Give Food A Second Chance..!!

By Chef Pablo Naranjo Agular

How often have you looked around you, and felt a sense of contentment? The joy of creating an ambience of your own liking and comfort. 

The choices you make, 

The priorities you set,

Your attention junctures,

And your benchmarks for evaluation.

All of these play a huge part in deciding your outlook towards life. 

Most of us often neglect our core values, while in the rat race of fortune. 

Buying that house, or owning that very automobile, often draws your attention easily. Whereas owning a comfortable mattress that adds to your aesthetic delight is kept for later on. We can learn a lot about this from The Nordic cultures. 

Overwhelming over the crunch schedule of my next year laid out in front of my eyes, I felt satisfied. My years-long dream of travelling and working around the world, whilst discovering the distinct cultures of humanity had acquired its structure.

I have come a long way, from aspiring to be a cardiovascular surgeon to switching it with my obsession with food.

It was early in the month of March when I undertook a small consultation work in Colombia, my birthplace. Though the stakes weren't high, this being my only chance at a time with family, I gladly accepted it. Based on my schedule I was to spend 72+ hours on-flight, just for this short duration of fulfilment. 

How far have we come in meeting society's materialistic standards forgetting our own solace?

Being a chef, I was always out of Colombia for my business deals. However, I was always creating happiness and memories for others, through my food. I never realized the importance of the same for me, until The Lockdown was announced.

I landed in Colombia on the 14th of March and went straight to my home. My work was to commence from the 20th. And of course, it didn't go as planned. A nationwide Lockdown was announced on the 18th of March, for one month.

For a start, I didn't get hyped up or start planning out my days ahead. No.

I decided to sit calmly, observed the situation, and decided that the world didn't need anything from me at that time. My going out to contribute in any way would just be an invitation to more chaos. 

I revised my financial condition, felt I was stable at the moment, and so there was no need to stress over it. I was finally able to breathe freely and was clear-minded about my priorities.

Unlike me, my parents were quite conscious of creating apt surroundings for our home, and that acted in my favor. I unplugged myself from all stressful Headlines and mentally pesky stuff. I made sure, I felt every moment of family time. 

With them, watching dumb movies, playing random games, or recollecting childhood notoriety relieved my soul. I also found myself a means of working! Yes amidst the lockdown.

A person in need of work collaborated with me as a supplier, of my hand made bread. Completely organic and eco friendly, I began selling 15-20 pieces of bread each day. In fact, I can call myself a professional at it now.  

As I prepared meals for my family despite their restraints, I travelled back to my days when I had concluded to do something for my food obsession. I could see the little me eating pasta without sauce before the lunch commenced. And how my grandma would prepare meals for the family dinners on weekends. Even when she'd be sick, she would never cease at her ritual of cooking. 

"You wouldn't understand," she said when I asked her once. And later when everyone was busy giggling over some jokes, she came all the way around from the other end of our large dining table and said looking at the laughing faces, "This is why I do what I do." 

And I felt this. I too had this connection with food of making people smile and have memories, even at my worst times. I too loved planning things to cook when I used to be ill, jotting down recipes. That feeling gives the satisfaction of a different kind. 

I even started putting my dishes for the world to view. Simple. No fancy plating or too sophisticated dishes. I'd just prepare with whatever I could find near my hand. 

I wanted people to realize that cooking isn't learned. Of course, me being into it for years could guide them on how to lay a base for any dish, how to structure balance.  However, copying my recipe blindly is of no use. 

Until you don't burn your food, you won't learn how it gets burnt. Mistakes teach you what you shouldn't be doing. 

Start getting comfortable in your kitchen, make something for yourself. 

Unfortunately, people have monotonized the art of eating food.  

This is what my mission is, 

To bring about a change,

To make people realize their ability to devour, and fully involve in the process of tasting any kind of food. 

It can be as simple as a cooked sunny side of the egg with a slice of bread. 

I believe that food is something that has transformed the whole human race. Humanity sustains and grows due to it. Food is the basis of evolution. 

The first thing after birth that we do after breathing is drinking mother's milk.

The second thing we do is make a connection with our mother, through food.

Food makes us aware of our needs and potentials. I have realized this one thing that,

It's the smaller things that matter more.

Awareness about the basics is what matters in tough times. 

Food doesn't ask to be complicated by elegant looks or showcasing.being content with yourself, whilst enriching

Even a simple dish could reveal the best of your efforts in making it.  

Only if you don't complicate life behind fake set standards, and live just through your soul. 

Tasting stimulates your mind and gives your soul a purpose, the purpose of enlightenment

Penned down by - Dinesh Gidwani