Cooking. Love it? Hate it? Why?
August 25, 2008 2:20 PM Subscribe
For those of you out there that love to cook, what is it about cooking that draws you in? The eating? The sharing? The creativity? For people out there that don't love to cook, what turns you off?
This post was deleted for the following reason: this is chatfilter. -- jessamyn
Cooking is a mindless chore, like scrubbing the bathroom or laundry. It needs to be done over and over again, and the tasks it involves are unsatisfying. Why would I want to spend a lot of time doing mindless manual labor just to get the same (or a less good) result as I could pay someone else only marginally more money to produce for me? Chopping things into tiny pieces and watching water boil and checking my oven compulsively to make sure I haven't ruined something for an hour or more each day is not my idea of a good time. Not having to perform household chores for myself is one of the greatest benefits of division of labor. I get my chores done better and have more leisure time, and someone else gets a job who might not otherwise have one.
posted by decathecting at 2:32 PM on August 25, 2008 [4 favorites]
posted by decathecting at 2:32 PM on August 25, 2008 [4 favorites]
What I like about cooking:
- I get to eat something exactly the way I like it
- Sharing what I've made with someone else
- It's creative and it's fun
What I don't like about cooking:
- I get chef's stomach
- I hate washing up
- I'm not patient enough to be a good baker, which frustrates me
- The everyday food you have to make just because you need to eat
- Shopping for food. God, I hate the market.
posted by neblina_matinal at 2:32 PM on August 25, 2008
- I get to eat something exactly the way I like it
- Sharing what I've made with someone else
- It's creative and it's fun
What I don't like about cooking:
- I get chef's stomach
- I hate washing up
- I'm not patient enough to be a good baker, which frustrates me
- The everyday food you have to make just because you need to eat
- Shopping for food. God, I hate the market.
posted by neblina_matinal at 2:32 PM on August 25, 2008
I cook for other people to show them I love them and care about them.
I cook for myself because I don't want people to see me shovelling 120 lbs of spagetti into my gaping wide maw when I get my crazy ass carb craving.
posted by spec80 at 2:33 PM on August 25, 2008
I cook for myself because I don't want people to see me shovelling 120 lbs of spagetti into my gaping wide maw when I get my crazy ass carb craving.
posted by spec80 at 2:33 PM on August 25, 2008
I like to cook. A few reasons:
- I come from a large family, where food and love are given interchangeably and in great quantities. I like to cook for people because in my mind, that = affection. My wife still doesn't understand why it is tacky to buy cookies and take them to a party. She probably never will. In my mind, taking store-bought stuff to someone's house is as if I had hired a temp to do all of my hugging, kissing and hand-shaking.
- I also like the zen of chopping, of breaking down ingredients so that I can combine them into making something new.
- Mainly, though, I like the practicality of making my own food. The stuff I cook is, 90% of the time, cheaper and better than what I can get at restaurants.
posted by charlesv at 2:34 PM on August 25, 2008 [1 favorite]
- I come from a large family, where food and love are given interchangeably and in great quantities. I like to cook for people because in my mind, that = affection. My wife still doesn't understand why it is tacky to buy cookies and take them to a party. She probably never will. In my mind, taking store-bought stuff to someone's house is as if I had hired a temp to do all of my hugging, kissing and hand-shaking.
- I also like the zen of chopping, of breaking down ingredients so that I can combine them into making something new.
- Mainly, though, I like the practicality of making my own food. The stuff I cook is, 90% of the time, cheaper and better than what I can get at restaurants.
posted by charlesv at 2:34 PM on August 25, 2008 [1 favorite]
I like to cook because I enjoy developing skills, and I like food that tastes good. So in cooking I get a chance to make food for myself and others that not only fills the basic requirements we need to live, but also tastes good. It's a vital task that could be done filled quickly and easily by another, but I do it better.
posted by Science! at 2:35 PM on August 25, 2008
posted by Science! at 2:35 PM on August 25, 2008
when i do cook, i enjoy the satisfaction of knowing i did something (it feels productive).
i don't like to cook, though, because:
- i hate having to shop for different things all the time
- i hate meals that take more than 10 minutes to prepare
- i'm not very smart with improvising should the need arise
- cooking, to me, is another maintenance task (like laundry, or mopping)
i wish healthy stuff came in boxes and was ready to go.
posted by gursky at 2:37 PM on August 25, 2008
i don't like to cook, though, because:
- i hate having to shop for different things all the time
- i hate meals that take more than 10 minutes to prepare
- i'm not very smart with improvising should the need arise
- cooking, to me, is another maintenance task (like laundry, or mopping)
i wish healthy stuff came in boxes and was ready to go.
posted by gursky at 2:37 PM on August 25, 2008
Likes: Seconding making food exactly the way I like it. Knowing exactly what's in your food.
Also, being able to creatively change recipes so we (me, vegetarian; boyfriend, vegan) can have dishes like vegan tikka masala or faux beef chimichangas.
I'm also a sucker for praise when I make food for parties. I love being able to create a wide variety of appetizers, having the table look full and pretty, and having people enjoy what I've made.
Dislikes: Recipes that dirty a lot of dishes. When there is too much prep. Any normal meal that takes longer than an hour. Being one ingredient short and having to run to the store. Baking.
posted by faunafrailty at 2:38 PM on August 25, 2008
Also, being able to creatively change recipes so we (me, vegetarian; boyfriend, vegan) can have dishes like vegan tikka masala or faux beef chimichangas.
I'm also a sucker for praise when I make food for parties. I love being able to create a wide variety of appetizers, having the table look full and pretty, and having people enjoy what I've made.
Dislikes: Recipes that dirty a lot of dishes. When there is too much prep. Any normal meal that takes longer than an hour. Being one ingredient short and having to run to the store. Baking.
posted by faunafrailty at 2:38 PM on August 25, 2008
I know what I like and how I like it, and it's less expensive than eating out. And if I find a hair in the curry, well, I know where it came from.
posted by turgid dahlia at 2:38 PM on August 25, 2008
posted by turgid dahlia at 2:38 PM on August 25, 2008
To be a huge dork, cooking reminds me of MMORPGs. You get to build skills and add new recipes and techniques and equipment! You get to customize things and impress others with your skills! You have realtime feedback about how talented you are and the satisfaction of setting out to do something and doing it well. Fun.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 2:39 PM on August 25, 2008
posted by Solon and Thanks at 2:39 PM on August 25, 2008
I love food shopping and can't understand why people hate it. You get to pick out nice things to eat and take them home and eat them - what's not to like? It's only a pain when you have a restriction, such as needing itto come under £6. I wish I could cook better - getting home late means I tend to eat too much pasta. I also love baking, even though I'm not great at it - it's the satisfaction of beating and decorating, and seeing something you've made with your own hands that looks good matches the feeling I get when I've made something longer lasting myself.
posted by mippy at 2:43 PM on August 25, 2008
posted by mippy at 2:43 PM on August 25, 2008
I like to cook because:
-There is instant gratification for your productivity. You make it and then you eat it.
-It is both a skill and an art. As I have no *real* artistic talent, this is where I can create something and express myself.
-Food=pleasure and I like to see others experience that pleasure from something I've done.
-I love the science and chemistry of food-- how things come together, transform with different styles of cooking, interactions between food and flavors.
-It is infinite. There is always something new to learn and new ways to approach the old.
-I love my own cooking. I can make things exactly to my own specifications and taste.
-Like a few other chores/pleasures (gardening, sewing, etc.) it is a task that temporarily gets you out of your own head and allows you to focus on the task at hand.
-It is an appreciation of the vastness of nature, the seasons, the land, the animals, and the world around us.
posted by picklebird at 2:45 PM on August 25, 2008
-There is instant gratification for your productivity. You make it and then you eat it.
-It is both a skill and an art. As I have no *real* artistic talent, this is where I can create something and express myself.
-Food=pleasure and I like to see others experience that pleasure from something I've done.
-I love the science and chemistry of food-- how things come together, transform with different styles of cooking, interactions between food and flavors.
-It is infinite. There is always something new to learn and new ways to approach the old.
-I love my own cooking. I can make things exactly to my own specifications and taste.
-Like a few other chores/pleasures (gardening, sewing, etc.) it is a task that temporarily gets you out of your own head and allows you to focus on the task at hand.
-It is an appreciation of the vastness of nature, the seasons, the land, the animals, and the world around us.
posted by picklebird at 2:45 PM on August 25, 2008
+:
Impressing my wife and friends.
Creating new recipes (even if they're just variations on a theme).
And, I simply like making things. Food is another thing to make.
-:
Pretty much neblina_matinal's list.
posted by Netzapper at 2:45 PM on August 25, 2008
Impressing my wife and friends.
Creating new recipes (even if they're just variations on a theme).
And, I simply like making things. Food is another thing to make.
-:
Pretty much neblina_matinal's list.
posted by Netzapper at 2:45 PM on August 25, 2008
The science—think of it as food engineering. All kinds of good things to geek out about in cooking, with positive consequences for the ability to improvise.
The humanity—there are cultural and aesthetic factors that you work with, whether you're aware of them or not. There's a satisfaction in working within tradition, and a different satisfaction in successfully challenging it. Either way, turning out an attractive dish is fun.
The craft—I get a lot of satisfaction out of using good tools well.
The break from my schoolwork—studying actually ceases to be fun once in a while. If I have to cook, great, there's a break.
The practicality—when I'm half done with that study break, hey! There's something to eat!
The quality—this is more than a theoretical issue, as a lot of pre-made, packaged foods seem to have ingredients (still figuring out exactly which ones) that make me queasy or give me the squirts. These ingredients seem to be missing from Michael-Pollan-style recognizable real food (mostly plants) that I fix myself.
The nutrition—by a happy coincidence, the kinds of foods that don't make me feel yucky are also the kinds that don't shorten my lifespan. Yay, real food!
The sociability—I cook better when I'm cooking for someone else. I'm sure everyone does. It's a nice way to bring people together. And the food itself is a fallback topic of conversation that will seldom disappoint.
OTOH, sometimes there are just other things I need to do, and all I want is to keep body and soul together. At those times, the foodie persona you see above does come off. Hey, it's got calories? Great, give it here. Also, the times when I'm poor.
posted by eritain at 2:52 PM on August 25, 2008
The humanity—there are cultural and aesthetic factors that you work with, whether you're aware of them or not. There's a satisfaction in working within tradition, and a different satisfaction in successfully challenging it. Either way, turning out an attractive dish is fun.
The craft—I get a lot of satisfaction out of using good tools well.
The break from my schoolwork—studying actually ceases to be fun once in a while. If I have to cook, great, there's a break.
The practicality—when I'm half done with that study break, hey! There's something to eat!
The quality—this is more than a theoretical issue, as a lot of pre-made, packaged foods seem to have ingredients (still figuring out exactly which ones) that make me queasy or give me the squirts. These ingredients seem to be missing from Michael-Pollan-style recognizable real food (mostly plants) that I fix myself.
The nutrition—by a happy coincidence, the kinds of foods that don't make me feel yucky are also the kinds that don't shorten my lifespan. Yay, real food!
The sociability—I cook better when I'm cooking for someone else. I'm sure everyone does. It's a nice way to bring people together. And the food itself is a fallback topic of conversation that will seldom disappoint.
OTOH, sometimes there are just other things I need to do, and all I want is to keep body and soul together. At those times, the foodie persona you see above does come off. Hey, it's got calories? Great, give it here. Also, the times when I'm poor.
posted by eritain at 2:52 PM on August 25, 2008
I like cooking in part because of the fact that I have to eat everyday, multiple times a day. It's not a surprising thing that I don't expect to have to deal with again. I could either treat it as a chore, or as a challenge - the latter is much, much more rewarding. I pick up new things from the grocery store or farmers market that I've never dealt with before, then I try to figure out how best to use them, what goes with what, how long and in what ways they should be cooked, assembled, served...
Also, I came from a large family as well, but one with a serious complex on what "growing boys" need to eat. Being the last of five, and a girl at that, I always got the smallest portions and never had a chance to grab any leftovers. But my dad praised his own cooking so emphatically ("mmm, girl! Now that's good chili!") that I've always associated food with some type of euphoric satisfaction. As an adult, I make massive amounts of fantastic food, and feel so ridiculously happy to eat it, and to even be able to keep more as leftovers.
I also love eating out, I love having someone else do the cooking, and I love eating fast food and feeling somewhat guilty afterwards (as an ex-Catholic, I find something comforting about feeling guilty over something so trivial). I think, on reading this, I just like food. I pick travel destinations primarily based on whether or not they've got tasty things to eat there.
You have to eat everyday, and I have a luxury in that I can prepare myself a wide variety of foods and flavors. And when you get it right (like I did last night, by making this awesome ricotta cheesecake) it is so very, very satisfying.
posted by Herman Hermanson at 2:53 PM on August 25, 2008
Also, I came from a large family as well, but one with a serious complex on what "growing boys" need to eat. Being the last of five, and a girl at that, I always got the smallest portions and never had a chance to grab any leftovers. But my dad praised his own cooking so emphatically ("mmm, girl! Now that's good chili!") that I've always associated food with some type of euphoric satisfaction. As an adult, I make massive amounts of fantastic food, and feel so ridiculously happy to eat it, and to even be able to keep more as leftovers.
I also love eating out, I love having someone else do the cooking, and I love eating fast food and feeling somewhat guilty afterwards (as an ex-Catholic, I find something comforting about feeling guilty over something so trivial). I think, on reading this, I just like food. I pick travel destinations primarily based on whether or not they've got tasty things to eat there.
You have to eat everyday, and I have a luxury in that I can prepare myself a wide variety of foods and flavors. And when you get it right (like I did last night, by making this awesome ricotta cheesecake) it is so very, very satisfying.
posted by Herman Hermanson at 2:53 PM on August 25, 2008
Love it. Because it's either an adventure into something new or a chance to improve on something you already know. Plus, I've put enough effort into honing the skill that the people for whom I cook think of me as being skilled and show their appreciation.
Most important reason-- you'll live longer and better if you keep your consumption of already-prepared food down to a minimum. Unless you've got deep pockets to buy the very best. And if you do and see that as a better use of your time I respect your decision even if I would never spend my money like that.
posted by Mayor Curley at 2:55 PM on August 25, 2008
Most important reason-- you'll live longer and better if you keep your consumption of already-prepared food down to a minimum. Unless you've got deep pockets to buy the very best. And if you do and see that as a better use of your time I respect your decision even if I would never spend my money like that.
posted by Mayor Curley at 2:55 PM on August 25, 2008
The only, only, only thing I dislike about cooking is cleaning up afterwards.
I love everything else. I love learning something new. I love taking a counterful of ingredients and turing it into something completely different. I like being able to get a list of ingredients from my mom via email, and throwing it together and having a flashback to when I was a kid. I like sharing with my friends. I like watching people enjoy what I've made them. I like making mistakes cooking, because it's one less mistake I'll make in the future and it gives me an excuse to run across the street and grab a slice of pizza for dinner instead. I like that it means that I can be independent. I like shopping and comparing prices and realizing that if I spend a buck or two more, I can get, like, TRIPLE the chicken in the family pack, and stock up my freezer. I love it when the apartment is filled with the smell of roasting [whatever]. I love the feeling when someone says to me, "wait - you made this from SCRATCH?" (It's really not that hard, peeps!) I like accidentally discovering something new and delicious and becoming obsessed with it for a few weeks. I love leftovers (this wasn't always the case). I like trying new things in the kitchen. I like reading food blogs and watching cooking shows and actually creating what looked so delicious on screen for just a few bucks.
posted by AlisonM at 2:56 PM on August 25, 2008
I love everything else. I love learning something new. I love taking a counterful of ingredients and turing it into something completely different. I like being able to get a list of ingredients from my mom via email, and throwing it together and having a flashback to when I was a kid. I like sharing with my friends. I like watching people enjoy what I've made them. I like making mistakes cooking, because it's one less mistake I'll make in the future and it gives me an excuse to run across the street and grab a slice of pizza for dinner instead. I like that it means that I can be independent. I like shopping and comparing prices and realizing that if I spend a buck or two more, I can get, like, TRIPLE the chicken in the family pack, and stock up my freezer. I love it when the apartment is filled with the smell of roasting [whatever]. I love the feeling when someone says to me, "wait - you made this from SCRATCH?" (It's really not that hard, peeps!) I like accidentally discovering something new and delicious and becoming obsessed with it for a few weeks. I love leftovers (this wasn't always the case). I like trying new things in the kitchen. I like reading food blogs and watching cooking shows and actually creating what looked so delicious on screen for just a few bucks.
posted by AlisonM at 2:56 PM on August 25, 2008
- I like to compose a meal
- I like to buy nice ingredients (market and butcher mind not supermarket)
- I like to prepare the ingredients and cook them
- I like to cook for other people (affection & appreciation = nice specially prepared food) and to spend the evening with friends/family eating and drinking
- I like to eat food that is freshly prepared and tastes exactly the way I like it to taste
- I like to know what is in my food
- Only downsides are washing up and having to cook when very tired/rushed
posted by koahiatamadl at 2:58 PM on August 25, 2008
- I like to buy nice ingredients (market and butcher mind not supermarket)
- I like to prepare the ingredients and cook them
- I like to cook for other people (affection & appreciation = nice specially prepared food) and to spend the evening with friends/family eating and drinking
- I like to eat food that is freshly prepared and tastes exactly the way I like it to taste
- I like to know what is in my food
- Only downsides are washing up and having to cook when very tired/rushed
posted by koahiatamadl at 2:58 PM on August 25, 2008
Ditto the thing about food = affection. I cook for people I care about. When people cook for me, I feel like they care about me.
Cooking my dinner each evening is kind of a centering ritual, time to potter about in the kitchen thinking happy thoughts, or if there are more of us, co-ordinating several people's efforts into one tasty whole.
I feel really bad about myself when I eat out the whole time - it's unhealthy, it's a waste of money, etc. etc. Not necessarily valid thoughts, but cooking for myself feels satisfying because I think I'm eating more healthily and not wasting money. Plus I know what goes in the stuff I cook for myself (no battery chickens, for example).
Cooking makes me concentrate on the meal at hand. If I just buy food, I end up eating it on the run and not necessarily noticing it. If I cook it, I am paying attention to what I am eating. The meal becomes a pause, a rest period, punctuation in my day, time to reflect.
posted by emilyw at 2:59 PM on August 25, 2008
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posted by youcancallmeal at 2:31 PM on August 25, 2008