Saturday 23 July 2011

Everything is something else

Each year, we grow a little older, and our eyes see a little lesser. Oh, the eyes above the nose are in fine working order. I'm talking about the other pair. The one that's in the mind. The one that can see more than the obvious. An imagination's eyes.

When I see a small red car on the road, I see a car that's small, and red in colour. My daughter sees a giant ladybird running past. When the moon becomes a thin, curved sliver, I see a moon that is a thin curved sliver. My daughter sees a "happy moon" because it's curved into a smile. 








Her imagination knows no bounds. she's always traveling to faraway places. Yesterday she took a train and chugged up a rainbow, right to the top. Why? Because the lines of a rainbow look like a railway track, of course!

The best part is, every time she travels, I get to hitch a ride.

Her senses record the smallest things. A few days ago, we woke up to a gloomy English sky. There was no rain, but the clouds were like dark grey puddles in the sky. She looked up at the black clouds, and suddenly started doing a mad little tap-dance all over the floor. Aami brishti, she said in Bengali. I'm the rain!

She was a year-and-a-half when summer turned to autumn. On a walk through the park, she pointed to the trees and told me that the green leaves were wearing brown jackets. Just like that. Like an offhand observation, said in a second. But, for the rest of my life, that's how I'll remember autumn - green leaves in brown jackets.

Last week, she did a drawing of me on her blackboard, then called me into the room to show me the artwork. "Look, it's you!" I clapped, gave her a kiss and went back to my work. After a few seconds she called me in again, and showed me the blackboard. This time, there was nothing on it. Just an empty, black blackboard. "Look, you've gone to the shop!"

There are so many of these moments, every day. Too many to remember. To her, even the alphabets are alive. An 'e' is like a 'c' with an eye. And 'f' is like a kitchen tap. Everything is something else.

I became a year older yesterday. Older and wiser, they say. But for now, I'll swap whimsy for wisdom and hop onto a train with Chotto-ma and chug to the top of a rainbow.






For my birthday, we decided on a cake that the three of us - Chotto-ma, D and I - could make together. A No-Bake Raspberry & Basil Cheesecake. It was messy-play at its best. 




The cheesecake is an adaptation of one of Nigella Lawson's recipes. Her's, however, was a Cherry Cheesecake, and you can find her recipe here.

Here's mine.


No-Bake Raspberry & Basil Cheesecake

For the cheesecake:
125g digestive biscuits
75g soft butter
300g cream cheese
60g icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250ml double cream


For the topping:
400g punnet raspberries
25g icing sugar
A few basil leaves

Chocolate powder for dusting




For the topping, mix the raspberries, sugar and basil leaves in a bowl and crush it all together with your hands. Make sure you bruise the leaves, so the scents and flavours all seep into each other. Refrigerate.
Blitz the biscuits in a food processor until beginning to turn to crumbs, then add the butter and whiz again to make the mixture clump.
Press this mixture into a 20cm springform tin; press a little up the sides to form a slight ridge.
Beat together the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.
Lightly whip the double cream, and then fold it into the cream cheese mixture.
Spoon the cheesecake filling on top of the biscuit base and smooth with a spatula. Put it in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight.
When you are ready to serve the cheesecake, unmould it and spread the raspberry and basil mix on top.
Serve with a dusting of chocolate.


Serves 6-8

13 comments:

  1. Such a beautiful blog post! Loved reading bout your daughter! I am amazed by little girl every single day too...
    Glad I found your wonderful blog!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love that cute tortoise and the bat out there! Lovely read and a beautiful cheese cake as well.

    ReplyDelete
  3. First Time here and such a lovely space to browse through.Nice to meet another Mommy bloger. loved reading about daughter. Always wanted a girl baby for myself....but im blessed with a baby boy who is as adorable as anybody...

    ReplyDelete
  4. chinmayi, when they turn two, things start getting really interesting, doesn't it? i just spotted your your little girl on your blog, and she just looks so very adorable!

    ReplyDelete
  5. sanjeeta, thanks for stopping by! yes, the bat and tortoise were a good laugh :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yum, raspberries and cheesecake together!
    I love the little descriptions your daughter has of things, so sweet.

    ps. thank you for stopping by and leaving a lovely comment on my blog recently :)

    Deepa

    ReplyDelete
  7. Mmmmm!! I love cheesecake!

    Hi! Stopping by from MBC. Great blog!
    Have a nice day!

    ReplyDelete
  8. pia, i have meant to stop by here and browse to my hearts content for some time now... i stumbled across you a few weeks ago. i seriously love your blog. you write wonderfully and your photographs are brilliant... your blog is my perfect hiding place and i promise to be back...

    ReplyDelete
  9. Happy birthday to your poppet. I can almost sense the flavours here...bruised leaves, crushed berries = YUM!

    ReplyDelete
  10. My pia the pechi, simply loved this one! I wish I could join both of you for a walk soon too! miss our walks in central park. hugs and kisses to both of you-miss you all a lot

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hello Pia, I just came across your blog via twitter and adore your writing. I'm a writer too but yours makes me feel small and humble. It's beautiful.

    Love your words about your daughter too, esp the blank blackboard.

    This week my little boy (3) told me my eyes are the shape of the sun, my mouth is like the moon and my hair is the colour of strawberries and lemons. He said his hair is like lemons & vanilla. Their little minds are so beautiful and so free.

    Nic x
    beauty blogger

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Nic, thank you so much for such a lovely comment!
    I'm in love with your little boy's words. They are just so visual! I'm still smiling at the strawberries, lemons and vanilla. All things good :)

    ReplyDelete

Your comments make this blog worth writing. Thank you.