In the age of ready-to-eat foods and ever expanding super markets, cooking has become more of a hobby than a necessity. TV programs like Masterchef make it seem even more like an exotic way to pass time, and so many people I know enjoy cooking, but find it terribly boring to do the daily, mundane cooking. Special weekend dishes anytime!

Bring in the Love

As an energy healer, I know the importance of ‘clean’ food. Ever wondered why temple meals are so tasty, even when they are so simple? Or why, even if you frequently indulge in fine dining, your mother’s rustic dish still satisfies more? It is is the love. And that, really, makes all the difference.

It doesn’t matter how fancy it is. It doesn’t matter how you plate it up. It’s not good enough if it wasn’t made with love. And no matter how cool the 5 star chef is, to him you are just another customer. He cannot love your kids like you do. The food will therefore, never really compare, although your children will probably realize that only decades later.

Of course, health is another factor, but we’ll talk about that another day.

Watch your Feelings

For most mothers, it is not possible to avoid cooking when you are feeling low. Food cooked in anger or depression has very low energies and can even create illness in the family. If you are feeling low while cooking, be deeply aware of your feelings and surrender to them – do not resist. I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but it is the only way the vibration doesn’t affect the food.

Chant

One of the most wonderful things to do while cooking, is chanting. It could be anything that means something to you. If you aren’t religious, simply sing a soothing song that you like. The Gayatri mantra is a very powerful chant, if you are up for it.

Keep it Fresh

Foods are best eaten fresh, warm. Refrigerating it brings down the energy. Freezing even more. Not like many of us have much of an option there, but just saying, in case you do. The fresher, the better. Even better if it is eaten raw!

Be Judicious

My friends tell me I sound like their mother when I say this – please, please, PLEASE don’t waste your food. Give it away to a maid, to a beggar, do anything. So many are dying because they have nothing to eat. Wasting cannot be an option.

Those who aren’t into cooking find it appalling when they find a couple of cooks discussing the basics – like boiling an egg. But cooking is like that. One can be pretty good, and yet be struggling with some basic methods.

Boiling an egg can be tricky.

Are the Eggs Fresh?

Aged eggs usually peel better. To check whether the eggs are fresh, put them in a glass of water. If the egg sinks and lays on its side, it is fresh. If it floats on the surface, it is too old to consume. If it stands on one end, then it is a few weeks old and perfect for boiling.

The Foolproof Method

The best boiled eggs take a bit of effort. With this method, you can even use fresh eggs, it should be fine. If the eggs are cracked too, this technique is a saving grace.

The eggs turn out beautiful with this method, almost translucent, soft and yet cooked through.

• Place the eggs in a steamer. If you don’t have a steamer, place them in a colander and place the colander inside a pot. Don’t use a plastic colander or it will melt. Make sure the colander isn’t touching the water, and that there is enough water so it doesn’t dry up.
• Steam the eggs for 20 minutes.
• If the eggs were farm fresh, dunk the eggs in cold water for a few minutes after steaming, and they should be easy to peel.

The Lazy Method

This has worked for me almost all the time, but if the eggs are very fresh, that could be a bit problematic.

• Add 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp vinegar to a pot of water.
• Place the eggs gently into the water.
• NOW place the pot on the heat and bring to a boil. Do not heat the water before adding the eggs, as the eggs will crack.
• Boil for 5 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes.
• They are now ready to peel.

My grandfather was very, VERY particular about picking vegetables. As a result all his children, including my dad, received very strict training. And my mother made sure that dad passed on as much knowledge as he could, to us.

Learning to pick fresh veggies is the first thing you’ll need to learn if you are starting to cook, because without fresh ingredients that are thriving, vibrating with life, your food is going to be pretty lifeless. The easiest way to learn is to touch, gently press and smell as many of them as you can while you pick. With just a little practice, you’ll know with a glance which ones are good.

Tomatoes, squash, eggplants, cucumber, bell peppers, etc.
These can be picked easily – check for three things – color/ evenness, firmness and smell.

Check their colour to make sure they are ripe (the colour should be bright and deep), and inspect the surface to see that they have no cuts, holes or bruises.

Press them a little and see if they are firm. Many vegetables today are picked raw and transported, and often sprayed with chemicals to ripen them prematurely. If this is the case, the color will be bright, but the vegetable will be hard. There should be a little give under pressure.  The over-ripe ones are soft.

Lastly, smell them near the stem. Fresh vegetables smell wonderful!

Avocados
The first two rules about even surface and hardness apply to avocados as well.

Another thing you can do, is remove the stem and check the surface underneath. It should be a nice green color. Black indicates an over ripe avocado.

Cauliflowers, broccoli, cabbage
Look around it to check if you see any holes anywhere – that indicates it has worms, so you better avoid it. If they are firm to touch, they are fresh. Old ones will be soft. In case of cauliflower and broccoli, the florets should be of even color and not brown.

Potatoes, onions, carrots or other root vegetables
Check to see that they don’t have holes either.

Tubers will be firm under pressure if they are fresh. Old ones get soft. Fresh carrots are usually bright in colour, and older ones start looking dry and pale.

For onions, see that the entire onion is pretty much the same colour. Old onions start drying up from bottom up, so the larger the dry area, the older your onion is – and the less edible.

Beans, Okra (ladies finger), etc.
Vegetables like beans and okra are crisp when they are fresh, and break easily. To check for freshness, just bend the tip, and if it breaks, then it is fresh. With age, the beans or okra become fiberous and bend with pressure, becoming hard to break.

Leafy Vegetables
Check the bunch to ensure there are no rotting or dry leaves. When you touch the leaves, they should be firm and crisp. Soft and tender leaves indicate that the bunch is old.

Peas
With peas, much of the previous knowledge doesn’t apply. If you pick the brightest pods, you will end up with baby peas – a lot of work and very little to cook with! One has to be a little careful here, because pea pods are prone to having worms. So make sure there are no holes in the pods, and pick the dry looking ones that seem filled up and are firm to touch.