Life Has Come Full Circle: From a 13-Year-Old Cook to Giving Back
Who would have thought I would be here?
I was 13 years old when my mother, who was a teacher, started teaching at a middle school. Her new school schedule meant she had to leave for work in the morning, and I ended up taking care of the kitchen with my dad.
In our Brahmin household, cooking was traditionally done by family members, and we didn't have anyone else cooking for us. So, I started cooking out of compulsion. It wasn't fun. It was a responsibility.
But my dad was very encouraging. He watched my rotis (Indian bread) grow from various shapes to beautiful, round circles. He would praise everything I cooked and eat it with so much love and care.
I realized later in life that all that extra pickle and yogurt my dad ate were probably helping him get through my not-so-perfect cooking! Fast-forward to 2026. At 55, my cooking lessons have helped raise a few thousand dollars for the Family and Community Connection Support Network (FCSN).
Last night, at the gala, my cooking lesson was auctioned live, and multiple people bid on it! the winning bid was $2000. I ended up offering two additional lessons to bidder no 2 and 3 so FCSN could raise even more money.
Who would have thought that the 13-year-old girl who started cooking out of compulsion would one day have someone pay $2,000 for one of her cooking lessons? Life truly has come full circle!
But more than that, I'm happy and honored to share my cultural heritage and cuisine with families who may not know what a real, home-cooked Indian meal tastes like.
I love changing people's perceptions of Indian food. After my cooking lessons, people realize that Indian food is not just curry, and it doesn't have to be hot and spicy all the time. Indian food is flavorful, diverse, and full of wonderful aromas and tastes. I love introducing people to the variety of dishes Indian cuisine has to offer and showing them that there is so much more to it than they might have imagined.
I serve on the board of FCSN, and I couldn't be prouder that something I learned out of necessity as a 13-year-old girl could, all these years later, help me give back to an organization I care about.
A silk Saree to for the Gala. Some fun pictures with the board members.
some of us -Board Members
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