The Perfect Match

Certain wines go well with certain foods, but have you ever tried wine with chocolate? 

It's very simple.

Bite the Chocolate, let it melt slightly in your mouth,   take a sip of the wine, feel the burst of flavors!  But remember, it's all about portion-control and it needs to be the right combination to get the right harmony of taste.

Wine and chocolate pairing has been experimented for a while, but with more awareness in consumers, there are more choices of both chocolate and wine available in the market now. Depending on where you live, you should be able to find milk and dark chocolate and most probably dark chocolate with different percentage of darkness. 

The rule is simple for starters - 

Milk chocolates go better with light and fruity white wines while dark chocolates go best with red wines. The darker the chocolate the more full-bodied your red wine should be. For me, generally, light white wines like Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc go well with milk chocolates or semi-milk chocolates, while I prefer to have a 60-75% dark chocolate piece with Merlot or my all time favorite, Malbec. If I am going more full-bodied, I like to up the chocolate percentage. So, you try an 70-85% Cacao content chocolate with a Cabernet or Pinot Noir. 

So what are you waiting for? Crack open that chocolate bar from your secret stash behind the organic brown rice container in your pantry. Get the wine at the right temperature to match and create pure bliss in your mouth. 

For those who have access to these, here are two of my favorite combinations.

 with 

Valrohna Manjari 65% Cacao with Gascon Malbec 2008

with

Vosges Habana 45% Cacao with Kendall Jackson Chardonnay

Enjoy!!!

Culture, imagination, memory, travel, personal identity=MOLESKINE

I finished filling up my first Moleskine notebook recently; it was mostly out of curiosity about the "experience" that everyone from Picasso to top travel photographers have claimed it gives you. So what's the big deal about Moleskine note books? 


Well, I realized a few things - 

1. They know their s*** well when it comes to design (every good company should know why they exist) - Moleskines are compact, tough, and robust
2. They know their paper - no matter how cheap the pen is that you are using on a Moleskine page, your writing will look good! And, if you use an fancy pen (I tried an ink Mont Blanc), you will be further amazed.
3. They know the cool-factor - Moleskines are to low-tech what iPhones are to hi-tech. 
4. They speak directly to travelers and everything that goes with what travelers love - "Culture, imagination, memory, travel, personal identity" is their philosophy.

I just found out that they recently introduced a travelers' collection of bags, cases, etc. in the minimalist Moleskine style. If you are a curious soul like me, get yourself a Moleskine note book; you will not regret it.  

And, before you do that, check out MOLESKINE 


I'd like to acknowledge NOW by Phenomenon for inspiring this entry.

It's the journey that matters.

I love photography and this week, I am celebrating my hobby by dedicatedly working on moments and memories captured during my recent travels through four incredible cities - Hyderabad, Bombay, New Orleans, and Savannah. I am in the middle of a work in progress and realize that learning never stops when it comes to photography. That's why I probably like it so much. It's just like with speaking a second language, you have to keep on using it to be good at it. And, it's also like yoga, it constantly makes you discover new things about yourself and pushes you to do better.

Another big reason to celebrate this week as my photography week is because I am getting a chance to meet Annie Griffiths, an incredible National Geography photographer. This is a first opportunity for me to meet a National Geo photographer - a profession I have incredible respect for and which I like to consider as my second-life aspiration. Annie for me is an ode to passion with a cause. She is someone who has used the power of her photography to help women and nature all around the world. Check out her work here.

While revisiting Annie's photos on the National Geo site today I felt the exhilaration, the same blood gushing I feel when I see a scene that I want to freeze in my camera in the best possible way, as I witnessed a perfect and delicate coming together of light, perception, and art. Photography is not about pointing and shooting. Photography is a life long practice, just like yoga or mastering a language, a practice that has it's perfect moments when light, perception and art meet in the right proportion and then, again, a new challenge begins. 

Life is exciting when the journey is more meaningful than the destination and all the things you do along that journey. I am inspired by Annie Griffiths' command over photography, but way more moved by what she has accomplished with it. 

There is no one destination. It's all about the journey.

School kids on a tour in Hyderabad 

 I met these adorable high-energy kids while visiting a palace in Hyderabad; they saw me with my camera and wanted me to take their pictures. My shutter competed with their zest and we ended up with some beautiful expressions. I was feeling sad that they would never really see these photos besides on my camera display. But, thankfully, dad managed to get an email address and I have emailed the shots over to their school somewhere in Maharashtra. I am hoping these kids will finally get to see their photos.

The Big Easy: My First Impression

On the road again!

I'm in New Orleans this week attending my annual Teachers' Conference. It's something to visit a city for the first time that has rebuilt itself so amazingly after being hit by such a destructive hurricane as Katrina. I got unlucky at the airport upon landing & lost my luggage, but our really informative and cheerful shuttle driver, Charles, made up for it all by giving us an awesome tour of the city while driving everyone to their respective hotels.

Charles has taken it upon himself to share with tourists his city's struggles with natural disasters as it's people fought and recovered from Katrina over the years. He takes pride in being a fighter but admits that there is a lot of fear for what may still come. The Big Easy's struggle goes hand in hand with it's music, food, and culture and it's important to understand how it all comes together like complex Cajun flavors.

I got reminded of what's going on in Japan right now as Charles pointed out places in and around New Orleans that were flooded, destroyed and rebuilt. Mother Nature takes her own course and we are to just follow. Charles lightened up, however, as we approached downtown and it was difficult to keep up with him as he named all his favorite restaurants and the various fried, cheese covered, grilled, and sauce smothered authentic southern dishes they serve. I couldn't get Shash out of my mind then and how much he loves Jambalaya and everything Cajun. What can a vegetarian know besides the heaven that uncovers in a real southern pecan pie?

All you've heard about Southern hospitality seems all true so far. After listening to Charles, I have a new appreciation for this city & it's people besides what I'm really here for - meeting lots of committed teachers and taking in some good jazz.

presenting... LearnEd

On the day of Lady Shakti (woman power), I'd like to present to you all my new education company "LearnEd," India & USA. LearnEd represents all my education related activities in India and beyond. 

Areas of Work

With what I have learned from my research, observations, and teaching experience during my time in India, I will be slowly commencing work in the following areas as a start in the Indian market while looking for collaborative activities between educators in the US and India.

• teaching English to college students and young professionals
• teaching professional development and motivation programs for college students and young professionals
• teacher training and development for college level instructors at colleges, institutes and unis
• in-service professional teacher development services for colleges, institutes and unis

Guiding Principles/Philosophy 

(a quick list for more context, esp. for those not in my field)

• teach by introducing new international trends and information in the area taught
• teach with examples and creative exercises to create a unique learning experience for students
• train to motivate and equip teachers with different/creative ways to present information to students
• foster creative and critical thinking in youth through well thought out, well sequenced, and reflective learning activities
• train to raise a new consciousness in higher-ed instructors about how learning happens and how it can be nurtured to see maximum results in students' progress

LearnEd was chosen with input from Shash, my dear husband, and some close friends. It seems to encompass all my education related activities now and in the future -

• learn·ed Adjective   /ˈlərnid/
  Synonyms:

  • adjective: erudite, scholarly, lettered, educated, wise, literate
  • (of a person) Having much knowledge acquired by study
  • Showing, requiring, or characterized by learning; scholarly
    • an article in a learned journal

Learn+Ed=the education of learning or learning consciously about learning 

A "learned" person is one who has acquired wisdom from conscious and experiential learning

Thanks for all your good wishes, blessings, and support. I'm now working on the company logo, website, and other related projects. More updates soon. The real work begins now!