it hardly seems
a moment passed
before the coming home
to understand
beginnings
have no end
I’m incredibly happy and excited to be published, yet again, in the latest issue of the Supper Club Magazine, an international magazine bringing together recipes and stories from around the world and celebrating people, culture and roots. The winter issue is titled “Nourishing Dishes and Stories To Begin Again” and it’s filled with delicious comfort food and heartfelt stories. This time, I’m sharing my family recipe for Gujarati rice pudding along with a story of the settlement of my Gujarati community here in Montréal.
Here is an excerpt from “Coming Home”:
…. By this time, despite an exodus following the 1980 Québec sovereignty referendum, we numbered in the thousands, and my peers and I, the first generation of children to arrive here, were grown up and on the brink of grasping the dreams made possible to us by our parents; the first Canadian born generation following closely behind. The custom of sitting on the floor for dining was lost and replaced with larger dining tables. The conversation around the table was now in equal parts Gujarati and English. What didn’t change was the food we ate and served, still the same curries and dals, still rice and rotis. Every so often, my parents would reminisce of the early years, recount stories of the hardships they faced, the obstacles they overcame, and without fail, each time, my mother would recount how on the day we first arrived, at the airport, in all the cheer and excitement, I had tugged at her saree and whispered fearfully “I want to go home.” I vaguely remember that she had replied “We are home.”
conifères & feuillus 
Looks like kheer.. but leaf confused me .. is it kadi?
Yes, it is most certainly kheer… called rice pudding here in the West. The leaves are not edible, they are only for decoration!
Gorgeous post, Annika. I adore rice pudding although perhaps not quite as much as I adore your writing and photography. So talented, my friend. And congratulations! xx
Thank you so much dear friend, you are so sweet. xx
Beautiful post Annika! Congratulations on being published, and for sharing an excerpt. Well done. 🙂
Thank you dear, glad you enjoyed the read.
Congrats on getting another one published!
Thank you so much Rini!
Gorgeous mood! I’m sure that’s a beautiful story, would love to read the rest as well! xo
Thank you Ursula!
Beautiful images Annika. And proud to hear your you get featured! Nice share!!
Thank you so much.
These images are so beautiful, that even I who detest rice pudding with a passion akin as to how much I love writing am drooling over the sight of them. The excerpt you posted here is beautiful, it grabs at the heart and does take me back to a time when I also left my home country and ventured a new life outside – I had to return without making a living in an other world, but at least opened up a door for my sister to do it later. Congratulations on being featured once more!!
Thank you so much for such a lovely comment.
Lovely Annika – I just read this to my husband whose parents moved from Gujarat to the UK – he so related to your dining table scene 😊
Thank you. Haha… I can imagine!
Congrats 🎊
Thank you.