The Top 7 Reasons ‘Real Men’ Should Cook, Seriously
by I feel overwhelmed.
My inbox is flooded with overwhelmingly enthusiastic responses to a question I posted online –
“What makes men want to cook?”
It’s odd that a big part of the world still considers home-cooking to be a woman’s job, whereas at the professional level restaurant kitchens are, with a few notable exceptions, mostly male.
So clearly it’s not that men lack the ability to cook. Nice try – Gordon Ramsay and Bobby Flay say “no excuses”, though.
So the real question should be –
“Why do you think men wouldn’t want to cook?”
I have neither the qualifications nor the interest to answer this on behalf of all men – I hope by now you realize I’m a woman 🙂 – so good thing it’s the wrong question.
A far better question than “why wouldn’t men want to cook” is “why would they want to cook”! And given that I’m a woman, I’m pretty qualified to answer that from a woman’s perspective.
If you’ve been meaning to brush up your kitchen skills, but have been procrastinating for no good reason, read on and you might find the inspiration you need to finally do it.
Warning – these 7 reasons might have the side effect of improving your life:
1. You can finally stop buying ramen noodles or deciding whether to eat crappy Chinese takeout or pizza delivery AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN
A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. When you are hungry, and when you want nothing other than that big, fat, and juicy steak, you’ve gotta do what it takes to satisfy that primal calling of yours. What better motivation could there be to serve yourself with that sizzling hot piece of meat right on the spot than say …….hmm…….TV dinner?
2. You won’t have to rely on someone else EVER AGAIN
It’s all about independence, dude. If Seamless is your best buddy and you’re older than 30, you and I need to have a talk.
Hey, don’t get me wrong. I love Seamless too but I hate the feeling of relying on someone else. Don’t even mention when the ESTIMATED delivery wait time is 45 – 60 minutes and that’s God forbid the delivery guy gets into car wreck or worse, or else deliver the wrong food after you’ve been dying to eat for the past hour. Especially after pulling his broken body out of the wreckage of his car and crawling the rest of the way to your apartment. Because then you’d feel bad.
Anyway best case scenario, all your food is on-time and correct, but even then it gets kind of old after a while, nope?
If you are like me, you’re all about going with the flow and seeing how you feel today, now, right this minute.
Say you get into a fight with your wife, or your girlfriend is vegetarian, or your mom kicks you out of the house……..then what do you do?
Don’t you want to be that badass who’s in control of his own destiny?
3. You can make someone HAPPY
Chicks dig guys who can cook. Period.
This is especially true for introverted guys. To see you standing in front of a hot grill, behind a kitchen counter holding that chef’s knife, projecting that calm assertiveness, and know-how can be a turn-on. And depending on your “game” otherwise, it might be all you’ve got going for you.
We see you as a provider, a loving figure on whom we can rely, and don’t even mention if you happen to really know your shit and can cook a yummy plate or two. After a long day’s work, nothing wins our heart faster than a nice meal you’ve made for us.
You will win our heart and, if you are lucky, maybe even a smile. Guaranteed.
4. Your friends and family will be SO IMPRESSED.
Any mature man would tell you he feels tremendously satisfied knowing his family and kids enjoy the meals he puts on the table.
” It’s a sense of pride, and ownership knowing that my food brings family joy together.”
Cooking is a form of communication. Knowing that someone appreciates what you do makes it all the more rewarding.
5. You can kill two birds with one stone (Ok philosophically speaking only. No animal cruelty here!)
Many men tell me that cooking is like meditation – a sheer pleasure to keep them focused and calm, and best of all, they get to enjoy the end result. Some people also see it as a fun challenge. An opportunity to try their hands on and excel at something new and unfamiliar.
“Knowing how to cook opens a lot of doors to experimenting with food. You could try your own recipes, adding this to that, etc, etc. Sometimes you’re awarded, and other times the dog in your alley is.
Think about the experiment as an opportunity to try new ingredients and techniques. It’s an intellectual challenge for you to tackle and one that helps you get to know who you are on a deeper level.
6. Cooking is kind of Hot
Let’s be honest, you’ll hardly find any women who will tell you that Anthony Bourdain, Bobby Flay, Tyler Florence, Rene Redzepi, and Jamie Oliver are less sexy than, say, Jason Statham. (Sorry Jason)
Why? Any woman in her right mind would tell you that having a man who can cook for her outweighs a crazy spy who jumps up-and-down daily and flirts around with women no matter where he goes. (Takeaway? In addition to learning to cook, keep that flirting on the Down Low.)
To us, a man who can cook symbolizes talent, ambition, and organization all in one package.
It’s a form of self expression, artistry, and creativity.
Who wouldn’t want a man like that?
7. Save Money & Make your 6-pack stick around for real this time
Say you are a dude into crossfit, who wants that rock solid 6 pack to show off this summer. Are you really willing to give that away because it turns out the Tikka Masala joint down the street is cutting their curry with Corn Syrup? Don’t you want to know what goes into your food?
Besides, cooking is almost always cheaper than eating out, especially if you start with whole – not pre-packaged – ingredients.
You not only save money but also enjoy better food.
No-brainer, huh?
So after all these, are you still with me?
To show you when I say business, I mean business. This time, I put my man into kitchen to show you what this nerdy dude can do to pull of a dinner for ladies. p.s. it’s his first time here so be nice
