One of them, Sam, a professional pastry chef when he’s not busy traveling the world or studying yoga in Mysore, was enlisted to bring the desserts. I’d asked Sam for some professional advise on pies and tarts when I was first clued into his skills at one of his periodic bake sales here. Given the task of baking for the New Year’s party, I subsequently spent Sunday afternoon as his apprentice making Chinese almond cookies. Plus, he gave me a bonus lesson in frangipane. By default, I picked up some tips on measuring by weight rather than cups and teaspoons.
Another benefit of spending time with the other yoga students who find their way to Mysore is discovering the high level of talent lurking behind the asana practice.
Later, at the roof-top party, the almond cookies were served (and consumed quite quickly) alongside a special “prosperity toss’ salad made by two other talented yogini’s. After everyone read their Chinese Horoscopes for the year and munched through a bountiful spread of more salads, soups, momos and home-made sushi, we clambered up to the roof for a fireworks display that was as beautiful as it was scary. Fireworks in India are no joke! The bigger louder and brighter the better — and seemingly anyone can buy a huge display. Let’s just say the Dragon seriously roared. Happy New Year!
Deborah Crooks (www.DeborahCrooks.com) is a writer, performing songwriter and recording artist based in San Francisco whose lyric driven and soul-wise music has drawn comparison to Lucinda Williams, Chrissie Hynde and Natalie Merchant.
Singing about faith, love and loss, her lyrics are honed by a lifetime of writing and world travel while her music draws on folk, rock, Americana and the blues. She released her first EP “5 Acres” in 2003 produced by Roberta Donnay, which caught the attention of Rocker Girl Magazine, selecting it for the RockerGirl Discoveries Cd. In 2007, she teamed up with local producer Ben Bernstein to complete “Turn It All Red” Ep, followed by 2008’s “Adding Water to the Ashes” CD, and a second full-length CD “2010. She’s currently working on a third CD to be released in 2013.
Deborah’s many performance credits include an appearance at the 2006 Millennium Music Conference, the RockerGirl Magazine Music Convention, IndieGrrl, at several of the Annual Invasion of the GoGirls at SXSW in Austin, TX, the Harmony Festival and 2009’s California Music Fest, MacWorld 2010, Far West Fest and many other venues and events. She toured the Northwest as part “Indie Abundance Music, Money & Mindfulness” (2009) with two other Bay Area artists, and followed up with “The Great Idea Tour of the Southwest in March 2010 with Jean Mazzei.
