Many many years ago, I read a book called At home on the range by Margaret Yardley Potter. It was among the collection of recipe books that belonged to my grandmother’s best friend. I have never stolen anything ( except amma’s achappam achu, which I asked her nicely and she didn’t give, so I decided to take the achu on a holiday to Malaysia), but I really wanted that book. Unfortunately, the lady who owned the book had eagle eyes and good memory and I was too chicken to do the deed.
I like unusual recipe books, not your standard type of book with photographs and clear instructions. I like to read about stories behind the recipe and I like an author who understands that cooking is all about common sense.
On my recent visit to the library I was surprised to find that Margaret’s great grand daughter has published the same book again. I was so excited to get my hands on the book and What I liked the most is the author writing “there is no substitution for good food or a comfortable bed” The rest of the things can be easily substituted. You can buy furniture from junk yard, clothes from thrift shops, you can even have a home in a trailer park.. But there is no substitute for good food or a comfortable bed.
I know that because I write about Indians and often portraying them in a bad light, I am considered to be anti Indian, which is not true. It Is just that I call a spade a spade and most people feel betrayed when our own kind is writing badly about our own people.
The past two weeks of school holidays, I had a lot of children coming to my house for sleep overs etc. The one thing that set apart the Indian kids and the Caucasian kids is “aarthi” I am sure there is a an English word for it, but I really don’t know the right word. Even for simple thing like chocolates, the Indian kids acted like they have never seen it before.
When I went back home to Malaysia after completing MBBS, with my first salary, I took my cousins out for a meal. It was the famous Lion’s restaurant in Luyang ( Kota Kinabalu). We ordered mixed vege, Japanese tofu in clay pot, steamed fish in soy sauce and a chicken stir fry. What I remember the most is what happened when the food was served. My cousin’s 11 year old son in his hurry to grab the food before everyone else had a chance, leaned forward so much that he fell off the chair. There definitely was enough food for everyone, but there was no limit to the boy’s aarthi.
Why do our children behave this way? Is it because we give the least importance to food at home and are more concerned about fripperies that makes us feel rich?
I grew up hearing “don’t show greed”. That was the mantra before leaving our house, on the way to somebody’s house, and just before ringing their bell. And just before we answered our bell. 🙂 but aarthi is a more apt word
URT: I remember going with my mom to visit her great Aunt. Very posh lady and I was warned to behave at least 100 times before we arrived at her door step. She served us fruit cake with blue fondant icing. My mother never baked fruit cake..dreid fruits okke kashu chilavakum..and even if she baked an ordinary cake, she wouldn’t do the icing..again butter okke kashu chilavakum.. Good manners meant, I had to take the smallest piece of cake and I remember eagerly looking at Amma’s great aunty, trying to will her to ask me “would you like another slice of the cake”..how disappointed I was that she didn’t. I still have the fruit cake I baked and iced last Christmas in the fridge, my children don’t like fruit cake.
aarthi pandaram!! heheh have heard that before..I am sure at some point some might have called me that in the past.. I call that to myself every X’mas when I bake fruit cake and eat all of them and gain lots of pounds!
MS: You reminded me of Amma’s favourite word for any cousins who visited our house and had a meal. “theetti pandaram”
Oops ! My son behaves the same way – especially in a pastry shop…no amount of teaching good manners help…:( He wants to be reassured that he has got the biggest piece…But then I feel, what is wrong if you genuinely like something and hog?
Kochey: it isn’t about liking something and hogging, it is about “me first” mentality that bothers me. I cook more than enough food, they don’t need to pounce to grab it all. they could wait for their turn, just like everybody else..
its because they are selfish,so showing aarthi means u dnt need to care to keep for others..some ppl invite u over but their pishakku in the qty makes u feel like y did i cum!
Santhia: If my oldest aunt called us over a meal, we used to find reasons not to go. She only called us, when she had friends over for a meal the week before and there is still left overs in the fridge that were about to go off. She couldn’t bear to throw away the food and felt her sister’s kids could help her eat the stale/rotting food.