My SRK Moment.

Okay, a little off topic but can't not blog about it. I mean, meeting Shah Rukh Khan isn't something you can keep under wraps for long, no matter how 'cool' you try to be. I couldn't have asked for a better time and place to meet him. It was as if the gods had finally put their everything into this meeting. Too dramatic? Get used to it cause I MET  SHAH RUKH KHAN!

I'm not usually the crazy-after-celebs types but there are some people who definitely do this to me and Shahrukh's definitely part of this list. Who else is a part of it? Matthew Perry cause he played the legendary Chandler Bing without whom I can't imagine my life, Daniel Radcliffe for playing Harry Potter, my first love and Leonardo Dicaprio for being Jack Dawson. I'd be definitely as excited if I met either of these beautiful people. But my SRK moment, oh my god. Everyone who's on my speed dial knows what this meant to me and has also heard my narration of this blessed event (some more than once).

I was in Jaipur and accompanying my dad for the IPL. I'm not that much into cricket myself but the IPL does get me excited. I know many cricket lovers will loathe me for saying this cause the Test matches are the real cricket and one-days are the real nail biters and blah blah blah! But I'm going to have to disagree. For a teenager who didn't know what an inning was till the 7th standard, who has very little patience and who loves movies, the IPL is JUST right. 20 overs- Manageable. Bright coloured jerseys- Enjoyable. Music at every 4, 6, catch, run out and end of over- Fun. And the prospect of meeting Shah Rukh at a KKR game- Exhilarating. So in short, if you haven't guessed it already, I love the IPL and have been supporting the Kolkata Knight Riders since the 1st season. Okay, it MIGHT have started out just for the King who's knights they are but now I honestly love the team and know the players. For real.

Getting back to my moment. There was a KKR match when I was in Jaipur, couldn't have been luckier!
So there I was, at the game, proudly sporting my KKR jersey at an away game, cheering for my team at the top of my voice and a little conflicted when Rajasthan lost a wicket due to my affection for Rahul Dravid. When suddenly, out of nowhere, people silently entered our box and waited. They were waiting for someone else to enter and there just like that out of nowhere, SHAHRUKH KHAN entered our box!!! My heart literally skipped a beat. He came in, giving his acquaintances his typical hugs and kisses and turned around for a moment. At that moment I looked into his sunglasses and Ajab Si started playing in my head. Then he looked in front again and in a swift movement, climbed into the stand ahead to watch his team play more closely. Cricket fans might pelt stones at me for this statement but I had no idea what was happening in the match from then on. All I could think about was Don, Rahul, Om, Veer and G.One so close to me. Then eventually I was introduced and we got a picture together. He expressed his happiness at me supported Kolkata and I retorted saying that everyone around me wasn't too happy and he gave me a thumbs up for it.
After that I went crazy bombarding all the social networking sites I was a part of with my picture and my joy.

Shah Rukh was dressed in a navy KKR tee which looked SO good on him with his Tag Heur Glasses hung on the neck of the tee. He also wore aviators and his hair looked just like in the movies. I was wearing Forever 21 shorts, my KKR jersey and Tommy Hilfiger chappals- the perfect outfit for a match. More about that in my next post for sure :) Till then, feast your eyes on this picture. I sure have.

xoxo

D

Ratatouille.

Pronunciation: (rat-a-too-ee)

I know. I loved the movie as well. Everything about it, the setup being in Paris, beautiful French music playing throughout and mainly, it was about FOOD. 

The movie is about a rat who wants to become a chef. I can SO relate to that! Because I wanna become a chef too, not because I'm a rat. Which I'm not. So anyway, he does become a chef in the end and everyone's happy. The movie was Oscar nominated and it really deserved it.

This post is about the actual dish. So everyone finally knows what it actually is, besides being a very famous Pixar movie. Ratatouille is a dish made with vegetables likes zuchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, aubergines, etc. You make a kind of stew with the tomatoes, place the veggies on top if it very neatly an pop it in the oven for 2 hours.You can also make a kind of vinaigrette to dress it with after it's done. 

So that's what ratatouille is. 

Why did I blog about it? No reason in particular! Just a sudden bout of affection for this wholesome and colourful dish which isn't always given the credit it deserves. The best Ratatouille I've had? I'm still kinda on the quest and will get back to you as soon as I find a winner!

Until then, remember,"Anyone Can Cook!"

xoxo
D

Snack.

Okay, is it just me or is this weather getting really intolerable? The humidity is really getting to all of you I'm sure and during this time I've found great things for you to try out! Things you can eat that aren't too heavy and don't make you feel worse than you already are.

Caesar Salad

Onion Rings

Haagen Dazs' Cookies n Cream

Iced Tea

SALADS are something not everyone enjoys but for those of you who do, like me, I've tried some really nice ones which you should as well!

The Arugula, Asparagus & Cranberry Salad from Indigo Deli- It's fresh, a little sour and creamy with a hint of sweetness from the cranberry coulis.

The Caesar Salad from Indigo Deli- No description required, by far the best Caesar I've tasted!

The Thai Crunch Salad from California Pizza Kitchen- It's really light and crispy with a hint of lime and peanut dressing.

ONION RINGS are also very light and summery and a large bowl of them never hurt anyone!

Cafe Mondegar has really nice onion rings if you don't mind a little excess oil!

Oven Fresh has really nice and crispy onion rings with a hint of chaat masala.

Since I'm telling you the best, I should probably also tell you the worst. Don't EVER order onion rings at T.G.I Fridays. You really won't be thanking god for them.

DRINKS are an absolute necessity in summer. It's all you wanna consume actually! Except for the good old and eternal water, here are a few really nice drinks I've had:

Friday's Lemonade at T.G.I Fridays- Just brilliant.

Mango Lassi with Pomegranate at Moshe's- I'm not a real fan of lassis but this one you really can't hate. It's fresh and filling.

Green Apple Soda at Cafe Coffee Day- Always love a good old green apple fizzy drink!

Italian Peach Soda at California Pizza Kitchen- Peachy and delicious.

Iced Tea- A good iced tea is really hard to find and I really haven't found the best yet. Ones that a pretty good are the ones at CCD, Costa and Indigo Deli.

For really bad iced tea, you can go to Moshe's. Shocking, but true.

Hazelnut Smoothie at Oven Fresh- Creamy Hazelnut goodness.

ICE-CREAM : the ultimate summer dessert. No one can go without summer without licking or slurping down one of these heavenly creations.

The Hazelnut Ice-cream at Indigo Deli-  My ultimate favourite and made to perfection with whole roasted hazelnuts.

The Belgian Chocolate Ice-cream from Indigo Deli- Again, heavenly and a perfect combination of sweet and bitter.

The Cookies and Cream Ice-cream from Haagen Dazs- Yummy with gooey bits of cookie in it.

The Raspberry Sorbet from Move-n-Pick- Tart, pink and sexy.

SUMMERTIME.

Finally. No more education, no more alarms and no more nagging! Summer season is also one of the most fashionable periods in the year. Bathing suits, sundresses, sunglasses, shorts and tank tops!
But now getting you back to reality, we live in India and our summer fashion can't always be as bold as our Western counter parts :(
Don't worry though! Fashion surpasses social and cultural barriers and here are a few tips on how you can look hot and trendy without looking cheap and trashy!

MUST HAVES THIS SUMMER:

Denim Shorts.These are an absolute wardrobe necessity! No summer wardrobe is compete without a pair of these neutral and easy to look hot in denim shorts. The avenues that open up when you wear denim shots are infinite. Everything seems to look good with them. So why not invest in a good pair?

Lindsay Lohan

Hilary Duff

Anushka Sharma

Deepika Padukone

Sunglasses.Invest in a good pair of glares that suit your face, and then sport them whenever and wherever you step out in the sun! A trendy set of sunglasses is always an eye turner. 

WAYFARERS.

AVIATORS

LOOK OUT FOR GREAT DEALS ON SUNGLASSES AT ALDO, PROMOD AND ACCESSORIZE!!!

Wedges.

Wedges have a very casual and summery feel to them. They go on jeans, shorts, skirts and dresses and unlike stilettos, are really comfortable. Try buying them in different cheerful colours and you're all set for the summer!

Have these basic things and you're mostly all set for the summer! Out with old and in with the new, goodbye clouds of grey, hello skies of blue. A dip in the pool, a trip to the spa. Just laze in my shades, the whole world according to you!

xoxo

D

Eighteen.

18. The two numbers that are SO important in an Indian teenager's life. It's the Indian Sweet16 I guess but it's important in so many ways. Our parents can literally stop calling us children, we can tell our younger siblings smugly that "I'm an adult.", we can watch The Hangover legally (cause watching it illegally wasn't fun enough ;)

For a girl I guess it's one of her biggest days coming 2nd to ofcourse, getting married. Every 18 year old girl wants to have a perfect eighteenth. Something that she'll never forget and something that will be the talk of the town. One thing that you shouldn't forget during the crazy planning is that you're doing this for yourself 1st and then for the status quo. It's just a disappointment if you end up calling your nemesis just cause she's popular but you spend your whole party getting upset about her behaviour and clothes.

THE DRESS.
Getting the perfect dress is the hardest part. Trust me, I know. I celebrated my eighteenth this January and know just how stressful it can be. Dress shopping can take a while. It can also be all that you think about till you've handed the money over to the counter and the bag with your perfect dress is in your hand. Getting it can be tricky. Don't ever wear something that you aren't gonna be comfortable in no matter how good you look in it, cause your discomfort can ruin the hottie image completely. Take me for example, wearing sleeveless clothes just isn't my thing so I tend to steer away from them. After scourging Palladium and a few isolated boutiques, I finally settled on a Navy Blue Lace Dress from Zara. It was a match made in heaven. We matched like Jack and Rose and like theirs, our love is eternal and I will never let go. It understands my body type, knows my flaws and also does a perfect job of hiding them. You really can't ask for a better relationship.

THE SHOES.
Finding the perfect shoes can be tricky especially since you have to now coordinate them with your dress. The rule's simple: Other things being equal, if your dress is fancy, let it do the talking and let the shoes just subtly compliment it and vice-versa.
-Prof. Devika Bing
For example, if you find a shiny black LBD, go with plain pumps, the colour's your call cause everything goes with black.
On the other hand, if you find a plain white dress, go all out on the shoes. Let them look extravagant! Strappy stilletos for example.
NO EXCEPTIONS TO THE LAW.

For mine, I landed on a pair of Nude Steve Madden Pumps. Since my dress was lacy and thus quite fancy, I went easy on the footwear (wasn't easy on my wallet though!).

Once we've got the main aspects out of the way, there are other tiny things that go a long way; your hair, accessories, nails and make-up. Don't end up looking unlike yourself, be you. I left my hair loose and put a little something to enhance my curls since my hair is normally quite wavy. I wore simple diamond hoops in my ears and a big, white, pearl flower ring. I painted my nails a hot pink so that they'd stand out. My make-up was pretty natural.
Don't forget to squirt a lot of your favourite perfume all over and a special squirt behind your ears so that you smell heavenly when someones comes close to talk to you ;) My birthday fragrance was Hearts & Daggers by Ed Hardy.

Apart from this, dance, eat some cake, drink some champagne, open some gifts and go for a drive because... YOU'RE EIGHTEEN!

xoxo
D