Any guess on this photograph ? Answer at the end of the page.

Hey ! this is Meena. Welcome to my space.
My blog has become my medium of expression and a way of keeping me happy.
I started off as novice in cooking and over the years my husband  has put up with all my disasters  in such a gracious and enduring manner , I owe him a lot for that… I have improved considerably from that stage(at least i think so) and I picked up a liking for cooking , started paying attention to nuances and  appreciating food better. But I was not sure if my family thought it was good enough until one day my husband told me “You should start a blog!!” Wow!! that was a huge acknowledgement from him …. and thus“elephants and the coconut trees”was born.

Update after few months of blogging: I am having fun writing ,clicking and guess what designing blog headers have caught my fancy like never before so stayed tuned to see the latest  🙂

Do take your time to wander around my growing yard.
It is such a pleasure to have you here.Read, try out recipes,there may be so many memories similar for you and me to talk about .You are free to write comments and critique on the recipes in a constructive way. I really appreciate when u take few minutes to acknowledge my efforts.

Send me ur feedback:  elephantsncoconuttrees(at)gmail(dot)com

I do stick with authentic recipes and let you know thru my notes all the short cuts and changes made. Please get back to me if u have any queries.
I cook all these myself unless stated otherwise.I do give due credit to the recipe source.

Please remember that I spend a lot of time putting everything together for posting and that I am not here  just to while away  hence I can assure you quality of recipes.I refer my notes, so rest assured guys !!
In return please ask first before you take anything from my yard…

Disclaimer:I am not to be held liable in any way for your cooking disasters and please use your discretion to judge what is right for you.

    More about the blog:     

A header I made for the blog sometime back . Still get comments asking me to bring this one back 🙂

Why have a food blog when there are thousands of other food blogs?
My husband and I have lived in many places, kept an open mind and developed a liking for many different cuisines that I try to recreate .This blog is my journal for saving  the recipes I collect and of all that I cook at home , in the hope that someday when my daughter takes up serious cooking  she would have everything she grew up with in one place, provided the blog stands the test of time in the ever changing technology scenario.I believe today’s food becomes tomorrow’s memory so every time she and I want to rekindle the food cravings we could flip through the pages..meanwhile the blog is open to food lovers too who share the same thought.  

Why such a name for a food blog?
If you are a malayalee I need not explain, if not then read on..
Well.. to me the name makes sense in a lot of weird ways… 

Beginning with the love of elephants, it  is almost reverence mixed with joy,at times these giants make me feel so insignificant.Their massiveness scares me yet their being docile amidst humans pleases me.   

Elephant from Ambalapuzha Sree Krishna Temple

You see, I hail from the southern most state of India known as Kerala(which literally means land of coconut trees). Coconut trees as far as your eyes can see, makes the terrain serene and green. Backwaters ,elephants ,  coconut trees are all part of a  malayalee’s everyday life and it becomes nuggets of nostalgia as soon as he leaves home.He soon realizes without coconut no traditional food is made and without elephants no festival is complete.

Elephants are an integral part of the Hindu Temples. A tusker which has the most ideal features and best temperament  is only bestowed with the highest honor to carry the idol of the deity during festivals. Elephants are usually fed with cooked rice ,jaggery,banana  etc..but their favorite is coconut palm leaves.So now you know why I have the coconut trees :).
If you would like to see the feeding ritual of elephants- watch here“Aanayoottu“
 The Asian subspecies found in Kerala are elegant and have chiseled look unlike their African counterparts.Especially their ears and tusks.
In an age where the world is  after pocket sized chihuahua, leashes it to take on morning walks !!, the wealthy malayalee still keeps elephants as pets, are you not intrigued  by the thought and scale of massiveness?  Almost like a dragon in ur front yard right!!

        If  you really appreciate and enjoy watching elephants at their best (not the pathetic looking chalk painted type but gold ornament adorned) then here is another You tube video   “Thrissur Pooram“ .You will be amazed by the grandeur the small state  in India has to offer.

update:I have few  Pinterest boards dedicated to the beauty of my land if that interests u you can join me there.

Kerala ,the spice capital of India has been a prominent exporter of spices such as black pepper,cinnamon,cardamom,ginger,nutmeg,turmeric to name a few since 2000 years attracting traders from all over the world.The cuisine of the state is heavily influenced by the spices , a blend of indigenous dishes and foreign ones adapted to Kerala tastes.

Hope I have given you enough insights to ponder. If I have not bored u enough peek into my other windows 🙂 and catch up on
 Google+, 
Pinterest ,
Facebook 
Thank you for stopping by my yard and being a part of my adventures. 

Meena

(PS : Answer: A 400 year old hanging brass oil lamp (called as tooku-vilaku) with a knight on horseback at the poomukham (grand entrance) of Padmanabhapuram Palace,Kerala, India. See the complete architectural excellence  of the palace HERE )