Am an ardent fan of her(food photos & recipes) since 2013. In these 3 years she has moved to different continents/time zones but her enthusiasm,energy when it comes to cooking, trying new recipes, sharing the knowledge remains constant. There are some moments in life where I feel that I really have to thank Social Media. Getting to know culinary experts like Anu is definitely one such moment. Not only me, for many people out there she is a virtual mentor and we are all trying to learn as much as possible from her .
Anoosrini – A proud homemaker, mom to adorable twin girls, straight forward person with great culinary skills,passionate about food,knows lots of information regarding various cuisines & techniques. She can cook anything from the traditional elaborate south indian lunch to a 3 tier chocolate cake effortlessly but still remain humble and never boast about her works.Her ideaology about food is what inspires me the most.
If someone’s recipe or food pic is really good she appreciates them whole heartedly at the same time if people state wrong facts about an ingredient/process/recipe she doesn’t hesitate to point out their mistakes.
Read the Q & A with this fabulous woman below :
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1.Were you fond of food and cooking related stuff since childhood? Or like most of women whether it all started after marriage?
Always, I think. More interested in food, and eating earlier. But I didn’t start cooking fulltime until I moved to U.S. for work. Marriage had nothing to do with cooking, as it shouldn’t. 🙂 🙂 I cook because I love cooking.
2. We all have grownup watching our moms, grandmas and aunts create magic in their kitchens. Who is your inspiration when it comes to cooking in your family?
I think it was my mom. We were a nuclear family, so I ate my grandma’s cooking only during summer holidays, that too, not for long. So it was mostly my mom. She had a full time job, but always managed to cook for us always. Even as a kid, I loved home cooked food. Loved it better than cafeteria food at school/college/work. Always carried lunch box from from home. I used to sit on the counter and watch her cook, but I never specifically learned any recipes from her until much later. It’s more her style, the way she moved in the kitchen that fascinated me even then. I’d like think I’m very much like her that way, but definitely not as graceful. 🙂
3. When I first started following you on Instagram I thought you were a professional chef (believe it or not 🙂 )Am just curious to know your educational background. What did you study?
Ha ha, thank you. You are very kind. I have no professional training in cooking. I studied Engineering, like many many of those of my age, and I worked as a programmer before my Instagram days.
4. Your kids lunch box posts are so inspiring. I have seen you pack from Paniyaram to pasta, salads, eggs, fruits etc. in their boxes. Do you plan those lunchbox menu every week?
Thank you. As I said earlier, it’s just the way I was raised, taking lunch boxes from home every single day. But for my kids, it is even more important, because cafeteria food here is mostly meat most days, and while we don’t restrict them on eating any type of food, kids just love our vegetarian food the best. So I enjoy packing lunch for them, even if it means waking up at 5:30am everyday.
5. How did you train R and L to eat different cuisines?
I think, more than anything, kids watch and learn from parents. The best way, would hence be, sit down and eat with the kids. We try and do that for at least one meal a day (more on weekends). They watch us enjoying different food, different vegetables and they want to try it too. They wouldn’t like everything, and I wouldn’t force them to either. But they try and exposing them to different tastes, textures and cuisines early enough helps a lot. Plus of course, we’ve lived in 4 different countries so local cuisine from all over also helps.
6. Do they hate any particular food item or they are ok with whatever you pack? Share some tips to Moms who are struggling to make their kids eat the daily portion of veggies & fruits.
I get requests rarely, but mostly by now I know what they like. Nowadays, I’ve perfected spice, taste and quantity, so the lunchboxes always come back empty. 🙂 🙂
7. There is always a precision in your food. If you make lasagna we could witness the layers clearly, if you make parathas they are exactly round in shape, if you make idlis they are perfectly puffed up and I can list 10 different such examples from your posts. For an impatient person like me give a tip or two on how to achieve such perfection?
8. As far as I know, 3 years 3 different countries. How do you all cope up with travel, location change, adapting new environment etc.?
It’s been hard. Especially when you’re moving with kids. Takes a lot of courage, a bit of pig-headedness and the will to adapt. Moving to Spain with 3 year-old twins, without knowing the language was the biggest risk we took. After that the other moves were actually simple. Although, it did help in a way that kids were very young. They are more open to change when they’re young.
9. Who is favorite cookbook author? What is your source of learning different techniques (say pasta making, icing a cake etc.)?
10. Are there any particular cookery channels in YouTube or any blog/website you religiously follow?
Nope. I stopped watching TV or anything else a while back. I just use the time to cook some more. But I do love some shows on Netflix these days, Parts Unknown, The Mind of a Chef, Chef’s Table etc. They are more descriptive shows, than instructive, and those are the kind of shows I like. Used to be a huge fan of Good Eats when it was telecast though.
11. What is your opinion on the latest food fads, superfoods & diets?
It’s good to try, to see what works for you. But I wouldn’t take anything seriously until you’ve tried it for a few weeks to see if it agrees with you. But the best way, is to make healthier choices every single day, cook more often, avoid processed food, and stress less about food. I prefer a healthy lifestyle overall to any fad diet. Superfoods on the other hand are good I think. There is more scientific research now, so I always use kale in the place of spinach, use quinoa more often etc. Again, see what works for you and never follow anything blindly. Research thoroughly before you take up any diet.
12. What’s your family’s favorite meal that they request you often to make it?
You know, that’s one thing I’m super sad about. My family, almost never, request for anything. They eat anything I make, and enjoy the surprise. It is annoying to come up with stuff to cook everyday, and I really wish someone did make a request. J
13. Are there any plans of starting a YouTube channel in future? It would be of great help for us 🙂
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Thank you so much Anu for taking your time to answer these questions and for letting me to use your pictures. Keep inspiring us through your wonderful pictures and recipes.
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Anuradha Srinivasan (@anoosrini) • Instagram photos and videos
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