It’s that time of the year again when festivity is in the air. Besides, no festivity can be complete without sweets. And home made sweets is like the icing on the cake. No, don’t worry these recipes will not make you sweat in the kitchen for ours. So, here’s to today’s superwoman. A couple of recipes which can be made in a jiffy.

Butter Murukku

Ingredients:

Rice flour 2 cups
Carom seeds (ajwain) 1 tsp
Salt according to taste
Slatless butter ½ cup
Oil to deep fry

OK, so the way to his heart is supposed to be through his stomach, or, at least, that is what your mother or aunt, or friendly neighbour must have told you to get you interested in the whole business of cooking for a future husband. But what are you to do when study schedules are so demanding all the way through school and college right up to your post-graduation and employment? What are you to do in a post-feminist world where, along with all the aunts urging you to cook, there are also plenty of examples of sensitive New Age men who can cook? Do you take up the ladle and rolling pin to cook your boyfriend, fiancée or husband a great meal or not?

There are bound to be mixed feelings. Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his long-time love, Camilla Parker-Bowles had announced that they will not be expecting or accepting any gifts for their April wedding, many of the prospective invitees must have wondered what to do with the gifts they already had, lurking in some inner drawers, waiting to be handed to the almost-royal couple with a flourish. ‘What will become of the malachite cuff links?’ must have been a thought in one mind. ‘What about the pink and blue pairs of bathroom slippers?’ another might have thought.

Ever heard the story about the three young men being interviewed for a job with a rather stiff organisation. The job involved extensive travel and entertaining and the Company Chief had to make sure the right man fitted the social as much as the work profile.

After all the questions were asked, he invited the young hopefuls to lunch at the office dining room, a very elegant affair. Lunch was simple enough, and by watching the Big Man, all three youngsters conducted themselves quite creditably. Then came the dessert, a luscious looking creamy concoction. As the boys tucked in they discovered that the cream hid a whole lot of cherries and they were not de-seeded cherries either! So what did the candidates do, while their prospective boss watched good humouredly!

The wind-swept vista of Marine Drive had only a few people huddled against the light drizzle. But even in the rain, a brave vendor of roasted corn was plying his trade. As we walked hand in hand, we couldn’t help but pause at his cart, ordering ourselves a roasted cob of corn each. While our snack was being readied, we snuggled up to each other under one umbrella, watching the sparks fly from the corn-sellers ‘sigdi’ while we felt an answering glow in our own hearts…