I find that a shared interest in cooking and enjoying food can be an important part of a relationship (I couldn't live with someone who's indifferent towards food), but it can also cause friction (the first ever fight I had with my wife was about how to boil potatoes, which does seem remarkably banal, I confess).
So my wife and I decided early on in our relationship NEVER to cook together: either she cooks a dish, or I do.
There's nothing worse than a back-seat driver in the kitchen, making little comments like 'Oh, so you've decided to put that in at this stage, have you? How odd!' (My bossy grown-up daughter does this, and is promptly told to pipe down).
Do any of you cook together as a couple?
It sounds like a romantic idea, but I find that it just plain doesn't work.
Phil
I am afraid I have one of those husbands who only comes in the kitchen to make coffe, occasional freezer food and a crab curry! rest of the time, he eats what he is given ;-)! LOL!
I agree that a shared interest in cooking and food is great. My husband and I enjoy talking about cooking together, looking at books and watching programmes like the Hairy Bikers.
We also find it difficult to cook together and in fact I could hear myself making the "How Odd!" comment! In fact my husband says similar things to me too!
Fantastic observations...
In my house we both enjoy cookery programmes and we both can cook ! However I love cooking and experimenting etc where my loving other half would rather not cook.
She is quite happy for me to do all the cooking but I really need to have her in a sound-proof box while shes in the kitchen LOL... "Don't cut them in that shape".."don't put that in".. " don't pur?e that".."that will spoil it".."I don't want those in"..etc etc.... I think it makes me a better cook as I have to make sure everything I do is towards flavour,texture and the right balance otherwise there would be a whole bunch of "I told you so"... LOL.
If I make something without her seeing she will enjoy it, but if she spots something going in that she didn't agree with then its going to be a poor meal that she didn't like...at least the rest of the family (including sister in laws, mum in laws etc etc)like it and enjoy it...
Steve
Steve, you're clearly a very tolerant and patient guy.
An English vegetarian friend once told me that she divorced her second husband because he got on her nerves. Her major complaint was that he woke up in the morning and asked: 'What shall we cook for dinner tonight?'
(That friend is deeply uninterested in cooking, or eating, for that matter).
Fortunately for us, we BOTH wake up in the morning and ask that question!
A shared interest in cooking is also great to see within families: I just had my grown-up daughter here to celebrate her 32nd birthday. She loves my cooking, and I passed on to her a passion for Indian cookery, which she's good at.
My 7 year old daughter helps me out in the kitchen, for which I pay her 20 centimes a time. I hope she'll also go on to be a good cook, and to enjoy Indian cookery. A shared interest in cookery can also help bond families, I think.
Phil