Monday, March 01, 2010

My Cooking Woes


My hindi movie dialogue fixation continues with this post too. This post will not be on the dialogues again; just one of the typical and clichéd most dialogues I remember:

Ek aurat ki jagah rasoi mein hoti hai. (A woman belongs to the kitchen)

Whenever the hero used to say this; my blood boiled. I am sure most of the girls must be feeling like slapping that guy with all the hatred for saying it. Guys, before you start accusing me of calling you MCPs; let me clarify - I hated this dialogue very much as I hate cooking; and not because I hate you for discriminating on the basis of gender.

Time changed; dialogue became almost extinct; but situation at most of the places is the same. A lady is expected to cook. Well, that's perfectly all right; but I thought people around me were at least sensible enough to care for their lives! Or at least, I want them to be; so that I don't have to face my worst nightmare!

There was time when Mom used to be unwell and ordering food from outside was a complete no no. I had tried to prepare daal-rice the first time. The next time onwards, we started surviving on thepla and pickle. I was so pathetic at cooking then that I could not even make maggi in spite of going as per the instruction. The first time when I tried it, set up the stop watch for two minutes after boiling the water. Do I need to tell you the outcome?

Then I got married. First time in kitchen; I was asked to make kheer. My Mother-in-law (MIL)was standing behind me giving me instructions. All I did was to add a few ingredients and stir. It turned out awesome and I got the credit for something I didn't do. Slowly I learnt how to cook; and now I can make decent and edible food (proof: my family people are still alive and not even once they have suffered from food poisoning); but I still loathe cooking.

Many times my MIL pushes her luck to make me like cooking by showing me various quick recipes, or Sanjeev Kapoor etc. all shows; but no success so far. Nonetheless, she is happy with my regular cooking; and I am quite habituated to prepare regular food. Her dream was that my daughter-in-law will learn various kind of food and cuisines; but well, some things are better preserved as dreams than reality.

When people say that way to a man's heart is through his stomach; I feel like gifting them the dvd of Omkara movie.

Image Source: Google Images

31 comments:

  1. "but well, some things are better preserved as dreams than reality.".....i agree with this line..hihiih....infact i too dnt like cooking a lot...although i dont hate it also....my mil also wants to enjoy new dishes made by me...but i think she also has the same luck as your's mil in this....

    ReplyDelete
  2. I read similar topic many months back when a respected lady questioned Why men rest after work at home And expect wife to visit kitchen for food preparation in-spite of knowing she is also a working lady.
    Actually I think since ages men were only working And women were taking care of home And children but then past 15-20 years time changed And women started working too but men again kept that thought that women should work inside the kitchen no matter she is working lady. Yes, there are men who do not follow And there are men who do follow the above said but I say:
    Yes, life is all about walking together, working together.
    Let us work together.

    ReplyDelete
  3. hahaa witty post on Holi day...cheers buddy.poor hubby of yours..i always have sympathy for husbands....naturally..hehe:)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hahaha! yeah I hate that statement when my Dad or my aunts or anyone makes it. But i like cooking. I have been cooking since like 7 years, actually since last 4 years i have cooked everyday except for Sundays. Thats the day my dad cooks. I like cooking and i do it but if someone says i have to i loose all interest in it. I hate cleaning.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh!! Interesting insight about you Neha!! :D

    Well, I never hated cooking...it was just that I didn't knew how to cook. But when you marry a master chef, you've got no other choice but to Love it and Excel in it too. So, I am a good cook courtesy him! :D

    ReplyDelete
  6. lol! first time here...loved your style of writing...i hate cooking as much you do...my mother said she will look for a chef for me to get married! how cool is that?

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I become a terror after each cooking session bcoz I cannot stand negative comments and mostly only those follow.Net result: Cook less

    ReplyDelete
  8. lolzzz even my cooking experiments are a legend :P
    you are one lucky gal with a sweet MIL :D
    omkara!!! hmmm haven't watched it so ddint get the joke hehehe

    ReplyDelete
  9. The MIL influence seems to be quite pronounced ! Hmm ! :) Esp despite so much disenchantment if there is still habituation to cooking !

    And yet, there is this other story that i hear so often. That all five star hotels sport male chefs ! Well, the jury is still out on that one. Trying to find the case that is !

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. although I am a boy, I love to cook! But only if I'm provided with my weapon of choice - The Microwave!

    The last line is lol!

    ReplyDelete
  11. hehehe.. cool one. im sure ill be in the same state when i get married..!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Live alone for a couple of yrs with nothing to eat :P then you will start loving it. That's how I learnt and got interest in cooking. Paapi pet ka sawaal hai :D

    ReplyDelete
  13. Well, somehow I do like cooking... but after this, it does seem that not liking to cook is much more fun!! :D

    ReplyDelete
  14. Cooking is an issue most of us-men or ladies do learn with passage of time and depending upon the need.
    (mil-sil are around anyway)
    But, I dont agree with you that now women are expected to belong to the Kitchen
    There is India and then there is Bharat.
    In, India girls are fairly well settled, professionally qualified,economically independent and have a mind of their own(very good)
    Yes, in Bharat, rural India,perhaps,she has to start and end her time in kitchen.But, even that will cahnge in coming years.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I love to cook and am a good cook, so says my hubby's tummy
    what I hate is that no one gets any food if I don't cook...that takes the fun out of cooking.
    fun post...should read you often

    ReplyDelete
  16. I used to have a similar attitude towards cooking when I was your age. THEN I discovered that you automatically learn to cook when you are hungry. (Thats the BIG secret) Arrival of children helps. No extra expertise, wisdom or motivation is needed. In time things appear simple, and settle down.

    The trick is to never define what you have cooked by the given accepted name. Then people dont know what to expect. And no one evaluates and/or compares.... :-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. :-) Your story seems so much similar to me. I dont know any special recipe. But sometimes, I am myself fed up of my cooking :-S

    Cooking is alright, its the after cleaning part that I loathe. I enjoy watching cookery shows. Those chefs dish out nice meal, their kitchen is always glossy and speck-free!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Lol Neha you and I will probably be best friends 'cause I hate cooking too much myself.Although I'm not married..I fear for the day when I'll actually be asked to cook for someone else.
    And btw why is it that women are expected to be excellent cooks all the time?It's not like the ability to cook is embedded in our DNA codes prior to birth.
    This was a fun read! :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. I haven seen many who like cooking:).There was a time when I used to say that the day I dont have to go to kitchen will be the day I think my H has become succesful in life:)..but no more, today though I can manage without cooking, still I do cooking and enjoy also.but only in winter because I cant bear heat...but I love to cook for my children..anything and everything and anytime...time and people change everything.
    My DIL cant rustle up a single proper meal for me:)..par chalta ha..one cant get everything, but one shouldnt be evrything..like bad in work and bad in behaviour both..thats a sure recipe for catastrophe.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Nice post dear

    I'm also in the dilemma of learning to cook. But my prob is that I don't love the usual keralite dishes(both cooking and eating). I love to experiment which my mom says is insufficient. :(

    ReplyDelete
  21. For me, cooking has always be fun - when I'm cooking maggi, that. :P
    The last line is ROFL material. Awesome! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  22. I like cooking as a hobby like gardening. Turns out the dishes come out very well. My secret: I watch my wife cook. I take notes on everything she is doing and the number of minutes for each step and put it in my computer. Works for me.

    ReplyDelete
  23. thanks neha for calling me "smartest". As a mutual admirer lemme confer the title smartest advocate on u too.hehe..clap clap clapppppp

    ReplyDelete
  24. He he he .. so you are telling us .. you can cook now.. :)
    i believe men / women are equal.. I do my cooking myself.. Hopefully when i marry i can too get some nice cooked food he he he ..
    these days both have to do it together i guess..

    So whats you best recipe then :)

    BTW my word verification today was :- DESI

    ReplyDelete
  25. Lol....cooking woes indeed. I am glad that your in-laws don't expect you to turn into some five-star chef. :)
    And dvd of Omkara...? Haven't watched the movie,,,,

    ReplyDelete
  26. Loved reading your thoughts. Cooking is far too creative a field to be 'pushed' into. Enter the kitchen with gay abandon, and you'll enjoy it! I love my kitchen time, and love deviating from the trodden path!

    ReplyDelete
  27. @ Rohini, hahahaha..our MIL's have pretty good luck I must say :D

    @ Hobo, right..work together..but I don't see anything wrong in only wife or husband is cooking so far as it is a passion for them.. :)

    @ Ramesh, yeah yeah..you do have sympathy for him; I know that :P

    @ Harini, anything imposed on you and you don't like it - it is a universal rule na.. :)

    @ Shilpa, you married a dream man :D

    @ Neha, welcome here..all mothers promise to find a chef for their daughters..hope ur dream comes too :D

    @ Holy Lama, wish I could choose this option of - cook less - too..

    @ Rajlakshmi, oops..watch the movie..you will know what I mean :)

    @ Kavi, I felt like mentioning this line on the post that usually males are head chefs at big hotels; but didn't want to ignite the fire inside those ladies who cook :P

    @ Saurabh, cool..good to know that you like cooking..last line is indeed an LOL :D

    @ Chandana, good luck then :P

    @ Avada, I have to cook so that we all get to eat..still I can't bring myself to like it re..

    @ G, <3

    @ BK Chowla, whatever I have seen so far, the scene is still the same..a lady only cooks..

    @ Nalini, oh yes, I totally agree with you here..glad you liked the post :)

    @ Ugich Konitari, oh yeah, I also learnt about this secret - late but yes :) but your tip about not disclosing the name of the dish - wow..will use it next time :)

    @ Insignia, hmmm, I understand re..it is boring to cook everyday.. you enjoy those shows? cool..I only like Highway on my plate..I finds Mayur very cute :P

    @ Samadrita, oh cool..we will sure be best of friends :D my my, DNA point I didn't think of only re :P

    @ Samvedana, these days, DILs can't cook well..rather, girls can't cook well most of the times..a mother takes it, but a MIL does not :)

    @ Karthik, oh yeah, Maggi cooked by others is always fun :P

    @ Communi, like Ugich Konitari said; don't disclose what you cooked..and the game is yours :D

    @ SG, I can never note down the time or measurement and cook..for me, it is a total guess work and gut feel..and so far, it has turned out pretty much edible :D

    @ Bikram, my best recipes are usually snacks items..desi is better than idiot :-S

    @ DC, want to know the dialogue? then drop a word..I will send it to u secretly :P

    @ Deeba, welcome here..thank you for your comments..yeah, one can't push you into this..it has to come naturally..if cooking is ur passion, then only you can excel there :)

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hey I was always told that mandar owes his health to your wunnerful cooking .... Loved this post .
    Though I have a hell of a sarcastic husband who loves my cooking each time my MIL is not around ... At other times , i only get a disinterested snort for whatever I cook .. Thats a major reason why I loathe cooking now .... :-))

    ReplyDelete
  29. @ Sravs, I do cook well; but I loathe it..

    tu Ravi ki vaat nahi lagati hai kya jab wo aise behave karta hai? :D

    ReplyDelete
  30. Well,that is absolutely true.Only gals should not be attached to Kitchen.Boys should also contribute like a husband helping her wife in Kitchen.That would be so nice and also it will create a special bonding between them.

    good to know that , you have learned cooking. please share your simple recipe as well.

    www.zindagiilive.com

    ReplyDelete
  31. You are lucky that you got very good MIL.

    ReplyDelete