Sharmistha is one of the Top 7 Bengali Food Bloggers in the blogging arena. Sharmistha is an engineer by profession and of course
has a lot to do to maintain her career and personal life. She started writing a cookery blog to keep track of all the lovely recipes she prepares at home. Today we bring to you the other side of Sharmistha, the lady behind Cook-a-doodle-do.
To know more about the authors of the other Top 7 Bengali food blogs, click on the links below:
- Jayashree Mandal of Spice and Curry
- Bong Mom of Bong Mom’s CookBook
- Indrani of Appayan
- Sharmila of Kichukhon
What inspires you to write a food blog?
Initially I started a food blog to keep track of the various recipes I follow. Gradually I realized I enjoyed the process of sharing recipes, exchanging ideas, participating in the various events. The whole process of cooking, photographing the process and receiving feedback from people I have never met was/is really exciting…though I am off blogging for the past month or so, I know I’ll be back sooon….
Who had been your inspiration for cooking?
My Mom has been my guru in cooking….though when I actually started cooking, I have been away from home. So it’s been more of telephonic tutorials and instructions that I had to be content with. I call myself a reluctant cook…my love for good food is stronger than my lack of passion for cooking! 😉
Who was and is your greatest support(s) for this blog?
My husband Saptarsi. Not only is he extremely supportive and encouraging, he tolerates his hunger pangs and humours me and indulges me while I go click, click click…..
What was the first dish that you prepared and when?
First dish I prepared?…mmmm…..I guess it was a cake I’d baked. During the long break before joining college and after Higher Secondary exam . Of course Maggi, Omelette and tea were stuff I could do a couple of years prior to that!!
What are the 3 food blogs that you would recommend our readers to read?
- Sharmila’s ‘Kichu Khon’ – I like the stories and incidents she weaves around each recipe….and of course the recipes themselves!!
- Navita’s Zaayeka– Again it’s her anecdotes and style of writing…and the way she adds her personal twist to seemingly simple dishes!
- ‘Soma’s ‘eCurry – The Recipe Blog’– Her blend of traditional Indian (Bengali) and world cuisine is something I love. And the photographs of her culinary creations are a feast to the eyes!
There are many more I really enjoy reading….but since I have been asked to name three, I am reluctantly restricting myself!
How many cook books do you have?
5-6 I guess….i’m not good at following instructions to the T. And hence dont use them too often
What’s your favorite cookbook?
I normally jot down ingredients and procedure from my Mom and use them later.And whenever I eat something delicious at friends & relatives’ places, I ask them for the recipes (or ingredients/procedure) and try them out myself
Tell us something about food from your part of the world?
I have a blogpost on that……http://cookadoodledo.blogspot.com/2009/03/bengali-cuisinea-closer-look.html
What would you eat for your last supper?
Oh dear ….that’s a tough one….my favourite keeps changing all the time.
Which other food blogs do you read regularly?
That’s my blogroll copied and pasted and hence not in any preferential sequence
- ‘Soma’s ‘eCurry – The Recipe Blog’
- Sunanda’s ‘Delicious and mouth watering Indian recipes, cuisines from Sunanda’s Kitchen’
- Indrani’s ‘APPYAYAN’
- Sophie’s ‘The Back Burner’
- Srivalli’s ‘Cooking 4 all Seasons’
- Simple Indian Food- An Easy Cooking Blog
- Ashwini’s Spicy Cuisine
- Viki’s Kitchen.
- HALO’s ‘Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once’
- Sharmila’s ‘Kichu Khon’
- KHANA MASALA
- Dibs/Chitra’s ‘Chitra Amma’s Kitchen’
- Sudeshna’s ‘Here I Cook’
- Rinku’s ‘Cooking in Westchester’
- Health Nut
- Creative saga…
- jugalbandi-CLICK!
- The Well-Seasoned Cook
- Divya’s ‘Dil Se..’
- Spicy chicken burgers
- Cooking For Engineers
- Zaayeka
- Indira Mukherjee’s ‘Krishnokolee র Kitchen’
- # Tasty Recipes
- Mahimaa’s ‘Indian Vegetarian Kitchen’
- Kalpana’s ‘Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth’
- Sri’s ‘Me and My Kitchen’
- Arundhati’s ‘Gourmet Affair’
Your fondest food memory?
Oh several…..sitting on the terrace with my sister and eating kawth bel makha/kaancha aam/tetuler achaar.….
The suspense while opening my tiffin box during school days….to find out what ma had packed for my lunch box
Sunday afternoon lunch during childhood ….when each item would be a special treat
Your most trusty kitchen companion?
My kadai (wok), microwave & blender
What made you call your blog “Cook-a-doodle-do”?
When I was on the verge of starting a cooking blog, much much before I actually started posting, my daughter’s favourite nursery rhyme was Cock-a-doodle-do. At that point of time, whenever I would think of naming my blog, Cook-a-doodle-do would come to mind….then the poem (read it here) came to mind and COOK-A-DOODLE-DO was the name I zeroed as my blog name!!
Name three dishes (along with their links) from your blog that you like preparing often
Which cookbook can you not do without and which chef is your hero/heroine?
As I said I dont follow any cookbook regularly. And I love the way my Ma cooks….fast and finger licking good.
Thanks for publishing the post. The information about the cook blogs are very helpful