July is here! These monthly update blog posts are a constant reminder of how quickly time is flying. Honestly, no matter what you say, 2020 will be a year that no one will ever forget. The last event that was this impactful to mankind would probably have been World War II and even that didn’t affect every person in the level and magnitude that this has. Okay rant aside, there are some really fun High’s and equally taxing lows in June that I am just waiting to vent about. So let’s get started!

Highs

1. I took an online course! I started my month with an impulse purchase— an intro to marketing course by The Wharton School on Coursera. Turns out my boss took it as well and we ended pushing the course down a couple of other people’s throats in the process lol.

2. From an “influencer” front, June was so fun! I got to work on a cheesy pullout pao bread for Gobble (its an Indian version of Tasty that has over 1 million followers on their Instagram handle!). ALSO don’t be alarmed if you see Natasha and I pop up on social media or on video game apps as part of a video series that we were cast in for OkCupid! Also if you do spot us, DM me!

3. I started a little store on Amazon that curates books, pantry essentials, cookware, and video equipment. It’s a fun little project that I am tinkering with and I would love feedback on it! I do make a tiny commission on the things I suggest though, that doesn’t affect the final price of the products! Click here to check it out!

Lows

I’m not gonna lie, there aren’t too many lows. However, this last week has been one of the most taxing workweeks in while. We had a multi-agency pitch for a large tech firm. It took two weekends and 16 hours daily to see it through. We pitched our 3-hour long presentation yesterday, and I really think it went amazingly well! So I guess it was a high and low in many ways. TBH, I can’t wait to go to bed ASAP haha.

A busy month calls for a slow start in the next. Hence here is the easiest recipe on the blog. It’s not a dessert per se but one of those toppings that needs to be in your Rolodex of recipes. Compote is an age-old recipe/technique that technically refers to the breaking down fresh fruit with water, sugar, and spices to make a sauce of sorts. I tend to keep things a little more simple, depending on the flavours, I play around with the different things that I might want to add in my compote— like in this cherry compote, I chose to add some orange juice. The cherries that I eat seem to very faint flavour. They have a lot of texture and sugar but their distinctive cherry flavour tends to reside inside the seed (benzaldehyde gives cherries their characteristics flavour and odour! Also found in almonds!). Compotes are great as pie fillings, on top of a nice juicy lamb chop, or drizzled over ice cream. I hope you give this recipe a try and have a great July!

Glimpses from the week

Ingredients

500 grams cherries pitted

1 cup orange juice

1/2 cup sugar

Method

1. Bring all ingredients to a boil in a large heavy saucepan; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until cherries are softened and start to release juices, about 10 minutes.

2. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cherries to a medium heatproof bowl. Simmer juices until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 15–20 minutes. Pour reduced syrup over cherries. Serve warm.