Of Vadapavs and Pastas…
Dada loved his vadapavs.( Dada translates to older brother in Marathi and that is how I address my brother.) It was a staple for him every time he stepped out for college or tuitions. The humble Indian burger that an average Mumbaikar relishes. Whether it is just pastime snacking while waiting for the commute, indulging in a steaming vada on a rainy day laced with garlic chutney and fried chilies for the dare devils or an everyday meal for the sundry laborers without burning a hole in their pocket, vadapav had earned it’s reputation as Maharashtra’s quintessential cuisine.
Dada had no fascination for exotic meals back then. His gastronomic adventures at the most extended to it’s cousin Dabeli (another burger with a spicy filling made of nuts and potatoes garnished with pomegranate seeds, an every other day snack at Gurukripa(Sion) or to the Bull’s eye dosa, puli sadams or tomato sadams during his stint in Chennai.
He was a foodie then and as he rightfully puts it, he ate anything that didn’t bite him back. Things changed over the years after he moved out. He is well travelled today and has probably tried cuisines across the world, but measures everything he eats . His love for vadapav has stood the test of time though. It is the only thing he yearns for on his India visit and makes sure to frequent the local store for a bite of nostalgia.
Everybody has their own food fetish, I guess. Though I learned how to make a regular meal during my school days itself, my culinary skills have evolved by leaps and bounds. My guilty pleasure during my late teen years was American chop suey, or maybe an Indianized version of the same. I gladly exchanged my South Indian fare with my college mates to dig into this red saucy bowl of fried noodles. I remember it was all of 25 bucks and there was enough to feed the whole table.
About then, I first tried pasta. You get those instant pastas which you can cook like Ramen noodles in a few minutes . I mentioned it in passing to a friend only to be replied with an ‘ewww’. Today I know that she is a pasta aficionado and the thought of instant pasta was blasphemy as far as she was concerned. Guess the criticism was called for.
I soon graduated to making pasta with the store bought one with home made sauce and it turned out alright. Not lip smacking but edible. It was only during my post PG years, during one of my sabbaticals that I took my interest in the culinary arts more seriously. Cooking was like therapy to me. I started by kneading the dough, rolling it out, folding it and rolling it again and shaping out my orecchiette's and fettuccines. I tried ravioli, made noodles from scratch, folded momos, made chutneys only from the memory of taste sometimes, experimented with biryanis, kebabs and paneer tikkas. I was on a roll.
I have realized that I am very intuitive when it comes to cooking. I understand flavors and can bring that to the fore irrespective of what cuisine I try to replicate. Being a travel enthusiast (though nowadays I do not much) , I do have an appreciation and respect for varied cuisines. It is not something I have to work very hard on. I have never felt the need to rote learn recipes or measure ingredients. Hence the whole experience is one of catharsis to me, just like writing.
Cooking is sort of my love language. I enjoy feeding my friends and family. I love their feedback. I love to see them enjoy a good meal. Also, I am my own worst critique, so I know when I don’t hit the sweet spot at times but more often than not, I get it right.
Baking has been on my bucket list too and one day I want to be better at my culinary skills without losing flavor for it. At least, I get my vadapavs and pastas right now.
