Sequined dreams In the sky As I stitch every teardrop Into the firmament For you to see when You gaze at the moon In my memory
It was a strong heart But feather-light it floated Buoyed by dreams, hopes Reaching the sky so blue; Tie it firmly with icy strings Till the cold permeates Freezes that tender love For warm and flush It tends to bleed red Staining all the world!
What colors do you see, In this unfinished portrait? It waits for blue From the waves To fill vacant eyes A contrary wind Reversed ocean To bring you back
We bloomed in deserts Red and shades of blue Wounds bled, bruises grew When the heart stopped A chill captured Our wretched cores Now, we kill, maim Coloring gray of souls With crimson hues!
We bloomed in wilderness Pink and yellow, slowly Becoming black and blue Tarnished succulence Thorns of vengeance Pricking our sides Now, we weep, bleed Flowers in the wild Turn crimson red!
Colors give me great joy. The allure of a painting, bliss of a garden, warmth of yarn, softness of fabric, and amongst all of these the absolute cosmic dance of colors. I end up shopping for things just because the colors attract me. I want to own them, these colors, embrace their vigor, imbibe their depths, and savor their texture. I want to be one with colors.
I find colors alluring in food, too, the best derived from natural ingredients. The gold of turmeric, the dust of cocoa, the verdant leaves, the mauve – tender in a turnip, mature in an onion, the royal purple of a brinjal, the rust of cinnamon, pristine coconut, orange hues – the list is infinite. Nature offers us a platter enhanced by a burst of colors. While most colors dissolve and merge into each other, releasing nutrients and flavor, I feel the one color the grows richer and more vibrant when cooked, is the luscious red of beetroot. I think cocoa comes second in this list of colors that become richer when cooked.
I love cooking with beetroot, not because I like the vegetable but because it teases me with colors more intense than passion. Cooking beetroot gives me pleasure. It makes me swoon. It makes me experiment.
Beetroot Puris
While savory dishes of beetroot come out great, it’s true colors, deep and sensuous are revealed in sweet dishes. This Saturday, I made too heavenly dishes with beetroot, for the sweet tooth. Sharing the joy of Red!
Blue Pen Strokes 