This is not a recipe book. This is not food blog. This is not a sophisticated food review. However, you’ll travel with me in my kitchen and read what my tastebuds told my brain. That explosion of flavours – salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami weren’t just enough for me to experience myself and see my husband’s eyebrows pop. I wanted to write it down because it deserves much more expression to the world.

A niche allied health professional working with patients who can not enjoy their food, who lost their ability to swallow, I consider this writing a way of gratitude that I can still savour every bite, chew 20 times, switch off laptops, smart phones and televisions and watch those morsels vanish on my plate.

Look back at our ancestors, I don’t mean our grandfathers and great-great grandfather. I mean the Homo Erectus, who thought burning their meat in fire tasted better and we’ve been at it since then. My dear friend, chatGPT says cooking dates back to 780,000 years. Over all these years the gluttony has grown.

Some might ask, “Why? How?” Or like my husband, “Why don’t you make videos on this?” No! It has to be written! An introvert’s way of expressing to the world. Where did this idea come from? These movies – “The Lunchbox” and “Julie & Julia”. Movies based out of each ones love, dedication, passion and attention to detail to every sprinkle in the pot. Ila thought the way her man’s heart was through his stomach and Julie thought blogging her experience as she cooks through all the 500 odd recipes would bring a purpose to her life. Both these women chose their vehicle as food and cooking and I relate to them. I sit here in my office cabin and commit that I’ll write a chapter each day for you to read some day.