hell's kitchen

mom-in-law was staying over for a few days with us before she left for her haj on saturday night. as she is quite particular about what she eats (read no eating out), it was three nights four days of cooking to feed a multitude. not to forget the cleaning up after that (took this opportunity to tell the hubby that we need to buy more plates too *smirks*).

whilst chatting with a friend who was wondering how come i have disappeared from cyberworld for a while, we were exchanging stories about how we emerged or morphed from a totally hopeless lost cause to a nigella lawson wannabe.

she asked if the daughter helps out in the kitchen. told her that the initial plan was for the daughter to start learning how to prepare simple dishes during this school hols. yet, as i am typing this she is away up north staying at her aunt's. so probably after she comes back she will still want to learn (toes, fingers & anything that can, are being crossed).

the friend then tells me that when she was fifteen, she was forced to learn how to cook cos her mom was going away for a long holiday. of course, her dad & her brothers criticized her cooking. and she of course being the defiant fifteen year old we all once were, she very proudly declared that when she got married & got a house of her own; she was going to make sure that the house has no kitchen. hmmm... now where have i heard that. oh yeah, i declared the same too!!

yeah, when i was young i never helped out in the kitchen. mom would chase me out (nanti kena minyak lah, nanti kena pisau lah) whenever i attempted to be her aide. and of course after i got married, no choice lah but to learn how to cook. first attempt was stir fried bean sprouts which ended up sour. my bro-in-law & hubby spat out after taking the first bite. they asked what i did wrong. i followed my sis-in-law's instructions to a t. turned out the sprouts had gone bad - not my fault ah... she kept the veg for centuries.

so over the years, i very patiently learnt how to cook & not without its fair share of errors. i won't say i am nigella lawson now (note the word wannabe in the earlier para) but can lah - janji boleh makan.

and yes, we both now have a sizeable kitchen in our homes, despite the fact that it can be hell's kitchen. cos' we can be quite irritable in it when someone tries to offer help but in actual fact just gets in the way!!