# Who does the cooking at your house?



## bbq engineer (Aug 17, 2009)

I love to cook. l think this started when I was young, because my parents were divorced, and I was expected to pull my weight which included cooking, cleaning, laundry, lawn mowing, snow shoveling, etc., etc. I was exposed to great recipies and techniques from my mom and my grandmother at an early age, and besides, I like to eat! I am not slighting Mrs. Engineer's cooking ability either (she is a darn good cook), but I find it interesting that I do 99% of the cooking. I know a lot of my friends are in the same boat too...the man of the house does the vast majority of the cooking...I find that interesting. Now Mrs. Engineer usually cleans up the magnificent mess that I make when I trash every pan in the kitchen, so I'm not saying she doesn't pull her weight. 

I am wondering, however, Who does the cooking in your house?


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## chisoxjim (Aug 17, 2009)

me,  
I love cooking,  I cooked as a profession for a long time, and learned alot.  I worked anywhere from a line cook, to a grill cook at greasy spoons, to broiler cook @ an Italian steakhouse.  Now I enjoy cookign as my hobby,  beyond smoking meat I really enjoy making soups, stocks, and pretty much anythign from scratch.  We are lucky to live close enough to Chicago to be able to source all the ingredients I need to make anything.

My wife does not cook,  but she does the dishes.  pretty good trade off in my favor imho.


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## eman (Aug 17, 2009)

We both cook and are both good cooks.
 she cooks country and i cook cajun and gormet.
 Our deal is who ever cooks the other does the dishes.
 Works good for us for 26 years


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## werdwolf (Aug 17, 2009)

I like to cook, but get home most nights from work to late.  Many days off I cook though, and I think I have become the unofficial cook of our Masonic Lodge.

My wife likes to bake and is darn good at it though.


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## beer-b-q (Aug 17, 2009)

Both of us did and now it is mostly her because of my health... 

When smoking she still needs me to help...


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## eaglewing (Aug 17, 2009)

*I DO!!!!!!*

*Basically, I LOVE TO EAT!!!...so I cook*
My Dad was a good cook and I got to tell ya, "it's in the genes"...

My wife boils hotdogs and eggs...that's as far as she goes.
BUT, she does worship the food I put out and most of it lately THANKZ to what I have learned right here!! 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





She says it boils down to measurements... she is NOT GOOD with seeing or judging measurements... she is also bad with directions!!... I guess those two things might actually be related in the brain.


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## travcoman45 (Aug 17, 2009)

I do a fair share a it, momma does the basic meals.  I work on the smoked stuff an special sides an such.  With the caterin stuff were always tryin out new thins.


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## bassman (Aug 17, 2009)

We both cook.  It's just a matter of who grabs the pans first!


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## richoso1 (Aug 17, 2009)

I do all the cooking outdoors, and Gloria does all the cooking indoors. Cuts down on the traffic jams (not a food).


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## rivet (Aug 17, 2009)

Great question BBQ and like you, my parents divorced when I was a kid so I was required to learn all that real early too. 

My older sister could not cook to save her life and overcooked fish-sticks and iceberg lettuce "salad" were not my idea of a decent meal. So, I took the initiative and the rest is history  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Course, there were a lot of learnings along the way, but it worked out well.

Now, even though Mrs Rivet is an outstanding cook, she prefers not to do it, so I do most of it.


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## desertlites (Aug 17, 2009)

As I live by myself that would be Me,I also like to cook and create,I also grew up with a mom that was a wonderful cook-she tought me Alot.With working full time I do a few dishes on the weekends to last the week and also freeze for later use.only down side is I also have the dishes after.oil well!


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## gnubee (Aug 18, 2009)

My wife is a certified red seal Chef. ( and yes, we know that red seals are a protected species ) So she does a lot of the cooking. I do a lot more now that I am retired and its about 50/50 Her/Me during the week. I get to clean up all the time. Heck she still works and I'm retired so that's fair. 

On the weekends it *was* entirely different, Me not being allowed near the food. We usually have a backyard party almost every weekend. 
Party noshes were her exclusive domain. I was not allowed to enter any of my contributions. 
The reason for this strange behavior is that her family will not eat anything anyone outside the family cooks. Too fancy! They are meat and potatoes people, none of them will go for Chinese and most of them will not even eat Pizza, you know foreign food. I know how dumb that sounds but that's my in-laws. They will eat any kind of wild game you can name including snakes, possum, racoons, lion, moose, elk, deer , bear, even skunk. ( Its quite tasty ) 

Then I started my smoking addiction. ON one fateful weekend we had the In laws over for a back yard BBQ. She planned hot dogs and burgers and the usual stuff. She told me that I could do the hot dogs on the bbq, _*"but don't screw them up."*_
Now once in a while in the past I had been allowed to do the hot dogs. 
I got a rush of blood to my head and decided that this time I'll do them my way. ( The Good Lord hates a coward )
My way is to score them in a criss-cross pattern with a sharp knife. Put them in the hickory smoker at 230f for an hour and a half. Because there is far more surface area when they are prepared like that so more of the fat drips out of them plus you get better penetration of the smoke. After the hour and a half, I take them out of the smoker, brush on my BBQ sauce mixed with a little mustard. I then sear the sauce to the point of caramelization over a bed of hot charcoal. 

Trust me they are worth the extra effort done this way. Well the in-laws absolutly loved them . In fact they clamored for more. They decided right then and there that Maybe I was family after all.

Next Friday My little parsnip flower told me that the family was coming over on Saturday and could I do the dogs they liked so much. 
I said "Of course My little pumpkin seed ". ( She hates it when I address her that way, which is why I do it ) The next BBQ I did the dogs same as last weekend. But I suprised everyone with some pulled pork, slow cooked ribs, and some smoked corn on the cob. I also had a bin of Dutches beans ready to go.
With all this going for me I served it up to them. At first all you could hear was the herd at the trough, the gnashing of teeth and the odd snort, but as soon as some of them finally came up for air they universally declared that I should be the BBQ chef every weekend. And that my friends is how Gnubee took back His Manhood and the coveted title *Designated backyard BBQ Chef.* Can I get a Hoorah??


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## rivet (Aug 18, 2009)

HOORAH!

And big time points for sticking to your guns and doing it your way!


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## irishteabear (Aug 18, 2009)

Fortunately and unfortunately I do it all at my house.  I do the indoor and outdoor cooking as well as the cleanup.  Although, the kids are pitching in more lately.

When the kids want to cook for me it is a case of either warming something up or I will supervise the cooking.  They are both learning to cook, although Matt will do it willingly and Tommy does it because I make him.  Hubby on the other hand, is a one pot cook.  It all goes in one pot and there is no guarantee on how it tastes.  The first (and last) time he cooked for me he left the burner on and burned the pot beyond redemption.  After that I took over the cooking, although, he is allowed to warm things up for me.


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## ronp (Aug 18, 2009)

Can I get a Hoorah??
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	













You got it. Nice story.

I do all the cooking here. Been cooking since I could barely reach the stove top stiring the oat meal in a club aluminum pot. Mom made the best of everything. We were poor so she did a lot of braising cheap cuts of meat. I don't think I had a real steak until I left home and got married. My first charcoal grill was about 2 dollars and had 3 legs to it, anybody remember those?

The rest is history, Mess sergeant, plant superintendant for a small frozen food plant, tamales, pizzas, and chili, then my own restaurant.

But, by far this is the best yet after 1 1/2 years this is my favorire, hands down.


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## bbq engineer (Aug 18, 2009)

GnuBee,

That is a fine, fine, story. I love cooking for my family and friends. My inlaws are a fight every time we invite them over. They eat like birds, and I'm not kidding will eat 3 spinach leaves and proclaim they are stuffed! They also hate to cook, and every time they make such a big deal about us going to the trouble of making a gigantic meal...I always tell them I was going to eat this way even if they weren't here! I never ask them what they want to eat anymore, because that was like pulling teeth. They barely eat any meat, but I have found their achilles heel...smoked salmon! They are putty in my hands!


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## forluvofsmoke (Aug 18, 2009)

Well, I've always had a thing for the outdoors when I was growing up on a farm/ranch. Two of my brothers and myself seemed to always make time for hunting deer, upland birds, ducks, as well as varmints (fox/coyote). Fishing came up now and then, never often enough though.

It seemed to be my strongest suit to play with outdoor grills at my GF's parent's house...and it was something no one else really had an interest in. My indoor cooking skills were fairly limited...I do recall destroying a beef roast in the oven back in '83 when I applied a topper of sweet pickle relish to the meat...the meat was just fine if you could get past it tasting like a huge stringy hamburger! LOL!!!!!

Anyway, my kid's know to ask before they fire up the grill, and they ask for help to get started. I do the bulk of the outdoor cooking, with cold smoked/seared or hot smoked being the majority of my creations, as well as a few sides.

My girls are spending more and more time in the kitchen now days, learning new dishes under the direction of mom. And, they are demonstrating some interest in the grilling as well, so they should be well rounded cooks, unlike myself. My oldest daughter is getting quite proficient at making ABTs. Now and then, one or two of my kids starts quizing me about the smokers or the charcoal grill when I have a cold smoke/sear going. We've even discussed doing more mods to my SNP...maybe I'll have one hooked on a smoker before they all leave the nest. They all like smoked meats, so that's a start. If I can just keep them interested in learning the craft, so they try their hand at a couple smokes...then, they'll be hooked for sure!

Eric


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## pops6927 (Aug 18, 2009)

Growing up in a meat/grocery store, you learn to cook by nature.  But, Dad was strict when it came to teaching me how to cut meat.  For every cut he taught me I had to learn how to cook it three different ways with different sides on all counts.  I had to cook dinner for him, mom, my brother and my sister every night.
The reason for it was we ran a store with fresh meat counters.  You waited on every customer.  You didn't just serve what they wanted, you had to create the need, tell how to cook it, what to cook with it, how long, how much, how to coordinate side dishes, etc. etc.   You couldn't just listen to one of the other cutters and describe it, you had to do it.  You sold the sizzle, not just the steak.  From hand-cutting a thick porterhouse and presenting it on a fresh piece of peach paper under the bacteria lights (that happened to enhance the bloom of the cut...lol!) to cutting the chine bone on a rib end pork roast, describe how to make sausage stuffing and fill the gap with it and bake it for so long at such a temp and season with this and that and make scalloped potatoes and cornbread from scratch to serve with it and point out we had fresh broccoli and cauliflower in the produce... etc.etc.etc. - you get the idea!  You SOLD meat, you didn't just provide it!  If it's got meat in it, I learned how to cook it.
Then, I went on to chain stores and also trained in deli-bakery besides meat, learning how to be a professional baker, deli expert (cheese and pizza islands, imported cheeses and what wines went with what cheeses, party platters, salads, parfaits, kosher, you name it).
So, if it's meat, I usually do the cooking.  The wife makes mean casseroles and lots of other stuff too, but with her cancer and broken leg, she's pretty much sidelined from the kitchen, keeping her leg propped up all the time.
Hmmmm.... speaking of which, it's time for some popcorn...  c'ya!


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## nate_46 (Aug 18, 2009)

My wife can heat things up, but I am the cook in the house. She hates to cook, but for the first 5 years of our marriage she struggled through it. We then moved to Alamosa, CO and soon found that there was nowhere good to eat. i mean it is bad here. I started making dishes we enjoyed while we lived in New Mexico. Soon I learned to bake, cook specialty foods, and of course smoking meats. When we travel if we find a dish we enjoyed, I spend the time recreating it when we get home.

Food Network is my favorite television channel. I have watched countless hours of food programming and copy many techniques I see. I have gotten beyond recipes and usually just wing it. I find that once you get comfortable with herbs, spices, and various cooking techniques everything comes much more natural.

The wife does do my dishes though..... What a trooper!


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## bigsteve (Aug 18, 2009)

Currently, I do ALL the cooking. Wife used to make something nice on Sundays, but since I started smoking, I make something on Sundays too.
We both work, and I hate cleaning, so I cook. My dad was a Chef, and even though he never showed me anything by way of cooking (he hated it, long story) it never seemed weird to me that a man would cook. When we were first married I was a decent cook. But over the years I got bored with it, and everything was just bland this or plain that. When I started smoking, I woke up again. I don't know that I'm a great cook, but things sure are better tasting around here than they have been for a long time.


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## mballi3011 (Aug 18, 2009)

I do most of the cooking here. The wife can cook and she's really good at it. I love to cook and smoke and make people happy though food. My parents also divorsed and I was on my own early 16 and had to learn to cook. One time I had a roommate and we didn't have any gas account so I learned to grill on a small coleman propane cook top (camping style). Thats where you learn or eat alot of black food. I just enjoy cooking but I have really expensive taste. I or we cook every sunday for the family (about 12 to 16) so we can all get together with each other and eat some good eats. Some of my employees say it's free food till they were invited one time then they changed their mind and are tring to figure out how to get invited again. I do now days smoke food for work and feed the whole job and that can be upwards of 20 people it's fun to me. I like to cook, smoke, and create everything from scatch to me it tasted better. Wrong or right thats the way I think. So now we are just 2 fat kids that love to please and feed people. Maybe thats why she'a a baby nurse and I'm the son of a social worker who started the child welfare system in jacksonville. so we have been taken care of people all our lifes. 
So thank you very much goes out to BBQ Eng. for starting this thread so now we can all know just alittle more about the people we talk to and repect though smoking. THANKS


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## willkat98 (Aug 18, 2009)

How'd you swing that Jim?

I do both!!

Kids hate when I go out of town (not often). They start yelling "What are we going to do!!!??? We'll starve to death!!!"

They end up with takeout or something.

Every "New Years Resolution" a new diet comes along for the wife (usually in cookbook form like South Beach, or South Beach 2 or something.

So she cooks for a while to "get on target"

Well after 2 weeks of "chicken and cheese" served 15 different ways, the book gets tossed on the pile and the kids beg her to hang up the pan. Its amazing how many recipes for what amounts to poached chicken and cheese there are, and all taste _exactly_ alike!

I changed my office hours to get home at 5pm every night to cook. I enjoy it. But it means taking a train into Chicago that leaves at 5:35am


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## chisoxjim (Aug 18, 2009)

not sure, but I am not complaining.


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## flagriller (Aug 18, 2009)

Wife during the week (she's a stay at home mom and I work) me on weekends.


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## meowey (Aug 18, 2009)

Interesting thread!!!

I do most of it, although Mrs. Meowey is a whiz at crock pot meals, a lot of which are made up with leftovers from my efforts.

Take care, have fun, and do good!

Regards,

Meowey


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## the dude abides (Aug 18, 2009)

First off...Hoorah 

And I do most all of the cooking at our house.  But my wife does the dishes.  She's pretty hot so I guess that was the trade off.  LOL.


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## jirodriguez (Aug 18, 2009)

I do most of the cooking around our house. Thats how I relax at the end of the day after work 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





. Similar story... parents divorced, mom was pregnant with my first sister and food made her nausious, and my step-dad used every pot and pan in the house to burn mac-n-cheese. Since I had to do the cleanup it was shear self defense... lol.

Have worked in kithens doing prep cook and catering cooking, and learned a lot of solid basics. So I do most all the cooking - but when it comes to baking I let the wife take over. I rarely follow a recipe with set amounts, which does not work well with baking... lol.


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## bman62526 (Aug 18, 2009)

Interesing responses here.  To those that cook and the spouse does the dishes, way to be!  I cook 100% of the meals, and do 95% of the dishes, and cleaning of the kitchen.  

Basically, my wife does nothing in the kitchen except she bakes and also makes a MEAN Chex mix!

However, besides about 10% of the laundry - I do nothing else in the house.  I take care of 100% of the outside/yard work and she rules every room in the house except the kitchen.

The Mrs. keeps a clean house with two youngins, which is always a challenge & and she keeps me pretty happy in other senses of the word too 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





    LOL - sorry, couldn't resist...

I've never touched a toilet brush or a dusting mop - my wife has never touched a grill or a lawnmower...fair trade all around, really.


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## deltadude (Aug 18, 2009)

Wow, fun reading all the differences about how or why we cook and who is doing the cooking in your houses now.

My Mom was a great cook, but she worked so Dad would cook, and he liked to experiment some good a lot of bad came of it.  After I left home, and marriage came, my wonderfl wife was the primary cook, although initially she really was awful, either out of of love or necessity she really developed to be a good cook with basic meals, however major occasions like Thanksgiving scared her, especially if we had company.  So I became the Thanksgiving and Christmas cook, (the first dinner or two I was on the phone to Mom getting directions).  I really was into fishing and for years we always had a freezer full of fresh and salt water fish. The Mrs. had a tendency of over cooking fish, (that happens when you got 3 kids to pay attention to), so I became the fins cooker.  I would do the occasional BBQ on the Weber, but it wasn't consistent except in summer with fish, man we loved to grill (tuna, yellowtail, saltwater bass, halibut, etc).  

In the first period of being phased out (corp. take over), I was out of work for 3 years, I played online poker for a living, and during that period became our immediate family cook. I started making my own stocks, learning to make a sauce from anything, etc. During that period I really got into grillin on both the weber gas and weber kettle.  I did smoke some on the kettle and also on the gas, but grilling was a daily thing.  As family's evolve and get older, my Mom was too old to do the family get togethers so my sis became the patriarch and we always gather at her house for the 4 or 5 yearly get togethers.  My sis and brother-in-law are great entertainers but lousy cooks, so I took over all the cooking duties for big family gatherings (except Thanksgiving, Mom helps Sis turn out a decent turkey meal).  Since I live 70 miles from my Sis & Mom it is a little bit of challenge, you would think I was a catering company with the 3 or 4 large storage crates of food and gear I always take.  Buying the MES smoker, has made life a little easier since smoked Q still tastes awesome 3 or 4 hours after its done.  I'm now in the 2nd period of being out of work now for 6 months, and I think my cooking repertoire is expanding. 

The food network shows have motivated me to experiment more, last week I was doing some Spanish tapas, and I really want to get a Paella pan and cook Paella on the weber kettle.   I've learned to do pizza from scratch, making the dough, sauce, etc on the kettle with a pizza stone. I want to continue to improve learning better presentation, and organization for larger parties.  It is all fun especially if the feedback is positive.


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## smoking gun (Aug 19, 2009)

Is this a trick question?


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## Dutch (Aug 19, 2009)

At my house it's pretty even. If I cook, Ma helps me and if she cooks, I help her. Baking for the most part is her niche but the Chocolate Pecan Pie is my pastry claim. For some reason, I can make the pie shell for it and it turns out, but for any other pie-forget about it.

Like Pops, I grew up the son of a meat cutter and became a meat cutter meownself, and like Pops, we (my bothers also became cutters) had to know how to cook every cut of meat. Just for kicks, I like to go into grocery stores and find someone new in the meat department. I'll ring the bell and patiently wait for them to come out and then I'll hand them a roast or something and ask "How do I cook this?" I get a lot of "Deer in the headlights" looks. And when they can't answer the question, I toss in my parting shot, "Oh, so your still an apprentice-" and walk away. In fact some of the older cutters will spot me in the store and say, "Hey Dutch-we have a new victim for you to pick on." BAAAWAAHAAA! Life can be so good!

I learned alot of my cooking skills from my dad. I did take some culenary courses and even worked for awhile as a personal chef., Ma and me do several catering during the year and I do the bulk of the cooking for those. And most Sunday dinners will find 14-16 people at the house for excellent eats and thats just family!


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## bbq engineer (Aug 19, 2009)

Pops,

Your dad sounds like an amazing business man. I read your post to my wife, and she proclaimed "that is what customer service should be about". 

Best wishes for the wife's recovery.


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## allen (Aug 19, 2009)

I really enjoy cooking and baking and also canning, and smoking meat, Wife will not eat smoked meat, nore my canning which has not killed no one, and the baking she has to be in the mood, so I take all this to work and it will be gone in2-3 days, she's pickey


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## got14u (Aug 19, 2009)

I do 90% of the cooking and experimenting in my house hold. the kids help out also. my wife doesn't cook much but the couple mexican dishes she does are to die for. And her picodegallo is infamous with my friends and family....I am glad to cook then i don't have to do the dishes...lol


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## billbo (Aug 21, 2009)

I do 95% of all the cooking at my house. I love to do it and my family likes the way I cook. I don't always do the dishes though


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## fired up (Aug 21, 2009)

Me baby! Me!


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## athabaskar (Aug 21, 2009)

Best thread ever.

I do most of the cooking at our hacienda - always have. Our son refers to her cooking as Mom Food, and not really in a flattering way. She will spell me occasionally when I get tired of it, but we both like my cooking better. Don't get me wrong, she is a decent cook. It's just that I prefer to use bolder flavors while she is perfectly happy with an unseasoned piece of meat. She is the baker because it makes her happy to do the nesting mother thing.  

I was laid off from my job on July 10th. Sort of a blessing in disguise. Going from tenderloin to tilapia will challenge your skills in a way that we all need to keep in touch with. I can make so much from so little that it would make my departed momma proud. The happy grins I got after last night's chicken and rice were priceless, but the entire meal cost less than $3.00, leftovers included.

Teach your sons to cook. Mine is 23 and is still learning, but aren't we all?


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## bbq engineer (Aug 21, 2009)

Athabaskar,

When I moved out to College, I had an apartment (with roomates). I had been brought up to know how to cook, and do dishes, and laundry. My hapless roomies were just lost without mommy standing there to help them. You should have seen the look on their faces when they used liquid dish soap (instead of the dishwasher soap)and filled the kitchen with soap bubbles! I just laughed at them. Not to mention that they existed on Raman noodle dinners, while I was having pot roast with taters, carrots, and homemade brown gravy! I would cook for them at times, because I felt sorry for them, they were that clueless.

I truly believe that my exposure to real world chores and cooking have been a tremendous asset throughout my entire life. Kids should know how to cook and fend for themselves, and I agree with you that this should be a part of every kid's upbringing...it will make them a better person without them even knowing it.

Now that I am older, there is no better enjoyment for me than sharing a beautifully cooked meal, and seeing the delight and excitement for the food that I cook.


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## jaxgatorz (Aug 21, 2009)

Cowgirl does


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## gnubee (Aug 21, 2009)

Well Duh!!


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## scarbelly (Aug 21, 2009)

BBQ Engineer;347012 said:
			
		

> Athabaskar,
> 
> Kids should know how to cook and fend for themselves, and I agree with you that this should be a part of every kid's upbringing...it will make them a better person without them even knowing it.
> 
> ...


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## kookie (Aug 22, 2009)

Being single I do all the cooking in my house unless I have family visiting. I love cooking most of the time. Just hate the cleanup. lol..................


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## thestealth (Aug 25, 2009)

I would say it's about 50/50 at our house.  We both have things we are better at cooking than the other so it works out.  It really just depends on who has the time that evening...but over all it's even.


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## solaryellow (Aug 25, 2009)

The pendulum is starting to swing my way. My wife has usually been the one who does the cooking. Every now and again I would contribute something or if we had guests over I would make something special. Grilling has always been my domain but never was the bulk of our cooking. Now my wife is trying to get her book done so I came up with the idea of smoking a lot of meat on the weekends and then reheating it during the week to minimize the time she needs to prepare dinner. I suspect once her first book sells I will get to become the full time cook, errand runner, pool boy, house keeper, etc and I look forward to it.


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## coyote-1 (Aug 25, 2009)

Wife does the majority of the cooking.

I was always good at it, but she is a) a better overall cook and b) a tad insecure. Once early on, I came up with grilled cornish hens stuffed with rye bread and apples etc and they were awesome... from that moment, she co-opted my recipe and barred me from the kitchen!  lol

Took her a full decade before she relinquished command of the kitchen enough for me to do my thing. Problem is that you get out-of-practice; it's not that the dishes themselves come out bad, but when you're not in the habit of cooking you lose the ability to TIME them together properly. The perfectly-cooked veggies are getting cold while you wait for the meat to finish.


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## bigtrain74 (Aug 25, 2009)

Is there any doubt who cooks in my house??? I would never get anything that I really like if my wife cooked as much as I do... It would be pasta every night!

Im sorry but NO THANKS!!!


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## oldschoolbbq (Aug 25, 2009)

I do when we can afford it.....
	

	
	
		
		



		
			





Darn Government caused the wife's work to cut pay,
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 she lost $2.85/hr.
now that's not so cool;she's one of the few there that ACTUALLY takes care of the residents. Those poor old folks.....
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	




And I'm afraid I'll be in that predicament soon...........
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	









:icon  _question:


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## hungryjohn (Aug 26, 2009)

It's me, now.

For the first 40 years we were married, the kitchen was my wife's; I just cooked outdoors.

But then she had back surgery and couldn't stand up long enough to cook anything, so I had to do the cooking.

When she recovered, she said, "You like cooking, don't you?"

I admitted that I did.  She said, "Well, I hate it, so I'll make a deal, you cook and I'll clean up." And that's the way we've done it ever since. She's happy, because I'm more adventuresome than she ever was. She tended to cook the tried and true; I'm always looking for new things to try.

There are a few things that she still insists on cooking, like gravy for pot roast and chicken fried steak.


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## thomasyoung (Aug 26, 2009)

Just me, I like to cook.


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## cowgirl (Aug 26, 2009)

lol Mike!!


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## walle (Aug 26, 2009)

I would have to agree with Scarebelly - "kids need to learn how to cook"!
I was fortunate enough not to have to deal with divorced parents, but on the flip side, my dad worked very long hours and at one point my mom was working four jobs (bus driver, mail delivery, partime bank job, and hoeing pinto beans on the weekend!) - they were TIRED!!

My mom's solution, and what I contribute my love for cooking (especially BBQ), was rolling in dead tired and calling *"Fend for yourself night!"*

Have an older bother, and litterally we tried and learned to cook just about anything, we just had to do it. Mom was always there to over the shoulder/fire control/ect. 

My wife and I both enjoy cooking, we just don't cook well together!


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## ellymae (Sep 6, 2009)

HOORAH!!!!

It's tough being an outlaw....

I do most of the cooking in and outdoors but Big Al is doing more and more lately. We have the same deal - whoever cooks the other does the dishes - it works for us.


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