Three
04.00 am in the Kitchen
Mrs. Heni is still busy with her cake batter, pearl plate cake is one of Lina's favorite cakes besides banana sponge cake. Mrs. Heni was so focused on mixing the dough that she didn't notice the presence of Lina, her favorite youngest child.
"My dear mother, how come your hands are full of flour dough. What are you doing?"
"Umm, this is Lin. As usual, I made your favorite pearl platter cake. I'll take it to school for lunch later."
"Okay ready ma'am. Oh yes ma'am, if there are still leftover ingredients, can you make it again ma'am, so I can share it with my friends"
"Of course honey."
"Yeeeyyy, thanks a lot my dear mother."
"Eiiiitttssss, don't be happy yet. There are conditions for this."
"Oh ma'am, how come you use all the conditions, what are the conditions? Don't bother with the conditions."
"It's easy, the conditions are, the conditions are that from now on you have to be able to cook. That's all."
"Okay, ready, Lina doesn't mind if she has to learn how to cook. Especially the one who teaches Lina's top chef."
"Ah, you can do it Lin. Then now you peel seven shallots and five garlic cloves Lin!"
"What are you doing with that much onion, ma'am?" Asked Lina surprised
"That's for cooking fish curry."
"Oh I see."
Lina hadn't peeled three cloves of onion yet, her hands reflexively rubbed her reddened eyes.
"Ouch, Pain." Lina complained
"Why Lin?" asked his mother
"I don't know mom, it really hurts when I peel onions."
"Oh my gosh Lina. Peeling the shallots has a trick. You see (Ms. Heni approaches Lina and teaches her), Soak the shallots first in hot water for three minutes, then rinse with cold water flowing Lin, this function is cold water to stop the cooking of the shallots. Next, cut off the top and root ends of the shallots like this." Mrs. Heni practices how to peel to Lina
"When the top and bottom are cut off, we make slices on the top layer of Lin's onion. Its function is to make it easier for us to peel off the skin from the top like this." Obviously Mrs. Heni
"Aah, Lina understands now ma'am."
Apparently, cooking requires a lot of tips and tricks. I have to be able to cook, because I'm a girl. I hope one day I can serve delicious food to my family.
"Then what else do you have to peel?" she asked
"That's Lin, one segment of the turmeric is peeled, then clean the snakehead fish in the fridge. Later, when you go to the fridge, take the fish, as well as take the seasoning box that's underneath Lin, I want to go to the yard next to the house to get some ginger first." Mrs. Heni's order to Lina.
"Okay ready ma'am."
The distinctive aroma of steamed tray cakes made Lina sniff her nose. "Hmmm, delicious". Lina approached the pot on the stove, and spontaneously grabbed the pot lid. But suddenly Lina was startled by her mother's scream.
"LINAAAAAA, DON'T BE OPEN!"
Braaaaakkk, Lina accidentally nudged the second dough pan that had not been steamed. His face was bright red, afraid of being scolded by his mother. With trembling lips, Lina mustered up the courage, trying to apologize to her mother.
"Mmmm mmm oo oo mmmm, I'm sorry, Lina didn't do it on purpose."
"Hmmm."
"Mother, I'm sorry. Lina promised not to do it again. Really promised."
"Ok, promise, okay? So listen to mom. If you're told to peel the turmeric, peel it. Don't even stare at the pot. Luckily, only the mixture spills. What if the pot falls and gets on your body? Won't it hurt?"
"Yes ma'am, promise, Lina won't do it again."
"Okay, now clean everything. After that, wash the fish."
"Yes ma'am."
Lina pondered over her carelessness while cleaning the floor, then washed the fish. Hufffttt, I shouldn't have made my mother angry. What if you get karma? Eh, but I already apologized to my mother. So it's okay. But don't you forgive me for being sad if you see me cry. Uh, but I don't think that's possible, all parents forgive their children when they make mistakes, the important thing is that the mistakes don't violate religious norms and norms.
"Daydreaming, is the fish clean yet?"
"Ehhh, not yet ma'am, a little more."
"Okay, then mom, all that's left is to lift the cake tray from the pan. Later, when it's clean, coat the fish with lime juice until it's evenly distributed, Lin."
"Yes ma'am, ready."
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POV Mrs. Heni, 04.30 am
"Where's the scythe next to the door, making people look around like monkeys just looking for their mother. Well, here they are."
Mrs. Heni opened the side door of the house, and headed for the ginger plants that almost filled her yard.
Hmm, thank goodness I used to grow my own kitchen spices. So no need to spend money to buy spices. Eh, now the ginger isn't just for seasoning, it can even be sold to the market. The money is not bad enough to add to Lina's school fees.
Oh, God, I feel really sad since my husband left. Live alone with the youngest daughter who is still in high school. Having many children but not caring about the condition of his mother who was lacking, the eldest son who was already rich forgot about his mother. If you don't care about me that's fine, but at least it's helping with Lina's school fees, eh but it's a waste of helping with school fees, I don't think I'm paying attention at all. Hmm God, give me patience.
Mrs. Heni stroked her chest while heading to the kitchen. Hoping to be given patience as wide as the ocean. But he found his youngest daughter was about to open the lid of the pot, where the cake platter was steamed. Spontaneously, Mrs. Heni shouted in an annoyed tone.
"LINAAAAAA, DON'T BE OPEN!"
Braaaaakkk, Lina accidentally nudged the second dough pan that had not been steamed.
"Deg, it's true that what I was afraid of happened. My talam cake dough, the taste is disgusting, the dough that I made with care so that the taste and aroma were just right, even fell." Lina's face was bright red, as if she was afraid that I would go berserk. With trembling lips, Lina mustered up the courage, trying to apologize to me.
"Mmmm mmm oo oo mmmm, I'm sorry, Lina didn't do it on purpose."
"Hmmm."
"Mother, I'm sorry. Lina promised not to do it again. Really promised."
"Ok, promise, okay? So listen to mom. If you're told to peel the turmeric, peel it. Don't even stare at the pot. Luckily, only the mixture spills. What if the pot falls and gets on your body? Won't it hurt?"
"Yes ma'am, promise Lina won't do it again."
"Okay, now clean everything. After that, wash the fish."
"Yes ma'am."
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"Lina, if the fish has been smeared with lime juice, grind the garlic, shallots, curly chilies, turmeric, candlenuts, pepper and coriander okay!" Mrs. Heni ordered while slicing the tray cake.
"Yes moooom, ready 45."
"Here Lin, the cake tray is ready to eat, next time you have to learn to make Lin cakes. Apart from learning how to cook food, you should be able to make Lin cakes." Mrs. Heni said excitedly.
"Yes ma'am ready, want to taste one ma'am."
"here"
Nyeesss, the aroma of coconut milk, pandan leaves, and the savory taste of the talam cake was able to sedate Lina in one bite. And Lina spontaneously proposed the idea of selling cakes to her mother.
"Mom, how about we sell pastries?"
"Where do you want to sell Lin? The village people are weighing the money to buy cakes, so it's better to buy Lin's rice. It can be eaten by the whole family."
"Oh, don't get me wrong, Lina will help sell later. You just have to make cakes at home."
"Do you want to sell cakes where to Lin?"
"At school, ma'am, there is a cooperative and a canteen at school. Later, Lina will bring the cake to school and try to tell the canteen guard and the school cooperative, okay, ma'am. Hopefully this will be a way of fortune for us."
"That's it Lin, it's up to you. I can only support you. Are the spices smooth yet?"
"Uh, yes, I'm forgot, ma'am, this is in a moment. If the spices are smooth, what should we do next, ma'am?"
"Saute the spices until fragrant, then add the ginger, galangal, turmeric leaves, and bruised lemongrass. Don't forget to add bay leaves and lime leaves. Then, don't forget to add whole red bird's eye chilies."
"Okay ready ma'am boss, then when you have entered everything, what will be the next steps?"
"Put in Lin's fish, stir until the fish changes color. Then pour in half the liquid coconut milk, salt and reduce the heat. Eeh don't forget to close the pan."
"Okay boss, what next?"
"Wait 15 minutes Lin, let all the fish cook."
"Aahh ready ma'am my beautiful boss."
"Haha, you can just Lin, crap in the early morning."
While waiting for the fish to cook, Lina and her mother cleaned the kitchen utensils. And Lina used a timer to make sure the timing was right, no less and no more when cooking the fish.
Tuuut, tuuut, tuuuuut. Spontaneously Lina turned off her timer and called her mother.
"Mooomm, it's been 15 minutes. Can you serve the fish already?"
"Not yet Lin."
"So, how come you can't yet ma'am?" asked Lina surprised.
"Yes, we have to add liquid coconut milk and thick coconut milk again, then wait for it to boil."
"Aahh, I see. It turns out that it's too complicated, ma'am, to cook fish curry, hehehe."
"Obviously, cooking is complicated, those who aren't complicated are eating it, one hap is instantly sold out."
"Wow, look, it's already boiling. I'll pick it up."
"Not yet Lin."
"how come you can't lift it yet ma'am?" protested Lina
"You have to add basil leaves first, Lin, so they smell good and are delicious."
"Okay, I'll add basil leaves, ma'am. Eh, that's right, it smells good and smells better, ma'am. I want to eat it, ah."
"Eiittsss, don't eat yet. Go take a shower first Lin, it's already 05.30. Eat later after taking a shower and getting ready to go to school."
"Hmmm, yes, yes. I'm taking a shower, ma'am." Lina went to the bathroom while imagining the fish curry she had made.