Food!! The New Hobby!

Food!!! I shall have you known that food is my latest obsession, the cooking part, not necessarily the eating side of it. Ma finds it stunningly strange; for I have always been the one that hated so much anything to do with cooking. But here I am, doing things I never thought was "me", experimenting in the kitchen, looking out for recipes in the weekend sections of newspapers, even watching Masterchef US on TV last week I was home.

Also, the thing I love about food is how it binds people so much. Ma always insisted that we all sit down together for dinner. I could never really get the practice of not talking at the table. We would always tell jokes, debate politics, argue; some dinners when we had company would stretch hours. With friends, with family, save for the regular meals, there has always been a story behind the times we spent together, eating, talking and making memories.

Given that my camera now is better than the one I used to have, food photography is also happening these days. I don't claim to be good at it. To go with my new hobby, here are some pictures and some stories. Bon appetit.

That with which it all begins, a gorgeous array of spices. I so love Indian cooking for the colours and spices and the aromas. Nothing excites me as much in grocery shopping as does standing before the spices rack and conjuring up images of swishing them in together. (I cant believe I just said that!!) Anjuna beach flea market, Goa

There we were, almost a year ago, a bunch of young people, on a trip that was...a lot of things, a lot of incidents and memories. This place saw us all being incredibly depressed, where we had quarter-life crisis, where we threw an advance surprise birthday dinner. The food came in very late and wasn't too good. But then, that place, that trip was one incredibly story. Pub 25, Gangtok, Sikkim

I have spent countless hours over several years at Cafe Coffee Days, with company, by myself and it remains part of some incredibly moments. The coffees there are some of the worst you can possibly hope to have. Yet, they hit the nail on the head when they say that a lot happens over coffee. A great deal did happen. Cafe Coffee Day, Mangalore

Another interesting trip to the ruins, to the coast later, more anecdotes. A meal at a supposed roof top shack, a light drizzle, an ambiance that tried too hard to be New Age, a dog at my feet, Indian Ocean's Khandisa and more, for lack of a better word, conversations. The food was not great again. And the printed reddish something in the background are my hippie-pants. Some restaurant, Hampi

There is nothing to say that Laxmi Nivas Hotel is any different from the hundred others that dot villages on highways. But the regulars on the route know that no matter what time of the day it is, no matter how disgustingly humid the coastal summer can be, you always stop here for a glass of Rim-jhim Kaapi. Some very oily snacks accompanied that day when there were four cups coffee on a greasy table. Hotel Laxmi Nivas, Kalladka, Dakshin Kannada district

Tito's was more for the whole 'been there, done that' list. Though under the hot February sun, it was nice to have the whole of the place to ourselves. Yet another trip, with one of the best girl friends, with pictures and sand and sea and long chats about work, music, men, life. I had, left with little choice, veg Xacuti, good one at that. Tito's, Baga beach, Goa

Peter and Rosie, the couple we couch-surfed with in Calangute, were the sweetest hosts. Along with great dinner that we made for them, there were these yummy sweets. What a lovely time there it was! House in Calangute, Goa

Soggy French fries, ugh! Fruit bowl, so-so. But that day was more about sitting on the lounge chairs and people watching away to sunny glory. Morjim beach, Goa

More, of course vegetarian Xacuti or some such for dinner by the candle light, by the side of a quiet road with a dog below my feet. That trip, strangely, had a lot of animals of the four legged kind hovering around us. Mirabai's Restaurant, Calangute, Goa

Why haven't I yet got Bengali recipes yet, I wonder! Excellent, excellent food at the durga puja last year. Absolutely had loved the poshto, had loved the company. We ate till we nearly burst, then stuffed in fantastic rosogollas and people-watched and bitched about them endlessly. I think the band Arko was playing in the background. Palace Grounds, BangaloreOnce in a while, I go through these salad phases where elaborate planning goes into throwing in raw vegetables together and pretending to dress it with something equally easy. This one was a cold potato, broccoli and lettuce salad with a yoghurt dressing to which I added basil, parsley and thyme. I admit, wasn't too exciting and I had to remind myself they were healthy. Home, Bangalore

I love how luscious the melon looks. More salad it was with a bowl of fruit. This was one where there was stir fried beans with pepper corns and lots of herbs with juicy Granny Smith Apples in olive oil. A little tangy, a little juicy, I admit that it was rather delicious. Home, Bangalore

Well then, here is to Food!!