Where Kitchens Hold Our Stories · Issue #3

“The Rituals That Shape Us” I REMEBER TTHE KITCHEN DURING FESTIVAL MORNINGS. Before the sun was fully up, the house was already awake. Stainless steel bowls lined the counter. Pressure cookers hissed. Oil shimmered in deep pans. Spices - cumin, cardamom, mustard seeds - hit the heat and released a fragrance that filled every corner of the house. My mother moved with quiet precision. My grandmother issued instructions without ever raising her voice. Someone was rolling dough at the dining...