Men Cooking

Yesterday I had the need to do some shopping. While there were some essentials that I needed such as more bread making flour, for the most part I was ready to see what was in stock and fresh. This lead me to three bargains The first being an organic Free Range Chicken. Now I know that my reader will think “well that's all right for you I cant afford organic”. But as it was only ten pence dearer than the equivalent non organic, so it was worth paying that tiny extra cost, as I know the flavour will be superior.

The next item was a Pork Shank (Ham Shank). This I have already slow roasted with Rosemary as the herb helps humans to digest the fat. This I will strip of meat and make a curry with. The other bargain was some sprats. These I have put in the freezer and will cook for my better half tomorrow. The Chicken, Ham Shank and the fish were less than six pounds and will make five or six meals.

There were a few other items that I got, but as I prefer to shop for my vegetables and fruit at a greengrocers, I still have to get my vegetables, this I will do tomorrow. However, as I was at the checkout in the supermarket, the cashier was asking the woman in front how do you use fresh ginger. I heard her reply and I chipped in that its better to peel ginger with the bowl of a spoon as this helps retain more of the vitamins and minerals. We had a little chat and she left as I packed my bags. The cashier commented that I would be doing some baking, well I did have nine pounds (weight) of flour.

It is one of those wonderful things about food that you can share ideas and tips so easily. Food and cooking are such rich topics for conversation too. Anyway while waiting for the bus back to my village, the woman who I had been chatting to about the ginger was at the next stand and we talked for a while too. She said that it was quite refreshing to find a man that can cook. I told her that was why my better half picked me as her partner. When her bus came I returned to my wait for my bus.

At my stand was a woman senior from my village that I knew and was a nodding acquaintance. After some chat about the weather, such a British way of starting a conversation, she said that she could not help overhearing that I cooked and baked. She told me that her farther had always baked the bread when she was a “Nipper” (Translated to Child). We chatted for a while and she said something that made me think. Her mother was not that good a cook until she had an oven with a thermostat and could get the temperature constant. I think that in so many ways we are really so lucky to have the luxury of good ovens these days.

As I live in a former mining village, where bread would have been baked in the bread oven next to the coal fire, baking and cooking would have been a bit more hit and miss. And working the oven would have taken time to learn and it was only from use that experience was gained.

Also I am grateful that I don't have the outdated attitude that men don't do the cooking. For me it was a relief when women's liberation came along, I could get into the kitchen and women could buy a round in the pub.