Where is my apron?

I never really see myself as a kitchenist. I simply don’t like cooking because of all the mess during the process of cooking. How much ingredients to throw in a pot never really mattered. What came out of the pot after that and how it was served was never an issue. I never really cared much about the nutritional benefits too. Besides us Papua New Guineans are naturally big eaters. I would not want to go through all the hassle of preparing a huge meal for my family and relatives’.And the mess that came after that. It was not until five years ago. The two years in Japan made me realize how fun and exciting cooking was.

The two years in Japan had taught me a lot about food and cooking-In The Kitchen. What amazed me most was all the organic food and the sea food that they used as ingredients (for their cooking) we had here in PNG. It was then I learnt that cooking is an art. To enjoy food one has to embrace and appreciate food.

Upon our return to PNG (5 years ago), I confidently took my right full place in the kitchen. Didn’t last long as I was back in the hospital doing what I was trained to do. But I would once a in while pull out my apron and be the Chef for my boys. My boys (including my husband) are naturally healthy critics. Their critics have so far made me a recipe book already. Mentally that is.

Cooking is a family affair.
When it comes to a new trial and error recipe, all my boys are in there giving a hand and some advice to make a recipe to perfection. My husband is a food fanatic and health conscious. He’s always enforcing healthy diet and healthy living life style. Always drumming to me not to buy high glucose food, too much processed food, fizzy drinks, etc…… When we go shopping, he is the one looking at the food labels. I know he means well and is concerned about our health and we are grateful for that. Even my six-year-old son knows which is healthy to buy and which is not. He (my son) even embarrassed me in a grocery shop. I was eyeing this Cadbury chocolate, took one put it in the basket when he raised his voice and firmly said, “No mommy that is not healthy. You are going to have rotten teeth!”

Where is my apron? Now that I am a full-time home-maker again, I have decided to pull over my dusty apron and share some of my special favourite traditional recipe with you all in my coming posts. But be warned, I am not a professional Kitchenist. Hopefully be doing this I will become a pro-kitchenist!