We often get caught up in the need to cook to eat and forget about the sheer joy that can be found through the act of cooking. Of course, this isn't just limited to cooking on the stove. There are many men and women around the world who find grilling to be an extremely enjoyable pastime besides the traditional way of cooking on the stove or even grilling on the grill. The main difference happens in the way you view your kitchen projects.
How do you cook? Although this question is asked a bit ostentatiously, it's one you should ask yourself and answer. Do you see cooking as a chore or an obligation or do you see it as a project? There's something much more exciting about embarking on a new project than embarking on a chore. If you consider cooking a chore, the most important question might be why?
Some common reasons people don't like to cook are: lack of skill, lack of confidence, boredom, or you may dislike the inevitable cleaning job more than enjoy the process of cooking. For each of them, there are solutions if you are willing to put in the effort.
The lack of cooking skills can be easily corrected in most cases by taking a few cooking classes. Classes are offered for different skill levels and are intended to help you develop your culinary skills while teaching you the basics of meal planning and preparation. You can improve your skills by taking more courses along the way.
While a lack of confidence is a bit harder to deal with, hosting a few "dinners" where your duties can complement your culinary skills can often solve this particular dilemma. . The key to this process is to carefully plan your menu and stay in your comfort zone. You'll be amazed at how rich and delicious meals can be prepared with little effort if you're willing to search for cookbooks.
Boredom in the kitchen is probably one of the easiest problems to deal with. The solution is extremely simple: find the challenge. Try Thai or Indian cooking. Try harder recipes. Try to just prepare meals from scratch or simply try to expand your use of spices and seasonings. There are a lot of things you can do to get excited in the kitchen. You may even discover hidden talents and tastes in the process.
There will always be cleaning. My suggestion is to make a deal with your partner or kids and they can pull out of the straws to see who cleans up. Of course, if that doesn't work in your household, you can always go ahead and clean up when you can. It makes the post-dinner cleanup process so much easier to manage, well worth the extra few minutes you spend while preparing the meal.
Cooking for fun is really the only way to cook. If you're struggling to find the fun and entertainment value of cooking, maybe it's time to bring some joy to your cooking. If you're grilling, enjoy Jimmy Buffet and dance around your kitchen. If you cook Italian, find some good Italian music to set the mood. Bring the fun back to your kitchen and you'll find that cooking is more of a pleasure than a chore.
