June in general is a hot and boring year. For the longest time, the only thing to look forward to in June was the tropical fruit season. However, the last two years June has a new event to look out for— Natasha and my anniversary! I’m going to take some time in this post to briefly talk about how we met and how assimilated our lives look today.

Natasha and I both went to the same primary, secondary, and high school in Gurgaon. Her mom was also a primary school teacher at the time. Apparently, she is super strict which I can’t imagine meeting her now but she does have a look that convinces me for this to be a possibility. Natasha is a whole year younger than me (this will be an important thing to note though this post) and was amazingly popular — mostly because her older brother was a basketball star with his teammates calling him “Big” all the time. I too was on the basketball team, and perhaps the only one that watched Sex and the City at the time so I actively chose to not call him that (team Aiden). So while Natasha was super popular, I was pretty much a dork. I studied science which meant that I had no social life, and even though I was in the basketball team I was mostly there for my height. Moral of this paragraph: we studied in the same tiny school. We knew of each other but we had never spoken a word to each other in those 12 years.

Cut to 2018, I was back home from college and constantly cooking. I suddenly notice a DM from Natasha about a “Cooking question.” It was a minor question about my quinoa granola which turned into a whole conversation (Natasha slides into DMs very effectively). We talked about our work, Besan, and how much people have changed since school. We talked on and off for about a month and through that time, I kept prompting for an opportunity to meet but she really didn’t seem to enjoy that possibility. Cut to 2019, on my birthday, Natasha messages me to wish me. I text back in a very drunken stupor and make plans to meet again. Yet again, I get no great response. Now, I make Natasha sound like an ass here (good!) but to be fair she was getting out of a long relationship and it was just a process. Eventually, SHE messaged me on Hinge in June and the rest was history! Our first date was my last date with anyone but she and I cannot be happier about that decision.

Through the last two years, I have learnt so much about the dynamics of a relationship. There is always a yin and yang. Where one person falls short of an attribute, the other comes to pick you up and in so many ways, that is true for us as well. I help Natasha with navigating a work-life and hopefully motivating her to just follow the work that she does. What Natasha does to help me is at a whole other level. She understands my worth better than I do. She knows how to verbalise things I struggle doing and works tirelessly to ensure that my vision isn’t marred by the things that life throws at us. Together, we build content for this page. She is an equal participant in almost every element of content that goes out. She engages with clients (read: fights for better pay) and helps me keep doing the thing I love. While I was writing this article, I took a break and watched Conan O’Brien’s farewell video as he leaves Late Night television after 11 years. As he finishes his 14-minute monologue, he whimpers through a sentence that I believe is the best quote I have heard in a very long time:

“Try to do the things that you love with the people you love and if you are able to do that then that is the definition of heaven on earth.”

Natasha helps me do that every day. Thank you pup ♥️

This Almond Praline No Churn Ice Cream is like yin and yang. The condensed milk adds the depth and sweetness of flavour while the almond praline adds the dark notes of caramel and coffee. While there are so many ice cream flavours that can be made through this process, the best would be the one where your flavourant actively fights the need to be sweet. Pair this process with tart fruits, coffee, or better yet, this praline and will not be disappointed! Until next time, happy cooking!

Glimpses from the week

Ingredients

1 cup of crushed almond praline

2 cups of heavy cream (or double cream)

400 ml of condensed milk (1 small can)

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)

Method

1. Start by making your faux custard base. In a bowl add condensed milk and mix well with vanilla extract

2. In a separate bowl set atop an ice bath, whip your cream until they reach soft-medium peaks. About 5-7 minutes.

3. Add the custard to the whipped cream. Mix gently and add half of the praline.

4. In a freeze-proof container or a loaf tin, pour in the mix. Add the remaining praline to the top. Cover with cling wrap and place in the freezer for at least 6 hours.