Do You Cook For Love or For Duty?

Same here! I love to cook and experiment new recipes. I also love to watch cooking shows so I might get a new idea for another recipe. I wish I could learn more things and gain more skills in cooking so my family and friends can smile more on my cooking! I love to make Japanese and Italian dish. I love to garnish foods and I hope to learn more about food presentation.:)

Hi eurekafemme

I have to love cook as I like to eat.

And really say that I am habituate to cook. Because this cooking is too an art. Every person must have knowledge of food.
And to make it tasty it need the proper knowledge of cooking.

If I say that I can cook meat without water.... I think you will surprise. But I swear that I can do. And I have done that.

I cook for love. I don't get to cook much because I'm always busy but when I get the chance to, I do it for love because my loved ones always appreciate my cooking and it's something that I can do for them.

When my husband and I first got together he told me he wants a wife that cooks. I could only make mac & cheese at this point. So I did what any good wife would do and learned how to make any and everything. I love cooking now especially experimenting with different flavors and meats. My husband said that he wants at least 3 home cooked dinners a week and breakfast and lunch on command. No problem. Done. True when it was put that way it did feel like a duty but I loved him so I didn't mind so much even though I worked 40+hours a week and he only worked part-time. Now here is the kicker....I found out my husband was cheating on me November of last year. All rules tossed out the window now. It is no longer my duty to cook. I cook for my own enjoyment now and so that my 1 year old daughter can taste new treats. Am I wrong for not cooking now? I don't think so. However I am glad I learned how to cook;)

It's not at all different when you cook for love and when you cook for duty. One cooks for duty when he/she is a hired cook. You no longer see anything special about it because you're there to feed people. It's somewhat a routine, but still when someone compliments you with the meal you've just prepared - it's a great feeling.

It doesn't mean either, that when you cook for duty, you're not doing it for love. One good example are those people who cook for charity. I doubt they just cooked it to feed. They cooked too because they want to help - which corresponds to their love transcending in their cooking.

On the other hand, it doesn't mean that when you're cooking for the people you love, you're also cooking out of love. There are many instances when you don't get up early in the morning because of love for your family, but you have to get up to cook else they'd be late - it's a duty on your side. You don't cook passionately at those hours when you'd rather do something else, and believe me when you have to get up when you don't want to it's far from cooking for love because your fuse would be too short with any imperfections on your cooking.

So, regardless why or how you cook. It depends really in your heart if you're doing it out of duty or out of love. I can cook out of duty and out of love depending on the situation. But right now, since I'm not obligated to cook at all, it's more of 'out of love' because I cook because I want to let them try my cooking instead of me obligated to cook. It's because we have a cook.

Do I cook for love or for duty?? My answer is both.. Like you, I also love to cook. I love to experiment new dishes. Every time I come up with new recipes, I share it with my friends. Having to cook for the family is never a problem with me. I enjoy cooking for them. I never consider cooking to be a duty, for me it is an effort of love. I do make dishes that don't taste good sometimes, but it's because I lack the right timing and ingredient...

I cook for love, because I love myself I want to eat delicious food especially that I cooked and also I cook for my friends as well so I enjoy that very much and the food becomes more delicious because love is the main ingredient for that.

i like to cook, but it's just that i dont know how to. the reason may be because i'm not require to cook, since i was small. Since being married, hubby may asked me to cook the occasional meal here and there. i will say that i cook for duty, and then out of love. i will try to make all meals special for him. So far, i've not heard of any complain about my food, and he finished it all even.;)

Dear eurekafemme,

I too love to cook and experiment with recipes. I've also developed a couple of my own:) It is a true art and one can keep learning for a lifetime. Rabindranath Tagore, the nobel laureate poet from India has said "Remember that the seat of the greatest desire is in your palate". So everybody enjoys good food. I think enyone can learn to put together something to eat but until you love to cook you can't cook tasty dishes. I enjoy cooking. It gives immense pleasure to see the smile of appreciation, the expression of satisfaction, the overall happiness when my beloved ones enjoy food prepared by me:)

Cooking is a hobby for me. I love cooking especially if i am preparing it for my loved ones. Same with you i used to experiment on food and thanks god i was given a talent to make new dish out of left overs and new dishes from whatever ingredients are available.

It's so satisfying and inspiring seeing your family enjoying the food that you prepare. It gives youso much energy to cook more for them!