A funny kitchen story, to go with your nightly Masterchef viewing. Why is it that our kitchen disasters seem funny only to others?
Today my family / friends / acquaintances are going ga-ga over my food. But there was a time when I failed to even whip up a proper omelette. Yes, I could not prepare a simple, no-frills omelette but the enthusiasm to do it someday was quite high.
One day when both Maa and Baba were not around, the only possible guinea pig available was Rims, my sister. The moment I disclosed my intentions of making an omelette she seemed quite unsure but because I was the older one, she had to relent!
As always, my kitchen shelf looked adorned with all the necessary items and there I was, flaunting an apron, a smile beyond pure savagery, ready to create one of the wonders of a never heard world!
The eggs were beaten, vegetables were chopped (I lacked basic skills here too), the pan was heated and oil was poured. As the pan sizzled with the last few drops of water, I confidently poured in the eggs. Masterchef India had just been launched. Being an avid follower of the same, I had started believing I too could create a marvel even if that meant sprinkling some coriander leaves or a dash of pepper to an already completed dish!
Hence my impatience was high, and my excitement beat that too! I tried to ape the established chefs, without realising I was too far away from that expertise or knowledge. And I tossed the omelette up into the air! Rims gaped at the bizarre spectacle and I was too unsure of what was to follow – the omelette went and placed itself smoothly on the ceiling, some of the uncooked part of the egg trickling down our head!
Next began the ordeal of clearing the ceiling with a long rod (of course the reason being that we are vertically challenged individuals) before Maa was home. And getting ourselves cleaned to ward off the foul smell of raw eggs!
That was the last time I attempted to make an omelette, at least until I mastered it in the years to come!
Image: India-born Depinder Chhibber cooking in the Masterchef Australia competition (courtesy her Instagram)
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