Meena Kothandaraman, a Lexington resident  was born and raised in Ottawa, Canada to parents who loved to cook and entertain, and were known in their community for their welcoming house with great food!  Meena came to Syracuse University to do her Master’s Degree in Human Factors, a study that looks at design from a user perspective. She teaches at Bentley University in the Human Factors and Information Design program, and also consults independently.  Meena is also a concert level South Indian classical violinist, and actively teaches students in the Boston area how to sing and play the violin. In 2009, she published a children’s book entitled “Can You Say My Name?” that is the beginning of a series that focuses on children growing up in multicultural homes in North America.

Lokvani caught up with Meena to talk on her new venture as a cooking show host “Come Veg with Me” that will debut in March/April 2011 on  the local  community Television channel "Lex Media".

How did the cooking show idea come about?

 I was blessed with two parents who are incredible cooks, and a family that loves to eat!  I picked up my parents love for cooking, and interest in cooking cuisines from around the world. Treating people to a good meal is something my husband and I love to do together. I have always wanted to host a cooking show that focuses on meat-free cooking. There are possibly little to no shows on the Food Network that address what more you can do with vegetables.  Generally, from what I hear from random conversations, people tend to find vegetables limiting. I was also inspired that the “Kids Cooking Green” program did so well in Lexington, MA, and that the Lexington’s Farmer’s Market was among the top farmer’s markets in Massachusetts. With Wilson Farms in the mix and ready access to such great, fresh produce, I thought it would be another good way to support local business. I mentioned it to a dear friend and colleague, Hal Miller-Jacobs. He introduced me to Shelby Kashket, who I met with Mark McMinn at LexMedia. When I told them of my idea, they seemed very excited, and immediately began to plan how the show would pan out.

‘Come Veg with me” is the name of your show. Could you elaborate?

Most people thus far have looked at my name and assumed that the show will focus mostly on Indian vegetarian cooking. I was concerned being limited to only Indian food, though it is among the most diverse in terms of meat-free cooking. I ran a survey with about 100 people in Lexington and asked individuals what would benefit them if the show were to focus on meat-free cooking. People were very kind and candid in their response.  In order… the lists of important items were:

·         Don’t try to convert me to being vegetarian

·         Show me what I can do with vegetables – I need more variety (including different cuisines)

·         How do I get my kids to eat vegetables? (and how do I make sure my partner encourages that we all eat vegetables as a family!)

·         Don’t make me run to different stores to get the ingredients – they need to be available in regular grocery stores

·         Can the recipes be nutritious enough to cover for adequate protein intake and nutritional value

These responses were so realistic – and I realized that people wanted to really learn “what more they could do with their vegetables”. It became the tag-line to the show, with  “Come Veg With Me” covering cuisines from all around the world. The show emphasizes that the dishes cooked are nutritious enough to stand alone, or be used as a complement to other meat dishes being cooked. The key is that vegetables CAN be made to taste scrumptiously good!

When will it launch and where can we see it?

The launch will be in the March / April 2011 timeframe. It will be available on LexMedia stations, but will also be uploaded so that other towns can partake of the show. As well, I will have all the episodes on my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Come-Veg-With-Me/176653049040968?v=wall. If you do join me – please let me know vegetables you need more recipes for – I hope to keep this going for a while! I always have time to share recipes and food with friends! Keeping true to my profession, I’d like to design this show from the people’s perspective outwards.

Can you share a sample of what you will cook in the first segment ?

The first episode features a Thai inspired quesadilla with a Fried Rice with Fennel Seeds and Garlic. The second episode dives into one of my favorite salads – a Mexican medley salad (and fresh Cilantro Cumin Lime dressing that is just too good!) with a Quinoa Vegetable Pilaf on the side. What I had to get used to was speaking to a camera and not moving my head too much! Mark McMinn and his camera crew (especially Dan Gersten) have been so patient and kind in giving me great instruction on how to speak to the camera.  I’m working at all the great feedback they gave me!

What are your other hobbies and interests?

I taught an Indian classical music primer to 4th grade students in the Harrington School in Lexington.  I also love to exercise and play sports, volleyball being my favorite. Last but not least – I love spending time with my family, my two kids and my husband - especially cooking together! They make everything I do possible, by keeping me energized and encouraged to try new things, and while having fun with it.

TO watch a sample episode go to 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Come-Veg-With-Me/176653049040968?v=wall

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