About the Author

That's a very happy me, holding the Pancho Villa (huge goblet of Margarita) as if it were my trophy after drinking it up  

Dear Readers,

Firstly welcome to Cookie's Kitchen, the life and adventures of happy-go-lucky Cookie Mehta aka Srishti Mehta and her love for all things beautiful. I think its really important that I share a little bit about myself and also the idea behind my blog. My name is Srishti and I am originally from India, I grew up in Chennai (South India) while my roots are in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. I am a mish-mash of different cultures and am very proud of it. I think it has taught me the value of my heritage but also given me respect and admiration for the different cultures of our very diverse country. If you have never been to India, think of India as Europe, each state can be considered as a different country, each complete with a different spoken language, different food & different style of dressing.  


From Desi to Aussie - The transition

Desi 
A term referring to something or someone who is from the Indian subcontinent.

I moved to Melbourne in Feb 2005 for my undergraduate studies and have lived there until recently. I am an Interior Designer by profession and currently live in Sydney, Australia with my husband of 3.5 years. I am very passionate about design, architecture, food, dance, travel, Bollywood and photography. I love the art of making(could be anything - art, food, sculpture, furniture), hate wastage and want to learn/experience something new everyday.

Having been brought up in a food loving Indian family with great cooks, the move to Australia wasn't easy. No Alu parathas for breakfast, no hot fulkas with a generous smear of ghee with sabji and dal for lunch, no malpuas and kheer for dessert and worst of all no Mom-Dad to come home to (yes I was throughly spoilt at home). I had to start cooking as only I could re-create those flavours which were reminiscent of my family and home. I think a lot of what I cooked came from the hand written basic Indian recipes that my mom gave me before I left, I still have that treasure trove of recipes - of course I have added to the list over the years.

Food has an incredibly fascinating way of triggering memories, the fragrant smells can transport you into another world even before you sit down to eat. It was during my mission of creating mummy's special dal and other dishes that I completely fell in love with cooking and the way it brought me closer to home. I am a self taught cook but I owe my sense of taste and understanding of flavours to all the yummy food I have eaten while growing up. My forte is certainly Indian food but I love cooking different cuisines, trying new recipes and using new ingredients.

Australia is a great place to learn about other cultures and different foods. What sets it apart is the fantastic produce and the sheer variety of ingredients, we are extremely blessed that way. 

Why vegetarianism?

In India religion and what you eat go hand in hand. It is the primary indicator of what you can and cannot eat, I am not religious and my beliefs are based on my own understanding of the world.  I am a vegetarian by choice and I think one of my primary intentions with this blog is to showcase how wonderful, nutrient rich and delicious vegetarian food can be. I strongly believe in the saying "You are what you eat". I am against cruelty towards animals and believe they have a greater purpose in life than to be on my plate. 


Why Cookie's Kitchen?

The name Cookie's Kitchen is a playful reminder of my nickname Cookie by my hubby Karan and also my love for baked goodies.This blog is not just a record of my cooking and eating adventures but also about family stories and memoirs, travel adventures and everyday inspirations - in short everything I love has been packed into this little blog of mine. I would also like to tell all of you that it is my very first attempt at a blog of this kind, so any feedback, comments and criticism are most welcome. Also if anything confuses you, feel free to write to me and I will be happy to help in any way I can. Lastly  I hope you enjoy the adventures in Cookie's Kitchen - happy reading and happy cooking!


Love,

Cookie