Welcome to the kitchen

Illustration of the kitchen of my apartment in Melbourne by @aasmafilms_art_academy

The picture above is an illustration of the kitchen of my apartment in Melbourne. Thank you so much Didi for making this.

This kitchen will always hold a special place in my heart. I would like to share two of the several reasons here.

Firstly, it was the birthplace of the idea called “Shubham’s Kitchen”. The idea found its first manifestation in an Instagram page that had pictures of the food that I prepared in this kitchen. (more about this in a separate blog)

Secondly, when my parents and sister visited me, this is where we spent most of our time. As it was a 1-bedroom apartment, it won’t be an exaggeration to say that we all lived in the kitchen. On any given day, the scene would be something like this. I come home from work. I open the door. My elder sister is creating artwork on the dinner table in front of the fridge. My mother is sitting on the IKEA chair, right in front of the kitchen table top, watching the television while making steady progress in her knitting. My father is engrossed in creating something beautiful from the discarded wood that he sourced from the streets during his morning walk. (you will find some artifacts in the picture). Tea is boiling on the gas stove. The family enjoys chai with Parle-G biscuits while sharing stories of the day. All of this is happening with the kitchen in the background……and cut!

So, whenever I look at this picture, it transports me back to those days as if all the cupboards, drawers, trollies, and racks have safely stored all the memories.

To me, a kitchen is not just a space to cook our meals. It is a reflection of who we are.

It is a space where we share stories. Exchange thoughts. Debate. Have dialogues. Conversations. Discuss a range of topics. Collage on the cupboard, books on the shelf, magnets on the fridge, plants peeking through the windows. Open a drawer, you will find spices from a particular region. Open another, and you may find something to nibble on from a different region. Every ingredient has a story to tell. Collective wisdom.

That’s why I chose to call my blogging website S H U B H A M’S K I T C H E N . blog. Just like on a cold day, we seek warmth in the kitchen, I hope this cloud kitchen will offer similar warmth through the stories. The kitchen will have a variety of ingredients like food, travel, meditation, permaculture, art, movies, gardening, and much more so that there will always be something to add flavor to your day.

Bon appétit!