Do you like to cook? If yes, why? If not, why not?

[Labrador_Deceiver]

@panache45

I enjoy cooking for myself and my partner. I HATE cooking for other people, and I never prepare an entire meal, with various dishes that have to be ready at the same time. And I rarely use recipes. I just keep the refrigerator and freezer stocked with raw materials, then combine them however I please. And the results are usually pretty good.

Actually, I like to bake more than cook, but dietary restrictions limit the baked goods I can eat. Oh, and baking is totally different than cooking. It’s about chemistry.

Yes, and sauteeing is toally different than braising. It’s all about chemistry.

[purplehorseshoe]

My mother hated cooking, and I wanted to be as unlike her as possible. Plus, I married a guy who liked to cook and I learned a lot from him. So, I like to cook. I like to cook more than I like to eat! I consider recipes to be suggestions, and lack the precision required for most baking, but boy, can I take a handful of random ingredients and make a meal outta them!

However, it’s a PITA to cook for one (esp. one with a small appetite, like me) so it’s scaled back considerably recently. I need to find hungry bachelors or something, or else I’ll never eat a home-roasted chicken again.

One of the proudest moments in my life was selecting, prepping, seasoning, cooking, and resting a steak to Mr. Shoe’s very exacting specs. I’ll never eat at a steakhouse again. Why would I? I can do better …