Alive and cooking!

Yes folks. Its official. I have started cooking. It no longers remains an exotic activity performed by doting mothers for their ravenous children. At least for me.

It all started with the great economic meltdown which started pinching my pocket enough to make me stop eating from hotels. Like minded roomies who had a similar dispensation towards the Undefiled Rupee in the Purse made my decision easier. At least the cost of stove, matchsticks and vessels could be shared.

Cooking has always fascinated me. I was always amazed at the unscientific sprinkling of condiments which quite miraculously resulted in the perfect plate.

I am no stranger to it though. There was a time when I used to make tea for everyone at home. The entire process required me to have the following set of equipments for superior performance

1.) 1 cup to measure amount of milk to be poured

2.) A different cup for measuring water

3.) A teaspoon of ‘Dinko’ brand, for measuring tea leaves to be sprinkled (2 teaspoons with the mound not more than 1.5 cms high)

4.) A tablespoon of ‘Rinko’ brand, for measuring sugar to be used (2 tablespoons with the mound not more than 1.6 cms high)

5.) Scale, compass, protactor, log tables, electron microscope, supercomputer DEEP BLUE etc

Since these set of specifications were to be used for 4 people, any increase or decrease in the number of people required some deft mathematics. Example, for 5 people Rinko mound would be five – fourths of 1.6 cms and milk poured would be 1.25 times of milk cup. My mother (and indeed all mothers) manages all this through a terribly unmethodical sprinkling of tea leaves and sugar. The better tasting tea is no compensation for the criminal lack of rigour. The tea making experiment was annulled mid way by my mom when the kitchen started resembling a physics lab.

After that tryst this is the first time that I have dabbled with cooking. V has had some experience with it before. So he was the process consultant. I happened to be a little lower in the value chain trying my hand at cleaning, cutting, peeling, shredding and sometimes annihilating vegetables. I am also pretty good at lifting the plate of cut vegetables and dropping the stuff into burning oil. After that V takes over sprinkling masala, water and salt to taste. Resulting in something edible.

One of the days when V was absent, I tried my hand at it and it resulted in tears of joy (Ok, I am lying. I had prepared a plate of lava). From then on my enthusiasm for cooking has been tempered by the love for my tongue. Admittedly I am not half as good at cooking as I am at eating.