Easy reference

Sonny, my oldest son, called me last night. He wanted to know what temperature he needed to put the oven on. He was recreating a baked fish dish we had prepared on Christmas Day.
He does that on occasion. He will call while he is cooking and it usually goes about the same each time.
“Hello.”
“Hey, mom. What temperature do I put the oven on for that fish we did on Christmas day…What do you usually put into the sauce for scalloped potatoes…What spices did you use on that dry rub…what should I do with my red sauce it isn’t smelling quite right…
Depending if he is just cooking a weekday meal or a special get together defines the intensity of his questions. He still asks and he will still question the answers. He didn’t believe my answer on the temperature for the fish. We got into a friendly volley of accusations of lying and motives behind it.
“Why would I give you the wrong information?”
“Well, you didn’t sound sure.”
“Okay, then, use you’re lower temperature and you’ll have soggy, watery fish. Then you can pitch that, start over at the temperature I gave you and make it right.”
“So, I’ll get soggy fish if I use the lower temperature?”
“Yeah, you want to bake it, not slow cook it. It will lose its texture if you cook it too slow.”
“I don’t want blackened fish.”
“You’re not going to get blackened fish! Not in the oven.”
It went like that back and forth for a while with noises of baking pans and clatter coming over from his side of the phone. He finally agreed that I was probably right. He went on to tell me about some rice he had found he knew I would have to try it was so good.
It goes like that.
I know his girlfriend doesn’t mind that he takes charge in the kitchen. I know I don’t mind when he calls to compare cooking notes.

Oh, he also told me he had bought himself a new laptop and I could have my netbook back that he had borrowed.
Isn’t it nice that he didn’t just look up the temperature for the fish on his new laptop?
TT