pretty little pondicherry

i've always been sort of intrigued by pondicherry. initially because it had such a cute name. i mean, pondicherry? it sounds adorable. then when i found out about its major french influence, i was sold. having now spent several months in india almost entirely pastry and non-amul cheese -less, i was hopeful for some authentic food if nothing else.

pondicherry did not disappoint! a charming little town, it boasts both lingering french influences and actual french people - thanks to the prominent ex-pat community. each street has two names, one french and the other vaguely tamil or perhaps the name of a person (confusing for the mailman, i'm sure). the city is divided into sections - french, tamil, muslim etc and bifurcated by a canal that has surely seen better days.

petit déj, anyone?

we stayed at a quaint little guest house (le rêve bleu.. charmant, non?) that seems to be popular with the french set - evidenced by the scene of baguette-tearing and cigarette-chain smoking we came down to in the morning. the french proprietess steered us towards the best bakery in town, baker street (english/sherlock holmes theme but thoroughly french) where we indulged in a breakfast of macarons (basil and vanilla olive oil) and croissants of the regular and almond variety (the latter was the best). french pastries at indian pastry prices? a rare find indeed.

properly stuffed, it was off to explore the city. we rented bikes and cycled around town, meandering here and there and stopping to take very similar pictures about every 30 meters. we made it out to the sea (which we later learned was a bay) and pedaled our way along the shoreline. at some point we stopped along the water at a cafe named, aptly, le café, where we had a lovely breeze and may have even been in the background of a (very cheesy) tamil music video.

colors of pondy

after some more wandering we made our way to a nondescript place farther down the beach for a quick drink as the sun was setting. on the way we stopped to see 'the elephant' who visits the temple each day to bless whoever wants to offer money or fruit. for a few rupees you can experience the warm breath of an elephant as its trunk brushes over your head. for dinner we met a friend of a friend for a rather nice meal - mostly south indian food (think rice and coconuts) with a fancy touch. i had the chicken chetinad - a local preparation - and we shared other seafood and curry dishes as well. delightful!

which kind of sums up pondicherry actually. it was a delight, and we left quite full.

all in the families

i've spoken a little bit before about the hospitality i've encountered in india. well, here comes some more. i went to ajmer on something of a whim after pushkar. (i can only take so much dreadlocks and ali baba pants, you know) i texted a friend (really more of an acquaintance, at the time) that i'd be in ajmer asking for recommendations. seconds later, he called me giving me his parents' number and told me i would be staying with them.

nom nom namkeen

sure enough, a few days later i hopped off the bus in ajmer and was greeted by a grinning, friendly-faced man in a baseball cap who flagged me down and took me straight to his home. there i was offered chai and namkeen (tasty fried snacks, which just about everyone has just made during diwali) for the first of dozens of times in the subsequent days. we chatted, we rested, we shared meals together in a little picnic on the bed, we watched tv, we took walks on the roof (back and forth, back and forth), we visited family. overall it was lovely and relaxing.

entering the dargah, loaded with offerings

his parents were both busy with work during the day but i managed to get into the city and explore it a bit. i didn't do the fort, which is perhaps the biggest (literally, in any case) attraction in the city. i saw some mughal architecture here and there. and i even saw the craziness of the chisti dargah on bakri id/eid al-adha. it's a big muslim pilgrimage site on any given day, but on one of the more important islamic holidays the streets were particularly bustling. interesting how religious events here - whatever religion - seem to include offerings, whether they be flowers, candles, or foods.

old streets of ajmer

aside from people watching, i did my own roaming around the city and doing two of my favorite things (shopping and taking pictures). i wandered around the old streets, popping into havelis here and there, admiring doorways, and attracting a lot of confused stares (as usual. but then i was pretty far out of tourist turf here). i stopped on a whim for some mosambi juice or a little daal ka halwa when the mood struck.

rolls and rolls

i also indulged in my latest obsession - buying trim! in theory i'm buying trim (or ribbon, but ribbon just makes it sound like i'm wrapping a christmas present) that will match fabric i've bought for kurtas, though some are just too pretty not to buy. i'll find a purpose for them later. plus they're so cheap (even compared to bombay prices)! after i had had my fill of shopping (chappals, incense, snacks, glass bangles, and snacks for the train) i tracked down a rickshaw, haggled for a decent price back to the family's house, and silently reminded myself to be grateful i live in a city where i never have to do that.

that night, as i said, was eid, and i found out we had been invited to a dinner at a muslim friend's home. delicious mutton with plenty of oil - yum! only then did i realize that i couldn't remember the last time i'd had meat (non-veg, here). i tried not to stuff myself too much which ended up being a very good thing, since from there we went directly to a wedding, where i was presented with a smorgasbord of snacks and desserts. i managed to make room for dahi wada, halwa, and gulab jamun, but had to pass on the dosas (and many other things, i'm sure). i even managed to make my way to the dance floor for some good old bollywood dancing with some perfect strangers. i could have stayed longer (my friend later told me his mother said it was 'hard to get me off the dance floor'.. oops) but still it was a fun night.

from there it was a sad goodbye to a new family and hello to a new one. i took the night train (my first in sleeper class, totally fine!) to indore and was greeted by a car and driver. this family, parents of my mom's neighbors and friends, lives right in indore in a really lovely, airy house with pale blue walls. i was of course offered the requisite tea and a chance to 'get fresh'. i happily took a sorely-needed shower before a delicious homemade lunch.

traffic jam

the next day i was taken to mandu, a town that was 2 hours of winding, often bumpy roads from indore. in addition to the driver, i was joined by uncle and the 12-year old daughter of family friend's. she graciously shared her music with me, asking me every other song if the (american) musicians were famous in the US. to her continual shock, they all were. and that, my friends, is how i was graced with the sounds of the jonas brothers for the first time. if you haven't had this experience, you're not missing much. the same few chords along with repetitions of the same inane lyrics, pretty much what you'd expect. on the way back we listened to hindi music, which was much more my speed (because in india my music tastes are about equivalent to that of a pre-teen). the other highlight of the drive was the herds and herds of sheep and be-turbaned shepherds we passed on the roads. like a sea of wool!

now that's a window

at any rate, mandu itself wasn't much. at one point there were something like 40 or 50 mughal forts and palaces spread across the town, of which only a few remnants remain. we explored three or four of the bigger ones and there were some interesting elements. sadly this also coincided with my camera acting up, but i did at least get the shot i came to get (see right). it's a pity the forts, and roads, aren't better maintained. but such things are not always priorities.

in indore itself we saw the typical things.. a musty old out of place baroque palace and a rather pitiful museum. there are good things here, but generally the state of these city museums is rather sad! i'd love to give them some TLC if someone would let me. we also saw the glass temple, a jain temple that certainly lives up to the moniker. every inch of the place is glass! no photography, of course, but it was quite a sight to behold.

sabudana khichdi, nice and spicy!

the main reason i came to indore (besides meeting up with family of friends) was twofold: eating and shopping. i was completely taken care of in both regards. i showed the family a list of a few things i had heard or read i should try in indore. upon seeing the list, uncle popped out to get me one dish (subudana khichdi - YUM) for breakfast and auntie planned to make another for lunch (baingan ka bharta, a delicious eggplant dish, with baajre ki roti, some of tastiest i've had), which she also showed me how to make. i was thoroughly spoiled! and then for shopping we headed out for some textile shopping. i was taken directly to the cloth market and directed to the best shop. there was no shortage of great materials and i had great fun, as usual, poring over them and matching colors. i walked out with 9 new fabrics (i may have a problem!) and a smile on my face.

in the few hours before my last meal in the city i spent time with auntie looking at lovely old pictures and going through her beautiful saris. by the time i left indore (another night train), i really did feel like i was part of the family. the goodbyes on the platform very nearly got teary.

i had an absolutely lovely trip and it really is because of the wonderful people i've met. it seems the more places i go to, the more i need to re-visit. it never ends! but i don't suppose that's a bad thing.

akla! akla!

since i've been here i've been treated to middle eastern dishes on a daily basis. treated is putting it mildly. even after a second helping i'm routinely instructed 'akla! akla!' (eat! eat!). the food is always fresh (the family here doesn't even have a microwave) and flavorful. even after six weeks here i don't think i've had any dish more than twice. here are some of the highlights..

• stuffed kusa. the best translation for kusa would be cucumber, though they're smaller and tastier than any cucumber i've ever had at home. the veggies are hollowed out and filled with rice and spiced ground meat and cooked in a tomato sauce
• dawali. this is a variation on turkish dolma, but smaller and presumably more time-consuming. one of the few dishes i've helped in preparing, dawali requires a full day (at least) to make. ahab, the uncle, told me it was the 'stupidest middle eastern dish' because it takes hours to make and just seconds to eat. it's true enough - each one requires a pinch of rice and meat inside a tightly wrapped grape leaf. it's a tedious process and one that's generally carried out by all the women sitting with trays in front of the tv. but once they're cooked (usually along with the kusa) and served with yogurt no one's complaining. partially because their mouths are all too full.
• molokhia. an egyptian soup consisting principally of spinach (or something very much like spinach). i have to say this dish is not my favorite. perhaps because on wikipedia it was described as 'mucilaginous' (i had to look it up but it's basically what it sounds like - mucus-y), a characterization i would have to agree with.
• maftool. this dishes it one of my favorite. described to me as 'pure palestinian', it's a dish that's made in great quantities and served at big family affairs. the maftool itself is made of cracked wheat, dampened and rolled with flour to make little balls - something like couscous but bigger. usually it's served with chicken, onion and chick peas but i could eat a plate full all by itself. i was told the name means 'twisted' first because of how they make the pearls and then because of how your stomach feels after you eat them. i admit i was pretty full after that second helping.
• labnah. is an interesting mix between cheese and yogurt. as i understand it, labnah is yogurt that has been strained of its whey and usually left in olive oil for days at a time. the result is balls or chunks of something that has the consistency of cheese but tastes like (mediterranean-style) yogurt
• knafeh. this one has to be one of my favorites. just the mention of the name is enough to make me salivate. a traditional palestinian pastry, it's prepared by heating pastry dough and covering it with butter and oil, then spreading on (Nabulshi, from Nablus) cheese and topping that with a sugary syrup and crushed pistachios. basically all of that just means gooey, greasy deliciousness. for a real treat, you can go to arafat or habibeh (the two most famous knafeh shops) that are always packed - even late into the night
• honey cake. another sweet that's made its way here is honey cake. the name might make it sound like the sweetness would be overpowering but in reality it's just the right blend of cake, honey, almond and pistachios. delightful.
• musakhan. when we had this meal i was told not to eat anything all day. after lunch (usually served around 3) i was glad i had listened. this meal is a feast in itself. huge trays come out stacked with taboon (palestinian) bread slathered with fried onions and roasted chickens baked with onions, pine nuts, and all kinds of spices. normally (like most dishes) accompanied with yogurt and eaten with your hands, it makes for a messy, filling meal.
• mansaf. i would be remiss (or worse) if i didn't mention the national dish of jordan. because there are so many foreigners (palestinians mostly) who've settled in jordan the delicacies come from all over. but mansaf is totally jordanian and any jordanian will proudly claim it as the national dish. it consists of lamb cooked for hours in fermented yogurt and served with rice. you'll inevitably be asked if you ate it with your hands or utensils so you might as well just get messy and dig right in.

these are the big dishes that i can recall. but even the simplest dishes are so flavorful that i could eat them over and over. fried zucchini with yogurt, rice and lentils (mjaddrah), stewed tomatoes and garlic with bread, coriander seeds and garlic in olive oil, rice and pine nuts, potatoes and eggs, green beans or okra in a tomato sauce, soup with yellow lentils and lemon. and the list goes on..

then of course there are the snacks, what you might have for 'dinner' (a light meal eaten later, around 9 or 10). one of my favorites is za'atar, a mix of dried spices (oregano, basil, thyme.. who knows what else) served with olive oil and used for dipping. then there's nablus, a salty cheese offset by bread or watermelon. any variety of fresh fruits, homemade pickles.. ah, just thinking of all this makes me sad to leave.

of course i'll try to recreate these dishes when i go home, but somehow i know that they won't taste quite the same coming from my kitchen.

last meal

my time here is quickly drawing to a close. in fact today was my last day of work. the kids at all my schools were very sweet and they gave me lots of kisses and drawings, in typical little kid fashion. also today, a teacher from one of the schools invited me to her house for dinner. i accepted, naturally. it seemed like a fitting end to my time in st-étienne. also fitting because the experience seemed to encapsulate everything i've gleaned here about french etiquette and eating habits.

i arrived at my teacher's house (that's right, house. not apartment, ooh) where i took off my shoes and was offered a pair of slippers. the teacher showed me the house with a nice view of the admittedly ugly city and their big garden in the backyard. i was offered juice (or an aperitif) which i accepted and we chatted about their trips to the US and my time in france. eventually she and her husband began preparing dinner and got out some amuse-gueules in the way of pistachios and little croutons with red pepper and tomato spreads (very tasty). they ate slowly and deliberately, placing the knives on separate plates and the pistachio shells into a separate bowl. they also offered me a sweet wine (muscat) which i gladly sampled.

when the kids got home and dinner was ready we ate. the family served the food for everyone, which she explained would normally be eaten in three separate courses. mais bon. we had a salad with a light dressing, scalloped potatoes with heavy cream in a pastry crust, and filet mignon (!) served with (of course) a sauce that i was told was made from mustard (though it didn't seem mustardy). the meal was, naturally, accompanied with bread, which is always placed on the table - not the plate. the principal purpose of the bread is not to be eaten but rather to scoop up the remaining sauces on your plate.

after all this food i was sufficiently stuffed.
then they brought out the cheese plate. they had five or six varieties, including one or two smelly ones. of course i had to sample and as i did so they told me which region each cheese came from. i assumed this was dessert, but no. there was more. in french fashion, we had fruit (pears) but they were accompanied with french vanilla (ha) ice cream and drizzled with dark chocolate sauce. so delicious. i'm surprised i could even move after all this. my teacher drove me to the train station where i fell right to sleep on the train for the first time since i've been here. i guess all it took was a ton of food and red wine, go figure.

it was a little sad realizing i'll (probably) never be back in st-étienne again. though this was a very nice way to go out.