Spices & herbs...and aromas wafting across..

There is something so divine about cooking. Almost enticing. The tantalizing aromas that are unleashed. The sizzling noises that fill the air. The satisfaction garnered from chopping those vegetables into minute cubes. The happiness that comes when tasting your own creation.

I don't know of anything that is more ambrosial than the smell of garlic crackling in hot oil. And the smoke that glides provocatively. Spices are wonderful like that. With the way they fuse with each other and create something so completely delectable. These spices are what I like best about Indian cooking. They add a whole new dimension to my kitchen experience. I want to say I cooked today. Or that I at least helped ma. But all I did was look. I sat by the kitchen counter, nibbling on a carrot, happy to be there. Feeling like a five year old again.

I love looking at stuff being cooked. I like being surprised by the way certain ingredients rise through the rest and tickle my senses. It's a hot afternoon and the sun is disintegrating through the backyard door and falling all over the kitchen floor. Like little diamonds of snow scattered generously under my feet. They glisten attractively and make me want to never set foot on these tiles, lest I disturb the pattern.

The two people I used to enjoy watching around the kitchen is ma (my mom) & amma (as we fondly used to call our maternal gran). Both so great with the cooking, it was as though the ingredients themselves want to please them. I was always amazed by the way they make things fall in their right place. Two of the most pragmatic people I know. Both, different in their treatment in the kitchen but the results, always delicious. I still get to eat what ma prepares & I miss you amma.