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Boy’s (and everybody else) don’t cook

“Boy’s don’t cook”


You probably guessed with a title like that, that that would be the opening line of something like this...

(—blimey— there were a lot of ‘that's’ in that sentence!)

This was the message I heard as a kid, anytime I asked... we’ll come back round to that in a second - I've come round to it thirty five years later.

 First I want to make it clear that it’s not ‘boys can’t cook’ as in they are not able to. Nor that identifying male, or female, or wherever else you fit into; affects your ability too —or enjoyment of— cooking wonderful things. It’s actually embracing and dispelling, exactly that!

As a young boy I was barely taught anything about cooking. Despite growing up in a family that championed learning, when it came to meal times, I was better served ‘learning to cut the grass’ or ‘help dad with the car’ or ‘don’t let your uncle run with that, you know how he gets!”

(that last one is me being silly, my uncles are wonderful)


I don't think that's a hundred miles away from a lot of people's childhoods, and yet:

 In the western world our premier Michelin Star kitchens are largely dominated by men. The industry has consciously or as a problematic 'norm' unconsciously, shaped itself that way. However; put that in context alongside the fact almost all of those high-achieving male chefs cite some great maternal influence on their cooking: A grandma at some point letting you lick the spoon, or a Nona - the font of famous family secret recipes.

They are the pillars of our Cusinereal education (is that a word? It is now!).


The perplexing thing is, in the '70, '80, '90s (at least as best I can point too...) we had, and maintained, this strange dichotomy with only the young women of the family being brought up by their mothers and Grandmothers, to cook. Girls were marketed pretend ovens and ‘household goods’ as toys, and expected to learn to provide the vital fuel for the family day to day... and yet, my own mum would still have said it was a dad's job to "put food on ' table".

 (History: Mixing both its messages and its metaphors)


So this is where I find myself, in the English-speaking world (and culinary mileage definitely varies!). Being an adult who, until maybe ten years ago, would not trust himself to boil and egg, but —while not planning on launching himself into Master Chef* any time soon(!)— thinks he’s picked up a few tricks, a few staples, a few ‘can’t go wrongs’ along the way, that I wish someone had shown to me twenty years ago.


SO...


 I’m putting them down here. I’m hoping to give you a few things to have ‘in your Back Pocket**’ so the next time you need a feed you’ve got something to hand.



(*assuming that reference has made it to you now)

(**more on that one, well... nowish!)


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