Cholle bhatura + chicken biryani for lunch = very very very VERY happy clee :)
I love Vik's Chaat Corner!!

A pic of cholle bhatura (my favorite chaat):



Look at that... just beautiful and waiting to be eaten. Drooling already!

Two hilarious Craigslist posts you must read:

Why I hate Whole Foods:

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/sea/52364500.html

If your GF says "don't let me eat ANYTHING this week..."

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/wdc/51976073.html

Congratulations to Michelle Kwan for winning her 9th U.S. National Championship- only one more before you break Maribel Vinson's record!




And I was lucky enough to be there to see it happen. More 6.0s than any other skater in history, and a resume that can't be touched. Michelle, you rock! Next stop: Moscow for the World Championships.

Pics from my Portland weekend extravaganza coming soon. I was lame enough to leave my camera at Shelley's, so pics will be a bit delayed getting into my Gallery.

I set this goal almost every year and never come close to meeting it (mostly because I don't even try). However, this year I'm determined to put in my effort to watch all of the Academy Award-nominated films and performances.

While the nominations haven't yet been announced, I've already watched several films that are definitely in the running for some nomination or another: Closer, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Finding Neverland, and Collateral. Tonight I added another movie to that list: Million Dollar Baby, which was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Clint Eastwood), Best Original Screenplay, Best Performance by an Actress in a leading role (Hilary Swank), Best Supporting Actor (Morgan Freeman), and I think that's about it. Keep in mind these are Golden Globe nominations, but I'm sure this film will see the same nominations for the Oscars. Hilary Swank was AMAZING and proves that she wasn't just a flash-in-the-pan for Boys Don't Cry. Believe it or not, this was the first movie I've ever seen Clint Eastwood in. The banter between him and Morgan Freeman was hilarious, and I really admire his work both acting in and directing this film. Gotta add Mystic River to my Netflix queue now.

Next films to watch: The Aviator, Hotel Rwanda, Ray, and Vera Drake.

Good movies to watch:
The House of Sand and Fog- Ben Kingsley is GREAT.
White Chicks- HAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Closer- This is actually only the 2nd movie I've ever seen Jude Law in, the 1st being Gattaca. But all 4 of them were superb. Kudos to Natalie Portman on her GG nomination.
Meet The Fockers- As good as the first one. Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand really steal the show.
Daughter From Danang- I think this won an Oscar for Best Documentary. Bittersweet reunion between a Vietnamese-American woman and her Vietnamese birth mother.

Happy New Year everyone!! Here's to a great 2005 :)

Movie recommendation: White Chicks is a surprisingly good movie. I thought it was going to be lame, but it was hilarious!!! Nickey gives it 2 paws up.

I think my chocolate chip cookies are quite tasty, if I do say so myself. I use the Nestle Tollhouse recipe ("NesLAY TOOLohse", for those of you remember that Friends episode) but my secret is to add shortening (or extra butter, if shortening isn't available), extra vanilla as in almost 3xs what the recipe calls for, and chill the dough before putting them onto the cookie sheets. Also, while chocolate chip cookies are meant to be drop cookies, they come out wonderfully if you roll them into a ball and place them on the cookie sheets. It compacts the dough and the cookies come out with a better texture, almost cake-like.