Quarantine food

This lock-down has visibly brought out the dormant culinarian  in many.  The sudden proliferation home cooking posts, photos and, recipes on Facebook are a testament to a certain culinary fecundity that was perhaps hitherto lurking just under the surface.  Our home is no exception to this phenomenon.  In the last few months, our kitchen has churned out some excellent dishes.

Cooking to me is therapeutic.  It is a space where I can be creative.  And perhaps one of the reasons I revel in it is the instant gratification it provides through acknowledgment from others at the dinner table.  I have had the good fortune of honing my cooking skills around excellent cooks.  One such person is my mother, who in my view is not only unparalleled cook of traditional Tamil and Maharashtrian cuisine but also has a proclivity for undertaking alternate cooking methods and unfamiliar cuisines.  Another such person is my mother in law, who excels in traditional South Karnataka/Mangalorean/Havyaka fare and has an uncanny ability to incorporate any given food item available in and around the kitchen into traditional food in the most unexpected yet delectable manner.

One obvious drawback that ensues from all the cooking and being around good cooks during this lock-down is the expeditious augmentation of poundage to the figure.  But as they say, never trust a skinny chef!