My Guru

This cooking blog is dedicated to the two people who have influenced my cooking style. One is my mom. Like every typical mom, she tried to drag me into the kitchen by the age of 15 and I like the rebellious teen I was, I refused. So many years, so many tears, so many fights and me threatening that I'll marry a cook, but I'll never learn to cook. And mom would say, Yeah lets see, if he cooks for a living, will he cook for you?

And then I went to college, 16 hours away by train, 1000km away from home..Manipal. Where in my last 6 months of internship, Jhansi taught me how to cook. Janu as I call her, can whip up a 5 course meal in half an hour..that I've never mastered. But I learnt, the Andhra way. Loads of spice and urad dal, channa dal, curry leaves in every tempering. I learnt quite a few chutneys, pachadis, and curries from her. From Jhansi I found my love of eating rice. I being a Gujju can sacrifice my roti, but not my rice. It has become my comfort food. Even today, my fav comfort food is tomato chutney, steamed rice and curd.

Today when I'm living on my own, with no in-laws to help and no maid in the house, I'm learning each day..each day I find inspiration from tons of bloggers out there. Each day I call up my mom and ask her how to make this or that and at the end of the day, I tell her..It turned out great. She smiles at that. I know she's proud of me for making it on my own.
This coming from someone who threatened to marry a cook.