The Year I stopped Cooking
I’m not even sure now what caused me to cease cooking for a year. I think it was an overdone roast beef, but I’m not positive. Whatever it was, it was the last straw for me. Yes, I signed on to marriage, but I never pretended to be a gourmet chef, nor was that ever a career goal for me. Frankly, it isn’t even one of my hobbies. It was just a necessary part of life, eating that is…so someone had to be the cook.
I cooked because it was a chore I took on being the person who was home for the greater part of the day. I cooked some things better than others – but never enjoyed cooking like some of my friends did.
If the truth be known, dear husband enjoys cooking. He researches recipes and seeks out unusual ingredients. He’s the one that insists on Panko crumbs rather than simple 4-C bread crumbs. He’s the one that orders from the Bakers Catalog or the Spice House. Not me. He’s the one that gets chef equipment for his birthday or Christmas. He’s the one that wanted the Wusthoff knife set which set me back $600.00 – but I bought them anyhow as a gift for him...not me.
Anyway, I cooked something that did not come out good. I listened to husband’s complaints and I announced that I was sorry he didn’t like dinner but I had a way to fix this problem. I was not going to cook again. We had a microwave and plenty of selections in the frozen food section of the grocery store and he could choose what it was he wanted to eat and pop it in the microwave. Perfection every time.
I have made other announcements like the above, but that year I was working outside of the home too and we also were doing a kitchen renovation ourselves. There were too many strikes against me and not enough appreciation for my attempts to feed the mouths that assembled nightly at the dinner table. I stuck with my statement and for one full year – almost to the day – we ate microwave dinners or takeout.
Husband must have known that the best way to deal with me was to go along with my frozen microwave meal edict. Our grocery cart was hilarious as I think back – boxes piled to the top with everything from pancakes and bacon to shrimp scampi. Dinner after dinner frozen solid and neatly packed into microwavable trays.
Then it happened….I think I was eating a Marie Calendar chicken pot pie. My fork was approaching my mouth when I looked down and said, “I can’t eat this food anymore.”
It was over.
I went back to cooking only now I had a new desire to eat fresh food and since then we’ve had few if any microwave meals purchased for our consumption.
The year sabbatical from cooking taught me the following:
A home cooked meal is a gift you give your family.
Frozen meals have portions suitable for very, very tiny people.
When people laugh at what’s in your shopping cart you might want to reconsider what you’re buying and why.
No one can survive on microwave meals for longer than a year.
After a year of eating plastic-tasting food served on plastic trays, no spouse will ever complain about your cooking again.
I’m not even sure now what caused me to cease cooking for a year. I think it was an overdone roast beef, but I’m not positive. Whatever it was, it was the last straw for me. Yes, I signed on to marriage, but I never pretended to be a gourmet chef, nor was that ever a career goal for me. Frankly, it isn’t even one of my hobbies. It was just a necessary part of life, eating that is…so someone had to be the cook.
I cooked because it was a chore I took on being the person who was home for the greater part of the day. I cooked some things better than others – but never enjoyed cooking like some of my friends did.
If the truth be known, dear husband enjoys cooking. He researches recipes and seeks out unusual ingredients. He’s the one that insists on Panko crumbs rather than simple 4-C bread crumbs. He’s the one that orders from the Bakers Catalog or the Spice House. Not me. He’s the one that gets chef equipment for his birthday or Christmas. He’s the one that wanted the Wusthoff knife set which set me back $600.00 – but I bought them anyhow as a gift for him...not me.
Anyway, I cooked something that did not come out good. I listened to husband’s complaints and I announced that I was sorry he didn’t like dinner but I had a way to fix this problem. I was not going to cook again. We had a microwave and plenty of selections in the frozen food section of the grocery store and he could choose what it was he wanted to eat and pop it in the microwave. Perfection every time.
I have made other announcements like the above, but that year I was working outside of the home too and we also were doing a kitchen renovation ourselves. There were too many strikes against me and not enough appreciation for my attempts to feed the mouths that assembled nightly at the dinner table. I stuck with my statement and for one full year – almost to the day – we ate microwave dinners or takeout.
Husband must have known that the best way to deal with me was to go along with my frozen microwave meal edict. Our grocery cart was hilarious as I think back – boxes piled to the top with everything from pancakes and bacon to shrimp scampi. Dinner after dinner frozen solid and neatly packed into microwavable trays.
Then it happened….I think I was eating a Marie Calendar chicken pot pie. My fork was approaching my mouth when I looked down and said, “I can’t eat this food anymore.”
It was over.
I went back to cooking only now I had a new desire to eat fresh food and since then we’ve had few if any microwave meals purchased for our consumption.
The year sabbatical from cooking taught me the following:
A home cooked meal is a gift you give your family.
Frozen meals have portions suitable for very, very tiny people.
When people laugh at what’s in your shopping cart you might want to reconsider what you’re buying and why.
No one can survive on microwave meals for longer than a year.
After a year of eating plastic-tasting food served on plastic trays, no spouse will ever complain about your cooking again.
posted by mary bishop | 11:15 AM
4 Comments:
What a great story. A year off from cooking would be so wonderful, but I wouldnt make it 2 weeks. I come from a line of Chefs in the family. Grandfather, 2 uncles, father, and ex husband. I learned how to cook from osmosis. When I was a tiny baby, my dad would put my little seat on the counter and cook. He would tell me everything he did. I dont remember it, I was just a little shit, but its nice. I also view cooking as a chore. Sometimes, I get domestic, but not often.
Great price on those knives too. Its alot of money, but good knives are very expensive.
HI lawbrat - I hated to spend the money on knives but it is so much easier to chop or carve with the proper tools.
I did learn to like cooking more after the year of the microwave -- and found a glass of wine while cooking dinner was a great help in appreciating the task rather than hating it.
A year off cooking. That's a good title for a play. It could be done.
I sometimes have a dread of cooking, but then I wake up out of my pity me world and realize, that yes, cooking a nice meal is so much better for everyone. It's good for the soul. My dad was the cook, mom did a good job but dad actually took some chef classes. I always did my homework in the kitchen, while my dad sauteed garlic or onions or whatever concoction. I try to entice my son by allowing him to help me or just watch.
I love to cook - buuut... when it comes down to it, after a long day of work it's the LAST thing I want to do. I spent a good year on about 85% frozen foods and suffered a similar reaction. Unfortunately, now I don't even get those. :) My diet has become convenience store salads and granola bars and bottled water I can store in my car. The joys of returing home for 8 hours on a good day.
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