JJSK -Pic gallery

[MommC]

Nice looking pic! Is that an authentic East Indian outfit.
If it is you might want to drop in at Hotel Fior di Loto in Juan D'Olio sometime.
Mara is a real Yoga master, her place is decorated east indian style and she has these fabulous Indian Feasts once a month with Great Indian Food.
I've just sent "WUD" a pic of one of the parties with me in it! And yes we do "belly" dance at the feasts.

[jjsk]

thanks for the info, MommC, I will have to put that on my wish list for the next time I get to travel to the DR
I guess you could say it's an "authentic" outfit, straight from Gerrard St in Toronto (the best "little India" in North America IMHO). That's actually a wedding pic, my husband and I had 2 weddings, one "Canadian style" and one "Pakistani style" (got to keep both sides of the family happy!).
If I make it to one of those feasts, I'll bring some mehndi and hit them up for a job as their resident artist...

[Hlywud]

NO pic received yet.
hlywud@swiftdesk.com
look forward to posting it.

[Marc]

There is an Indian restaurant just east of Cabarete off the highway to Mocha (sp) called the Blue Moon, not far from Sabaneta. Located up on a hill, it is a little complex with a few scattered buildings, a swimming pool, and a round hut.

Min reservation is 8 people, I believe it is 250RD plus beverages, per person. It is run by an Indian woman. You sit on cushions in a circle in the palm-roofed hut with nothing but the noise of the stars and the moon as you eat of a banana leaf with your hand (right hand please!). Several course meal of "authentic" (I put that in quotes since I have no idea if it really is, but it just seems like it HAS to be!) Indian food and stories behind each dish, the way you sit, etc etc.

A lovely evening. We will be back there next week with our friends from Canada, I will take some pics to post.

marc

[Jane J.]

jjsk - don't forget your lengha!

[MommC]

Where on Gerrard???? I might make it there when I get back to Canada.
The first time Mara had her Feast we did the sitting on the floor, banana leaf, right hand stuff but now in defference to us older folk we sit at tables, eat off a dish and have a spoon. However the food is great! and we always have a lot of fun!!!

[Pavan]

Lived there 10 years. Still go back every couple of months. And I never knew about the Indian restaurant in Cabarete.

JJSK. I got some real atta and had rotis and chicken curry last night. Also had raita, and kheer after the meal.

I come from North India. So I get the same food as you get in Pakistan and the best part is that AZB and me also speak the exact same language.

We had a friend come over to DR once from India. Both of us had to speak to him in English as whatever he spoke was not understood by either of us.

[jjsk]

thanks Marc, cool info, I wish I had heard about those places before I went to the DR...!

HaHa Jane! A girl can't bhangra without her lengha!

MommC, it's Gerrard East, 1100 numbers and up. Easiest way is to take a cab, it's not really walkable from downtown (Eaton Centre area) too far... Ask a cab to take you to about 1100 Gerrard east, then get out and walk the area, up one side and down the other, lots of great sari shops, music stores, buy barbecued corn from a street vendor and try some paan in one of the filthy little holes in the wall!

Missing, did you cook the food yourself?
I have the best secret to making a good raita (very simple! but nobody loves it like I do...my hubby prefers his achar -yuck!). We went over to friends' house on Saturday and brought some mathai, but nobody liked them... _{that's o.k., more for us!}

Damn, you guys think there might be a market for a mehndi artist in the DR?

[MommC]

So where in Juan D'Olio were you missing_dr??? Did you know Peter Miranda of the mini golf?
Mara's been there for at least 9 years however the decor is new to the past 7!
Indian feasts for the last 5. There's usually people of Indian or Pakistani origin around (right now -two staying at the hotel and a third that comes to visit every week or so on his day off. Mara is working on her Hindi and she reads quite a bit of sanskrit!
I don't know much about Indian/Pakistan food but I sure do like curry (especially the HOT stuff). Mango chutney is really good, even my fussy eater aka Italian husband likes the chapaties when there's someone of origin there to make them for the feast.
I often bring Patak's (oh Lord I can't remember what they're called- lentil flat like tortilla things that you cook) from Canada for Mara when I come. I also bring her kilos of all the major spices, fresh from Canada, every year.
To JJSK.....oh I know where the east side of Gerrard is (though most of the time I'm on the west side when in TO). Maybe I can pick up some bindi there for Mara. My poor little town doesn't have any left......I've bought them all to bring to her!!!!

[jjsk]

MommC, those flat things are called pappadums; kinda like giant potato chips (only not make from potatoes, and with spices in them -- they really stink when they're cooking, but if you spread just a light brush of oil on them, you can do them in the toaster...)