Food Prep: Introduction

Whether you are only hungry for a good story or have the appetite of Kumbhakarna, this is the cookbook for you. There will be three stories I will be focusing on: Greedy Ganesha, Akshaya Patra, and Krishna Rides Hastin. All three stories are very unique, and I am excited to retell them to you. These three stories do include once big common factor, FOOD.

Greedy Ganesha is the story about Ganesha's love for modaks. In this story, Ganesha gets in trouble when he over eats modaks and his stomach burst open. Ganesha even has a Modak inspired nickname: Modakapriya! Modak will be the focus of the story I retell. I will be trying to replicate these delicious treats and showing you all how it goes.

Krishna Rides Hastin is a story about how kindness is the reatest strength. In this story, Krishna's brother, Balram, wants to kill the strongest bull in the village. The bull is named Hastin. Krishna shows his brother how gentle Hastin can be with kindness and some sweet jaggery. I will be showing how to make a very simple jaggery energy ball, also called Badam Ladoo, to go along with this story!

Akshaya Patra is the story of Krishna's visit to the Pandavas. In this story, Draupadi offers Krishna all she has to eat, one grain of rice. She gives all she has, which is a big sacrifice even if it is one little piece of rice. Draupadi is rewarded with an akshaya patra, an inexhaustible vessel of food. I will be cooking up the rice dish kheer for this recipe. One thing I love about this story is its application in present day. Currently in India, Akshaya Patra has become a non-profit school lunch program.

Every page will include a detailed recipe, with pictures to go along with it, and a story. For the recipe I will make it as clear as possible. Some recipes may not be as traditional as others. Traditional ingredients in India are hard to get in the United States. Even so, they will all (hopefully) taste good.