Food for Tot

That dreaded day has arrived.

I have to cook “home food” for the school mates of the daughter.

Am no expert chef & never have I ever cooked for 30 people at a time.

Oh, and here we are talking about 30 very special little ones.

Step 1: Exam Jitters

A deluge of questions hit me.

-          What will the precious little ones prefer eating?

-          Will they like the taste of the food I serve them?

-          Will I be able to cook adequate quantity? Oh, I cannot fall short!!

-          Will I be able to finish cooking on time? I needed to reach by 11:30 in the morning.

Step 2: The Syllabus

The syllabus entailed - Starter/ Salad, Main Course, Dessert/ Fruit to be served.

Ok, that took care of the categorization process.

Now, with so many options running riot in the mind, I needed to shortlist a menu.

After much deliberation, I decided to go by what our daughter likes to have. And that meant sticking to absolutely simple stuff.

The exam guides (read: her teachers) readily agreed to the menu & it was finalized

(And that brought with it, the first sigh of relief)

·         Corn-cucumber-pomegranate salad  – colourful salty sweet blend that our child loves (and even I am very fond of, although that’s irrelevant here)

·         Paddu (the benefits of moving to a different city & learning new dishes from friends) - cute little steamed balls of dal & rice – a wholesome meal for a child along with coconut chutney

·         Baby bananas – to complete the lunch

Hmmm, it really wasn’t too difficult!!

Step 3: Preparing for the Exams

·         Consulted the maestro (read: grandmother) on phone – to reaffirm the menu and to get an idea about the quantity of raw materials to be purchased.

·         Acquired the raw materials – with meticulous detailing & planning (or so I thought).

·         Mommy confidantes approved the menu & even shared their paddu pans (to speed up the cooking process, of course).

·         Daughter got very excited when she realized I would be getting food for her friends the next day. Proudly proclaimed “When I go to school today, I shall tell my friends, Ms R & Ms V, that my mumma will bring food for us tomorrow.”

Oh no, darling daughter, do you realize you just jacked up my jitters?? You are setting certain expectations here.

Step 4: Exam Day & the last minute Revisions

·         D-day is here – had kept the corn washed the night before. But just before putting them to boil, the jitterbugs hit me, and I add another 250 gms to the pot. Oh, I cannot fall short!!

·         Pomegranates deseeded, I am busy chopping up the cucumbers. The excited little lady jumps onto a chair to get a better view (of her momma’s quivering hands).

·         Then she picks up a cucumber dice, pops it in the mouth, crunches it with her tiny teeth & with a very serious face declares, “This is fine for my friends.”

Yeah, thank you for ratifying it & thank you Mother Nature for making such an awesome fruit/ vegetable (the debate continues but let’s leave it to the botanists).

·         I pack her off to school with her daddy.

·         Have requested the cook to come over & help in making the zillion paddus. And as I turn to prepare the chutney, “Oh no, I have forgotten the coriander leaves!!”

Last minute dash to the veggie guy.

·         And finally, the exam paraphernalia is packed::-

a)      Salad is mixed, tasted (Umm… its tasting fine).

b)      The paddus are packed in a humongous container (Had forgotten I have one such at home!! This exam has led to such awesome discovery).

c)      The chutney is filled into 2 boxes.

d)      The bananas sit bright and pretty in a huge packet.

e)      Have packed in serving spoons too.

·         And off I go... On time !!

(Second huge huge sigh of relief)

Step 5: The Exams

Am standing outside the examination centre - the butterflies are doing their merry flutter in the tummy. Gingerly I tug at the school bell.

The invigilators (her teachers) let me in with a warm welcoming smile.

And as I wait for the kids to get set for lunch, my daughter rushes out and spots me in the waiting area. She would not leave her nervous mother’s side. Or is it the other way round? She’s my little mommy at the moment.

And then when I am summoned inside, she holds my hand & guides me in.

The adorable expectant faces greet me with a loud “Namaste” & suddenly all nervousness disappears.

I start serving and the teachers help me out.

Two little girls discuss gravely, “She had said her mumma will come on Sunday. But Aunty has come today with the food.”

I smiled.

For my daughter, any out of the ordinary day is Sunday.

Step 6: Exam Results

The older kids are very encouraging - They ask for more servings.

Some even say, “Thank you aunty, you home food is superb/ very tasty”

As I wonder are they just being polite, I hear two little shy voices discreetly call out to my daughter and say, “Your mumma’s home food is very good”

My heart does a happy flip.

A certain little boy is, apparently, for the first time agreeing to have food at school, made by a friend’s mommy.

As he shyly asks me for one more paddu & chutney – it feels so heartening & special.

And all I can do is serve & grin.

The exam results have definitely been favourable (out comes a third huge huge huge sigh of relief).

Added experience: I observe how the kids conduct themselves in the school eating environment – they sit on their mats, in a circle, neatly put their plates aside once done, wash their hands & mouth, stack their bags back on the shelves, and then run out to play in the garden.

So, ??

Did I start the post by saying “dreaded”?

So, let me alter it to “That much awaited day has arrived”.

Looking forward to the next turn and hoping to serve up yummier home food.

P.S. Now I understand the joy & immense satisfaction my mother derives from cooking for everyone.