Many books are written on different subjects but not many books have been written on solutions to the common problems faced by a young home-maker when she first sets up her home. The young woman is totally nonplussed about the myriad little problems that crop up every day How to store the greens in the fridge, how to turn out soft ‘chapatis’ which will be appreciated by her husband, and how to make the resources last a little longer?
As a young bride, I faced a lot of problems and did not know where to look for the answers. Since I had always been a tomboy who had no interest in entering the kitchen or doing any household work, I was totally clueless about running the house. And when I faced the problems, I would sit and cry because I did not know how to deal with them. I would spend hours trying to prepare a dish, as given in a recipe book and land up with an inedible stuff just because I had put some extra teaspoons of salt in it. In my endeavour to become a perfect cook and a housekeeper, I pored over many books, contacted many people and maintained a diary with all the tips and hints given to me by my mother, aunts and grandmother. Those were hard times and I learnt it the hard way. I must have wasted a lot, thrown a lot, to learn my lessons. It was a perfect case of learning through ‘trial and error’. It took me years to learn all the tricks and yet I am far from being perfect. And then I realised that there must be hundreds of young women, like me, who do not have the patience and the opportunity to learn through advice or ‘trial and error’.
The book becomes more relevant in the present era because most young women are working and have neither the time nor the opportunity to go around, hunting for hints and making notes of them. They have to learn through trial and error method of learning. This method can be pretty time consuming and one incurs a lot of wastage, too. And wastage in the modern times will just not do.
This book has taken many years to be compiled. I wanted my daughters to have an easier time than me, when they grow up and take to home making. This book took shape when I dreamt of handing over the thousands of hints collected by me, over the years, to my daughters and the other young girls of this country. I hope this book comes handy for all those who are struggling to cope with the sudden demands made on them.
Although a lot of care has been taken while compiling the ideas and tips into neat sections, there may be certain areas, which are not clearly demarcated, mainly because the matter is common to two or more situations.
I think that the introduction cannot be complete unless I thank all the people who have been involved with me in bringing out this book. Bringing out a book requires a lot of effort and this book has been created solely by the united efforts of my family. A large and heartfelt chunk of thanks goes to my husband and my daughters who have made their precious time available for the book. They have come up with very constructive ideas and helped me with the editing. I would like to thank my husband, especially, since he has been with me through the birth pangs of this book. He has held my hand when I despaired, given me the moral courage when I felt like giving it up, supported me when I faltered and made himself available when I needed his presence.
—Tanushree Podder