Varalakshmi Vratam - 2

In one of my earlier posts, I said:
My last post was on memories of varalakShmi vratam, but was made on ஆவணி ஆவிட்டம். 
This post brings that number to 2 :-) Yesterday was varalakShmi vratam, and today is ஆவணி ஆவிட்டம். As promised here are some photos from yesterday

After the puja, Friday, Aug 12, 2011.

Vara(maha)lakshmi (coloring by Kamakshi)

 

Varalakshmi Ambal.

And also from that older post:

Now this (ஆவணி ஆவிட்டம்) happened to be another majorly important day in Besant Nagar, and I almost wanted to make a post of all my ஆவணி ஆவிட்டம் memories <snip>.

Well, here are some photos of the good stuff we received from Manimma and Perippa in past years (in karta-ne, karm-ko, karan-se format)

From: Manimma	To: Vidya	For: varalakShmi vrata
From: Perippa	To: Sridhar	For: ஆவணி ஆவிட்டம்
From: Manimma	To: Srividya & Sridhar	For: varalakShmi vrata, ஆவணி ஆவிட்டம், and  காயத்ரீ ஜபம்
From: Ambi Anna (Malini Manni) and Raja Anna (Geetha Manni)	To: Kamakshi, Srividya & Sridhar	For: varalakShmi vrata and ஆவணி ஆவிட்டம.

The last one in particular (sent this year from Besant Nagar) addresses the sadness in my post from last year that "this was most likely the first ஆவணி ஆவிட்டம் in the US that I hadn't received a ஸங்கல்பம் from Manimma (or Besant Nagar)", and shows that the torch has been passed to the next generation :-)

Letters from Manimma - Part 2 - சமைத்து பார்

Today's post (made not-coincidentally on varalakshmi vratam day in India) has been in the works since the day this blog was started !! When Manimma passed away, several people shared their memories of her cooking (hence the சமைத்து பார் title); here are some excerpts:

Raja Anna:  Speaking of cooking skills, she could create food of any flavor or taste- north or south Indian, sometimes food that she had never tasted but by your description.  I remember two such instances- one after going to Telco club and seeing someone eat a vegetable cutlet and “finger chips” (French fries) that I could not afford to buy.  However, just my describing me what it looked like she could make it at home- and tasted better than many a cutlet I have since had and home-made ketchup to go with it as well.  Similarly, I remember after coming from a train trip, I liked a ‘sabji’ that I got with chappati at a train station.  She asked me what the vegetables where, what color it looked and the flavors and could create the recipe from her imagination.

 Pushpa: For some reason, some of my favorite memories of Manimma are related to food.  I remember one time when she made "finger chips" with Maggi ketchup for us, years ago at the old house, and while we were sitting around the table she told us how Appa used to really like them as a kid too.  She always seemed to remember, even with years between our visits, which curry Meera and I liked and didn't like, which urga we liked and didn't like. 

Meera: One of my favorite memories of Maniamma was her helping me learn how to cook traditional South Indian dishes.  I was alone in India one summer (without any other young people or parents) and we would make something different each day.  She would instruct me from her chair near the kitchen and would be able to tell me exactly where everything was - which cupboard, which drawer, etc.  She would tell me the exact measurements to write down in my notebook, even though she only knew how to cook through practice, not recipes. That summer, with Maniamma's guidance, I made rasam, sambar, kerai, my favorite potato curry, and many more - and Periappa even enjoyed most of it!

and Aarthi in a comment to the varalakshmi vratam post wrote:  Most people seem to think of Manimma and nourishment almost always together. I got a taste of this even though I came in last into the family.

Ever since I saw these observations (and possibly even before !) I wanted to post on Manimma and cooking, but never did find the time. And then everytime Vidya cooked the best sambar or rasam or curry I've ever tasted, or made something special (which was quite often, see below for a sample in the months of March-May)

Gulab Jamuns, March 2011

வற்றல் குழம்பு and வாழைக்காய்  கரி, April 2011

Badam Cake, May 2011

Pizza, May 2011

 I was reminded about completing this post, but perhaps, like Pushpa's சமாராதனை, it was destined that this post happen on Manimma's favourite varalakshmi vratam :-)

So  here it is:  Manimma's second letter to me after i came to the US, written in Oct 1995, with instructions on how to cook rice, sambhar and rasam. Her clear and really detailed instructions are in perfect agreement with  Meera's observation "She would tell me the exact measurements to write down in my notebook, even though she only knew how to cook through practice, not recipes".

Only a few more hours and we'll be observing varalakshmi vratam here in San Diego, and the day after is  ஆவணி ஆவிட்டம். I hope to continue tomorrow with photos from varalakshmi vratam here plus some more memories of Manimma/Perippa and வரலக்ஷ்மி விரதம்/ஆவணி ஆவிட்டம், and then another update on Aug 14 (காயத்ரி ஜபம் here, and Kalpagam Mami's birthday in India) with Manimma's ரசவாங்கி recipe as told to me by my mother when we were in India in Jan this year.