Food For Self-Esteem

My mom makes the best beef noodle soup I have ever had. I decided to learn how to make it after moving to Boston, when I found that even the best Chinese food only paled in comparison to my mother's cooking. Nothing I ever make is quite as good as hers, but I tell myself it just takes practice. My mom loves that I'm finally taking interest in anything remotely domestic (she fears that my being a "career girl" renders me completely useless in the house), but she still doesn't quite know how to provide encouragement. When I told her I was having some friends over and that I was going to serve them her beef noodle soup, this is the conversation we had:

Mom: What are you doing?

Me: I'm cooking. I'm having some friends over for a dinner party.

Mom: What are you making?

Me: Your beef noodle soup! And scallion pancakes.

Mom: Oh, you know how to make that?

Me: I try! I think I did a pretty good job this time.

Mom: What kinds of friends are these?

Me: All professors like me. From various universities in the area.

Mom: That's nice!...

[pause]

... Are you sure your beef noodle soup is edible?

Me: Yes it's edible! Because I'm clever!

Mom: You're just like your dad. Why do you always talk about how clever you are?

Me: What should I do instead? Talk about how stupid I am?

Mom: You shouldn't talk about yourself at all.

Me: Shit, I have to go. The pancakes are burning.

END.

[Postscript: For the record, my friends found my execution of my mom's beef noodle soup very edible!]