Cooking for iftar

with cooking as one of my favorite pastime, i kind of feel a bit bored at home since i'l be cooking for myself no one else but myself. its one of those great pleasures for non-professional cooks like myself when you have that 'satisfaction' look on the face of people. in the month of Ramadhan, apart from the free food the local mosque provided, it was like a present from heaven, knowing that you can volunteer to cook.. being the cook geek that i am, i did volunteer, but for a later date, just to make sure that i do some good analysis of the peoples' eating culture... well that was my initial plan anyway...but as they say a plan is just a plan... if i was not mistaken, 2 days (i think it was 2..or maybe 3) before the 2nd day of ramadhan, one of the brothers asked if i could cook on that day since they was no one available, and with much persuaision especially from the malaysian brothers who said they will help out on that day (Alhamdulillah).. so during those few days, thinking up of a menu that will suit the mixed variety of people was quite a challenge, especially when you havent cooked for 200 plus of odd people, taking into account not all taste buds are the same...

that day did come, and after some budgeting spending (the mosque provided the beef and rice), looking for the cheapeset things available the night before the date of cooking, alhamdulillah, everything turn out quite ok, and we had an extra hour or so before the time for breaking fast. with all the people helping, things just became quicker. my only worry was the rice, its not everyday im cooking for 200 plus of odd people, and cooking over a gas top was not my speciallty. thanks for the tips, the rice was cooked (large amount) in over half an hour (the tip was to have the water boiling first, to reduce charring of the rice at the bottom of the pot). beef was simple, it was all just chop-chop and let it cook. that first day was a success (because the rice cooked just right).

the second stunt, also come in the last moment, i think it was for the 6th day of ramadhan. and i was asked during after asar on a friday. the head chef for that day was sick, so i was asked to replace him. since the day was sunday, i wouldnt mind much. being an adventourous cook, i asked for chicken. well that was a bad choice actually. since chicken comes in pieces, so on that day, not everyone got a piece. that really made me down, and i was really demotivated for the next few days. i hope i could have another chance to make amends. the date i first volunteered was in the 3rd quarter of ramadhan, i would really love to make sure everyone is satisfied (the hot and spicy group and the not hot and spicy group). but still, im only planning, things may change.

for guys like me, cooking is a satisfaction, not that i get to eat what i cook, but the satisfaction of seeing people are happy eatting away what i made with my two hands...