I stayed in the U.S. for 2 years with my husband. We were both students pursuing our Masters and Phd’s and also working part-time in the university. As you can imagine, both of us were busy with our classes, exams and work. Not to mention the cleaning, washing, laundry and grocery buying which took all of our leisure time. Hmm, now did you think I forgot to mention the most important task of the day – COOKING?!

Well, if you are not living in India, cooking can hardly be counted as a small chore. It becomes as routine and normal an activity as brushing your teeth every morning, though by no means as quick! It is a challenging task as you don’t have many of the facilities available in India that can make cooking easy and fun. Let me share with you some of the important cooking lessons and experiences during my stay in the U.S.

I can’t say I didn’t know how to cook when I went to the U.S. I mean I knew the basic stuff - how to make an omlette, cook dal and rice, some vegetables etc. But I didn’t know a lot of stuff too. Emailing or calling my mum was not always the best option due to the time difference. I couldn’t wake my mum just to ask her how to make upma. I then discovered and extensively used a free resource – cooking web sites.

The cookery sites I feel are better than a book since they don’t take any storage place and have more recipes than one book can hold. There’s no cost, you can compare recipes, find the one suitable to you, and hey just print it out if you need it in front of you while cooking. I have found them so useful, I wished my mum had a website then so that I could simply look up her recipes. I believe cooking is an inborn talent. My mother has experimented on her own with recipes. She herself is her own cookbook and I am sure you too will enjoy all her recipes.

Since you don’t have a maid to clean the coriander, peel the skin off the garlic, and many such time-consuming tasks, cooking becomes an elaborate process which you have to start from scratch. The only way not to crib over this is to discipline yourself. Yes, discipline and planning can make cooking much easier for a student in the U.S.

I soon found that doing simple things like peeling the skin off the garlic cloves on a weekend or keeping ready chopped vegetables helps quick cooking later. They can be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge to be used in the week ahead.
Frozen veggies might save you this preparation time but they are not the best way to make sure your family eats healthy food. Eat a balanced diet of fish, green legumes, chicken, eggs, pulses and fruits. Don’t fall prey to the habit of eating burgers and fries always just so because you don’t have the time to cook.

If you don’t believe in the old saying ‘The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’, (though I feel that it is not entirely untrue too), remember all the hot homemade meals you’ve enjoyed as a kid and be ready to go that extra mile and whip up something for your family. This website will help you be the cook who will amaze and delight your family and even you. I’m sure your family will enjoy and relish my mum’s recipes. Happy Cooking and Bon Appetit!

Comments

Nostalgia Written by Seema on 2007-02-13 03:01:32 Well Written!

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