Jayanthi Who? Why?

An absentminded, recipe-jotting, over-ambitious, slightly creative, totally unorganized, working mom of 2 wild things, I love to cook. I am Jayanthi. When cooking for family (especially my joint-family -  don’t get me started on this one), there is always at-least one person who doesn’t like the dish, one who doesn’t like it the way I’ve done it and another who’s just not in the mood for eating (usually my son). 

So the food better be good (I had to somehow work in the title somewhere)! It’s a wonder that I even muster the courage to cook every morning in this hostile territory. I envy all those other bloggers whose families always finish off their cakes and then they’d make a second one. It’s like those cutesy Karan Johar movies. 

It’s never that way at our house. My family is too honest, bigoted and picky or I just don’t cook that great or both. But for readers who think this blog is a “cooking gone wrong/worst dishes ever” kind of thing, I'll have to tell you this. I am not a great cook, but I am good and I am learning every day. This blog is my OrdinaryHomes journal that will chronicle my kitchen exploits, home-organizing efforts and joint-family life.

I work full-time although I do doze off sometimes and what with my little ones, I do not get to cook as often or as much as I’d like to. When I do cook, it’s amidst a riot, my 1 year old son sitting atop the counter and cooking his own special curry and my 3 year old daughter emptying the salt packet on the floor. My husband works from home most days and is well, mostly working. He does help with the kids (I have to say this or he wouldn’t call out for me when they’re acting up!). I live with my husband, kids and in-laws in Chennai.  I enjoy shopping for our kitchen (not my kitchen, joint family remember) more than for my wardrobe. I like to make lists, plan menus and parties, buy gifts, decorate the house and all the other cool Martha Stewarty things.

I can’t finish a sentence without a Tamil cinema reference, a bit like Sowkar Janaki in “Yethir Neechal”. This is how we talk among friends and we’ve got so used to it that it’s tough to talk any other way, which may explain why I pause and stammer in those calls with the vellaikara payapullainge. My posts will also be this way.

You can contact me at foodbetterbegood.jayanthi@gmail.com.