I fear Melbourne is going through a serial cook at home phase. This could be a sign of the economic times or more likely attributed to a recent reality cooking show. I will admit I have been through similar phases myself whereby I've more than felt the need to cook, and when I say cook I mean cook anything and everything. I'm talking about bread, peking duck and making my own fish stock. Warning, never go through my garbage bin because boiled fish eyes never look the other way. As an undiagnosed condition, I made it myself mania can be detrimental to relationships and one's bank balance. You know when you've crossed the line of 'hey let's cook a roast this weekend' to waking up the household at 5am to roast the stock bones before heading off to the market in search of some unknown herb that's only grown off the coast of Cornwall. The cooking fetish can often be associated with an obsession with fresh ingredients. Before you know it you're cornering the local fruit and veggie guy accusing him of holding out on you by having the best stuff out the back for his mates. Yes folks, it's a slippery slide to compulsory dinner party hell. My advice is to step away from the chanterelles and put down the turnip. If you are spending your entire life in your home kitchen you'll miss all the great food on offer by paid, skilled, chefs. I'm at least three years in recovery now and have much more time for other obsessions - that don't involve fish eyes.
Definitely faddish Lorna. Whenever I go out to lunch with any of these these neo-gastronomes they pick a bar-eatery where the style of the decor is in inverse proportion to the quality of the food. My companions never notice the irony.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I have three lazy sons who now want to cook. And are starting to understand the need to clean up.
I suffer from the same affliction. But my condition is not chronic. I'm more of a binge chef-nazi.
ReplyDeleteWise Words, dear Lorna. Or marry someone who loves to cook and does it well. I don't mind stacking the dishwasher if I get beef-n-guinness hot pot, home made ravioli, roast chicken with asian-style greens and greek charcoal lamb every night....
ReplyDeleteWell, I think you have said before, you don't have kids, so you can get away with never having to cook. I do love home cooked food, eating it, that is, but dislike the preparation and cleaning up process that goes with it.
ReplyDeleteI've taken over the kitchen during a brief absence of she who claimed it 15 yeara ago and have found a new and joyous interest in fresh food that doesn't wrot in the depths of the confused fride arrangements and is cooked to my specific requirements to retain real unadulterated taste and is easy to clean up after completion of the meal etc. etc. There's more to life than handing over the controls to people who think no-one else can do things PROPERLY. aRGH. from the puppet Pres.
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