Masters of Spices & Sweets

CHANDIGARH: Why limit boys to automobiles and gaming consoles when they are ready to set the kitchen on fire? Not literally, of course. City youngsters are shedding stereotypes and experimenting with spices and sweets, rustling up delicacies that will leave you licking your fingers.
From desserts to main course meals, these young men are into hardcore cooking."I can make all kind of desserts like cakes and ice cream. I can even prepare a full roasted chicken all by myself. I even tried to experiment whit an ice cream recipe. It turned out really nice." says Mahir, a Class IX student.
Nishant Ghuman, a second-year BCA student of DAV College in Sector 10, is another youngster who likes to beat eggs, chop onions and tomatoes, stir sauces and whip up lavish dishes. "I like to do fancy cooking. I love to bake. My inspiration is my mother. When I was a kid, I used to watch her make those exotic dishes. From there on, I developed an interest in cooking," says Nishant, who quickly adds that he has no intentions of becoming a chef. "I want to be an army officer. It is a cliché that only women cook. I am going to cook forever, even after I get married," he says.
For people who cook regularly, it may be a regular chore but for these boys it is their passion, and a method to relax. "Cooking is a stress buster. It relieves me to a great extent. It would be completely absurd if I am mocked at for preferring cooking to other activities. No hobby is feminine or masculine, a hobby is a hobby because one has much love for it," Nishant says.