2016/17 — the year of cooking

This post originally appeared on medium.com/@kannarkk before I consolidated my writing here.

Sep 06,2017 7:35 pm completes an year since I came to the United States for grad school. What an year this has been. If I had to name the year in retrospect, it definitely is the year of cooking. I have never cooked as much as this one year in comparison to my entire 23 years before coming here. This calls for a photo-log.

Curry, Gulab Jamun and Poha

Beetroot Sambhar, Rasam (Half-cooked dal), Poha

Pulav, Rasam, Upma

And more.

Upma-avalakki, Beetroot Sambhar, Carrot Halwa

Vermicelli, Upma

Cooking was a good distraction. Despite staying at home for most of the week in grad school, the massive pile of work can be frustrating. Timeout from cooking + some tasty output is all I needed. I can definitely vouch for my food, because I liked it. Hey! I would rather cook bisi-bele-bath instead of ordering a small portion through Uber Eats for $15.

So what changed in one year?

• The daily Indian breakfast items like upma and poha became quick lunches and dinner. Bread and cereals became standard breakfast.
• A week without pulav/bisibelebath? Rare. Week without rice and sambhar? Unthinkable.
• Upside — learnt a bit of cooking. Downside — slightly tiring.
• Also, I simply cannot believe the number of times I have been vexed back in India when amma would prepare upma for breakfast. Taking the heavenly upma to lunch and dinner without a single frown makes things like those so much meaningful.
• That brings to my next point about amma — she still cooks three meals a day. How the hell do you do that!