13/07/2018
Journeying together - The old and the not so old
Who is in charge of the Kitchen?? by Uma Venkatram
A month after my parents and mother-in-law moved in, I realised that in order to maintain peace and order in the house, it was essential to set up kitchen protocol. My cook and maid were running around in circles and my husband skulked away to work as quickly as he could.
My mother-in-law was easy. All she wanted was to boil milk and have her breakfast with some bread. Now, my dad loves his coffee and his mid-morning tea. He will patiently boil the water and add the milk. The colour, the temperature, sugar all tested and poured into mugs. Very generously, he will offer to make chai for everyone in the house.
My Mom plans her day based on the kitchen. Do I deprive her of the pleasure of churning the cream and making fresh butter? (Certainly not! I love home-made butter!). But then, you know how kitchens are in flats- one person goes in, the other must scurry out. And now, how do I allocate kitchen time between my cook, my mother, my daughter who suddenly decided to become a baker and me, of course. I love to cook and bake. This involved major logistical issues and deep planning. And finally, I unveiled my plan.
Early morning (the daughter’s school starts at 7.00 am) would be dabba time. I would cook in peace and finish by 7.00 am. Then, my mother would venture inside the kitchen to churn her butter, make decoction, harangue my father to drink his coffee and soak the rice for idlis. Then, my mother-in-law would land up at 9.00 am to boil her milk and have her breakfast. In between, my husband would quickly skip in and out with his coffee. The maid comes at 9.30 am and makes her tea. Finally the cook majestically arrives at 11.30 to take her place in the kitchen and hold on to it for dear life till 3.00 pm. She still has to struggle with my mother who will want to make molagapodi. But, a lifetime spent in Corporate HR helps me deftly solve the logistics of the kitchen and I emerge time and again rather disheveled and battle-worn, but victorious. There is food on the table and peace in the kitchen!
