Kitchen cabinet flavours

Every pot and pan calls out for recall

My kitchen tells a tale! But to tweak the Bard a little 8212; it is a tale full of sound and fury signifying something. The recipe books lining one shelf are much thumbed and dog-eared. I see guest lists and menus for the numerous parties tucked amidst the pages for the last two decades. Such an archival culinary record evokes nostalgia for the fun-filled evenings spent with friends at various air force stations. Names indicating the provenance of the dish take me down memory lane 8212; Guddi8217;s Chicken Paprika, Havovi8217;s Ras-Malai, Neena8217;s Kaju Chicken.

Like the aroma books for children, I can smell the whiff of rogan josh on the recipe page with tell-tale red gravy smudges! It is a great recap of how from faltering steps in the kitchen one evolved over time 8212; of course with tips and guidance given with readiness and affection from more experienced Services wives 8212; an abiding trait in the Services.

The pots and pans in my 8216;kitchen cabinet8217; narrate a story of their own. The sturdy wok, with layers of carbon deposited on its bottom, is redolent of the many good meals cooked in it. The steel kettle on the tray, having steeled itself against the daily knocks of life in the kitchen, presents a bruised and dented image. But each cup of tea poured from it pours out a collage of the past. Only if I knew the art of reading tea leaves in a cup, I could predict the future too! The toaster may not be the toast of the town but it has 8216;attitude8217;.

The lever refuses to get depressed, unless you bully it with a heavy hand. And the mighty pressure cooker having lived a life under pressure is beginning to show signs of crankiness. It lets off steam by hissing menacingly and occasionally spews its liquid in a defiant show of willfulness!

And looking at the mise-en-scene, sitting atop the kitchen hob, is the brass samovar my mother gave me. It churns up nostalgia about my childhood and youth in Kashmir. The cinnamon-laden aroma of hot 8216;kahwa8217; is a delicious memory that refuses to fade out.