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Interview with Sandeepa Mukherjee Datta a.k.a the Bong Mom, noted Indian food blogger, about her new book on Bengali cuisine, Bong Mom’s Cookbook.
When Sandeepa first started blogging about Bengali food, she did not expect to publish a book on it one day. But her book, aptly titled, Bong Mom’s Cookbook has been released recently. Here she talks about her journey from being a food blogger to a food writer and about creating memories and traditions with food.
From blog to book – what was the journey like? Was the writing needed in both cases very different? What did you have to unlearn/learn?
The journey was very exciting to say the least. I would say that it was a little difficult but much fun. Writing a blog is very different from a book and though I have tried to carry the same essence across both, to do it in the book was much harder. For one, when I blog, it is instant. I write what I am thinking today and the gratification is also immediate. Not so in a book.
For the book, I had to think ahead, plan the chapters and also since this is a book interspersed with recipes I had to make sure that it was not abrupt and there was fluidity within the chapters. But I had so much close-to-my-heart stuff to write that I would actually look forward to 9:30 PM every night when I could sit down with my writing.
If there is one single “star” recipe and dish you had to pick out from Bong Mom’s Cookbook, which one would it be? And why?
It would be unfair, if I pick a single recipe from the book, for the simple reason that each of them comes with their own tales and each of them has touched my life in a certain way. For me, food is beyond what you taste on your tongue, it is also the memory you associate with it. So while some like the mutton rezala is a “star” in taste, the others like the simple bati charchari is a “star” in how the dish is intertwined to my life.
Food as a link to culture, as an enduring memory of childhood emerges strongly as a theme in Bong Mom’s Cookbook. Do you ever worry that as an NRI, these traditions may not pass on to your children?
I do get these niggling doubts once in a while but I am not too hung up on traditions. I am kind of flexible about them. So even in the US, I might do the celebrations my mother is doing back in India but in my case they are just moulded to suit our life here. On an everyday basis, our meals hover around Bengali cuisine, we speak Bengali at home and we listen to Bengali and Hindi songs even if my daughters might not be too fond of them.
One of the main reasons I started the blog was actually to preserve these traditional recipes for my daughters who might not have access to it anywhere other than their own home in the future. Regional cuisine is not a popular genre while eating out and Indian food in restaurants remains slotted between butter chicken and masala dosa. It is the home-cooked food which brings my daughters closer to our culture.
I also believe that instead of hanging on to traditions it is always nice to create some. That way you don’t feel their burden and yet enjoy them. So through eating paayesh on birthdays, a grand meal of pulao and kosha mangsho on special occasions and the occasional luchi for Sunday breakfasts we create our own version of traditions.
There are a number of food blogs, and in particular Indian food blogs in the blogosphere. What advice would you give to newbie food bloggers or food writers?
There are many food blogs in the blogosphere, Indian or not. They are excellent and every day I learn so much if I get a chance to blog hop. That Indian cuisine is much more beyond chicken tikka masala can be learned just by visiting the regional Indian food blogs. With their beautiful food pictures and luscious recipes, they can get very addictive.
I am not an expert but I have been blogging for almost seven years now and if I have to say anything to newbie bloggers it would be: Blog because you love it and be honest while doing so. The rest will follow.
Who is your favourite food writer/blogger?
I love food writing. Current favourite food writers are Ruth Reichl, Amanda Hesser, Monica Bhide, Chitrita Banerji. I also like Nilanjana Roy’s articles on food.
*Photo credit: Bong Mom.
Now dear readers, a book giveaway for you!
Simply answer this: Is there one dish that is like you as a person? What one dish would you choose to represent you? Be creative and tell us which one and why!
Just leave your answer as a comment below – and the best comment wins a copy of Bong Mom’s Cookbook.
Please note: Only 1 comment per person. The book can only be sent to a valid address in India. Giveaway closes on 9 AM IST 19th June 2013.
So what are you waiting for? Comment away!
UPDATE: GIVEAWAY CLOSED.
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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