Annadaata Sukhi Bhava

satchitananda · Jun 30, 2015

[JUSTIFY]She walks into the kitchen, her gait reminding me of a contented pachyderm out on a leisurely amble. Both have an endearing quality about them. I love the sight of both and fell in love with both at first sight.

Love at first sight. It was not my destiny to fall in love at first sight when it came to matters matrimonial. However, with Lady Anatole it was different. Earlier I played the part of Lady Anatole as well as Aunt Dahlia myself - a kind of double role if you will. Then when the first cook came, things went well for a few months before she went on loooooooooooong leave. The second cook came and the BH was taken in by her cooking. I, however, was left to deal with all her idiosyncrasies. I did what I had learnt to do through years of experience - give people a long rope, they invariably hang themselves. She did the very same.

I called in a few prospective candidates for the position. The first one who agreed to come was intimidated by the disgruntled ex-cook. So she chickened out. Lady Anatole was recommended and summoned for an interview, but she turned up two days too late after another candidate was already fixed. Somehow Candidate 2 did not quite suit the bill. After seeing Lady Anatole, I was somehow determined to get her to cater to our gastronomic needs everyday - as I said, it was love at first sight. She was a walking talking advertisement for her own culinary skills ..... and I mean this in the nicest possible way. There was something very placid about her face, she had a very pleasant smile (she still has) and she looked very well fed on her own cooking. So after a 10 day trial which did not quite work out (though the lady was not a bad sort), candidate 2 was uninstalled and programme "Lady Anatole" was installed in my home.

Little did I know when she assumed complete charge of the food department. I dare not argue with her - who would, with the hand the feeds you and all that? She is that side of my mil which I have never experienced. Things can be done only one way - her's. Whenever I do something my way, she has the most skeptical, disapproving look on her face. "It won't taste good" is her final declaration before the dish has even been made! Reminds me of my mom in some ways. :-D It has taken concerted effort to make her reduce the amount of spice and oil in the cooking. She, on her part, is unable to comprehend how food can taste good without about 5X the quantity of oil or spice and even less how anyone can survive without 5X the amount of food everyday. Anyway, we have reached a happy equilibirum.

Looking at her today, with flowers in her hair, that contented smile, I could not help pat myself on my back (oops, doing that hurt my already hurting shoulder ! ) for having made a good judgment for once. "Madam, today is my wedding anniversary" she announced happily. I congratulated her and wished her all the best. "What are you planning to do today"? I asked. "Nothing. Shall go to the temple" she replied.

Well, am so happy for her as well as myself for having got her. "Annadaata sukhi bhava" is all I can say from the bottom of my heart.

P.S: As an aside, not quite relevant in a direct sense, I am feeling a bit outraged at the fact that a search for an image of an Indian cook seems to either show photographs of high profile cooking experts or images of men as cooks ..... and to think it is the women who spend the maximum time in the kitchen. Not even images or caricatures to honour them!!!!! Grrrrrr...........!!!!![/JUSTIFY]

satchitananda · Jun 30, 2015

So true BeatClub. Very hard to get ones who are willing to learn and capable of learning new stuff.

shyamala1234 · Jun 30, 2015

Dear Satchi,

Yes, why they compare good cooking to Nala and Bhima and not to women who do cooking daily, serve the family and pleases the whole family? Why the image of a man?
Glad your annadata serves you good and tasty food daily.
Syamala

satchitananda · Jun 30, 2015

Would be good if men took over the kitchen and showed their skills by cooking for the family too! When they like traditions to be continued, why not this one too?

jasmine25 · Jun 30, 2015

Nice post Satchi..Glad to know you have made a good choice

Viswamitra · Jun 30, 2015

Dear Satchi,

Nowadays, you are lucky if you can get a good cook who can come regularly and provide food according to your specifications. I am glad finally you found one and could give some rest to your painful shoulders. I always consider my MIL very lucky as she had a great network to find great cooks to support her when she was in Chennai. Now she lives with us. Even now, when they visit Chennai for two months, I tell her to engage a cook so that Shoba can have free time for at least two months in a year. She finds a great cook and when I go to India to join them, invariably, I get great food without painstaking effort made by my wife.

Take it easy. How good is my response if I don't add some humor to it? Please enjoy the attached You Tube video, if you have not seen it already.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlzGigWu4PQ

Viswa

Balajee · Jul 1, 2015

Finding a good servant, cook or otherwise, is like successfully finding a needle in the haystack. You are really lucky that way.

kaniths · Jul 1, 2015

Hmm... What do I write as feedback? But I did enjoy your narration... So as usual dumping here whatever that comes right in my mind now! Y all the fuss? Because I never had a cook all my life. My mother is very adamant to have one, for she takes cooking for the family very serious & a personal thing... Something she believes should be done with our hearts and thats her secret till this day... Fortunately she is going steady inventing / trying new recipes and lucky is my father to enjoy her "kaimanam" everyday!

As for me, I do have a cook at my house who comes "free of charge" with "Lifetime Warranty" and surprisingly cooks well too... Who else but my DH! Ha ha! :rotfl

Kamalji · Jul 1, 2015

Dear Satchi,

HAHA. What a search. Could google have helped u find a good cook ? they say they can search anyone, so why not a good cook, or domestic help ?

Good one, happy eating and burping.

Regards

kamal

jayasala42 · Jul 1, 2015

With both husband, wife earning perhaps there is necessity of maid cooks.Previously gossiping was associated with cooks. But you can't believe, now they don't have any time even to say a few words.The present trend in Chennai is the maid(cooks ) work in minimum of three places in 6 shifts.They choose the employers in such a way that timings don't contradict.Every shift consists of 75 mts or max 90 minutes.
They get up at 5A. M. finish off cooking at home.Mostly they have a scooter. They visit the first employer at 6.30, ( working couple with kids)finish off cooking and leave at 8.00 go home, finish off certain chores, visit a senior citizen's home, cook and serve them hot food and take charge of another somewhat large family where they have to serve lunch.Here the job is for two hours.Soaking of Rice, urad dal would have been done by the owner. While the cooking is on, they prepare the batter in the grinder.
At about 1.30 they return home, take rest for 2 hrs.
Evening schedule starts at 3.30P. M. They visit the senior citizens' home first.Since they finish off dinner before dusk, she prepares dosas chapathis or some side dish.She makes a visit to the working couple.She prepares some snacks to children who have returned from school and prepares some simple dinner for the night. Last visit is to the large family where she cooks exhaustive dinner and returns home at
8P. M. .Cutting vegetables etc she does in between or the previous day. Now they charge Rs 8,000 in the senior citizen's home, Rs 10,000 from the working couple and Rs 12,000 from the large family.They easily earn around Rs 30,000 tax free income.
They have compulsory holiday on Sunday.They won't accept responsibilty for extra guests or extra jobs like doing Kozhukattai, bhakshanam etc on festival days.Deepavali, Pongal, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Janmashtami are paid holidays.
Shrewd women .even graduates are employed this way.Since they find out employers within two or three streets, travel time is saved.They have no time to gossip.
Sometimes with owner's permission they bring home eatables prepared by them.
Instead of travelling a lot, work in an office, this seems to be a better option, if there is no ego problem.Mostly they have to cook min food for three or 4 people - not a difficult task. In most of the house they are treated well.

Jayasala 42