The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that’s the essence of inhumanity.
— George Bernard Shaw
I’m no chef. But I’m passionate about food — the tradition of it, cooking it, and sharing it. I cook whenever I’m excited, depressed, celebrating, and am a host. I love the way simple ingredients are transformed into exotic dishes. My passion keeps my kitchen and refrigerator filled with delicacies, and I love to share them all with friends and family. And that’s my big problem. For I almost never get any feedback for meals shared, let alone appreciation.
After a dull and wet week of continuous rains, a bright sunny day is enough reason for me to make a spicy channa biryani that would sizzle in its ghee and tomatoes. My niece would get admission to a leading school in Houston and the smells of freshly baked fruit cake would fill my home! We would book tickets to visit relatives and I would fill my best containers with the goodies to gift relatives.
All’s well, till I share the food with friends, neighbours or family. The moment the snacks reach them I start waiting for a phone call or a WhatsApp message appreciating my dish. And that would almost never happen. Be it a neighbour, a colleague, a host or the maid! Nobody has ever acknowledged.
Especially after my appearance on a few TV cooking shows maybe people have started taking me for granted. Maybe everyone feels I cook just to seek approval or to get praise. But, I am trying in vain to make society understand my passion to cook and share.
All I expect is for people to ask for the recipe, or at least thank me for the effort I put in! It’s just like those pamphlets that are added with our daily newspaper — you open the paper to find those pamphlets slide out, which we ignore and put in the trash.
Expectations lead to frustrations and a positive note ends in negativity. Therefore, I am resolving to stop sharing anything I cook; it would be best to shop for food for friends and family. Why trouble myself and others too?
natsujan@gmail.com