Who’s Meena?

As a little kid, Meena remembers sneaking her Mom’s favourite wok and ladle into her room and pretending that she had her very own cooking show, happily chatting away to the “camera” while she stirred and added imaginary ingredients. A magician in the kitchen and her biggest inspiration, she loved watching her mom prepare delicious and fulfilling meals with ease. Though cooking had always been a hobby, she only began to take it seriously after moving out of home and into a hostel for college. Unwilling to survive on tasteless meals provided by the hostel cafeteria, Meena finally decided to don the apron and armed with a ladle set to work. Now, many years later, she can happily make a mean Indian meal at the drop of a hat!

And what about her hubby?

The star of the show, Hubby Dear has gained a handful of admirers, thanks to all his antics in and around the kitchen. Call him the guinea pig or taste-tester, but most guys often fantasize being in his shoes. Being the first to try everything that comes out from the 100 sq.ft. kitchen, it’s no surprise he’s the talk of the town. Or so he believes!

What’s with all the heat?

Not one to resist any spicy treat, Meena is obsessed with flavour even, if not especially, in simple foods. She truly believes that even a simple quick meal can be made to feel special, and a little spice never hurt anyone, now did it? This food blog is her attempt at sharing her creativity and love of food with everyone. It’s a food journal with many little notes that she hopes would come in very handy when she finally writes her own cookbook. Now, if only that publisher would come along! Meena is pleased to have you know that the publisher did come knocking afterall, and she is now impatiently awaiting the release for her first cookbook.

Now seriously, can Indian cooking really be as quick and simple as she says?

Of the few complaints that Meena often gets on Indian cooking, the one that stands most prominent is the myth that Indian cooking is just too hard. Now before you roll your eyes at her and say, “Yea sure, easy for her, she’s Indian!” just hear her out. True, Meena was born Indian, but as much as she would like to believe, she wasn’t born with Indian culinary instincts induced within her being. Like any of you not familiar with the South-Asian cuisine, she too started off without much knowledge of this exotic cuisine. After spending too much of her time cribbing about how little people actually knew about Indian food, she decided to start a series, Indian 101, to introduce her lovely readers to its simple cooking basics. The cooking primer became so popular, that Meena was asked to turn it into a monthly column for the food section of The Mississauga News.

So what are you waiting for? Click here to get started. 

Tell me more about Meena’s work…

Meena is a freelance food writer, recipe developer and cooking instructor based in Mississauga, Ontario. Her articles have been published in various online and print magazines/newspapers, including the Christian Science Monitor, Alive magazine and The Mississauga News. She also taped a food segment for Slice TV’s ‘The Mom Show’, aired in the Fall of ‘08, and is currently awaiting the release of her very own Indian cookbook published by The Globe Pequot Press.

Meena is available to talk about all things related to South Asian cooking, including writing assignments, recipe developments, cooking demonstrations and media interviews. She welcomes inquiries on product testing and cookbook reviews.

As a food consultant, Meena can help you create a meal plan to suit your needs, lifestyle and taste. She will also spend time teaching you how to shop, organize and cook for an Asian themed meal. To request a private consultation to best suit your needs or to book a private cooking session with her, please contact her at meena@hookedonheat.com.