The Ubiquitous Kitchen

Aphrodisiacs come in various forms power, love, money but nothing is as palatable to an epicure as his first love, FOOD!

Epicurus  (ancient Greek philosopher) believed that the greatest good was to seek modest, sustainable pleasure in the form of tranquility and devoid of pain. The result of combing the two states constituted happiness in its highest form. 

One cannot argue with that, food is the only sensory pleasure that combines the two forces calm and pleasure. Music, love, success all have prejudices to one of the forces if not both.

The pandemic has given birth to, ”The ubiquitous kitchen”, world over people at large are devouring the pleasures of home cooked delicacies.

The not so flavoursome “competition” has crept in here as well, with videos / posts of Food Porn plastered on each one’s stories / walls. Never before was “cooking” as celebrated as today by the millennial & midlife’s. The former cause they revel is learning new things the latter never had time to cook the simple dal chawal ,in the rat race. YouTube has seen a 20.5% surge in subscriber base in a span of 45 days of lockdown with a significant 52% viewership increase in food & recipe.

Food is therapeutic weather you fall into the category of the chef or the glutton. It makes people feel good about themselves. There is also immense gratification, to serve your loved one and see them lick that bowl (blessing in the times of no maids).

There are enough studies to testify how cooking eases stress, enhances mindfulness, impacts mood and naturally promoting happiness in these otherwise gloomy times.

The kitchen has come alive with the banter, the clinking of pots and ladles go along with never ending glasses of wine / pints of beer. The cooks are shining in their avatars; the perfectionist, the improviser, the creator, the I got this bae. The cooks aren’t the lone stars in this ubiquitous kitchen series the supporting cast plays an equally pivotal role. Engaging and disengaging the chef as per their whims, testing focus. Narrating their masala experiences while playing the chosen one for a taste.

There is a deeper realization of love being the magic spice in the recipe. The ingredient that mother’s put in each dish they prepare and how it never matches any Michelin star restaurant. There is greater empathy for our maids, how they don’t have the luxury to share chopping / cooking and dishes.

Food has the power to calm us amidst unrest around us, comfort food has seen many additions or perhaps the process of baking that bread or making cheese has made us savour it more relentlessly. Thankfully in the post Covid-Era ,the age old saying of, a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach stands modified to way to a man’s heart is enjoying his culinary skills.

The hungry unsupervised adult is far more alluring than a narcissist gym buffoon, choose cheese over cheez !