Latest Posts

Pumpkin, the Jack of All Gourds

Published by Kathy Hunt

Pity the pumpkin. Each fall it risks getting carved up, stuffed with a candle and dumped unceremoniously on someone’s porch only to be forsaken after Halloween. When this thick-skinned winter squash does make it to the dinner table, it’s relegated to the end of the meal, to a time when most diners are too satiated to indulge in or even appreciate its rich, earthy taste.

I, too, once had little regard for the poor pumpkin. It was neither a seasonal decoration nor a fragile cannonball but the main ingredient in my mother’s Thanksgiving pies or aunt’s sweet pumpkin squares and breads. Spiced with ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg, it concluded the holiday dinner then quickly disappeared from our menus, replaced by cranberry cobblers, mince pies and fruitcakes. Now, though, the low-fat and low-calorie pumpkin sticks around long past Thanksgiving, playing a starring role in both my dinners and desserts.

Much of the world uses pumpkin in savory as well as sweet dishes.  The French use it in soups and in bread, pain de courge, which is consumed at breakfast or as a snack. For breakfast, Cypriots may choose kolokotes, a small pie resembling a Cornish pasty, filled with chopped pumpkin and golden raisins. Caribbean cooks pair it with chilies and legumes and use it in hearty, fragrant stews. Moroccans dine on couscous dotted with chunks of pumpkin, and Turks end their dinners with bowls of pumpkin poached in a simple syrup and topped with pistachios or walnuts.

A part of the gourd family, which also claims cucumbers and melons as members, the pumpkin hails from the Americas. Sensitive to cold in spite of its tough skin, it requires temperate weather, regular watering and lots of space to flourish.

What to do once a hefty, blemish-free pumpkin had been bought from a local farm stand or plucked from my parents’ garden used to baffle me. Cleaning and chopping this unwieldy ball seemed fairly daunting. Trying to figure out the required quantities – whole pumpkin vs. trimmed, raw vs. cooked, fresh vs. canned – left me stymied. No wonder everyone in my family stuck with dessert recipes calling for canned pumpkin and zero carving.

After consulting my stained and dog-eared copy of Joy of Cooking (Scribner, 1997), I gained some courage.  According to Rombauer, Rombauer Becker and Becker, one pound of pumpkin provides 13 ounces of trimmed meat. Cooks, they indicated, should allot 8 to 12 ounces of untrimmed pumpkin per serving.

Once I figured out serving amounts, the preparation options seemed limitless. I could poach pieces of pumpkin in a sweet liquid, boil them in a soup or stew, turn them into an aromatic curry or bake them, alone or with other winter vegetables, in a gratin or casserole. If feeling ambitious, I could preserve and can pumpkin butter, chutney, jam or relish or even churn some ice cream.

When wishing to defy culinary custom, I could grate it over a salad and serve it raw. If all other choices left me unmoved, I could always fall back on family tradition and bake a pie, bread or square.  With so many preparation options available, I suspect that more cooks will soon see just how great a pumpkin can be.

PUMPKIN GRATIN

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large white onion, diced
2 pounds pumpkin, washed, seeded, peeled and cut into small cubes
1½ teaspoons dried thyme
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon flour
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons heavy cream
½ cup grated Gruyere cheese

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Using one tablespoon of butter, grease the gratin dish then set it aside.

Melt the remaining four tablespoons of butter in a large saute pan or Dutch oven. Add the onions, pumpkin, thyme, salt and pepper. Toss the ingredients together, then cover and cook on medium to medium low for about 40 minutes, stirring periodically.

Add the flour and nutmeg and stir to coat the ingredients.

Stirring continuously, slowly pour in the milk. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring as needed. A sauce of medium consistency should form.

Add the cream, and stir then tumble the mixture into the buttered gratin dish. Sprinkle the Gruyere cheese over the top then put in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese has become golden brown.  Makes 6 servings.

PUMPKIN SQUARES
Recipe courtesy of Martha Hunt

For pumpkin squares:
2 cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups granulated sugar
1¼ cups vegetable shortening
2 cups pure pumpkin
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts

For icing:
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons margarine, at room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Chopped walnuts, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour the bottom and sides of a jelly-roll pan then set aside.

Place the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in a medium-size bowl and stir to combine.

Put the sugar and shortening in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the two together until smooth. Scrape down the bowl and intermittently add the pumpkin and eggs. Beat until well combined.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat until fluffy and well mixed.

Add the vanilla and chopped walnuts and combine.

Spoon and evenly spread the batter into the prepared jelly-roll pan. Place the pan in the preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes. When finished, a toothpick inserted in the center will come out crumb-free.

Set the pan on a cooling rack and allow to cool 2 to 3 hours before frosting.

Place the softened cream cheese and margarine in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, cream the two together until smooth. Add the vanilla and beat until incorporated. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until well combined and scraping down the sides of the bowl with each addition.

Using an icing spatula, spread the cream cheese frosting over the pumpkin cake. If desired, sprinkle chopped walnuts over the icing. For 30 generously sized “squares” (they will more closely resemble rectangles), slice 5 horizontal rows with 6 individual “squares” in each row. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Makes about 30 pieces.

Wild, Wild Rice

Published by Kathy Hunt

To friends who dislike or have grown tired of white rice, I always suggest that they give wild rice a try.  With its firm texture, nutty flavor and earthy appearance this grain adds a little excitement to the staid rice family.  High in dietary fiber and protein, it likewise offers a nutritional boost absent from milled, nutrient-depleted white rice.  If disillusioned rice eaters take into account wild rice’s complex taste and texture and dietary benefits, they may give this hearty food a chance.

wild rice pilaf

Wild rice with mushrooms and almonds

When these winning aspects don’t sway them, I point out that wild rice falls into the category of affordable gourmet goods.  With wild rice they can splash out on an exotic dish without emptying their wallets.  The same cannot be said for other epicurean delights such as white truffles, a bottle of good, aged balsamic vinegar or wheel of aged Manchego cheese.

Should my finicky friends remain unconvinced, I simply present them with one of a multitude of savory recipes.  One bite of wild rice sauteed with cremini mushrooms, simmered with onions, garlic, thyme and barley or tossed together with dried cranberries and even the most reluctant will be hooked.  It truly is that tasty.

Not only is it tasty, wild rice is versatile, too.  Along with starring in the aforementioned side dishes, it can act as a stuffing for poultry or salmon, the basis for a salad or the main ingredient of rice cakes or a pilaf.  Its uses seem limitless.

When cooking wild rice, keep in mind that the longer the grain, the more water and time it will need to cook.  Also, rinse the rice before cooking to wash away any bits of hull that may remain.

WILD RICE PILAF

Serves 8

3 cups chicken stock

2 cups wild rice

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 leeks, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and diced

2 tablespoons dried parsley

2 teaspoons dried thyme

ground pepper, to taste

½ cup blanched almonds, toasted and chopped

In a medium saucepan bring the chicken stock and rice to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan and simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed.  The rice should still be slightly firm when cooked.  If the stock has evaporated before the rice has finished cooking, add 1/4 cup stock – or water – as needed.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a medium sauté or frying pan melt the butter.  Add the leeks, garlic and mushrooms and sauté until lightly browned.  Add the parsley, thyme and ground pepper and stir.  Tumble in the rice and chopped almonds.  Mix the ingredients together and then spoon into a large, buttered baking dish.  Cover the dish with tinfoil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the rice is evenly heated.   Serve warm.

Be Warm and in Good Health

Published by Kathy Hunt

As the thermometer plummets and cold, dreary days become the norm, my thoughts turn to wassail and all the warmth and good cheer that it brings.  Derived from the Norse phrase “ves heill” or “be in good health,” wassail holds several longstanding, culinary roles.  It can be a toast to the aforementioned health, the alcoholic drink with which one is toasted, or the festive event where drinking and toasting occurs.  Yet, oddly enough, to go ‘wassailing’ could just as easily mean that you’re off caroling at Christmastime as out imbibing.   Of course, the carolers of yore did expect to receive steaming cups of wassail, food, and heartfelt good wishes in exchange for their melodies.

At my house wassail is a favorite hot, mulled drink.   Although customarily made with mead or ale and occasionally wine, I opt for a seasonal brew of white rum and apple cider.  Whole cloves, cinnamon sticks and ground ginger spice up the tart cider while an ample amount of sugar sweetens the mix.

Traditionally, this toasty beverage was placed in a large, goblet-shaped bowl and ladled into cups.  Since I lack an authentic wassail bowl, I pour my concoction into a punch bowl and dole out the fragrant libation in matching punch cups.  Any leftovers I refrigerate and then gently reheat on low before serving it again from a decorative pitcher.

This wassail recipe originally appeared in a January 2008 blog entry on community cookbooks.  However, as it’s such a simple yet delectable recipe, it deserves yet another mention.

WASSAIL from Cook’s Choice (Junior Guild, 1978) and Nancy Williams

Yields 2 1/2 quarts

“Keep warm with this at the football games — really keeps you toasty warm from the inside out!”

1 cup sugar
2 cups water
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 1/2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon ginger
2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 quart cider
1 cup white rum

Combine the sugar and water and boil 10 minutes.  Add the cloves, cinnamon sticks and ginger.  Let stand at least 1 hour.  Strain.  Add the orange juice, lemon juice and cider and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and add 1 cup white rum.  Easy.  Can do ahead

Stuffed

Published by Kathy Hunt

A recent assignment forced me to spend a warm, sunny Sunday in the kitchen, testing stuffing recipes.  It also got me thinking about my troubled relationship with this cooking staple.  Since Stovetop Stuffing became all the rage during my toddler years, I have only hazy memories of my mother making homemade, rather than just-add-boiling-water, dressings.  As a result, I can share no cherished family recipes for Mom’s cranberry-chestnut stuffing or  Grandmother’s sweet potato-lentil filling.  I can, however, wax about the stuffing varieties offered by Kraft Foods.

Hobbled by this culinary deficit, I’ve experienced my share of homemade stuffing disasters.  Take the Thanksgiving where I watched my husband’s extended family spoon out parched bread cubes that clinked as they hit the dinner plates.   Then there was the follow-up meal where I overcompensated for the bone dry dressing and served a bland, gooey porridge of bread, minced onions and celery.  No wonder my mother opted for store-bought mixes.

Fortunately, I — and my dinner guests — persevered and learned from my mistakes.  Today I can actually create respectable, homemade stuffings, ones that won’t leave friends and family grabbing for glasses of water or draining off excess stock from the serving spoon.

Over the years I learned some basic tips for making good stuffing.  It goes without saying to use enough herbs — thyme, rosemary, sage — and seasonings.  Taste test to ensure flavor!

Likewise, include enough fat in the form of butter, margarine or meat drippings.  Fat keeps the stuffing moist, but unlike stock and other liquids, won’t turn it into a mushy mess.  A slick trick for increasing filling moisture is to grease the foil that goes over the baking dish.  When the foil heats up, the butter melts and the stuffing gets a little extra dose of fat.

Don’t rely on the same tired bread crumb recipe.  Add a little excitement and replace the toasted white bread with cubes of focaccia, cornbread or gingerbread.  Better yet, skip the bread altogether and substitute it with wild rice, lentils or couscous.  Unorthodox?  Yes.  Delicious?  Absolutely!

APPLE-CRANBERRY-CORNBREAD STUFFING

Serves 6 to 8

4 cups crumbled cornbread

2 cups wheat bread crumbs

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup white onion, finely chopped

½ cup celery, finely chopped

1 cup Macintosh apples, diced

½ cup dried cranberries

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon dried rosemary

½ teaspoon salt

2/3 cup apple cider

½ cup chicken stock

Place cornbread and wheat bread crumbs on a baking sheet and toast under a medium broiler until browned.  Remove and place in a large bowl.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter a large baking dish.

In a small sauté pan heat 2 tablespoons of butter.  Add the onion and celery and sauté for 10 minutes, until softened but not browned.  Place the sautéed vegetables in the bowl with the breadcrumbs.  Add the apples, cranberries, thyme, rosemary and salt and stir until the ingredients are well combined.  Evenly pour the apple cider and the stock over the stuffing and toss together.

If using the stuffing to fill a turkey or other meat, allow it to cool completely before inserting it into the bird, etc.   Cook until the stuffing itself reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.  Otherwise, loosely layer the stuffing in the buttered baking dish.  Dot the top of the stuffing with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.  Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes remove the foil and continue to bake for another 10 minutes until browned.  Serve immediately.

Ice It

Published by Kathy Hunt

Last month I developed an obsession with blended, iced coffees.   You know the ones that I mean — “frappucinos,” “arctic mochas,” frozen mochas.”  I just couldn’t get enough of these cold, chocolaty, caffeine-laced treats.   From Starbucks to small, independent coffee shops I tried every variation.   Endless consumption resulted not only in a bulging waistline but also in some interesting discoveries.  Beyond coming to grips with the fact that these drinks are chocked full of calories (depending on the size ordered, between 300 and 700 calories per drink) and fat (between 10 and 21 grams per drink) I learned that every barista makes his drink differently and not every drink thrills me equally.

Truth be told, I fell head over heels for the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf’s mocha-licious version yet threw out the slushy, overly sweet offering from Dunkin Donuts after just one sip.   As usual, Starbucks served up a tasty but bold brew while Panera Bread delivered something more akin in flavor to a mild chocolate milk shake.  Some smaller shops doled out iced mocha lattes without much emphasis on the frozen aspect of a “frozen mocha” while others poured pure perfection into a plastic cup.

After talking to several baristas and leafing through Mathew Tekulsky’s “Making Your Own Gourment Coffee Drinks” I devised my own recipe for a blended iced mocha.  While I opted for double-brewed coffee as my base, I could have instead used multiple shots of espresso; with espresso I would have needed about four shots per glass.  For an extra creamy and decadent drink I could have also included a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream.   Note that without the ice cream this coffee contains roughly 40 calories per eight ounce glass.

ICY MOCHALICIOUSNESS

Makes 5 glasses

3 cups cold water

6 tablespoons ground Italian or French roast coffee

1/4 cup skim milk

2 tablespoons chocolate syrup (I prefer U-Bet)

1 to 2 tablespoons sugar

2 cups crushed ice

Brew the coffee.  Pour into a shallow pan and allow to cool to room temperature.  Add the milk, chocolate syrup and 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar to the coffee and stir together.  Pour the mixture into a blender, add the crushed ice and pulse several times until the drink is frothy.  Serve immediately in tall glasses.

Indian Food Lover's Delight

Published by Kathy Hunt

As a fan of Indian food, I was bowled over by the delectability of Northern Indian cooking.  Fresh, flavorful produce, heady spices and sweet, locally grown rice all played starring roles in this region’s cuisine. Likewise chicken, lamb, and fish made frequent appearances in non-vegetarian dishes while legumes and nuts dominated the vegetarian fare.  Almost every street cart and restaurant menu featured flat breads such as unleavened chapathi and leavened naan and filled pastries such as the crisp, conical samosa.

Foods that I consistently encountered at home turned out to be staples of Northern Indian diets, too.  Pureed mint-coriander, chopped mango and piquant sweet pickle chutneys appeared at the start of every meal.  Coupled with the chutneys were crunchy, wafer-like papadums, another regular from my U.S. Indian dining experiences.  Even the national dish of Britain, chicken tikka masala, occasionally popped up on menus.  Originating in the UK, this imported entree emphasized such traditional ingredients as garam masala, turmeric, yogurt, ginger, coriander, tomatoes and, of course, chicken.

Along with the usual items were the slightly unusual.  One such curious dish was tandoori aloo.  This vegetarian delight consisted of skinned and hollowed out potatoes stuffed with a combination of mashed potatoes, raisins, cashews, coriander and green chilies.  Once filled, the potatoes were sealed, skewered and roasted in a tandoori oven.  A bar snack that particularly piqued my interest was the puffed lotus seed or makhana.  Puffed just like popcorn, these substantial, salty nubs proved the perfect partners for a cold Kingfisher lager or chilled glass of chardonnay from the India’s own Sula vineyards.

My favorite dish inevitably had “dal” somewhere in its name.  From the famed Bukhara restaurant in New Delhi came the eponymous “Dal Bukhara.”   Consisting of a rich blend of black lentils, tomatoes, ginger and garlic, this fragrant dish was simmered over a charcoal fire and then dressed with a dollop of cream and unsalted butter.  At Niros in Jaipur Dal Peshawari contained whole yellow lentils, chopped onions, tomatoes and fresh coriander.  Served with a side of fluffy basmati rice, Dal Peshawari made my night.  In Agra at the Bellevue and its sister restaurant Esphahan I had the best dal dinner of the trip, Dal Tadka.  Similar to the dal at Niros, Dal Tadka included yellow lentils, tomatoes, onions and fresh coriander.  Chopped ginger, green and red chilies, cumin, tumeric, lemon juice and chili powder gave this dal a dash of excitement and complexity not found in the other dishes.

Back at home I struggle to find food as enticing as what I ate in Northern India.   Here the dals seem watery, the naan leathery and the chutneys stale.   With little hope of recapturing that culinary magic in an American-based restaurant, I’ll steer clear of those disappointing experiences for a little while.  Instead I’ll try to master my all time favorite meal, dal tadka.

DAL TADKA – Courtesy of Narayan Rao, executive chef at The Oberoi Amarvilas in Agra, India

Serves 2

1/2 cup yellow lentils

1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds (my addition)

3 tablespoons onion, chopped

1 teaspoon ginger, chopped

1 teaspoon green chili pepper, chopped

1 plum tomato, chopped

1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

handful fresh coriander, chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 whole red chili, optional

In a sauce pan bring the yellow lentils, turmeric, salt and 3 cups of water to a boil.  Skim the foam off the top, cover the pan with a lid and simmer over medium-low for roughly 1 hour.  When finished, the lentils will be soft and broken down.  Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

In a medium sauté pan heat the oil.  Add the cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, chopped onion, ginger, and green chilies.   Saute until the onion browns and then add the tomato and sauté it for 1 minute.  Add the red chili powder and boiled lentils to the cooked onion-tomato (masala) mixture.  Check and adjust the seasonings as needed.  Finish the dish with chopped coriander, fresh lemon juice and optional whole red chili.  Serve with a side of basmati rice.

Too Brief a Trip to Malaysia

Published by Kathy Hunt

After two weeks in India Sean and I craved a break from the terrifying traffic, 100+ degree heat and constant crush of peddlers, beggars and people on the streets.   We found respite not at an ashram, on the beach or even in the Himalayas.  Instead we ended up decompressing in a completely different country, Malaysia.

A brief work assignment had brought us to the ultra modern and immaculate capital Kuala Lumpur.  Although I had been skeptical about the destination — I had hoped to make it not to Southeast Asia but to Nepal on this journey — this city of two million won my heart.  With its law-abiding drivers, 90-degree weather and subdued pedestrians KL was a godsend.

On our first day we went to the Perdana Lake Garden. Number of Malays who accosted us on our 15-minute walk to the public park?  Zero!  Number of times that we jumped out of the path of a deranged driver barreling down the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic?  Nil!

Inside the tranquil garden we followed a well-marked, paved path to the KL Bird Park.  The world’s largest free flight, walk-in aviary, the KL Bird Park housed over 5,000 birds and 50 different species.  Ninety percent were indigenous to Malaysia.

High points of the KL Bird Park?  Taking photos of the petite, plump conures and surreal hornbills.  Watching Sean feed the lories.  Watching a staff person feed fish to the yellow-billed storks.  Sitting down at a cafe table and eating ice cream bars in the quiet park.  Such a pleasant place!

More bustling but no less fun was the night market on Petaling Street.  To reach the open air market, we took the subway to Chinatown and walked one block to the crowded, pedestrian-only area.  There we found endless aisles of produce vendors, coffee roasters, clothing salesmen, tchotchke shops and Southeast Asian restaurants.  Anything that you could possibly want, including exotic fruits, knock-off Fendi purses and miniature replicas of the Petronas Twin Towers, you could buy at the night market.

We couldn’t visit Kuala Lumpur without seeing the city’s most famous site, the Petronas Twin Towers.  Until the Tapei 101 usurped them, the 88-story Petronas Towers were the tallest skyscrapers in the world.  Although they’ve lost that title, they still remain the tallest twin towers in existence.

Our first glimpse came courtesy of the KL Tower, the world’s 4th tallest communications tower.  From the KL Tower’s observation deck we could take in all of Kuala Lumper, including the nearby Petronas Twin Towers.  Our next peek was from a cab during a storm.  Tired of all the teasers, we finally took the subway to KLCC (Kuala Lumpur City Center) and went into the Towers.  As visitors can only travel to the skybridge on the 41st floor and as the Skybridge had reached its limit of visitors for the day, we stuck to the 6-level Suria KLCC shopping mall.  Air conditioning, cafes, high-end stores – the Suria KLCC in the Twin Towers had it all.

Other great sites and aspects of KL?  The Menara Kuala Lumpur or KL Tower was a neat spot.  Situated high on a hill, it appeared taller the the Petronas Towers although, in reality,  it’s not.  Likewise, we relished the light, delicious cuisine, the iced beverages, clean and efficient railway system and slower pace of Malaysia.  Granted, it’s not perfect — take a look at the headlines about the caning of a female, Muslim tourist or the country’s political woes — but for us a few peaceful days in Kuala Lumpur was exactly what we needed.

The Sites of Jaipur

Published by Kathy Hunt

Jaipur.  The city of 1,001 sites.   Because Sean and I ended up here in the middle of August, when temperatures topped 100+, we tried not to cram too much sightseeing into one day.  Even so, we managed to hit all the must-see spots and not keel over from sunstroke.  (Lugging around bottled water and wearing light clothing did help but not that much.)

Below are a few of our favorite historical sites in Jaipur.   All are on the “tourist trail” so be prepared for the multitude of male guides waiting at the entrance gates.  In some instances having a guide will benefit you but often you will learn just as much by reading the signs posted around the various objects.

Jantar Mahar – Constructed in 1728 by Jai Singh, this outdoor observatory possesses a vast assortment of over-sized astronomical instruments and the world’s largest sundial.  Named Brihat Samrat Yantra or “the King of the Instruments,” the sundial is truly a regal sight.

Amber Fort – This 11th century fortified palace lies 11 kilometers northeast of Jaipur.  Situated on a rocky mountainside, Amber (pronounced “Amer”) has magnificent apartments, courtyards, public halls and a small temple.   Definitely a top tourist attraction.

Jaigarh Fort – One of three forts outside of Jaipur, this 18th century fort has the unique distinction of never being captured.  Beyond this unusual aspect Jaigarh boasts of water reservoirs, residential areas, the world’s largest wheeled canon and spectacular views of the Amber Fort and Jaipur below.

Nahargarh Fort – Built in 1734 by Jai Singh, the Nahargarh or “Tiger” Fort displays a lovely assortment of painted apartments and a labyrinth of corridors leading to and from them.  It also provides good, albeit hazy, views of Jaipur.

Galta – Known as “The Monkey Temple,” this collection of 250-year-old temples is nestled in the rocky cliff on the outskirts of Jaipur.  Two large tanks of spring-fed water draw both the devout and roughly 5,000 monkeys to this site.  At Galta they worship, cleanse themselves and, in the case of the monkeys, splash about and beg for snacks.

City Palace – Another Jai Singh creation, City Palace consists of courtyards, gardens, public halls and other buildings exhibiting a successful blend of Mughal and Rajasthani architecture.  Today, as in the past, the raj (or king) of Jaipur resides here.

Birla Lakshmi Narayan Temple – Erected by a wealthy industrial, this marble Hindu temple sits at the foot of the Moti Dungri Fort.  The intricate carvings and stained glass windows depict events in Hindu scripture.  Beautiful!

Jaipur in the Heart (and Heat) of Rajasthan

Published by Kathy Hunt

Popularly known as the “Pink City,” Jaipur is the capital of India’s sprawling, northwestern state of Rajasthan.  Last week Sean and I spent four days here, exploring the wealth of stunning sites while wilting in the hot sun.  With a population of over five million this busy city offers a little something for every taste — historical sites, bazaars, temples, art, wildlife, Bollywood movies and the ever-present flavorful cuisine.

We found Jaipur to be equally enchanting and exasperating.  The prevalence of cheeky monkeys, loping elephants, camels, kingfisher birds, colorful markets, historic forts, delectable food and beautiful vistas made us fall in love with the region again and again.  Yet, the intense heat (when factoring in the heat index, it’s around 115 degrees Fahrenheit) and overabundance of homicidal drivers, pushy vendors and aggressive beggars left both of us aggravated and spent.

Setting aside the annoyances, I’ll share some of the day-to-day pleasures of our time in this mesmerizing, 17th century metropolis. Think of it as a daily things-to-do list should you ever find yourself in Jaipur.

Feeding the pigeons of the East – It will come as no huge surprise to read that we love animals and that I, in particular, have a soft spot for soulful-eyed, furry creatures.  Thus, you can imagine our mutual delight whenever we spotted and interacted with the ridiculous number of monkeys in this city.  Red-faced macaques were the most common but we also bumped into quite a few easy going, black-faced langur monkeys.  So, so cool!

Learning about other religions – While Hinduism is the predominant religion in India, the devout also co-exist with such faiths as Islam, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism and Christianity.  While in Jaipur, we had the privilege of visiting several tranquil temples and of learning a bit about what the followers of Hinduism and Sikhism believe.  Talk about enriching experiences!

Finding a breathtaking sight/site at literally every corner – I’ll write more about this in another entry but I will say that tooling around Jaipur became a non-stop, jaw-dropping event.  Everywhere we looked, we found something new and astonishing to see.

Shopping at the bazaars – You know the stereotype:  women love to shop.  Well, I defy that stereotype by being a browser.  Sadly, I couldn’t do ‘my thing’ and just look around Jaipur’s bazaars.  If I slowed down near a stall or was so daring as to pause or even stop, I’d be crushed by boys and men selling trinkets, women telling me to buy them food and the vendors themselves.  However, when I knew what I wanted — a copper serving dish — and found a vendor willing to sell one at a fair price, the bustling bazaar seemed pretty darned good to me.

Eating delightful Indian food – Imagine that.  Great Indian food in India.  Over the course of our stay we indulged in zesty curries, delicate dals, crisp garlic naan, fluffy Basmati rice and so many otherworldly soups.  Jaipur was an Indian-food-lover’s heaven.  Unfortunately, as we were obsessed with avoiding “Delhi belly,” we steered clear of the street food stalls and stuck with restaurant meals.  I’d like to think that we still had a true taste of India.  At least I hope that we did.

Not being killed in traffic – I know.  It sounds as though I’m ending this on a snotty, ugly American note.  However, not being clipped, scraped or hit full-on by the non-stop, careening cars and trucks was a constant concern.  Consider the fact that in the first hour spent with our cross-country driver JP, he smacked the side of a moving semi, bounced off the truck and then pulled off the guy’s front bumper before screeching to a stop.  Thankfully, we weren’t hurt — not even by the angry mob that clustered around our car — but we did get a quick, early lesson in how terrifying traffic here is.

Feeling Snarky in the Holiest Hindu City of Pushkar

Published by Kathy Hunt

Imagine a pristine, holy city situated on a clear lake.  Imagine that tranquil spot filled with serene followers gathered together to worship and pray at one of 400 temples.  Imagine how relaxing, pretty and peaceful such a place would be.   Go on.  Keep imagining for the sacred Hindu city of Pushkar is nothing like what you’d expect it to be.

After a jaw-clenching, 3-hour drive from Jaipur we arrived in the dusty, trash-strewn town of Pushkar, population 15,000.  Here the streets are paved not with gold or even macadam but with tourists and peddlers.  The beautiful lake?  Thanks to a dry monsoon season, it is muddy and filled with garbage.

Upon our arrival we quickly caught on to the overall tone of Pushkar.  Visiting a temple?  Buy some marigolds or puffed rice to throw as an offering.  Looking for a trinket to sum up your pilgrimage to this hallowed land?  Buy my wool pashmina, semi-precious stone bracelet, brass Ganesha, leather sandals or mirrored pillowcase.   Just feeling generous?  Then buy me a chapati for lunch.

Although surprising to see in such a spiritual site, the constant commerce on the streets did not rile us.  Rather, it was the blatant shake-down for money by Pushkar’s  brahman priests that left me, in particular, feeling snarky.

Against our polite protestations Sean and I were unwittingly pushed into receiving blessings from two brahman priests.  Each of us paired off with a priest, we sat on opposite ends of the same marble steps and listened while the two young men presented highly different versions of their religion.  Sean’s priest offered prayers to Sean’s ancestors and tributes to those loved ones recently deceased.  My priest discussed how Pushkar’s temples were the result of generous donations from the “English” like me; although I had stated that we were from NY, he repeatedly referred to me as a “Londoner.”

While Sean thought positive thoughts about his family and the planet, I echoed my assigned priest in chants of “Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesha, I pray to you to give me good job, good fortune, good money so that I can give money to the temple . . ..”   When the priest asked me to chant how much money I was donating — all Londoners give between 3000 to 5000 rupees (roughly $60 to $100) — I explained that I did not know the amount for I had no money on me.

I do not lie to holy men, extorting ones or not.  I had handed my cash to Sean for safekeeping before arriving in Pushkar.   This information did not, however, go over well with my priest.

Rather than play out the ugliness, let’s go back to imagination land.  Let’s imagine that you’ve invited two visiting friends of another faith to attend Catholic mass.  At the end of mass your friends spend a few minutes chatting with Father O’Leary.  After several minutes Father O’Leary turns to your friends and says, “You are both rich.  You must each give me $50 for the privilege of speaking with me about Catholicism.  You cannot give me less than that or else God will curse you for eternity.  Give me the money now and you can go with good will.  $50 each.”

Yes, folks.  I was threatened with bad karma for not donating at least $50 to this priest.  Who knows?  Perhaps this is why, two days later, I came down with Delhi belly.  Then again, maybe not.

Sean likewise was pressed for a generous donation.  He also gave far less than what was demanded.  At least, though, he had a more authentic blessing than I.  As for a customary cursing, well, I trumped him on that one.  Hence, my snarkiness about our time in Pushkar.

I realize that those who have experienced a more heartfelt and sincere time in Pushkar will disagree and perhaps even be outraged by my story.  To them, I offer my apologies.  Unfortunately, we experienced the commercialized side of this sacred city, one that did not leave a very positive impression.