Do You Like Cooking?

Today, I went to ACI to "demonstrate" how to prepare my specialty: Tuatarina. It was Mimi who asked me, with the excuse that Ed haven't sampled the fingerfood in prayer room last Wednesday.

When I was there, a person asked me this question: "Why you seem to like cooking recently?" I just answered "Dunno" with a shrug.



So, what's the deal with the question eh? Ohoho . . . wait a sec. That was not the first person who asked. I had answered the same question from God-knows-how-many-people-because-I've-lost-count and of course, I answered with the exact same answer.



Okay. Now when I think about it while off-tasking from doing my kerja kursus agama, I seemed to be able to draw out some "excuses" as to why I seem to like cooking recently. Please scroll down to read my "excuses":


1) She Cooked for Me, But I'll Cook for Her
Back in Malaysia, whenever at home, I always let my mom cook. Or more precisely, she would rather cook for the family with my other female siblings helping in the kitchen and the males help preparing the table or help my dad to look after the shop.

You see, I always ended up as a nuisance (when I was a kid) whenever I imagined myself to be of a help to my mom. My mom always told me to just go and help preparing the table. But sometimes I just didn't listen and remained in the furthest corner of the kitchen, observing how she cooked.

And now my mom's not as healthy as she was. That's why I'm learning to cook a bit of this and that so that when I go home end of this year, my mom doesn't need to cook for me (on daily basis) anymore. Instead, I'll cook meals for her. :')


2) Grasping Opportunity by Her Hands
Living overseas has the advantage that you are allowed to cook for yourself, unlike living in hostels. I know it sounds like, what, a year too late to start because I'm going back in 3-month time? Ah, well. Better late than never, no?

In fact, I just bought a breadmaker two days ago. InsyaAllah I will have more opportunities to prepare my own food - breads, pizzas and other flour-based dough, you name it.


3) Sharing is Caring? No, Sharing is Satisfaction
Whenever I cook, I don't eat that much. So in the end, I'll end up giving out them food to others - my housemates, my other friends, and whoever. Some people say, that is a waste of money. I'd say, that is path to charity.

Don't you feel happy seeing other people smile happily when they eat food you prepared? It is not the "thank yous" I want from them (I seek mardhiah from Allah alone, not human's), but it is their smiling faces I seek to look at. Smiles are contagious, remember? :')


4) When You Feel Like Cooking, You Cook
Really, do you even need an excuse to prepare your own food? I believe not. It is better to cook whenever you feel stressed out rather than crying or freaking out by which you'll end up tired as you ran out of mental and physical resources, and your energy depleted.

But if you cook, you'll end up full and perhaps you can use a bit of a nap before starting to focus back on your daily tasks.



I think those are enough "excuses" as to why I seem to like cooking recently. Just my two pence: Don't ask a man (or a woman too, I think) as to why he (or she) does a good deed, that will turn him (or her) off and lift up the value of sincerity from his (or her) heart.

So. I like cooking. Don't you, too? Hee~ X'D