he would cook for himself

Cooking for Srila Prabhupada has been something of a problem. After my disastrous attempt in New Zealand, I left it to the local devotees to make arrangements here. One of the girls, Kusa dasi, tried for the first couple of days, but Prabhupada complained she used too much salt. Before I could speak to her personally, word got out and she became discouraged. Then she suddenly was taken to the hospital suffering from a bad infection. So yesterday I had another go. It was another complete failure and Prabhupada repeated his criticism: I am simply too dull to learn. Prabhupada's digestion is so delicate that a constant change of cooks can mean serious health problems for him. In evident frustration at my incompetence he asked for the three-tier cooker and some burners to be brought upstairs to his room, declaring that he would cook for himself. I was completely downcast that I was so useless I couldn't even cook properly, so Sukadeva prabhu, the temple president, offered to try. Prabhupada consented and today's lunch turned out to his satisfaction?except for the dal, which Sukadeva had cooked down to a mush. Prabhupada said that was untouchable. But that was his only complaint, so Sukadeva is going to do it every day now.