Guavas for me

We spent an idyllic Christmas at our family's country house in Shantiniketan. The weekend was filled with endless cups of tea and chatter as we basked in the winter sunshine on the verandah, wrapped in layers of shawls.

And just as I did as a little girl every winter, I asked our gardener Ram to pick me some delicious raw green lovelies from the abundant and obliging guava tree in the front portico.

The fruit was exactly the way I like it-- dense and crunchy-- and made for three afternoons of happy noshing dipped in light pink rock salt and chilli powder.

Mama's daily produce inspection

Hubby and I are in Calcutta for Christmas and New Year.

Mama has been in a feeding frenzy since we arrived yesterday. Today, she's making my favourite watery tiger prawn coriander-turmeric curry for lunch.

In preparation, she had all the daily produce purchase laid out for inspection and quality-check.

The local fishmongers have a bonanza of tiger prawns right now-- look at these striped beauties :)