Wanderberry Tales

Mangoes always brings fond memories of summer vacations. After breakfast, we gather around in the backyard of my mother's house where grandmother had ready for us the mangoes. We called the bigger slices mettha (malayalam for mattress) and the smaller slices talayana (malayalam for pillow). Back home in Udupi, summers began with us racing out to drive away the monkeys from taste testing the mangoes on our tree! The monkeys are ever present around the house during summers jumping from roof to tree and the dogs run under the tree hoping to catch hold of one monkey ( if only one would fall) . The monkeys are very choosy, hard to please group! They taste test several mangoes and drop them to the ground with just a single bite. Obviously that renders the mango ill suited for consumption and leaves a broken hearted mom and two children staring at the useless mangoes underneath the tree. If not consuming the mango as is the other popular use of mango were the milkshakes we made in the e...

It is scorching summer in Dubai and everyone is out to find ways to escape the heat. From being holed up at homes and offices to cooler recipes to bring down the heat. Watermelon is probably the best summer fruit. I remember the times when my mom used to serve us freshly cut watermelon when we were back from our evening games or when our father was back from his badminton games. Watermelon was the delicacy at our summer coaching camps as well. I was on the lookout for a new cooler recipe when my cousin suggested this combination which she constantly uses to beat the Delhi heat. As to the name of this cooler, my husband suggested it and I found it quite unique too:) There you are - The Water-'lemon' Mint Cooler: Ingredients Watermelon - 2 cups de-seeded and diced Cucumber - 1 cup diced Lemon - 1 small size Mint Leaves - 2 sprigs Sugar - 2 tsp Salt - 1/2 tsp Ice cubes Method Add the diced watermelon, cucumber and mint leaves into a juicer and blend ...