Cozy Afternoons With The Chefs!

One of the most loved rituals of my day is seeing cooking-shows on TV. I will tell you how it all started.

I came across an article that listed some of the things that are going out of trend since apparently, people have stopped doing these now. The list included things like watching TV, reading newspaper, listening to songs in tape recorders and so on.

As someone born in the 80s and who grew up in the wonderful era of the 90s, I am that person who has done all the above. The prospect of all the things that made my generation wonderful, simply disappearing from the society, made me sad and nostalgic. I wanted to re-experience a slice of that golden period of time. 

So I started watching TV simply to capture the nostalgia of my childhood and teenage.

While having my breakfast, I watch some documentaries or vlogs on temples. It brings back sweet memories of my childhood when the family as a whole used to watch TV and have breakfast together. Sundays were all the more special as breakfast was always Maggi and we used to eat it while watching the enigmatic fantasy Chandrakaanta.

I have also started watching cooking-shows in the afternoon. After picking up my kid from his school, there is usually a lull of half-n-hour before I prepare snacks for him. There is this channel named ‘Food Food’ which airs shows of many chefs showcasing their unique culinary skills.

When I switch on the channel at 3.15, it is usually Chef Amrita Raichand with her show Mummy ka Magic. 

The millennials have seen and admired Amrita in her tryst as a model and actress in the serials of the 90s which were a hit with the teenage population. It was a pleasant surprise to see that she still looks as wonderful as she always has been. The dishes she prepares, the interesting tidbits she shares with the viewers and her bubbly personality make the afternoon a wonderful affair. Also, I just love her pretty dresses!

The next show is usually a 'short', an episode that gets over in five minutes or less when some other chef enthralls the viewers with his/her quick recipe. 

And then comes the big gun Sanjeev Kapoor. I have such wonderful memories of seeing him on Khaana Khazana, preparing recipes which seemed complicated to me in my teenage but which now feel detailed, unique and so yummy.  As he shares his knowledge about recipes in general and shares a light, one-sided banter with the viewers, the afternoon passes away in a daze and before I know it, it is time to start preparing the snacks for the evening. Half an hour of absolute yummy bliss! 

Watching these shows has inspired me to put in more efforts in my recipes (specially, adding coriander leaves at the end, which is honestly taxing!). The shows have taught me that just preparing a dish is never enough - what matters is how gladly you prepare it and how happily you present the same. 

But most of all, I got reacquainted with a lost part of human relationships. The cookery shows today are mostly 'shorts' or quick versions where the chef cannot be seen and there is absolutely no communication, only instructions on how to cook the dish. At a time when communication is growing lesser and lesser amidst people in the digital age, the chefs in the shows talking cheerfully, making us smile and laugh with their pleasant banter and reminding us - 'Khaaiye aur Mast rahiye!' - this is so, so precious! The afternoon is slowly becoming a much relaxing part of the whole day. 

I am also waiting for a newspaper subscription to start. There are many apps where the news is readily available at a touch or scroll. But there is something immensely satisfying and relaxing about holding a newspaper in hand and reading it.

I want to hold on to the things that made life beautiful to me as a millennial. May be I am traveling back when most of the people are on an onward trajectory. But sometimes going back in time - specially to good times of life - only brings happiness and contentment!