Why this blog?

Some years ago, to be precise four, I had toyed with the idea of documenting my mother’s treasure house of recipes. On Thiruvathirai day in January 2017, I captured Amma preparing Kali and Kavathu stew on my phone video. But I am embarrassed to say that the project never moved forward after that auspicious beginning. I guess my perfectionism was a severe deterrent.

2020 came and brought the pandemic. One lesson the pandemic has taught me is to live in the now. So my perfectionism has gone out of the window. I have been reaching out to Amma often during the past 9 months, as we stay cocooned in the safety of our respective homes. And I learned that one sure way of keeping her engaged and happy is to ask her to share culinary tips.

This blog will share my experience of recreating Amma’s recipes in my kitchen. I will try to follow her instructions as faithfully as possible, but will also make my own practical improvisations.

I am a chemical engineer. Kitchen is a great laboratory to learn the principles of chemical engineering. Every operation in cooking has parallels in the chemical industry and my blog will keep making these references. I enjoy the process of cooking irrespective of the outcome. So this blog will focus more on the processes than the result. Don’t expect any pretty pictures. Cooking is the best way of practicing mindfulness. You have to be involved in the present with all your five senses.

Today as this blog finally takes off, it is coincidentally Thiruvathirai again. And I will begin with Kali and vegetable stew.