This post was written in 2011. While reading, ensure you have something to munch on. Mum's baked mac & cheese I always had a penchant for all things food. Always. I am in unwavering awe of the ability of an ingredient to tease and flatter one’s palate so ingeniously. Like with most foodies and chefs, my mum has been the biggest epicurean influence in my life. She told me that when I was little, I used to relish the simplest of things with a twinkle in my eye…things like bread & butter toast, plain Roti, Ghee Dosa and Mac & Cheese - all mom-made. This is the stuff my childhood smells of and it is heavenly! During my ‘geek years’, when I got time off my books, I would run to the kitchen and help mum sauté onions, peel garlic and give her a hand in mixing the vanilla & banana cake batter. Sometimes I’d even sneak in an additional teaspoon of spices into the curry when mum wasn't looking. Pure joy! My other big, big influence behind this pas...