16 1 / 2011
Can You Cook?
I would imagine that in just about every culture or society, there’s a fairly fine tuned set of questions that goes along with getting to know someone. I think most of us are used to the standards:
So, where are you from? (Oh, Napa? Do you, like, own a vineyard?)
What do you do? (Previously: Oh, that’s interesting *feigning interest in vegetables for a few seconds before moving on* and Now: Yeah, the economy’s so tough right now… *before quickly trying to think of something more positive to say*)
How do you know _____? (You can use your imagination here.)
As a somewhat newly wedded person and, in particular, a newlywed of a (may I just say tall, dark, and very handsome) Pakistani man, the set of questions I’ve run into has evolved a little bit.
Of course most of the new family and friends I’ve met have still taken interest in where I’m from, what I do for a living, how I met Ahmed (don’t listen to anything anybody says involving a strip club), where I went to school, etc. They also are interested in hearing about my family, how many siblings I have, and all that good stuff. But the question that I’ve now heard enough times to enjoy waiting to hear pop up in the list of questions is can you cook?
I was never quite sure how to answer the question. I mean, can I cook as well as Ahmed’s mother? Noooo way, Jose! Can I make biryani without a recipe? Ummm… no. But can I follow a recipe? Why, yes! Yes, I most definitely can.
Even now, I’m not entirely sure I know what the questioner was really asking - if I’m able to follow a recipe or if I have my mother’s entire repertoire of dishes memorized - but I’ve decided that I’d like to be able to answer the question with a more confident Yes! next time I’m asked.
With this in mind, I’ve tried out a handful or two of recipes since we’ve returned from our trip, and I’m happy to report that I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how well each of them turned out! Next post: recipe recap. Until then, keep your fire extinguisher handy in case I call for help!
24 11 / 2010
You may be thinking, “Ummm… goats?” To learn more about why they were in the backyard, check out this wikipedia link:
15 11 / 2010
I keep telling him his face might get stuck like that… (Taken with instagram at Gate 95)
16 1 / 2010
I am 100% out of my old place and into the new. Goodbye, octogenarian landlord, hello landlords that text. Oh, and hello in-unit W/D.
15 10 / 2009
The cinematography is so candid and organic, and yet thoroughly beautiful like more effort should have gone into it. Maybe it did? Second song is even better than the first if you ask me.
03 7 / 2009
How to Hunt - by Nicole Pasulka (for TMN)
“Until three weeks ago, I’d never held a gun, and the only time I’d worn camouflage was at a Cypress Hill concert in 1998. But a while back, my friend Jess described hunting deer in rural Pennsylvania with her father as a kid, and how they’d use every part of the animal. From her stories, hunting seemed to embody principles of sustainability and local consumption Brooklynites only organize conferences about—like working at a community garden, only with a shotgun. My interest was piqued, but there was one problem: Shotguns make me anxious.”
26 6 / 2009
Thriller - by Sarah Hepola (for TMN)
My cousin Becky was four years older than me and an expert in all things. Her bubble letters were perfect. She had the biggest scented-eraser collection this side of Hallmark.
‘I have a question about ‘Billie Jean,’’ I told her one summer day. ‘What does it mean when he says they ‘danced on the floor in the round’?’‘You don’t know what that means?’ she asked, rolling her eyes. ‘OK, dancing in the round is when adults are dancing, OK? And they form a circle, OK? And then, umm, two people go in the middle of the circle and have sex.’
Wow. I had so much to learn.
‘That’s why in the song, he keeps saying the kid is not his son. They had sex, but Billie Jean had sex with a lot of men that night, because they danced on the floor in the round.’Becky had recently taught me about the terrifying business of blowjobs, and after that, anything seemed possible. It frightened me, and made me sad in a way, that Michael Jackson was capable of such a naughty act. I knew adults had sex, but I expected something else from Michael. I expected him to be pure and virginal and safe.
