The other day, my roommate Emily and I were planning on preparing a very fancy gourmet birthday dinner for our other roommate, Kristen. However, we faced one tiny problem; neither of us knew how to cook. Emily disappointedly admitted that neither her soy sauce-soaked spaghetti nor my marvelous mayonnaise sandwiches would cut it.
We then realized we had a lot of cooking-savvy friends and that asking them for help wouldn't be such a bad idea. Several boyfriends, past and present, came to mind, along with several of our closest friends and my dad.
At this point, I realized that no women I know really cook; it seems to be more of a trend with men. Not only do men simply \know"" how to cook, they take pride in it. I would actually consider the majority of them food snobs who simply pity us mac 'n' cheese folk.
Take my friend Alex for example. Whenever he comes over, he surveys my food pantry, disappointedly shaking his head at my large array of canned foods. Sometimes a funny smell emanates from the microwave and he will ask what I am making. He shudders at the thought of eating frozen dinners on a regular basis and asks me why I don't cook real food.
How is it that our society, once dominated by the notion that women belong in the kitchen, has now placed so much emphasis on male chefs that women have almost disappeared from the cooking scene altogether?
I realize most people do not adhere to the 1950s mentality of women slaving over the stovetop anymore since women have now entered the workforce; it's just that for such a seemingly pervasive role reversal it is surprising I haven't noticed it until now.
This phenomenon does not just exist in my little network of friends. Just look at the Food Network. The major chefs with their own cooking shows are predominantly male. There's The Essence of Emeril, Wolfgang Puck, The Naked Chef, Boy Meets Grill with Bobby Flay, Jacques Torres, Molto Mario, Iron Chef, Roker on the Road and Oliver's Twist (with probably a few that I forgot).
When and why did this male cooking fad start? Did I miss that trend on I Love the 90's Part Deux? It seems that the grill has always been designated for men to take pride in.
Are they now trying to prove their masculinity in a way similar to wearing pink button-down shirts to show just how macho they really are? Or is it an ingenious ploy to save money on dates? Maybe it's simply a great way to impress chicks.
I asked Emily why she thought this was and she said, ""Simple, it all boils down to time spent getting ready in the morning."" Not really understanding this answer, I asked how that was relevant. She stated that most men take a mere 10 minutes to get ready in the morning or to go out at night. Girls take much longer, a half hour minimum, so of course boys have more time to learn how to cook.
Whatever the reason may be for this paradigmatic shift, I think it's great and am not threatened by it in the least. I mean, if this trend catches on, what could be better than having a boyfriend who loves to cook?
Just imagine it ladies, your own personal chef right in your kitchen (or theirs). It's a win-win situation for both sexes-women get to eat great while men score big points with the ladies.
I guess I will continue cooking with my microwave and wait for a boy with a stove to sweep me off my feet.
Kat is a junior majoring in psychology and can be reached at krpeterson@wisc.edu.
