I went to downtown Dover last evening to take some photos of the plants downtown.

I’m working on the contest from the Lighting Essentials web page, 8 images that show summer in your town. I’m not sure how those photos are going to come out, but, while downtown, I was approached by Sean, the pan-handler. Who isn’t a druggie, but is a drinker. (Which was plainly in evidence by the beer he had in his hand.) All he needed was $1.80 so he could sleep in the shelter that night. He was from Dover you see, but his family didn’t think too much of him after he tested Positive for HIV. All he needed was $2.80 to stay at the shelter. He used to work on the base as a cook, for ten years, after graduating from DelTech in the culinary arts program. But he’s had HIV for 13 years and all he needed was $4.80 for the shelter room for the night. Because, you see, they would let him stay for 3 nights a month for free, and you had to be up, showered and out by 6 a.m, but after 3 nights in a month you had to pay $5 for a night so he had had like 4 beers yesterday, but he just needed $4.80 for the night. I reached into my pocket and pulled out four ones. “Dude this is all I’ve got” Did I want to take his photo? He could pose for me, but first he’d have to put down his beer.

 

So I did his photo and his buddy (who seemed to be drunk too) came over , “hey man, take my picture!”

I think the photos of Sean and his buddy are more interesting than the flower photos. It was an interesting experience. I don’t usually see this side of Dover, though, I have experienced it in the past.

 

Edited to add (Kanchan corrected my spelling in the comments, thanks Kanchan!) My good friends the Nadkarny’s introduced me to Bale Behl  many years ago. Kanchan makes it as a treat for her picnics or brings the stuff to ours. OMG it’s great. Kanchan says they serve this in the streets of India as a snack food. Basically it’s a kind of Puffed Rice salad. In the past Kanchan used Rice Krispies to make it as the authentic Indian style puffed rice isn’t readily available here in the states. She told me that the Indian food store now carries ready made puffed rice with Thin Sev and some kind of tortilla like cracker already in there.

Ingredients (more or less)

Puffed Rice Mix

Cut up apple

Onion

Tomatoes:

Shoot, I missed the potatoes! Boil some potatoes, chop them up in to cubes about the size of the apples and tomatoes.

Apple butter, tamaraind and date chutney and a green chutney

 

You saw how much was in the bowls. Use about half of each (except the chutneys) and pour them into a good size mixing bowl with the Puffed rice mix. You’ve got enough tomatoes, apples, potatos and onion for 2 batches.

 

Onion, Potato and Tomatoes in the bowl

Add a good size scoop of the two chutneys

Then try to mix it up… better move it to a bigger bowl!

When it’s good and mixed, garnish the top with Thin Sev and Cilantro

Put it on the table with the rest of the food, and get out of the way. The stampede can get vicious!

mmmmmmmmm Spicy goodness!

Any errors in the recipe are my fault! Heck, I’m not even sure I spelled Bale Behl right!

Thanks Kanchan and Uday!