Beler Pana (Wood apple drink) is a drink that I hated with vengeance as a kid. and if I am a hundred percent honest, then I must admit that am still not a big fan either. I like the taste of this fruit and prefer to use a spoon to scoop the fleshy orange pulp from it and eat, but not the sharbat which gels easily and provides a weird texture.

But as a parent you are not supposed to tell truth all the time. So come every summer I bring these home dutifully and make this simple sharbat for the family. Especially for the men as it is extremely beneficial in aiding digestion and getting rid of constipation and ulcer. Luckily the kids drink them without any complain though the daughter demands it to be strained to get rid of the small white fleshy bits. 

Petrichor- a distinctively earthy, crisp, enticing aroma that embodies optimism and suspiration of relief of the parched soul. It nudges many emotions in us while soothing and reassuring us of good times.

Petrichor is a word that I often coin to describe a drink called Palor Sharbot.

It's always difficult to fall back on routine after a long vacation. I know am being MIA for quite sometime but I can totally attribute that to our long ailments. Which this time were really nasty. Someday we were not even able to get up from the bed. Our Immunity was at the lowest and so was our positive attitude.

Thank God to this fortnight of vacation in Bangalore that refreshed us. We loved every minute of it. Especially meeting friends and our small weekend trips. Though the traffic in Bangalore is absolutely killing but we truly enjoyed going out and eating at some of Bangalore's finest restaurants.

Though I thought of cooking and clicking a lot of picture while I was there but in reality nothing happened. I just cooked enough to sustain us and then just lazed around with a book and kettles of tea. The weather there was to die for and almost everyday we went swimming in the evening and then slept like babies till late morning. Poor Husband had office though and with the three of us sleeping so late he often had to scour the fridge for breakfast.

Chocolate being a proven mood lifter it's definitely not a surprise that we crave for it when the weather is dark and gloomy. Be it the chilly winter nights or the rainy gray days every time you are home bound you find solace in a mouthful of this delicious treat.

Drinking chocolate from a specific brand that comes in a bluish purplish tin container was a big part of my childhood. Maa made cakes, sondesh, homemade chocolates and even sprinkled it on Gajar ka halwa for the stubborn kid in my brother but never did it find it's way to what it is intended for. That creamy luscious cocoa coloured heaven that gives you a brown mustache below your nose was discovered by me at a friend's place. Her mother served us each a cup of this luscious drink on a very cold evening in December, while we were busy preparing for our exams. I instantly fell in love with it and collected the recipe from her.

These two quotes perfectly captures our never ending longing for the lost childhood. Those days when we had no worries and discovered new things on a regular basis and then coming to terms with those wonders with awe struck wide eyes. Now when am reliving those moments and see my kids facing the world with such vigour I smile to myself and remember my days.

Summer in my childhood meant Having Phalsa berries at my uncles, Running and wandering in my Grandfather's huge orchard all afternoon, Washing our huge second floor terrace in the dusk with water and then spreading natural mats and gathering, chitchating and snacking together as a family and  Summer also meant Gopalda, a short dark ever smiling ice cream vendor in Santiniketan.

Coconut milk and Blueberry ice lolly

I first met Gopalda on my first day to school. I was in class II, and after we got down from the bus our neighbour P didi, who lovingly took me under her wings, lead me to Gopalda and bought 2 dudhwala ice cream for us (Milk popsicle). I still remember Gopalda's kind eyes smiling at me and asking 'Notun ele?' (Are you new?). After that like everyone, he became my favourite too. Whether we had money or not he would invariably give us ice creams and will accept whenever, whatever money we can offer him. 

I have never been a summer girl all my life. Those hot, humid, tiring months never held much appeal to me. 

Until this summer that I am spending here in Chicago. 

It's like a season reversal between summer and winter between Kolkata and Chicago. The Summer is as soothing and sought after as winter in Kolkata and winter is as dreary and dreaded as Summer in Kolkata. And though with such soothing Summer, you don't need refuge in cold treats still the sight of colourful summer fruits and berries have restored my thirst to use them up in creative ways. Every time we are going to grocery shopping a few punnets of berries are being picked up. We loved them so much that most of them are finding their way to our cereal bowl, oats porridge, fruit salad or just on their own as between meal snacks.

As the bus approached the stop I started rising from my seat. Its a hot Summer afternoon and the bus is almost empty compared to  'almost filled to the brim', other weekdays. 'Saturdays are such a relief, I thought to myself while trying to maintain my balance in the running bus. from my past experience I knew the bus will come to a sudden halt with a loud screech  The drivers, particularly this one never tries to slow down before any stop, making all the passengers dis-balanced.  I with my 5' something (plus 3" heel) petite frame find it extra difficult to stand still so I moved fast to reach for the door handle.

Oh!!! Its Sensational!

That's all I could manage to mumble, in between glugging my very first glass of this delightful drink. It's chilled, Its sweet, Its rich, its creamy and has that heady aroma of filter coffee. With a nod from Hubby, I licked my lips and ordered one more. 

The firm green raw mangoes with their smooth, dark glossy skin always remind me of summer. Their mellow yet unmistakable tart mango aroma with thick white flesh makes me dream of various mango recipes. But the most appropriate raw mango recipe that cools us and makes us crave more is this light sweet and sour mango drink known as Aam pora sharbat. Believe me or not once you taste this tangy drink, no longer how unbearable summer is at your part of the world you will love this dreaded season.