"I will call you back in 2 minutes," is a line I use without my Mom almost everytime she calls. Finally, I got told off and she responded back saying, "Your 2 minutes go into days and days............"

The people closest to me know that after 5 minutes on the phone I switch off and miss most of the conversation as my mind has travelled elsewhere. But this time I heard the word MENUS and I was all ears.

Mom has just found pages and pages of menus she wrote at the time of my cousins wedding and my brothers wedding. A list of menus for breakfast, lunch, dinner and the quintessential Gujarati 'nashta'. It is being photocopied as I write this and getting dropped here today. 

So excited! 

Why is planning a menu the single most irritating thing about eating? If we as a family were indifferent to food, I would get it. But we are not.

So what is it? Anyone? Any insights? Any solutions?

No idea what to make for tomorrow! 

Do you build things up in your head? I certainly seem to! 

 When I approached the cook with my healthy menu and said, "grill style chicken banaoge pan mein?" (Grilled Chicken in a pan), he said, "Ji." (Yes).

So I asked him to explain how he makes it and his response had me really worried. "Don't worry I can make everything." I was minutes away from changing the menu, when I said to myself let it be. Give it a shot.

Cut to dinner time and wow, what a surprise. It was no gourmet meal but the chicken was marinated well but the soup was a little creamy. The best part? He can be trained! It's not an alien concept in his head.

Tomorrow we will teach him how to make a Fish Pie and Kimaya's favourite Sauteed Zucchini in Basil Garlic Dressing.

Do you find you tend to eat what the cook can make? As someone who survives on a part time cook, the biggest challenge is to match our schedules and make the time to teach him dishes that we like.

Having Indian food morning and evening, day after day is something we just cannot stomach. So, today is the day that we are gonna risk one meal. The back up plan, eat what he makes for the staff at home.

Our menu is Broccoli Soup, Lemon Garlic Grilled Chicken and Salad with Rocket Leaves and Mushrooms.

Honestly, its easy enough. The soup will be the biggest test as it is the only thing he is actually making from start to finish. The chicken has to be marinated and the salad we are gonna make just before dinner.

If he is smart, he will learn to encourage this way of eating in every home he cooks at. It takes 1/3 the time and is so simple once you get it.

Change. It's not something I handle as gracefully as I would like but I am learning.

The cook left for the village two days ago and I am trying out a new guy.

The chappie claims to cook Sindhi, Punjabi, South Indian and some Continental.

We are keeping it basic. Baby steps. Sindhi Curry and Rice is the test menu along with a Gobi Aloo.

Sindhi Curry is Kimaya's favourite.

Have I set him up for a huge downfall?