NORTHERN PLANNER

CONFUSED AS YOU ARE

recent posts

about

Why I cook

100_1964

Cooking for me is at once a selfish thing and an act of love…

I cook because it's relaxing, a little dose of me time – you lose yourself in it

Because making an effort for someone shows you care

Because Mrs Northern hates cooking and I hate washing and cleaning

Because I like showing off

Because I care about what we eat, and the only way to make sure it's good is to do it myself

Becuse the best way to show people you care is to make a bit of effort

Because Mum always took the time to let me help in the kitchen

Because Mrs Northern can only make lasagne

Because it's really easy – good ingredients, a few tricks and you're off

Because it's one of the few things I do really well.

Because there's nothing more satisfying than making something good.

Because I'm not good at much else.

Posted in

12 responses to “Why I cook”

  1. Rob @ Cynic Avatar
    Rob @ Cynic

    I mean this …
    This post is more likely to get me to put down the Nintendo and pick up the sharp knives [to cook, not to slit my writsts] than any Jamie Oliver ad for some bloody supermarket.
    I met a woman recently that said if we want to improve creativity in the young we should encourage them to cook … and I think she’s right and this post explains ‘benefits’ that transcend health and taste.
    Top post.

    Like

    Reply
  2. Andrea Avatar
    Andrea

    You know that article that said 1 in 4 young Britons can’t cook a jacket potato? That got me really worried for a while and I thought it meant two things at least: one – no one ever took time in the kitchen to show them or force them into showing. Assuming no one goes into the kitchen willingly when they’re small, that is…but I still have hope that you must have this least bit of curiosity if your parents (or either one of mum and dad) are cooking anything. You never go in there or no one asks you to the kitchen when you cook, you end up old and still can’t cook a jacket potato.
    Two – no one outside family ever taught them how to cook one so the prospect of looking at a potato not packed in anything that has cooking instructions on it is really scary.
    Three – people don’t cook in general because they don’t have time and while microwave is more expensive, it’s become too much of a commodity to give it up
    Four – people DO know how to cook a jacket potato at least but answered “no” because they wouldn’t be able to give the recipe if the follow-up question is “how do you do it”. You feel like you know because you can look it up on the internet or buy a book in the first store but all that does is give you a false sense of security. You think you know but you don’t. You just know how and where to search. Although what I’ve seen is people answering “yes” when they have no clue and when asked “how” they go on to saying “I don’t really know, but I thought the first question was important.”
    Cooking is amazing if you have the time and passion, the sweet, sweet taste of a home cooked meal makes everything else in restaurants taste so bland and..ick. My mum used to do this really good sauce that she’d adapt to all sorts of stuff and it tasted absolutely amazing. When I found her recipe books there were a lot of annotations on the sides of pages with red pen saying “use this instead of this” that were really helpful. I think that’s real cooking, not just when you look in a book and say yes, I’ll do this…when you take out a pan like an empty sheet of paper and have to fill it up with ideas.
    It’s also the devil because once you get your own cooking style, you either find a few meals you really like to cook or enjoy doing that become your ‘signature’ meals (my mum had this cake she came up with) , making it hard from there on to learn new styles. You cook with too much salt, you always will. Too much oil, too much food in general. It’s just so hard. My nan keeps putting way too much salt, even if she’s reduced it considerably but I don’t add any extra – whenever I eat at her place it’s difficult to tell her that her meals are delicious but have a tad too much salt.
    Now I do’t know why I wrote this novel at 6 in the morning but my mornings are this exciting while waiting for the 5 o’clock coffee to brew.

    Like

    Reply
  3. Andrea Avatar
    Andrea

    Speaking of which, I’d love to have someone to clean for me while I cook simply because I’d LOVE to be able to get my nails done at least once in this lifetime for more than two days without immersing them in dish washing liquid or anything else.

    Like

    Reply
  4. niko Avatar
    niko

    how do you feel about preparing meals? it seems that, from your post, you like cooking meals. I guess most people would concurr with that. in fact anything done without pressure, people tend to love.
    but it’s the everyday preparing of a meal after a long day at the office that keeps people from doing it more often. running late, having to shop, think what you will eat and how to cook it..”fuck it” most will say.
    So what would really help me is if I could join a homecook meal list. An map or app where you can see if there are families in the ‘hood who are cooking tonight and want to have guests over. sort of private restaurant. I mean the obvious cultural and social society benefits are obvious if one want ot get some governement sponsoring.
    Yes! I would love that. entering a strangers home and leaving (all psycho endings withstanding) with a nurtured body, mind and soul. good/great food + convo.
    think about it, all those single women/people out there, or the elderly. everybody loves being a host, so why not volunteer to be a guest?
    just a thought, sparked by a great post.

    Like

    Reply
  5. ANDREW HOVELLS Avatar
    ANDREW HOVELLS

    Bloody hell, I didn’t expect to provoke this response.
    Always nice when people give you free insight.
    I think Rob should start to cook and blog about it.
    The spud thing is so interesting Andrea – I don’t think peopl really ‘eat’ food anymore, they consume it. Who stops to really taste it anymore? Who has time? And do they eat food anymore? Or do they eat the result of food science? Think I’ll come back to this.
    Niko, it only takes twenty minutes to make something good. Love the guest thing, and not just because I have no friends

    Like

    Reply
  6. Rob @ Cynic Avatar
    Rob @ Cynic

    You’re on …

    Like

    Reply
  7. niko Avatar
    niko

    I hope you know what u started NP, because u’ve just created a blog about spam! 🙂

    Like

    Reply
  8. Jam Avatar
    Jam

    That was awesome. And extremely honest.
    My tribute – http://interestedinpeople.blogspot.com/2008/12/why-i-blog.html

    Like

    Reply
  9. Andrea Avatar
    Andrea

    I have nothing better to do at 5 in the morning 😛
    Homecooking is fun but it’s just as fun if you put up a sign in a local shop saying you’re cooking a nice meal and anyone is invited on a first come first serve basis, provided they return the “favour”. You get to learn a lot from how others cook and how much care they put into their meals.
    Homecook with complete strangers would be too awkward for me but it sounds like a good idea for the more daring!

    Like

    Reply
  10. Sophie Avatar
    Sophie

    great post, sums up why I love my little kitchen so much! x

    Like

    Reply
  11. Rob @ Cynic Avatar
    Rob @ Cynic

    Got back into cooking …
    This post [and my wife’s unsubtle encouragement] made it happen.
    We’ve not got food poisoning and I feel good so thank you Mr NP.

    Like

    Reply
  12. ANDREW HOVELLS Avatar
    ANDREW HOVELLS

    Keep it up. Looking forward to the blog posts.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment