Being the youngest of three children, I was always given preferential treatment at home. Brother was 8 years elder to me and rarely lived with us, while Sister was a good 4 years older. In addition, I was a frail child and parents felt I needed to be protected.
Mother was a typical busy bee. Carried with her a bit of inferiority complex, for she was short, dark, but was tremendous at keeping the home spic and span, taking care of all our needs, apart from being a marvelous cook. She was a talented singer and veena player, but for some petty reasons refused to sing or play, though we heard her sing in weddings a few times. She was terrific in drawing kolams and much sought after during functions including wedding (those days ladies from the family took up the job of weaving designs using makkolam, unlike today when it is outsourced).
Though I know what I inherited from my father, I was never sure about what I got from my mother. I like cleanliness and organization, but am not obsessed with it. I love music, though I cant sing, but am an excellent rasika, who can identify nearly 175 ragams. That trait was passed on to me by my father, and not mother.
It just struck me recently that I had inherited a wonderful skill from my mother - Cooking. I have a passion for cooking, and like her, I don't rest until and unless I perfect a particular dish or snack. I can cook as well as her, and am a bit more daring when it comes to experimentation. And by god's grace I have her 'Kaipunyam', that distinguishes a good cook from an average one.
Cooking in our house used to be a joint affair. Father was the choreographer. He decided the menu, and made it a point to cut vegetables for mother every day, unless they had a fight and were not on speaking terms. Mother did the cooking. Despite his knowledge of cooking, father couldn't cook for nuts. In fact he was so clumsy, he couldn't even make a cup of coffee. Since mother rarely left him alone, he didn't suffer.
Only once she had to leave for Mumbai to attend her father's first death anniversary, and father was left alone for a week. However, we had a Servant called Velayudhan, who was trained by my mother to cook in her absence, and father somehow managed to survive. The offshoot of this was that Velayudhan learned cooking, and later made a living out of it by cooking for an elderly couple, and many others. Inadvertently, my mother has developed a skill in Velayudhan and he made the full use of it.
Speaking of cooking, my maternal Grandmother was a Superb Cook. She lived in Mumbai, and had high regard for my father. She wont even come to the room where he is sitting. Any my father too never spoke to her. It was like that those days. in 1976, my mother's father died and father was forced to stay for 16 days in Mumbai. As was the custom, the grieving Grandmother was not allowed to cook, a task undertaken jointly by my mother, her sisters and sisters in law. On the 11th day, Grandmother told the ladies to stay off the kitchen "Mani (my father's pet name) has come after so many years. I will cook today". Nothing special. Routine Sambhar, Rasam, Poriyal. Father was unaware Grandmother had cooked as he had gone to my Aunts' house. He came just in time for lunch, took couple of mouthfuls of sambhar rice and remarked "Todays cooking was done by the same person who cooked in this house all these years". Everyone was stunned at the sense of taste of my father, and Grandmother virtually blushed.
My mothers both Sisters in Law were average cooks. Her youngest sister is a reasonable cook, but the sister next to her is a terrific cook. Only issue with her is that she will not cook and serve, but rather complete her cooking in all aspects and then only serve.
My Father's mother lived in a village in Kollengode. The grandparents had limited income and lived frugally. She used to be a good cook, using scarce resources to good effect. I have heard her mother, my great grandmother, was a wonderful cook.
I think I am blessed by all the good cooks in my family. I love cooking, am passionate about it, I hunt down recipes (my hobby is to look up Palghat Brahmin Recipes that is slowly getting lost), and enjoy watching others eat. Though I am quite comfortable cooking both North Indian and South Indian dishes, I am at home with Traditional Palghat Brahmin Cuisine. Unlike many others, I am at home cooking for 2 people or prepare a full fledged sadhya for 10-15 people.
I wish the next generation, male and female, carry the baton, for nothing gives greater happiness than seeing someone eat the food you have cooked with relish, and telling you they are full and satiated. Man never has enough of anything, except food!
