Fenil P is a future colleague of mine in psychiatry. I got to know him this year as we went through the psychiatry interview process and worked on an HSIQ project together! I think HSIQ brings people together in a way that you really can't describe to people not in our medical school. I had noticed from social media that Fenil had some cooking nights with his friends, so I was curious to see what his relationship with food and cooking was like!
Growing up, who made food at your house? What did they make and what was your favorite thing to eat?
My mom has cooked for the whole family ever since she was married to my dad. She cooks all kinds of Indian food belonging to different parts of India. Our staple food is Roti (flat bread), Shaak (vegetable curry), Dal (lentil soup), and rice. There is so much variety in Indian cuisine so my mom changes up the menu every other day to keep it interesting. My favorite thing to eat as a child and even now is Pani Puri https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG_2qlrUaNg My mom made it last week!!
What made you start cooking? What was it like when you first started cooking?
I have never had to cook out of necessity because my mom has always been at home to cook for us. But I do enjoy getting my hands dirty in the kitchen and experimenting with new dishes. I know how to make some basic Indian dishes and a few Mexican dishes. It was really hard to cook Indian food in the beginning because you have to do everything in a particular order and get the spice proportions just right for it to taste good.
Do you have any special philosophies on the groceries you buy or the food you decide to eat?
My family has been vegetarian for several generations so I have been a vegetarian since birth. In fact, most of the people in my home state of Gujarat in India are vegetarians. This is mostly for cultural reasons as Hinduism preaches non-violence toward all living things. Although there are many non-vegetarian people in other parts of India and it is a growing trend as the middle class is trying foods from around the world.
Where are your favorite places to go out to eat or order in--every day and special occasion?
Amul India restaurant on Sawmill road. Mardi Gras Ice cream (Best Indian ice cream shop ever)https://www.yelp.com/biz/mardi-gras-homemade-ice-cream-columbus
Any food/cooking related special thoughts or memories that you just wanted to share?
Me and my friends sometimes get together and cook food instead of going out to eat. It is always a lot of fun and we’ve made a lot of memories together. We once made Mexican pizza together and had a movie night afterwards 😊
