I remember my sister and me poring over the big, fat 'Great Australian Cookbook' (I forget the exact name now) for hours during hot afternoons, salivating over the beautiful, glossy photographs and finding our usual (yummy but not as brilliantly garnished and photographed) 'dal-sabzi-roti' meals paling in comparision. And all the 'Asterix' fans would agree with me when I say that whatever Obelix ate, almost leapt out of the pages of the comic book and made you wonder why you were not born in 55BC and in Gaul.
My first cookbook was gifted to me when I was around 12. I still remember it, it was one by Tarla Dalal and from it, I learnt to make salsa from scratch for the very first time. I still have it, with its first page inscribed by my mother. The one that I claim to actually have used a lot for cooking was the one called 'Desi Khana', again by Tarla Dalal.
My first cookbook was gifted to me when I was around 12. I still remember it, it was one by Tarla Dalal and from it, I learnt to make salsa from scratch for the very first time. I still have it, with its first page inscribed by my mother. The one that I claim to actually have used a lot for cooking was the one called 'Desi Khana', again by Tarla Dalal.
I've joined the family tradition of working on handwritten cookbooks (my father also has one of his own with hyderabadi recipes collected over 1 year; I intend to steal it pretty soon)!. And since mine has travelled with me over various cities and continents, it boasts of quite a diverse array of recipes, some courtesy the cuisine fad I was going through at the time (I distinctly remember periods of obsession with Thai, Lebanese, Moroccan, Garhwali and Sri Lankan cuisine!) some even from personal recipe books of colleagues (like Cheesy Potatoes and Green Bean Casserole). And while I cannot promise that I've tried each recipe even once, I can safely say that all that I have tried has been sublime.
Added to these, are the few books (mostly on Asian cuisine, of course) I've bought over the years. I've even raided an old books store and a garage sale to stock up my future library.
Added to these, are the few books (mostly on Asian cuisine, of course) I've bought over the years. I've even raided an old books store and a garage sale to stock up my future library.
wah!wah! mazaa aa gaya..!
ReplyDeleteHi Dearest Foodie,
ReplyDeleteI read your latest blog entry and it transported me to my childhood and early adulthood and the constant dreaming and obsessing about food. Isn't that a co-incident? The fact that we share so many similarities in our childhood experiences.
There used to be a square, low steel serving dish - this is where my memories of scrumptious food begin. This "katordaan" or serving dish had seen better days - its base plate was so bent out of shape with years of aggressive scrubbing by our bai that it had sagged. This sagging had created a depression in the base which had, in turn, given birth to a point around which the entire utensil could pivot.
I remember spinning it round and round only to catch glimpses of a scrawny tail inside it. Before you get scared or disgusted that we ate rats of lunch, these scrawny tails belonged to some unfortunate had-been eggplants which had been roasted to perfection and made into a heavenly spicey mash. With litte spinkles of cilantro, a dash of fresh lemon juice - this dish captured my heart, like it did my taste buds. This was my mother's baingan bharta. When combined with heaps of plain basmati rice, kaali masoor daal, diced raw onions, fresh yogurt; this baingan bharta created fireworks in my mouth. I remember distinctly, in the autorickshaw ride back from school, dreaming and eagerly anticipating when I could bust into the house, change out of sweaty blue-grey school uniform, and dig into the baingan bharta.
This writing about food business is very dangerous - now I am hungry. And a grey, rainy morning somewhere in North America is just the perfect time to attempt to recreate the magic of Maa's perfect baingan bharta. Watch out, kitchenette, here I come!
Ooooh Itishree, thank you for the wonderful and evocative description of Baigan Bharta. And of course, it is a coincidence that we have so many similarities in our childhood experiences...especially since we spent it TOGETHER, in one house!!!!! :)
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