5 Reasons Why Cooking
Makes Me Happy

Some people see cooking as a chore and they dread having to do it. Others may have magierocophobia, the fear of cooking that keeps the out of the kitchen. Many people have given up all together and just eat take-out and convenience foods. To these people cooking is difficult, it’s time consuming and the results aren’t worth it.

But, that’s not me. I love cooking, it makes me happy. I get great enjoyment from finding new ingredients, combining flavors, making sauces, and accepting the accolades that come with a meal so good that it rivals any restaurant in town.

Why do so many people hate and fear cooking while I love it? What could the difference be? Yes, I’m a professional Chef and Certified Culinary Educator, but since it’s my job you’d think I’d need a break once in a while. When I go on vacation from my “job”, I cook even MORE. How can that be? Why would I cook while on vacation?

The answer is obvious to me, and can become obvious to you as well. Cooking is not a chore, and it’s not feared when it becomes fun and easy. How do you make cooking a stress-free, fun and easy hobby?

First, you forget about written recipes. Stop trying to cook line-by-line. They’ll just confuse you with their variables and photography that can never be duplicated. Don’t concentrate on WHAT to cook, focus on HOW to cook.

The next step is to think of cooking as a standard, repeatable method. Whether you will saute, roast, steam, grill, or broil, there are steps that can be duplicated again and again no matter what the item you’re cooking is.

This removes the chore and fear in cooking. If you are cooking by recipes, you have to re-learn cooking every night. You have to figure out what the author’s opinion of what you should be eating tonight should be. This creates the stress of whether “the recipe will come out or not”. Evidently, some recipes work and others don’t. The fact is that NO recipes work correctly and you shouldn’t depend on them.

Once you start to look at cooking the same as driving your car, working at your career, or practicing your hobby, the things you do without thought every day, you will enjoy the same benefits of cooking that make me happy.

I have the freedom to cook ANY ingredients I can find, even if I don’t exactly know what they are. I can create fantastic meals from the items I have on-hand and don’t have to run to the grocery store for food that the recipe commands. I make recipes from what I already have.

I have the confidence to know that my meals will be a winner every single time because I repeat a standard process on a wide variety of foods. I can saute many different ingredients, or I can cook one ingredient in many different ways. Confidence makes you happy.

I’m happy because I know I’m improving my health with wholesome foods that I cook myself. I love the farmers market and the nutrient rich fresh foods they have there. I’ve experienced more energy, more brain power, and better sleep patterns because of good food. I know how to cook fresh foods!

Cooking is a social skill. My family is excited when I cook because they know it will be exciting and interesting. I attend more parties because of my cooking skills, and I can talk about food topics because I’ve been behind the stove and seen what happens when I apply heat. Being around friends and family with a good meal makes me very happy.

I save money because I can cook. The meals I make at home would cost me $20 a plate or more at my local restaurant. Plus, I save money on the BEST ingredients by purchasing at the farmers market. I’m happy because I know that cooking at home saves me empty calories, bad ingredients, and lots of money over restaurant and convenience foods.

If you’re watching Food TV, buying cookbooks, or searching the internet for recipes from bloggers, you’re not learning HOW to cook. You’re being exposed to entertainment about WHAT to cook. (They often leave out the HOW when it comes to recipes).

However, if you’re a curious person who wants to know the HOWs and WHYs behind things, you’ll seek out the best information about cooking METHODS over recipes. When you know the 10 steps in grilling, or the 9 steps in a basic saute procedure then you can create meals from the ingredients you have and the creative inspiration in your head. Then, you’ll be happy like me.

CATEGORIES