Men Who Cook

Men love food. Men love to eat. Men love a challenge. It is the competitive spirit a man has inside. Me Man, Me Win! Me Man, Me Conquer! Call it the male ego, testosterone or whatever, but men strive to be the best at anything we do. It is in our genes. Of course I am talking about DNA, ladies! Women love a man who can cook. It is a sure fire way to get a woman’s attention. There is an old saying, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Well, I say, “the way to a woman’s attention and her fancy is A Man Who Cooks!”

I was raised where every Sunday afternoon the family would gather at Grandma’s house for the Sunday lunch and dinner. The kids were all sent outside to play and the men would sit around the television watching NFL football or an old western movie talking while the women would group in the kitchen to prepare the meal. When the meal was ready the men would sit at the main table and the kids were placed at a table set for them. The women would serve the food, serve seconds and keep everyone’s drinks refilled.

When everyone at the table had finished and was excused to the family room and the kids outdoors, the women would then eat at the table. Old fashioned, yes, but this is the way it used to be. The cooking used to be a chore for the woman of the home. This was expected of her.

On special occasions you would find the men cooking certain foods. Men would normally cook the special meals such as for fish fry’s, meat from hunting, barbecue and anything that required a grill. This type of cooking was and is considered more of a man’s ritual in cooking. “It’s a man thing!”

As time has changed and progressed, so has the art and the “who” of cooking. You will find today professional men chefs in many major restaurants. Men are more apt to prepare a meal for his family, lady or guests than decades ago. It is more acceptable to the male mystique than years past. And with more families requiring both parents to work to support themselves, men and women both are beginning to split the chore of preparing a meal.

Since we all have to eat for survival, it is a necessity, but why does cooking have to be considered a chore? Why can’t cooking/preparing a meal not be made to be an enjoyable and adventurous time in the kitchen or at the grill? And guys…women do think it is “sexy” to see a man in the kitchen! This should motivate all men to run and start cooking (food). Think about it men, cook in the kitchen and maybe more cooking later!

I admit when I was younger I didn’t really enjoy having to cook all the time. Being a single male, I had to cook to eat. Eating out all the time got old and very expensive. Like any stereotypical male I had 2-3 menu items I would cook over and over again. Cooking was so boring. Once I got started cooking regularly, I began to wonder how could the ingredients to food and change the taste to make the meal more interesting or tasteful. I always loved spicy food and thought I might experiment to see what would happen. By adding spices sparingly at first, I found out that there were many ways to take just one recipe and transform it into something amazing.

Over the years of cooking this way I believe I have developed a way to create meals for any hot & spicy lover. It really is not that difficult for the person who has a good taste “sense” for food. Actually, I find it to be quite challenging. Guess you could say that this has become a competitive measure with me. I am always trying to “top” myself with each new creation I make in the kitchen. And it has become fun, at times.

As I write and add to this blog, I hope to share some of the things I have learned and maybe help you to enjoy the art of cooking instead of seeing it as just a necessary chore you have to do day after day. I hope to help you see the cook in yourself and that all you need is the desire to have fun with food. Take the risk, you might surprise yourself!