Mutterings*

Before e-mail and whatsapp came along, there was snail mail. It wasn't instant or easy to do. It required planning and  time and well, patience. It took a considerable amount of effort to go to the post office. Wait in line. Why, it was even expensive. But no one can deny that it was special. Judging from a conversation I just had with one of my most oldest bestest friend, we both agreed that snail mail IS still very very special. The fact that we share this same sentiment, inspired this blogpost and the resolution to make more of an effort to send out snail mail. Funny we use all sorts of instant messengers to communicate to each other that, in fact Snail Mail was still alive and we have to do something about it. We've both made resolutions to do it as often as possible, and this is hoping that you do, too. I realize that, it's one of those things. My friend suggested we were perhaps the only two people who still considered snail mail to be special. I disagreed. I b...

She had watched her cry once. She remembers her heart aching, wanting to make the pain go away. Tell her that it didn't matter. Yes, it was going to change how she would see the world - but it didn't change the fact that life, it was good. Why, they had been friends forever. And these moments, would be forgotten. They would all move on. They had grown up. The familiarity had always stayed. Once a friend, now an eternal sister. They would have their disagreements and almost arguments. They would perhaps not always see eye to eye. And they would go through even more heart ache. She would only get to watch her friend get married through a webcam on skype. But her friend would be happy. She was sure of it and for her, that would be enough. Because she knew forever, her friend was going to be in safe hands. That he would love her. And in turn, she would have a brother. That they had found true love, no matter what they had been through to get there. And things had worked ou...

This is really quite easy to make. I decided the best things in life are the one's that are shared. So, 'thaaggeng thaagga uthum thaaggai kiyala', I decided to make a post of it it. Ingredients - 2 eggs 1 cup of flour (piti) 1/2 cup of water 1/2 cup of milk 2 tablespoons of butter melted (it's important that it's liquidified!) Pinch of salt Inside the crepe, once it's made - Banana Nutella/ Kandos Milk chocolate spread (available at supermarkets, habai tikak ganang i think) or chocolate melted would be fine too Chocolate syrup Whip cream (there's an anchor cream in the supermarket and you can blend this, add a bit of vanilla to it) 1 Pan Bowl to mix everything in Whisk Knife to cut banana's How to make - Simple! Just mix all the ingredients and put it on a pan on very low heat. Make sure you make it as thin as possible. It's kind of like sri lankan pancakes really :) Once the crepe is mad...

After going through this particular post by seanhenricus I was reminded of how beautiful the Nilaveli Beach is. (Great photography there by the way). Although most of this is out of nostalgia and just homesickness (I'm about to buy plane tickets), I remember this magical place and the heart aches for a different time and place. Imagine a full moon poya. A silverish huge moon in the sky. The cool breeze and the silent waves hitting the shore every few seconds. The shadow of Pigeon Island just a few seconds away to the left. I stand there. Taking in every smell, every sound. The sand is soft to my bare feet. I look at the foam that forms. I can't help notice the gleam in the water...of the moon light glimmering, dancing away. The foam is white. Silvery. Everything is a shimmery silver. And I stand there. Years later, I can't forget the Nilaveli beach. I long to go back. To stand there again, on a full moon poya day. To feel that magic again.

It's the same as the elawalu rotti recipe , except for the fact you don't make it in to the bun like part - make the rotya and cut it in to pieces. The trick to keeping it moist, I've been told, is to add pol kiri/ parippu or anything with coconut milk in to it. I promise it isn't as amazing as the kadey kottu, BUT. Pretty close. Pretty clean. And the satisfaction of having made it yourself? Priceless. Enjoy!

Home away from home, this is a simple (yet messy) recipe that has helped keep the homesickness away - and allows bragging rights to most Sri Lankans back home *grin* Here goes  - You mix piti (flour) and water in to a nice, unsticky ball. You can decide how much water and piti you need, I played it by ear. Add a teaspoon of butter, helps to make it smooth and unsticky. Make them in to nice round 'guli' a little smaller than a tennis ball. Leave them in vegetable oil overnight if possible, or 20/30 minutes will do.  Make your own potatoe/ onion/ fish/ chicken/ meat/ sausage whatever filling you like separately. Then take the piti guli you left overnight and smooth it out best you can without tearing it...think of a godamba rotiya or a handkerchief ;) I used my fingers. Put the potatoe filling inside and you know what to do. Try to imagine the size and shape of an elawalu rotiya :) Then fry it. Warning: for some reason you can only try this once with each 'gu...