Hot Pot

My Mum used to make something she called (and we called, consequently) "Hot Pot". That recipe has been lost through the annals of time, but I remember that it used to contain layer of bacon and slices of potatoes and onions - and the whole thing was shoved into our OTG (Oven Toaster Grill) Oven and baked. It used to taste like the most delicious dish a kid has ever tasted. Seriously. The juicy bacon with the roasted potatoes and onions.... mmmmmm... was a pretty amazing dish. I want to thank my Mum for two things related to this - one is the dish itself. I have very fond, very delicious memories of it. Two, would be the style of "western" cooking. I picked up quickly on the fact that lightly roasting potatoes and onions give your dish a very nice-tasting Western flavour. I use that technique in many "creations" that I make inside the kitchen, most of which taste really nice. Thanks, Mum.

Of Pickles, Pork and a dash of TLC

I love pork. It's my favourite meat. After I went off to college, my mum's cooking reduced greatly - simply because there was little reason for her to keep cooking stuff when neither son was at home, and my dad used to travel all over the country (and the world). It was with great surprise when I suddenly discovered that my Mum was making "pork pickle" during a holiday stint at home (between 3rd and 4th semesters). There were two-and-a-half bottles of pickle that were sent with me to college when I returned. Wowee. Pork pickle, made by your mum, is one of the best things to have when you're in a college hostel which served terrible food 6 days in a week. Truth be told, I rarely used the pickle as pickle. I doubt my mum would have minded. I still remember the pork pickle, the making of, the carrying of it to Ketti (met a senior chaechi - girl - on the bus and asked her if she ate pork) and the consumption thereafter with friends (and discovering that most Keralites eat pork, sadly). That pinch of TLC was well-timed; it went a long way in making me feel close to home and family. Thanks, Mum.

The Cook in Me

I could safely say that my desire to cook and create things in the kitchen started with me making pizzas (buying the pizza base) when I was in 5th standard (about 9 or 10). From there, I went to make several things, many of which were experimental. The best part was - my Mum allowed me to do basically whatever I wanted in the kitchen. For those who know women and their "rule" in their own kitchens, you'd know this is a great thing. For those who know my mum and her rule in her own kitchen, this is quite an unlikely probability. She was always there when I needed to ask quick questions about the recipes I was preparing, and unbelievably left me alone when I said "Okay, okay - now I'll cook." Without this "allowing me to cook", I wouldn't be the man with the desire or ability to cook today. Thanks, Mum.