There’s this funny story doing the rounds—about a young couple raising their two kids in modern-day urban India. When their first came along, they had higher ideals about the good and proper way to raise a child, in which the idiot box had no part. By the time the second emerged, they had significantly more grey hairs and were much more receptive to various well-known child-rearing tools, such as cartoons as feeding aid, to name one. “And if we ever have a third,” they said, “we’ll just hand it an iPad the moment it pops out and let it bring itself up.”

It’s not that I have any first-hand experience, but I don’t really need to be convinced about the efficacy of the iPad as a parenting tool. I’ve been watching the Nephew turn to it with unerring regularity, and have often silently complimented Apple for developing an interface that even toddlers can master.

And not just N, his parents too have been known to rely on the iPad when all else fails. The other week, while I was visiting, N had a nuclear meltdown one morning. And I mean a MELTdown. Wow. I was too scared to come out of my room. A couple of hours later, when things had calmed down, I ventured to ask the sibling what did the trick. She raised her eyes to the heavens (perhaps in silent supplication to Mr Jobs) and said, “iPad.”

I think the case is well and truly rested.

~PD

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A craving for curd rice? How unglamorous! Until last week, when I was laid low by a stomach bug, I wasn’t even aware of how much I love curd rice. But after spending the better part of the week spent eating a variety of boiled things, the craving hit. I could almost smell the mustard seeds and curry leaves frying, taste the little bits of onion and ginger, inhale just a dash of the hing…

It took three days of curd rice for breakfast, curd rice for lunch and curd rice for dinner for the craving to pass. I’m happy to report, though, that I still love it. Just that I’m ready to move on to regular food.

Anyway, it got me thinking about my favourite comfort foods and when they are particularly special to me:

Chocolate: No explanations needed here, of course. But somehow I like chocolate best at night, and only when I’m relaxed. Unlike a lot of people, I can’t wolf down a tone of the stuff when I’m depressed—I like chocolate when I’m happy.

Tea: For the more pedantic among you, yes, I know, it’s not a “food”! I’m a regular tea drinker, am fussy about how I have my tea, and it’s always the one thing I crave for when I’m stressed or tired. I also love a cup of tea after a meal.

Light chicken curry with rice: Among my fond memories of kiddy-hood, chicken-curry-rice, with a squeeze of lemon, is definitely right up there. Both my parents have perfected the art of chicken curry—spanning the spectrum from a racy, masaaledar magnificence to one so light that it almost floats in the air. It’s the latter that I long for on lazy days. I’m not terribly bad at making it myself; the trouble is, I crave it when I’m feeling indolent.

Roadside momos: They are my favorite street junk food in Delhi. I know it’s not very adventurous, but they are what I reach for when I’m feel particularly reckless. They’re usually served with a deadly sauce made of red chillies that my stomach revolts against, though.

Brown Bomb at Corner House: One of my favourite junk foods in Bangalore, but stay tuned for a more detailed post on this subject.

~PD

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