A bowl full of warmth

And suddenly one early November morning, the winter chill spread its thin misty veil upon us. It brought with it a subtle hint of a glorious winter to come, something that had evaded the city last year. Pune welcomed this year's winter with the reminiscent fanfare and lights left behind by Diwali. Small lights blinked cheerfully in the fading light, as a countdown to the end of another year. And it would be such a waste if these early days of winters are not celebrated. It would only be fit to make them special and hold on to its memories until the next winter.

This warm, creamy soup of spinach and broccoli became the highlight of the day imprinting its rich color and richness into a warm memory to be treasured all through the coming year. Served with garlic toasts and a good book on the side, this dish comes with all the flavor a real cheesy soup can offer you, only sans the calories. So, indulge your heart away!

Creamy spinach and broccoli soup:

(Makes 2 bowls) 

• Broccoli - 2 big floret heads – washed and branched into small florets 

• Spinach - a full bowl of leaves and stems  ( washed well)

• Fresh malai or cream (the layer of cream over boiled milk) - two spoons

• Milk - a small cup

• Bread slices of your choice ( I used brown bread)

• Garlic - 8-10 cloves – peeled and roughly chopped 

• Butter & cooking oil - 1 Tea Spoon

• Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the broccoli in water for 1-2 min on medium heat. Take it off the heat, run it through cold water and keep it aside. Place a flat pan on medium heat and add the cooking oil. add the spinach leaves and stir. Let it cook for 1 - 2 min till the leaves are wilted and then add the broccoli. Add salt, cream and milk and stir for a minute more before taking it off the heat. Let it cool for 1 minute. Meanwhile place the pan on medium heat and add butter to it.  once the butter has melted, add the garlic into it, stir fry till it is golden brown and then take it off the pan. 

Blitz the spinach and broccoli to the consistency you like. I left mine relatively thick and hence didn't need vegetable broth or hot water but if you like it a little less thick, add some of the broth or hot water while blitzing. 

Pour the contents into a bowl and garnish with a quarter of the garlic and butter. Toast the slices of bread and sprinkle the remaining garlic and butter on to it. Serve immediately. 

Book Review: A tale of the dueling neurosurgeons

A sudden impulse buy while waiting for an early morning flight turned out to be possibly one of the best books I read last year. While I don't think this book is very famous with a large audience, readers who like anything remotely science or fiction (or both) will love this semi non fiction. For it is the journey of our brain through ages of discovery, evolution and progress of mankind. Interspersed with real life anecdotal stories, bizarre accidents and symptoms that have led to what we know about the brain and how it functions as the most vital organ. Sam Kean's quick paced writing documents the various stages of discovery of the unending capabilities of the brain from the early 19th century to modern day without turning it into a boring science text book. The fascinating stories of brain damage, recovery and corresponding impact will leave you surprised at the knowledge you have amassed about the brain at the end of the book! Rest assured you will go back to it for multiple rereads.