Lasting suppers
The Hindu
Favourite dishes of noted cooks are often easy meals cooked with simple ingredients
There’s a Hindi aphorism that has always intrigued me. It says that a halwai (sweetmeat-maker) doesn’t eat his own sweets. Why ever not, I have often asked myself. Surely, the halwai knows what works best?
It was this thought that had prompted me, several years ago, to ask a few chefs what they liked to cook and eat at home. I was surprised by their answers. Most stressed that they liked nothing more than a simple spread of rice, dal and papad.
This came back to me when I was reading Anthony Bourdain’s A Cook’s Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal last week. He writes about something called the “last meal game” that he played with fellow chefs. If you were about to die, what would your last meal be, he’d ask.
We know birds, animals and insects constantly communicate with each other by making certain sounds. But when we think about plants, we do not ever think of them communicating. Charles Darwin, an eminent biologist, thought otherwise. Plants might appear the quiet, silent and solitary type of organisms but they have a complex way of communicating which is interesting and important for their survival.
Podcasts have become our best friends, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Whether you are cooking, sketching or going on an evening walk, there is a show that matches your mood. From horror tales to informative conversations to just two friends talking about anything & everything relatable, podcasts have become a part of our lives unknowingly. Over the years, more voices have joined this audio landscape and filled it with stories that resonate with our lives. Podcasts serve as a reminder that everyone has a story worth telling and listening to!