Kitchen queens

It is believed, the manner one speaks/ behaves/ acts, is all a reflection of one’s own inner persona. Interestingly, the way one cooks in the kitchen too, to some extent bespeaks one’s personality. In fact, variegated nature of human folks could be compartmentalised in different categories, based on the way they indulge in their cooking exploits! To begin with, you have those cooks, who are by nature immensely loving and caring.

You can see them bustling about in kitchen, giving importance to all minutiae. Like true-blue perfectionists, they are particular about the way carrots are kibbled, coriander leaves are chopped, coconut is grated, et al.

Then there are lazybones with slap-happy attitude, who lackadaisically go about doing culinary chores. Since toiling in kitchen is a big anathema to them, they downright detest lingering in the kitchen precincts for more than half an hour. Apparently, their work is shoddy, and it shows in over-cooked sabzis, under-roasted paratas, semi-fried papads, etc. Next, there are incredibly clumsy and jitter-minded cooks, who have in them the lethal combo of ‘diffidence and ham-fisted quality’. They are the veritable butter-fingers, who keep dropping things at the drop of a hat. They spend more time in cleaning their created mess, than cooking the food.

Next come the worry-warts, who are always on tenterhooks, worrying about the success/outcome of their culinary feat. Even after the food has been crammed down and digested by everyone at home, they keep worrying – ‘Hope the salt wasn’t less in gravy…more chillies in chutney…rice overdone in pulao…” And then you have the uber-confident cooks, with loads of highfalutin attitude.

They are pretty obdurate, and not amenable to any culinary suggestions. Nor do they get ruffled by any unsavoury comments on their cooking skills. Their mantra is – ‘This is how I’m/ I cook. Take it, or leave it.’ (Perhaps what can’t be chewed; should be eschewed).

You have those veteran cooks too, who are whit canny, who seldom divulge any secret culinary tips/recipes. Since, they loathe anyone outshining them in culinary domain.

You also have short-fused cooks, who are eternally in tetchy mood. While they are rolling rotis, if the rolling pin/board is rattling more than normal, you can be stark sure the precursor would be a severe squabble with their spouse. God save the splinterable crockery/cutlery around them!

Finally, you have the innovative cooks, who unleash their unmitigated creative energy, even as they embark on culinary expeditions. They concoct their own recipes, like discovering the divine taste of Coke/Fanta when blended with 1/2 spoon pani-puri masala, or, ethereal taste of ‘roundels of raw tomatoes’, with sprinkles of ‘salt and rasam masala’. As these folks rustle up delicacies, their fecund brains, concurrently churns out new story ideas. Well, how else do you think this story originated?!