MasterChef Australia, the show that has inspired many to try their hand at cooking

The youth in the city seem to have fallen in love with their ladles and spices. Cooking has stopped being boring and crossed over into the “really cool thing to do” category for the youth of the city. Of course, it is not an everyday affair. Where is the novelty in that?! But of late, like theatre is the new dance for Gen-Y, cooking is the new passion. From baking to whipping up a salad or inventing a new mocktail, it’s all up their sleeve!

 

of ladles and spices

For some it started with spicing up the regular Maggi or whipping up a stuffed omelette late at night. For many it started with MasterChef Australia, a show that took cooking from boring to rocking.

“Cooking has been my passion for a long time. The first time I fried an omelette was in the sixth standard. But the latest attractions that made my love for cooking grow is MasterChef,” said Dhritiman Chakraborty, a final-year student of Heramba Chandra College, who likes making continental and Indo-Western dishes.

But it is not just about pleasing one’s own palate. Gen-Y is taking to cooking for a variety of reasons, from de-stressing to impressing their friends.

Cooking and baking, which are essentially singular pursuits, give the youth the much-needed time to introspect.

“There is nothing like picking up the ladle for some much-needed inner peace. Especially since you don’t have to communicate with anyone while you are at it,” said Dhritiman.

Cooking also instills a sense of independence in a person. What can be more gratifying than not having to depend on your mother to whip up your favourite dish?

“I am a big foodie. Since I couldn’t always expect my mother to cook for me I was compelled to learn the art of cooking and innovating,” said Tanmoy Ghosh, a third-year student of Scottish Church College.

Then, of course, there is just plain impressing friends and family and basking in the glow. Nothing fans the passion for cooking more than regular exclamations of “You made this? This is delicious!”

“It was really difficult at first, but when I cooked for my folks and friends and they loved it, it was very encouraging,” said Tanmoy.

Working one’s way into their parents’ good books has become a lot easier thanks to the culinary magic that helps the youth whip up surprise dinners for their anniversaries and birthdays.

i FOR innovation

Re-invention is the new trend for Gen-Y when it comes to cooking. Nobody really tends to follow the age-old techniques. Neither do they settle for set recipes. Even if the dish prepared is an old classic like mashed potatoes, adding an innovative touch is the way to do it for the youth. It could be preparing mashed potatoes with a twist, like adding some cheese and mayonnaise, and using it as a filling for a sandwich. Or jazzing up the regular Maggi with spinach and cheese.

Continental and North Indian dishes are most popular with young people though some do try their hand at Bengali and Mexican.

Mocktails are also a point of interest with Gen-Y as are salads. The refrigerator is, therefore, always well stocked with all kinds of dressings. Not only are the salads easy to prepare but also sinfully divine!

Baking has gained fierce momentum among the young chefs. Baking is often associated with comfort food and homemade scones, chocolate brownies as well as cupcakes have become very popular. Some have even taken their passion for baking to the next level and started up business initiatives. Charulata Ghosh, a Jadavpur University student, has transformed her hobby into a successful business. “Baking is so much more than a hobby for me. It was really by chance that I started this business and it’s been quite an experience so far,” said Charulata who started her cupcake business in January last year. She operates from home and takes party orders as well.

i for Ingredients

The regular spices and vegetables are available everywhere but with Gen-Y’s penchant for the exotic and the foreign they also need the fresh cream, the parmesan cheese and dried herbs like basil and thyme and oregano. New Market is the young chef’s best friend, and Baborally in New Market the go-to destination for ingredients that are not easily available in the local markets. Spencer’s, especially the hypermarts, with their gourmet section are another paradise for those who love to cook. “I prefer getting all my ingredients from Spencer’s since I get everything under one roof. Also, I have the option to browse so that I can pick up stuff that catch my eye. It is also a difficult task because one can get distracted by the vast variety on offer,”said Erica Roy, a third-year student of Shri Shikshayatan College, who likes cooking Chinese and Italian dishes. Then there is C3 and Food Bazaar.

But it is not always easy to be a fancy chef in this city as many of the ingredients are either out of stock or not available at the stores right when you need them the most.

“The main hindrance is really the lack of regular, good quality supplies. New Market is your best bet for ingredients and sometimes even that does not work. That is also one of the reasons why prices for cheesecakes and Red Velvets are quite steep. Ingredients decide how much a particular confection will cost,” said Charulata.

In the mood for food

Any time is cooking time for Gen-Y. For some it is a regular Sunday activity, for others it can be just a matter of “when I am in the mood”. Some others prefer to cook when no one is at home or late at night when they have the kitchen to themselves.

Prabisha Jaiswal, a third-year student of Scottish Church College, prefers to be alone while cooking. “Cooking has always been a pleasure and an awesome stress-reliever. But one thing that I hate is anybody stepping into the kitchen when I am cooking. I forbid my mother from entering the kitchen on my ‘cooking days’,” said Prabisha.

Learning from masters

There is no dearth of sources for recipes — and no, mother’s advice does not count — from online to television to magazines and cook books.

Apart from MasterChef Australia, Nigella Kitchen and Sanjeev Kapoor’s cookery shows are the most popular source for recipes. Rannaghar on Zee Bangla is another favourite and the young bakers in the city swear by the show Rachel Allen: Bake! on TLC.

Cookery books by Nita Mehta and Tarla Dalal are also favourites among the young chefs, many of whom are claiming to have started a journey of rediscovering themselves — in the kitchen.