. Its lingering scents of Vanilla and Jasmine will delight not only you but also all those around you…all day long. Just dab some on and feel the difference!!! Women of Earth comes in a gorgeous lime- green glass bottle and is treat to the eyes, a must-have for your perfume collection! MRP at Rs. 900, women of Earth, 50ml, is available with all Avon Beauty Advisors only. Mambo the Elephant and Samba the Lion! VVF Ltd., a leading manufacturer of personal care products, introduces two more fun and exciting new animal shapes – ‘ Mambo the Elephant’ and ‘Samba the Lion’ to their Doy range of soaps for young children. Trade and customer feedback indicated that the earlier launched Doy Soaps with its unique and colourful shapes appealed to the kids segment and became very popular with young children. Hence, VVF Ltd decided to add on two more fun shapes - ‘Mambo the Elephant’ and ‘Samba the Lion’ to the existing Doy family comprising of Princess, Pixie and Mermaid. Priced at Rs.16 per pack, The Mambo and Samba range of Doy soaps is available across the country, including Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana] at all retail outlets. Pirates of Hawaii Pepe Jeans, London, brings in its Hawaiian Pirates range to add fun-n-action to the season. The range is inspired by Hawaii’s beautiful oceans, majestic volcanic mountains, lush tropical foliage, unique native arts and the Aloha spirit. The collection depicts the touch of desert islands or sailing the high seas. The styles feature a treasure chest of influences and finds from the coast. The jackets are straight from the Captain to be worn with cropped pants or flowing skirts – for a tinker look. Fabrics of this collection have a sun baked and washed down look. The looks of a travelled and adventurous pirate comes from the antique look.
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Charlize’s manipulation In a rather honest confession, Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron has revealed that she got Hollywood director James Gray drunk to secure her popular role in The Yards.
Theron claims that she plied the director with alcohol in order to win the role of Erica Stoltz opposite Mark Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix in the 2000 flick.
“I got him drunk - that’s when my manipulation works well”, Contactmusic quoted her, as saying. Meanwhile, according to recent Hollywood reports, Theron is set to star in her boyfriend Stuart Townsend’s directorial debut ‘Battle in Seattle’. The film is set during the 1999 World Trade Organisation (WTO) meeting in Seattle. Bruce’s marriage secure Veteran singer Bruce Sprigsteen has rubbished rumours that his marriage with Patti Scialfa, to whom he has been married for 20 years, is on the verge of a split. The Born In The USA star was said to have clandestinely separated from Scialfa, after reportedly falling for a 9/11 widow he met when he organized TV telethon, America: A Tribute But due to constant tabloid reports claiming that his marriage is in jeopardy, Springsteen has decided to snub all the speculation. “Due to the unfounded and ugly rumours that have appeared in the papers over the last few days, I felt they shouldn’t pass without comment,” Contactmusic quoted him, as saying on his website. Dylan not to quit Rock legend Bob Dylan insists that he isn’t ready for retirement just yet, for he feels that he is still in his “middle years”. “I didn’t want to fade away. I didn’t want to be a has-been, I wanted to be somebody who’d never be forgotten. I feel that, one way or another, it’s OK now, I’ve done what I wanted for myself... I see that I could stop touring at any time. I think I’m in my middle years now. I’ve got no retirement plans.” Contactmusic quoted him as telling Rolling Stone magazine. The living legend’s 44th album has earned five-star reviews in Uncut and Rolling Stone magazines, with the latter calling it a “masterwork”.—ANI
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Health tip of the day
Local application of moist heat to the muscles just before and after the stretching/ yoga exercises reduces the post exercise muscle soreness.
— Dr. Ravinder Chadha |
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“It is palak paneer for dinner.” Say this to your kids and they will start making faces. And then starts running after them and luring them to eat this highly beneficial vegetable. Its taste is the reason behind its non- popularity.
But, this green marvel with smooth, broad leaves is a storehouse of nutrients, especially when fresh, steamed or boiled.
The enthusiasm amongst us city dwellers to experiment with continental cuisine apart from Indian and Chinese has considerably grown .To match our enthusiasm the local super market are well stocked with herbs. Rohini Walia, who takes cooking classes, says: “What garam masalas are to Indian cooking, herbs are to continental cooking.” 
While driving through Kullu last week, we were wowed by the apple orchards along the road. Trees laden with gleaming red orbs, with the conifers hovering over them, were truly a delight to behold. Every now and then, we’d pass a couple of Himachali kids holding forth a sack of apples, imploring one to make a purchase. With their pink, chubby cheeks, they looked quite like the apples themselves! As for the apples? God, were they LARGE, like shot-puts pretending to be the forbidden fruit! Unfortunately, beauty in this case too, is only skin-deep. The pesticides sprayed on the trees are carcinogenic, so we must peel the fruit and discard the skins. Alas! We have to forgo the visual appeal of an apple pie, with the ripple effect of thinly sliced, red skinned fruit. Show me a wedge of one such pie, and BANG goes my resolution for counting calories!
Method
30 gm garlic paste
This sale promises to be different! Different because the brains behind this venture are two young ladies, who are offering the best bargain to the ladies of the tri-city. There are suits, sarees, kaftans and kurtis galore at Phulkari in Hotel Aroma, Sector 22.
To be or not to be- women have experience universally. This according to 29-year-old Kathryn Lum of Irish and Chinese parentage means choosing her own path or following a path of the culture that she has been bred in.
“Patti and I have been together for 18 years - the best 18 years of my life. We have built a beautiful family we love and want to protect and our commitment to one another remains as strong as the day we were married”, he added.