Manversation

I’ve been noticing a trend lately.  I know there are certain burger commercials out there displaying men as bumbling idiots in the kitchen.  While quite funny and thoroughly enjoyable, I truly believe this portrayal to be false.  Of all the men I know, married or otherwise, I guarantee you won’t find the female cooking dinner.  My wife has two sisters, both of whom couldn’t cook a meal to save their life. It’s the husband or male counterpart who makes the meal; and I’m not talking hamburger helper, but seriously good stuff.  Now, I lucked out, my wife can cook and in fact we switch off cooking dinner for each other nightly.  I enjoy cooking and thank my mom for teaching me while growing up; although I think she saved the best recipes until after my brother and I moved out.  My wife, however, is self taught as her mother did not teach her.  When the art of cooking via mother teaching child was lost I’m not sure, but my best guess is only one generation ago.  There is no shame in cooking, everyone loves to eat. The better the food the more you eat.  There is a sense of satisfaction when a meal you made comes together and you make yourself sick it tastes so good.

I hear time and again how people just don’t have time to cook a meal anymore.  My wife and I both have full time jobs, and at times are tired and don’t want to cook.  But the fact of the matter is the meals we cook trump any restaurant nearby 9 times out of 10 and we save boatloads of money to boot.

My brother makes most of the meals in his household.  Now, as far as my brother-in-law goes, I’d like to hire him as my personal chef.  My friends can make a mean jalapeño popper, a decent curry, and chile rellenos that make you do your best Homer Simpson-impression just thinking about them.  Am I wrong in this observation or am I just in a bubble surrounded by great men who can cook?  I was on foodnetwork.com the other day and not only are there some decent recipes but videos showing how to make the meal.  Good stuff.  So, why is it that cooking is becoming a lost art and people claim that it is so difficult?  Is it because of clever marketing, or just laziness?

Gentlemen, have a great recipe to share or a way in which a crock-pot saved your life?  Post it!

Burger photo by Yogma