by Anu Karthik
[box]There’s more to cooking than just pots and pans, says Anu Karthik. Cooking for her is a passion, a way of life. Read on to find out what makes her so passionate about cooking, what dishes she loves to prepare and what she considers a good meal! And, don’t miss out her tips and tricks for picking up the art of cooking with ease![/box] [box type=”bio”]Anu Karthik juggles the roles of a wife, a mother to a two-year old, and an engineer, apart from of course, being a passionate cook! For more insight into what she likes, makes, and bakes visit her at: http://sugarandspiceandallelsenice.blogspot.com/ and be sure to find something you like that you’ll take into your kitchen too. [/box]From someone who asked her mother if ‘Thiruvadirai – the south Indian festival attributed to Lord Shiva’ was an eatable like ‘Puliyodarai’ (tamarind rice), from someone whose only conversation related to cooking included “Whatz for lunch/tiffin/dinner?” and “This is so good, can I have some more?”, from someone who had not actually cooked a single dish till the age of 20, I sure have come a long way. Today, cooking is something that I am passionate about and absolutely enjoy. It has become an activity that I look forward to, an activity that I explore and indulge in, much to the joy of my family and supportive friends. Who would not feel welcomed and fulfilled by a hot, tasty meal?
“Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all” – Harriet Van Horne
While I have been blessed to be surrounded by near and dear ones who are excellent cooks, like most of us, I started my journey first in Amma’s kitchen. I have made chapattis whose shapes are yet to be invented in geometry, pooris that turned out to be as hard as dog biscuits and have even ended the life of a number of utensils by leaving them on the stove for a tad too long. After that, both my mom and I, with whatever was left of my pride, vowed that we would never cook in the same kitchen again. That rough beginning aside, my inspiration to cook has always stemmed from food itself. I like to think that I don’t eat to live but rather live to eat. The innate appeal that a tasty meal brings to all your senses is pure pleasure and bliss. And to be the cook that makes it possible – isn’t that a crown one would wish to wear?
Cooking to me is no different from any art or skill that you train to master, and the joy, pride and contentment that comes with successfully and tastefully preparing a dish, is no different from any other achievement. A good cook is usually someone who is patient by nature, who is willing to take risks and experiment, and also someone with an eye to tastefully present his or her preparation.After all what appeals to the eye is what will be exciting to the sense of taste!I believe in doing what I do with a passion and zest; why should cooking be any different! The joy in putting together a meal and seeing the smile and satisfaction that it brings to the person eating it, is one of the most primitive and unadulterated pleasures in life. My passion for this purely arises from being on the receiving end of many, many wonderful meals that have left my body, mind and soul content!
What is a good meal? Who is a good cook?
In my eyes, a good meal, apart from being irresistible and maybe comprising an appetizer, one or more entrees, is never ever complete without a dessert. That completes the circle and signals that your food demons are appeased. A good cook is one who knows and tries to cater to the taste of her audience. Imagine the eggplant lover’s delight when he or she finds that dinner is Eggplant Parmigiana. And, an even better cook is one who takes the time to present her painstakingly prepared meal to the best. Why do you think the chefs on the specialty channel, ‘Food Network’ cook for an hour in a pan big enough to feed an army and then serve just barely enough for one bite; all about the presentation right? What’s the use of all the china and special tableware if they only are there to adorn the pantry? Get them out and decorate and display. The ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ you receive will make up for the scratch on the plate that you notice when the last guest leaves! And, it is perfectly alright to not invite the culprit back!
In my Kitchen?
I always wish that I open my own restaurant some day, or be a chef in one. Then finally work will no longer be like work! I like to cook anything and everything. Simple is good most times – if not the best – but laborious and exotic dishes excite me most when I have the time to indulge. Something about the challenge gives me an adrenaline rush. Desserts seem to rule the roost in my home. My favorite cuisines include Indian, Italian and Mexican in that order, but desserts are closer to my heart. I prefer baking and making desserts than any other food type. I am partial to cheese, flour, sugar, ghee and oil – key ingredients that find their way into many foods I make. Paraphernalia that I consider basic in the kitchen include an Indian blender, hand blender, a good variety and assortment of all kind of pots and pans, a Panini maker and a set of bakeware.
Tips and Tricks
For a novice cook, it might be mind-boggling not knowing where to start. The best person to start with would be your mother or maybe your father in some cases. Let’s not forget some of the best chefs in the world are men. The next best option would be Google. You can look up nearly any recipe online, but also be forewarned you will find a few hundred hits for each. Yes, you might make a few dishes that find their way into the drain quicker than you can say “Yuck”, but you will learn and one day you will succeed. And that day, the smile on your face will be bright enough to light up a whole city! Don’t invest in any cookbook until you can tell a good recipe from bad. They’ll just end up in your shelf and add more clutter. As you move into a comfortable zone and want to experiment more, try picking ingredients, cuisines or food types you are most comfortable with and build from there. When putting together a whole meal, balance out by picking a few easy dishes with one tough one (that too if), so that you are not receiving your guests in your apron, with sauce on your face and a few hair strands burnt (yikes!). Plan, plan and plan. I like to approach cooking like an engineer, with almost a mathematical precision. I start out with planning the menu, making the list of ingredients and finally deciding the order in which I will prepare the dishes. This lends some predictability and routine to an otherwise seemingly overwhelming task. Spontaneity has its charm but the truth is, the more organized you are, the less frazzled you will be.
Pic : Anu Karthik
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