Cook for Joy

Author of this article: Deepambika T J

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I feel grateful to have born and raised in a generation where words like calories and carbohydrates were never a part of our daily thoughts and conversations. Eating guilt free was the best part of my childhood and growing up years. Life was simple. We had access only to locally grown food and they were seasonal. Even the word sustainability never existed in the everyday vocabulary, but the way of life was. Little or no choices to make, was the order of the day.

The summer break in school was April and May. Most of my childhood vacations were about spending time at home, playing with friends and sleep over with cousins. I so vividly remember enjoying the tantalising taste of water melons, musk melons and mangoes. My father scouted for seasonal picks and enthusiastically cut them into bite-sized ones. He also salvaged the melon seeds and dried them. I appreciated the efforts and the prep work done by him only in my adult years.

Every festival, either we celebrated or our neighbours did. Feast was the common denominator of all the festivals. Sharing the treats and the barter around friends and extended families has been the fascinating thing ever. My mother used to generously make the festive treats. I always gave in to my temptation and relished every bit of it.

Growing up, I saw my mother cook, and felt it was a natural progression to start cooking as I got married. Initially, I looked at it as a household chore. When my child was a toddler, her friends frequently visited my place. They would simply show up and relish anything I cooked. Looking back, those tiny moments with the trio toddler gang had transformed my daily mundane chore into moments of bliss I looked forward to.

Fast forward to the present day, cooking and serving gives me joy. I believe cooking is kindness in action. Living away from my home country, I have had the opportunity to share my staple food and simple recipes to friends and even inspire them to action. It has been a universal language to create connection. Not every day is pink and rosy, but these small moments contribute to staying happy, grateful, and pushing through the tough days.

Deepa’s happy place — the kitchen (Photo credit: Cuifen Pui)

Freshly ground ingredients in Deepa’s kitchen (Photo credit: Cuifen Pui)

A home-made gift for a friend (Photo credit: Cuifen Pui)

What’s your go to activity that sparks joy?

This article was first published on LinkedIn by Shreehi Consulting, in India. The topic was inspired by a cooking session that Deepa is co-hosting with Food Citizen (see Instagram post).

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About the Writer

Deepambika T J (LinkedIn)

Deepa is a home-maker and a go-green enthusiast by choice. She is inspired to take action in shaping a kinder, greener environment for the generations to come.