The Stieg Larsson trilogy

Ever since I read about the Stieg Larsson trilogy (for those who came in late, it is the fast approaching cult status series featuring Lisbeth Salander - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest, and finally The Girl Who Played With Fire) also referred to as the Millenium trilogy, I have been fascinated by it.

That an author has three fully written books ready which get published after his demise and which turn into international bestsellers, is a riveting story in itself, that the books are so good is icing on the cake.

Without giving much away, the books follow the life of Lisbeth Salander and also Mikael Blomkvist (one of the other major characters in the book, arguably the first book is as much about Mikael as it is about Lisbeth). The genre is hard to pin down, on one hand, shenanigans in the world of big business, on the other hand, historical fiction (through the story of Harriet Vanger) and the third being the unspeakable horrors of what Lisbeth Salander has had to go through early in her life (if you think the events of the first book are horrific then to paraphrase American movies, 'you ain't seen nothing yet kid').

The books are that often overused term, unputdownable, and I am sure that once started, many people will stay up late at night wanting to know what happens next - I know I did! Overall, I recommend all three, though reading them consecutively is likely to drain the most persevering of readers. One aspect I enjoyed is that the books give an insight into life in Sweden, which many people outside Sweden or Europe may not be familiar with, though not to the same extent as the other great series featuring Kurt Wallander written by Henning Mankell (which can be more easily classified as detective fiction or police procedurals).

In summary, I think time spent reading the Millenium Trilogy is well worth it, and while the books may not be termed as literary masterpieces, nevertheless they are well written and I think have been well translated too. The books are not without their (imho) flaws, the computer hacking skills of Lisbeth Salander defy logic and copying gigabytes of data over the internet in a matter of minutes (cloning of hard drives, etc.) is something that is definitely not feasible even in late 2010 (forget about the early 2000 timeframe when the books were written/set), but that is the geek in me quibbling. Worse has been done in film, but then that is another post :)

As always, if you like this, do write in or leave a comment.

Sports Round Up - Aug 25

I have taken inspiration from a long forgotten program that used to run on Doordarshan (a channel that is paid for by the Indian government), more decades ago than I care to remember. The essence of the program was an update from the world of sports and as far as I can remember, it used to be hosted by the incomparable Fredun DeVitre, though occasionally characters such as AFST ("Bobby") Talyerkhan used to make an appearance. The change is of course that I will be selectively and periodically commenting on whatever sports news catches my eye since the last update.

First and foremost, if we were ever to award something like the Indian Sportsperson of All Time title, then I think the debate should start and end with only one name Viswanathan Anand. A more consistent performer at the highest level of Chess against top quality opposition cannot be found in any other sporting discipline that Indians have participated in. The silly controversy earlier this week regarding red-tapism in the HRD ministry over awarding a honorary PhD to him, should be ignored by Vishy's fans the way he has done it himself.

I am looking forward to Saina Nehwal, and indeed hopefully others, including the mixed-doubles pair of Diju-Gutta doing well in the World Badminton Championships. Saina Nehwal in her short career to date has demonstrated enough characteristics of becoming a true champion. Repulsing wave after wave of Chinese players who have been strategically and systematically prepared by the Chinese Badminton sporting machine (you will be assimilated!) to defeat you is no mean achievement. Here's wishing her well for the current tournament and in future. At the time of writing, she was through to the 3rd round.

Indian Billiards has been producing champions regularly however sometimes the big prizes seem to be eluding people like Pankaj Advani. He was defeated recently (thumped would be a better word) by Mike Russell in the frame version of the sport. No question about the capabilities however the last mile seems to always be the most difficult.

Congratulations to Arjun Atwal for becoming the first Indian to win a PGA Tour title. This is indeed a fairy-tale for him. Coming through the Monday qualifiers, and then leading on all days of the tournament is no mean achievement. Say what you want about being able to play without fear (he had nothing to lose having already forfeited his Tour Card because of bad performance in earlier tournaments), but Golf is one of the most competitive sports in the US with big money at stake (his win was worth about US $ 0.93 Million!), and no one at this level and with this kind of money at stake, plays without pressure. I thought Jeev Milkha Singh would be the one to achieve this distinction first, but all credit to Arjun Atwal. Hope he can maintain this going forward and add to this achievement and not remain a one-tournament wonder.

The EPL leaves me cold. I can't imagine myself getting worked up over something where the football players are mercenaries for hire and the gap between the rich clubs and the not so rich is so wide so as to be almost unsurmountable (being a sport, there is some room finally, but the law of averages catches up very quickly even if the poorer clubs win a match or two).

A slightly old comment, Dunga was sacked for going against the natural instincts of the Brazilian nation (if not the football team!). There is something similar in the way Hockey has changed in the last couple of decades from being a sport that focused on stick-work to the more workman-like passing game seen nowadays. Indian Hockey has had as rich a tradition as Brazilian football, however the Indian team has by necessity needed to adapt to the modern game and play more in the style of the Europeans. Maybe there is a lesson in here somewhere for Brazil, but then if I knew what it is, I would not be simply writing this blog :)

An even older comment - the Shaq show has moved to Boston in the never ending search for redemption and one last NBA title for the Big Diesel. I think this is getting embarrassing for the folks watching, methinks a graceful retirement into doing commentary (imagine Barkley - Shaq going at it during the pre-game and half-time shows - finally Barkley will meet someone who can beat him up!) is called for. I think Shaq has nothing to prove, least of all to Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant. Here's a classic case of the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. I would be happy to see him win one more title, but this way, where he is not even the starting center is going to hurt Shaq and his fans more. I have been following Shaq since his Orlando Magic days and I have a lot of respect for his abilities and work ethic. Till the time he was with the Miami Heat everything was fine, however the move to Phoenix never worked, imagine Shaq right in the middle of a running game team and every move since has been a disaster. He cannot be a mentor/leader when he is not putting up the numbers and his record in the last few seasons does not do justice to an automatic choice for the NBA Hall of Fame.

Should I comment on the Commonwealth Games to be held shortly in New Delhi, India ? but then that update belongs more to the Political Round-Up section rather than a Sports Round Up, so will need to wait for its own post.

Have I forgotten any sport, Cricket, do I hear (?), but then that is best forgotten for now !

updated - September 18, 2010 - had referred to Peter Gilchrist when I meant Mike Russell in the billiards section

Fictional detectives

I am a huge fan of detective fiction right from Edgar Allan Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle to Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ed McBain and Ian Rankin. I thought it would be interesting to contrast some of the more recent fictional detectives. I am sure that Sherlock Holmes occupies a special place in every detective fiction fan's heart since he is likely to have been read very early in one's life and creates an immediate impact in an impressionable mind!

Some of the more recent authors and their creations which are among my favourites are P D James (Adam Dalgliesh) - the undoubted queen of detective fiction and well written books in general, Peter Robinson (Alan Banks), Colin Dexter (Inspector Morse) and Ian Rankin (John Rebus). I have selected only some of the modern detectives (though Adam Dalgliesh has been around for many decades). Among the reasons for selecting these four are that they should be comparable, all are men, all are part of the official police force and not amateurs. All are typically single, Banks and Rebus having been divorced and Dalgliesh a widower, Morse seems to be the only confirmed bachelor among them. All are workaholics, with Dalgliesh being the only one who does not seem to be in any danger of becoming an alcoholic (Rebus is clearly an alcoholic who refuses to acknowledge it, and Banks and Morse are close to becoming one with Banks being sensible enough to withdraw).

I would have loved to include Peter James (Roy Grace) as well as Henning  Mankell (Kurt Wallander), may be in another installment!

P D James – Commander Adam Dalgleish

To call P D James' creations as detective fiction really does her books injustice, though the lady herself seems quite comfortable in being slotted as such. Anyway, a more detailed blog on P D James will have to wait for another day, lets get on with the main theme of today's blog.

Adam Dalgliesh comes across as truly cerebral, has intelligent officers around him, who don't seem to quite match his abilities. His background makes him seem more like an external observer rather than someone who is really participating in the investigation. His role as the establishment's troubleshooter who looks at “sensitive” crimes suits his personality. Among the four authors I have chosen, P D James' books are the most class conscious, though Dalgliesh is able to relate as well to the working class as to the professionals and aristocrats. He himself has quite evolved sensibilities with a taste for red wine and church architecture. He usually has a changing set of officers with him in every book, though of late, Kate Miskin has been a fixture. Her working class mindset and aspirations (she clearly looks up to Dalgliesh as a much more of a role model than purely as a superior officer) offer a welcome contrast to Dalgliesh.

The one major difference between the books of P D James and the other three is that the other three borrow heavily on their location, with Ian Rankin using Edinburgh as almost a central character in his books.

Peter Robinson – Chief Inspector Alan Banks – Eastvale (fictional)

Peter Robinson writes very well and in my view, suffers only in comparison and not if you look at the individual merits of each book, P D James is much more literate and Ian Rankin creates such a brooding atmosphere of Edinburgh that any comparisons are likely to be unfair on others.

Alan Banks comes across a very competent and likable person, the quintessential straight arrow, though with a rather overt fondness for Laphroaig single malt, which he gives up later in life. As with all fictional detectives, he tends to hold his cards close to his chest and is liable to go off on his own to follow-up on his leads. The crimes he tends to investigate are usually more modern and shocking than the others being compared to here. Banks also likes music (opera as well as rock and roll). Banks also has a strong supporting cast in Annie Cabot as well as others including Winsome Jackson as also his superior officer, DS Gristhorpe. Special Branch's Dirty Dick Burgess is also an interesting recurring character.

Ian Rankin – Inspector John Rebus – Edinburgh

Ian Rankin is a cross between the American hard-boiled style and the low key British style of detective fiction. Thus, John Rebus has probably more in common with Michael Connelly's Hieronymous Bosch rather than Adam Dalgliesh.

John Rebus is by far the most interesting and flawed character among the set chosen, though his morality and sense of right or wrong is never in doubt. His detection is much more physical than cerebral and more about following the momentum of a case rather than painstaking work in following up on leads, etc. As important as Rebus is to the books, the city of Edinburgh is clearly as central a character and Ian Rankin's books serve as a virtual tour of the city. Rebus' run ins with Big Ger Cafferty and his intense dislike for him are a recurring theme across many books. Rock and roll music is also interwoven into the stories. Rebus also has a good supporting cast in Siobhan Clarke and others. Rebus clearly drinks too much and his alcoholism is seen in his frequenting of the Oxford Bar.

Colin Dexter – Inspector Morse – Oxford

I have recently started reading Colin Dexter, so my knowledge of his books and Inspector Morse is not of the same level as the other three, however I thought that the little I have read makes him worthy of inclusion here.

Inspector Morse usually stumbles across the solution rather than by following a rigorous process of detection. He is clearly intelligent - solves the Times crossword under a self-imposed limit of ten minutes, has a love for classical music, but as clearly seems to be stuck in the wrong job, though he doesn't seem to be aware of it. He is given to creating elaborate and fanciful theories, often based on nothing more than a manipulated set of assumptions. Thus rather than he being fed red herrings, he is the person feeding the red herrings to the reader. Sergeant Lewis is an able counterfoil to Morse and his pragmatism often results in the right direction which Morse promptly appropriates as his own.

As always, if you like this, a line to me would be much appreciated!

On Saving the Tiger

Nowadays it is quite fashionable to espouse a 'cause' (inverted commas deliberate) and at least in India, Saving the Tiger is something which is getting a lot of attention on TV channels, especially NDTV. Several well meaning people are associated with it, among who are professionals/volunteers working in the field, celebrities of many hues and colours, people from the general population and students.

It has never been clear to me as to what effect all this is having on the actual situation on the ground. Is wearing a "Save the Tiger" t-shirt enough ? or sending a cheque to the 'fund' (would like to understand how the money is being utilized) ? This is not to criticize the need to preserve India's tiger population or to doubt the intention of the people associated with it, but to question the whole hoopla surrounding it and effectiveness in achieving the objective.

I can understand it if the purpose of the campaign is to reduce usage of tiger derivative products in India, but then no one I know uses any, so clearly the market is both small, well paying and international (e.g. usage of ivory in India has been drastically reduced because of legislation around buying/selling of ivory). Given this, the average person on the street is completely unaffected by the campaign beyond a vague sense of national pride in preserving the Indian tiger (given that it is India's national animal, etc.).

My submission is: given that the average person has a short attention span and only a limited number of causes that can be adopted, it is irresponsible to highlight Saving the Tiger as opposed to something much more relevant such as preventing female infanticide or promoting education/literacy or improving standards of hygiene. Of course, one cannot hold the position that we don't care if there are any tigers left in the wild or not, but it is quite clearly the government's responsibility to ensure that wildlife is preserved and ensure that funds are available and legislation is enacted that acts as a deterrent. If the government fails at this task, then any amount of breast-beating or taking out of vigils and protests is not going to help the Indian tiger.

This a little off-topic from my recent posts, however I did say that my blog was going to reflect my interests/pre-occupations! Next posts are almost certainly going to be about detective fiction and possibly Liferay (not a combination of the two, but separately).

WC 2010 - The Final

Holland - Spain

A level of fatigue had set in by now and I skipped watching the Germany - Uruguay playoff match. Especially in the Indian timezone the last set of matches start at 11.50 PM and end at 2 AM the next day, definitely an issue if one has to go to work in the morning.

I prepared for the final by catching a couple of hours of sleep late in the afternoon on Sunday so was relatively fresh when the match started. From the beginning it was clear that the Dutch had not learnt from the mistakes made by the Germans. Spain stuck to their now familiar gameplan of playing the passing game with brief raids into opposition territory and the Dutch tried to muscle the ball from them. Given that Spain was passing very well, it quickly resulted in a level of frustration coming into the Dutch players and the outcome was a spate of yellow cards.

There were chances on either side but it was clear that the match was being played according to the tempo dictated by Spain. By half-time the writing was on the wall and it was only good saves by both goal-keepers in the second half which resulted in the 0-0 regular time scoreline.

It seemed as if the match was destined to go to a penalty shoot-out and the Dutch seemed to be mentally prepared for it till the volley by Iniesta in the 116th minute resulted in the decisive goal. After that it was relatively easy for Spain to hold on for the win and the Dutch were sent home empty-handed.

All in all the final did not live up to expectations (rarely do finals come up to the level of the QFs or Semis) and the physical nature of the match did not do justice to the way the Dutch had played throughout the tournament. The beautiful game did not look too beautiful but one cannot argue with results.

In the final analysis, Spain did whatever they needed to do to win and it was upto the rest to stop them, however the consistent 1-0 scorelines by which Spain won its matches would not endear them to the fans of the game.

Ultimately teams like Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Germany and Holland would be left wondering as to how Spain managed to outlast them all. But to be fair, all credit to Spain as the team that out-thought and outlasted everyone else. If you have enjoyed reading this blog, do drop me a line, all bouquets and brickbats welcome! - it means that at least someone out there is reading this :-)

Now that the excitement of the World Cup is over, I will turn my attention to other topics that I have been ignoring till now !

FIFA 2010 - Semis

Uruguay - Netherlands

 Finally the matches started living up to a certain standard. Uruguay played very well in the first half, but so did the Dutch. For me the highlight of the match were the two first half goals by both teams, classic field goals from top of the box. These were no slide the ball in slam-dunks or headers (though a lot of headers are quite skillful, many are quite lucky too), but proper full fledged drives that beat the goal keeper for pace and placement.

After the first half, Uruguay seemed to lose their way for a bit, which was exploited by the Dutch. Two goals in quick succession meant that Uruguay had their backs to the wall. Even then, they seemed to wake up only around the 86th or 87th minute and by the time injury time started, they were looking threatening, however it was a little too late in the game. The referee made it exciting by refusing to blow the final whistle (had his watch stopped?!) and Uruguay got a second consolation goal, but the Dutch held on for the win.

Though the result was widely expected, Uruguay by no means disgraced themselves and in fact probably won over a few fans. IMHO, I would rather have a team like Uruguay which under-promises and over-delivers rather than the other big names which went out with a whimper (Italy, France and England come to mind, and some may include Brazil and Argentina in this, but I would like to give them the benefit of doubt).


Germany - Spain

 Another widely anticipated match, though I thought Germany would prevail purely on current form and the sheer relentlessness of their attack and solid defense.

Spain started off slowly and their game plan emerged in the opening few minutes. Deny possession to the Germans was their goal and the statistics at the end of 20 minutes said it all, Spain had 70% possession of the ball. Spain's passing was a treat to watch, though they were not looking too threatening from a scoring perspective. On the few occasions Germany got the ball, they tried too hard to penetrate and ended up giving possession back to Spain.

Germany though continuing to be disciplined seemed to have no answer to Spain's tactics, in fact I thought that they did not grasp the game plan for the entire first half and a good portion of the second half. Both teams had some chances, however Spain was now looking much more assured. The header by Puyol was bang on target and Spain went 1-0 up. Now it all started to unravel for Germany and it was evident in the frustrated looks that were being exchanged on the field. Germany now went all out on attack, but Spain by now with the lead did an excellent job of defending it.


The final score was more of a testament to Spain's tactical victory and Germany will be wondering how it all went so badly wrong for them. Maybe they were looking ahead to the finals instead of trying to beat Spain ... A fair result for Germany for the team they came with, however with the major teams being out of the competition, they lost a golden chance to go all the way.


On to the finals !

FIFA 2010 - Week 3 (Pre-QF/QF)

Standard disclaimer: Based on the matches I saw and not all matches

Lets deal with the England situation first. England qualified last week for the second round last week which was expected by their followers to act like a tonic. However the tonic seemed to have been mixed with too much gin. The way they succumbed to Germany was a rude shock to the diehard England supporter, but quite expected by everyone else. Germany after a shock defeat in the league stage (to Serbia), seemed to be finding their feet. More on this later.


Brazil, the golden boys of world football seemed to be doing no wrong. Dunga's strategy of having a solid defense combined with attacking flair (maybe flair may be putting it a bit too strong, but at least effectiveness has to be granted), seemed to be the magic formula for Brazil to regain lost glory. Their match against Chile was much anticipated. Chile started very well and for the first ten minutes had the upper hand, but Brazil stood strong. The tide started turning after the first goal and the second goal by Fabiano in the second half put the dagger in. Chile seemed dispirited by it and the third goal just served to emphasize Brazil's domination of the game.


The Spain-Portugal match promised much, however Portugal could not live up to expectations and had to bow out. Cristiano Ronaldo will have to await his turn on the world stage (all in all this is turning out to be a bad world cup for big name stars, some of whom missed out because of injury and others have had to swallow the bitter pill of defeat). For my money the most skillful goal of the tournament has been scored by Ronaldo in their 7-0 decimation of North Korea, the way he effortlessly dribbled the ball on his back before casually tapping it home is a treat to watch (in case you missed it, it can be seen on YouTube here).


Ghana survived as the lone African nation in the round of 8, with 5 South American teams and 3 from Europe. Japan was unlucky  to lose to Paraguay (to lose on penalties seems a cruel way to lose the game), however given that the teams were locked 0-0 after extra time, imho, both teams had not done enough to be deserving winners.


To round off the other matches, Argentina had the measure of Mexico, while the Dutch quietly booked their place in the round of 8 to setup their match with Brazil. And so, on to the quarter-finals.


The Brazil-Netherlands match was expected to be well fought with the Netherlands succumbing to the legacy of Brazilian football at the end. It all seemed going according to script after Brazil scored the first goal and the celebrations were already starting in Rio. The Oranje though remained mentally strong and the equalizer after the break (though Brazil will blame themselves for it for the way their goalkeeper was unsighted),  meant that the match was evenly poised. This is when Dunga's strategy started to unravel and Brazil's hitherto strong defense suddenly started looking shaky with Dutch raid after raid. The second Dutch goal actually was a fair reflection of the way both sides were playing and based on the performance on the day, the Dutch were deserving winners and Brazil were left facing the long flight back home and the disappointment of their fans (not just in Brazil but world wide - yours truly included).


Uruguay  - Ghana. I did not watch the entire match, the early moments did not seem to be taking the match to any great heights. It came alive in the dying moments and the ball handling by Suarez meant that Ghana needed to convert the penalty to go ahead. The penalty was missed Ghana lost on the tie-break and the miss of the penalty kick is something which will take them a long time to forget.


Argentina vs Germany was also a very widely anticipated match. I thought that Argentina, though they had played well earlier had not been stretched, except for the first match against Nigeria, which they must have written off as a bad dream. However, the nightmare was yet to come. Germany started the match strongly and their hard running was taking its toll on Argentina. Messi was hardly visible in the first half and the early goal meant that the onus was on Argentina to take the fight to the Germans. The first half ended with chances on either side and setup the match nicely for the second half. If Argentina expected the Germans to run out of steam, they had reckoned without Schweinsteiger was a livewire on the field and well supported by Podolski, Mueller, Boateng and Lahm. Miroslav Klose is as dangerous a striker as any in the world and was always half a step away from scoring, Ozil (my favourite player from earlier matches, I am sure he will leave his mark in the SF and beyond) seemed a little off colour. Germany slowly started dominating after the second half started and the brace of goals mid-way through knocked the stuffing out of Argentina. Messi, Tevez and di Mario tried hard, but were unable to combine well to pierce the German defence which made no mistakes. The 4-0 final score was a drubbing that Maradona would not have anticipated and what seemed like a bad dream was turned into harsh reality when the final whistle was blown. The two favourites from Week 1 have now been knocked out.


On to the last match of Week 3 - Paraguay - Spain. Paraguay was competing well all through the match, though Spain looked a little more organized and dangerous in offense, however the Ghana bogey of a penalty miss struck Paraguay. For Spain, Villa and Xavi played well and Villa justified his star billing by scoring the only goal of the match.


This sets up the semis nicely, Uruguay vs the Dutch and Germany vs Spain. If current form is anything to go by, the final will be Germany vs Holland, a fair reward for both teams.


Some observations on matches to date. One of the inexplicable aspects of this World Cup has been the really poor taking of free kicks from outside the box. Invariably the ball has shot way over the goal, the same holding for the booming shots being taken from outside the box during the course of play. This leads me to think that the criticism of the Jabulani ball is somewhat justified, otherwise there is no explanation for free kick specialists to be so consistently wide off the target. Some more information, including player reactions to the ball are here.


On to the final stage.

FIFA 2010 - Week 2

Standard disclaimer: This is based on the matches that I have seen and not all matches.

One of the more innovative world cup calendars can be found  here

I feel sorry for North Korea, they did reasonably well last week against Brazil, but the 7-0 KO by Portugal meant that their morale must have definitely suffered and ultimately they went out without a win.

England's stuttering campaign was resurrected with a win in their last match and there were many who expected a Phoenix like performance against Germany, alas it was not to be. Done in by the referee they surely were, however more so by their own lack of self-belief (imho). Germany shrugged off the scare before half-time and had asserted themselves well and truly by the time the second half was mid-way through. The 4-1 scoreline ultimately was a fair reflection on the approach of both teams to the match.

Brazil have been playing well and have taken their appointed spot (pre-quarterfinals today), however they were disappointing in their match against Portugal. First half was very contentious and if I am right, about 7-8 yellow cards were handed out. I guess the coaches talked sense into the players at the break and the second half was very boring, with a 0-0 result a fair reflection of the state of the match,

I haven't watched much of Argentina, apart from their opening match, however they seem to be going along nicely. Their match against Germany will be one of the more anticipated quarter-finals for this week, the same holds for the Spain - Portugal clash (however that is in the round of 16). It looks like the quarter-finals will be fought by 4 teams from Latin America, 3 from Europe and 1 from Africa (unless Japan manage an upset).

All in all, a good build-up towards the business end of the tournament, lets hope that this week gives us more competitive football than the previous two weeks.

French Toast and Pancakes (with recipes!)

I had developed a taste for Pancakes and French Toast a few years ago, mostly due to eating breakfast in hotels during my frequent travel. Based out of Mumbai and now Pune, there was no easy way to get access to either of these ; going out to eat for breakfast in the morning is not my idea of an ideal start to the day. So, I decided to take matters (or batter if you so prefer!) in my own hands and experiment with making my own. Pancakes are virtually unknown in India (of the sweet kind, though savoury ones are available in many variations - the South Indian utthapa being one of the leading contenders). French toast in India is usually made only with eggs and bread and hence quite different in taste (again usually savoury and not sweet) from the traditional french toast made elsewhere.

To cut a long story short, I first started with pancakes and in the beginning took the easy way out by buying pancake mix (usually to be found in the more upmarket supermarkets in metro cities). The going was good till the neighbourhood supermarket ran out of stock and it was too much of a chore to go specifically hunting for pancake mixes (in Pune the Food Bazaar at Pune Central - the Boat Club Road one usually stocks it and also the usual suspects such as Dorabjee's in Camp). Now there was no alternative but to either do without or make my own batter.

French toast was a much easier proposition and very easy to make on one's own. Given below are my usual methods - you may have your variations and preferences.

Usually one or the other are typical Sunday morning breakfast staples and much looked forward to by all of us. Today being Sunday we had French Toast for breakfast and thought of blogging about it!

French Toast - usually makes 8 slices

Ingredients - Bread (brown or white, nowadays with food political correctness being what it is, I can't remember the last time I ate white sliced bread!) - 8 slices, Butter, 3 eggs, Milk (preferably not skim but need not have cream in it) - about 100-150 ml, Vanilla essence (3-6 drops), Sugar (powdered - 'pithi sakhar' in Marathi) - about 3-4 tablespoons

Method - Beat eggs, milk and sugar together in a bowl. Add vanilla essence. Take a flat dish which can hold one slice of bread and pour some of the mix in it. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat (turn it down if it gets too hot) and pour a teaspoon of butter on it. Spread the butter with a spatula (use a wooden one), taking care that the butter does not brown (if it browns, the heat is too much and you need to turn it down). Take a slice of bread and dip it in the mix in the dish. Turn it over quickly (don't leave it in for more than 3-4 seconds) and dip the other side. Now quickly lift it and place gently on the pan. Depending on the size of the pan, you can usually do two slices at a time. As it begins to cook, put a teaspoon of butter on the sides and ensure that the bread does not stick to the pan. Check the underside after about 10-15 seconds to ensure that it does not blacken and once it browns turn the bread over. Repeat the butter greasing process. The french toast should be done in about 30-45 seconds (definitely not more than a minute). Lift and place on a serving dish and drizzle with maple syrup (or honey if you so prefer).

Tips: Make sure you get good vanilla essence and not the flavouring usually sold in stores. To avoid sogginess, toast the bread slices just before dipping in the mix. It is rare to get real maple syrup in India, the closest is the 2% maple syrup (nowhere close to the real thing, unless you have obliging friends who can bring some from abroad).

Pancakes - usually makes about 8 medium sized pancakes

Ingredients: Self raising flour (maida) - about 3 cups - 200 gms, Wheat flour (atta) - about 1 cup, Eggs - 2, Baking powder - 1 teaspoon, yogurt (dahi) - about 50 gms, butter, vanilla essence, bananas (ripe) - 2, Sugar (powdered - 'pithi sakhar' in Marathi) - about 5-6 tablespoons

Method: Whisk the yogurt with some water to make buttermilk. In a mixing bowl, combine the self raising flour and wheat flour with the sugar and baking powder. Mix well. Add the buttermilk ensuring that the mixture does not become too thin (at this time, it should be more of the consistency of cake batter). Beat the eggs and add to the mix. Take about 10-15 gms of butter (liquefy by microwaving for about 10-15 seconds) and add to the mix along with the vanilla essence. The mix should now hold together but still be liquid enough to spread on a pan. Add a little water if it seems too thick. Heat a non-stick pan and grease it with butter. Put it on medium heat and turn it down if the butter starts to brown. Ladle out the batter on the pan to make a 4 inch diameter circle. The batter should spread by itself and not be runny. Put a teaspoon of butter on the sides to grease it. Check the underside after about a minute and if golden brown, flip it. About a minute after flipping the pancake should be done. If the first pancake turns out well, put about 2 ladles of batter next time to make about a 7 inch diameter pancake (making it larger makes it unwieldy). Slide it onto a plate and serve it along with maple syrup. Americans tend to add a lot of toppings to pancakes, like cream, preserves, etc. but I prefer them just with the maple syrup. If you like bananas for a topping, the slice a ripe banana (don't slice them too thick) and put about 5-6 slices on the pancake immediately after putting the batter on the pan. The slices should sink into the batter will embed themselves into the pancake. If some parts of the slices are remain uncovered with batter, ladle a spoon or two of batter on top.

Tips: You may need to add 5-10 ml of water occasionally to the batter (in case you are taking too long to cook the pancakes) as the batter tends to absorb water and turn thicker over time. The wheat flour is not strictly necessary but makes the pancake slightly more healthy instead of using only self raising flour (maida).

As you can probably make out, I am more of a 'by instinct' cook and not too much for accurate measurements. My motto is to get a feel for what you are making and then go by your gut. You may need a couple of attempts to get it right, but I guarantee that it will be worth it!

If you make any of the above and like it, do let me know! Happy cooking!

A week's worth of watching World Cup football

Its been about a week since the start of the 2010 World Cup and after many years I have been following most of the matches on TV. In India, ESPN has done an excellent job of the live telecast. Let me get one thing out of the way first - yes, the vuvuzela sound is annoying, irritating and distracting (Vuvuzela on Wikipedia).

I have also been rediscovering the pleasure of watching live sports without annoying commercial breaks. The sheer luxury of watching the entire 45 minutes of a half without even one interruption is something for which one has to thank ESPN (whether it is deliberate or lack of advertisers, I can't say, but more power to whatever has caused it). As a digression, advertisement breaks have killed the pleasure of watching cricket on TV (whether it be of the Test, 50 over or T20 format). At least in India, the last ball of the over has barely been bowled and more often than not, not even fielded, before we go to a commercial break. The commentators have become resigned to it and break off mid-sentence the moment they realize they are off the air. Newbie commentators are notable for not knowing when the break starts.

Back to the matches - this is based on the matches I have seen and not in general on all matches to date. I was impressed with Argentina (even in their 1-0 win against Nigeria). They seem to be playing to their potential, as opposed to France and Spain. The England - USA match was a disaster for England, the almost self goal by Green is now legend, but they hardly looked like a good attacking unit. Their draw yesterday with Algeria means that they have a must win game against Slovenia (who surprisingly are leading the group!). Greece played very well against Nigeria (who seem a little lost on the field).

I watched the Brazil game against North Korea and I must say that I was surprised and impressed by North Korea. Brazil though played with reasonable fluency (Kaka disappointed, but the team does not really depend completely on him) and though North Korea tried hard, ultimately the better team won. The Portugal - North Korea game would be very interesting to determine the group standings and who goes through to the next round.

On to the second week!

Movie Review - Rajneeti (2010) - Hindi

Unfortunately, the movie did not quite rise to my expectations and I came away with a view that it could have been so much better. The movie attempts to show the 'realities' of Politics (Rajneeti is the Hindi word for Politics) in India and the single minded pursuit of power that drives politicians (and in particular dynastic politics). In that premise, it succeeds well, however a patchy script and some flawed casting/acting do much to reduce the overall impact.

Ever since I saw the promos of the movie (Rajneeti), I was intrigued and thought that I must watch it and see what it is about for myself. Nowadays, it is quite impossible to go to a movie without any preconceived notions since the carpet bombing of publicity about the movie starts weeks before the actual release. Thus, I went into the theatre expecting a good story, ensemble casting and good acting.



For the overall cast and story, you can go to Rajneet on imdb

The story starts off from the Mahabharat, however at some point it schizophrenically shifts into Godfather mode. Thus there are important episodes from both which are included and end up burdening the overall narrative and script. With the need to be a big budget blockbuster, the established actors have relatively less screen time than the 'stars'. Of all the actors, Ajay Devgn strikes the right notes, Manoj Bajpai gives the most laboured performance (he is good in the early stages but in the latter stages is reduced to a caricature), Nana Patekar is dependable without being exceptional, Ranbir Kapoor gets the maximum screen time, however his motivation is never clear (though his scheming is very transparent). Katrina Kaif is ok, too much has been made of her transformation at the end as the widow assuming the mantle of leading the party, etc.


The script which is mostly tight, is inexcusably shoddy in some situations (the dialogue between Sooraj and his mother is unintentionally hilarious - when it is supposed to be the primary denouement of the story) - did I imagine it or was Nana Patekar cringing in the background when the dialogue was being delivered ! One other sore point, Ranbir Kapoor's American girlfriend seems to have been introduced solely so that the Godfather episode of the blowing up of the car could be included in the movie.


Overall then it is just about worth your time and money when it could have so easily resulted in being one of the movies of the year.