Do you miss those chemistry lessons from school? Then, just head over to the kitchen section of a store. Browsing through the vast array of cookware is like taking a lesson in chemistry. There are just too many types of materials these days. From age-old cast iron and stainless steel to hard-anodized aluminum and a variety of chemical coatings like Teflon and Thermalon, nowadays, there are even stone-derived nonstick pans. If the materials do not make any sense, there are numerous chemical acronyms to help: BPA, PTFE, PFOA. A peek at the labels is enough to make any novice shopper realize that the more acronyms they find with the "-free" suffix, safer would be the product. If you are wondering what I am referring to, take a look at this post about nonstick cookware: What's In Your Non-Stick?
In the last few years, there has been an increasing amount of research going on for everything including cookware material. A lot of data is being generated with the intent to help consumers. As newer brands come out with attempts to make the surfaces nonstick, they also release warnings and chemical jargon that can stick to our minds. We are prompted to think deeply before choosing even the most trivial items for day to day life. Who knows what is safe? Who knows what will be banned next? Who knows what will be the next cool thing? Aaargh! Did someone just say ignorance is bliss ?
Traveling back to a point in time when I was ignorant of such complexities, there were other struggles in the kitchen. It was the phase when my kitchen used to be a science lab. I was in experimental mode trying to understand the basics of cooking. What types of food would burn if I didn't add any water vs what would turn soggy if I did add water ? What would turn mushy if cooked too much vs what would stay like a rock unless pressure cooked? Almost all recipes required a long distance call to my mom for troubleshooting. Slowly, I reached a point where I could figure out the basics and started to venture into more adventurous dishes.
One day, I called home to get the recipe for a sweet dish for an upcoming dinner party. My mom is an expert in preparing this sweet which we call "duddali" in local language. The main ingredient "rava", a fine powder based on semolina, has to be roasted in clarified butter and then cooked with milk, sugar and other flavors. It sounds easy but the difficult part is managing the stickiness that would emerge when this rava is mixed with any liquid. In addition to the steps, I got all the tips and tricks for the recipe from my mom. Then my dad came on the line and added in his suggestion, "Make sure it does not stick". I gave him a confident and reassuring reply "Don't worry. I am going to use a nonstick pan to prepare this". He replied in the same cool tone, "Well, I was not referring to the pan but to the end result. Do your guests have nonstick mouths?". Aaargh! I wanted to scream. My evolving culinary skills were being questioned! I paused for a moment and my funny bone took over. I just replied "We'll find out if mouths too come with nonstick coating !!!"
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In the last few years, there has been an increasing amount of research going on for everything including cookware material. A lot of data is being generated with the intent to help consumers. As newer brands come out with attempts to make the surfaces nonstick, they also release warnings and chemical jargon that can stick to our minds. We are prompted to think deeply before choosing even the most trivial items for day to day life. Who knows what is safe? Who knows what will be banned next? Who knows what will be the next cool thing? Aaargh! Did someone just say ignorance is bliss ?
Traveling back to a point in time when I was ignorant of such complexities, there were other struggles in the kitchen. It was the phase when my kitchen used to be a science lab. I was in experimental mode trying to understand the basics of cooking. What types of food would burn if I didn't add any water vs what would turn soggy if I did add water ? What would turn mushy if cooked too much vs what would stay like a rock unless pressure cooked? Almost all recipes required a long distance call to my mom for troubleshooting. Slowly, I reached a point where I could figure out the basics and started to venture into more adventurous dishes.
One day, I called home to get the recipe for a sweet dish for an upcoming dinner party. My mom is an expert in preparing this sweet which we call "duddali" in local language. The main ingredient "rava", a fine powder based on semolina, has to be roasted in clarified butter and then cooked with milk, sugar and other flavors. It sounds easy but the difficult part is managing the stickiness that would emerge when this rava is mixed with any liquid. In addition to the steps, I got all the tips and tricks for the recipe from my mom. Then my dad came on the line and added in his suggestion, "Make sure it does not stick". I gave him a confident and reassuring reply "Don't worry. I am going to use a nonstick pan to prepare this". He replied in the same cool tone, "Well, I was not referring to the pan but to the end result. Do your guests have nonstick mouths?". Aaargh! I wanted to scream. My evolving culinary skills were being questioned! I paused for a moment and my funny bone took over. I just replied "We'll find out if mouths too come with nonstick coating !!!"
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