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Good Food

My neighbor sent her son over with some upma, sambar and mango pickles hearing from J that I was not feeling well. I fell to the steaming hot food like a famine victim. Everything tasted like manna from heaven. I am sure Sirisha is a great cook but it was her gesture that gave her food its exceptional taste. It got me thinking about how the taste of what I cook for dinner reflects my day and my mood.

On a good day ordinary dal, rice and chicken curry tastes delicious - even J asks for more. But on a rough day, everything is way off - the rice is soggy, the dal is overcooked and the curry entirely tasteless. Same cook, same ingredients and yet completely different outcomes. I know there is an emotional problem I am ignoring when I can't get food to taste the way I want it to. There are women I know who can be counted on to reproduce the recipe exactly each time - I wonder if it takes a certain stability and continuity about their lives for them to be able to do so. Sirisha's food said simplicity, harmony, peace and quiet and I think I imbued all of that as I ate. In a while the fever was gone too.

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ggop said…
Glad to know you are feeling better. Rest up this weekend.

I'm trying to recall if food tasted different while growing up - my mom would get stressed on occassion like when she had to proctor an exam.

I don't recall food being inconsistent. But I definitely agree I can't get consistent taste on two days myself :-) Mood has everything to do with it.

gg
11:13 AM
Anonymous said…
I agree with you, the taste of food changes with mood. The day I am in a good mood, simple rice and rasam tastes good but the days I am not in a good mood then my most elaborate dish tastes awful.

It was really nice of your neighbour to send you some food.

Talking about food, have you checked some indian food blogs...I always end up feeling hungry when I visit these blogs.

AI
7:43 PM
Heartcrossings said…
ggop - Thanks ! I feel good now after getting the rest I needed :)

Al - The Indian food blogs are the best thing after mom's food.Just the pcitures can stave off hunger and homesickness !
4:20 PM
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