Alright fine it was not some feast as such, but my first attempt in planning and implementing a fancy meal. Oh by the way, I had to get married to learn to cook. Even boiling rice was such a big hurdle! Now I have cooked before mind you and I have really enjoyed it and even used to collect these recipes and do stuff at my grandma’s place. They came out good you know, butter cookies, cake, and stir fried veggies and the works! But I was 13-14 at most! Then came studies and I just could not be bothered anymore, with age comes much laziness in my case. But having your own home, own tiny little kitchen changes everything. EVERYTHING! I came there knowing absolutely nothing. But now I see the light. When it came to basic stuff like pots n pans my parents got for me and all the spices were neatly arranged in small bottles by Dimi's mom, which helped me heaps. I even asked Dimi's mom to put labels on the bottles cuz I really felt like an extreme newbie.
Ofcourse lots of girls are extreme newbie’s when being newly married so I was encouraged to an extent but the reality was these girls at least knew how to boil rice!!!! So anyway it was a whole different motivation for me, given that I was jobless most of the time and had a hungry husband to feed, it really got me up on my feet. Being the darling he is, he wanted me to take my time, step by step, did not rush me one bit, but I was rushing myself ofcourse, because I have always had this fantasy of being a homely wife who waits for her man to come home and then you know, lo and behold a feast awaits the hardworking goof, I know I know, its girly and I can’t even believe I’m actually saying this fantasy out loud for everyone to see, but I can’t be in denial anymore! So the crash self learning course began. I tell you for someone like me Google is a lifesaver! I am not someone to call up and keep asking for help, I know it’s bad sometimes, but it’s me to self learn! Honestly I could save myself a lot of time and blunders by simply picking up the phone and asking help but I just can’t do it, I have this other issue of mine where I need to gain some self satisfaction of knowing that I did this allllll by myself! It’s crazy I know! But hey this is cooking! I’m allowed!
Ofcourse lots of girls are extreme newbie’s when being newly married so I was encouraged to an extent but the reality was these girls at least knew how to boil rice!!!! So anyway it was a whole different motivation for me, given that I was jobless most of the time and had a hungry husband to feed, it really got me up on my feet. Being the darling he is, he wanted me to take my time, step by step, did not rush me one bit, but I was rushing myself ofcourse, because I have always had this fantasy of being a homely wife who waits for her man to come home and then you know, lo and behold a feast awaits the hardworking goof, I know I know, its girly and I can’t even believe I’m actually saying this fantasy out loud for everyone to see, but I can’t be in denial anymore! So the crash self learning course began. I tell you for someone like me Google is a lifesaver! I am not someone to call up and keep asking for help, I know it’s bad sometimes, but it’s me to self learn! Honestly I could save myself a lot of time and blunders by simply picking up the phone and asking help but I just can’t do it, I have this other issue of mine where I need to gain some self satisfaction of knowing that I did this allllll by myself! It’s crazy I know! But hey this is cooking! I’m allowed!
I am a major klutz, like major, I will have to start another blog post to prove that point with the multitude of examples! My husband comes to the rescue when cutting and beating, although that is not much of his thing, he manages to excel in whatever circumstance given the chance, something I am baffled, always surprised and admire about the man! he helps anyway just so I won’t cut myself or spill stuff all over! Ofcourse I don’t even like when he pokes around the kitchen too much, cuz too much of his hands means he is going to steal my glory! So cutting, stirring and beating is only allowed, I AM THE MASTERCHEF! Since he handles most of the other stuff, I need the kitchen to be my battleground I say, MINE! Ok ok getting carried away, inhaling, and exhaling. Ok calm. So I’m alright with the basics but you know still look at the recipes from time to time just so I won’t miss out on something important.
If you only know my blunders, the millions. Sigh. But I’m much better now! Really! So as much as I always like to go on about me myself and I, I know you guys are not gonna want to read all that crap. So let me get BACK TO THE FIRST POINT I WAS ON ABOUT. So I thought I would prepare a surprise candlelight dinner for the darling. Well it was nothing much, but I had a loooot of time to spare, so “cooked” up the whole plan! I even printed a menu card! Aren’t I just too cute?
So thought to go western cuz all this time I have been making the same old Sri Lankan stuff over and over again and just needed a deviation. So Ribena, Garlic Chicken in Soy Sauce and Fusilli mixed with a potato salad! Dessert was chocolate pudding and me! Ah the look on his face, i would make dinners everyday just to see that look on his face, OK I'm kidding, he is not THAT LUCKY!
So thought to go western cuz all this time I have been making the same old Sri Lankan stuff over and over again and just needed a deviation. So Ribena, Garlic Chicken in Soy Sauce and Fusilli mixed with a potato salad! Dessert was chocolate pudding and me! Ah the look on his face, i would make dinners everyday just to see that look on his face, OK I'm kidding, he is not THAT LUCKY!
So the chicken was a hit, like my last attempt of batter fried prawns! Pasta was desperately calling out for a sauce, it seems the potato salad although had so much mayonnaise, egg and bacon, was not enough to give it that flare! It was to an extent plain but when mixed with the chicken pretty good, or SO HE SAID. Sadly my dessert did not come out as planned. I mean it tasted as I imagined, but I forgot to whip the cream! I just spilled the carton Dimi bought over the pudding and it was just plain milk that came out, then I tried stirring it and the pudding got all lumpy and the presentation was plain ugly, luckily we only had space for a teaspoon of that pudding! These microwavable puddings! Pain! I was way too embarrassed to take a photo of that! But i take pride in my chicken, great great great pride. I think its enough to call me THE MASTERCHEF no?, sigh.
For the learning Wife/Husband or anyone, there are 3 reallly yummy and simple links a REAL masterchef friend of mine recommended! They could be useful for you!
- http://www.exclusivelyfood.com.au/
- http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/
- http://blogchef.net/
Ah! the joy of cooking. Wish me luck on my future endeavors!
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