Pushpesh Pant When boys are busy playing with bows and arrows, slingshots and toy guns, girls are routinely gifted with dolls and miniature kitchen sets to encourage them to excel in their stereotyped roles. Even in myths and legends, it is the women who are expected to feed the family and unexpected guests, while the menfolk are away on epic adventures. According to a story in the ‘Mahabharata’, Draupadi somehow managed to cope with this challenge thanks to a magical akshaypatra blessed by Lord Krishna. However, the reputation for glamorous cooking seems to have been the preserve of princes like Bhima and Raja Nala.