Why Do You Cook?

[The Late Night Gourmet]

People learned to cook to survive in ancient times. But, why do we still do it today when there are so many options? Here's a chance to tell the world why you think. I've allowed up to two choices here, but ideally only list one if it's far and away the main reason.

 

[Morning Glory]

I just love the whole process. And I love to plate up dishes to look beautiful too. I suppose I see it as an art form! Plus, I like to experiment and create new recipes. It pretty much a full time hobby for me. I research on-line and using books, try out new ingredients, make notes and draw pictures of how the food will look, cook and plate up, photograph and write up recipes.

I ticked 'other' because for me its a total creative process not just the cooking but the other parts listed above. I thought option 5 was very funny!

 

[Ken Natton]

I have ticked number one because it the nearest to it, but it isn’t exact. I certainly don’t feel anything like a chef – I’m a long way from it – but the only way I am going to get to eat genuinely good quality food is exactly what it is all about. I’ve learned to enjoy the process more as I have got more confident at what I am doing, but it certainly is not all about the process for me, it is all and entirely about the end result for me. I would happily let my personal chef cook for me every night if it wasn’t for the inconvenient fact that he expects to be paid for his services.

 

[creative]

I ticked the first 2 options and am pleased to see that the first option got 100% here!

I enjoy cooking, adapting recipes, eating good and fresh high quality food the way I like it. It's the opportunity of bringing the restaurant to your home (and cheaper too!) I save successful recipes for dinner party invitations.

I equally like the challenge of making do with whatever I have at home - what I call a cupboard meal....like tonight! It will just be spaghetti, flaked (canned) tuna, peas (from frozen) and some green chilli that I need to use up - maybe some baby plum tomato too.

I guess most people have a mobile phone (which I don't have - by choice) so there is no need for them to do what I do. I take a small folder of recipes I want to try with me when I do a food shop. It has sections for various meats, fish, misc. and desserts. So, if I see something I like, I can see at a glance what else I would need to buy to create that dish! I also have an oven shelf guide, i.e. if I cook centre shelf at Mk. 4 then I know that 2 shelves up is Mk. 5 so can work out what else I could use the oven for alongside it (often a baked apple/plums/red pepper/roasted veg etc). I like to buy organic where I can but am not fanatical about it.

 

[Cinisajoy]

I love option #5. Though I picked other.
I like to cook.

It is way cheaper than going out all the time. Don't have the figures handy but last year we were eating out an average of 3 times a week. It cost us nearly $4000. Nearly all meals were under $25 and many were $16.65.
Plus, it is much nicer not to have to get dressed then drive somewhere then either take a chance on buffet food or wait another half hour for your food.

Also guaranteed portions and it hasn't been sitting for a while.
You never know the first time you go in a place if you are going to get a 1 ounce hamburger or an 8 ounce hamburger. (McDonald's dollar burger is a one ounce patty.) I got in an argument once that their dollar menu was a better value than the grocery store if you have kids. I won the argument. Since each kid's meal is $3.56 or so, I can buy a pound of ground beef (with money left over) or 1 and a half pounds of chicken with that one meal. The second child's meal would pay for 5 lbs of potatoes and an 8 pack of hamburger buns. The adult meals which would run $5 each would pay for the children's apples and a 12 pack of soft drinks, a gallon of milk, plus the condiments and the tomatoes, lettuce, and pickles.

*Yes, the news reports places that have oversized portions but they never report on tiny portions.
Anyway, that is why I don't do fast food.
Over-inflated prices.

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

I selected the first one, though I do know that I don't really feel like a chef. For example, I don't have the stress of having to get food out with quality in a timely manner. I also don't have to worry about my kitchen being closed down because I'm not getting enough business. I do, however, deprive myself of sleep to cook (as my username suggests, I do most of my cooking late at night, after everyone has gone to bed, so I can do so uninterrupted).

But, when I'm making the food, and when it comes out good (which it usually does), I feel that sense of accomplishment. While I don't mind all the steps it takes to get to the final product, the process isn't why I do it.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I mainly cook because it is fun, and I get to try new things as well as old favorites!

But there are some days when you just don't feel like cooking & you just want to take a day off and eat leftovers or something that's quick to fix.

 

[MypinchofItaly]

Nice thread, I like it!
Well, I love cooking and I found out this passion since I go out from my parents house: a little for survival, a little because I had impressed in DNA the way my mom and my relatives cooked.. When I was a child I remember that I always looked my mum while cooked and I was affascinated about the transformation of food and the smell and colours and, of course, the taste. I was always very curious to try to cook and sometimes she let me tried to help her: she was me making something in the kitchen, I was convinced they were tasty foods to make eat to the whole family..I messed up kitchen and her!
Now it's a passion, I' m having fun to cook for my family, friends, relatives, nephews, neighboroughs, dog!

 

[Ken Natton]

It funny, I had a lot of work to do for tonight's meal. So, in the light of conversations here yesterday, and in particular what Morning Glory said, I made a conscious effort to try to actually enjoy the process to make it seem less laborious, and it kind of worked. Everyone enjoyed the meal and that remains important, but it's good that the job of preparing it all didn't seem so heinous. I think its important that I started in plenty time, so I wasn't feeling too pressured at any point. Yet there was still the point right at the end when there seemed like an impossible amount that all needed to be done at once, but it all worked out. And now that its all over, I'm glad I did it.

 

[buckytom]

I voted that I like the process, but also enjoy the results. Although I've never felt like a chef.
And my private chef is on strike with no end in sight.

I love to eat and I love to be creative, so doing something that leads to that end soothes two desires.

 

[Morning Glory]

It funny, I had a lot of work to do for tonight's meal. So, in the light of conversations here yesterday, and in particular what Morning Glory said, I made a conscious effort to try to actually enjoy the process to make it seem less laborious, and it kind of worked. Everyone enjoyed the meal and that remains important, but it's good that the job of preparing it all didn't seem so heinous. I think its important that I started in plenty time, so I wasn't feeling too pressured at any point. Yet there was still the point right at the end when there seemed like an impossible amount that all needed to be done at once, but it all worked out. And now that its all over, I'm glad I did it.

I think you are so right. Having enough time makes a world of difference. For this reason (and a host of others) I could never have been a professional chef.

 

[MrsDangermouse]

I went for answers 2 & 3, but there are equally elements of the other answers that apply too. In the end, we need to eat so someone has to cook. Luckily I enjoy cooking so its not (normally) a chore. I like to have fun in the kitchen and experiment when I'm in the mood. I also love cooking for other people. We can't afford to eat out all the time, plus you don't always fancy what's on the menu: we once lived in a hotel for a month....despite there being several restaurants to choose from, the menus quickly got boring and some nights we just fancied something simple without all the fuss. You also cannot always be sure of what goes into your food in a restaurant - I don't mean contaminants, more the quality/type of ingredients.

 

[Ken Natton]

I think you are so right. Having enough time makes a world of difference. For this reason (and a host of others) I could never have been a professional chef.

I did read this comment a lot earlier, but somewhere in answering other threads I forgot about this one. The point I wanted to make about this is a thought that has occurred to me before about professional chefs. When you watch these programmes of these guys – and gals – at work, there is a strong element of performance in what they do. And like the question of being able to deliver a strong acting performance night after night on a long theatre run, so there is something of that in the demands on a professional chef. It is one thing to produce a fantastic dish once, but to do it again and again through one evening is something else. And supposing you get through a whole evening of producing – what do they talk about – 60 to 100 covers and succeeding in getting them all out at that level, then guess what? Tomorrow night you have got to do it again. And the next night, and the next night…

 

[Morning Glory]

You may all find me perverse - but I eat very little of what I cook. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy food. But I think I enjoy creating it (by which I mean the whole process from inventing a recipe through to plating it up) even more enjoyable. I make a lot of meals for the people I am with and very often I don't eat eat them at all. Tonight for example, I made a tarragon chicken, mushroom leek and butter bean pie with home-made rough puff pastry for my partner and son and a separate smaller pie with chicken style Quorn for my daughter. I didn't eat any of that (far too calorific for me). Besides, I had a lot of tasting of the filling to ensure it was seasoned correctly. I'm not hungry yet. Later, I'll have a poached egg on toast later with harissa and a mixed salad.

 

[Cinisajoy]

You may all find me perverse - but I eat very little of what I cook. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy food. But I think I enjoy creating it (by which I mean the whole process from inventing a recipe through to plating it up) even more enjoyable. I make a lot of meals for the people I am with and very often I don't eat eat them at all. Tonight for example, I made a tarragon chicken, mushroom leek and butter bean pie with home-made rough puff pastry for my partner and son and a separate smaller pie with chicken style Quorn for my daughter. I didn't eat any of that (far too calorific for me). Besides, I had a lot of tasting of the filling to ensure it was seasoned correctly. I'm not hungry yet. Later, I'll have a poached egg on toast later with harissa and a mixed salad.

That makes perfect sense.