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Bonding together with a tasty dish
By Priyanwada Ranawaka
She's a familiar face on TV where we've seen her demonstrating her culinary skills, cutting carrots, beating eggs and chopping up onions to rustle up a tasty dish in minutes.

"Even if you have a stable income, and every comfort in the home, there is nothing that can bring a greater feeling between family members than a satisfying meal," says well-known cookery demonstrator Shantha Mayadunne adding that the dining table is where the affection between family members is strengthened.

Working women, she feels, should try to maintain a balance in their responsibilities at the workplace as well as at home. "This is why I concentrate on introducing 'quick and easy meals' which are easy to prepare and nutritious at the same time."

Carrots and cabbages can be added to cooked rice and other vegetables of your choice can be placed on the hot rice and steamed, she suggests. Make it tastier by adding sauce and chicken cubes.

Shantha Mayadunne is constantly working out new methods to cook a tasty dish. Her recipe books contain various ways of preparing dhal, beans, or rice itself. "I concentrate more on ordinary meals because I want to teach housewives how to prepare tasty food everyday, not just on special occasions," she says.

A firm believer that a satisfying meal can bring people together, Shantha reiterates the importance of the mother cooking meals and would like to make housewives interested in cooking for the family, instead of buying food from outside.

Her annual workshop at the Youth Centre in Maharagama draws people from as far as Kalpitiya, Matara, and Anuradhapura. Every year about 20,000 coupons are sent in by women around the country eager to get one of the 2500 passes for the workshop.

Having done Science for her A/Ls at Visakha Vidyalaya, Shantha followed cookery courses in India, Australia, Bangkok and the United States. She is also skilled in dressmaking, flower arrangements and candle making. In 2001, she published her first book. "The fist edition is sold out now," she says adding that she is currently working on the second book. Since 1994 she has been holding workshops around the country. Today, food companies often consult her before introducing a new product to the market.

With a tight schedule of conducting cookery classes and live cookery demonstrations on TV, she still comes home to prepare meals for her own family. "It's what I like best," she says.

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