I have a deep love for pasta! As in I could eat it every day with a different sauce, and it would NEVER grow old. From hearty lasagna to delicate pasta salad, the possibilities are endless. Pasta is usually the one food that everyone can agree on. I have yet to come across anyone who dislikes pasta with a passion. It's so easy to make, and comes in a variety of shapes with very interesting names. 
When making pasta dishes, be sure to choose a pasta shape and sauce that complement each other. Thin, delicate pastas like angel hair or thin spaghetti, should be served with light, thin sauces. Thicker pasta shapes, like fettuccine, work well with heavier sauces. Pasta shapes with holes or ridges, are perfect for chunkier sauces. It's hard to believe that not so long ago, pasta was considered an exotic delicacy and was not as easily available as it is now. 
In fact, in 1957, the BBC played a great April's fool hoax on the entire nation by broadcasting a 3 minute documentary on how spaghetti grew on trees. The report was made more believable through it's voice over by a well respected broadcaster Richard Dimbleby.


Hundreds of people phoned the BBC wanting to know how they could grow their own spaghetti tree. To this query the BBC diplomatically replied, Place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best.   You can watch the video HERE
I know a lot of people LOVE landi and would disagree with me. I have had arguments with my family over this for hours yes hours... This is just how seriously we take our landi.
All I have to say is... Thank God for Mac n Cheese :)
Here is my recipe for spaghetti with marinara sauce. I'm not sure if it's authentic, but it sure is easy to make when you want to prepare something in a hurry.
Lazy Day Spaghetti:
Roughly chop 5 or 6 tomatoes.
 In a small pan, heat some olive oil and saute a small chopped onion until translucent but not brown.
 Add crushed garlic according to taste. I love garlic, so I use 4 to 5 cloves. Saute it with the onions for a minute or so. Add in your chopped tomatoes, seeds and all (it's a lazy day sauce remember?) also add in half a tsp of dried oregano and basil. Leave to cook, covered, on a low flame for about 25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile boil your spaghetti according to the directions on the box and drain.

I love coming here. You walk up a flight of wooden steps...

It was unusually deserted, that meant  having the entire place to ourselves.

And if you choose to sit outside, it's almost like being in a tree house....
Isn't the smell of freshly baked bread the best in the world? Call me a glutton, but the best part of dining out for me is that delicious, crusty warm bread accompanied by soft butter. 
More importantly, it seems we’re all nicer people when a bread basket is on the table. Carefully eating our share, and ALWAYS leaving the last piece for someone else.
We shared the warm breadbasket of tiny little melt in your mouth croissants and a variety of breads. Tutting at pats of butter but spreading it generously anyway amidst giggles. 


Another thing designed to be shared is of course, Fondue.
 We'd never tried it before at this place, but still, the 3 of us decided to risk it except "B" that is."B" went with an old staple that she always orders around here.
 I'm sure everyone has a "B" in their life. "B" is the kind of girl who likes things familiar. Has always been scared of  trying new things. She has the same hairstyle as long as I can remember. Always wears the same colors, and is the last one to experiment with anything new. The only time she didn't listen to her head was when she fell in love. The guy broke up with her last week. She is still not over him.
 Ok! back to the fondue.
We were expecting something like this
All hot meltey gooey cheese to dribble and share....

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But were served this instead....
 with cheese sauce on the side,
 And no fondue forks. No FORKS!!
No fondue dish, no little burning flame at the bottom.... these guys have sucked the joy right out of sharing a fondue *grumble grumble*
It still tasted good though.

"B" on the other hand, really enjoyed her sensible order of chicken with cashew nuts, which of course she haaad to share with the rest of us :)

After lunch we wandered down to the little bakery to take home some dessert.




In allegiance to "B", we decided to get this big fat Valentine's day cake, and pledged to slit the heart into tiny little pieces when we get home.
Time to grab some chick flicks and head home...

I just adore Audrey Tautou...

 On my last visit to Iran, when my cousin asked me if I would like to accompany her to the town of Ghaen, on which she was thinking of doing her thesis, I agreed half heartedly. She woke me at the break of dawn and we had a quick breakfast of noon o paneer (bread and cheese) with some steaming hot coffee. Driving for hours on the end, accompanied by unchanging, somewhat barren scenery is hardly inspiring.

Just as I was starting to curse myself for having agreed to come, we came upon a hill, and my cousin asked me to look down from it. As I half dragged myself out of the car, numb legs and all, I saw the most magnificent of sights. For a while there I thought it was some kind of a mirage. Rows upon rows of deep purple crocus flowers. I later found out, that knowing my love for all things saffron, cousin had deliberately postponed her trip till I came over so she could show me this splendor. That's when she told me that Ghaen is also called, Saffron city.

 I was gobsmacked at how something so beautiful can grow out from a land so barren. There is an old saying in this area that roughly translates to," Saffron chooses it's own land". We came across a group of women laughing and chattering away like blackbirds clad in flowing chadors. Among the beautiful flowers and laughter, you almost forget just how hard and backbreaking this work is.
Every flower has only three stigmas which is then plucked by hand and dried to become saffron.

We were then led inside into a large room where more women sat, sipping golden-sweet cardamom tea in tiny crystal glasses, and sharing village gossip all the while removing the scarlet stigmas that once dried, become saffron. When you see just how labor intensive this entire process is, you soon understand why saffron is the world's most expensive spice!
 With prices upto $315 per ounce for good quality saffron, it is called red gold for a very good reason.

My own humble purchase