Rasaswad

I don't like food competitions. I do watch them (and sometimes get addicted too), but I just don't think it's right. Isn't food supposed to be something that nourishes the body and the soul? Isn't every person's palet as unique as the individual? I agree that cooking is an art form too, but that's all the more reason why it should not be so competitive. I guess it started off as a friendly activity in the oriental palaces to encourage creativity of the chefs, but in its modern avatar, it does get pretty ugly sometimes. I understand that these shows are popular, and even fun, but what does it really say about the society that fosters more and more use of food fights as entertainment? There was a time when people believed that one man's food is another man's poison. It let people embrace diversity. I like my food sweet, you like it salty...what's the big fight? And what's the rush of preparing five fancy dishes under sixty minutes. Really..what...

I haven't read it yet. I'm not in any ways involved in the movement, nor do I completely agree with everything yet, but it's great to find people who think about food and how it affects our entire life. Check out this fantastic and thought provoking video of a lecture by Carlo Petrini. http://www.princeton.edu/WebMedia/lectures/ http://realserver.princeton.edu:8080/ramgen/lectures/20070517petriniVN350K.rm How can people interested in food not be interested in this stuff?

My friend Anu gifted me "Comfort me with Apples" by Ruth Reichl (with a note saying, "to the best cook I've known after my mom"). I loved it. I recently stubled upon this video of her lecture at Princeton, titled "Watch what you eat". http://realserver.princeton.edu:8080/ramgen/lectures/20070306reichlVN350K.rm Although there was a lot of focus on meat eating, to me it was very intersting how she talked about food and what that says about the society that consumes it. The talk and the question answer session brought out a lot of issues that I have been thinking about too. In fact, there are so many interesting aspects that I'll need a couple of posts to write about them! But I must say, I'm really starting to admire her.

FOUR WOMEN: Woman one: The Lambaadi woman mentioned in the previous post. Profession: construction worker Why her? Cause she was my mom's role model Background and a typical day: Road construction work going on in some suburb of Mumbai. She belongs to the Lambadi tribe, which means she's a nomad and doesn't really belong to any place. She wears all her jewallary all the time. She lives in a temporary hut created near the construction site. Her day starts with hoping to be selected for work today. It's a good day. In the afternoon, she breast feeds her three month old who otherwise keeps staring from a temporary cloth hammock between two trees. In the evening evening, after a very hard day of physical work, she and her husband consolidate their day's earnings. They go to the local grocer and buy 20 ml oil (it was indeed a good day), 10 gms packs of (No, I'm not exaggerating) cumin seeds, musturd seeds, chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. They also buy some p...

This is supposed to be a food blog. There are supposed to be recipes here...really...and pictures of the moltan lava chocolate cake that I made yesterday. This is definitely not a philosophy blabber blog...that would be my other blog. But I really can't help this..... Basically, I'm your regular girl-next-door food enthusiast. I'm not big on health foods...or any of the other food fads that you might know of...I cook and eat everything that interests me...from around the world and that falls into the ovolactovegetarian category. I like sweets like a lot of people...and I miss my mom's cooking...I experiement...read recipe books like novels...search for recipes online...these days also read other food blogs...watch reruns of food shows...buy cooking tools....take lessons from professionals to learn new techniques...host big fancy parties for a homesick crowd of friends...cook special meals for my loved ones....always appreciate a compliment about my cooking. I'm just...

So I finally gave in to the temptation of creating a food blog. 'Rasaswad' is the name of a Gujarati cookbook I read many years ago. 'Rasa' is found in all different kinds of art forms, but I think that cooking involves the most primitive and the most refined forms of 'Rasa'. On one level, 'Rasaswad' means enjoying the essence of life through senses. In many philosophies, you need to go beyond the senses to attain ultimate knowledge of the universe. Till I reach that level, I'm happy immersing myself in the 'Rasa' of life. Although 'Rasaswad' is central to food and cooking, to me, food is also a great way to bring people together. To share joys and to bridge the differences between cultures. To connect with one's own insticts. I hope this blog helps the process...