Allthatswritten: Cheese Wine and Friends must be Old to be Good. - ...

Allthatswritten: Cheese Wine and Friends must be Old to be Good. - ...:   A.B.C. Farms Pvt Ltd - A must visit while in Pune 

Cheese Wine and Friends must be Old to be Good. - The ABC Farms in Pune

 

A.B.C. Farms Pvt Ltd

When we had kids, Hubby and I decided that every trip that we would take would be an experience for our children. It would be an opportunity for them to learn something new, experience something new, feel something new and hopefully add to their knowledge repository.

Earlier, we ended up spending our New Years Eve and the start to the New Year at our friends Villa in Shahpur; but even those trips were educational trips. From imbibing values of sharing, caring, love, compassion; to introducing them to the flora and fauna of the place; we made every trip count.

This time for New Year’s Eve, we took them to Pune and since they love cheese; we decided to teach them all about cheese.

What better place to take them to for a lesson on Cheese than to the ABC Farms, a place that was started way back in 1976. A, B and C stand for Aga, Bhathena and Chinoy, the surnames of the first three founder directors of the Company. Today ABC Farms is completely owned and run by Sohrab Chinoy and his family.

We booked an appointment and reached the place by 12.30 in the afternoon. It was much different from what I remembered the place from an earlier visit about two decades back. We were met by the charming Sohrab Chinoy who welcomed us with an amazingly refreshing probiotic lemon flavored lassi. 

Then a huge tray filled with cups of different kids of cheese was brought in and as we dug in Sohrab spoke to us about the farm, the history, how he got into the business and more. As we sat talking, Sorabh shared wonderfully candid stories of his youth, he experiences, his passion and more. Munchkin 1 was full of questions and wrote down notes diligently in her tiny book, while Munchkin 2 and our friend’s Munchkin gorged on all the cheese.

Sorabh then took us to the Cheese processing unit and showed us how cheese is made. The chill in each of the curing freezers were completely worth it when we got to see how cheese gets aged, stored, packed; all ready for dispatch.  

Freezing inside one of the curing freezers with Sorabh

It was an amazing experience and one that I hope my kids will re-visit when they grow older and are able to understand a little bit more.

Walking out of the Farm, we shopped for so many different kinds of Cheese that my fridge is still bursting at its seams; but completely worth it considering how much we learnt. I loved Sohrab's passion for the farm and how despite all the challenges and competition, he refuses to part ways with his ethics, processing styles and quality. What I loved best was his advice to continue eating cheese, but good quality cheese never fattens!!! 

We ended the trip with a yummy lunch at the Shisha Cafe – Persian & Indian Cuisine. The ambiance is absolutely relaxing and seeing the restaurant built around the huge tree (which I think is an old Gulmohar) is so heartening.

We were there only during the afternoon; but I’m sure the place is abuzz during the evening hours.

Overall, a wonderful experience that I shall cherish for a long time to come. I do hope to make it back again soon and actually gorge on some of the amazing items listed on the menu.

Till we meet again… Au revoir Mr Sohrab Chinoy.

Sohrab Chinoy

ps: I was so mesmerized that I hardly took pics. Most of the pictures here are from the ABC Farms website or FB page. 

Allthatswritten: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Allthatswritten: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides:   If there was book that blew my mind with its unexpected ending, then this is it. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is a bestseller wo...

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

 

If there was book that blew my mind with its unexpected ending, then this is it.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is a bestseller worth its weight.

I ploughed through the initial pages of the book sighing that it was too slow. The story revolves around how Theo Faber, a forensic psychotherapist tries to get Alicia Berenson, a London artist who inexplicably shot her husband years ago to talk. Ever since the murder, she has shut herself within and refuses to speak to anyone and is hence condemned to a secure forensic unit called the Grove.

Theo tries in vain to get Alicia to talk and follows up with her friend, therapist, family and cousin to understand her and her moods. During the course of the interactions between Theo and Alicia, she gives him her diary and Theo finally gets a glimpse into the days before the murder.

Running parallel to this is Theo’s own relationship issues with his wife.

The end is unexpected, a total shocker and something that gives me goosebumps even as I write this review.

The book explores love, relationships, trust, mental agony, emotional upheaval and so much more. Its like peeling off layer after layer.

A must read for all those who love a twist in their books.

This book is being adapted into a movie by Brad Pitt’s Plan B along with Annapurna. Cant wait for this one!!!

Alex Michaelides

 

Allthatswritten: The Pain Within

Allthatswritten: The Pain Within: I want to hurt myself For a greater pain   I want to hurt myself To numb the bigger pain   I want to hurt myself To end this m...

The Pain Within

I want to hurt myself

For a greater pain

 

I want to hurt myself

To numb the bigger pain

 

I want to hurt myself

To end this misery

 

I want to hurt myself

To get out of this tragedy

 

Hurting myself

Is something I can do

 

Hurting myself

Is something in my control

 

When the hurt caused by others

Seems larger than life truly is

 

Hurting myself deep

Can go deeper than that deepest hurt

 

I've waited and watched

Watched from the side-lines

 

But all I've seen all along

Is deceit and hurtful lies

 

I could end this all

This misery and the life I lead

 

But will me going away

Make a difference to the way you feel

 

I guess not, is the answer I hear

Because me being or gone does not matter at all

 

What matters is the joy we shared

What matters is the paths we choose

 

I've cherished every day, every minute, every second

And I've learnt to live with this numbing pain within

 

I wait for the day

We cross paths again

 

Cause that will be the day

I will finally numb the pain!!!

Vandana Joshil

VJ.Ardhya Akshar

10112020

Allthatswritten: A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth murdered by Mira Nair

Allthatswritten: A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth murdered by Mira Nair:   Have you ever waited in anticipation for a drink (tea, coffee, or whatever your poison is) from a place that is atrociously famous for it ...