4 December 2017

Something was amiss !!

Do you see something not quite right with the picture? That’s right, my running shirt and running shoes did not match in color!! That was predominantly because I did not have my running shoes with me!!

After hospice work, I went to the trail head with the idea of putting in a 3 to 5 mile run as the sun set. Moment I opened the trunk after parking the car, I realized that I had forgotten to throw my shoes in the gym bag in the morning.

Reluctant to give up on the time invested to go to the trail head, I, instead, settled for a 2 mile bare foot run on the tarred roads inside the park.

Second time in four years I have forgotten to pack my running shoes. I must be getting old!!

Category: Running | 3 Comments on Something was amiss !!
3 December 2017

From the bartender’s corner – Viking Corpse Reviver #2

This is the first cocktail I made with the Harahorn gin. Of course, given the origin of Harahorn gin in Norway, I had to call this a “Viking” Corpse Reviver. I stayed mostly true to the formula of the traditional Corpse Reviver with the sole exception that instead of mixing in the absinthe, I rinsed the cocktail glass with it and threw the excess part.

Next time, I will probably go with a lower amount of fresh lemon juice than the original recipe calls for. To me, at least, the sour citrus is overwhelming any traces of the sweet citrus (orange) or the junipers (and in this case the blackberries too).

Otherwise, as promised, with 92-proof gin, lillet blanc and Cointreau – not to speak of the 148 proof absinthe, this is sure to revive most corpses!!!

P.S. The way the Vikings played today, I might actually need a Falcons Corpse Reviver next 🙂

Category: Cocktails | LEAVE A COMMENT
3 December 2017

From the bartender’s corner – Gin #26: Harahorn Gin

Here is another interesting gin from an interesting country – Norway!! I was not aware before this that Norway made any gins. In fact, this brand gin has been made for only 2 years (started in 2015). In their second year – 2016, they won the coveted San Francisco World Spirits Competition!

The name is derived from a mountain in the Hemsedal area (he distillery is in Grimstad) but their web site claims that they have been inspired a mythical figure – which looks alike a hare with horns. You can see the picture on the bottle label. As an aside, the word “harahorn” seems almost like the two English words – “hare” and horn” have been put together. Is Norwegian that close to English? I understand all SAS flights serve this gin.

Slightly more potent than standard gin at 46% ABV, this gin has the unique influence of blueberries. Other than the blueberries, it has juniper, of course, and rhubarb, angelica, wild marjoram, orange and bladderwrack (had no idea what this is till I looked it up; pretty interesting medicinal qualities; look it up).

The nose is predominantly juniper and citrusy. The palette is decidedly mellower than most gins. The sweetness of blueberries do a good job of softening the edges of the bitterness in juniper.

I will try some cocktails later with this. Corpse Reviver #2 is top of my list.

Category: Cocktails | 4 Comments on From the bartender’s corner – Gin #26: Harahorn Gin
30 November 2017

Word puzzle: Birds of a feather…

Some of the most interesting revelations I had the other day was trying to learn the collective nouns of birds. I am sure you have heard a “murder” of crows is the proper way to describe a bunch of crows. I thought a “parliament” of owls was a hoot – ha ha!

Try these.

1. A _ of eagles
2. A _ of falcons
3. A _ of hens
4. A _ of nightingales
5. A _ of parrots
6. A _ of pelicans
7. A _ of sparrows
8. A _ of storks
9. A _ of turkeys
10. A _ of woodpeckers

11. Here is a bonus question: What is the difference between a “gaggle” of geese and a “skein” of geese? Take a guess. If it helps, it is the same difference as a “committee” of vultures and a “kettle” of vultures!!!

Now Google the answers… how many did you get?

[I will post the answers in 24 hours]

Category: Word Play | 9 Comments on Word puzzle: Birds of a feather…
27 November 2017

Some day I am going to listen to reason…

Most other days I will try to defy it. In September, when I started my time off, for the social work bucket, I had selected hospice work this time. Sooner than later, I found myself working at three hospices. For the family bucket, they opted for travel. So, we went to Aruba and we have a trip to Indonesia, Thailand and India coming up for all four of us in less than month. And many more to come…

For the third bucket – personal skillsets – I picked motorcycling. After stand up comedies, running marathons, mixology, having an active blog site, this time, I picked motorcycling from the bucket list. Neither Sharmila nor I can remember how and when did motorcycling get into my bucket list. The last time I rode a two wheeler – on a consistent basis anyways – was in 1985 in Durgapur. That was a 148 cc Vijay Deluxe (see picture).

I had tried a couple of friends’ motorbikes in the past. Scared the bejesus out of me. They are heavy and have way too much power. When I pressure tested this idea last August and September, almost to the person everybody warned me about how unsafe it could be. That did nothing to boost my confidence. Might have made me a little more determined but incredibly scared, nonetheless.

While I may not know how and when it got into my bucket list, I do know how it made it to the top of my list this time though. One fine day in August I had convinced myself that I owe it to myself to ride motorbikes for a few years just to conquer my own deep seated fear. That led to safety classes in September and a license soon after.

Then followed some weeks of laziness (perhaps the realization that I will have to face my fear had something to do with it). After I saw my dad in October, on the flight back, I realized that life is too short. Yes, it might be made shorter by a motorbike, but at least I will not have to die thinking I ran away from something.

Quite a few days of intense searching (and I mean QUITE A FEW number of days) and multiple trips to various dealers, I finally found the one bike that I wanted (a 695 cc Honda CTX 700D). Except that I could not find it anywhere in my state. I had to cross state boundaries and buy one in Tennessee. Of course, the one thing I need to bring it back home – motorbiking skillsets – is exactly what I lack 🙂 So, now I am in the process of figuring out how to get it home!!

Before I start the long road to conquering my fears… I owe some shoutouts:

Dhananjay for giving me some incredible tips and more importantly confidence when I went to Pune in August to discuss this.
Magesh for always encouraging me to motorbike ever since he moved from California to Atlanta.
Avijit for being a great friend, philosopher and guide as I navigated everything motorcycle in my mind in the last couple of months.
And most of all Sharmila – who was not very sure at first but in the end she became the one egging me on to get started on my goal. She even went to each and every dealer with me to help me choose a bike.

Now for the hardest part.
Riding.
Riding safely, that is.

Category: Motorbiking | 37 Comments on Some day I am going to listen to reason…
24 November 2017

From the bartender’s corner – English Harvest

This cocktail was built up by Food and Wine magazine contributor Ryan Fitzgerald. Apparently, he was inspired by the taste of apple with peanut butter. I recreated the drink almost exactly the same way – except instead of almond syrup (Ryan used it to get close to the peanut butter), I used a dash of almond butter. The rest of the ingredients are gin, dry vermouth, apple brandy, apple juice and bitters.

Category: Cocktails | 1 Comment on From the bartender’s corner – English Harvest