Man in the kitchen

CEBU, Philippines - I learned how to cook because it became necessary. Being next to our eldest, a boy, I would often assume the task of cooking when my "kuya" was preoccupied with something else. In a family in the province, like ours, the bigger kids were to assigned the household chores, including cooking, while parents got busy in livelihood activities.

And so my story is quite different from those who do it because they just love to cook. Some people out there enroll in culinary school just to be able to cook eggs in different ways. I know how to do more complex egg recipes, such as adding vegetables, making an omelet, etc.

Nowadays many families rely on fast-food, microwave TV dinners, or delivered food from restaurants. If not, they delegate the preparation of family meals entirely to the house-helps. More so when mother is tired from work and the boys in the family won't do it, because cooking has been generalized as a feminine skill.

The only business of a masculine man in the kitchen is to fix the sink when it leaks or gets clogged.  This mindset is changing, though, with professional cooking. The better chefs in posh restaurants are mostly male. But the number of chefs there are is still a minority compared to the size of the general male population.

Men have got to change their relationship with the kitchen - and he's got to do it quick. In these modern times, it is to his advantage to learn how to cook. Some people might insist that cooking remains a feminine job and that men better keep away from it.

It is fast becoming virtuous of a man to be able to whip up culinary treats for his family or group of friends. It is nothing like encroaching into women territory or competing with the women in his life. Learning to cook is simply improving a man's range of competencies amid the increasing challenges of the modern lifestyle.

I personally agree with the points raised by the website www.returnofkings.com in favor of the cooking skill in men and, well, with anyone, men and women alike:

It will increase your personal value. Learning to cook is definitely a step towards self- improvement. In order to be a more desirable or respected person, one must add value to himself. This can mean exhibiting the skills he knows. By doing things that most men can't do, one who knows how to cook offers more value versus a man that doesn't. In other words, one is worth more than another if he is more productive because he can do more things. This can apply to any skill but cooking can be good to have on the list.

You will be able to come to the rescue of your woman. There are women whose feminine instinct is rather weak. A traditional woman cooks, cleans and take care of the house, but such kind of woman is becoming more and more rare. Women nowadays are doing men's jobs, and are too tired to do the traditional house chores upon coming home at the end of the workday. The man who has cooking skills can come to the rescue at home, by at least doing the cooking. Even if he himself also goes to work, man is physically more enduring than woman. His kitchen skills may also rekindle her interest in cooking, in case she is losing it.

You will impress the woman you love. A man that cooks is sure to impress his woman. Again, not all men knows how to cook, cooking something for his woman will definitely make her feel she is special to him. A homemade dinner by him is the closest way to touching her heart.

It demonstrates your independence. Knowing how to cook sends out a strong message of independence. It means the person is not dependent on anybody to cook his meal. The man that cooks can stand for himself, and cooking is a great metric when it comes to demonstrating his individuality.

It is a healthier bet for you. Cooking one's own meals is a great way towards a healthier intake of food. It means eliminating all the other dietary factors that fast-food joints and restaurants tend to use such as excessive cooking oil, processed foods etc. Even if some dining places claim to be 'healthy', one will never know what goes on behind the doors. By learning how to cook, one decides what to put in his body, and those of his loved ones, thus putting thought and making conscious choices. There is nothing better than taking in healthy, clean food prepared at one's liking, because he knows that 'what he eats so is he'.

It's lighter on your wallet. Cooking will not only filter healthier food into one's body but he will also see how it affects his wallet.  He can go to the supermarket and buy a week's worth of food for the same amount of two days of fast-food (assuming he eats the same amount). Going to the market is still a more convenient bet rather than ordering takeout, microwaving pre-made or processed foods.

For those men who don't know yet how to cook but are interested to learn, it is not rocket science. It's easy to learn and master the skill by practice. There are recipes given out for free in newspapers and magazines, and also online. 

In no time, one will love to spend time in the kitchen. And the new cook will be doing his loved ones a great favor. Most of all, it's cool to see a man in the kitchen. (FREEMAN)