Welcome to my kitchen!
The word 'Akshayapaatram' (ak-shaya-path-rum) is derived from the Sanskrit words 'akshaya' - one that never diminishes & 'paatram' - vessel - combining to mean inexhaustible vessel. Keeping true to this name, I hope to build this blog as a place that will give you recipes for all occasions and inspiration to create your own.
Myth has it that in the Mahabharata, when the Pandavas were sent on an exile for 14yrs, Surya, the Sun God, presented a special bowl to Yudhistira, the eldest of the Pandava's. When turned upright the bowl would fill up with unlimited amounts of food that would satiate their hunger and hence was called akshayapaatram. More here...
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I'm Priya, an engineer by profession and a cook at heart dabbling in photography. I don't know when the interest for cooking started but I remember sitting with my mom watching cooking shows on TV, language wasn't a barrier, be it in english, telugu, hindi or tamil, we watched all of them. I stepped into the kitchen only to taste test my mom's creations. She experimented a lot and made everything from scratch - pickles, jams, ketchup, sun-dried goods, north Indian fare. Her philosophy of cooking every meal at home, from scratch and with love is ingrained in me. My dad played the role of her assistant and I was his. He came up with fantastic food pairings for us to try out. Despite investing in a $100 chef's knife I envy his knife skills and can never get my carrots or cabbage chopped as finely and uniformly as he can. The salads he put out on the table were a work of art and looked impeccable.
Together, my brother & I have shared many food memories and I think that has instilled in us the instinct to cook. Cooking is my stress buster, I love puttering around in the kitchen, cooking old and new recipes. No matter how long a day I have, when I get back home I still like to cook a meal because it helps me relax and immediately puts my mind at ease. I started this blog to treasure our family recipes and create more in the process. I strongly feel that food forms a really important part of family and brings people together. To prepare a meal and share it with family & friends is a much more intimate gift than we give it credit for.
This blog started as a means of recording my mom's recipes and my trials in the kitchen, but it has evolved into so much more in the last
Homemade food, made from scratch and created with love is the best way for a healthy, fulfilling lifestyle. I hope I've inspired you with my recipes, its from your support & encouragement that this space continues to thrive.
Happy Cooking!
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Photography Equipment
The initial photos on this blog were taken using a Canon Camcorder, I have since upgraded to a DSLR.
Camera :
Lens : Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens
Tamron AF18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Lens
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Lens
Software: Canon Digital Photo Professional
GIMP
I use the 50mm f/1.8 lens for most of the food photos and shoot in daylight when possible. I don't use any additional studio lighting. A few thermacol boards act as reflectors when needed. I've been capturing the photos in RAW format lately and so have a lot more control over them while post-processing.
