Food to me is a passion, cooking is a way to enhance that
passion and the patrons who like my cooking are my biggest critics.
When I am in the kitchen I am lost, in a different
world and totally at peace, it’s said that people find their sanctum in various
things, for some it’s their work, for others it’s relaxing on a deserted beach,
for some it’s reading and others it’s playing or listing to music, my Sanctum /
Solace comes from when I cook. I cook without a recipe, without a measuring cup
or set methods, my way of cooking is inventive and unique.
I would like to mention and thank a few people who
have inspired me to cook and are my biggest source of inspiration. There are
many people who I would like to mention here beginning with.
1)
Dr. Keyur Shah (not a doctor actually) but we go to him for
any ailments we have, he has a cure or a solutions to any problems we might
have. People have foster parents, we have a foster friend, and we go to him for
everything, small issues to large agonies, he has a solution to them, he is
kind, gentle and so soothing, he should be in the business of providing psychiatrist treatment, I do not know how but he comes up with
a solution every time. Inspite of a difficult life himself he always has time for
us. He is the inventive genius that has inspired me to take up cooking as a
hobby and a passion. He has time for his passion even after managing a
successful business of a testing laboratory. He is 1 of my biggest
inspirations.
2) Smita Mami – If I have to thank someone in my family who has
introduced me to various cuisines, taste pallets and innovative dishes it would
have to be her, she is so enthusiastic about cooking something new that at
times I have refused if she would be cooking Indian food I would not be having
dinner at her place. Time and again she has come up with lip smacking dishes that
have taken us on journeys across the globe and bought us back to reality when
we crave for another helping. Even a simple Red pasta with parmesan grated on top,
vegetable buns to complicated dishes like Parsi Dhan Shak, to the Surti
Undhiyu, her cooking is simply unchallenged and she takes the undisputed
champion crown in my family.
3) Robin Singh – A friend, guide and a buddy for life who is
ever faithful, appreciative and my test guinea pig. I have tried many many experimental
dishes on him and some have been successful to which he has had appreciation
and some have been disasters to which he has played a positive critic. He
himself is a wonderful cook and his passions revolve around simple food, boiled
vegetables with hint of pepper and butter & Clear Vegetable Soup are some
of his favorite thing to eat. His Crispy Chilly Potatos are to die for but he
does not divulge the recipe to anyone. His Mexican salsa has won him many many
praises and shows the passions he has for food and cooking. When he 1st
came to Ahmedabad he was a mere 68 kgs but the Ahmedabad water and the
atmosphere and the cheese filled and sprinkled dishes have won him over and he
is now a healthy 98 kgs. I am the main culprit in his weight gain which was
because of all the midnight runs to McDonalds, Law Garden and Manek Chowk. He
is my biggest support.
4) My Mom – Thank you mom for the endless number of times you
have cleaned the kitchen counter after we have left it in a mess. She is a true
and an honest critic of my cooking. At times she is irritated that we have
stolen her position in the kitchen that I am there too often in the evenings
once I come back from work trying my hand at inventing something new. My mom
being from Surat has some hardcore gujju food culture in her; she is an amazing
cook and makes some killer dishes. People crave for my mom’s dosas and South
Indian dishes. She can make a simple potato taste so good that I cannot begin
to praise her Potato subji, every1 has a potato subji in their family and we
have ours and it’s amazing. Thanks a lot and love u mom.
5) Vishal (Vishi / Rakshas) – My best of friend and the reason for me to
start cooking in the 1st place, my idea of being in the kitchen was
completely changed by Vishal and his methods of cooking, he is a South Indian
and cooks amazing south Indian cuisine and its always lip smacking. He is an
awesome person and an excellent home cook. Living a life in Mumbai and taking
home cooked food to work every day is a difficult prospect, but he manages to
do that somehow. A big time foodie and ever ready to binge on food. When he is
here on a holiday then also we push him into the kitchen to cook us Country
Cake with ginger chutney, its evil but he does not mind it atall.
6) Krishna Kothari (LG-Mallika e Kitchen) the true kitchen
queen, she owns the kitchen when she is in it. I have had the opportunity to
cook with her in the kitchen and I can say only the people who have cooked with
her know the true passion she has and holds. For a budding cook the support of
their family is so important and she is very lucky that her family is full of
support for her, her father, mother, brother and sister in law are her biggest
support and her cute and cuddly niece is inspiration. She is also a true
inventive cook and cooks by her heart inventing innovative dishes to suite each
and every pallet. Her appearance in a cooking show has inspired her even more.
Hats off to her to juggle her studies as well as her hectic cooking schedule.
She again is my biggest inspiration and an idol.
7) Dr. Puneet – A self taught cook and a big big foodie, a
doctor by profession but his passion for food run deep. Many times he has
proved that Indian dishes can be cooked with equal passion like global cuisine,
his Kadhi with tadka and chawal are amazing and a complete meal in itself. A
chat poori and tikki specialist and a thai curry maniac is how I know Puneet.
We met via Keyur and instantly connected on all levels but food being the main
connection, we get-together many times for pot lucks and we now have been
giving him deserts for his dishes to bring to the potluck. His panna-cotta
totally floored me and his muffins were over before we would take a breath.
Thanks Punnu for the inspiration and the suggestion that I start writing my
blog.
8) Sneha (Herper / Hunter Gal) – WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST by
profession and a big big foodie, pocket rocket and my bestie. She is totally
frank and honest about my cooking. Till date she has never rejected or passed
any negative criticism on any of my dishes, she is too nice.. We have heard
that Sneha can cook also but only tried her dish once..he he he..but what was
put on the plate was superb and authentic so I believe her completely. She is
also my unofficial Publicist as she has gathered many fans at her PG for my
cooking and I am a total star is what she tells me, thanks for putting me on
such a high pedestal. She is my dedicated cheerleader and the biggest
supporter.
9) Sonal Bhabhi and her Mom – Sonal Bhabhi just is filled with
positive inspiration all over, she is so happy to see us cook that she inspires
us to follow our passions even more. She herself is a fantastic cook, her fore
is traditional Indian and gujarati cuisine and from what we have tasted I have
been blown away time and again. Thanks a lot for all your support for our
passions of cooking. Her mom is an even bigger inspiration to me, she is old
enough to just lounge around the house and have her wishes on her command but
in turn she follows her passion of cooking, I have tasted her cooking before
and recently seen her video recording for a show on TV, her passion at her age
is my biggest inspiration. Thanks a lot for coming into my life and inspiring
me so much.
10) Raju Kaka - Well being my uncle, he has been cooking us yummy dishes from many many years, I was small and remember he had made something with maggi and it was yummy, he is the egg chef in our family and many times over he has made eggs preparations for our entire family, he cooks with passion and same as me without a recipe and what ever he makes is really excellent, he does not get time to cook as we keep him mighty busy at the office, but at our farm househe has given us Wood Fired Oven and a BBQ pit to explore our culinary experiments and where we will cook and cook with passion...thanks a lot Raju Kaka for everything.
11) Bhargav (Bapu), Dharun (DJ),
Sagar (Saggy) & Priyanka (Pinu2/Pinky2), Kedar (KD), Krishna J (KJ), A (KA), Vishwa (Vishu) & Manikant Giri (Giri Saab) – these people are my true critic and my biggest
supporters. They are brave time and again and volunteer to eat my experimental
food. Thanks a lot to everyone who has inspired me and inspire me still to
continue to cook and follow my passion.
I have a dream to open up a small restaurant, where
people just want to come, sit and eat soul food. Bhargav and I are exploring
ideas and places to open up just such a place which will cater to people who like
home cooking and want a nice ambiance to eat in. I end here by thanking
everyone and also the people who I have forgotten to mention in this tribute,
they are always in my heart. Thanks everyone again you have touched my life
very deeply and will continue to do so in the future also.
