I know, here in the mixing bowl of the U.S. we're rather sloppy about our food, aren't we? If you visited any of the chaat corners in San Francisco or Silicon Valley, your semantic nerves would itch nonstop…nearly every chaat menu includes idli, etc.

It's like that great scene in the film Big Night, with the woman who drives the Italian chef crazy when she orders pasta and risotto — together no less!

However, I have this one semantic itch. Chaat is North Indian by definition. While Bhel Puri, Vada Pav and Pani Puri are all chaat, Idli and Vada with Sambar aren't.

Also, some shortcuts for Indian meals during the week include:

- Freezing small amounts from a big pot of dal; finish with freshly sizzled spices after rewarming.

- Making my standby quickies: 1) canned chickpeas with diced tomatoes, onion, ginger and whole coriander seed; 2) dry-cooked caulifower; or 3) cabbge with turmeric and black mustard seeds.

- On rough days, picking up one or two vegetable dishes from my local Indian restaurant.

- Finishing with a yogurt course helps make even the simplest meals more fulfilling.

Hope everyone enjoys their roadtrip!

I do like Sarvana Bhavan, but this looks even better.

I am making a road trip indeed!