hands in pockets

Here I am, my last few hours in New York before departing on this big journey to Chicago. I'm excited, but admittedly kind of nervous. This is a really new experience for me.

Today I did some basic grocery shopping. Got some medicines I need and toiletries, and grabbed a box of GF pasta to bring along with me in case I don't have a chance to go to the store right away. I'm excited to be in control of what I am eating- and while I don't anticipate that it will be without its difficulties, it will still open a lot of doors for me.

My grandmother was the expert at finding disparate foods, spices, etc- either in the house or store- and turning them into something amazing. Even more admirable, she would somehow often turn it into an Indian food dish. How she managed to make incredible chops out of any type of leftover is still a mystery to me.

My mom has inherited this gift as well. Whenever I had a packed lunch at school, it was always the envy of my friends because it was by far the most creative and ultimately the tastiest.

Food is a huge part of Bengali culture, and I want to nurture both my interest in cooking and my commitment to honoring my grandmother and my culture. She would have been so excited about the fact that I'm cooking for myself. She'd call me every day and ask me what I was making for dinner, and then she'd say, "Baah! Ki Misti! Apurvo ranha!"

I can't actually spell what i'm trying to say- and a direct translation wouldn't really make much sense- but what it essentially means in an awkward translation is, "baah (a sound of approval)- how sweet, excellent food!

She even used to call me at college and ask what I ate for dinner, even though it wasn't really my choice. It was so funny- sometimes she'd just call to ask me that, and then she'd ask how I was doing and then hang up after hearing my response. She just wanted to make sure I was eating well. Like, she knew she may not be able to be with me physically, but she felt like she was making a difference by making sure that I was eating or something. It was so cute, and really significant for me- especially when I started having problems with food, and she started learning about the things I could and couldn't eat. She was really concerned about me and would call me and my mom all the time and ask about what I was eating, just to make sure I wasn't starving.

So today I started on my quest for thriftiness and creativity- but went about it in a very simple way. I bought a box of GF pasta and a can of crushed tomatoes to use as sauce- since I was afraid any kind of glass jar would shatter. I bought some tomato paste to thicken the tomato sauce and some pesto paste to use to add a zing to it. It seems like it could end up being a quick, easy, and tasty gluten free/dairy free meal- and i'm excited to start on my cooking adventures.