Amusing tale of a grandma’s recipes for kitchen
Amritsar, November 14
Of the many family legacies that most of us have inherited (willingly or otherwise), the most common is our grandma’s secret recipes that have stood the test of time. While most enjoy indulging in this culinary treasure trove every once in a while, award winning celebrated author Natasha Sharma has in fact derived inspiration from her grandma’s recipes, not just for kitchen but also for life, to pen down a short and impressive book, Biji’s in the Kitchen!
Natasha was hosted for a book reading session of Biji’s in The Kitchen by The Language Lab in city. Natasha Sharma, who was born in Amritsar, has vividly taken cues from the city’s food heritage and painted a lively, engaging narrative through the story of her grandmother, Biji, as we say in Punjabi, is a bad cook, loves to create food mishmashes, but never gives up.
“The book has been inspired by my own grandmother, who was way ahead of her time. She couldn’t cook, but could ride a bike through the narrow by-lanes of Amritsar. She was someone who would not conform to society’s norms about how women should behave or do,” shared Natasha. Through recollections of her Biji, Natasha Sharma narrated the bond she shared with her and how she would politely taste all her mishmashes without any complaints. Biji used to take her to taste the famed street delicacies like jalebis or lassi; she would tell her to keep trying to achieve her goals and never give up, despite the odds, quite like Biji’s own attempts at cooking a delicacy for the kids.
With 25 odd books to her credit, including the History Mystery series and others, Natasha shared how it is always hard to begin a new book, especially for kids. “I have always tried to bring in my own experiences as a child growing up in Amritsar and things around me, to tell a story. So, most of my books somehow find a connection with Amritsar. I feel humour is one thing that finds instant connection with kids and when you tell them something without being preachy, it gets their attention.”
Navreet Kapoor from The Language Lab said such storytelling sessions are a great literary resource for children. “Reading opens up a world of imagination, knowledge and helps build up vocabulary of kids. It not only helps in expanding their knowledge but also introduces them to new concepts. The Language Lab is a literary studio that engages children of different age-groups in reading, storytelling and building vocabulary through creative exercises.”
