To cook or not to cook...

I have, over time, noticed the general look of awe mixed with pity on the faces of most people when I tell them that I stay alone. "So what about food?" is the first question that generally follows thereafter, to which my reply is, "Why, I cook myself".

The shade of reverence that is unmistakable in the faces of most post this statement has me wondering, is it really such a big deal?

Now I don't claim to be a woman whose kitchen is a treasure trove of exotic ingredients nor would I write home about my ability to whip up fancy meals in a jiffy when unexpected guests come calling. But I sure would like to believe that I can survive in a city (gastronomically speaking) without the friendly guy at the takeaway counter of the neighbourhood Dominoes'/ udupi/ *insert name of restaurant on speed dial* being able to rattle off my order to the cook without me having to open my mouth.

And having grown up in a household where Ma made the most complex of dishes look deceptively easy to make, I genuinely believe that it is not that difficult to rustle up a simple meal when one is starving but not in the mood for heavy takeaways.

Honestly, I thought one of these days, how difficult can it be to make oneself some dal chawal or a bowl of sphagetti? And that is how, I decided, one fine day, to try cooking for myself on a regular basis for a month at a stretch, the idea being to avoid eating out/ ordering in for both lunch AND dinner for a month to see whether it is a feasible option, or whether I should just throw up my hands and give up my cherished secret dream of being the domestic-diva-meets-awe-inspiring-professional.

There, I said it...I dream of being the mythical superwoman. I love the thought of being able to efficiently and elegantly, without breaking into a sweat, handle the home, the hearth, the workplace, the man, the friends...you get the drift. Yeah...I am quite the maggu like that. Talk about competitive spirit being used in the wrong places...

Anyhow, to get back to the topic at hand...the topic, or rather the caption of this post, is what runs through my mind every time I am faced with the prospect of cooking, and though I am fairly decent as a cook (even if I say so myself), the shamefaced admission must be made...the latter option wins fairly often especially the question is posed at the end of a long day.

So, there - that is my challenge for the coming month - to avoid eating restaurant food to the maximum extent possible. That necessarily entails planing for meals in advance, carrying a dabba to work for both lunch and dinner, not being tempted to order food when everyone around me is ordering, shopping for the week over the weekend, cooking substantial amounts over the weekend, and hopefully, ensuring more than the passing lip service to principles of 'healthful eating'....

Does that sound daunting? You bet! But let's just try this out anyhow and see how long I last.

Wish me luck!