Tag Archives: cooking

Understanding Physiology is like learning to Cook!

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A great analogy one could use in understanding physiology is cooking! In physiology, we explore step-by-step changes that results in a final product. Cooking involves a number of steps as well. An error in any one of these steps could affect the final product. In cooking Mysore Pak (Split chick pea cake) for example, the timing is extremely crucial (the recipe is below). If it is cooked a little longer than the suggested time, the entire mixture is unusable. It does not hold the shape and becomes powdery. If it is undercooked, it is not Mysore Pak at all because it does not have the pores or the fragrance and lacks the dual color it develops while setting. In order to avoid such problems, one has to make sure that the cooking temperature is not too high or too low and the pan used is not too thin that makes the mixture burn easily.

The same is true for any physiological process. If one of the steps or ingredients is lacking or abnormal, the end product could be a disease state. Blood clotting is an example where calcium plays a key role. If calcium is in lower concentration than normal, it could interfere with the blood clotting process and be responsible for internal bleeding.  There are compensatory mechanisms that exist in the body to avoid such situations, however. To prevent low blood calcium levels, the body may begin to dissolve more bone matrix than normal or trigger increased calcium absorption.  

Mysore Pak (Split chick pea cake)

Split chick pea flour – 1 cup

Sugar – 1 ⅔  cups

Water – 1 cup

Ghee – 1 cup

 

 

Boil sugar and water for 5 minutes. At the same time, heat ghee on medium, stir in split chick pea flour and fry for 5 minutes. Pour sugar syrup into the flour and ghee mixture and continue to stir while adding ghee little at a time. In approximately 15 to 20 minutes, the mixture turns stringy and pores appear. Empty this mixture into a greased container. Cut within 30 minutes.

 

Cooking Addiction

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“Cooking is so much fun – you can create anything you want. You can personalize it to your taste and make it healthy for you. It is amazing, I love it!” are the enthusiastic words from my 20-year old son who is in Nairobi for the summer. When I asked him how he was interested in cooking so suddenly especially when he had never tried to cook before, his response was that he had watched me cook, enjoyed the aroma of freshly cooked food and was able to get into it naturally.  My daughter started cooking very young and has become a seasoned chef capable of cooking a wide range of dishes from the east and the west.

I love cooking and I think I am now addicted to it. I guess I picked it from watching my mother cook who spent most of her time in the kitchen while we were growing up.  During my visits to see my mother half way around the world, hoping to spend quality time with her, I often witnessed her trying to cook and feed all our favorite dishes within the few weeks we stayed with her. My constant reminder that I could cook those same things and I would rather see her spend time with us never convinced her.

My passion for cooking has only grown over the years. As an empty nester, I could have easily survived without cooking much. Instead I cook with many excuses such as creating a cook book or by volunteering to serve as a host for the Home Plate program (which involves having students from Washington University in St. Louis regularly to enjoy homemade meals) or sharing food with friends and families. The recipes have evolved over time and continue to change as new ideas appear.

The secret of successful cooking addiction remains in that the cooked food should be of a well-balanced diet eaten within limits to appreciate fresh, healthy, flavorful and tasty meals.