Cook for yourself
It's good to cook for others. It's good to cook alone.
I’ve heard others say they don’t find it good to cook nice meals for themselves.
I, on the other hand, enjoy doing so. I enjoy the creative process behind cooking. It is therapeutic and relaxing, especially at the end of a long day or in preparation of a long week.
Of course, cooking is better in a group - there’s no doubt about that. I never want to hide my meals from others, I want to share them.
So what’s the problem with cooking a nice meal for 1?
Here are a few thoughts from another perspective:
It can be expensive.
It can seem lonely to the outsider and can even feel lonely to the chef.
Treating yourself is considered wrong on most occasions. It can seem gluttonous and selfish.
All good points. And I agree with each of them, in part.
But they don’t cancel out the positives.
Cooking is a creative act that brings joy to the chef. Cooking gives the chef ideas for future gatherings with a group. That means better food for more people. Food made more confidently. Food cooked in less time. There is a practice and a mastery now behind the food being made, which makes it taste better. On occasion, even less material is used, because a good chef doesn’t waste ingredients.
Creative acts are oftentimes better done alone too. Disagreeing is like believing a painter should always paint in teams. But so often does an artist work by themselves in order to create something for others.
Some logic:
It is bad to always be alone.
It is good to be able to be happy when alone.
It is also good to be able to be happy when with others.
But we all need the balance. We all benefit from the balance.
“I don’t ever want to cook a nice meal alone” is a great excuse to spend time with others, but also a great excuse to be unhappy when one finds themselves alone.
“I like to cook alone, but I love to cook with others” is a more balanced approach.
Enjoy both.
Header image: Unknown artist
Body image: Savor the Moment, by Christopher M.