Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Home Cooking - My Way of Life


Since my parents decided to spend their time babysitting (truth is they spoil my Third Angel to the max) for the past 10 months (Ahmad Fitri Rusyaidi now learns to stand up on his own, much to his self-inflicted pains, bumping his well-rounded head on the floor), I did not allow Mak to cook. Yes, you heard me because most of the time, people downplayed me staying with my parents, that I have things easy and prepared for me. Bo Hoo!


Well, Mak has spent so much time since she's 9 in the kitchen - cooking up the storm. As a result, I, too, bore her brunts that no girls should go and play in the morning because they need to learn how to cook. There were times I spent hiding under my bed, crying in silence as I had to forgo playing 'masak masak', 'rounders' and 'getah' with my league of friends.


Shishhh, I digress - as always.


So, I forbid Mak (hehehhehe like I told her to stop ironing everything and anything when she reached 60) to cook. The first couple of months, we ate, mostly, take-aways and urghh, they sucked (especially to me who could detect MSG too easily) and most of the time, those food found their way into our bin. Such a waste!


Slowly, we cooked during sunday a dish or two for the following week. Kept in the freezer, Mak would heat them up. Lately, we have upped our 'production', cooking a dish or two for each weekday of the following week. Imagine opening you freezeer full with food of various tastes and colours. And also imagine me standing for hours (tutup kedai pukul 2 pm every sunday) - shishhh, they arent't really caloric-burning activities sadly.


No. I am not complaining for all the works and time I have to spend cooking - cooking is my mental therapy (ops, I'm quite a psychic nor psychotic OK)!


In fact, I would like to praise myself for taking up this way of life, which has showed me food indeed could bring the family and the loved ones together at heart when you cook with your heart and soul (I love Kylie Kwong's latest series).


I love the way everytime Mak asks me to cook this and that (yeay! I have more Brownies' Point from my mommy!). I admire Ayah's determination to buy the best ingredients (for the past 37 years, Ayah took helm at 'pergi pasar' department and Mak - she's the Queen). I share with my sister in law on tips to cook - fast and for a blast! I never forget to cook something or two for my brothers, especially my youngest brother (in case, he comes over on Sunday). For me Little Angels, I always ,make sure I keep my larder fully equipped for a pie, a tart, a cake or puddings - anytime of the day!


Apart from the joy of serving people I loved, cooking for them comforts my soul (smile, pray and share while cooking makes me feel I have transferred all my love and devotions to them), softens my heart (i'm more forgiving and understanding) and makes them closer to me.


Apart from natural goodness home cooking could offer my loved ones in terms of health (less sal t, less fat, more greens etc.) and hygiene (did you know that more malaysians suffer from TB due to eating at places served and cooked by foreigners?), I think I save more money. Yippe!


So, when was the last time you cooked for your loved ones? Try it, more often and see the difference yourself :)

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

There is nothing I can give you that you have not.

But there is much that, while I cannot give, you can take.

No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in it today.

Take heaven.

No peace lies in the future that is not hidden in this present instant.

Take peace.

The gloom of the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within our reach is joy.

Take joy.

And so at this time, I greet you with the prayer that for you, now and forever, the day breaks and the
shadows flee away.


-- Fra Giovanni, 1513

Fi-sha said...

Dear Mr Anon

I think I could smell who you are. Alas, I have other better things to do.

For me, let me dedicate The Shadows' "Man of Mystery" - Perfect anthem for a man like you?

Cheerio!

Fi-sha said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ian yusof said...

yeay to home-cooking. I eat home-cooked food 90% of the time .. :)

zorro said...

I cooked for myself last night...scrambled egg sans milk with four pieces of cream crackers. I could not ask Duke to come cook for me like he did everyday during the Hulu Selangor by-elections...he was busy you know where. I do agree that cooking is another way of saying: Luv you guys to bits....eat up and dont waste. Hint2....hari raya not very far away, yes?