Greetings Friends

I hope you all are good and doing well. I really enjoyed reading about different hobbies of my fellow steemains that really motivated me to do other things too that make life more interesting when you get bored. Here I'm sharing my hobby that usually all mothers have just to please their family.

My hobby is cooking, especially making traditional Pakistani dishes and trying new recipes at home. I really enjoyed to make special dinner for large gatherings and when delicious food served and I got appreciation that gives me real joy.

What is my favorite hobby?How long have I been doing it?If it is a creative hobby, show examples of your work?

My favorite hobby is cooking. I love to cook for my family and friends. For me cooking is not just work, it's like showing love. When I make something tasty and everyone enjoys it, I feel very happy.

I have been cooking properly for almost 25 years. I started helping my mother in kitchen when I was young, but I started cooking full meals by myself after my college. When I got married I had to make food for my husband , cooking under observation of mother was easy as compared to cook single. Slowly I learned all the family recipes to cook by myself.

My in laws has tradition of gatherings, at start i was invited by all and in return I had to invite them too. My cousin helped me in cooking for large gatherings as I didn't have confidence.

The most motivational thing that made me perfect in cooking was a compliment from a guest. Once I invite my in-laws with her aunt's family and she's famous for her hospitality and delicious cooking, as they were arriving first time at my home i made special foods for them. When she was going back to home she appreciated my efforts and said I felt enjoying dinner at Lal Qilla(a big buffet restaurant). It was big compliment for me ,on that day I made 3 starters , 3 dishes from main course , chicken Biryani and 2 types of desserts for 15 persons. It gave me alot of confidence .

Now i can make easily food for 50-60 persons without hesitation.

Yes, cooking is very creative. I make biryani, qorma, samosas, paratha, and different desserts like kheer and halwa. I also love baking small cakes and biscuits. I have many photos of my dishes that I have shared with family.

^{Some Examples Of My Hobby}

Do any other members of my family share the same hobby? If you have children, have you introduced them to your hobby?

Yes, my mother is a great cook and she is my inspiration. My younger sister also loves cooking. We often cook together on weekends or on Eid and share ideas.

I don't take help from my children as they are busy i studies, but I have taught them how to make simple things like omelette, chai, and paratha. So if I'm not at home they can make breakfast for themselves. My daughter before marriage started cooking o weekends but during her studies she married and after exams she moved to Canada, she's making food by asking ingredients or recipe from me on daily phone calls.

What skills are needed and how did you learn? Is the hobby expensive?

You need patience, sense of taste, and time management. It took me almost one year to learn proper cooking without mistakes. I am mostly taught by my mother, she taught me all the basics. I also learned many things from YouTube and by trying myself again and again. I did short courses of cooking too . But I can say one thing only practice makes man perfect

It can be expensive if you try new dishes every day, because ingredients cost money. But normal daily cooking is not too expensive. If you plan well and use things already in kitchen, you can manage in a low budget. Spices and oil are the main cost. Try new things from the ingredients already you have is a real art and like every woman I enjoyed it.

If you do not have a hobby, is there a hobby you would like to start?What is preventing you from getting going?

I already have cooking as my hobby, but if I get more time I would love to start gardening too, growing my own fresh coriander, mint and tomatoes that I can use in my cooking.

Honestly, time and space are the main reasons. I already love cooking, but for gardening I need proper space on rooftop and daily time to water and care for plants. With household work and other responsibilities, I don't get enough free time. Also good soil and seeds are not easily available near my house. But I have planned that slowly I will start with 2-3 small pots of mint and coriander, so nothing will stop me for long, InshaAllah I will start very soon.

At the end I would like to invite @roohiasif99, @dasudi and @jimaera02 for the contest.

That's all from today's contest and I have tried to compiled all the task given in the contest. Thanks for giving time to my post. I hope you enjoyed while reading it .

Best regards

@suboohi