Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Why every girl should read Sonam Kapoor's open letter about beauty !




Sonam Kapoor, our fashion queen, has always been known to be very vocal and opinionated. She has been slammed quite a few times for being a motormouth that she is. But this time she has hit the bull's eye, with an open letter talking on her weight issues, body shaming among others. Here's some excerpts from it-

Like every girl, I spent many nights through adolescence leaning into my bedroom mirror, wondering why my body looked nothing like it should.
Why does my belly crease? Why do my arms jiggle? Why am I not fair? Why are there dark patches under my eyes? Why am I taller than boys my age? Do stretch marks ever go away? Will this cellulite stay forever?
“Itni lambi, itni kaali,” a relative casually let slip at a family gathering. “Shaadi kaun karega?” It confirmed that my greatest insecurities were well-founded.





Two years and some surprising life decisions later, Sanjay Leela Bhansali cast me in Saawariya.
Despite being on the cusp of actually being a movie star, I didn’t believe I looked the part. I constantly worried that, if asked to dance in a backless choli, rolls of back fat would give me away as an imposter to the industry. Nobody lines up to buy tickets to see cellulite.

Of course, scrutiny of female bodies isn’t new, or even restricted to celebrities. I mean, raise your hand if you’ve ever been called “healthy” by a relative, or been given unsolicited advice by a friend about how to lose weight.
Raise your hand if you were told to stay out of the sun so you don’t get dark.
Raise your hand if you started hating your body after somebody else told you how.

We’ve been taught that women need to be flawless even when our flawlessness is wildly implausible, sexy even when our sexiness is a break from plot. We're sprinting through Jurassic Park in heels, fighting supervillains in strapless corsets, being stranded on deserted islands for days without a hint of stubble. Real female bodies are so taboo that hair-removal-cream ads show hairless legs even before the cream is applied.


Today, at 31, I like my body because it’s healthy. I’m done celebrating thinness or flawlessness. I’ve embraced a fit lifestyle, clean eating, and the pursuit of waking up every morning feeling energised. There’s beauty in good health.So, for every teen girl leaning into her bedroom mirror, wondering why she doesn’t look like a celebrity: Please know that nobody wakes up like this. Not me. Not any other actress. (Not even BeyoncĂ©. I swear.)










Here’s the real deal: Before each public appearance, I spend 90 minutes in a makeup chair. Three to six people work on my hair and makeup, while a professional touches up my nails. My eyebrows are tweezed and threaded every week. There’s concealer on parts of my body that I could never have predicted would need concealing.
I’m up at 6am every day and at the gym by 7:30. I exercise for 90 minutes and, some evenings, again before bed. It’s someone’s full-time job to decide what I can and cannot eat. There are more ingredients in my face packs than in my food. There’s a team dedicated to finding me flattering outfits.
After all that, if I’m still not “flawless” enough, there are generous servings of Photoshop.
I’ve said it before, and I will keep saying it: It takes an army, a lot of money, and an incredible amount of time to make a female celebrity look the way she does when you see her. It isn’t realistic, and it isn’t anything to aspire to.
This article was written by Sonam Kapoor for Buzzfeed

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Celebrating Fatherhood






On the occasion of Father's Day last month, I was invited to witness a COOK OFF. This event was presented by Mr Vickrham of FoodManiacs and  Ms Aditi Malhotra of Ikreate in collabration with Crowne plaza, Gurgaon. Siddharth Malhotra, the star of Masterchef season 5 and Executive Chef Nilesh Dev were invited to judge this challenge. Here, the contestants ranged from sweet little children to young men and women. But one thing that was common among the contestants was that they were  honouring the 'Best Man' in their life, their Father.


A MOTHER - DAUGHTER DUO




WORK IN PROGRESS





The contestants were given 10 minutes to get all the ingredients from the store and the time for cooking was 1 hour. Each contest was given an individual work station with necessary equipments. Here are some pictures of the amazing dishes....
















The points were given on presentation, innovation and taste of the dish. It was a difficult task for the judges to select the winner. Mr Sandeep Batra who made Gol Mirch Chicken and Mrs Rita Arora who made Chicken Roulade were declared joint winners.

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Why is it so important to love yourself !







I love this video and watch it often.....every time it leaves me kinda amused, when you will see it yourself , only then would you realize what I meant. Generally,  most of us are self critical and many a times we may never tell someone but in our heart we have very negative thoughts about ourselves) . This is just about that....

Here , a few women are asked to describe themselves to an artist, who sits with his back towards them and even a curtain in between. Each women is asked to describe herself and based on her description the artist creates a sketch. The artist makes another portrait of the women based on someone else's description of them and Voila !!!!

The difference is remarkable....see it to believe it !!

Though , you would love what you see, but deep down it raises a few questions. What we think about ourselves ?  Is beauty just that...superficial ! When we are asked about beauty,  all we think of are actors and models. They are all about peaches n cream complexion, perfect features,  svelte bod, glossy hair, radiant eyes.....of course ! This is beauty for us and in  comparision we, the lesser mortals, fall flat on our faces. American supermodel Cindy Crawford once said , "even I don't look like Cindy Crawford". Yes ! She did say it . The people in entertainment and glamour world are beautiful, no doubt. But so are you ....God has made us all so unique, so different from the other that there's just one you ( In a population of billions you are one of your kind, just imagine!). Embrace it ! Whether you are tall or short , thin or not-so-thin, dark or fair , blonde or brunette ...you are you...unique in your own ways...so just LOVE YOURSELF!
                                           
                                                    Love yourself ,
                                                         Xoxo,
                                                         Ruchi 

Sunday, July 2, 2017

Yeti - The Himalayan Kitchen








Is there anything I didn't like about this place? Absolutely nothing! I love everything about this place - the decor, ambience, location and above all the food. If I say, that this place indeed surprised me, wouldn't be an exaggeration. Yes! I went there with minimal expections as I had been to quite some places that claimed to bring authentic taste of a particular region and the claims fell flat when the food was tasted but not at YETI - The Himalayan Kitchen. It really serves the authentic cuisine of the Himalayan Kingdom. Each and every dish served here simply 'WOW'. They have kept it simple and organic- no rich creamy gravies and all, this is clean food 

What I ate and loved -


                                 Veg momos - Who doesn't crave for a plate of momos in the rains?





             Aloo momos - This is a must try. Aloo is stuffed in a dumpling and served with a dip. It's super yumm!




        Mushroom in black bean sauce - I am not very fond of mushroom but this dish was tasty especially the              sauce


                  Veg platter was a total hit...it had black chana, aloo and waiwai with steamed bread 



         Veg thakali thali - A paneer preparation aloo, rai ka saag,daal is served with a steamed bread. It is              wholesome, delicious and comforting. Simple yet flavourful.




     Yomari -  I have a major sweet tooth and loved digging my teeth into nutella filled dumplings with icecream.

     What an end to the scrumptious lunch. Highly recommended.

Food - Raasta - A Review








This absolutely rocking place is a go-to joint if you would like to chill out with friends and family. The decor is reminiscent of the Rastafarian culture which originated in Jamaica in the 1930's and Rasta- inspired raggae musicians like Bob Marley.


Let's talk about food-


                I am a coffee lover and this weather calls for some yummy cold coffee and indeed it was....




Paneer Faffa - This is a veg version of their USP dish which is Chicken Faffa. I loved it absolutely. It's a musy try.



                                 
                                  Jalapeno Cheese Cigars were yummy, crispy and oh-so cheesy.




                  Dylan's Galouti is a Carribean version of galouti kebabs and was melt in the mouth.



                         Red Thai curry with rice is my go to comfort food and enjoyed every bite.





Margherita Pizza & Alfredo pasta were ordered according to the kids choice and they completely enjoyed it. 




Monday, June 26, 2017

Review- Chefs Kitchen

 


Yesterday, was one such day when I was craving for rich mughlai food. So, thought of trying a new joint....

 


I ordered Tandoori chicken which was awesome, full of flavours and cooked to perfection.






Veg Platter which was an assortment of kebabs-
 paneer tikka, soya kebabs, dahi kebabs and stuffed aloo. Paneer tikka was too good...melt in the mouth kind and the stuffing in aloo was very nice.





Loved the Kadhai paneer and Malai kofta. 



I would also like to mention the portion size, which is quite a lot.

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

The Curry Company - A Review




All my friends were raving about the delicious food from curry company so I thought of giving it a try when I had some guests over for dinner.



I ordered paneer tikka which was flavoursome and spicy.



Shammi kebabs were perfectly spiced and melt in the mouth.



Malai chicken tikka which was succulent and marinated to perfection.




Dal Makhni and kadhai paneer were perfect, neither too spicy nor bland.



I especially loved their Sabz biryani which was accompanied with raita and onions.



Phirni was super yummy..

What I really liked about the curry company is the ease of placing order, prompt delivery and excellent packaging. They are very economical too.

Highly Recommended

Saturday, April 29, 2017

Weavers magic @ India Runway Week


 






Weavers at Centre stage of current season of India Runway Week



It would seem that no matter how big the India Runway Week gets, there you will always find fresh new names. Of course, the old designers continue every season. This is the 8th season of India Runway Week which is starting from 28th of April.

The weavers of India are its biggest assets. Indian hand woven fabrics have been known since time immemorial. India was famous even in ancient times as an exporter of textiles to most parts of the civilized world but throughout history and currently too there are evidences that show that weavers have always been a victim of a staunch hierarchical system. Being at the bottom of the system they fall prey to the extreme forms of exploitation.

There are organizations that are identified as a promising means of raising voice for them and generating livelihood for hundreds of rural artisans. They have made a significant contribution to the lives of the women artisans working with it, which has helped improve their economic as well as social status.

They strive to bring the traditions of India to customers all around the world with its unique creations and products. It not only helps its artisans become wage earners, but also spreads awareness about the traditional crafts of the region, thus helping preserve a rich part of India’s national cultural heritage. Indian Federation for fashion Development have joined hand with four of these organizations i.e RangsutraSoCHE, Banka Silk and Gestures by Kriti who will present the work of artisans at current season of India Runway Week Summer 2017 ramp which is starting from 28th of April to 30th of April 2017

“The purpose of this show is to raise the current conditions of the weavers and to propose the importance of such organizations and social security to the custodians of this ageless art.” Said by Fashion directorKiran Kheva, India Runway Week











Rangsutra is a craft company of thousand artisans from remote regions of India – the desert regions of Rajasthan and plains of Eastern Uttar Pradesh whereas SoCHE is reviving this languishing and less popular hand embroidery practiced by women around the border areas ofBarmerBanka Silk on other hand is imparting the required skills to the weaver’s community of Banka, connecting them with the markets and helps create an Eco-system wherein the weaver’s community can become self-sustainable. And lastly Gestures by Kriti is a livelihood support and outreach initiative that began in 1999, to promote ethical, sustainable and socially conscious thinking & buying of 'community made' products.


Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Celebrating Vishu the Zambar way


Vishu is the Hindu new year festival celebrated in the state of Kerala and coastal Karnataka. This marks the beginning of the first day of the month called Medam according to the lunisolar Hindu calendar and falls on 14th April. It also connotes the completion of spring equinox ( wherein the Sun shines directly on the equator and the length of day and night is equal).




I was invited to taste the Vishu Sadhya (feast) at Zambar, which is a fine dining place known for it's coastal delicacies. Vishu feast is a pure vegetarian fare which consists of more than 2 dozen dishes and accompaniments. Here's the menu -






We were served in the traditional Malayali style on the banana leaf. The food looked so tempting that it was very difficult for us to wait till all the items were served. I started nibbling on the Sarkara Varrati which is like our very own Gur (Jaggery) Sev and Banana Upperi ( banana chips). Unniappam is another delight almost like the sweet Pua's we make at home during the rainy season. 




The rice on your plate (banana leaf in this case) is divided into two halves and on one part Sambhar is served while on the other Pariappu curry ( moong dal) is poured. These two portions are eaten with specific veggies which the staff will willingly let you know.




I specially loved the kootu curry, Avial, theeyal which are vegetable preparations eaten with rice( we were served the authentic Kerala rice also known as Bullet rice). To round off our lunch we had Pal Payasam which is Seviyan and Adda Payasam which is an authentic Malayali dessert made up of coconut milk and banana. Both the dessert were exceptionally good but Adda Payasam was the winner for me. 







The food was very simple yet flavorful and rich in nutrition. Do visit the Zambar at Ambience mall on 14th of April to savour the lovely Keralite meal and relish the flavours of God's own country.



Why every girl should read Sonam Kapoor's open letter about beauty !

Sonam Kapoor, our fashion queen, has always been known to be very vocal and opinionated. She has been slammed quite a f...