Home > Feeding Frenzy > Archives > 2008 > April > 09
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Should non-cooks be forced to cook?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I was looking at my kid’s school’s on-line auction site and was intrigued to see that one item that had far more bidders than any of the other 100+ selections. When I clicked to see what was so in demand, I was shocked to discover it was a service offering home-delivered meals for a week. With other donations including nationally known chefs cooking dinner at your home, Chastain concert tickets with a picnic and even guided white water rafting trips, it was surprising the item with the most buzz was so unsexy.
It reminded me of a recent conversation I had at my son’s baseball game. Another working mom having some idea of what I do, inquired if I cooked dinner most nights. When I replied in the affirmative, I could tell she was shocked. I had the feeling cooking was not her thing and when asked, she meekly concurred. I asked if her spouse liked to cook and she shook her head. Knowing she had 10-year-old triplets, I asked how she fed them. She replied, “A lot of frozen food.”
She started trying to rationalize about needing to take cooking classes and I looked at her and said don’t bother. It was obvious that she felt no affinity for cooking and forcing herself to do it would bring no joy into her life. The net outcome would probably result in meals no better than she was scraping together now. I figured the last thing she needed was more guilt.
The older I get it seems like people who really enjoy cooking have a sixth sense about it. They know what things will taste like and can usually predict when something is almost done, before the timer goes off. But unlike gardening or rock collecting, cooking is both a “hobby” and a necessity. Or I guess I should say eating is a necessity. The only advice I could give was for her to try and find the best available pre-made food for her family and get her kids interested in cooking as soon as possible.
What advice would you have given? Do you think that people with no interest in food should be cooking when they obviously hate it?
