Dec 20, 2007

easy? yeah, right!

i have a predicament. actually, it's more of a realization.
now, if u've been following this blog for a while, u'd know that i recently *a year ago* learnt to cook. before u shudder or move on directly to the comments section and say something smart-alecky.. THAT is not the problem!

the problem, however, is this. i screw up the simplest dishes.

picture this:
6 people coming over for dinner. last minute notice. i can manage to cook appetizers, main course and of course, we buy the desert! *what did u think, i was superwoman!?* but d point is i usually manage to cook decently enough for whoever's eating to help themselves to seconds. and sometimes ask me how i cooked it. and trust me, i quite pride myself on such occasions! *i also brag about it to suruchi/minal.. whoever i find online.* i'm not overtly fond of cooking, but i manage.

then, after a couple of days of eating "rich" food, when the tummy wants a simple meal. umm... i screw it up! meals as simple as daal/chawal *not d the chawal, i screw up d daal*, rajma, or even the wretched boiled aloo sabzi!

i can make kick-ass palak paneer, but boiled aloo ki traditional maharashtrian sabzi? oh gosh!

i KNOW how to cook these. trust me, my mom and my MIL thot that these wud be the only things i'd be cooking. *d rest of them cudn't imagine me cooking. still can't.* and there i am! proving them wrong all over again!

i tried following recipes *which, has never worked for me*, i tried going with the flow and cooking it as i cook other food. naah, not working. i even tried reading mom's recipe and doing everything the same way and STILL screwed it up! what is it!?

and this is supposed to be easy-to-cook, u know! i remember my aunt once saying, 'if someone's coming over unannounced for dinner, just boil those potatoes and cook it up. simplest thing to make'.
*me hass a looong puppy face as i write this.*

it's like "beti ko chai banaana toh aata hi hoga?" DAMN! wrong example. i can't make tea either! well, we both are coffee drinkers! so that's not really an issue!

but d point is, WHY are these allegedly simple dishes SO complicated for me?! and why is it that i manage perfectly well with everything that's supposedly complicated? i think V was right... my brains ARE in my pinkie toe! :(

i wish i cud figure out how not to screw this up. either that, or how to not feel guilty when i screw it up. oh, wait! i already know that!

18 comments:

By Deepa and Supriya said...

can;t help you at all...I am the same and I am going on what yr 8 of married life??
i say stop feeling guilty :)

and what about your christmas plans are u still headed to the Big D??

Jaya said...

I can understand. When I learnt cooking few years ago, I realised that many of the "difficult" dishes are one of the most easiest ones. It's just that they sound/ make to look difficult.

Ramya Ramadurai said...

I
HATE
COOKING.
Enough said.

Trishna said...

did u guys finalize your plans?LEmem know!:)

Preethi said...

I empathize.. and i will have you know that I am in the club too.. I have been married 5 yrs... my friend has been married 2. I went to her place and thought I would need to cook and help her out.. she had a huge feast laid out in minutes... oh my its just me I realised!! Glad to know I have company!! Thanks!!

Noodlehead said...

hmmm, stop beating up yourself woman! it's the aloo that's evil....:D

seriously though, maybe you try harder when you know things are tougher and there's the pressure of having ppl over. or you've probably psyched yourself into beliveing that you're gonna screw the aloo no matter what!!

whatever it is, aint worth feeling guilty about. down with the aloo - try some bhindi or cabbage :D

Monsieur K said...

well, for me - the challenge is consistency :D
and tht comes down to the simple tea as well!!
there was a time when i used to be proud of my tea - sadly thts not the case anymore;
V loves tea - abhi tak do baar uske liye chai banaayi hai - the first time, i forgot to add sugar (which is ok) - the second time, mee doodh aatavla (kept it on simmer n forgot) and forgot to take out the tea in a separate utensil :(

the learning continues... the experiments continue :D

Trishna said...

aww honey!! dont worry.. Palak paneer it is! :) damn the batatyachi bhaaji!Though I can make some for you :)

Pinku said...

hey!

came to your blog thru Minal's....love the idea of someone else also screwing up the simpler things of life...u give me so much courage to face my own life....keep going girl!

rayshma said...

pinku: welcome! :) and i'm sure u'll feel like superwoman when u read some of my pieces! i'm exceptional at being silly! :) see u around more often :)

trish: don't think we're making it to dallas :( some other time, pucca! and yeah, we'll make paneer when u come over and batatyachi bhaji when i drop in! :D deal?

ketan: LOL! hope ur V knows how to cook?! i mean, not everyone's as courageous as MY V to experiment on that aspect...lol! btw, chai kis gunaah ka maska maarne ke liye ban rahi thii? ;)

noodlez: yeah, babes. it's the darned potato! he's haunting us both now! and i moved on to the greener pastures of non-veg! :D

preethi: feasts are no probs! u're welcome here for those! just don't drop in & hope for "regular" food! lol!

galadriel: :)

joy: welcome aboard! :) and thanks, that made me feel nice! :)

orch: cheerz! and no, babes... no dallas hpng this time arnd... :( soon, tho! :)

Trishna said...

Ohhhhhh dont come when I am away!!Please!

Anand Sarolkar said...

batatyachi bhaji aikun mala atta ratri 2 vajta sudhha bhook lagli ahe :-) I just love that bhaji!!!

Unknown said...

I too have tried my hands in cooking. For me simple dishes are easy to make, compex dishes are somethings I dont dare to make. My problem is with maggi and omlette. My maggi turns to be soup everytime and omlette scrables :(

rayshma said...

NSK: and then u say u're fine making simple dishes? dude, maggi & omelette?! hehe...! good to know i have company!

anand: tu ajoon US madhye aahes or u're back to des? what u doing o'er the holidays?

trish - don't worry.. will be there after u return! :) have fun!

Pixie said...

Don't feel guilty girl! These things happen... *hugs*
I can't relate to this since I LOVE to cook - I can cook anything I want to and if the dish is new - I can cook with a recipe...
(I am not helping am I? I am bragging here, aren't I?)
Will shut up now! :-D

Suruchi said...

babes! u do things to ur best when u love the output! so when u cook pasta with lot of cheese u obviously love doing it and the dish turns out to be good and when u cook batatchi bhaji which can hold ur intrest for a while,u mess with the recipe.Simple isnt it!it holds true with me as well!hehehe! i get bored of cooking the dish over and over and i mess with it the second time! so u got mushroom cheese omelette only twice!

aMus said...

Awww...that's okay...you don't need to cook to prove how good you are...
...why is it that 'The' woman is supposed to know cooking??? :( and that be good at it?

Happy happy New year...
and may all your dreams come true :)

rayshma said...

suma: arre no... it's not abt who cooks better *V does, actually!* hehee.. it just irritates me when i can't do something as well as i think i shud! :D

suruchi: see? this is why i love u! u know me! :D

pix: count me in for dinner when i come down to india next! :D