In Alcibiades I, Socrates asks Alcibiades: "Do you not see, then, that mistakes in life and practice are likewise to be attributed to the ignorance which has conceit of knowledge?" I have to say this statement resonates profoundly with my perspectives on, or faults with Indian society and culture. I am an Indian born in the States, by the way. Let me establish a setting - ah, the dinner party. Your dad's friend's wife swears that she cooks the best Tandoori chicken (a popular red, spicy chicken dish) known to man. My mom politely asks this woman- who is new to the culinary scene- if she needs any help, and the reply is a confident: "No, no this is my forte." Then, her mother chimes in and boasts that the daughter has created many a masterpiece. Well like any appreciative guest, you look forward to sinking your teeth into the succulent, and well seasoned bird. As the wife graciously presents her "gastronomical wonder" before us, we see that it appears red, aromatic, and well done. You take a bite-wait for it-and much to your surprise the chicken is still pink and well, half raw. It also is overly salted and the spices are used in the incorrect combination and proportion, setting the preliminary stages of heartburn and or salmonella. All you can do is smile, look for your napkin, and pretend to just wipe your face, while spitting out the abominable horror. You stop eating and the hostess asks why you are full, and you wistfully reply that it was so good, that one piece was enough to send you to heaven. This produces the intended and expected visceral response: a gigantic smile on the host's and hostess' face. Poor fools. Poor us. The only thing to ask is: oh me, oh my, what bad fortune has befallen me?
This could have been easily avoided, and you think to yourself that your mother offered to help, which was polite but also very intelligent on her part. Sure enough, after we had reached home and abundantly medicated ourselves with Pepto-Bismol, our mother had said that she was expecting this, because many young Indian wives bluff about their "savvy" cooking skills. In reality they might not even have touched raw meat, but just happened to tune into a Indian cooking show. What idiocy. Oh the conceit, the audacity. In essence, I had been the victim of a deliberate crime. People, people understand that cooking is just not theoretical it is also very much practical. Now I understand and appreciate why my mother has commanded me to learn how to cook Indian food, so that in the future many digestive tracts will remain healthy.
No comments:
Post a Comment