karmakurma

Heavy metal - Motorbikes

2008-08-31T01:57:10Z

All photographs taken with the canon 10 D and the 70-200 f2.8 L lens

Innocence

2007-10-12T18:39:47Z

Baked tofu squares with carrot ginger glaze and pine nut crust

2007-09-23T21:15:35Z

Ingredients:

1 block extra firm tofu
2 cups carrot ginger soup (or make your own by pureeing 1.5 cups shredded carrots and half a teaspoon of ginger paste with 1 cup of water in the blender)
1/4 cup pine nuts

Drain the water from the tofu (lightly dab with a paper towel) and slice into squares (rectangles will do too) with a thickness of about 1/2 a centimeter. You should get about 16 squares from one block of tofu. Spray a baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Cover the bottom and sides of the pan with aluminum foil (Makes for easy clean-up). Spray some non-stick cooking spray on the foil and gently arrange the tofu squares on the foil. Pour the carrot ginger puree on top of the tofu squares. You should use just enough puree to drown the tofu squares. Sprinkle the pine nuts on top, and sprinkle a little salt to taste (I also like to sprinkle some chilly flakes for some heat). Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 F for about 90 minutes, or till the puree is fully baked into the tofu squares. Plate and garnish with some julienned carrot slices and dried herbs.

Nutrition information

1 Block extra firm tofu - 400 calories / 10 grams of carb.
2 cups Trader Joe’s carrot ginger soup - 140 calories / 32 grams of carb.
1/4 cup pine nuts - 190 calories /5 grams of carb.

16 servings (pieces) - 730 calories / 47 grams of carb.

Suggested serving - 4 pieces - 182.5 calories / 12 grams of carb.

You can reduce some of the calories by making your own carrot ginger puree.

In search of peace in Bangkok

2007-08-26T01:57:21Z

I made one of those unplanned and spontaneous visits to Thailand a few summers ago. I wanted to soak up the culture, and also sample the cuisine, with an emphasis on food from street vendors and local markets. I was in love hook, line and sinker with the primary ingredients of thai cuisine: coconut milk, kafir lime leaves, galangal, lemongrass and basil. On landing in Suvarnabhoomi Airport on a typical sultry summer night, I headed to the hotel and dumped my stock of slide film in the refrigerator. Heat can do a number on film, sometimes rendering them useless.

The next day, I headed to the local markets by the river. These markets by the river are beehives of activity.

You not only get to see the locals shopping and eating here, but you also have a steady throng of commuters arriving and departing on the numerous ferries and long boats.

Those who were waiting for their respective boats were grabbing a quick snack. There are a plethora of choices for the adventurous gourmand willing to try the local epicurean offerings. There is an amazing selection of sat-ay, with pretty much every local poultry, seafood and animals having equal representation.

Vegetarians need not despair. There is an interesting selection of fresh fruit typically consisting of lychees, jackfruit, stinky fruit, mangosteen, rambuta, durian and mangos.

As if the aromas of the epicurean delicacies is not enough, one can catch the fragrance of jasmine. Garlands of sweet smelling flowers are a feast to the eyes and the nose, as deft hands expertly weave the flowers into strands of color.

I was catching all this, standing in a corner, trying to be unobtrusive. Then I saw them, less than a few minutes apart.

How could anyone not spot her, with that colorful t-shirt, and pink fluorescent hair. She was at the dock, peering into the boats as they picked up and dropped off travellers criss-crossing the city on its meandering rivers.She seemed deep in thought, lost to herself, an anomaly in the hurry-burry of the commute. As I captured her for posterity on film, I caught a tinge of saffron in the corner of my eye.

It was easy to spot him in the crowd. In a sea of similarly dressed commuters, he stood out, draped in saffron. There was an aura about him, as if he was resigned to his fate. Amid the hustle and the bustle, he stood by himself, calmly waiting for his ferry to perhaps take him home to his monastery.So there she was, perhaps far away from home, where ever that was, and there he was, waiting to take the next boat home. Were they seeking peace? Were they searching for the answers to the questions that we all seek? I wouldn't know. Perhaps I found peace that day in a boat dock in Bangkok. The Buddha works in mysterious ways, so the locals tell me.

Let them eat sushi...

2007-08-24T02:15:27Z

Bass god

2007-08-12T23:07:17Z

When it comes to the Bass guitar, there is God, and then there's Victor Vooten. Click on the photograph for more pictures from the Flecktones concert.

Calvin's take on Web 2.0

2007-08-04T12:19:18Z

'Nuff said.

Joy

2007-07-21T07:27:16Z

Sunset on the river

2007-07-13T05:01:37Z

Beauty, in black and white

2007-07-12T03:01:18Z

The Balderas family

2007-07-06T02:56:38Z

Jorge works with me at Summa. He's the kind of guy i'd go to war with. Great work ethic, and a can-do attitude. I was at his place for dinner tonight. Warm family, with typical gracious Mexican hospitality. Danny is too cute.

Neighbours

2007-07-04T05:22:51Z

Hemant and Shipra are from Panipat. Aaryan is going to be one year old next month. Terrific folks, and great neighbours.

Pittsburgh, painted by light

2007-06-07T05:36:30Z

French light artist Lucette de Rugy has painted a selection of Pittsburgh buildings using Tiffany glass-inspired themes. I went to three of the sites (Katz Building, Highmark Building and the Omni William Penn Hotel) and snapped photographs. I plan to photograph the remaining three installations (One more by Lucette de Rugy, and two by Pittsburgh's own Rob Long) sometime this week.

When:

9 p.m. - 1 a.m. through June 30

Where:

Katz Plaza, Seventh and Penn Avenues
Omni William Penn Hotel, 530 William Penn Place
Back facade of the Duquesne Ligh Building at 411 Seventh Ave
Penn Avenue Place at Stanwix St
Buildings on both sides of the street at Ninth and Penn Avenues

After the rain...

2007-06-06T00:48:03Z

There's a bunch of plants at the spot by the exit barrier of the 1st avenue parking garage in Pittsburgh. I was carrying my camera today, since i've been trying to take one good photograph a day as part of the PAD project. The combination of a brief shower and the arrangement of the leaves was a no-brainer. I got a few curious glances from fellow parkers exiting the garage. Who would have thought there was beauty outside a public parking garage?

Reflections - PPG place

2007-06-02T22:50:44Z

Inspector Gadget was filmed at PPG Place in Pittsburgh. It could easily pass off as Superman's crystal abode.

Kumaresh and Ganesh violin concert

2007-05-27T04:49:12Z

Just got back from an amazing concert by Kumaresh and Ganesh at the SV Temple. These two brothers have mastered the violin. Sometimes, it sounded like a symphony, yet there were just two of them on stage. There is such joy in hearing great music, that too from those who have mastered their instruments, yet have fun every time they play. Click on the photograph for the complete set on flickr.

A new generation takes on the world...

2007-05-21T02:48:08Z

Commencement day at CMU; My cousin's son, Ganesh, graduated with a CS major.

Welcome, Marc Jacob

2007-05-20T03:03:05Z

Marc came into this world on May 17th 2007. Marc is the son of Nisha and Joyson Jacob, and younger brother of Matthew Jacob.

May you have a healthy, happy and peaceful life.

Lunch for mom: Thai curry noodles with pesto biscuits

2007-05-14T02:27:26Z

Happy mother's day, mom!

I cooked lunch for mom today. Thai curry noodles, with five spice marinated tofu, and pesto buttermilk biscuits. Thanks for everything, mom.

Update: The recipe is at http://srirambala.com/?p=228

And the light stays on...

2007-05-13T13:43:25Z

Beyond midnight, and the light's still on
Can't hit the sack, sleep betrays me
Thoughts fly by, like butterflies on a spring day
Even the sheep betray me tonight
The eyes, I can forcibly close,
But blissful sleep, is but a distant dream
I hope I sink into sound slumber
Sunday beckons,
Sunny days, shimmering rivers,
Graceful bridges, smiling faces

I will my self to sleep
No insomnia induced verses
Just dreams, or nightmares maybe?

Lemons and limes

2007-05-08T14:10:23Z

Wheat penne with tomato sauce

2007-04-30T11:37:12Z

A good friend of mine cannot eat carb-rich food. So I decided to make some wheat pasta and fresh tomato sauce for her dinner. I started with some wheat penne pasta, added it to boiling water with a dash of salt, and cooked it for about 10 minutes till the pasta was al dente.
After getting rid of the water, I added a dash of olive oil to the pasta, and tossed it with some
fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped basil.

For the sauce, I sauteed some chopped garlic cloves, pine nuts and sliced onions in olive oil.
Then, I added half a chopped green pepper and a tablespoon of lima beans. I then added two
diced tomatos, some fresh basil paste, and simmered the sauce on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
Toss the pasta with the sauce and serve hot.

Berry muffin with whipped cream and grated dark chocolate

2007-04-23T01:00:08Z

Fresh off the oven; Plated with a scoop of lemon gelato and fresh berries, and grated dark chocolate.

The burden of a feature photographer

2007-04-20T03:53:51Z

Documentary photographers have the toughest job in the photography world. They have the heavy burden of capturing emotional situations while ensuring that they don't get involved with the subject. The Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography this year was awarded to Renée C. Byer of the Sacramento Bee. The moving photographs catalog the painful journey of a mother and her dying son, who succumbs to cancer.

(Photograph by Renée C. Byer, Sacramento Bee) It is tough to be a feature photographer. My mother and I got into an argument regarding the ethics of such projects. I put forth the argument that these moments, as difficult as they are to capture, need to be documented and preserved for posterity so they can inspire, stir emotions and remind people of the struggles that we have to endure. I am reminded of the words of James Nachtwey, that amazing photographer who often shoots for Time magazine:

"I have been a witness, and these pictures are

my testimony. The events I have recorded should

not be forgotten and must not be repeated."

That pretty much sums it up for me. Check out the rest of the 2007 Pultizers at http://pulitzer.org/

Death of a book store

2007-04-14T22:02:20Z

I used to pass her
Every week day afternoon
Peering through the glass windows
At books and magazines
Text and pictures
Figments of imagination
Facts of life
Sometimes I would stop and stare
Like a father staring into the baby nursery
At books that caught my fancy
Books that I wanted to own
Read them, feel them, smell them
Many a time have I given in to impulse
And emptied my pockets
Relishing the pleasure of owning a book
And making it my own
Last weekend, the signs went up
“We’re going to be closing this store”
Where will I get my beloved books now?
My friend offered consolation
“There’s always the library”, he said
That wasn’t going to console me
Can babies be borrowed and given back?
Can fantasies be interrupted by due dates?
Now I have to find another book store
A place where I can meet my heros again