Top Chef Round 2

I am asked what I will prepare for dinner again, so I decide I will bake the bread that has finally risen, peanut noodles, beet salad and broiled vegetables. Cub, Jolly, Jaspal, Jagdeep and I are watching television and I excuse myself around 6:30 pm to make sure dinner is ready for Richhpal at 7:30 pm. They say something in Punjabi and giggle as I leave. Cub tells me later that they were asking what their elder sister was making for us. They like to joke around that I am Cub's wife. Ha. Ha.

It is 7 pm and it is time for the boys to leave to play badminton. Cub walks into the kitchen and tries to supervise the cooking so that I can also come along. His intentions are good and are appreciated, so I hand him some peanuts to shell. Richhpal takes his seat at the kitchen table at 7:30 pm on the dot. I garnish the noodles with cilantro, sesame seeds, and peanuts and place it on the table. Everyone walks to the table and all the dishes are brought to the table like gifts to the king. My heart jumps when Jolly walks in, takes a bite, and scrunches up his face with his tongue sticking out. I hope he is kidding, but he is not. This family is quite bold. The Chinese girl can’t even cook Chinese noodles! I then find out that the family doesn’t like peanut butter. Why would you let me use an ingredient that nobody likes? The kitchen table is a sad affair –half cooked thyme buttered root vegetables , Italian bread, leftover beet salad and overcooked peanut noodles.

I sit to await the critique before leaving for badminton:
“The vegetables aren’t cooked long enough and they are cut too large. If you cut them smaller, then they would all be soft. Didn’t your mother teach you how to cook? The salad is a hit and so is the bread. There is too much peanut butter in the noodles. If you used less, the noodles would be better. ”

Amrith sneaks a smile at me and gives me the “perfect” sign as she points to the vegetables. Jagdeep says something to Shishpal and he brings 3 bowls of dal and chapattis to the table. I get the hint. Later, Cub eats a plate of noodles and asks for more.