Sitting in the lap of luxury!

In India, it�s the season of plenty that begins now. With the coming of the rains hope sets anew in the hearts of the people, specially in rural India. Don�t forget we are still a country dependent on a good monsoon for a good harvest. So I wish our farmers good luck and God Bless!

Adnan Sami created magic not just for himself but inspired hordes of people who are unfortunately inflicted with obesity. It takes one public figure to get the ball rolling, and if the public figure is as talented and as popular as Adnan, the effect is that much more profound. He just had to be our cover boy this quarter!

We hope many more will take a good hard look at themselves and incorporate into their lives a regime that will enhance their life for good.

There is more to a pumpkin than merely being Cinderella�s carriage. I for one love this vegetable and do believe it is rather underestimated as worthwhile food. I asked Chef Joy Bhattacharya of Hilton Towers if he could get creative with it, and did he! Check out the recipes in, �Tis The Season. Unusual, and there is pumpkin bread too.

There is something else that is not fully exploited, or should I say enjoyed substantially. It�s made it to the UpperCrust Destination of this issue, Matheran, the hill station nearest Bombay. Don�t know why. It�s got everything there. Good accommodation, beautiful views, long walks, great horse riding tracks, decent food. It�s rustic, densely forested, quiet, private AND there are no cars allowed on top. So please go there and check it out. I address this to the innumerable friends I know who have never been to Matheran even once. In this wet, wet, wet season it will be simply awesome.

I was so besotted by Israel when I went there recently, I just had to pull out of the closet, the best Jewish cook in town � Liora Zonshine. She is a natural, cooks so well and so easily. Try getting invited to her home for a Jewish Repast!

Last but not the least, how do you like my lap of luxury? This baby elephant was so cute, so adorable, I wanted to book him on my Thai Airways flight and bring him right back home to India. Chiang Mai, in the north of Thailand was a discovery. It is a laid-back Bangkok of twenty years ago, minus its high rise. Nice place, cheap shopping, good inexpensive food in tiny eateries. Just an hour�s flight into the hills, away from hyper Bangkok.

Enjoy. The season, the travelling, the tasting, the cooking, the reading.