Cooking for Loved Ones

Discussion in Food & Drink started by AugustGreig • Aug 19, 2014.

  1. AugustGreig

    AugustGreigMember

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    I began really taking cooking seriously when i was about 18 years old. That was 13 years ago, before cooking became such a popular craze like it is now, with cooking shows on just about every network on TV. I learned a lot from watching the Food Network and PBS cooking shows back then. I learned how to make all kinds of classic dishes, and I would often test my dishes out on my friends and family. And as my skills improved, that is when I discovered something amazing. People really appreciate it so much when you cook for them, especially when you cook them something really tasty.

    I don't know what it is, but it really touches people when you go out of your way to spend hours in the kitchen in order to make them a great meal. Now, my skills are really good and I am able to cook people specific dishes that they request, or cooking brand new dishes that cater to their palette. It makes me feel so good to be able to serve my loved ones, and they always show so much gratitude. I am always getting requests to cook for people on holidays and special occasions. My girlfriend proudly gloats to her friends and family at how lucky she is to have a man who cleans and cooks so well.

    What are your experiences with cooking for people? Does it give you the same warm feeling that it gives to me?
     
  2. kitchencatlover

    kitchencatloverMember

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    I'd like to think that my family appreciates my cooking lol. I do enjoy it so I try to do it often. My favorite things to make are stews and baking sweets. I love my cupcake pans and know that my family does too lol. It really does give me a great sense of accomplishment being able to cook great things.
     
  3. thriftyme

    thriftymeMember

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    I enjoy cooking for my friends and family. I like to give home baked cookies and treats to my friends at birthday parties and events. I have fond memories of cooking with my mom for family gatherings and also at my friends homes for holidays in years past. I think most people have these good memories of home cooked food and so that is why people respond warmly when receiving a lovingly prepared meal or treat. What's not to like?
     
  4. sidney

    sidneyWell-Known Member

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    I don't know how to cook, but my mom does that a lot when she was alive. She even bugs me to taste the food that she cooked if it's ok enough to give to her friends and panics if I give a simple "It tastes ok" comment. :p I think she also feels the same way that you do and she was a sucker for compliments over her cooking, that's why she continues to do it. :cool:
     
  5. Denis Hard

    Denis HardWell-Known Member

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    I like doing the cooking myself when my family visits because I'm good at cooking. I always like to see the surprise on the faces of guests who come along when they taste food. Of course it feels good to have someone compliment me for being a great cook but I do most of the cooking because I wouldn't want to have someone cook [me] a meal I won't enjoy. It's not worth it.
     
  6. Dora M

    Dora MWell-Known Member

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    How wonderful of you to take the time to make something special for the people you care about. Even if you weren't such a great cook, your friends and family would probably think that the meals you create are heavenly, simply because you put your heart into it. :)
    Obviously, food is vital to our existence, but what a lot of people forget, is the importance of how food is prepared and consumed. Sitting around a table with others and enjoying a great meal, doesn't just aid to one's digestion but also to one's overall psychological and emotional wellbeing.
     
  7. Verity Darkwaters

    Verity DarkwatersActive Member

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    I was forced to learn to cook at 7 to take care of me and my sisters. Since them my cooking skills have evolved and strengthen so now I like to say I'm a fairly decent cook. But regardless of having to do it when I was younger, I love doing it. I love cooking for people. It lets people know you care, especially when you see the smiles and the "mmm's". I like cooking things I know people love it's so great to see them smile and get all excited. Thanksgiving and Christmas is the best I think. Those big dinners, everyone enjoying it and being stuffed. It's a great feeling.
     
  8. AugustGreig

    AugustGreigMember

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    This is so true. Looking back on when i first started learning how to cook, I know that I made a lot of mistakes and that many of my dishes, to be perfectly honest, kust were not very good. And even now, to this day, I know that sometimes I will make something for dinner and I can just tell that my girlfriend doesn't really like it. But she will never, ever admit it. She always smiles and thanks me and tells me how wonderful it is. But she doesn't know that I know when she does or doesn't like something, because if she does like it, she will ask me to cook it again. If she doesn't, then when I bring up possibly making that dish again, she will politely say that she is in the mood for something else. it is such a nice feeling.
     
  9. ohiotom76

    ohiotom76Well-Known Member

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    My family is really super picky about what they eat, so unfortunately a lot of our cooking goes unappreciated by other family members. My sister, in particular, is a major major control freak and she is insanely picky about every little thing. More or less, either she cooks her own food or she orders it from specific restaurants, but if any of us cook something, she generally won't eat it, or complains about it. My parent's aren't as much like this, but they only eat "plain" foods and are not into anything remotely spicy or "ethnic" other than Italian food - so they don't care for Chinese food, or Middle Eastern food, and such.

    We each more or less just cook our own meals throughout the day. Even holidays like Thanksgiving, we're more or less cooking what we want to eat, and not touching anything else that other members of the family made.