Cooking Challenged
My partner of 27 years is not nor has ever been a cook. I have done nearly all the cooking in our household since day one, except for those days were I’ve been ill, or in hospital. And then? They’ve had to fend for themselves and or warmed up left overs, nuked a ping dinner, or order take away.
They can throw meat in a frying pan and burn it to within an inch of calling the fire brigade, or boil an egg to the point you could punt it into the sun and it would still be solid. Their idea of a fried egg is something you could build mountains out of, literally. But pour milk on cereal? Sure, no problem.
They can open a packet and read instructions. But to actually make a meal, from beginning to end so that everything arrives cooked and, well, edible, that’s another matter.
They have yet to grasp the fundamentals. And I blame myself as much as I blame their mother, who spoilt them. Now? Now I have a few days left before I head to major surgery and, to all accounts, will be out of action for between 6 to 8 weeks, sidelined and hoping in that time we don’t both starve.
Oh, yes, a few weeks in I can, no doubt, stand in the kitchen and offer instruction and encouragement. But till then? How much junk food I mean, take away can we eat and still be healthy?
So, today, I start writing an instruction manual for beginners on how to cook basic meals. You know, meat and 2 veg, or similar, done in the oven at the same time. All without burning anything or poisoning us both with undercooked food. I don’t trust them with a frying pan not to burn down the apartment. Not yet, but maybe, sooner rather than later.
Certainly, they’re about to be dropped in the deep end when it comes to looking after not only me, the cooking, the cleaning, the laundry, and buying groceries for the week/month. But also, maybe, realising just how much work goes into looking after us both on a daily basis.
Will we make it to Christmas? Stay tuned, I’ll let you know.