Be it a recipe from your grand mother’s cooking that is lost or that French recipe that you so loved but couldn’t get hold of when you were in Paris, it is all just a click away. And the Food bloggers have formed a community of their own, finds out Reshma Krishnamurthy Sharma.

Not that cooking is only a woman’s forte but many amongst us do land in the kitchen either for ourselves or for our near and dear ones. Traditionally women would either try their hand in new culinary skills after going through books or try to get information from an expert in cooking. Today thanks to web world, things have changed. With the gamut of information available on food on Internet, videos popping up on food blogs, women perceive cooking in a new dimension altogether.

She could try to scout for a traditional recipe that reminds of grandma’s cooking or look for a dish that she had last evening at a multi cuisine restaurant. Says Shreya Mehta, Product manger, Levis women’s bottom wear, “Earlier it used to be referring cookery books to try something special but now whenever I do find time over weekends all I need to do is go to my favourite food blog and try to churn that perfect dish that I have had over the week at a friends‘s party or restaurant, all at fingertips.”

On one hand surfing on the Internet for recipes is making many urban women explore the experimentation streak in them by trying new cuisines. There are others too who are equally passionate about cooking but they go one step ahead and publish their own food blogs. These women find their own food domains a resource centre for others who seek tips on cooking. This space is a learning sphere for those who write on food and create a resource centre for those who want to have a reference of traditional and new age cuisines and connect with like minded people.

For Nagalaxmi a professional with Google Singapore who enjoys posting on her food blog cookingandme.com says that while the blog gave the venue to express her passions food, photography and writing, she made many new friends from the blogging world. “The best part about this is, there’s a community of food bloggers that stay in touch, irrespective of where they are located, and organize regular food blogger meets in their respective cities. I have made many friends online whom I’ve never met in real life. And yes, most of them are Indians, although not all are based in India.” She says

Owner of popular food blog aayisrecipes.com, Shilpa.S says, “I love cooking. It calms me down and acts as a stress buster. In the beginning it was to create reference of my mother’s (aayi’s) recipes. Also I would blog to share my recipes with friends who always asked for these recipes.” Pointing out on the reason why she thinks women search for recipes, she says, “I think staying away from home makes people miss their roots. They miss what they had when they were kids and delicacies prepared by their mothers or grand mothers. It’s the idea of just thinking or reading about these dishes make them nostalgic and emotionally happy. And I have noticed from my interactions, that most of the people that read my blog are from similar background as mine. So they connect with me.”

While there are a good number who search for traditional recipes like on aayisrecipes.com Nagalaxmi has a different point of view on why women come to her blog. “I feel like if someone wanted a traditional or family recipe, their moms or aunts are only a phone call away. I see people turning to the Internet when they want to go beyond what they grew up eating. International cuisines and baking, in the case of Indians, is what drives most people online to research and find recipes. Most people ask for baking recipes like egg less cakes, substitution for ingredients not available in India, etc. I think the trend is to rely on your parents or grandparents for the traditional, family recipes and the Internet for cuisines you are not familiar with but want to experiment on.”

Suma Rowjee an avid baker, who maintains a food blog, sumarowjee.blogspot.com feels that the well traveled women with access to different cuisines are more open to trying out new things in the kitchen.  She adds that women these days are willing to add a streak of experimentation in her attitude towards food. For Madhuri Kumar, an architect and teacher by profession, having her own blog, cookcurrynook.wordpress.com is another aspect of her persona. She mentions that she has always been fascinated with cooking since a young age. She likes to search and put her own recipes on the Internet just to be in tab with the latest cooking trends.

Recipes on the internet are also inexpensive. Cookbooks even though are more appealing with photographs are a huge investment.

While there are many who search the Internet through various search engines there are others too in sizeable numbers who are passionate about food and they are using a source the Internet to post their enriched experience in the form of recipes. While some ask these bloggers on traditional recipes like on aayisrecipes, there are host of others who want to try International cuisines and the best source is a good food blog that is interactive, appealing and comes to the rescue anytime.

Some of the popular websites frequented by women who consider cooking to be their passion are tarladala.com, sanjeevkapoor.com, http://smittenkitchen.com/, http://www.passionateaboutbaking.com/,http://www.whatsforlunchhoney.net/ to mention a few.

Retired life no longer means just playing with grandchildren and laid back days for women today. Reshma Krishnamurthy Sharma meets a bunch of spirited women who have taken up activities as varied as trekking and artificial floral decorations to fill in all the free time on hand.

Playing computer games, pubbing, hanging out at cafes with friends or for that matter tweeting – for the 50-something women, these probably sound too immature. Or perhaps brings the thought ‘been there done that’. On the other hand, activities like shopping, taking a nap or watching television are just too boring and clichéd.

While they do occasionally enjoy a shopping spree or that afternoon nap, several educated urban women above 50 are choosing other creative activities that help them to learn something new on a regular basis and maintain hobbies that get them soul satisfaction. These are enthusiastic women who now have fewer responsibilities in the family, are as tech-savvy as their younger counterparts and are keen to do something creative in life. Undoubtedly they are enjoying their personal time in envious ways, unlike others who feel retired life is meant for relaxing at home.

Writing books, poetry, painting, travelling with other women, and volunteering for NGOs are just a few amongst a host of interesting activities. The freedom to do things at their pace and with lesser burden of looking after the family are making homemakers and those pursuing professional interests rekindle their passions and utilise their personal time for something resourceful.

Padmini Balaram is in her sixties and enjoys travelling alone or with other women across the globe and paints at leisure. She says, “I have had my time toiling away in a bank. Now that I have retired, I love to do glass painting or ceramic stuff, something I used to do occasionally when I was in the bank. As for travelling it gives me immense joy to go to lesser popular tourist destinations. In fact, I feel as human beings we should never stop learning. I have also joined music classes recently.”

It is not that they do not spend time with their children and grandchildren, or spend lazy days at home. But age certainly hasn’t slowed them down or made them give up their interests. Take for instance Indira Nadig. She has tried her hand at writing poetry, making artificial floral arrangements, acting in movies, and has also started a women’s club, all when in her sixties. Today at 65, she is eager to learn new things every day. She makes floral arrangements in her garage, which doubles up as her boutique, and sells them to a variety of clients in India and abroad.

Says Indira, “I find every floral arrangement to be an expression, like the poems I write. Age doesn’t really matter when you want to learn and do something new every single day. It is not that I don’t spend time with my granddaughter or do what most others do at my age. But if you ask me, it is essential for someone to have their own identity rather than just be someone’s wife or mother.”

Indira has a word of advice for all those women who are entering their fifties. “Women are generally busy with household, family, children and even career until they reach 50. After that, one has the option of remaining idle and losing precious time, or to learn something new or take up a hobby that gets your mind involved creatively,” she says.

Shyla Kurma, who is 50 and has trekked in several destinations like Sikkim, Uttaranchal and Coorg, says, “I have always been a career person but now I take breaks so that I can trek, be with nature, breathe air that is pure and I love that solitude. If you have the health, an understanding family and the money to take up something innovative, just go for it.”

It really doesn’t seem to matter if you lost time with multiple responsibilities pulling you down when you wanted to take up hobbies in your younger years. There is still plenty of time to catch up.

(This article written by me was published at: http://www.justfemme.in/leisure-after-fifty )

Well…. have been busy writing something for a online publication. Am yet to complete it, hopefully should be done with it with the required photographs by Monday. In the meantime I have been observing one trait of mine that may seem strange to many who do not know me very well. I generally prefer sending SMSes rather than talking to that person..  Even with the best of friends that I have, I generally land up speaking to people only when something is essential. I somehow think the solitude of a text message is good for me and the other person without disturbing the other person at once. I know it may sound funny or strange that I love sending SMSes of ‘how are you’ rather than speaking.  Especially because I have been a RJ, but who cares.?That’s me.

For that matter I can’t write if music is played at the background while I have played countless songs as a RJ,  but while I am a radio host nothing else matters and when I am writer; it is just writing in peace not music to influence or inspire me.

Now coming back to love for SMS , I think a text message has its own charm. God bless that person who invented a text message!

U have any thoughts on this, let me know 

It seems just like yesterday since I have left full time work but it has been almost seven years since I quit working in a PR agency and moved to work as a part time RJ and freelance writer. Thankfully both the latter jobs gave me the designation of never being out of work and it was completely at my pace.

Now that my little one is slightly more manageable than before, want to give work outside home a shot.

Been a client servicing executive, a pr executive, a stint as a TV host, radio jockey and freelance writer now let’s see where I actually land myself in. Hoping writing saga continues until way past I am in my sixties. Wanted to put his down just for my own satisfaction. Hoping that my blog updates will be more regular than ever before.

Leaving radio finally on June 22, 2009 was quite an experience. Except may be because I already had a kind of trial run; I had left it for a month after April and joined again for a month and half, I was more prepared and knew how life would be without it.

Yet last Monday, even though I was composed I was longing for my listeners to be in touch with me, miss me and appreciate me. Yes I was feeling like a little girl wanting to be recognized and feel elated with appreciative comments. I knew it very well if people have liked my shows, have appreciated whenever I have done well they would defiantly message that day or try to get in touch with me later though my website.

I must say, it is a truly humbling experience when one receives a nice feedback from a stranger who has liked your voice or the way show is conducted and this is shown through sms or a comment left. In my last post if I have thanked rainbow for making me feel special I have to admit this time atleast it is listeners who can make a radio jockey truly feel special. Thank you everyone (no matter how many in numbers) who have wished good for me on radio thanks for making me feel really special.

It is a strange feeling before I go to sleep tonight. I am sure to have butterflies before I go on air tomorrow; the last show on radio in this phase of my life. I really do not know how to thank all those countless listeners who have been with me and made feel that radio is the right career for me. It was not as easy decision to quit a full time job of PR to move into radio and writing, but I do not think I have ever regretted this career move. As things change it’s time for me to take a long break; this time though it’s for a personal reason.

Thank you FM Rainbow for making me feel special whenever I was on air.