Just fooding around

Ever wondered what is the best food for weekends? Probably something outstanding, to remember the weekend by. And something that gives you enough courage to face the prospect of the dreary Monday that would relentlessly follow suit. So what are we having for dinner today? Why not compile a bucket list of all the dishes and do a selection by elimination routine. Potatoes, paneer, fish, cabbage, chicken, ladyfinger, and the list continues. Now why don’t we get on with the elimination part. Potato is too dull, cabbage is too leafy, chicken is too cruel, ladyfinger is too sticky…thus continues the ditching, and we are left with a handful of tasty options. Hardly do we notice the amount of effort that we put in this culinary selection. Our mental mechanism is so much in its comfort zone where food is concerned that it is hardly taxing for us to make food decisions. Or rather, food decisions are always made to maximise pleasure, thus they are always a welcome respite.
What is it that draws us to the notion called food? Why this obsession? When we are working, we are constantly perceptive to our food requirement of the day. When we are not working, we are busy planning our food itinerary for the weekend. Even in the 3 things essential for survival, roti, kapda aur makaan, food comes a lofty first! So how to justify this web of unexplained association with food and taste? I believe it is a futile exercise. Psychologists would vouch for that. We live, breathe, smell, feel, eat….. No need for justifications here. Research has also proven that our memory is immediately trickled by smell of certain food items. Infact, I am not the only one who uses food as a barometer of emotions and personality. One of my friends went to Goa recently and upon returning posted his photo album on Facebook. It was amusing to see page after page on his travel album, not the stunning landscape nor the new friends he made, but beautifully arranged meals. His method to chronicle the trip, to best recall happy memories, insisted he capture every meal in picture perfection, lovingly preserved in his travel album. Depending upon our individual disposition, we choose to be vegetarians or non-vegetarians. But that still does not take away from the joy of experiencing culinary delights. In India, the culture of food penetrates deeper that its physical consumption. There is scope of wisdom too in the gastronomical world. . "Enjoy meat and dairy products," centenarians would tell us, "but combine them with the use of lemon, vinegar, garlic, fresh green herbs, yogurt and pomegranate juice to dissolve fat that could be harmful to the human organism." Infact, anyone thinking that food is an innocuous subject would soon discover that politics, history, economics and religion have been mighty forces in shaping the cuisine of the region and in determining what people eat. Food is not simply a question of climactic or agricultural feasibility.
So I have made my choice, I will have palak-paneer today. And let me pour rich cream on top, because it is nice to remember there is still a bit of Sunday left.
Bon appetit!