Introduction to the travels
In our house, the one thing that we have more than anything else is books. Over the years we have carefully selected and added various titles and genres to our collection. One of the well-thumbed ones is the travel books. My father would sit comfortably on his armchair and leaf through the pages and transport himself right into the jungles of Borneo or sail on a yacht along the coasts of Ireland. If I asked him about our next travel plans he would show me the book that he is reading and tell me to take it once he is done. I don’t want to travel in an armchair, I tell him. I want to be there; walk their streets; see their people; eat their food and experience their culture. That is too much hassle, this is better, he would say, and get back to his reading. You can imagine my frustration especially since this was the man who made a fuss about going on an Antarctica expedition, spending three months in the frigid summer and gushing about his experiences if ever anyone even remotely mentioned the South Pole.
Now cut to the year 2020. Who knew that a virus could bring the world to a stop and make armchair travelling a frustrating reality? The reality is stark with people battling illnesses, families losing loved ones, people struggling financially with pay cuts or job losses, blue collar workers dying of starvation and exhaustion, those suffering from depression or abuse trapped at home, and the list goes on. It’ll seem like a blessing and a luxury if you have good health, have food to eat, have a family to support you, have a job, have hobbies, have a purpose in life. Reality might seem dismal and you may not have the energy or purpose to get out of bed in the mornings, but remember that even in their most despairing moments most Jews in concentration camps kept their hopes up. Depression is more than pain and sorrow; it is a complete loss of hope. While hope may seem like a useless emotion, fuelling fantastic thoughts with very little outcome, it is essential to keep our sanity. Hope fuels our purpose in our life and makes us want to jump out of bed every morning to make those fantastic dreams a reality.
In childhood, I spent a good amount of time day-dreaming. I would read, or listen to music, or travel without wanting to reach the destination; all the time making up stories in my head. I’ve heard plenty of advices from elders, and various aphorisms connecting dreamers and fools. But let’s not forget that most of our tangible reality was once a thought experiment or a day-dream or an idea. I still day-dream and it has kept my hope, purpose and imagination in life still alive.
I remember quite vaguely the story of the flying magic drum that I had made up while playing with my friend in our childhood. We had to sit atop a drum, strap ourselves on it and it’ll fly us away into magical lands where we have many adventures. I don’t remember any of the adventures now, else I would’ve shared a story or two here.
I imagine armchair travelling to be an adult version of the same magical drum experience. Strapping yourself on an armchair and getting magically transported in your mind to the places that you read about. But what if instead of the armchair, you were strapped to your dining chair that allows you to eat while travelling? You could be travelling on your dining chair along the cobbled streets of Italy and grab a Panini on the go or probably a roll of Sushi in Japan.
At this time I’ll be happy if I can at least travel through India. India is vast, with 28 states and 8 union territories; can you even imagine the number of dishes in each state/UT and its many variations? My life on this Earth might end before I savour every dish that is made in India. By dish I include sweets too. Better not even go there!
So, I plan to strap on my seat belt on my dining chair and travel through India savouring a dish or two from every state and UT. Some will be dishes that I’ve never eaten before and some are those I would want to revisit over and over again. Remember though that it is a lockdown travelling and many local ingredients will be impossible to source, sometimes even without the lockdown. Wherever possible I shall substitute and if I cannot, then I shall try another simpler dish. All dishes will be cooked by me with recipes that I find online or in books. If you, as the reader, have a better recipe then don’t forget to share it with me. And more importantly I would invite you all to travel with me on my magically transportable dining chair and share this gastronomic affair with me. Love for food is love indeed.
