Kids can be the most content creatures ever. But parents have different tales to tell. And my mom is no different. She has an array of tales, most concerning my strange food habits right from childhood. And she has entertained quite a few people with these.

 

Midnight Snack

I was one year old, wasn’t saying too many words, but a LOT of gestures. My dad was in Mauritius, and our household consisted of Mom and Amamma (Mom’s mother). So this one night, I wake up mom at around 2am and tell her I am hungry. She was a bit surprised, as I had eaten well at dinner. I ask her for “Mimi (Fish Curry) Chorr (Rice)”. Usually I don’t even look at rice, this time I was asking for it. As she served rice and fish curry, I insisted I will eat it myself. So at 2am, women two generations senior are watching the latest one sitting on top of the table, rolling tiny morsels of rice and curry and eating like a pro. After finishing that, while mom was washing the plate, I told her, “Inniyum” (More). There was no more. So she got down a tin with bourbon cream biscuits. I ate all six there were. It was 2:30am. I look at her and say “Inniyum”. She was stumped. She got me a sliced apple. I ate that too. While this daughter was busy hogging, the other daughter was getting a dose from her mother, “WILL you please put your daughter to sleep?! Whoever heard of a child eating like kumbakaran at midnight?!” I finally settled to sleep, after giving mom and amamma a story to cite for the rest of my embarrassing adult life.

Do not feed!

I was a difficult child to feed. Of course, one look at me now, and you’ll know I shed that habit years back. But as a kid, I was very fussy. I would never complete my food. Whenever we went visiting at relatives houses, she would tell them not to put too much in my plate because I would waste it. But one adamant relative served me a plate of cookies, wafers and a cake slice. And while my mom dished out the statutory warning of my food wasting habits, I licked the plate clean. Mom till today maintains that this relative had a very remarkable smirk on her face…

Early signs of  creativity!

I had my own names for my favourite food items, which had no remote connection with the actual name. Not even phonetically. I was calling Raisins as Mainjyamal. Why? No clue whatsoever. And to humour me, even mom would call it that (still does). One fine day, when I was maybe 15 years old, she sends me to the grocers to get 100gms of the said item. I come back with a funny story for her. In between giggling fits I tell her, “You know, I asked for 100gms packet of mainjyamaal and he looked so stunned! Then I said, raisins…Poor guy, I forgot he doesn’t know Malayalam, he must be wondering what I said…..Ha ha ha!”  Mom is solemnly chopping vegetables, and as I was about to leave the kitchen, the following conversation ensued:

Mom: But that’s not a Malayalam word…

Me: Huh??

Mom: Mainjyamal….it’s not a Malayalam word….

Me: No?! What? So then what language is it? Marathi?

Mom: It’s no language….it doesn’t exist. You made that up as a kid.

Me: WHAT? It’s gibberish?!!

Mom: Hmmm…yes….

Me: But, okay…what did I derive it from…not kishmish (Hindi) ….not Raisins….what is it called in Malayalam then?

Mom: Onakya Mundiri

Me: Onakya Mundiri??!! But that doesn’t sound anything like “Mainjyamal”….why have you never told me this?! Worse..how come you still call it that!!!

Mom: Only with you. I thought you were just being kiddish, continuing to call it that, like a lot of other things you have not grown out of.

Me: *realisation sinking in* OMG! You know, I’ve called it that in front of Anu’s (best friend) parents too!!! So many times!!!!

Mom: They know you for so many years…I’m sure they’ve seen worse…

Me     :cry:

The number of times mom has recited these stories to people at functions and weddings, it’s not funny at all. She went in to her flash back mode few days back and told me all these once again. If you guys got anything to share, pliss to be my guest! :D

While my food obsession is very evident, need I even mention that I am partial to food creations in crochet?! My all-time favourites is this burger I made for a friend:

Burger

Burger!

And also a jar full of Oreo Cookies I made. My colleague actually accepted and bit into a cookie when I offered him one! :D

Cookies

Oreo Cookies Jar - Property of Solilo's Angel Peanut!