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Indian male can cook... with a little help from my friends

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by plantscantalk, Jan 3, 2013.

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  1. Jan 7, 2013 #21
    plantscantalk

    plantscantalk Gold IL'ite

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    Thank you. My gran was taught by her MIL. The method was to see-ask-learn. No cookbooks.

    I remember putting a pressure cooker and forgetting to put water in it. The rice got cooked, i had not forgotten water ! But the kitchen smelt of burnt something for a couple of hours.
     
    plantscantalk, Jan 7, 2013
    plantscantalk, Jan 7, 2013
    #21
  2. Jan 7, 2013 #22
    plantscantalk

    plantscantalk Gold IL'ite

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    Hi5 :D. I totally 'majored' on her recipes. If Cooking 101 had been taught by Chitvish, her classes would have run perpetually full to the brim :).
     
    plantscantalk, Jan 7, 2013
    plantscantalk, Jan 7, 2013
    #22
    1 person likes this.
  3. Jan 7, 2013 #23
    raji12

    raji12 Senior IL'ite

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    you are lucky to have a chef husband and when is your delivery due date.
     
    raji12, Jan 7, 2013
    raji12, Jan 7, 2013
    #23
  4. Jan 7, 2013 #24
    archana.kc

    archana.kc Gold IL'ite

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    Oh well, what do I say? You talk/write so well too!

    That moment of tasting the perfect sambar for the first time - oh! whatte an achievement. I have goofed up terribly on the humble rasam that my amma decided her daughter was good only for making pasta. Hell, I proved her so wrong and made a feast for a group of 10 for tamil new year at Uni. I did get graduated in the end, but oh! the joy of having people rave about my rasam was priceless.

    I was one lucky dame, to have learnt directly from her. More than the recipe, the joy of cooking is what I learnt from her. I am so so happy to say, we are the best of friends today - age no bar! You must meet her when you visit Chennai. Hours will fly by and you will find a lovely friend!

    Thank you so much for this post. Could have never said it better!

    Cheers,
    Arch
     
    archana.kc, Jan 7, 2013
    archana.kc, Jan 7, 2013
    #24
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  5. Jan 7, 2013 #25
    plantscantalk

    plantscantalk Gold IL'ite

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    Thank you

    Good for you! Great to hear that. Small victories with big aftertaste :D. I think this is what is called shutting others' mouths. With food :D

    do you mean 'her' as in ChitVish? You learnt from her? You ARE lucky. Undoubtedly.

    I consider my mom's training me as learning the ropes. She taught me the basics. She led me to the water. And then i had to drink. That's when i found Chitvish. I'm extremely happy to say that my mom's fears have now been put to rest.

    Oh, i've already wangled a date :Dwith Chitramaami after she'd replied in this thread. Take a look at her reply.

    I'm happy to say that the next time i'm in Chennai, i'll have home cooked food with dollops of love on top.
     
    plantscantalk, Jan 7, 2013
    plantscantalk, Jan 7, 2013
    #25
  6. Jan 8, 2013 #26
    Uttaraa

    Uttaraa Platinum IL'ite

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    By Jove! You made even the herbs and spices of your frothy 'sambar' talk to express flavour of gratitude to Chitvish in your delicious post.

    In takes generosity to benefit someone and if you feel that Chitvish was the only one than you just entered the same ranks admiring her work and bestowing the credit she deserved. I've skimmed through the copious volumes of recipes she meticulously catalogued in her impressively navigable style. I can imagine what it would mean to her seeing your post - rewarding her pursuit to share her unsurmountable culinary knowledge to audience ranging from chef de cuisine to clueless souls like me.

    And I also admire your auducity to tell your mom that her recipe was flawed! Goodness! I would never have done that. If I were to, my mom would make sure that I am fed 'sambar' morning, afternoon and night till I admit that my taste buds were not receptive to Indian flavours eating pastas and pies but her recipe has always been great. Secondly, my mom does make the best 'sambar' in the world :)
     
    Uttaraa, Jan 8, 2013
    Uttaraa, Jan 8, 2013
    #26
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  7. Jan 8, 2013 #27
    plantscantalk

    plantscantalk Gold IL'ite

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    If herbs could talk?? :D

    Exactly! I admire her generosity. A LOT. And yes, i do know, by reading her threads and replies, there's a huge fanclub at IL.

    Add me to the clueless list. I like the 'idealist' in Chitvish. I would not venture out that far as to say that this post 'rewarded' her pursuit. Or she felt thus. I'd just go with: if this made her happy and smile a bit :), then the snippet has done its job.

    No, i'd meant that i'd not been able to get her version of sambar down pat. And that made me extremely frustrated and hungry. Especially, when i'd gotten her version of rasam working quickly.

    Undoubtedly :). So does mine :). So does everyone's. No arguing with that.

    Thanks for taking time out to pen a detailed reply, Uttaraa. Really appreciate it.
     
    plantscantalk, Jan 8, 2013
    plantscantalk, Jan 8, 2013
    #27
  8. Jan 8, 2013 #28
    Balajee

    Balajee IL Hall of Fame

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    Plantswcantalk(can they?). i take strong objection tio the title. Males can cook really well without any heklp from mommy dearest. I am a classic example of that. I cook north Indian and Italian food Z(not just boiling pasta) very well and some south Indian dishes too (My potato podimas is to die for and when my daughter and wife feel like having uppuma, they kick me inside the kitchen. I am the only one at home who gets the texture and taste of rawa uppuma right.. I also bake decent cakes and muffins., The very fact that five star hotel and restaurant kitchens are male-dominated is a tribute to men's culinary abilities.
     
    Balajee, Jan 8, 2013
    Balajee, Jan 8, 2013
    #28
  9. Jan 8, 2013 #29
    plantscantalk

    plantscantalk Gold IL'ite

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    Balajee
    Wrong title, indeed. Forgot the 'An' at the start of the title when i was penning down the snippet. And couldn't edit it later. Searched the IL Faqs but didn't help.

    Chefs being male do not mean that every male can cook. That is the point of this thread. Learning to cook has been empowering for me, since i'm no longer subject to the vagaries of the cook, menu choices, lack of hygiene at the hotel i'd have been forced to visit. Also, it wards off potential 'well wishers' whose sole aim is to make people miserable by correlating false causes, the common one for males being that they would never get tasty, healthy, home cooked food unless they got married which is ridiculous.
    Not to promote my thread, i'd written about it http://www.indusladies.com/forums/s...n/202879-lifes-gentle-yet-useful-lessons.html.

    This was a small tribute to Chitramaami and to wish her a very happy new year :D. It has already paid rich dividends.
     
    plantscantalk, Jan 8, 2013
    plantscantalk, Jan 8, 2013
    #29
  10. Jan 9, 2013 #30
    archana.kc

    archana.kc Gold IL'ite

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    Yes, I meant by her. I have helped her a bit with clicking pictures for the step by step recipes. So we spent many weekends cooking, tasting and generally hanging out!

    Do check the facebook page for the app Ask Chitvish. She posts regularly there, shares stories etc. Would love to have you over there - https://www.facebook.com/askchitvish

    Like the page for regular updates! I sincerely hope you are on FB! If not, good reason to create a profile :)
     
    archana.kc, Jan 9, 2013
    archana.kc, Jan 9, 2013
    #30
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