THE monsoon is my favourite season. It makes me long for things both warm and warming. Like the comfort of my home on a day when the heavens open up. Hot soups and hot chocolate. The old, snug sofa, and an engrossing book. While the whistling wind tries to get indoors, the sea works itself into a fury, and the rain lashes on the window panes. Ah, the splendour of the season.

This is our �rain� issue, and in it we take you from the Bombay Duck and south-west coastal monsoon cuisine to a wet and warm seaside retreat at Madh Island in Bombay. A perfect weekend getaway. Drive early and leisurely on a Saturday morning, reach the destination and c - h - i - l - l.

The rains create a mood for food. Certain specific kinds of food. There�s corn on the cob to be had, or bhutta by the seaside. Steaming hot, fluffy Basmati rice with burnt garlic baghar dal, aloo paratha with achar.

Food, it would seem, is approached differently by different people. Or, rather, there are different foods for different people. Dr. Deepak Chopra (the same) categorises people into three types and accordingly, prescribes what�s good for whom. Whereas Bejan Daruwalla (also the same), has the stars foretelling not your fortune, but your diet.

And at the Osho Commune in Pune, raging controversies are kept aside as the sanyasins take a spiritual approach to food. Every meal is nirvana. There is also the sensual approach. Oysters. Figs. Asparagus. Yes, even chillies... all great turn-ons, would you believe. Pour out the wine. Grover Vineyard�s red, naturally!

Bangalore, the city of this quarter, comes across with its prawn gassi and draught beer. Sunny�s Bistro is to the garden city what Indigo is to Bombay, though there are foodies who swear there is no comparison. Koshy�s, a familiar hangout on St. Mark�s Road, you just must visit. And MTR, the Mavalli Tiffin Room. Authentic, inexpensive, unassuming, down-to-earth.

Bangaloreans are torn between the classic and class. For there�s also Karavalli at the Taj Gateway and Raj Pavilion at Windsor Manor. Kannadiga and Anglo-Indian cuisines. As different as rasam is from beer. Talking of which, there are pubs to be crawled to and beer recipes to be tried. And did you know that Prasad Bidappa, that high priest of couture, is also almost a Cordon Bleu chef?

Our search for restaurants on the international circuit goes on. Check out Vancouver, Melbourne and the perennial favourite for gourmands - Singapore. All recommended by prominent Indians living there.

Guess who we got talking on smoke, drink and eat preference? Mumbai�s very own Balasaheb Thackeray. Most of the time it was animated conversation, and then in one quiet moment, he candidly admitted: �I drink wine... because it keeps away the loneliness.�

Finally, what am I doing with Hrithik Roshan? Well, twisting his arm to make him spill the beans to find out what he eats and drinks to look like a million dollars in Kaho Na Pyar Hai. If I said crocodile and zebra meat, ostrich and octopus, would you believe me ?.

Farzana Contractor