# Men: can you handle the kitchen better than a woman?



## Forest (Mar 29, 2014)

*For the other men* out there, are you surprised at how often women can melt down in the kitchen? For the record, I do more cooking than my wife.

The last two days we've been cooking up a bunch of stuff for various reasons. Yesterday, every few minutes I was having to come and fix the food processor, open this or that, find something, give opinions, taste things, reach for things, interpret recipes, you name it. In between, I stayed out of the way, to let her do her thing, and avoid the angst. Lots of cussing and frustration in there. She was baking cookies.

I managed to fix two roasted chickens, and two pork shoulder roasts without incident.

Today, I was asked to fix a blackberry pie. She sat watching me the whole time, offering all kinds of suggestions, despite the fact she's never made a blackberry pie, and I've made many. At one point it came time to remove the berries from the freezer bag. I started to get a spoon, she suggested I use a ladle. To appease her, I turned to get the ladle. She then advised me about the various sizes available. I replied, "I can find one".

Next thing I know, she's in the other room crying, claiming I had rolled my eyes. I then compounded the situation by apologizing, say "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that on Mother's Day." This only made it worse. Something about Mother's Day. When I mentioned that she could roll her eyes and say "I can find one" till the cows come home, and it wouldn't approach the harshness she lays out in the kitchen-- worse still.

Apparently she doesn't realize that when she's in the kitchen, anything spoken toward her is either:
1. A challenge to her womanly abilities.
2. An insult.
3. Utter nonsense intended to fluxom her.

Whatever happened to the "can't take the heat" business? I don't get it. Hand me a recipe, I'll cook it. Its not that hard.


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## JukeboxHero (Mar 3, 2015)

Well, my wife dominates the kitchen and cooks way better than I do. I try to stay out of her way and prep/cut things like veggies, crush Garlic, start the rice...stuff like that.


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## arbitrator (Feb 13, 2012)

* I know that I was preeminently the best cook as well as the one who logged-in far more time in the kitchen in both of my marriages!

And while one her former hobbies was crabbing, the only crabs that I am even remotely aware of, that my rich, skanky XW ever personally dealt with, were the one's that she wore home from her many "road trips!" ~ a borrowed joke from Rodney Dangerfield.

But in all fairness, she could only manage to cook one signature dish that I could ever remember. Aside from that, either I cooked for us all, or we quite often just ended up dining out!*


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## MarriedDude (Jun 21, 2014)

nope..i know I can't perform the tasks she does as consistently well as she does them.

Today however...i was able to make pork ribs, chicken, 50 # s of crawfish + 4 pies and a chocolate fondue...all fit to feed 35 people.... for mothers day...it was a success...but damn...it was hard. 

The way my wife makes it look easy, even with her helpers...i mean, I had 2 other women helping prep and get things going...
But, it was like chaos in there.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## ConanHub (Aug 9, 2013)

Mrs. Conan is far cleaner and more organized in the kitchen but I am a far better cook. Funny thing. Both my sons are pretty spectacular cooks as well.

We make a pretty good team. She loves eating my cooking and I love that she cleans up.


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## Faithful Wife (Oct 31, 2012)

Forest said:


> Next thing I know, she's in the other room crying, claiming I had rolled my eyes. I then compounded the situation by apologizing, say "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that on Mother's Day." This only made it worse. Something about Mother's Day. When I mentioned that she could roll her eyes and say "I can find one" till the cows come home, and it wouldn't approach the harshness she lays out in the kitchen-- worse still.
> 
> Apparently she doesn't realize that when she's in the kitchen, anything spoken toward her is either:
> 1. A challenge to her womanly abilities.
> ...


Well....the fact that you are here mocking her kind of makes her point, doesn't it?


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## ConanHub (Aug 9, 2013)

Faithful Wife said:


> Well....the fact that you are here mocking her kind of makes her point, doesn't it?


More than likely, there are more underlying emotions below this issue.


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## MountainRunner (Dec 30, 2014)

I can cook...like nobody's bizness.


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## jaquen (Mar 1, 2012)

I am the vastly better cook, something my wife would say. She adores my cooking and constantly requests it.

I comply sometimes, but despite the fact that I can throw down in the kitchen, it's not a passion so I don't do it with any sort of great regularity. More often than not we prepare our own food since we're on totally different eating schedules.

My wife would_ never_ armchair quarterback in the kitchen. I don't even like people in the kitchen when I cook, so she wouldn't even have the opportunity if she was that type of person, which thank God she's not. I wouldn't stomach or abide that.

But my baby has gotten much, much better through a lot of effort and recipes. I'm not a recipe guy, I've always cooked pretty intuitively, but they've been godsend for her. I enjoy my wife's cooking, for the most part, far more than she does her own.


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## richardsharpe (Jul 8, 2014)

Good evening
The kitchen isn't special for us. My wife is a much better cook, so usually she cooks, I clean. Can't remember ever having a significant disagreement about food / cooking.

She is a very experimental cook - usually it is very good and I say so. Occasionally an idea doesn't work, so I try to politely let her know. No fuss.


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## RandomDude (Dec 18, 2010)

Ex-wife was horrible in the earlier years of marriage, to the point even in our later years my daughter and I still give her sh-t for it. Not really her fault, her mother was also a horrible cook.


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## Rowan (Apr 3, 2012)

Forest said:


> *For the other men* out there, are you surprised at how often women can melt down in the kitchen? For the record, I do more cooking than my wife.
> 
> The last two days we've been cooking up a bunch of stuff for various reasons. Yesterday, every few minutes I was having to come and fix the food processor, open this or that, find something, give opinions, taste things, reach for things, interpret recipes, you name it. In between, I stayed out of the way, to let her do her thing, and avoid the angst. Lots of cussing and frustration in there. She was baking cookies.
> 
> ...




Your wife is insecure - in the kitchen, in the relationship, in your respect for her, something. What you describe above has less to do with cooking and more to do with whatever else is going on in your relationship and/or her life.


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## Satya (Jun 22, 2012)

I don't see him as mocking her at all. I see him as asking for feedback on whether he or she was being unreasonable in behavior. That's a bit hard for us to judge without more info. 

Of course, there are 3 sides to every story. I personally like sharing cooking duties with my SO, but there are women in my family that are absolute dragons about keeping the hell out of their space. Further, they scrutinize if you are trying to cook and it's simply not helpful. You try to do something nice and they think you are trying to one-up them... Smells a bit like insecurity to me. But hey, we all have pride in certain things, perhaps the OP's wife has pride in how the kitchen is managed by her. 

The OP just wanted to be left alone to make a pie... I'd also be pretty cheesed if my SO was hellicoptering over me during the process. I'd tell him to point blank ****** off and go relax or help as my sous chef instead of offering pointers. 

If there are deeper issues here... We can't know unless they are brought to light.


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## Wolf1974 (Feb 19, 2014)

Sounds more like you two are the type that can't do projects together. In this case cooking. 

My suggestion is one cooks at a time and the other stays out of the kitchen.


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## Forest (Mar 29, 2014)

Wolf1974 said:


> Sounds more like you two are the type that can't do projects together. In this case cooking.
> 
> My suggestion is one cooks at a time and the other stays out of the kitchen.


My thoughts exactly. "Too many cooks", and all that. I'm happy to stay out of the kitchen, even out of the house when she's cooking. Like I mentioned, its a steady stream of oaths and frustration in there. She has the habit of calling me for help pretty often, though.

I never offer suggestions unless asked. I ask if she needs help, then leave. When I'm fixing something, I tell her with the utmost politeness that I've got everything under control, but she cannot detach.

She is a planner, controller. (that is the root of everything, for those looking for deeper issues) Everything must be measured, ready to go in advance. A wisk, not a fork, etc.


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## Anonymous07 (Aug 4, 2012)

Forest said:


> My thoughts exactly. "Too many cooks", and all that. I'm happy to stay out of the kitchen, even out of the house when she's cooking. Like I mentioned, its a steady stream of oaths and frustration in there. She has the habit of calling me for help pretty often, though.
> 
> I never offer suggestions unless asked. I ask if she needs help, then leave. When I'm fixing something, I tell her with the utmost politeness that I've got everything under control, but she cannot detach.
> 
> She is a planner, controller. (that is the root of everything, for those looking for deeper issues) Everything must be measured, ready to go in advance. A wisk, not a fork, etc.


I disagree because of what you wrote below:



Forest said:


> Apparently she doesn't realize that when she's in the kitchen, anything spoken toward her is either:
> 1. A challenge to her womanly abilities.
> 2. An insult.
> 3. Utter nonsense intended to fluxom her.
> ...


If it were only about control/planning/etc., then it wouldn't cause her this much distress. She's going into the other room crying because this is only a symptom of a bigger problem. There is something else going on in the relationship and this is triggering those underlying feelings.


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## NobodySpecial (Nov 22, 2013)

This has nothing to do with "women". You wife is slightly mental.


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## VermisciousKnid (Dec 27, 2011)

My wife is a good cook but the kitchen is often a disaster when she's done. I'm a good cook as well, but I tend to clean as I go so that the kitchen and utensils are clean when the meal is done or shortly after. 

She makes the best desserts. I make the best cookies.

The biggest difference between us is that she doesn't handle meats very well (go ahead, make your jokes!). Maybe it's because she's a vegetarian. She's squeamish when touching them (more jokes) and thinks that they aren't safe unless they're well done. 

But neither of us are intimidated in the kitchen.


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## Forest (Mar 29, 2014)

NobodySpecial said:


> This has nothing to do with "women". You wife is slightly mental.


You may be right, but come on, haven't you ever hear the old one about "if you can't say something nice"? :smthumbup:

I guess it goes hand in hand with offering opinions that haven't been solicited, though.


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## melw74 (Dec 12, 2013)

I do most of the cooking here. I prepare the evening meals because my husband is working all day.

On a weekend my husband does the cooking as hes home. I love his cooking ( although hes a messy cook) Kitchen looks like a bombsite. Stuff out everywhere..... HIS PET HATE.... me standing behind him while he cooks... He tells me to get out his kitchen....

I know its annoying when your trying to cook and people are in the kitchen, but i cant help going in tidying up etc, but like i say he hates that lol...

I think he can handle the kitchen better in some ways tho, I get flustered if i have lots of things going on at the same time too many pots etc Its plain sailing for him....

I am the better cook tho without a doubt!!!:smthumbup:


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## Kristisha (Apr 29, 2013)

If I'm being honest I'm a terrible cook and a mess in the kitchen . I mean I can do a salad and a poached egg.

My husband on the other hand, he is very meticulous with his cooking and anal about cleanliness in the kitchen. He never accepts my help in the kitchen


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## Zach's daddy (Jan 17, 2015)

I can. I was a cook before I got into Construction. I like to work in a clean area. I use what's needed for the task. My wife go in there and dirty about 3 pots half the plates all the utensils for a meal. LOL! Her meals always taste good though.


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## ScrambledEggs (Jan 14, 2014)

We both do pretty good in the kitchen but at different things. 

Though what resonates with me is how your wife giving you helpful advice that you do not really need. For me it is not just in the kitchen and its a pattern that feels like the constant need to correct or guide me in anything. Frankly it feels condescending and disrespectful--Like I can't figure out how to drive to the store without telling me which lane to be in because of some arbitrary observations she made, e.g. (this lane is always slower) that is not always true. 

It is all trivial stuff and because I have observed her doing exactly the opposite of what she tells me, like "don't use rag for dishes", I have come to see it that she has a need to be pushy about trivial things. So eventually since my 180 about 15 months ago, I pretty much push back on that stuff after the 2nd or 3rd piece of meaningless direction and advice she gives. Usually I offer to let her take over and or just tell her to but out of it and I can handle draining the noodles without a noodle draining coach. The crying though? Never, not in the 20 years I have been with her have I seen her cry even once. 

/vent


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## Lon (Jun 6, 2011)

Why didn't you just ask her to get the ladle of her choosing, since she obviously wanted to help out and was interested in the frozen blackberries.


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## Lon (Jun 6, 2011)

Also, why did you title this thread about men handling food prep better than women, when clearly this is about finding out your W's issue? I was originally compelled to answer your thread title, but then I actually read your post and saw that has nothing to do with which gender is a better cook - if it does, why the need to feel like you are better and the need to express that opinion that you were able to cook two chickens and two pork shoulders while she couldn't even handle the ladle selection? Do you often have a passive aggressive undertone when trying to do things together with your W? If so, then that's why she left crying.


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## EnigmaGirl (Feb 7, 2015)

> This has nothing to do with "women". You wife is slightly mental.


lol...

I love to cook...I find it relaxing. The only problem is that I tend to overbuy kitchen gadgets, equipment and tools and I rarely use anything besides a very sharp knife and cutting board. Kitchen gadgets are addictive.


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## thenub (Oct 3, 2014)

I do almost all of the cooking in our house. I, like others in this thread am a very neat cook. I clean dishes and utensils as I use them and don't really care for help. 
It is nice when my wife comes in to flirt though. When asked, at any time I can tell her how long it will be until things are ready. I have over the years mastered my timing on various items and can adjust for unseen circumstances very easily.
If you were to ask my wife, she would say I'm the better cook. My kids always complain that she burns everything(they have actually begged her to wait until I come home to cook dinner). 
I will however relinquish the kitchen to her for one meal on the weekend, but I will assist in prep work and take care of the clean up. For me, the kitchen HAS to be ready to be used at any time. All dishes have to be either washed and put away, or in the dishwasher ( maybe I'm a little OCD?). 
I find it very relaxing to cook and it makes me feel like I'm contributing to the family more than just a paycheck. 
I especially love it when the kids aren't home. I can literally be the naked chef!! My wife loves it(I just won't fry up bacon...ouch!!) 
My wife is out of town for the week so I may try to come up with something special for her when she gets home on Friday.
Maybe we need a thread to share recipes in the off topic section. Hmmmmm!!


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## Fozzy (Jul 20, 2013)

I can hold my own with the cooking. I'm better with the breakfasts, dinners, etc. She's lightyears ahead of me with baking.

When it comes to cleaning the kitchen--i'll be the first to admit I suck.

Never had a problem with coming and opening jars. Or tasting.

Especially tasting.


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## Forest (Mar 29, 2014)

Lon said:


> Also, why did you title this thread about men handling food prep better than women, when clearly this is about finding out your W's issue? I was originally compelled to answer your thread title, but then I actually read your post and saw that has nothing to do with which gender is a better cook - if it does, why the need to feel like you are better and the need to express that opinion that you were able to cook two chickens and two pork shoulders while she couldn't even handle the ladle selection? Do you often have a passive aggressive undertone when trying to do things together with your W? If so, then that's why she left crying.


I guess you're overthinking it. Its not about finding about her issue. I just want to know if other men are also able to handle kitchen duties better than the women in their life. Yes, its that simple. Leave it there, I'm not interested in psycho-babble, or any of that crap.

Passive aggressive? Good grief, you don't know what it means. Crying because someone won't let them control you is passive aggresive. If you want to harp that stuff, go to Dr. Phil, or the Ladie's Lounge. Don't over-TAM things, there' plenty of estrogen here to begin with.


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## badsanta (Oct 13, 2014)

I can tell you one thing that is for sure! The last generation that could actually cook died about 20 years ago. I'm talking about the women that grew up in the great depression, had starter handed from the generation before to make yeast rolls, had a thriving vegetable garden, canned all their own preserves, and had a chicken coup out behind the shed. 

That is the kind of food that would give you the strength to work out in the fields all day, and then come home to buttermilk biscuits with honey cooked in a clamshell pan over coals in the fireplace. 

Now a days we tear open a clamshell bubblewrap from the microwave and eat bread manufactured from an industrialized mill. And we wonder why we are all depressed, tired, and not in the mood for sex...

Badsanta


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## Lon (Jun 6, 2011)

Forest said:


> I guess you're overthinking it. Its not about finding about her issue. I just want to know if other men are also able to handle kitchen duties better than the women in their life. Yes, its that simple. Leave it there, I'm not interested in psycho-babble, or any of that crap.
> 
> Passive aggressive? Good grief, you don't know what it means. Crying because someone won't let them control you is passive aggresive. If you want to harp that stuff, go to Dr. Phil, or the Ladie's Lounge. Don't over-TAM things, there' plenty of estrogen here to begin with.


Sorry, I thought this was about something deeper. I agree, it's not that hard and should not test a person's emotional stability. If your W is such a sh1tty cook and horrible spectator when you are taking care of it, that she runs to the other room crying every time, then you are the better one to be in the kitchen


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## Anonymous07 (Aug 4, 2012)

Forest said:


> I guess you're overthinking it. Its not about finding about her issue. I just want to know if other men are also able to handle kitchen duties better than the women in their life. Yes, its that simple. Leave it there, I'm not interested in psycho-babble, or any of that crap.
> 
> Passive aggressive? Good grief, you don't know what it means. Crying because someone won't let them control you is passive aggresive. If you want to harp that stuff, go to Dr. Phil, or the Ladie's Lounge. Don't over-TAM things, there' plenty of estrogen here to begin with.


I highly doubt she's crying because she "can't control you". There are other much bigger issues going on that you are not seeing. The very few times I have reacted like your wife was when there were other things going on in our marriage. This is just the visible symptom that you notice. Hopefully you can figure out what the real issue is. 

And just for fun, I will say that my husband is an awesome cook, but he makes a huge mess in the kitchen. I love when he cooks and he can make some amazing meals.


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## Redheadguy (Jul 30, 2014)

I'm the cook of the house by a vast margin.


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## Kristisha (Apr 29, 2013)

badsanta said:


> I can tell you one thing that is for sure! The last generation that could actually cook died about 20 years ago. I'm talking about the women that grew up in the great depression, had starter handed from the generation before to make yeast rolls, had a thriving vegetable garden, canned all their own preserves, and had a chicken coup out behind the shed.
> 
> That is the kind of food that would give you the strength to work out in the fields all day, and then come home to buttermilk biscuits with honey cooked in a clamshell pan over coals in the fireplace.
> 
> ...


When you have such a large variety of products, ready meals all very cheap sometimes you wonder what's the point in making the effort to cook. My parents cooked very rarely, practically I grew up with salads, jack potato and very healthy eating , my mum was saying. But the reality was they were to busy to cook.

And now I am the same, I adopted this healthy eating with very simple food and easy to prepare. Thank God for my husband. He cooks maybe 2 times per week proper food which absolutely delicious.


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## MountainRunner (Dec 30, 2014)

badsanta said:


> I can tell you one thing that is for sure! The last generation that could actually cook died about 20 years ago. I'm talking about the women that grew up in the great depression, had starter handed from the generation before to make yeast rolls, had a thriving vegetable garden, canned all their own preserves, and had a chicken coup out behind the shed.
> 
> That is the kind of food that would give you the strength to work out in the fields all day, and then come home to buttermilk biscuits with honey cooked in a clamshell pan over coals in the fireplace.
> 
> ...


*Ahem!!!*


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## askari (Jun 21, 2012)

Absolutely!
But I have an advantage; I spent 4 years training as a chef in Europe. I loved it but the salary was not very good so left the profession some 25 years ago.

I still love cooking and often mess around trying new flavours and cooking methods.

My wifes idea of cooking is pasta into boiling water, open a jar of sauce, heat it up, pour over pasta. Serve.


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## 2ntnuf (Jul 14, 2012)

I don't think I was a better cook. I just seemed to like to do it more than her. There was something about it with her, like an old wound being picked at. It was something from her first marriage, I guess? 

When I cooked, I felt it was a time to do something together and talk, help each other, offer tastes on a teaspoon, and sometimes make plans or find facts I had no idea were going on. Sometimes, I was a captive audience for her to talk with. I really liked that part of it and didn't care that I was not a great cook. I just muddled through. I miss that.


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## nirvana (Jul 2, 2012)

My wife is an outstanding cook and everything she knows is self-taught. Her mother is an OK cook but isn't interested in cooking and does not know how to cook a lot of things. After we got married, she picked up cookbooks and experimented and became the cook that she is today.

But that said, she isn't very good at managing the kitchen. The cooking vessels and ingredients are all over the place all the time. She says she is very tired. I end up cleaning up some of and doing the dishes. I feel that cooking is not just making the dish but also cleaning up. If she is too tired, she can ask me to help her. 

Anyway, a general tendency I have noticed is that she says she is very tired to do something and wants me to take on some of her work but also fears it when I actually take on the challenge. I create a process and crank out what is needed quickly without the drama that most women love to create.

Although I very rarely cook now, I have some talent and can cook something pretty good if I put my mind to it. I feel that my wife fears that a bit, especially if there is a situation where we go to a party with a dish from me and from her and if people praise what I have made. Never happened, but I want to try it this summer!


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## ConanHub (Aug 9, 2013)

MountainRunner said:


> *Ahem!!!*


Ditto!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## 2ntnuf (Jul 14, 2012)

Those pickles look good. They make my mouth water.


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## Constable Odo (Feb 14, 2015)

badsanta said:


> I can tell you one thing that is for sure! The last generation that could actually cook died about 20 years ago. I'm talking about the women that grew up in the great depression, had starter handed from the generation before to make yeast rolls, had a thriving vegetable garden, canned all their own preserves, and had a chicken coup out behind the shed.


Have to disagree with you on this one to some extent. It is extremely rare to find a woman who knows how to cook these days, but there are some out there. I'm fortunate that I found a woman who is an excellent cook, can prepare delicious meals from scratch (even makes her own pie crusts from scratch, no store-bought crusts for her), and knows how to use spices to give life to virtually any dish. 

I would say that women of my mother's generation started entering the work-force in greater numbers, thus contributing significantly to a decline in domestic skills of women my age. Their lack of knowledge likewise has transmitted down to their daughters (my childrens' age) and the loss of knowledge will be perpetual.


My ex-wife could burn water. My SO has only burned rice once, and that was because I distracted her by gently caressing her neck under her ear one evening while she was standing at the stove.




> That is the kind of food that would give you the strength to work out in the fields all day, and then come home to buttermilk biscuits with honey cooked in a clamshell pan over coals in the fireplace.


Sounds carby and a likely contributor to an early death courtesy of type II diabetes.


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## NobodySpecial (Nov 22, 2013)

badsanta said:


> I can tell you one thing that is for sure! The last generation that could actually cook died about 20 years ago. I'm talking about the women that grew up in the great depression, had starter handed from the generation before to make yeast rolls, had a thriving vegetable garden, canned all their own preserves, and had a chicken coup out behind the shed.


Hey now. I cook. I cook yeast bread, donuts, meals, anything. From old school to new to ethnic to whatever. Fiddle heads tonight, baby. 

I have not made sour sough bread in a while, and my Mom was not much of a cook, so I did not get starter from her.



> That is the kind of food that would give you the strength to work out in the fields all day, and then come home to buttermilk biscuits with honey cooked in a clamshell pan over coals in the fireplace.
> 
> Now a days we tear open a clamshell bubblewrap from the microwave and eat bread manufactured from an industrialized mill. And we wonder why we are all depressed, tired, and not in the mood for sex...
> 
> Badsanta


Ew. No processed food here.


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## NobodySpecial (Nov 22, 2013)

nirvana said:


> I feel that cooking is not just making the dish but also cleaning up.


Both DH and I are good about cleaning as we go. But in our house, the clean up goes to the person who did not cook usually.


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## nirvana (Jul 2, 2012)

NobodySpecial said:


> Both DH and I are good about cleaning as we go. But in our house, the clean up goes to the person who did not cook usually.


Fair, but that has to be communicated. At our place, the kitchen always looks like a hurricane ran through.

I guess i am "expected to know" somehow.


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## nirvana (Jul 2, 2012)

I have seen this a lot with American women, many are bad cooks or just cannot cook at all. They give their kids chicken nuggets and other processed stuff. Many women think it is beneath them to cook. Their idea of home-cooking is grab a packaged dinner, heat it in the microwave and present it.

The generation of Indian women in their 30s luckily can cook. I think the ones in the 20s are not good cooks and just are blindly aping the American way of doing things.

I am a decent cook but with limited range. I need to make some stuff this summer 

No idea about European or Chinese women.


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## lifeistooshort (Mar 17, 2013)

I am a very good cook. I do not use packaged stuff because it's garbage.....well maybe now and again but not much. I can make a pie crust from scratch and can cook up chicken, turkey, whatever. I also carve it as I'm the daughter of a butcher. I make my own cream sauces. ... you get the picture. 

Hubby used to be an ok cook but since he's been out of work for 6 months he's been cooking like a madman. And I had broken him out of the habit of packaged crap from when he was single. He cooks up mean pork ribs and makes the best fish I've ever had. 

I do find it odd that in so much of the world cooking is thought to be a woman's job but most professional chefs are men.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## lifeistooshort (Mar 17, 2013)

nirvana said:


> I have seen this a lot with American women, many are bad cooks or just cannot cook at all. They give their kids chicken nuggets and other processed stuff. Many women think it is beneath them to cook. Their idea of home-cooking is grab a packaged dinner, heat it in the microwave and present it.
> 
> The generation of Indian women in their 30s luckily can cook. I think the ones in the 20s are not good cooks and just are blindly aping the American way of doing things.
> 
> ...



My buddy at work from Hunan province China says of the people who have means nobody cooks. They eat out all the time.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## MountainRunner (Dec 30, 2014)

lifeistooshort said:


> I do find it odd that in so much of the world cooking is thought to be a woman's job but most professional chefs are men.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I know, right? It was my Mom however that taught me how to cook. I took what she taught and then kicked it up a notch so to speak. To this day I still remember being in the kitchen at the age of 11-12 and my mother showing me how to take apart a fryer, all the time saying stuff like "I'm teaching you all this stuff like cooking for yourself, doing laundry, ironing, sewing because when you leave....you ain't coming back!" LMAO!

I know she half-heartedly meant it, but she taught me invaluable life lessons. I don't have to rely upon ANYBODY to care for myself. 

Back to your point though...My wife and I know about a dozen chefs and of those, only one is a woman...go figure, eh?


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## Jetranger (May 31, 2013)

I was way, way better at it than my ex was. She had a few signature dishes she did pretty well, but overall I cooked far more dishes more often and with far fewer screw-ups than her. I never served anything up overly delayed.

Usually if she was trying something she'd want me on hand when if it started going wrong, as I could usually fix it. I, on the other hand, prefer to have the kitchen to myself so as to not crash into someone else while trying to create.

I cook everything fresh, I only freeze things that I can't hope to consume before it goes bad (like bread or packs of meat) and for frozen vegetables. I don't even have a microwave as I would only use it for heating milk for use in coffee.

I have had female companions compliment me on how well stocked my fridge and cupboards are.


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## pragmaster (May 7, 2014)

Short answer is it depends. I just can't generalize men/women anymore. Some men are amazing cooks, others suck. Same vice versa. IMO, women tend to be far messier in the kitchen but clean up faster, where as men aren't as messy, but often leave a mess. Ambiguous? Very. I am not good at baking cakes but that doesn't mean I couldn't. 

I find I cook a lot more and a lot better then most guys do, but what separates me from most of them is I "clean as I go'. I almost never eat the meal I just cooked until everything is cleaned. By better I mean variety and not just out of the box and into the pan. That's not cooking.

I also find men eat so much ****ing meat and women tend to cook healthier.


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## Deejo (May 20, 2008)

I'm a big fan of having the opportunity to handle a woman in the kitchen.

I've stated before, cooking is a life skill.

Cooking well is a sex skill.


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## nirvana (Jul 2, 2012)

Deejo said:


> I'm a big fan of having the opportunity to handle a woman in the kitchen.
> 
> I've stated before, cooking is a life skill.
> 
> Cooking well is a sex skill.



My wife beeches and moans sometimes that she has to cook. Maybe I'll make something nice over the weekend.


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## Giro flee (Mar 12, 2013)

I detest cooking. I'd rather clean the bathroom than make dinner. We have to eat though so I get it done every day.

I don't use my vagina or my breasts for cooking so I don't think they give me any advantage over my husband. Eventhough I hate cooking I'm better than my husband. His mind is too disorganized, he can't get a whole meal done at the same time.


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## MountainRunner (Dec 30, 2014)

Giro flee said:


> ...His mind is too disorganized, he can't get a whole meal done at the same time.


This brings to mind my wife. She is a damn good cook and I love it when she gives me a break in the kitchen and makes one of her latin dishes, but here's the thing...

I've always said that preparing good dishes isn't just about knowing how to cook, but choreographing an entire meal is a skill unto itself as well. What I mean is that just being able to cook well is all good, but to prepare a 3-5 course meal and have every dish ready to plate at the proper moment takes talent as well. This is why I usually do the cooking for parties and holidays. My wife tends to get so focused on the entree that she'll forget about all the ancillary dishes that go with the meal. LOL!


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## gbrad (Jul 20, 2010)

Wife won't even help when it comes to unloading the dishwasher unless I specifically ask her to do so. She says the kitchen is mine and she is worried she will just do something wrong. I am just happy when she does anything to help in there. It is like pulling teeth to get her to actually put a dirty dish into the dishwasher. Half the time getting her to take it in to the kitchen at all is a victory. Have her cook; once a month maybe. And even then I have to clean up the mess, which I have to do when I cook all the time as well.


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## nirvana (Jul 2, 2012)

My wife used to make a big deal about laundry. Complaining all the time.
So I took it up and ran it like a well oiled machine. Then I think it irked her a bit that I was doing a much better job than her, so she's started to put her hands into the laundry again on one pretext or other. Then many times she would go back to her disorganized ways after hijacking my process and has tried to suggest that "nothing has changed". 
ha... I think I have her jealous now...! 

Wait till I start cooking. Now she is a master chef and I will never be as good, but I can be close.


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## toolforgrowth (Apr 24, 2012)

When I was married, the kitchen was my domain. I loved cooking and was very good at it. I allowed myself to be a doormat for a long time, but once I entered the kitchen, I became King.

My xWW knew to not question what I did in the kitchen. Not because I'd get angry, but because I knew what I was doing and she didn't.

She had a couple signature dishes she'd prepare sometimes, and I'd help if she wanted. But I became the sous chef; she was the head chef then. But 99.9%, I was the head chef. Nobody questioned what I did. And if she ever did, my typical response was "I know what I'm doing."


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## EleGirl (Dec 3, 2011)

nirvana said:


> I have seen this a lot with American women, many are bad cooks or just cannot cook at all. They give their kids chicken nuggets and other processed stuff. Many women think it is beneath them to cook. Their idea of home-cooking is grab a packaged dinner, heat it in the microwave and present it.
> 
> The generation of Indian women in their 30s luckily can cook. I think the ones in the 20s are not good cooks and just are blindly aping the American way of doing things.
> 
> ...


Now that's funny... While some American women might not cook much and only feed their kids junk food, it's hardly the norm.

Go into a grocery store and look.. there are huge amounts of fresh veggies, meats, grains, etc. The most popular stores are all about fresh ingredients. Look on line at the thousands of sites with recipes. 

While you might know some American women who are junk food junkies... you don't know most American women. Generalizing about large groups of people based on the few you come in contact with is.. well, nonsense.


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## Miss Taken (Aug 18, 2012)

I am a great cook. He is a great cook but I am better at it and also know how to bake from scratch and preserve foods. I also buy larger cuts of meat on sale and butcher it myself when I get home. I'd say 90% of our meals are from scratch. Plenty of our ingredients (I prep and preserve things to be added to recipes later) snacks and convenience foods are too. We also garden in the spring through fall. Our kids are pretty lucky in that way because they are growing up on delicious food that is not over-processed and they will also learn from both of us how to cook well.


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## arbitrator (Feb 13, 2012)

* Growing up in East Texas and in SW Louisiana, I was totally amazed at how many of the men actually had a major hand in preparing the bulk of the food for their family!

I was tutored early on in the fine art of barbecuing by my uncle, whose efforts around the spits would bring absolute tears of joy to your eyes, as well as happiness to your taste buds! I do swear that that man could take 12 year old boot leather, and turn it in to a gourmet feast!

Bless his heart, but my poor Ol' Dad absolutely could not boil water ~ but my Mom was a heralded cook who could not even come close to being paralleled in her Cajun cuisine. And her chicken and dumplings, cornbread dressing, blackberry cobbler, coconut cream pie, and her six-layer black walnut cake caused major dissension at family gatherings, more especially if some unfortunate, wanton family member got to the table just a tad too late to partake!

The great news is that I have those recipes in written form and whenever I prepare them, I can greatly relive those happier culinary times that brings back so very many happy memories.

I also have one of my aunt's favorite recipes for an old antebellum bread pudding with whiskey sauce and raisins that people would absolutely kill for!

So ladies: don't ever insinuate that we guys can't cook! That Ol' dog just won't hunt!*


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## zillard (Nov 13, 2012)

I rock the kitchen...finally. 

When I first got married I didn't know what a head of garlic was. lol. My mother only ever seasoned with salt, pepper, butter and dried onion. I learned A LOT from my XW, but since D have surpassed her in many ways. 

Now I make pasta from scratch, use lentils and quinoa weekly, grow vegetables, and make and can my own jam, applesauce, and pie filling.


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## Quigster (Aug 1, 2015)

Satya said:


> Of course, there are 3 sides to every story.


Wait... what? *Three* sides? His side, her side, and... who else?


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## Satya (Jun 22, 2012)

The Truth.


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## Woodchuck (Nov 1, 2012)

My wife's most annoying kitchen habit is cleaning up around me while I am cooking. 

If I put down a spoon, when I reach for it, it is gone..... 

I have good knife skills, and keep my kitchen knives razor sharp....I do all the prep work, can put out a pot roast dinner, roast pork, stir fry, killer fried rice, stuffed cabbage rolls, meatballs and sauce (did that this week end for a wedding)...

I bought a smoker, and smoke rainbow trout, ribs, and brisket....Have smoked a 20 lb turkey.....My wife is a great cook, and together we can pit out a hell of a lot of food in short order...


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## Forest (Mar 29, 2014)

Smoked trout. Dang that sounds good. I've always had a bit of a fascination with trout, probably because its so hard to find absolutely fresh unless you live up north. 

I don't think people up north are similarly fascinated by catfish.


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## JoeHenderson (Oct 3, 2011)

Quigster said:


> Wait... what? *Three* sides? His side, her side, and... who else?


Maybe what neither party sees?


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## CuddleBug (Nov 26, 2012)

I'd say we can both cook about the same.

I do a much better and more thorough job cleaning the kitchen and I've organized everything in all the cabinets. Mrs.CuddleBug, not so much and she has a habit of leaving her dirty dishes in the drainboard or not efficiently using the space in the dishwasher, so we can get the max use out of it.

She also deep scratched our glass flat stove top by not watching the bottom of the pots she uses.

She never unloads the dishwasher either or runs it just before we go to bed.


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## JoeHenderson (Oct 3, 2011)

I'd say we're both good on the kitchen clean up. However, when it comes to cooking, that's pretty much all me. Her parents never taught her how to cook and seems to have anxiety about cooking. My mother taught me how to make some dishes prior to leaving for college. I've built on that repertoire since then, and actually enjoy cooking.


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## Woodchuck (Nov 1, 2012)

Forest said:


> Smoked trout. Dang that sounds good. I've always had a bit of a fascination with trout, probably because its so hard to find absolutely fresh unless you live up north.
> 
> I don't think people up north are similarly fascinated by catfish.


You can catch LOTS of trout within 100 miles of Memphis Tn....I posted a pic of a BIG Arkansas rainbow in badsantas manly pictures.....I have a spot where I have caught 50-100 rainbows in a morning (Can only keep 5)...I worked at Denso corp, and took in a couple of pounds of smoked rainbow trout....The Japanese employees went NUTS over it. I had to Google a trout, and a smoker to explain to them what they were eating.....It actually tastes like the sweetest mildest ham you ever tasted....


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## Forest (Mar 29, 2014)

Woodchuck said:


> You can catch LOTS of trout within 100 miles of Memphis Tn....I posted a pic of a BIG Arkansas rainbow in badsantas manly pictures.....I have a spot where I have caught 50-100 rainbows in a morning (Can only keep 5)...I worked at Denso corp, and took in a couple of pounds of smoked rainbow trout....The Japanese employees went NUTS over it. I had to Google a trout, and a smoker to explain to them what they were eating.....It actually tastes like the sweetest mildest ham you ever tasted....


I've heard of the lakes with the trout streams below them. Water has to be let out the bottom of the dam to be cold enough for trout to survive, right? Kind of science project. Do they continually re-stock those? Do you really have to have all the trout gear to catch them?

I guess the catch regs are why you never see it it stores, etc.


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## Woodchuck (Nov 1, 2012)

Forest said:


> I've heard of the lakes with the trout streams below them. Water has to be let out the bottom of the dam to be cold enough for trout to survive, right? Kind of science project. Do they continually re-stock those? Do you really have to have all the trout gear to catch them?
> 
> I guess the catch regs are why you never see it it stores, etc.


My spot is on the Spring River, between Hardy, and Mammoth Springs....The spring dumps millions of gallons of cold spring water into the river. Trout can live in about 8 miles of river below the spring. There is a huge hatchery at Mammoth Springs, and another one below that that the state uses to raise stocking trout....

Stocked trout run under a pound for the most part. I concentrate on old layover fish, those that move out of the stocked areas, and live wild in the river. I have caught them up to 24 inches, and have seen them caught that were pushing 30. That is a BIG rainbow. There are also a few browns, but they must be 18 inches to keep. I have also caught a few small tiger muskies.

The white river is fed by water from the big hydro dams, and it supports trout for MILES.....Also down at Greers Ferry....There have been 2 world record brown trout caught below the dam there...

I have never got into fly fishing, I use ultra-light spinning gear with a 5-6 foot rod and 6# line...You can use spinners like the rooster tail, crawfish type lures, etc. I have perfected my own secret trout catcher....I found that in my secret spot, the trout bite best from a half hour before daylight to a half hour after....Since I live almost 2 hours away, I have to get up early....I will catch and release a lot of trout during that hour, then just play around till around noon, and then drive home...There is a little town called Calico Rock that is south of where I fish. It is on the White river, and they have guide services there where you can fish a half day for around $200....Google "Calico Rock trout"....(they also have bears there)...


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## NobodySpecial (Nov 22, 2013)

Quigster said:


> Wait... what? *Three* sides? His side, her side, and... *who else*?


The truth.


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## ocotillo (Oct 17, 2011)

I can handle a kitchen better than most. Whether they are men or women is immaterial....


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## heartsbeating (May 2, 2011)

I suck with cooking. Sure, some meals are okay but in general, I suck. I'm great at eating though!

My husband is skilled with cooking... he has passion with it too. Finding the certain ingredients, trying out new things, the way he plates it. One of our very early dates he invited me to his flat, said he wanted to cook for me. How's a girl 'sposed to resist that?

For a time, we were making effort to choose a different recipe together each Sunday. We'd then shop for the ingredients together then cook it together. More often than not, it lead to making-out in the kitchen. We haven't done the Sunday cooking for a while. Maybe I'll suggest we do that this weekend.


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## committed_guy (Nov 22, 2011)

Cleaning, yes. My wife is a good cook, when she wants to. Usually she doesn't want to. I can make great food when I want to. But she will leave the dishes for me and then complain they aren't done.


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