DO WE EAT TO LIVE OR LIVE TO EAT?????

 

DO WE EAT TO LIVE OR LIVE TO EAT???

My father- Col Chetan Anand loved food, loved talking about food, its variety , its types, the preparations, the Non veg in particular. The surprising and amusing thing was that while my mother did not eat Non veg, she did not mind cooking for him. So, on a nice and bright Sunday morning , sometimes,  we kids would  see our father ,  go to the market, buy some   onions , garlic, ginger ,tomatoes and coriander ,  along with the non veg from the butchers shop; would lay them on the dining table on arrival at home, with aplomb, and pompously display the wares, of course;  with a twinkle in his eyes that bespoke more than his words, and he anxiously waited for her to cook his mutton Rogan josh / Pasanda for him  which he would thoroughly enjoy,  after,  may be a glass of  chilled beer.   My brothers, too, would accompany him , gorgeing on the tasty and slurpy food.

Right through out his living life,  way down towards his  end, he always had a penchant for good food, prepared tasty, with the right condiments and would always urge my mom to try out new n newer dishes, and serve them to friends and our Dinners as I’ve already mentioned, were already a Hit in which ever town we lived  in. 

Especially,  noteworthy is that he would personally  supervise when she  made new self crafted dishes like..Keema stuffed karelas,   Qabargah, Pasanda, Rohanjosh, Dahi wala mutton, saag wala mutton,Big potatoes stuffed with dry fruits and paneer bhurji.

Keema kofta curry, Satranga saag, Doli ki roti, Gatte ki kadi, Swaaiina ki falli, a typical Multani breakfast-Moong chawal, Gobhi stuffed kachoris /keema stuffed kachoris , Full gobhi roast, Baked potato veggie spiced cake, and so many more.

Once when he picked up some palpitation of the heart (ofcourse was nearing 70,) and was asked to go slow on Red meat, and fried stuff, he was so very upset;

“Jeene ka kya faiida, agar, khana bhi pasand ka nahi kha saktey hain”-he would often lament!!

When we saw, signs of  his stepping into a semi -depression , we   tried to convince him-that if he chose wisely he could eat it all. Then, because he was a Zinda dil wala banda, who rejoiced more on discussing about food, serving good food  to our guests, more than eating himself, he resolved and got back to his usual joy de verve attitude!

In a nut shell; he said HE LIVED TO EAT!!!! He lived to enjoy life.

LIVE TO EAT//// EAT TO LIVE

Lets interpret:

Some one who lives to eat is someone who loves food -in all its variations, enjoys the amazing tastes and colors.

Eating  and enjoying food are both very important and are a major part of our life.

The  other category are those who Eat to Live , view food as fuel.  For them , food is a necessity.  Many from this category do not worry about   cuisines, -They are satisfied with what ever is served to them.

 Heart warming, mouth watering, aromas and   colors do nothing special to attract them to the food.

Those who ‘Live to eat” view food -that is something more in their life, than just fuel.

It can mean comfort, a mode of entertaining  people; be it family, or  friends. It is also a source of happiness, it can be a  life style or  cooking, serving delicious food  can also be a means of stress release.

Those who “ live to eat ” may find making healthy, positive eating changes very challenging. 

You need to think about food like putting gas in your car,  you do it to fuel your car and make it run properly. Its the same with the food that we eat. But  as seen in most cases ,when, food takes on a   greater meaning than its nutrients, we start running into trouble.

Lets understand a little further:

 

Health & fitnessguru..JACK LALANNE  an American professional fitness coach,  also called “Godfather of Fitness”  has been credited with coining the phrase. “eat to live, don’t live to eat,” meaning that we should eat with function and purpose in mind, not with enthusiasm and anticipation of flavors and textures that we enjoy.

Live to eat or eat to live …We have to find the right balance….

Live to eat is a concept of foodies, who love to cram up food, they just love gorgeing on food, various varieties, different flavors, the diff cuisine’s. The vantage eating joints where you get the best, the most famous, the most popularly haunted joints they know on their tips!!

There is an increasing trend of eating out, and more popular has become the concept of “Ordering In”.  The reason why the Cloud kitchens or the back end kitchens concept is rising, is because of long working hours, no time to cook, increasing desires to try out various  cuisines,  plus the ease with which it is now accessible; Its just a Fone call away, Of course it must be borne in mind that the ordered  foods are not cheap, they do come for a price. It’s the middle -middle class that goes in for standard stuff, the lower middle for what is available as per your budget, and mind you, a plate of Idli sambhar can be as less as 70 Rs, and as high as Rs 1,500/per plate, depending where we are having it from.  Was reading just now,- in a place called Bhiwandi you can get 5 small idlees with chutney and sambhar for Rs 10/ itself.

An average place its around Rs 40/50/

Sagar Ratna-Rs 160/ / Sarvaanna bhavan its around 166.67/-

Swiggy idlee is Rs120/-

So, as we can see, rate varies from place to place. Cost of food varies according to quantity of the activity, It is called Variable Cost. Social class differences in food consumption refers to how the quantity and quality of the food varies according to the persons  social position n station in the social hierarchy.

The social class can be examined according to defining factors like education, income, or occupational statuses

Upper class groups consume food that signify exclusivity and access to rare goods, while lower class groups, on the other hand, consume foods that are readily available.

Similarly we have a classification of diets as well:

Upper class diets-  Luxury foods typical for high end restaurants   ( eg:steaks/ asparagus)

Middle class diets- Foods rich in carbs, the proteins  are generally less because of the financial quotient, what to talk of micronutrients about which they generally have little or nil information

Lower class diets-hardly any access to meats, this diet mostly consists of grains ( barley and rye) veggies and that too that are easily affordable .

 

 

How does culture affect food choices?

Starting from childhood we develop cultural values around what we eat, how to eat, utensils we cook in, whom we eat with and how we eat. With time these develop into habits which later over a period of time get stronger as the individual develops.  The historical, geographical and familial factors affect the assessment and intervention processes.  Culture influences how people prepare, store, cook, consume and get rid of their food. A very common example is that vegetables are collected dried and preserved in places like snow bound Himalayas where most of the times fresh veggies are not available.

What are food trends?

Let me explain the meaning as I have understood it:

Food trends refers to changes and shifts in consumer preferences, behaviors, and consumption patterns related to food and beverages. These trends can encompass a wide range of factors, including ingredients, flavors, cooking techniques, dining habits and nutritional considerations. Food trends are influenced by  a no. of factors including health fads and pop culture.

In fine dining, chefs often create food trends, and then other restaurateurs will mimic and incorporate  them into their own menus. At times some preferences just get VIRAL/ become popular amongst people over a certain time period.

For eg:

The gaining trend  is today going towards..PLANT BASED FOODS.

It’s a good  time to try out meat alternatives made from fruits n veggies(mushrooms, pea protein and soy protein) and then flavor them with sweet n savory spices. The biggest plant based food gaining momentum in terms of popularity is the humble CHICK PEA. 

One can keep writing on this subject.  Its a topic of great debate;    While it’s a proven fact, and ample data is available that the eat to live theory is what should be followed by each and every one, so as to strive for optimal health, besides other parameters of good health, none the less, we know  _Complete adherence to this dictum is well nigh impossible.

The eyes see the lovely pictures, the olfactory senses stimulate the mind and the salivary glands come immediately into action. The Muh me pani aana --the oft spoken quote by people who love food, easily applies here.

The mind starts rummaging and exploring outlets to order from or to short list a place and drive up to.

How to mix and match the Live to eat and eat to live concept? ….  Literally  a tug of war exists that is pulling man apart from DESIRE to NECESSITY, from WANT to  REQUIREMENT, from the PALATE to the MIND, from the POCKET to the AFFORDABILITY.  Many more collaterals can be drawn up, but, in a nut shell, we land up at times 'giving in' to the taste and desire, rather than what and whether its really healthy and nutritious!!!

Lets become serious now, In today's zamana, we need to manage our FITNESS GOALS  and today-  of all days in this time space and ERA, every one seems to be talking about HEALTH.

You can achieve your fitness goals by eating regular food. What you need to know  is

a) When to eat?

b) What are the nutrients in your food?

c) How much to eat?

Q .   Now , why am I writing all this?

A.    Basically I am a woman who was thrown into the cook house   arena by circumstances that were beyond the control, and later I did most of the evening cooking for the  family. That got me to lose fears of the kitchen and cooking that most growing girls have. Then after marriage,  when I realized that many ladies were very good cooks, I got into a complex and took upon myself to overcome this challenge and learn the newer and trendier dishes that we used to eat in other homes when ever we were invited upon.

Slowly n steadily I picked up interest in trying out new dishes and soon became a force to reckon with in the field of cooking. Would ask unabashedly any one who served a dish that I liked , how she had made it, and also would ask the Cheff  at the big  5 star hotels when ever we got an opportunity to go to.

To day, As you all know__I’m a doctor, with keen interest in the cooking world, and  I want to share some experiences of mine:

My experiences will cover in its ambit,  short stories of what and how I came upon a particular dish, how I learnt its details, how I tried it and made people eat and criticize, and how many a times I must have made a dosa, burnt it hundreds of times and finally learnt the tricks and emerged successful.

I will also share some recipes that I learnt from other people, how I changed some ingredients and how I added newer flavors to make them into my own inventions. So friends, please do read them out, try and make my recipes.

I promise you, they would be simple, in easy short and crisp sentences, and though I do not know how I can add a video along with the script, never the less, I shall definitely try, try, try , try again and again and again till I succeed.

 

Dil tham ke baiitho,  doston, ab meri katha hai lagan ki, mere pyar ki, mere interest ki cooking ki ore.

Bahut din khana banaya, bahut saalon se banaya, bas simple , hota tha, ordinary dal and sabzi hoti thi, par har baar man mein ek umang hoti  thi..

Accha banaaoon, badiya banaoon, mere husband meri bhi tareef karein…

So friends heres presenting before you a new kind of blog,

BON APPE’TIT

(Bhojan ka lutaff uthayein)!!!!!

.

 

 

A DEVOTED DEDICATED COOK, THAT’S ME—TODAY:

In one of my previous episodes I mentioned that I was a very serious sort of student , always cramming up my subjects, ( in fact  my brother’s would say I was a rattu tota- may be they were right!)

But then my mother who was a really good cook, who also loved cooking, started falling sick, she was very incommunicado especially in the evenings, and slowly I took over the evening cooking, however it used to then be simple dal, sabzi  & roti.  This was out of necessity that I got into cooking the evening meals ¾ times a week, but quality cooking came into my life in class 9 , when we were in Jabalpur. My father was in a high end placement portfolio. He used to entertain a lot, and when ever there was a formal dinner, special care and concern went into the preparatory phases that involved menu planning, selection of special dishes, procurement of required vegetables, and other paraphernalia. That’s why, being the only girl in the house, plus already  inducted into the kitchen and cooking as previously mentioned was made to take part in planning the menu and other nitty gritty like laying out of additional furniture in the drawing room, placement of fresh flowers at vantage points, and designated place for  water n soft drinks  to be earmarked, as also separate allocated area for used plates.

We never had a dedicated cook, but Mom had a good kitchen help, who came in and spent quite a few hours assisting her.

And that’s how my cooking shooking began whilst I was in middle school.

That’s when I was inducted into the intricacies of dinner gourmets. My father used to say, Serve excellent eye appealing snacks, the soup to be served before the dinner should be piping hot, colorful and aromatic, and the snacks should  be eye catching, hot and inviting!.

The salad in the center of the table should be the most attractive part of the table, it should actually light up the dining table.

 Here my father inducted me into  the Quadruple “ S”

Snacks, salads,  soups & Sweet dishes!!!.

He used to say:

These four are the main stay of any dinner party . They should  be spectacular in sight, aroma, taste, and aftertaste.

Baki khana tum dal sabzi chawal roti bana do … sab chalegaaa!!

So slowly n steadily I picked up some snacks, some soups, some salads, and some sweet dishes, (obviously from my mom) for his very many parties.

Food was never a very big industry then .  I’m talking of 1068/69/70.

There used to be hardly any good restaurants , & eating out culture did not exist.

The culture then, was food cooked at home, displayed well, served hot, and my mother was an ace party manager  (of course   when she was well).

 

So when, after marriage, I had to cook my ever first meal at my in laws place:

I remember I’d made Full Gobhi Roast, sookhi arbi, Matar paneer, and fruit custard.

The Gobi Roast was a sure hit!!

Back there in Kapurthala , there was no concept of Display,, so a big Gobhi, in the centre of the Rice plate, covered with masala , layered with Pudhina chutney and then layered with some sauce n cream, decorated with small round potatoes(also roasted,) with  small round onions again sauted, decorated all around the gobhi were sure a pleasurable sight, to the  aunts and uncles to visited  us for that special dinner.

While my mom had the Army life exposure, and did pitter potter into baking cakes, and some baked continental- food, with soups , salads , snacks, my mother in law though from similar background stayed away for cantonments, so she could help all her five siblings to study in an uninterrupted manner;  She too was an excellent cook, made the Punjabi dishes so very tasty, and mouth watering. The cue I got from her was and I  maintain  till date:::

“Jis khane ko pakatey samay, proper ingredients daltey hain, agar unke saath pyar jaisa bahumulya ingredient nahi dala, to jo bhi banaow, tasty nahi banegaa.  Isliye  khane ko bade pyaar se, shanti se, sayyaymn se, dheere dheere banaow, fir dekho Kamaaaaal!!!!!

I now at my  68 years of age and stage of life ,am proud to say the my earlier teachers into cooking were

1) My Mom, who guided me into most basic cooking  and then into some delicacies when they hosted parties,

2) My Beeji (Mil) who taught me simple , basics of good & tasty Punjabi food, where Pyaar bina koi mazza nahi,

3) My Bhabhi and Mentor, Mrs Nimmi Varma who initiated me into formal Chinese and Moghlai dishes, 

4)There was this cook called CHICKON ROY our Battalion cook, With  utmost regards to him  he was  an ace  cook in our OFFICER MESS. He, who was never ready to teach any dishes to others and never revealed his secrets,  I befriended him, would invite him for  a cuppa chai, and would make him feel comfortable; YES, he taught me bit by bit, how to make Egg Mayonnaise in a thali, how to make Pork chops in orange sauce, how to make mixed grill, how to make a whole chicken Roast, stuffed with masalas, dry fruits and two boiled eggs , Pin wheel sandwiches, club sandwiches , Swiss rolls and a few more.

5) Then,   my next guru was --Rahman bhaiya. Our ( Jakli cook.) Who  again,  never taught any one anything;   Iam proud to say that he too taught me lots of things esp Kashmere cuisines like: Gustava , Rishtey,Yakhni and Mutton n Chicken biryani, & Naan to name a few.

I also owe my allegiance to

6) One Mrs Berry: she used to run some cookery classes in Bhopal. Once, Aunty Moorthy who was my mother’s neighbor , took me under her fold, and  we both did a 15 days short course with MRS BERRY. I shall be mentioning about most of her recipes,. I still make them and they still are my family’s favorites.

My husband. My father, my Father in law  were  great critiques.

They would prod me, guide me , encourage me, and also criticize if I faltered.

I was a medical student when I married, knew basic cooking, would help liberally in the kitchen , but did not know  so called stylish dishes.

After I joined the battalion along with my Husband I found that my husband loved eating variety of foods, and I was no where close to them. I used to be studying most of the time , but also inwardly wanted to learn this art into specialized cooking.

I used to envy the other Fauji wives as they went about talking of various dishes. Mrs Nimmi Varma was my immediate neighbor. She readily took me under her wing, and explained the art n nuances that go into the pre preparation , the selection of vegetables, the detailing of Chinese cooking, the special  way of cutting of vegetables and till date she remains my GURU in this field.

Over the years nay decades that have tread past, over the stations and cities we have hopped along, over the field / peace tenures that  I have faced along life, ‘Culinary  Expertise’  , the desire to master this art never left me.

When ever we would go to a restaurant, we would order a new dish, eat it slowly and deliberately, savoring and examining the  taste , speculate, and if I liked it, I would call for the chef, and ask him.

I know not if the Chef would tell us  these days!!! but then, back through the decades, they would proudly flaunt their expertise and tell me the ingredients n  recipes how they had crafted them.

I would then return home , and cook the very same dish , within the next 48 hours . that’s how I learnt quite a few dishes.

Again when I liked a dish at some ones place, I was never embarrassed to ask, learn and try it out.

Well

Well

well

Friends, all this monologue is just to tell you that I did not do PG in any of the very many subjects of medicine people normally do, but while my friends were busy burning the midnight oil pursuing their  post graduate studies, I found myself delving deeper n deeper into the field of cooking shooking.

 As most children love what their mothers cook, so did mine. But my kids wanted me to write a cook Book.

My son gifted me with a lap top some 15 years ago, to start writing it.

It kept lying in the attic.

Then my kids..Son, Dil and my daughter  tried again. They gifted me with this new LAP TOP a few years ago, after wrenching a promise that I would definitely do it  this time.

Well, I started , wrote quite a few recipes, exclusively mine, and ofcourse , those that I learnt from others I duly appreciate n honor them for them. Yet I stalled, coz what I wanted to do was to begin writing recipes for beginners.

Now of course the you tube is too full of recipes, I may not be able to do them to that level. So I’m still gonna go my estyle. My way. And now that I have got into a chaska of blogging, I’m gonna blog my recipes,, 1/2/or max 3 at one time.

They will be  short concise  simple scripted  with some photos and may be a short video to give ship shape .

I shall be also adding those few recipes that I have learnt from others that I have inculcated into my own food system, but will definitely give them their due honor n respect for what , where and how they helped me.

I need to confess, that when I started so many tears ago, the recipes had fried foods, foods rich in creams, and khoya, but now that I’m also wizened up and so are all of you, I’m also going to give them a low calory  flavor, how to replace the creams n mayo with ingredients that will not be rich and heavy on the GUT and unhealthy on the Health.

After I retired from my service I got into health and all that goes into healthy living. Found that  cooking, quality, quantity in portions that we consume, the various ways to avoid fats, the correct selection of dishes that make you eat the right amount of proteins yet retain the calories n carbs to a minimum. So, I would naturally be touching on all this as we go along. I had promised you very early in one of my earlier blogs that I would be talking a lot on health, on food , and other related aspects that go towards keeping ourselves fit. So friends  as I am going to make an effort, please do try my recipes, I promise, they will be short, simple, and sweet.

 

Thus going to bring before all of you a BLOG  on Cooking.

 

BON APPE’TIT:

ENJOY YOUR MEAL      ……………………………………(Bhojan ka lutaff uthayein)!!!!!