Ramblings: Never Mess with a Woman’s Cooking!

When my husband and I first moved in together I didn’t really know much about cooking.  I mean, I watched my grandparents and mom cook all these delectable and traditional Puerto Rican dishes so it wasn’t like I didn’t know how to cook,  I just never really actually prepared a meal before.

Before I cooked my very first meal, I did what any smart person would do.  I called my mom.

Me: Ma, what is your secret?  What makes your food taste so good?  (It’s not cheating if you ask your mom right? LOL)

Mom: The first thing you need mija, is homemade sofrito.

Me: Ma, I don’t know how to make sofrito. I’ll just buy the Goya kind.

Mom:  Fine, but it won’t taste like my food.

I was ok with that.  I just wanted to surprise my boyfriend (yes, we moved in together before we were married – sue me! lol) with something that was homemade but easy and fast so I decided on corned beef and white rice.

Easy enough, right?

When my boyfriend came home, he smelled the mouth watering aroma in the air and was so excited to eat his first meal in our new apartment.  He immediately knew by the smell that we were having corned beef. Every dish has its own aroma and he has the nose that knows!

I served him his plate and he loved it. He truly made my evening because I thought he wasn’t going to enjoy it.  From that day on, I cooked dinner at least 4 times a week.  I practically made rice and beans on a regular basis but I tried to make it different each time. One day I would make yellow rice and pink beans and the next I would make white beans and white rice.  I kept him on his toes!

One day he came home in a bad mood.

Hubby: I’m starving! What’s for dinner?

Me: Rice and pink beans with chicken.

Hubby:  Again? Damn, is that all you know to make?

Me: Uh, excuse me??!!

I was livid!  I won’t repeat the exact words that were exchanged after his last statement but I will say that it wasn’t pleasant.  I was so upset.  I went into my room, locked the door and told him he could sleep in the living room. And so he did.

To get back at him, I decided to make anything but rice and beans because I didn’t want to hear his mouth. After two weeks of no rice and beans, he began craving my rice and beans.  He had the nerve to ask me to make rice and beans one day and I looked at him like he had two heads.

Me: What? How dare you ask me to make rice and beans after what you said?   He was dumbfounded.  He didn’t think I was still upset.

Hubby: Oh c’mon babe, you’re not still mad, are you?

Me: I’m still upset – I really thought you enjoyed eating rice and beans every day.

Hubby: I love rice and beans but just not every single day.

Me: Oh well, now you don’t have to worry about that anymore. You can go to your mom’s house to eat rice and beans because I’m never making rice and beans for you again!

He pleaded and apologized for days.  After 3 weeks, I finally gave in and made him rice and beans and I told him if he EVER said anything like that  again, it would be his last meal from me.  He ate that plate of my cooking so quickly, I don’t even think he chewed his food. It was the funniest thing to see.

As you can see, I am a sensitive person and do not like anyone saying anything negative about my cooking.   Til’ this day, he tells everyone he does not mess with my cooking because of what happened years ago.  It was tough for him because he loves the way I cook.  This Latina here takes her cooking seriously!

I tell him all the time, NEVER mess with a woman’s cooking — especially a Latina! 😉

Do you think he learned his lesson?

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