Being one of the most avid food lovers in the entire mankind, such phrases meet a rough sneer from people like me who don’t miss any opportunity to devour food. I mean how silly could a question be? For someone like me, such questions take the top spot in a heap of redundant questions that have been ever asked.
As I returned home after having completed my MBA, I found myself in a new terrain. Mom wasn’t around (my sis’ love taking her away) – and dad was home alone. Enter me – and I found myself delve into nuances of Indian culinary. It was a new experience for me, I have had kitchen visits for an occasional dish or two – but this was different. Preparing full fledged meals over four days meant I was involved in a non-stop cooking extravaganza.
Grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. How different was my mindset when I hogged down all those tasty dishes, gave my expert views and comments on how a particular curry should have been prepared, and how I took for granted that cooking is a given for any lady in the household. I bow in front of all the mothers and cooks of the world, who have achieved so much in the simmering bowl the world calls “kitchen”. The job in there involves as much management as I read in my MBA, and yes – it remains one of the most thankless jobs in the world. When you wake up thinking what should be the breakfast, start cutting the vegetables immediately after you washed the dishes of the previous meal, keep wondering if the salt was a pinch too much or too less, and the only thing you ponder about is whether the dish has boiled enough – you realize “mercy killing” can be associated with all the cooks.
As I returned home after having completed my MBA, I found myself in a new terrain. Mom wasn’t around (my sis’ love taking her away) – and dad was home alone. Enter me – and I found myself delve into nuances of Indian culinary. It was a new experience for me, I have had kitchen visits for an occasional dish or two – but this was different. Preparing full fledged meals over four days meant I was involved in a non-stop cooking extravaganza.
Grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. How different was my mindset when I hogged down all those tasty dishes, gave my expert views and comments on how a particular curry should have been prepared, and how I took for granted that cooking is a given for any lady in the household. I bow in front of all the mothers and cooks of the world, who have achieved so much in the simmering bowl the world calls “kitchen”. The job in there involves as much management as I read in my MBA, and yes – it remains one of the most thankless jobs in the world. When you wake up thinking what should be the breakfast, start cutting the vegetables immediately after you washed the dishes of the previous meal, keep wondering if the salt was a pinch too much or too less, and the only thing you ponder about is whether the dish has boiled enough – you realize “mercy killing” can be associated with all the cooks.
We all crib about our routine jobs – how boring our schedule is, how mundane our tasks are, is there any challenge in the job, there is no value-add to my skill set, etc – spare a thought for all those who cook daily. And most, if not all, actually have to clean the house, wash the clothes, manage the kids, buy the grocery, and do a host of other activities. My friends and I used to visit this restaurant which offered limitless food with no liability to pay. As students we had exploited this charitable organization’s policy, and a lot of times we ate more than necessary – at times even leaving behind food. Leave alone moral obligation, it was also a poor reflection on our respect for the chefs who voluntary turn up to cook for this restaurant. I seem to change with every passing day – every new thing teaching me a lot. Every new thing makes me realize that how wrong I have been. Food – among many other things - has humbled me.
1 comment:
ka baat hai bitwa!!! tum to sudhar rahe ho... :D
Post a Comment