Exchange at Penn Cooking for Community

Moving to Penn for a semester exchange is a big change for me, since back at my home university in Sydney, Australia most domestic students live with their families at home. As a result, coming from an Indian heritage, I knew the biggest change moving to Penn would be the change in diet. Food is everything to me, and my entire family including my mum and dad are excellent chefs.

Being a vegetarian and also a lover of good (Indian) food, the dining hall option just wouldn’t cut it for me and I’m not a fan of regularly eating out/take out as it’s generally unhealthy. I came prepared with the knowledge that I would have to finally learn how to cook Indian food. Over the semester I have attempted several different dishes i.e. matar paneer and roti, pulao, palda and rice, khitchdi, black lentil/urad dal and rice, gajar matar sabzi and roti, rajma rice, chole rice, jeera aloo, kheer, poha.

I have also cooked for my friends at least once, but often twice a week since Week 1. Mostly these have been informal occasions, because when I start to cook, I remember my family always eats dinner together and I wanted to recreate that with my family at Penn, so I’ll call my friends over and they’ll be at my room within minutes. I hosted four ‘formal’ dinner parties 6 – 10 people which had invitations sent out a week in advance to get RSVPs so I could prepare in advance. The most memorable occasion was my Diwali party on Sunday 12th November. I made a rich spread of food, from entrees to dessert and drink. Sharing a meal with friends and family is an essential part of this Hindu festival, so I was glad to be able to deliver that atmosphere of warmth and laughter through my food. We have had some of the best conversations while eating homecooked food, I think it has made everyone feel comfortable and at home while at Penn and has also brought us closer together.

If you asked me at the beginning of the semester, I did not think I could cook a single one of these dishes without external help. Now, I am confident that I know to cook all the above like the back of my hand, and I can learn new dishes without hesitation. Gaining proficiency in my cooking skills over this semester has been a lifechanging experience. I feel empowered now because I strongly believe my sense of independence is tied to being able to provide for myself (and others) meals that suit my preferences, are economical, healthy and delicious.

I would say that my newfound love for cooking extends beyond the confines of this class. I am strongly considering upskilling myself and becoming a more professional chef by taking some classes (maybe not as a career but as a hobby). I was inspired by the curiosity conversations I had with guest chefs in the numerous Quaker Kitchen: Culinary Sessions I attended. For example, Chef Chetna Macwan, owner of The Curry Blossom started off as a homecook and incorporated elements of her Kenyan, Indian and American heritage into her dishes – which were so good she opened her own chain. Dr. Jonathan Deutsch on the other hand studied food science and had a career as a food researcher, and is now the Director of Drexel Food Lab, bringing sustainability and innovation into food development. As I am studying bioengineering, it is fascinating to see the science behind food /agriculture R&D.