Mahanandi

Seattle has a great support system for homeless population. In downtown, where we live, there are many food banks; there is also one near our home. People who are going through difficult conditions can visit a food bank, and avail themselves of food like bread, fruits, milk, canned soup or soda, onions, potatoes and the like. Everything is given for free, no questions asked. Initially I was surprised to see dozens of people queuing up near our home. Then we realized what was going on. Not all times are our times. I am glad that Seattle citizens are doing a great job in taking care of their own. This good care even made few rabid TV anchors riled up. Jealousy towards the poor and less fortunate, what a way to earn millionaire salaries!

Inspired by what I see in Seattle, I resolved to generate some monetary support for our school at Nandyala through my recipes. You see, just like here, people are going through some rough conditions in Nandyala and surrounding villages. The number of school dropouts has increased greatly in recent months. Here in America, several regions took an economic hit, but at Nandyala, where the majority population, depends on agriculture, drought has brought despair. Unfortunately, unlike Seattle, there is no strong support system for children leave alone for elders in my hometown to recover.

When we wrote the maa badi post two years ago, some of you showed interest and offered help. At Swami School, we developed a system so that the school would function self-sufficiently without outside contributions. So, we kept quiet. We are providing the best education possible with minimum burden on a child’s family, and the scholarships we sponsor have been funded with our own money. But now, the need has increased immensely, and this is the time to get involved actively. As a student who has benefited from scholarships, I know how every rupee can help. With these things in mind, I am starting “Artisan Food ~ Revenue through Recipes” program to raise money, however small the amount, to support the children at Swami School at Nandyala. This will also lend a sense of purpose to my food blogging, and help me feel like I am accomplishing something through my activity in this Web world.

In Artisan Food series, there would be a brief description of recipe and the recipe will not be posted on this website. If you are interested, make a purchase and I will send you a PDF document with complete recipe details.

Well, this is a first. Wish me good luck!

Avocado Annam is a pleasing but not fluffy kind of recipe. Ingredients are avocado and annam (=Sanskrit word for rice). Tomato, onion, cilantro and lime juice are also added. The preparation process and the end result have that perfect balance of interesting, but not so tedious that it becomes frustrating. “Why didn’t I think of this simple idea before” you marvel once everything is done. The recipe is easy and quick to prepare, and makes a great luncheon or dinner dish. Avocado fans particularly will enjoy this avocado annam.

How it Works: After payment via Paypal, PDF file will be emailed to you to download the recipe. For any questions about the recipe or the download process, please email me at mailmahanandi@gmail.com .

Details:
Artisan Food: Avocado Annam
Ingredients: Basmati, Avocado etc.
Skill level: Easy. Novice to expert
Labels: Vegan (Meat-Free), Party Pleaser
Price: $2.00
Format: PDF

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~ Indira
Thanks V!

Prabalini Willson, a regular reader of Mahanandi, kindly sent me this photo of Banana-Walnut cake she baked last week following THE recipe. The shape, the color, everything looks so pretty, I love it Prabalini. Thank you so much for this hearty present.

Weekend Finds and Trends:

Fork and Blender: A Cautionary Tale
An Ingredient in American Pizza (Caution: Fox ahead)
Barack Pie
Cashew Donuts and Guava Tart
Chaywanprash

~ Indira

Nothing makes a newcomer feel more “loved” than their food being called “Dirt”. Thank God that not everyone in Seattle has the poor taste that Dylan W of Metroblogging Seattle brags about as though it were a virtue. How authoritatively this middle-aged man writes about the taste of dirt – perhaps an authority born out of having actually eaten it.

Anyway, it has been a year and half since we moved to this city and it has taken that much time for me to feel comfortable to talk about the city and the places we frequent.

One of the things I want to write about is Seattle’s eateries. If you are a veteran reader of this website, then you would already know about my pizza passion. We usually prefer local places rather than national chains. While we were looking for a decent pizzeria, one of our good friends recommended the Can-Am Pizza located at Bellevue. A branch of local, small, chain, this Indian-owned pizzeria serves besides the regular bland-cheese fare, Indian speciality pizzas. Good crust layered with zesty sauce and light cheese, bedecked with vegetables and paneer or chicken tikka toppings, piping fresh and bubbling hot, it’s just the kind of inspired pizza pie that may save a Seattleite from behaving like a lunatic on I-90’s traffic.

The owners behind the counter have that typical Bharath-style understated air of friendliness, and the place has bare minimum look. But somehow the whole package radiates that homey, comfortable feel. Of course what matters most is the pizza they dish out. At a time when Domino’s and Pizza Hut can make a pie enthusiast weep, this little pizza parlor, with its Indian -inspired pies and cult like following is just enough of a good thing to create hope in a pizza fan’s heart. One bite, and even Dylan W’s ilk can’t help but praise out loud, “Thank the Lord for Curry, finally, a pizza-pie with some pizzazz”!

Don’t forget the dahi (yogurt) dip they give free with the pizza.

Butter Paneer Pizza from Can-Am, Bellevue

Perfect Pie on a Super Bowl Sunday.

Can-Am, Bellevue:
Location Map. Reviews at Yelp and Seattle Weekly
Seattle Restaurant Reviews: at Archana’s and Live to Eat. Happy Birthday Sig!

~ Indira

Mathy and I had great time supporting the food blog community by providing traffic and increasing the readership to both old and new blogs through Food Blog Desam. It took lot of time and energy to maintain the Food Blog Desam, but it was an effort from the heart to see the food blogging community to flourish. So we both enjoyed the work tremendously. Unfortunately in the last few weeks, Food Blog Desam has been going through some problems due to some server and tech issues. We don’t know when we are able to diagnose, let alone fix things, as we both are currently engaged to real life and the craziness that comes with it. With great sadness, we have decided to stop updating the site. But Food Blog Desam will be online few more weeks, until we decide what to do with it. If there is any change in the situation, you will be the first to know.

Thanks for your support.

Indira

Seattle Sprawl
(My apartment building, I-5, a running train, football stadium, baseball stadium, Starbucks headquarters and a true symbol of Seattle- crane: Few Seattle Spots.)

Walking partner: I found a buddy. Thanks for responding.

“I need a fresh look.”

“OK, what do you have in mind?”

“Scrub the makeup you have layered on my face. Don’t you dare put new widget grafts, and No botox plug-ins!”

“But, the botox and skin-grafts are in vogue right now.”

“I know. I prefer my plain natural self. No makeup, no frills. Simple and clean.”

“OK. Done.”

“I feel fresh and peaceful.”

In a culinary web-world, where the latest fashion is silicone, my website Mahanandi is going back to cast-iron days. Basic, functional and durable. I call this new look enticing in an effortless manner.

Between the hubbubs of holiday hungama, we have made some time to spruce up my website. On my request, Vijay has designed a favicon to honor “Mahanandi, the temple town“. The favicon shows the first letter of Mahanandi (మహానంది) in Telugu. I think it looks nice.

I’ve updated the article and recipe index. My daily meal record has, over time, evolved into an elaborate feast, and I have tried as best I could to make it comprehensive and user-friendly. Instead of hiding behind passwords and special logins, I have kept the Index accessible to all, following the principles of Web 2.0:). Check it out, and if I missed some detail, please let me know.

With Vijay‘s help, I have installed a new web site called India Cookery – Food Stock Photography.

• The gallery has 1,400 images of food ingredients, preparation process and the scrumptious end results related to Indian cuisine.
• A neat keyword tag feature supports “search” function, and makes it easy to browse and find the food photos. (WIP)
• With the “purchase cart” feature, you can easily print or digital download food images in different resolutions and sizes with a simple click.

This food stock photography website is in response to frequent image theft by some desperate newspapers and webzines. I hope they stop stealing images now, and purchase the photos legally. The gallery is open to all, and you can also download and attach the food photos to your articles or in your web design for a nominal fee.

After three years of free service to the community of food lovers, I finally made Mahanandi go green in an attempt to reduce the carbon footprint it is leaving on our family income. If it becomes self-sustainable, thanks to your generous support, I promise I will cut-off the symbiotic relationship with corporate megaliths.

An avid food enthusiast and my friend, Sreemathi Veena Parrikar accepted my request to write a regular column on Mahanandi. Her exceptional knowledge and writing skills would become an excellent addition to Mahanandi tradition.

I wish you all a culinary-adventure filled 2008!

Flower Bouquet, My Embroidery Work in a Frame

Wishing You a Happy Holiday Season!

(I am taking few days off from blogging for the holiday season. Mahanandi is also going through some changes to get a fresh look for the coming new year.)

Vibrant Old Look (2005-2007) …. A Fresh Look in Magazine Style for 08

Cool, New Tool from Google, Finally!
Congratulations to Google team for coming up with an intuitive transliteration tool for Indic languages (Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi and Kannada).

Cool Treats:

Gulab Jamun Cake ~ from Recipes N More
Jowar Vada (Jonna Garelu) ~ from Nourishing Indian Food
Mango Lassi Frozen Yogurt ~ from Evil Jungle Prince
Potatoes Mashed in Coconut Milk ~ from Tofu for Two
Saffron Rava Badam Cake ~ from Red Chillies

Lords of the Gourd: Where Size Really Does Matter