The lady and cooking!!

How do the two things sound - apples and oranges?? To most of us, exactly that. The Modern woman is so averse to cooking that one really ponders why does the very idea drives her crazy. To ask my lady to cook something is to stir a hornet's nest. Before I am deemed an MCP (ask any woman and she'll tell u its Male Chauvinist Pig), let me tell you the above request comes with a 50 - 50 contribution offer - which she also understands would be 60 - 40 with a greater effort falling on me. I approach her with all precautions and with all the SOPs associated with the offer, but I am yet to find a way to have her happily get into it.


I used to think that the problem was a specific one and I am the only unfortunate one who faces the wrath of the 'thy will not cook or contribute to cook' (yes it sounds like the 11th commandment) disciple. However, out there in the modern jungle I found lots of company. It really makes me wonder why has this attitude developed?

On a closer look, I found that there's evolution behind it. Women have, primarily, been subjected to household work from the time there's life on earth. Men have assumed more authority and have attached greater importance to their role in the society. Women have been considered second to men for a long long time. Due to this, an inferior tag got attached to the role of women and to the work they do in their day to day activities. Be it, cooking or raising children or for that matter any household chore. The fact, that the so called inferior role is as important as any other, got lost into oblivion.

In the 20th century, a greater number of women came out of the cocoon and started to fly the flight which was, so far, the forte of men. A larger number of women started looking forward to a job which would earn them money. Slowly, it became a universal law that the homely role was actually inferior. The modern attitude towards cooking developed as a nemesis to the attitude met by women to the role they previously had in the society. Since they found more satisfaction and recognition in the new found role, women themselves started looking down at the household job.

In today's world the "I cannot cook" fad has actually created more problems - more so for women. Men, today are more inclined than ever before, toward cooking, whereas women are running away from it. To circumvent this, they turn towards readymade meals and fast-to-cook, good-to-eat ideas - which are most of the times, a compromise with nutrition. The result is poor nutrition and unhealthy conditions.

I try convincing her and women who are struck with the "I cannot cook" fad that its not "cool" to not know cooking. Be it a man or woman, the first thing that differentiated human being from other creatures was that human being could cook. With the reverse evolution, we might one day end up back in the jungle - probably of a different kind.

I hope she reads this and understand the value of cooking food and eating at home.

Disclaimer: The author is a strong supporter of equality of sexes, so please donot read this article with any prejudice which might arise just because the author is a male.