When The Husband Cooks…

On a Wednesday…cooltext468162920
When the master of the home has a passion for cooking, this is what happens…

    1. Gourmet Meal : Yes, this is what is being cooked all the time, when he is in the kitchen! Trying out newer recipes with new ingredients is the order of the day. Even a simple dal would be cooked differently and would be served with a wonderful presentation. ‘You first eat with your eyes’, that’s his mantra. Right from starters to main course, veg and non-veg, and even the desserts, are cooked with élan and ease!
    2. The Compliments: You bask in the glory of the compliments from everyone. The most common ones being, “Ah! You are so lucky!”, “I am jealous of you”, “You have to share this recipe with me”…Needless to say that these come from the women friends.
    3. Then the Censure Followed by Suggestions: Once they are done with oohing and aahing at the look and taste of the food, the women turn to their husbands, “Seekho, kuchh tum bhi, KG se”, (Learn something from KG!). Unlike women who would be ‘inspired’ if they learn that a friend is going for that aerobic class, the men simply smile and move to get another helping or say, “So, what are you cooking next?” They have no aspirations to even learn how to boil water!  And then they come up with suggestions like “You must open a restaurant or start a dhabha!” Why don’t you go for Master Chef contest!!
    4. No Worry, No Tension : While many husbands have to check with their wives in case they decide to have friends over for lunch or dinner. But at our place having friends for lunch or dinner even without any notice is NEVER a problem. Reason, the husband cooks and he can cook with passion even after a hard day at work. Cooking is therapeutic for him and he loves having friends at our place. Do I have any reason to complain?!
    5. “Your Wish is My Command” : The child says, he wants to have chicken and chicken shall be cooked even if the meal is ready. You think out aloud, “Feel like having something sweet”, off he goes into the kitchen to make a shahi tukda or the halwa or the sewanyiaan in a jiffy. It does not stop here… I had to go out for a few hours for some work and KG took the responsibility of cooking. Nothing new here… the newness was he made a chicken dish, which the child likes, a mutton dish which he loves and a vegetable which I relish… 3 dishes for the 3 of us!! How would a woman react on seeing this??

  • Katrina, Sandy, Olga… in the Kitchen: Ok, while the magic is created with food and spices in the cooking vessel, rest of the kitchen looks like it has been hit by Katrina and her friends, I mean the hurricane and not what you thought. The spice jars would be lying all around the place and never at their original shelf and some would lie at precarious places and most of the times spill ‘themselves’ too, the kitchen sink (which is pretty large) would be overflowing with vessels, the floor would have its share of food too, all the kitchen napkins would be used and would have stains that would not vanish even with Vanish!….
  • Take a Deep Breath?? This sight of the kitchen can leave any cleanliness freak woman teeth gritting hair tugging raving mad. You think, I am exaggerating… You have to read this to believe this. A month ago, I was out of home for 3 days for my workshops. When I returned back, the maid who cleans the dishes told me that she had scolded the cook in my absence. She said she asked the cook in not a pleasant tone, “Why did you take leave when Madam is not at home? Sir cooked the food and what a mess he had created in the kitchen… it took me 2 hours to clean the kitchen!” Know what I mean, now?!
  • Zen is the Way… And after doing this for a long time, that is sharpening of the teeth and self inflicted alopecia, you realize that doing the above is not the solution. Like everything else in life, you learn after a while…. you learn to Let Go and find solace in the words of Emma Goldman. She said, the motto should not be : forgive one another; rather, understand one another! So, you understand, why the husband can’t cook in small vessels, why he can’t keep the jars at their place, why he can’t cook small quantities…. and when you understand that peace enters your mind and body and you learn to smile even at the sight of a hurricane hit kitchen.
  • What is on Our Mind… All the Time?: When you are out for shopping, what is it that you eye the most… clothes, footwear, books, home decor items…. Nah! that’s not us! What we  shop with glee is spices and ingredients, pots and pans, cookery books and CDs …   so much so that a few months ago, while I was returning back from a workshop with the team and we spotted a small outlet in a village near Nanital. We enterd the shop and found to our utter amazement that this shop sold goods to Fab India. The team went crazy shopping for kurtis and tops which were at throwaway prices when compared to Fab India. I love shopping clothes from Fab India, so this was a god sent opportunity to shop what I loved at such unbelievable prices!  And guess what I shopped… Spices and herbs for the husband!
  • Excellence is a Habit… Since the husband is a fine chef, every dish that you cook has to be great all the times and this can be quite daunting at times. He is quick to point out if the turmeric is too much or the dish should not have had powdered coriander or the tomatoes should have been pureed and not cut into small pieces or the onions should be sautéed till they were light pink and not light brown… During times like these I envy the women who say that their husbands eat everything that is served to them and would not complain even if the food is a bit bland!

 

What is your take… love or hate… when the husband cooks??

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