Bringing Home the Bacon

It was another of those rainy days in Bangalore, when the sky, just to reassure you that the monsoons haven't gone away, dribbles a bit from time to time. And like all good Bangaloreans, I was out, Saturday shopping, without my umbrella. Along with a large and motley group, I scanned the horizons, not for rain (which was undoubtedly imminent) but for convenient shelter spots along the road - a large rain tree, a small awning, a bus stop.

When I first arrived in sleepy Bangalore I was amazed at this novel way of dealing with one's routine - one went along and did whatever one could and waited for the weather to clear up wherever one was. A nice way to spend a day and make new friends. When I asked the locals why they didn't use umbrellas, I would be greeted by incredulous looks, "And carry something in your hand?" they would ask in a horrified way or just shrug it off in the "Swalpa adjust maadi" (please adjust a little) style.

Well, this Saturday, I was walking to Bamburies, the Goan cold store for meat, and fortunately, the weather allowed me to do so without interruption. On reaching I found they were just beginning to slice fresh bacon and it looked wonderful. So that's what I decided to get for my weekend, along with plenty of fresh eggs. It's always interesting to visit little food shops rather than huge stores because one is never quite sure what one will find. And it's nice to work out combinations of meals revolving around the little bits and pieces that one collects.

I stopped at a bakery and then at a fruit shop to pick up some delicious summer cherries and mangoes, then headed homewards, feeling distinctly satisfied and hungry.

Some of the bacon was immediately consumed - we had a light lunch of crusty onion buns that I had baked, along with scrambled eggs (the creamy kind), bacon and slices of cucumber. A quick and easy meal.

Much of the bacon was used up today, when we had friends over for lunch. I made the classic Quiche Lorraine (a favourite of mine) with a light soup and salad. Our friends had brought delicious little creamy desserts and we rounded off the meal with a bowlful of small cherries.

There's still a bit of bacon left and I shall wait for the next rainy day to select my next bacon dish. There's something nice about bacon sizzling in a pan while it is raining outside.