Welcome to my kitchen!
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| My sister-in-law's wedding gift for me |
The word 'Akshayapaatram' (ak-shaya-path-rum) is derived from the Sanskrit words 'akshaya' - one that never diminishes & 'paatram' - vessel - combining to mean inexhaustible vessel. Keeping true to this name, I hope to build this blog as a place that will give you recipes for all occasions and inspiration to create your own.
Myth has it that in the Mahabharata, when the Pandavas were sent on an exile for 14yrs, Surya, the Sun God, presented a special bowl to Yudhistira, the eldest of the Pandava's. When turned upright the bowl would fill up with unlimited amounts of food that would satiate their hunger and hence was called akshayapaatram. More here...
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I'm Priya, an engineer by profession and a cook at heart dabbling in photography. I don't know when the interest for cooking began, but I remember sitting with my mom watching all the different cooking shows on TV, be it in english, telugu, hindi or tamil. I never stepped into the kitchen but was always watching the shows and taste testing what my mom cooked. She experimented a lot, making everything from scratch - pickles, jams, ketchup, sun-dried goods, north Indian fare. Her philosophy of cooking every meal at home, from scratch with love is ingrained in me now. My dad played the role of her assistant and I was his. He always comes up with the fantastic food pairings and combinations for us to try out. I still envy his knife skills and can never get my carrots or cabbage chopped as finely as he can. The salads he puts out on the table always look impeccable.
Together, my brother & I have shared many food memories over the years and I think that has instilled in us the instinct to cook. Cooking is my stress buster, I love puttering around in the kitchen, cooking old and new recipes. No matter how long a day I have, when I get back home I still like to cook a meal because it helps me relax and immediately puts my mind at ease. I started this blog to treasure our family recipes and create more in the process. I strongly feel that food forms a really important part of family and brings people together. To prepare a meal and share it with family & friends is a much more intimate gift than we give it credit for.
This blog started as a means of recording my mom's recipes and my trials in the kitchen, but it has evolved into so much more in the last 4 years. I've gotten my mom to add a few of her recipes herself, and along with my dad, they do all the proof reading. I've expanded my horizons too, trying out different cuisines, cooking with newer vegetables, spices and techniques. With an ever increasing food blogging community there seems to be no room for boredom in my kitchen.
Homemade food, made from scratch and created with love is the best way for a healthy, fulfilling lifestyle. I hope I've inspired you with my recipes, its from your support & encouragement that this space continues to thrive.
Happy Cooking!
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Photography Equipment
The initial photos on this blog were taken using a Canon Camcorder, I have since upgraded to a DSLR.
Camera :
Lens : Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens
Tamron AF18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Lens
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Lens
Software: Canon Digital Photo Professional
GIMP
I use the 50mm f/1.8 lens for most of the food photos and shoot in daylight when possible. I don't use any additional studio lighting. A few thermacol boards act as reflectors when needed. I've been capturing the photos in RAW format lately and so have a lot more control over them while post-processing.
