Being a Bengali, I was taught to appreciate the taste of prawn, crab, Hilsa, Rohu, chicken, and lamb from a very tender age. Though vegetables are termed as "Ghaas Phoos" (that literally means grass) in a typical Bengali household, I was fed with quite a generous amount of spinach, okra, bitter gourd, beetroot, bottle gourd, and eggplant as well. I could not evolve as a fussy eater, thanks to my mother's stern looks at the lunch or dinner table. However, I also could not realize my love for food until I started staying in a hostel. Poha, Upma, Chole Bhature, Daal Baati, Gatte ki Sabzi, Malaiyo, Raw Mango curry, Thalipeeth, Appam, Pooran Poli, Pithala Bhakri- I was introduced to new flavors from various parts of India. At the same time, I started missing "Ghar ka Khana", the much sought-after homemade food.
"Those who love to eat do not necessarily love to cook." -Writer of this blog post
It is said that people who love to eat can also cook good food. To be honest, I hated cooking for a really long time. I still hate it, especially the chopping, cutting, cleaning, and washing episodes. Moving from hostel to a rented apartment compelled me to cook and save some money. To make edible food, I started experimenting with shallow frying vegetables; my favorites being capsicum corn fry and potato beans fry. Rotis used to turn out like a sheet of charcoal and the vegetable fries were too bland for my taste buds. Nevertheless, I survived on those, accompanied by occasional takeaways.
It is said that people who love to eat can also cook good food. To be honest, I hated cooking for a really long time. I still hate it, especially the chopping, cutting, cleaning, and washing episodes. Moving from hostel to a rented apartment compelled me to cook and save some money. To make edible food, I started experimenting with shallow frying vegetables; my favorites being capsicum corn fry and potato beans fry. Rotis used to turn out like a sheet of charcoal and the vegetable fries were too bland for my taste buds. Nevertheless, I survived on those, accompanied by occasional takeaways.
"Cooking is about passion, so it may look slightly temperamental in a way that it's too assertive to the naked eye." -Gordon Ramsay
While I am not capable to understand the deep meaning of this statement from a great chef, I have realized that cooking is all about passion. Whether I burn or undercook a dish (which happens most of the time), my courage to try again the same recipe and scare off my friends and family comes from an underlying burning passion.
Post marriage, my love for food has taken up a new meaning. With a food loving spouse who also happens to be a better cook than me, my culinary skills seem inferior. Too many failed experiments in the kitchen have now taught me patience and persistence. While indulging in small talks with people, I find food and recipes as safe topics to discuss. I chat with my mother and mother-in-law for hours over traditional Bengali recipes. Though my poor husband is subjected to occasional torture due to my below par culinary skills, I feel that my love for food has transformed me into a calmer and patient version of my previous self.
While I am not capable to understand the deep meaning of this statement from a great chef, I have realized that cooking is all about passion. Whether I burn or undercook a dish (which happens most of the time), my courage to try again the same recipe and scare off my friends and family comes from an underlying burning passion.
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| Once upon a time when I successfully made "Edible Idli". |
Post marriage, my love for food has taken up a new meaning. With a food loving spouse who also happens to be a better cook than me, my culinary skills seem inferior. Too many failed experiments in the kitchen have now taught me patience and persistence. While indulging in small talks with people, I find food and recipes as safe topics to discuss. I chat with my mother and mother-in-law for hours over traditional Bengali recipes. Though my poor husband is subjected to occasional torture due to my below par culinary skills, I feel that my love for food has transformed me into a calmer and patient version of my previous self.
"There is no love sincerer than the love of food."
-George Bernard Shaw
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