Disclaimer - I guess, I have a right to opinion and I am sure not offending anyone!
2014 was a very significant year, not only did I travel quite a bit, I got to eat quite a bit too, I mean proper food, not the one filled with calories and loads of concerns. One person whom I owe for this change in food habits is none other than Vikas Khanna.
It was somewhere in the first few months of 2014, that Twist of Taste Season 3, coastal curries was shown on the Fox Life, then Fox Traveller.
This season was all about curry making, most of the episodes were to deal with non vegetarian food, sea food. But the thing which I took away from this season, was the intricate art of blending spices, making all those Chettinad spices, using garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, roasting them, grinding them, powdering them, mixing them, marinating stuffs with them, literally everything was shown.
Not that, I have mastered them over a period of time, I'm still the same with limited knowledge, but this whole series put me back to the kitchen, where I went and experimented myself, ending with dishes which no one preferred to eat. But I was proud of myself.
Together with that, it instilled in me, the option to eat home food in a limited way. There is some charm about Vikas Khanna's this particular season, which made me go back to the basics. The way he cooked food, the way he presented, he spoke, how much emotion he showed, he did no overdo showing emotions or under do the same. The whole series was a major learning cuver, not only about cooking food, blending spices, but it was also about how to eat in moderation.
A person's body gives away his eating habits, looking at Vikas Khanna and his stunning appearance, I could only guess, how difficult was it for him being a chef and being a foodie, to eat in moderation. Just to look good and just to be fit, one had to give up their life long passion for food by eating in moderation or not eating at all.
I'm only taking a guess, but somehow I am pretty sure, being a celebrity he does not indulge in overeating. I followed the same footsteps. Its been quite a while I over indulged in eating. I feel sad, to let go of my food habits. In my past life sins, I loved good food, always look out for things to eat.
But now a days, courtesy the discipline installed in me by my teacher, I can only turn to television to look at dishes or smell the dishes and relish them rather eating them and enjoying them.
I have no regrets about it, because in return, I get to fit into all those clothes which once were a dream.
Sometimes, people vote for a cult icon, youth icon etc etc. Some one who has excelled in sports, someone who has shown people how to do it, someone who has instilled confidence in people, someone who has provided employment opportunities.
People can provide employment to others, teach about dreams, hard work, but whose the one who can teach about cooking, good health, eating right in moderation and exercising which is the main ingredient in chasing dreams. its got to be a celebrity chef. So if you ask me whose the youth icon, I would say Vikas Khanna.
By the way, how many people are aware of Vikas Khanna, how does he look, I am not sure, Well here's a picture sourced from the internet.
Cheers,
PS - if you do not agree with me, no worries, just look out for him on fox life, just see how he goes about his business, once the dishes are prepared, just look at how he tastes them, trying to decipher each of the spices and ingredients using the taste buds, how he relishes them, even a small piece, his eating habits are a big give away so is his cooking. I am sure, you too will agree with what I have just written or said.
