Do you enjoy cooking?

[Helmlover1]

Just that really. I try to cook (mainly) from scratch as my partner was diagnosed with high cholesterol a while back so we’ve tried to cut back on convenience food, but sometimes it feels like so much effort and so time consuming-especially when the same meal with a jar of sauce would halve the amount of cooking time!

Was wondering how many MNers enjoy cooking or whether you see it as more of a chore?

I love it. I cook mainly from scratch for me and ds. But, it is time consuming and at times I feel like I make a rod for my own back. I am trying very hard to batch cook more to save myself from spending too much time in the kitchen of an evening.

Give me any other housework and I'll happily do it but I absolutely hate cooking. I feel like it's a chore that takes hours. I want my family to eat home cooked food as you don't know what preservatives have gone into ready meals. What I do is batch cook 2-3 dishes and make it last for the whole week. DH helps out occasionally with the peeps which cuts down on the cooking time. Also I'll peel onions and garlics and keep them in a zip lock bag in the fridge so that I have some available for the next time I need to cook.

I cook from scratch, but do used tinned pulses and beans, rather than soaking my own.

I use the Hairy Bikers diet books a lot, as they are great recipes, with no loss of flavour or mouth feel, and many are quick to do.

Agree with batch cooking. I made a quadruple quantity of a Delia chilli recipe the other day, and now I have lots of lovely foil packets in the freezer that I can just pull out when I don't want to cook. It's also worth keeping things like Merguez sausages in there so, you can just add sliced peppers and halloumi and apply to a hot oven until done. 7 minutes prep (if that), 20-25 minutes cooking, and drizzle with yoghurt, and there's dinner, to be scoffed whilst calling blessings down upon Nigella's burnished head for coming up with such an easy and satisfying recipe.

Preps*

Meal plan

Prep the night before and lob in the slow cooker in the morning

Over cater and freeze portions

Batch cook on a weekend

I do like the idea of cooking (makes me feel like a domestic goddess) but actually doing it isn’t that much fun for me.

I enjoy it if I have the time and people stay out of the kitchen if I'm really busy then it's just another job to do and I get annoyed.

No.
Pre kids I used to quite like cooking on a sunday but post kids we all like different stuff and it's just a massive pita.
Luckily dh likes cooking.

I used to love it when I didn't have to do it, now I just can't be arsed. I need to find my mojo again and batch cook at weekends.

I absolutely love cooking and can be in the kitchen for 4-5 hours cooking 5 dishes for one meal. Explains the weight gain but I can’t help it, I come from a background of “if the table isn’t full and there is still space, the family isn’t fed”. I need to cut back on the time I spend in the kitchen 😂

No. I'd far rather clear up / wash up.
In fact, I'd rather do most household stuff rather than cook.
It's one of those things that needs must.

shame, as I like eating

I keep threatening to start batch cooking but by the time we’ve done shopping and cleaning at the weekends there just aren’t enough hours in the day. The joys of running a house!

I really like it as long as I’ve got time.

Yes, I love it, I rarely do it properly anymore though since DD moved out last year.
I find it a bit pointless cooking for myself.
I miss it.

I'm a chef so I do enjoy cooking at work.
At home I either cook meals that are ready in 20 mins max or something to chuck in the oven for hours.
I keep things simple at home

Yes, really enjoy it, trying new recipes, regularly looking for ideas/inspiration online. Kitchen is my quiet place at weekends where I escape from husband and kids. Think after retiring from a city job I would become a cook.

No. I cook because we have to eat. That's the only reason I cook mostly from scratch because I know it's better for us.

Pre divorce, loved it, cooking for family, friends, dinner parties, etc. Now, cook to live. Cook for 2, mostly for 1. I miss cooking for people. I think there is a distinct difference between cooking to eat and cooking for a purpose and I miss having a purpose.

I really enjoy most cooking. I don’t get excited about making spaghetti bolognese after work but supper party fare or large family meals are great fun.

Love eating, hate cooking. Even though I'm an OK cook I never want to eat anything I've cooked either, I love the anticipation of a meal, preparing it somehow spoils that. Big Sunday roast or Christmas dinner are the only thing I like cooking and eating. Fortunately I rarely have to do it at all.

I hate it

I hate it too. It's tedious beyond belief. Even worse is listening to people talking about cooking and food. How people watch cookery programmes I'll never understand!

I love cooking. Most of my weekday meals take about 20 mins prep and max of an hour cooking. I'm fast though and clean as I go along.

I also hate the taste of most jarred sauces (pesto is the only one I buy). Probably because they just weren't around when I was growing up so never had them and now I can taste the artificial flavour in them and think I could do better in 30 minutes.

I love cooking from scratch for DS & me but my partner is so fussy I just can't be bothered with his fussiness