Now a days my not so small anymore son Mannan is experimenting his hand in the kitchen. Out of curiosity, interest and an attempt to learn something new he keeps surfing for recipes on YouTube.

After learning to bake a vanilla cake, beat coffee and make a tasty cold coffee with ice cream he zeroed down on mastering the pan cake. In his initial attempt though he found it a bit difficult to cook and flip it timely on the griddle so as to ensure that they turn just the right amount of brown and not get burnt. Looking him struggle I helped him out with the flame intensity, the managing of time and the application of butter while cooking it.

Seeing me help him out in something I myself had never made before he seemed quiet impressed. He asked me, “ how come you always know everything in the kitchen ?” to which I spontaneously and jokingly replied, “ yeh hatho ke daag humne Diwali k patakho se nahi paaye hai Mannan babu !” (I haven’t earned these burn marks on my hands by bursting some Diwali crackers) 😅😅

We both laughed and then I told him that it’s been almost twenty years now since I first started to cook, as years pass by one learns a lot by experience and so one need not have made a particular dish to know how to go about it, once a person begins something after gaining experience with interest, perfection and clarity starts following automatically.

Exchanging a smile with Mannan I thought to myself that if the backing and guidance of someone experienced in cooking could help someone new at it to feel so confident and comfortable in handling a difficulty with so much of ease, one can only imagine the confidence and advantage that one will gain by having the guidance, advise and support of someone having a lifetime of experience in living and handling life in their life journey! The only pre-condition in both the situations though is the willingness of the one with lesser amount of knowledge and experience to being wholeheartedly open about ‘LEARNING’ 😇😇

– Sonali Bakshi

09/12/2021