Dehradun, Dec. 29 -- Culinary Chronicles

Winters during childhood were spent in our ancestral home at Ambala while the rest of the seasons were in the hills.

My paternal grandfather - a disciplinarian, was extremely particular about what and how we were fed at his home. After reaching there within a day or two, both of us, my little brother and I were weighed. The same exercise was re-performed prior to our departure for Mussoorie.

Mandatorily the needle of the scale had to display more than what was measured a few months ago. Each gram was registered with the date and time.

This would bring eternal joy to "Dadaji". He would be proud of the rich dairy and high protein diet that was provided to us. Milk, which I always detested, but re...