I LOVE CHRISTMAS...

YUP... if there is one season I am completely in love with , it is the season of CHRISTMAS...

Well I love the month of December, because its my birthday and then we get into Christmas...
I don't know what it is about this day...but I just wait for Christmas like my long lost love...Hmmmm...
and like every year, I get ready for Christmas much in advance...
This year I spent 11 weeks at Tante Marie, doing my Cordon Bleu certificate course in food and baking..
And every time we cooked something that I loved , I would mark it in Green as I was also simultaneously planning my Christmas menu..
By the end of 11 weeks, I had had so much fun and cooked so much that the last thing I wanted to do is get into the kitchen , though I wanted to make everything I have learned...So yup I am a bundle of contradictions..and that somehow never works in my favour or then it always does.
Christmas menus for me are very very special ,as special as my guest list..
As , i cook everything from scratch all at home..
and so I make menu's and cancel and add ..and at the end of it all I have so much food, that I could feed an army, I'm not able to make small amounts, in my past life I think I must have been a part of the Red Cross and made food for soldiers , because I make soooo much ..
And love it when everybody has a really hearty meal..

So like every year, I planned and put this menu together..

Starters-
Basa in XO sauce...
Argula salad in a balsamic orange reduction with pears...
Red onion Chutney with toasts...

Main Course-
Mummy's East-Indian Prawn Curry...
Mutton Vindaloo...
Coq-au-Vin...
Little potato gratins..
Lamb Carbonnade...
Baked tomatoes with Rosemary
Baked garlic...
Pesto pasta with fresh vegetables
Naan

Dessert-
Lemon Cheese cake...
Strawberry tarts...
Very gooey chocolate cake...
Hazelnut chocolate sin...



Yup that's about it...

It was a day that was so fantastic and also a bit blurry, with all the activity and friends..
I cooked for three whole days .
I think my help goes crazy with me at that time. but it was all so worth it, because everyone enjoyed the meal and had a happy satiated smile on their face...
There was champagne that flowed in plenty and lots of laughter and cheer..
I love Christmas...
Its the season of love, and I missed a few really special ones who could not be there..
Maybe next time...
I really thank god for all the loved ones in my life..

Mini and Kabir..Vivaan and Sairah and Aunty Leela...cannot imagine celebrating without you guys, and Mins you are too special.

Jaya and Sanju..Kabir and Gia...we will always be friends, you just know too much ha ha ha ...

Sandy... Its amazing that I met you on a film set and we are still friends, Unbelievable...ha ha ha , there has to be something right about our equation ..

Shaheen and Roshan..Arsalan and Ayatal, Its always nice to have friends you have chosen as your family....

Amit and Bhavna...Want to always see you happy ...

Kunal Khemu... You are just the sweetest and cannot think of cooking and you not being there to share it...

Riteish and Genelia.....Wish you tons of love and laughter and lotsa romance always..


Sahukar...
Just wish we met more often than we do, you will always stay special to me..

Yudi....HA HA HA what can I say, you are as mad as the best Saggi I know , and have a heart of gold..

Gaurav... and why is it that we dont meet more often..

Mushran....its so mant years and its always like we met just yesterday..

Sam and Jas...now that you have moved to bandra , think we will meet more often ha ha ha

Kichie and Akshay..AWWWW you guys, I love you tooo much ..

Sambo...Thanks for always being there...always..

Shruti and Danish...Dabbie.. you are the cutest..stay happy inside-out always...

Julius...next year all of you ok !

Iqbal ,Pheroza, Zara and Zeba...Thank you for all and everything ...

Baji, Tina and Zaid....For always being there no matter what..

And last but not the least Zoya, who helped me so much with all the preparations...Thanks Zoya...You are an amazing girl...

And my help Sumita, Uma, Bhagi , Bahadur and Vijay...could not have done it without you...

And Warsi, who sees to it that every one always has a great time..No matter how tired he is ...
Thanks for being Santa the whole year through...

And my Mommy and daddy...For always coming over and spending Christmas here with us..And for shaping me into the person I am today...


And lastly but most importantly, my babies(who are not babies anymore) , they taught me a lot about myself by just being born..and I am a better person because of them..
No Christmas is complete without children, because if there were no children, there would be no Santa...
And I don't really care if I sound crazy, but I love Santa, and ask him for things every year...
And he is mostly very generous with me, the trick is to never ask for anything 'Material'...
This year I cooked listening to Michael Buble serenade me with all the Christmas songs I love..
Ha ha ha it just made cooking more fun..And yes he wanted to come over for lunch ...but...ha ha ha ..Me and my extremely fertile imagination..

You know I believe that if you cannot tell the ones you love , that you love them,for some reason or the other, say it during Christmas...
It's the best time of the year...

Well then till next year..

Dear Senor Santa,
Feliz Navidad...y todo lo que queiro para navidad es .......


P.S I know this should have been posted during Christmas, but did not have time..and frankly if you shut your eyes, it can be Christmas any time of the year, all you have to do is believe..