Friday, July 30, 2010

A Recipe For Success

Photo credit:eatingtheroad.wordpress.com

You first set your eyes on her in your neighbour’s apartment. You couldn’t help but get seduced by the aromas wafting out of the kitchen. You knew you wanted her for yourself and wooed her like you had never wooed before, she finally succumbed. There had been many before her, but she held out a rare promise.....

You were patient and waited for her for months and the day she joined was one of the happiest days of your life. Silently you had borne the heat, the sweaty back, the exhaustion all in the fond hope of a brighter future. Finally, the smile was back on your face. The evenings were yours at last; you could now snuggle up with that book you had purchased from the book fair last year, listen to Farida Khanum croon in that throaty voice of hers; watch your long forgotten DVD collection. You now felt like a free bird ready to spread her wings.

Unfortunately the honeymoon period was short lived. She was not what you expected, the subzis were mostly overcooked, the dal lumpy and the chappatis cardboard stiff. Even though you did wonder about the absence of her much anticipated culinary expertise, you were careful not to hurt her feelings. You would try and tell her in the gentlest possible way that the spices always smelt raw, the gravy too runny. She made you think longingly about K, his cool efficiency, his melt in mouth paneer koftas. You had him for two years, life was so rosy then, each meal was a celebration. You had to leave him behind, in life you have to move on.


The family had by now started complaining about the bad food. You would shush them, glare at them and try to drown out the sounds of their discontent. What’s with them, it’s just a measly meal, you would often wonder. You didn’t want to let go of your new found freedom, no not so soon. She was your hard earned trophy; you had to make it work.

You tried, with patience and perseverance. But she was just not willing. Soon things were missing from the kitchen, tiny things that you would easily overlook. You felt hurt, she could have just asked? She had betrayed your trust, it was time to let her go even though it broke your heart.

You had now retreated in your shell. Busss, no more flirtations, I’ve had enough, from now on I’ll be my own master. It was tough in the beginning but the family rallied around you. They tried to ease the hurt - oh they tried hard, the sweet souls.

And then one day the bell rang - a new face, chubby with kind eyes. You were still not ready for a full time commitment. Fine, just make the chapattis and chop the veggies, I will do the rest. You were cold and distant from her. She didn’t push hard either, perhaps she understood. For months you continued like this, unwilling, unrelenting.

That day you were particularly tired, you’d had a rough day at work. S can you please do the cooking tonight, you managed to murmur. The sabzi was perfect, the dal smooth and the chapattis soft. You smiled a grateful smile at her.

You’ve been together for four years now and the relationship is growing from strength to strength. As you sit and type this post, cooking aromas waft out of the kitchen. She is preparing a new dish whose recipe you have just downloaded from the net. Your tummy grumbles it’s approval.

The other day she mumbled a shy - Didi, I will never leave your job. Tears welled up in your eyes. You see, she not just a cook, but your knight with her shining ladle.



36 comments:

  1. That was surprisingly touching :) This coming from a guy who's never experienced the problems you seem to face wrt cooking...

    Hope she stays with you for many more years.

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  2. wow! wonderful tribute to the annadata in your own humorous way!!

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  3. Just amazing!! you keep bettering yourself.. in a league of your own!

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  4. You know we can just change the characters and edit the script a bit, same happened with me some time ago... Just that I am bachelor and appointed cook for all the flatmates... She made amazing food for first 10 days and everyone were so happy and praised me like anything. But gradually the quality of food degraded so much that we have to give her last warning...and it worked for us!

    Nice post :)

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  5. I think most of us have this "pillar of support" in our lives in some form or the other. Unless you are in the US and there is no bliss like this. Unless you are Trump. Beautiful and touching !!

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  6. B J P...Ooops it was meant to make your laugh, in an oddly touching way.

    magiceye..Annadata is right!

    Desh..WOW thanks

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  7. Karan...Good for you that it worked :))

    LEB...In US you refrain from "jhamelar ranna"

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  8. hi purba,

    thanks for stopping by our blog. Would request you to review some of our older and newer posts so that we can improve ourselves.

    thanks and regards
    amit
    http://boka-khoka.blogspot.com/

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  9. Purba, I am flat... you are simply superb. I have put up your post feed on my blog under the blogs I follow list :) Keep rocking!

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  10. Amit C...Will do.

    Anto..Oh dear, flattered and thank you so much

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  11. Purba,

    You two are truly 'Maid for each other'!

    Keep it up - lovely read.

    RS

    http://restlesssouldier.blogspot.com

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  12. Simple things in life occupy such an important place in our lives that mostly we tend to take it for granted..until we sit up to think about it. nice read.

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  13. Both I and my wife had an eye on this lady next door. And I later discovered that it was 2 different women :)

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  14. I have recently started cooking

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  15. That was a very unusual and intelligent way of combining humor and touching too. Should read more of your posts. :)

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  16. Nicely written - enjoyed reading this

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  17. Thanks R S

    GB She just takes a day off and my life goes haywire.

    Amit, too many cooks spoil the daal?

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  18. Pesto Sauce..Cooking is an art, may you perfect it soon :)

    Aditya...At least somebody got it. Thank god! Was getting worried.

    Thanks Vikram

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  19. Amazing writeup. Very interesting till the last word.

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  20. Even for a second I didn't suppose that it could be a cook, not until the end. Nicely written!

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  21. Glad you liked it Rajesh

    Nethra...:)

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  22. well, i disagree with u Nethra! i understood who she can be, I think we women of same age group think alike. actually, i cud relate to u!ah those were the days of my freedom!

    really nice post Purba!all the best!

    OMG, even the word verificationis asking me to type pulsogi !!!!

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  23. Tanu...LOL I had get back the word verification, the spams were giving me a headache.

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  24. i kept reading quickly for the punchline! :-D cool blog, Purba!

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  25. Ha...cook naa kaho!! Thanks for following Vidya :)

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  26. I have had a similar experience recently... but the things that went missing were not so small. But then, a smiling chubby face appeared at the door and things are looking up.

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  27. Interesting, kept me hooked till the end and had your characteristic humour.
    But me thinks, "Love Affair with the Cook" would have been a better title :P

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  28. desiderata...Glad that you could relate to it. But the day I dedicate this article to her, she takes a chuthhee.

    Prateek..The post is partly cooked up but yes life would be tough without her.

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  29. Loved this post Purba. And of course it qualifies for EA ;)

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  30. Thanks Corrine :) Do vote for me :))

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  31. After quite a few of them in every shade possible, I have at last resigned to the fact that 'self help is the best help'...Thank God you found a good one...touch wood!

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  32. Oh I can write a book based on my experiences Nalini :)

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  33. Are you communicating in morse code, MMB?

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  34. I know exactly what you're talking about :) My cook who i believed would be my 'knight in shining ladle' has left. And i am now exactly looking for someone who'll 'just make the rotis and cut the sabzis' mode so i don't have to get too dependent. And i'm keeping my distance this time. I live in an apartment and they come and they go - no hopes of a more permanent one this time..
    -Aashica.

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