I’ve been scratching my head for a long time whether to blog or not. I’m a lousy blog reader myself which, I've been warned, is a weak premise for becoming a blogger. I visit food blogs occasionally to boost an inspiration to cook. Cooking is important to me.
I started cooking when we were running a bhakti-yoga centre in northern Greece with my husband, over 20 years ago. However, even before getting my head and heart around kitchen, I had learnt to value cooking skills, as well as eating, while following a monastic order in an ashram for several years. For me, food is related to purity. It nourishes body and soul alike.
Cooking is a reflection of lifestyle and culture. It tells about the qualities we appreciate and adhere to. It is a form of social interaction and a way to share affection and care. It is a primary need that, unfortunately, is devaluated by the modern society. It bothers me. I hope it is a conflict worth of a blog.
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL
As a bhakti-yogini, I’m a servant of vaishnavas and Sri Krishna in the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya, which is a Bengali branch of Indian Vedanta school of philosophy and discipline. With such background, my work lies within the realm of consciousness. It allows me to live simple, sustainable life and make responsible choices. Cooking healthy and wholesome is an exercise of love and goodness. For me, it is an essential yoga-practice.
One of the first things I learnt on the path of self-realization is non-violence. It means not to harm one self, other human beings, animals or plants. Ultimately, non-violence refers to enlightenment about the nature of all living entities. It is a gateway out of ignorance.
In our home, we call food as prashad, mercy. Every spoonful is a gift. It makes cooking and eating an act of devotion. This blog will offer the visual remnants of these blessings to you. I hope they will encourage you with your beneficial values and lifestyle choices.
FACTS & FIGURES
I currently live in Helsinki, Finland, with my husband. I am 56 years old and an author of a cookbook, Pure Vegetarian.
All photographs on this site are copyrighted with all rights reserved. Please, do not use them without permission. If you like to license an image for a personal or commercial use, please contact me by e-mail. I am available for food writing, styling and photography.
ABOUT THE RECIPES
This blog is meant to be inspirational.
Some of the recipes, especially the ones with an Indian influence, may appear complicated due to the amount of spices. However, my approach to cooking is simple: the ingredients are common and easily found, and the cooking process is fairly quick and flexible. Feel free to adjust the recipes to suit your taste buds.
LANGUAGE
Last but not least, please pardon my English. I'm getting old. Vocabulary and grammar are slipping out of memory even in my native tongue. Bare with me :-).
Thank you for visiting the blog.
Sincerely,