GO on, ask me the question everybody does! How do I maintain my figure? I�m careful about what I eat, that�s all. No diets, no starvation. But no fried stuff, no sweets either, and everything else in moderation. I eat right and I eat on time. Lunch at 1 o�clock. Dinner at 7.30. I don�t drink or smoke. And I get eight hours of sleep. You take care of the small things and that makes a difference. Besides which, I am genetically lucky. My husband, Arbaaz, just has to look at food to put on weight!

We are both complete foodies. Our lives revolve around food. I come from mixed parentage, I�m half Catholic and half Punjabi, and I love South Indian food. I�m the rice, sambar, fish curry type. And Arbaaz is typically Muslim, till he met me he used to eat meat, meat and meat! He didn�t know fish except for Pomfret. And the only veggies he recognised were bhindi and potatoes. But I changed all that! Now he knows one fish from the other. And he eats lots of vegetables.

My Mom�s a fabulous cook. All mothers are. But I didn�t learn from her. I don�t know how to cook regular stuff. I can make awesome Khausuey and things like that. I don�t really enjoy cooking. Somebody has to be really nice to me for me to cook for them. But we entertain a lot. And I will supervise the cooking. I won�t physically stand over the gas. But I�m in complete sync with what�s happening in the kitchen, I know what�s available in the market, I�m just lucky I have people to do the actual cooking for me! Friends look forward to having a great meal at our home. We do typically Indian meals, dal-chawal-sabzi, cooked in very little oil. Meat is restricted, fish and chicken are had occasionally, and our diet includes lots of vegetables, fruits and juices. People expect Mughlai food, mutton and chicken in rich, creamy gravies. Instead, we give them grilled chicken or pepper chicken.

Although I don�t cook so much, I am fond of following recipes and collecting cookery books. I get onto the net and download recipes and then tell the cooks how to make a particular dish. Our maid does the bazaar. And other things are sent home by the bania. But Arbaaz likes buying the fruit. The maids tend to bargain. But he will only buy the best. He says 50-100 bucks don�t make a difference for quality fruit. He goes to Pali Market regularly. He knows what great food is all about. Arbaaz�s parents� house is the hub for food. When we want to have a party where we are entertaining only over food, we go there. Otherwise it is here at home with my Mom often supervising or a takeaway ordered from a nearby restaurant on the table. I�m not big on desserts. I don�t binge on sweets. So I never make them at home. Arbaaz has a sweet tooth, though. Oh, he can put away Gulab Jamuns and Jelebis with relish! And then put on weight! Often, we cater from outside. It�s as good as ghar ka khana.

About three meals a week, we have outside. We love going to restaurants in Bombay. Olive is a favourite. Also the restaurants at the President, at JW Marriott, at the Leela and Taj Land�s End. These are all late-night places where we hang out and chill with friends. Our friends are not all entertainment industry people. We love scouting for restaurants when we travel, as well. And we go to destinations where the food is good.