Welcome to "Hardships of Graduate School #101 - Survival of the Tongue"
I'm Deepak, known by a host of other embarrassing and not-so-embarrassing nick-names, a doctoral student at the University of Cincinnati. For me, the US has been a temporary home for the past four years - a time-span over which most unmarried male (and of course eligible female) students would have already accorded a tearful farewell to their tongues. Lucky me though, I have managed to hold onto both my independence and my taste-buds, a tough feat indeed!
The Secret : I have been cooking since I was 15, and all those unfortunate hot-oil-splatters, gooey chappathi dough, and several years of following Mallika Badrinath books are finally paying off.
I think that it was my grandmother who was responsible for the over-nourishment of those teeny-weeny taste buds on my tongue. Watching her cook was an inspiration. My memories of her always include the ritual grinding of the Vada batter at the humongous mortar-pestle that used to sit in the backyard, and the worth-dying-for Biriyani served every Sunday. And when she retired from earth, certain recipes never saw the light of the day again. Paagu-Nellikkai (Gooseberries soaked in Sugar Syrup), her special mutta-dosai, and of course the uniquely different Chicken Biriyani are still distant memories.
Not to be outdone, my mother valiantly entered the kitchen with, what I believe was, pure theoretical knowledge. But what rolled out was a wonderful array of mouth watering dishes. Rice, Chicken, vegetables, deserts, payasams, cakes, and mithais were made from scratch after much experimentation and cross-checking of measurements with my aunt. Recipes were exchanged with much enthusiasm at relatives' dinner tables and the equivalent of a small treasure was invested in buying several recipe books. And there has been no looking back ever since.
The fervent culinary atmosphere that has always pervaded our home, instilled in me the desired to cook too. I used to keep my ears wide open when recipes were recited for a cousin's convenience or an aunt's lunch dilemma. I hung around the kitchens of some of the best cooks in my family, deftly asking for recipes, and writing them down on sheets of paper, only to forget their existence. I helped my mother during festivals and when there were guests at home. Over the years, I slowly understood the delicate play of the several spices, the chemistry between certain vegetables, the versatility of chicken and the importance of seasonings. Whenever an opportunity presented itself, I was only too quick to seize it : pouring dosas for my Grandpa, grinding thuvayals for a quick lunch, and experimenting with upma and pongal. Humble beginnings, yes, but nevertheless important stepping stones.
Today, I can cook. Oh yeah, I say that with pride. Cooking is such a stress-buster. After a day of planning and conducting several experiments, mind-buckling analysis, and much more, it is a breath of fresh air to enter the kitchen, and chop, grind, fry, and boil. Often, I end up calling my mother at unearthly hours asking her to refresh my memories of one of her many recipes. Sometimes, I randomly choose a recipe from the web and add my own twists and turns to it. Slowly, I have expanded my horizons too, experimenting with different cuisines, vegetables, techniques, and spices. Of course, I am deeply indebted to some of my best friends for being patient guinea pigs whenever I had ventured into unexplored territories. Without them, some of the best recipes would have never been born. Kudos to you!
My intent of starting this blog is multi-fold. Firstly, I intend to make a note of all my mother's recipes as I try them, a feeble attempt to let her have her beauty sleep to the fullest. But, I also want to share some of these gems with several of my friends, relatives, and colleagues who are, more often than not, treated to just a visual feast of my experiments (My fellow graduate students at Cincinnati know only too well what I am talking about). For the amateurs and the rookies, worry not! Some of the recipes are written with the hectic-schedule (read laziness) and kitchen-skills of a typical graduate student in mind, while there are several others meant for the more adventurous kind.
Food has been a mainstay of my graduate life and it will continue to be so. To the surprise of many, it has even grown my network, proving that it really has the potential to bring people together in an unforgettable bond. Besides, it gives me an immense sense of satisfaction to stir-up a meal for my room-mates and a couple of guests, and I hope it stays just the way it is. Here is to many more days of sumptuous, lip-smacking, home-made food, prepared with love, care, and just the right amount of cream, shared with family and friends.
P.S.
Positive comments are always welcome, negative ones are better. :)
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