I just don't get it

There are actually lots of things that I just don't get. Really complicated math, chemistry, physics, science-type stuff, things of that nature. But that's not what this blog is about. This blog is about something I read fairly frequently in blogs and books etc.

"I don't cook." Said with pride as if it's a worthwhile accomplishment not to be able to cook. Sorry folks, but in my book, the lack of ability to cook is not something to be proud of. Not even a little bit.

Now, I'm not suggesting we return to the 1950s where many women were expected to be housewives and have dinner on the table precisely at 6 (or whenever the hubby walked in the door). Not back to the days when a woman who did not iron her bedsheets might have been considered lazy. Not that at all.

But the pendulum may have swung too far. The ability to prepare food from ingredients is a basic survival skill. You must eat to live. And cooking is a whole lot less expensive than eating out or eating frozen dinners all the time, not just in terms of dollars spent on food but in terms of dollars spent on health care.

Besides which, cooking is sexy. Show me a man who can cook well and knows about food, and I'll be all over that. My best friend and I recently had one of our meandering phone conversations and the talk turned to food, as it frequently does. We're both foodies, even if I'm the only one that you can tell loves food just by looking (Weight Watchers is helping me change that, but that's a different story). We were talking about the Food Network, which is like porn for me sometimes, and the discussion turned to which male celebrity chefs we'd do, given the opportunity and given no-one is cheating on anyone (not going there).

- Guy Fieri, and that's just me. She's not into him. And truthfully, with me, it's mostly because Guy and I have the same hair, blond and spiky with dark roots, plus I like his tattoos. Tragically, though, since the beginning of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, Guy's starting to really pack on the pounds. He should probably not eat every deep-fried, beer battered piece of food that people hand him; his liver's gonna get fatty and that's bad since his liver won't be used for foie gras.
- Alton Brown. Smart, funny, cute in an almost dorkish way. I like to watch his hands while he's cooking. We lurve him.
- Tony Bourdain. Not on the Food Network, and kind of a fucked up grill, but damn. The man's hot. He's smart and funny, but totally unlike Alton Brown; he's kinda dark and dangerous. Yum.
- Mario Batali. Yep, the big redhead guy from Iron Chef. That Mario Batali. I'd even let him keep the orange clogs on.
- Masaharu Morimoto, the Japanese chef on Iron Chef America. I'm not sure what it is about him (and I'm alone in my lust), but I suspect it's partly because of his love for candy and desserts. Good for the sweet tooth; bad for the waist line, but overall yummy.
- Michael Symon. The guy who just won the Next Iron Chef. Haven't seen him much yet, but he's got kind of a Tony Bourdain bad-boy vibe going on.
- Robert Irvine. I've grown to love him on Dinner Impossible (have you seen the guns on him?). The overbite reminds me a bit of Freddie Mecury, and the attitude . . . plus the accent.

Now lest you think that I some sort of Food Network slut, I do have to point out that are are a slew of male celebrity chefs that I wouldn't go near.
- Bobby Flay. My BF thinks he's a firecrotch, and I have to agree.
- Emeril Lagasse. Kind of looks like an Ewok, and the food does nothing for me.
- Tyler Florence. Don't know why, because he's kind of cute, but in a gay cousin sort of way. Just doesn't do it for me.
- Chef Duff from Ace of Cakes. I love his show, but he's too goofy, and coming from me, that's saying something.
- Wolfgang Puck. Just can't imagine shouting out, "Oh Wolfgang, you're the king" in the heat of the moment, yanno?

Here's the thing, the point of this whole rambling post. Food is sensual. Cooking is sexy. Preparing a meal for someone is a demonstration that you care for them (unless you're a professional cook, and then it's just work).

There should be no pride in lack of ability to cook. Not necessarily shame either; in these times, most of our mothers didn't have the time or inclination to teach us, and nobody takes Home Ec cooking classes anymore, do they? But if you're an adult and take care of yourself in every other way, you should be able to take ingredients from the pantry and/or refrigerator and prepare a meal. It's an important survival skill, and it just might get you laid.