Life Lessons from an Indian Cooking Class

Over time, my engineer and I discovered the treasures that the Great White North had to offer. We found that, due to the long cold winters, the people were wonderful beyond belief.  Because most socialization was done indoors for 9 months, it was best that you were on good terms with everyone, or you wouldn't be welcome anywhere.  By the time that we were there about a year, I discovered that I had a passion for cooking.  It would have amazed the "self" of pre-military the number of 20+ guest dinners that I had prepared that first year.  Even now, as the mother of two, I am a bit amazed at the hours I had spent in the kitchen.  That passion for cooking is what prompted me to go on a treasure hunt for a good kitchen store.

Where we were located, the closest Williams-Sonoma was a 5 hour drive...and don't even ask about a Sur La Table.  I have yet to see one of those again.  I had always enjoyed cooking, but it was nothing like the passion that I developed that first 12 months in the military.  What I discovered was that the way to a squadron's heart was through its stomach.  I also found that if I wanted Indian or Greek food, I had to make it myself.  So, out of sheer homesickness for restaurants from back home, I dove into culinary exploration.

One day, while exploring our local town, I spotted the one thing that had been in my dreams for months: a kitchen store.  A real, honest to God, KITCHEN STORE!  I couldn't believe my luck.  After parking and carefully braving the ice, I went in.  That blessed store became a haven to me.  It was an independently owned store with the most delightful staff you could ever want.  They had cooking classes and contests throughout the year!  Oh, my prayers had been answered!  I could go in there and browse for a good hour.

The thing that kept drawing me back was how at home I felt in there.  After feeling so out of my element, it was amazing to actually go somewhere and have someone know my name.  I had never realized just how lonely I was until I found myself searching for reasons to go in.  That store was the kind of place where local women would go in and visit.  There was always coffee and cider on during the long winter months.  I got to meet so many women there who had the same love...food.  And not just any food.  But good food, made with their own two hands.

I will never forget when the owner of the store released the next season's list of classes.   On that list, front and center, was Indian Cooking!  My engineer and I were desperately missing good Indian food after leaving our local neighborhood Indian restaurant behind in St. Louis.  Quickly, without hesitation, I signed up for the class.  When the night for the class finally came, it felt like Christmas morning.  With great excitement, I went to the class.

To say that night is one of the highlights of our time in the Great White North seems too simple.  What I learned that night from a local doctor's wife opened the doors to a whole new world for me.  She showed me how simple Indian food was, and in the process, paved the way for me to learn creative ways to remedy homesickness.  What I learned that night was that, whenever I miss a location, I can transport my family back to that place through a simple dinner that brings back memories.

Over the last decade, I have transported our family back to several locations.  Indian & Greek food for our time in St. Louis.  Santa Maria style BBQ and good Mexican food for my home state.  Food from our time in the Orient.  Various cuisines from our three years in Europe.  Whenever we miss our military family from past assignments, I cook a meal that takes us there, opens the conversation to good memories, and reminds us of how rich our lives are, despite the challenges and heartache.

To this day, I am beyond thankful for the one Indian cooking class that I took all those years ago.  That young woman desperately needed to learn some coping mechanisms.  Not only did the doors to Indian Cooking open to her, but she learned that familiar smells, tastes and textures  can bring a connection to different times that seem so far away.

Now, every time we arrive at a new location, I search for cooking classes and cook books for local cuisine.  I have learned that to live within a different culture means to embrace the food and the closeness that people have by sharing a meal.  Yes, over the years my cookbook collection has grown by leaps and bounds...but each book is an important element within the various chapters of our Military Life.  That one Indian cooking class taught me the invaluable life lesson of making the best of the life I have.  While we may be completely uprooted on a regular basis, as long as I have my kitchen, going back is just a dinner away.