Cooking comes naturally to some people while others dread the task, take short cuts or avoid the kitchen whenever possible. Some folks say that cooking is a dying art and point to the abundance of prepared foods and convenience products in grocery stores and the proliferation of restaurants and fast food establishments on almost every corner.
On the other hand there are shelves of cookbooks in many stores and a whole new lineup of cooking shows and stars on cable television. These probably won't convince the die hard kitchen phobics. But it provides some hope that kitchen arts will not become extinct.
Were you born with a cooking gene?
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Comments: 40
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a microwave meal every now and again, and I crave fast food like it is going out of style. Nothing beats crock pot meals...
My husband started gardening a number of years ago and encouraged me to cook Italian. To my surprise, I really enjoy the challenge of finding ways to use and preserve his harvest. Now I cook mostly from scratch.
One reason that I'm inspired to cook is that I know I can make a dinner that's as tasteful as what I can enjoy out. Now, I'm not as creative as those great chefs at the fine restaurants I like to visit, but I realize that it's possible to make a delicious and even unusual meal at home.
I use Cooking Light almost exclusively. I've been a long-time subscriber to the magazine and get the annual cookbook compilations. In fact, tonight I'm making Lemon-Olive Chicken over Minted Couscous from Cooking Light.
When I was young, I hated anything that could be considered "domestic". My mom couldn't get me to cook, bake or even care. But little did she know that she did inspire me. Now, she's amazed at what I can whip up in the kitchen!!!
Our home cooked meals may not be as fancy as five star dining but they're a whole lot less expensive and we know exactly what we put into them.
My problem is baking. Not good at that at all. Gotta have store bought mixes and stuff. Don't even ask me about my adventures in homemade bread baking!!!
As it is now, for me it's just microwaving, fast (or fast-casual or whatever that's called) food, or mooching off parents or friends. =)
I do definitely have the cooking gene and so did my Mom and Grandma before her. I cook and bake and love doing it, and really don't care to eat out, other than the occasional meal at the local diner!
I can't remember not at least helping to cook or bake, plus we always had a large garden so there were many things used from that too.
Our son always loved to help out and learned lots when he was growing up and though I don't watch the cooking shows, HE does, and has tried many recipes from them - but when he cooks things from his childhood that I still make now, he'll either call or e-mail me for the recipe. I'm so glad he's like that and loves to cook too ;)
And our cooking here is done either in a crockpot (not the same ones I make soap in!) or the stove, no microwave here!
I'm glad you realize how lucky you are William.
Strange thing though--My daughter is going to school to be a pastry chef!
Health problems and dietary limitations can definitely put a damper on some of the joys of cooking. But sometimes you can enjoy the challenge of creating new ways to create old favorites (when you have time)
I can identify with time constraints of a full time job and a long commute - that was my life before I retired.
At least your husband likes to cook. Until I retired we ate a lot of packaged stuff
At least my husband can cook so we do get to eat a lot of good stuff that I would never even attempt.