A Way to a Man's Heart is Through His Stomach

Ever since I was young whenever I helped Mak in the kitchen I was asked to peel the onions, 'cabut ekor taugeh', 'perah kelapa' and cook the rice. After I had done that, I was never patient enough to watch Mak cook the dish itself which to me then according to a young child time lapse was like forever, I quickly went back to my story books to read. Mak was the super efficient mom who never complained so I almost all the time got away with not cooking. I, however loves doing the dishes so I guess it was compensated.

Then I went to boarding school. The one week or two weeks holidays at home did not increase my cooking skills at all. I guess because it did not interest me much or the fact that I just did not like cooking.

Then the overseas stinct, then I started working, then I got married, then I started sweating for I found myself in trouble because I could not cook a single traditional dish like my Mak did. Cooking was on a trial and error basis with my then husband. We argued over how onions should be cut in what manner for different dishes. You do not cross cut or dice onions anyhow you like, that was the least I learned from Mak.

A year into my marriage, my husband and I were transferred to his hometown Kota Bharu and since my parents-in-law were staying just by themselves, we moved in with them.

My stages of learning how to do marketing and cooking was blessed by the fact that I lived with my mother-in-law. It so happened that my MIL had a stroke before I was married, so still the prowess in the kitchen, I only assisted her to cook under her instructions. For two years I lived under the same roof until we moved next door to our own little abode. By then I had two children, a 20 mth old and a new born. However, when my eldest son was three days old I had a live in maid from 'Siam'. She too learned to cook from my MIL and wow, was she a good cook. So my cooking days were made easier but I took care of the special dishes like nasi minyak and the works, nasi tomato and all the special dishes that goes with it, laksa Johor, Spaghetti Bolognese, lasangne. Not that many dishes though.

So truly, I never really lived up to the cliche of 'The way to a man's heart is through his stomach", the cliche I so detested. Yes, I lost his heart but I did not kill him with heart problems or diabetes, if that is any comfort. After 22 odd years of having a maid, I finally feed my children the way I know how, my own cooking plus my partners in crime Colonel Sanders, Ronald McDonald, the Pizza Hut team, the Dominoes team, the Burger King's team, A&W's team, makcik & pakcik nasi lemak USJ2 and many others to add to the list.

So, when my daughter was told, nasi lemak pun tak pandai masak ke?, I totally got you girl! Now you feed your family well. As for my sons, they are blessed with mothers in law who cook for the family. Now one son has a maid for his family, the other now lives with his mom in law at least through this COVID days. As for me , my husband and I take turns in the kitchen. The kitchen is only big enough to fit one person, so that's how my story goes. He takes care of me and vice versa....