My cup brimmeth over

So today is the big day eh? The expectations of a billion people, of a cricket-crazy nation ride on the some young, some not so young, some fit, some not so fit, but devastatingly talented Indian team.  As tension reaches a feverish pitch (yes, pun intended) and Indians all over are set to Bleed Blue (yours truly notwithstanding) I have my own predictions for today’s big game.

The key players according to me will be three of our finest, in-form men, who according to me have the ability to change the face of the game. Based on their personality, style of batting/bowling, I have decided what cocktail best represents them…and yes, I will be drinking these in abundance.

Here’s my pick:

Sachin Tendulkar: The baap of cricket, the man that Brian Lara wants his son to be, the man Barack Obama wants to watch in action and the man who has every Indian swooning with his clean, classy yet explosive style. For him, it’s gotta be the Caprioska, with its clean and crisp flavour.

Caprioska

·         Whole, quartered lime

·         Teaspoon brown sugar

·         35ml vodka

·         Lots Crushed ice

·         Some soda water

Instructions: Slice lime, muddle with sugar your chosen glass. Fill glass with crushed ice and pour on the vodka, top up with Soda water, gently mix and then serve. Try adding some blueberries, strawberries or other fruit in to the muddle for an extra twist.

Yuvraj Singh: A lot has been said about his level of fitness, whether or not he deserves a place in the side but Yuvi has proved them wrong and how. Clearly, the man can bat…but what has surprised many is his prowess with the ball. Both on and off the field, quite a strong, heady mix, he is best complemented with a highball drink like Long Island Ice Tea…sure to knock your socks off!

Long Island Iced Tea

·         1 part vodka

·         1 part 1800® Tequila

·         1 part rum

·         1 part gin

·         1 part triple sec

·         1 1/2 parts sweet and sour mix

·         1 splash Cola

Instructions: Mix ingredients together over ice in a glass. Pour into a shaker and give one brisk shake. Pour back into the glass and make sure there is a touch of fizz at the top. Garnish with lemon.

Suresh Raina: Our captain cool should learn a trick or two out from this young man. Always a picture of calm, I personally believe it is he who won the game for India during the last match. His cool demeanour has me likening him to something that had crushed ice, but is potent at the same time…so what better than a frozen margarita?

Frozen Margarita

2 tsp coarse salt

1 lime wedge

3 oz white tequila

1 oz triple sec

2 oz lime juice

1 cup crushed ice

Instructions: Place salt in a saucer. Rub rim of a cocktail glass with lime wedge and dip glass into salt to coat rim thoroughly, reserve lime. Pour tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and crushed ice into a blender. Blend well at high speed. Pour into a cocktail glass.

Baby’s Day Out

So, it seems like the big man up there has put quite a spoke in our partying wheels and has charted out our weekend plans much before we could even say PARTAAAAAY! My best friend and her husband have been given diaper duty by her cousin (which by extension also includes me and other ‘knowledgeable’ baby handlers) and so, the kids (aged 5 and 7 years) are already creating quite a ruckus.

Adorable they are though! Extremely happy, unspoilt children who will say ‘Please’ ‘Thank You’ and ‘Sorry’ almost in repeat after each sentence. As a result of the babysitting weekend, my friends and I have decided to cook the boys a few of their favourite things. Here is what’s on the menu for tonight!

WHAT THE KIDS ARE HAVING!

Vanilla Cupcakes

·         3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

·         2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

·         5 eggs

·         1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

·         1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

·         3 cups all-purpose flour

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         1/2 teaspoon baking soda

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1 cup buttermilk

Frosting

·         1 pound cream cheese

·         1 pound unsalted butter

·         1 16oz. box confectioners’ sugar

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         Rainbow sprinkles

METHOD: Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. In a mixer fitted with the paddle, attachment beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add the eggs, mixing well after each addition, followed by the vanilla and almond extracts. Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda into a small bowl. Then, with the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk and ending with the flour.

Fill each cup 3/4 full with batter. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the center of the cupcakes spring back when touched. Cool completely before frosting. To make the frosting cream together the butter and cream cheese until very smooth. Then add the sugar and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Frost each cupcake then place the sprinkles on a plate and roll the sides of the cupcake in them.

The Best Macaroni and Cheese Ever

·         1 (8-ounce) package elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

·         2 tablespoons butter

·         1 clove garlic, crushed

·         1 teaspoon onion powder

·         2 cups whole milk

·         1/4 cup all-purpose flour

·         6 cups sharp cheddar cheese

·         2 cups breadcrumbs

·         1/2 cup butter, melted

METHOD: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter, add the garlic and cook until the garlic is softened, about 2 minutes.  Add the onion powder, then whisk in the flour and milk, then cook until slightly thickened.  Add three cups of the cheddar cheese and stir until melted in the mixture.  Toss the cheese mixture with the cooked pasta, salt and pepper to taste.  Stir the remaining grated cheese into the pasta.  Spoon into a large baking dish.

In a small bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs and melted butter.  I always like to add a bunch of freshly ground pepper and a sprinkling of sea salt to this mixture.  Spread over the pasta.  Bake in a pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.  Serve piping hot!

WHAT WE ARE DRINKING!

Vanilla Peppermint Martini
Ingredients

·         Candy canes

·         2 1/2 ounces vanilla vodka

·         1 ounce peppermint schnapps

·         Lime

·         Fresh mint

·         Ice

Directions: Crush your choice of candy canes to rim the martini glasses. If you don’t want to rim with crushed candy canes then just dangle a miniature candy cane on the rim of each glass. Chill the martini glasses by filling with crushed ice and cold water. Remove the water and ice from martini glasses. Wet glass rim with lime wedge and coat with crushed candy canes. Pour vodka and schnapps in a shaker over crushed ice and shake well. Strain peppermint martini into glass and add mint sprig. Drink up girls!

Pizza, pesto, perfect company!

There is something that needs to be said about Saturdays without alcohol. I don’t know very many people who, when in their drinking prime, prefer NOT drinking during the weekend. So after weekends of hangovers and cursing that drasted bottle of Old Monk the morning after, the girls and I decided to spend a muggy Saturday evening minus the alcohol.

Calls after frantic calls, messages after messages and the plan of action was decided. We decided to leave the boys to their devices and what they do best (nights at Gandhinagar Club discussing the most inane topics ever…yes, yes I enjoy doing that too) and head out for some ‘Girl’ time and a quiet dinner instead.

So off we trotted, three musketeers to a nearby pizza place with an absurd sounding name and sat down with a hot glass of lemon tea as we chatted (read gossip and bitch) about everything under the sun. Now a friend of ours has recently had a baby and since she does not get much time just chilling with us, we put her hubby on diaper duty and kidnapped her for a couple of hours. That he passed the buck to his poor, unsuspecting mum and scooted to meet the boys is another matter altogether!

Orders placed (a vegetable extravaganza pizza for me, an all meat combo ironically called ‘Redemption’ for my friend and a pesto pizza for the other), we got talking, between occasional nicotine breaks, about what life had come to mean for all of us. The ‘just been baby boomed’ one complained about lack of anytime for herself, the ‘married’ one pondered on how hers was an unconventional marriage (without nagging in-laws – yes they make those) and I wondered when I would eventually, if ever, tie the knot.

It was at this time that the steward politely came and told us to get back to the table as our pizzas were getting cold. One bite and we were transported to la-la land. Never ever have I tasted a pesto so fresh, the all meat pizza was generously topped with every kind of meat possible and the thin crust was baked to perfection. Our steward even got us extra dipping sauces, parmesan and olive oil to drizzle on our delicious pies.  Sigh! If only it were not all going to the hip!

Did it burn a hole in our pockets? No, not really at all. Sufficiently stuffed, we decided to continue our late night soiree with a glass of ice-cold lemon tea and conversation. As for dessert, well since the joint we went to had no panna cotta, we satisfied our sweet tooth discussing dishy dudes we all fancied!A Saturday well spent? You betcha! Maybe next time, I'll just carry a hip flask or a premix!