My kitchen capers

Humour

Now I spend a reasonable amount of time cooking and an unreasonable amount of time convincing the children to eat what I have cooked! Both of them are poor eaters (of home cooked food) and claim to be full after small portions. But within no time they exclaim “we are hungry and there is nothing to eat!”

Now, if there is one thing that makes a mother feel guilty, it is the sight of her hungry children. So I suggest a list of things they could eat after a meal, such as fruits, sweets etc. When they are all turned down, I scold them, “You should have eaten some more rice and vegetables”

“It is not my stomach but my mouth that is hungry” explains the 10 year old son and asks “Why can’t we just eat out or at least eat Maggie now?” Because you eat out all too often and your noodle meal was just 3 days ago”, I reason. But we eat rice everyday?

Counters the brat. I try to explain that rice is the staple food of our region and expound on the benefits of “Slow food”, one that is freshly cooked at home and made from locally grown vegetables and grains. They pretend not to listen. The only slow that the daughter likes in her food is the pace of eating. The eating takes as long as the T.V serials run. “Slow food movement also advocates use of only ingredients that your grand mom used. So cook without onions, capsicum, cauliflower, palak…etc,” she challenges.

“And talking of palak, your palak paneer tastes so south Indian” she adds as seasoning. “Rahul’s lunch box is very interesting, he brings yummy pasta, garlic bread and cheese sandwich. My mouth waters at the sight of his lunch and I have to eat Uppittu” groans the son. Crushed by my lack of culinary skills I decide to add crushed garlic to my dishes to make them more appealing.

To think I used to feel nauseated by the smell of garlic, sigh! I also call up Rahul’s mom to ask how she cooks her pasta and dust the cookery book friends have gifted years ago. Aaagh, it would be so much easier to make a meal out of the children instead of making one for them.