Way back, when I was in high school, my German teacher had my entire class make some sort of German food for a class picnic we would be taking. It was a great idea, in my opinion. Everyone made something different. We became a little bit more familiar with another culture, but we also got to enjoy a day of relaxation, fun, and socialization at the local park, within walking distance of the school.
I'm not sure what I made. Thinking back, I seem to remember it being "Apfelkuchen", but it wasn't a pie or a cake…It was more like pancakes, I think. (My memory has gotten foggy at this point.) To be honest, I was the spoiled kid that you only wish you could have been. All I really had to do was find the recipe and my dad made it for me. He's no chef, so it's probably impressive that it was even edible. (That's mean. Of course it was edible!)
Anyway, while the German party was fun and the pancakes (or whatever they were) were delicious, there is one part of the story you are missing… :) That particular Saturday, my brother had a friend over. When the pancakes were done, my dad had me take them outside to share with my brother and his friend. That was when the friend decided that I should be his new babysitter; he wanted me to cook him more delicious things!
As you might can guess, given how much you hear about my husband cooking, I am not a great cook. I LOVE watching great cooks, pushing them to do better, challenging them with the foods I choose…All of it, really! I'm sure I learn so much by merely watching Justin in the kitchen, but when it comes to actual practice though, I am far better on the sidelines. The other week I burned brownies…from a box. I'm quite certain I could burn water if I tried. I'm just not patient enough with cooking (or baking); things are either overdone or underdone when I make them. I typically know what I like, but rarely do I have the patience and attention-span to achieve what I am after.
Nevertheless, it still makes me laugh when I think back to that day that kid thought I could cook and cook well. I will always have a special place in my heart for "Apfelkuchen" even if the kid never had me babysit him again!
Has anything like that ever happened to you? Someone thinks you did something amazing and is surprised later to find out that it wasn't actually you? Or did you get to do anything fun, like make food, when taking a language class? Share with me! I'd love to hear some other TBT stories! :)
