Beta Cook Disorder

Ouch.

My mom sent me this article from the New York Times.

It's a pointed message about my behavior in the kitchen--apparently I'm a kitchen bully.

Although, according to the Times article, it is she, the bullied, that has the disorder. Huh.

She is an alpha cook in her own territory, but, if thrown in with either of her children, she becomes a mere beta because we are, in her words, "kitchen Nazis." My husband uses a similar description.

I must admit that some descriptions in He Cooks. She Stews. It’s Love. ring true for me, notwithstanding the gender role reversal. I would suspect they also ring true for the other child, mi hermano.

However, I do not expect my mother or spouse to "greet any meal [I] might make on an average weeknight with the equivalent of a marching band reception." Frankly, very few of my dishes would be worthy of such treatment.

I do admit to holding strong opinions on technique and ingredients, based on years of fairly serious reading, study and actual lessons. This butts up against the number of years my mother has spent in the kitchen--a number with which I cannot compete.

So then it becomes psychological: Who's tougher? Who's more confident? Who's alpha?

And what happens when you raise your children to be confident, assertive, passionate craftspeople?

I suspect that my mom did not want to raise mere beta cooks.

She wanted alphas.