COOKING TO IMPRESS

We all have some culinary skills in some form or another at times. We all have some dishes that have been mastered to perfection! But why? Who are we trying to impress exactly? 2/3/4 kids that couldn't give a hootnanny how, where or how much time, money or effort you have put into it or the gather of ingredients, prepping and dishing up a suburb master piece. No!
Is it a narcissistic need to impress ones self? Is it for personal gratification? I have cooked for myself only and have put some serious effort into it. Was I trying to impress myself ?
Anyway.
Not to offend but my dad is a fussy git. Now not a little fussy. The embarrassing guy at the restaurant poking at the crap that had the audacity to venture to the plate in front of him kinda fussy! So fussy! and I have watched my mum chop and change to his likes and more often his dislikes over the years. I often thought mum was a fool for bending over backwards to my dads fussy pallet! - but my mums cooking is superb! I love my mums cook ups and I am not alone in this! She has cooked for many and lots of those have all said they do like how my mum cooks. Well done mum!and thank you!

I guess unknowingly I took on this sort of OCD in cooking perfection and thus spent time mastering certain dishes. I feel that cooking is a mental attitude. The wanting it to taste the bees knees, look the bees knees and be spoke about and of course wanting someone, people or anyone to say, "oh my glory days that was soooo yummy!" Or " that is the best I have EVER tasted!" 
Ha right!
I knew the day the cook challenge was on when it was the first year I invited mum and dad to my house for the Christmas dinner. I admit I was nervous and felt anxious to please my fussy dad. I can safely say I did well. I remember a time my dad didn't really like eat anything other people had made. So when my dad tasted my lasagne and was requesting it many times afterwards, I thought I was the God of all lasagna in the land. Amazing really, my dad hasn't been the only one that has praised my cooking so again - thanks mum :) 

So having this narcissistic need to be  Basildon's next best cook makes cooking for kids pretty crap. They are miserable little sods that can not be pleased. So instead of cooking up the top notch food. I find myself doing a slightly lesser effort, quality and costly version and you know what? it's more in my head that I know I have not used a certain brand or meat quality that makes me think, 'it's not going to be nice.'  Surprised I was, that it still cuts the mustard! You can't always cut corners with some quality products but these days it has to be done. So even though it wasn't the elite dinner I have programmed myself to cook. It was still pretty nice and cheaper and it didn't take as long! 

I wonder if this cheese stands alone? 




Mel x