Cooking & me ... Blogging Marathon 2014 Post 14
Hi everyone, wish you all a Happy Shankranti, Pongal, Lohri, Eid, whichever you are celebrating!
After yesterday's lackluster post, I was in search of some fodder to write today's post on. And I landed up on DreamyMommy's blog. I must say she has give some very thoughtful prompts, if one chose to take them, that is:) Today's or was it yesterday's resounded well with me.
Cooking & my love-hate relationship with it. I love to cook and I hate to cook. I love to cook what I want to cook on a daily basis, which would translate into a healthy balanced meal. But most meals I make don't go well with my family. Normal and logical conclusion would be that I am a bad cook. But I am not, am a pretty decent cook (always WIP, but so what), who just hasn't got the hang of cooking aloo-baingan very well, who has finally bought idli rice to make softer idlis, and does not even attempt a dish with instruction steps beyond 10. Also one who frantically reads up food blogs before menu-planning when having guests over. Now, you can't judge my entire repertoire by that, right? And so what, if every time, the daal or the paneer dish turns out a little different, change is a constant right. Everyone who copies the Monalisa will have some thing different, put it down to the sleight of the hand.
But you see, I have a very fussy family. Yes, blame it on them. Husband is on a diet of sorts on most days - so it is sundals and salads for him. Except on weekends, when food-wise things are normal. Kids being kids and with two of them having very different likes and dislikes, my menu on most days is ????. I have to put a lot of thought in what I cook on a day, then make it with the guilt and knowledge that at least one of the kids is going to throw a mini-tantrum and will have to be talked to (read bribe and negotiations). And if I make mistakes, which can happen right, then I will have to eat up something which wasn't even my choice to begin with. Of course, then I can empathize with the aggrieved party even better.
To add to it, since my husband and me come from two different states, food preferences vary. This was a big issue when we were newly married, when he had to down stone idlis and brittle dosas, and say how I can't make the perfect saaru. And he preferred to eat the food made by the cook over mine:( But have worked on that, and can make this and this easily. Still, he thinks dhokla is besan, inspite of telling me it is quite similar to idli. And asks me where are the pakodas when I make Gujarati kadhi. Looking strictly for empathy here.
Things are such that I have to market new recipes and dishes to the family before I make them. Not kidding, this is how broccoli-mushroom stir-fry has been added to the limited family menu. I insist on things to be tasted before they are rejected, and it works at times. I sit with the kids and eat my lunch late on most days, so they see me trying everything. Cooking is one thing and making kids eat is quite another. I know that I would cook happily if my kids relish most of what I cook and not the limited fare that they do. On most other days, it is a chore - involving permutations, combinations, rethinks. More of a mental job.
What do you have to say about cooking?
After yesterday's lackluster post, I was in search of some fodder to write today's post on. And I landed up on DreamyMommy's blog. I must say she has give some very thoughtful prompts, if one chose to take them, that is:) Today's or was it yesterday's resounded well with me.
Cooking & my love-hate relationship with it. I love to cook and I hate to cook. I love to cook what I want to cook on a daily basis, which would translate into a healthy balanced meal. But most meals I make don't go well with my family. Normal and logical conclusion would be that I am a bad cook. But I am not, am a pretty decent cook (always WIP, but so what), who just hasn't got the hang of cooking aloo-baingan very well, who has finally bought idli rice to make softer idlis, and does not even attempt a dish with instruction steps beyond 10. Also one who frantically reads up food blogs before menu-planning when having guests over. Now, you can't judge my entire repertoire by that, right? And so what, if every time, the daal or the paneer dish turns out a little different, change is a constant right. Everyone who copies the Monalisa will have some thing different, put it down to the sleight of the hand.
But you see, I have a very fussy family. Yes, blame it on them. Husband is on a diet of sorts on most days - so it is sundals and salads for him. Except on weekends, when food-wise things are normal. Kids being kids and with two of them having very different likes and dislikes, my menu on most days is ????. I have to put a lot of thought in what I cook on a day, then make it with the guilt and knowledge that at least one of the kids is going to throw a mini-tantrum and will have to be talked to (read bribe and negotiations). And if I make mistakes, which can happen right, then I will have to eat up something which wasn't even my choice to begin with. Of course, then I can empathize with the aggrieved party even better.
To add to it, since my husband and me come from two different states, food preferences vary. This was a big issue when we were newly married, when he had to down stone idlis and brittle dosas, and say how I can't make the perfect saaru. And he preferred to eat the food made by the cook over mine:( But have worked on that, and can make this and this easily. Still, he thinks dhokla is besan, inspite of telling me it is quite similar to idli. And asks me where are the pakodas when I make Gujarati kadhi. Looking strictly for empathy here.
Things are such that I have to market new recipes and dishes to the family before I make them. Not kidding, this is how broccoli-mushroom stir-fry has been added to the limited family menu. I insist on things to be tasted before they are rejected, and it works at times. I sit with the kids and eat my lunch late on most days, so they see me trying everything. Cooking is one thing and making kids eat is quite another. I know that I would cook happily if my kids relish most of what I cook and not the limited fare that they do. On most other days, it is a chore - involving permutations, combinations, rethinks. More of a mental job.
What do you have to say about cooking?
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My mother tells me the same that she would be happy to cook if I eat everything without fuss ! Though I loveee food I am still a poor eater.
ReplyDeleteLol, I can empathise with your mom:)
DeleteLOL that made for a fun read! I have love-haye relationship with cooking too! I love cooking if I have a reason to cook, like people coming over or new dishes to try out on etc. The day I feel I doing the same old chore, argh I hate it! :D
ReplyDeleteThanks Deeps! Agree, everyday cooking can be monotonous.
DeleteLOL!! I too hated cooking during my post marriage pre Zini days..
ReplyDeleteMy empathy is with you ;) Thankfully hubby who stayed in Gujarat all his life doesn't think dhokla is besan.. But sadly (or happily) he doesn't eat kadhi so I make a small portion for me only :)
Happy Sankranti to you too...
Thanks ZM! Strangely, my husband relishes every single Gujju dish made by my Mom, so certainly I am not up to the mark! But I do try to do better every time.
DeleteWow...you have written my heart out...from love-hate relationship to the thinking about menus to the searching for food blogs for guests to the tantrums to the husband looking for pakoda in the kadhi..
ReplyDeleteloved reading your post..
PS: I recently stumbled upon your blog through parentous and am enjoying reading your posts!
Thanks DB, welcome here:)
Delete