1. Assuming you naturally critique each dish, how does this affect your enjoyment when eating at another restaurant?
I
always extol the quality of food served at restaurants / hotels; as I
find something special about it. Hence,I always eagerly look forward to
enjoy food at any restaurant. I’m not a carping critique. But quite a
few times,I had a distasteful experience. Either the food was scanty or
the quality was not up to the mark. But my finicky attitude never
impedes with my eating experience. Nevertheless, I lament secretly for
burning hole in my pocket !
2.Why do people suffer from taste aversion? How can one overcome it?
There
are many intriguing factors,that influence our taste preference. There
is a great linkage between our DNA and our choice of food. Hence the
genes we inherit from parents determines, our likes and dislikes. Some
people have aversion to certain food due its taste,texture,colour and
odor. Thus this psychological perception of the food too makes them
detest certain food.
Some people overcome this aversion, with the
passage of time. Environmental factor helps them get over this. For
instance,a person who loathes chapati,gradually adapts it when in, North
India. Because wheat keeps the body warm during biting winter season.
Another parameter is age. As people age,there is drastic transition in
their taste preference. Thus,we love the food that we despised as kid.
3.Despite the challenges, why is miniature cooking becoming so popular among millennials?
People
of all ages,are enamored of the cute little figurines in the miniature
cooking set. They marvel at the intricacies and finesse ; involved in
replicating such miniature art works. Some even find miniature cooking
videos therapeutic,as it transforms them to a different world. People
are really drawn to the surreal cooking procedure, as it is whimsical.
Many,find this as a stress buster activity as opposed to the grueling
kitchen work. Its like a child’s play. Hence people find the entire
cooking experience,regaling. Thus,despite the challenges
involved,miniature cooking,is gathering steam.
4.Mealworms have become the first insect
approved in Europe as a human food. Is it the "yuck factor", that the
Indian people usually don't eat edible insects?
Larval form
of meal worm, is used in preparing varied dishes,in many countries. Its
been approved for human consumption by the EFSA. Indeed,the yuck
factor,makes Indians recoil and refrain from consuming the same.
Because, they tend to correlate the meal worm with the pantry worms that
causes infestation. Though the worm is laden with protein and other
essential minerals and amino acid,it is really hard for the Indians get
acclimatized to worms in their diet.
5.What did a British professor mean when he called the popular South Indian breakfast item, idlis, "boring"?
I
read the British professor’s tweet on Idli that drew flak from Indians
,especially South Indians. Many took to twitter and vented out their
fury in retaliation. Probably he found idli to be bland. It was solely
subjective statement of his taste preference with no intention to
affront any particular Indian dish.
He is not opinionated. Because in
his subsequent tweet,he did buttress his fondness for other delicacies
like dosa and appam. Being a South Indian,I don’t like idli and prefer
dosa to idli. Hence I concur with his views. I have seen a few of my
friends/relatives who too resonate my views. Taste is totally subjective
and its not fair to thrust our views on others. But when a non native
makes a daring statement,we hyperbolize it.
6.What are some of the management lessons that we can learn from a housewife?
There
are a few important concepts in Resource Management implemented
successfully by the housewives in managing their household chores.
Listing
resources and estimating how much of this is needed- This feature finds
relevance : while a housewife makes list of groceries,vegetables,
fruits and milk required for consumption for a month. Apart from these
things there are other expenses :telephone bill,electricity bill,water
charges that has to be borne. By methodical planning she balances all
expenditures from the money allotted to her.
Making schedule and
meeting deadlines- This concept is adhered by both the housewife and
working woman alike. As an early riser ;she has to complete scores of
tasks demanding physical and mental agility.But she copes up and
completes these household chores on time.
I feel every housewife
emulates resource management, through their daily chores. Hence they
have to be really revered and adored for their efficacy instead of
dismissing their work as grunt.
7.Does baking calm the mind?
Thanks
for A2A. You can take up baking,if you are really passionate about it.
Unlike cooking,baking is complex with lot of intricacies. Measurement is
pivotal for the perfect outcome. Hence,you have to be attentive through
out the process. When you are wholly absorbed in an activity, it
ameliorates the effects of stress . There are scientifically proven
studies to show the beneficial impact of baking. You can certainly
engage in baking to wipe out your worries
8.Can we have any system, methods, or mechanism to free ladies from the kitchen? Most of their lives are involved in making food.
The
answers you seek are within you. Instead of searching for external
mechanisms,you can embrace division of labor strategy. Apportionment of
kitchen chores will considerably reduce the work load of
homemakers/ladies. Today,women balance dual roles: working women and
home maker.
Hence,men should take cognizance of their travails and
voluntarily partake in kitchen chores/cooking. This way,woman will get
quality time to pursue their interests.There are various options like:
ready to eat food,ready mix powders to make cooking easier but in the
long run,it is detrimental to health.
9.What is the level of seriousness regarding food safety among Indians?
There
is lack of awareness among people, regarding food safety. They don’t
pay heed to the quality and guzzle down anything to satiate their
hunger. You can notice serpentine queues in front of many tiny eateries,
operating from an unhygienic surroundings, selling polluted food.
People are really oblivious of serious health hazards caused by the
contaminated food.
Food adulteration is almost rampant in everything :
cereals,pulses,fruits,vegetables and even infant foods. Hence,it is
important to sensitize people to identify lethal adulterants. It would
be wise to focus on varied factors pertaining to food safety : avoiding
puffed tetra packs;scrutinizing expiry dates on packaged products
;checking for logos of food safety governing bodies. A small step in the
right direction, can turn out to be the biggest step in safeguarding
health.
10.Do Professional Chefs get critical and judgmental when their partner (not a Professional Chef) cooks for them?
Thanks
for A2A. I have watched interviews of quite a few chefs. From my
understanding, many chefs draw a line between their professional and
personal life. At home,chefs don’t prefer to interfere with their
partner’s cooking. Chefs possess professional culinary expertise ; and
they can never expect the same attribute from their non-professional
partner.
I believe chefs will hold back their fastidious behavior.
When they get too judgemental,they will fail to identify their partner’s
culinary prowess and the food infused with love.
11.Have you started cooking food more at home after Covid?
Thanks
for A2A. Cooking is one of my favourite chores and I thoroughly enjoy
cooking three meals a day. This pattern continues even after the Covid.
But during the catastrophe ; I started rediscovering healthy,comforting
and immune-boosting recipes from my grandma’s repertoire.
Pandemic
outbreak actually helped me to redefine recipes ; and I started
incorporating healthy elements in my cooking. Healthy soups and
concoctions became a part of my diet. I now view cooking, from a
different perspective and have been focusing more on mindful eating.
12.How would you feel if your neighbor started offering takeaway food from their home kitchen?
Thanks
for A2A. As a die-hard vegetarian,I haven’t tasted meat in my lifetime.
Even while ordering food from delivery platforms, I insist on food from
pure vegetarian hotels,restaurants and cloud kitchens. I have an
inkling that a few hotels use the same cookware to prepare both veg and
non-veg dishes.
If my neighbor starts food business from the
precincts of their home kitchen,they will certainly dole out both veg
and non-veg dishes. Hence,I will steer clear of the food offered by them
as I can’t peek into their kitchen to scrutinize their cooking habits.
13.For
someone in the US going to an Indian restaurant for the first time who
has never sampled the cuisine, what might be the perfect dinner to
order, from appetizer to main dish to dessert, as well as beverage?
Indian
cuisine encompasses cuisines of different regions. Hence,its impossible
to sum up the numerous delicacies succinctly. Moreover,your taste
perception influences your choice of food in any cuisine.For instance,
Gujarati cuisine, a part of North Indian cuisine-is completely
vegetarian. For a staunch vegetarian,there are delectable dishes to
feast on from this cuisine. In Rajasthani cuisine, there is predominance
of gram flour. If you are allergic or aversive to the flour,then you
have to think twice.
Thus,it would be wise to leaf through wide range
of books on Indian cuisine to get a comprehensive understanding. There
are surfeit of sources that offers quality information on Indian food
culture. You can browse these sources before trying Indian cuisine.
14. How do we arrange a 'potluck' party?
Pot
luck party is a great opportunity to share,savor home cooked delicacies
in the company of family and friends. While organizing a potluck
party,you have to take into consideration, the number of courses of meal
you plan to serve.
For instance, a five course dinner menu includes-
Appetizer,salad,soup, main course and dessert. After planning the
menu,you can allocate each dish to a member. This would be an effective
way of avoiding repetition. Besides the food,you can bring in
entertaining element like games,events and music to pep up the
atmosphere. I have seen many hosting this party on the terrace. The
concept of open air party is really amazing; as you enjoy the whiff of
fresh air caressing your face. You can explore numerous potluck parties
ideas and take cue from them.
15.Why does "Nestle Maggi
Instant Noodles" keep making the 2-minute claim even though everyone
knows it takes more than that to cook?
Thanks for A2A. Taglines
form the crux of any marketing campaign. Hence many companies /
industries resort to faux marketing strategies to lure consumers into
purchasing their products. In today’s fast -paced life style; people
hold on to ready -to- cook/ easy-to-cook food. Thus,these companies
easily construe people’s psyche and endorse ‘catchy’ tagline like: 2-
minute. This is nothing but a shrewd strategy to increase sales.
Gullible people give credence to these words without proper scrutiny.
16.What types of information would you love to see about a recipe/its ingredients while cooking it/deciding whether to cook it?
Thanks
for A2A. While looking through the recipe,I always check the list of
ingredients. I will never settle for the recipe,that calls for exotic
ingredients; as I dislike to scrounge up the same. I wouldn’t prefer
expensive ingredients either. Because,at times,when somethings goes
haywire,I have to cough up the expenditure. Hence,while choosing any
recipe, I ascertain these two factors.
17.Why does the vegetable hawker hikes his price when he sees my expensive car?
Thanks
for A2A. Really amusing to learn about the manipulative ways adopted by
the vegetable hawker. Vegetable hawkers toil for hours, to earn meager
income. Hence, your expensive car is clear indication of your social
status. Thus,he finds nothing wrong at all in charging exorbitant prices
for the veggies from you. Moreover,he finds it as an easy and quick
strategy to eke out a living.
18.Why does no one want to innovate in the marriage foods in India? Are they not monotonous?
Thanks
for A2A. Wedding menu holds great significance in the Indian
communities. Hence,each community adheres to a specific list of menu; as
they love to retain their cultural identity through food. These menus
are passed down through generations ;and people take pride in following
in the footsteps of their ancestors. Thus,people don’t like to deviate
from the norm by altering / innovating the wedding menu.
19.Do you prefer to cook using a cookbook or recipes found online? What is your reasoning for your preference?
Thanks
for A2A. When I ventured into cooking, I mostly relied on couple of
books,recipes jotted down from mother/ grandmother’s repertoire. Over
the years I have seen a huge transition in the culinary arena. There are
surfeit of sources to learn cooking. With so many handy gadgets,you can
easily learn cooking at any place and time. Now a days I forage recipes
from the internet.
The step by step illustration in many
websites makes things more comprehensible. When I bungle up,I can revert
to the websites and post queries and comments. Hence I find these
interactive features very helpful. The visual depictions through videos
too are of great help. If I have any doubts pertaining to the cooking
procedure, I can replay the videos till I get a clearer insight.
Considering all these factors,I lean towards the online sources to learn
cooking. At a click of a button, I can access so many recipes from
varied cuisines. Where as it is not feasible to shell out money for
buying cook books.
Thanks for A2A. It is not feasible to spill out the secret precisely. India has a diverse food culture,as it encompasses cuisines of all the 28 states. Various parameters : local produce. ingredients, recipe contribute to the distinct flavour of any cuisine. Hence,the secret lies in the confluence of cooking technique and perfect recipe. Above all, culinary expertise is one of the most requisite traits,to churn out a tasty meal.
