tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2019364330275165959.post-21390519856550307072007-11-03T10:25:00.000-04:002008-01-06T12:03:31.174-04:00<div align="center"><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/cynthiaanelson/Diya2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />This week, Hindus throughout the world will be celebrating <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali">Diwali</a>, the festival of lights, and that includes us here in the Caribbean where <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guyana">Guyana</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinidad_and_Tobago">Trinidad &amp; Tobago</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suriname">Suriname</a> are home to the largest populations of Caribbean Hindus and Muslims. Hindu and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_ul-Fitr">Muslim</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_ul-Adha">religious holidays</a> are therefore, national holidays.<br /><br />Growing up in a multicultural society with people of various races and religions helps one to gain insights that some people go a lifetime without glimpsing. Coming from a bi-racial family, I often had a front-row seat to the cultural heritage of both my parents. <a href="http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article_affairs?id=56532491">Click here to read the column</a> and some of my memories of celebrating these holidays.<br /><br />The tradition of celebrating, for example, <a href="http://www.diwalifestival.org/">Diwali</a>, is thought to have been brought to Guyana in 1853 by the first set of indentured labourers from India.<br /><br />Though I'm neither Hindu nor Muslim, I miss celebrating these holidays with my family and friends. Today, I thought I’d share with you some of the foods of these religious holidays that I look forward to having and miss dearly. I want to sincerely thank my cousin, Doris for guiding me through the process, <em>long</em> <em>distance</em>, of making parsad; my aunt Betty for showing me how to make her version of parsad and roat; my cousin-in-law, Shireen for the step by step demo of making vermicelli cake; and my friend, Safie for sharing her mitai (kurma) recipe with me. I hope that I did justice to all your teachings and look forward to getting better.<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img height="275" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/cynthiaanelson/Meal2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;color:#990000;"><strong>Typical veg meal on religious holiday</strong></span></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img height="300" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/cynthiaanelson/Curriedpotatoes2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;color:#990000;"><strong>Curried potatoes (aloo curry)</strong></span></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img height="300" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/cynthiaanelson/Pumpkin2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;color:#990000;"><strong>Sauteed pumpkin (fried pumpkin)</strong></span></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img height="300" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/cynthiaanelson/Spinachchick3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;color:#990000;"><strong>Sauteed spinach and channa</strong></span></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img height="300" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/cynthiaanelson/Dal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;color:#990000;"><strong>Split-peas dhal</strong></span></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img height="300" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/cynthiaanelson/Parsad.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;color:#990000;"><strong>Parsad (parched flour, ghee, sugar, water, milk, cardamom and raisins)</strong></span></div><br />Parsad is what we call this dish, if you recognise it by another name based on the ingredients or look, can you let me know? Thanks.<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img height="300" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/cynthiaanelson/Roat4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;color:#990000;"><strong>Roat (flour, ghee, sugar, milk and raisins)</strong></span></div><br />Again, if you recognise this sweet by another name, please share it with me.<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img height="300" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/cynthiaanelson/Mitai3.jpg" width="350" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;color:#990000;"><strong>Mitai (Kurma)</strong></span></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img height="300" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/cynthiaanelson/Vermacellicake7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;color:#990000;"><strong>Vermicelli cake</strong></span></div><br />Happy Diwali! And <a href="mailto:tasteslikehome@gmail.com">email me</a> for any of the recipes.<br /><br /><div align="center">*************************************************</div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/cynthiaanelson/clicking-copy1.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br />By now, many of you may have heard or seen the <a href="http://jugalbandi.info/2007/09/click-a-photo-event">Click event</a> being hosted by the tireless duo at <a href="http://jugalbandi.info/">Jugalbandi</a>, Bee &amp; Jai. Based on all that I’ve read and seen, I’d say that the <a href="http://jugalbandi.info/category/click-event">first event</a> was a tremendous success and that this <a href="http://jugalbandi.info/click-entries">event</a> will get stronger and bigger as time goes by.<br /><br />Last’s month’s theme was <a href="http://jugalbandi.info/category/click-event">eggs</a> and you can have a look <a href="http://jugalbandi.info/category/click-event">here</a> at the entries and <a href="http://jugalbandi.info/category/click-event">here</a> for the winners in the various categories. A generous and very creative woman, Sunita of <a href="http://sunitabhuyan.blogspot.com/">Sunita’s world</a> was the overall winner. Congrats my friend.<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img height="175" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/cynthiaanelson/showusyournoodles1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />This month, the theme is <a href="http://jugalbandi.info/2007/10/click-november-2007-the-theme-is">noodles</a> and I am honoured to be asked to join the esteemed panel of judges for this month’s event. <a href="http://jugalbandi.info/2007/09/click-a-photo-event">Read the details of the event</a>. For info on this month’s theme and how to submit your entries, <a href="http://jugalbandi.info/2007/10/click-november-2007-the-theme-is">click here</a>.<br /><br />I’m excited to see your entries so click away!Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01565340772467109199noreply@blogger.com