Do you enjoy cooking?

Love cooking and baking but hate repetition so I'm always on the lookout for new things. Since going low carb I've been learning to bake with different flours/sweeteners so we can have the occasional cake or pudding. The bonus is they're also gluten-free.

Have been batch cooking for the freezer since 9am this morning.

Do I love cooking? I Wouldn’t say I love it, but I like food and I like experimenting using recipes as a guide. Like the OP I find food preparation therapeutic, especially when accompanied by a nice glass of wine or fizz.

I am not a proficient baker however, I have a couple of foolproof cake and desert dishes that seem to go down well.

Christmas cooking makes me smile as I have fond memories of making Christmas puddings, cakes, mince pies etc., with my Grans.

I love it, I’m happiest preparing and planning meals.
I make all my own bread, butter and even posts and grind my own Indian spices for Garam Masala etc.

My mother was a miserable cook, everything was served with a big dollop of resentment.

Nope. I love baking and cake decorating, but find other cooking remarkably tedious.

Grow it, cook it, eat it sums up my love of gardening, cooking and enjoying the fruits (or mostly vegetables) of my labour.

I enjoy cooking and am dead chuffed when people enjoy my food.

I do wish my family would help with suggestions sometimes as thinking what to have is usually the worst part.

I would love find my inner Nigella! Cooking every evening seems such a chore, I try and do as much prep as poss in the morning just to get it out of the way. Find slow-cooker recipes a joy for obvious reasons and baking always make me feel very cosy!

I enjoy it, at least partly because dh (who doesn’t cook*) is always very appreciative of everything, and isn’t in the least fussy. I couldn’t do with a fussy-eater bloke!

*but since retirement he invariably clears up the kitchen, loads the dishwasher, and unloads it in the morning 🙂)

Yes I do, even though I more frequently cook for myself. I always cook from scratch, and get far more satisfaction from preparing and serving a meal than from cleaning a room. But I think my recipes are rooted in the 1970s; I could pipe things to perfection, whip up souffles and hearty casseroles but nobody does that anymore.

No! 🤷‍♀️

Yes When i have time i love nothing more than holing up in the kitchen, with a bottle of cooks prerogative ;) and my favorite Rosemary Moon/Delia cookbook. Trying a recipe i haven't tried before or cooking a firm favorite, phone off, music on, ignoring the world. Bliss

Yes
I love cooking for other people and did it semi professionally for some years.
Since losing DH however I have little interest in cooking for myself as I always know what it is going to taste like before I sit down at the table!
I agree about the therapy of the preparation - I still enjoy a day or half day dedicated to cooking, or marmalade or chutney or baking, radio on, apron on, ingredients laid out etc etc
But I still prefer to do it for others.

I enjoy cooking and likearewethreyet I enjoy finding different recipes. Can’t be doing with just a few meals repeated over and over.
I love baking and am often asked to make cakes for other people. Nothing better on a cold winter day than making soup and cakes. My freezer is always full.

Yes, I enjoy the whole process from planning to eating. I used to bake frequently but not so much since I retired and no longer have a staffroom to share the results with - I wouldn't fit through the front door if I had kept it up!

I especially enjoy making preserves. Saturday morning with Radio 4 is a great time for doing just that.

No hate anything to do with the kitchen

I don't enjoy cooking for myself now I'm older but do force myself to cook a decent meal a couple of times a week. Otherwise it's mostly salad and soups.

When my sons visit I usually treat them to a few cheaper restaurant meals. I do feel lazy about this but they both understand that I can't do what I used to do.

No I am not interested in food. I would be quite happy with salad and baked potato or pasta. I enjoy fresh veg.

No, fortunately OH does. He also loves food shopping.

I’m probably a poor cook, although far from the worst as I like real food and hate the idea of eating prepared meals unless at a restaurant.
In fact I was never more surprised when chatting generally with colleagues about spaghetti bolognaise at how many of them used a jar of pre made ( dolmio ?) sauce and thought they were making homemade 🤷‍♀️

I was going to say that I didn't, then I saw that the thread immediately after this one is about eggy bread! I may just get my apron on and make that!!

I used to love cooking and experimenting with new recipes, I loved reading cook books, like you OP I used to find it therapeutic, but all that has changed ,my husband doesn't have much of an appetite these days, due to a stroke and finds it hard to eat anything that needs more than a cursory chew, I just find it a pain in the proverbial and tend to cook the same things , which I know he will eat. It has taken all the pleasure out of cooking .

I used to enjoy cooking and baking for my family but now I'm on my own I only make very simple meals.

I could reiterate what most people have said: Enjoy it, like trying out new things, enjoy planning, shopping and preparing. Mostly.

Also I echo Primrose53 - I wish the rest of the family would help decide what to eat! Thank heavens for DiL's who muck in when they're here.

Unfortunately, I don't really enjoy eating. Nothing seems to agree with me.

My mother, who was a fantastic cook and who took a pride in her cooking, did once actually say "Wouldn't it be nice if we didn't have to eat?" . She meant that we seem to spend half our day preparing food and clearing away meals, not to mention the planning and time spent shopping. It's a double-edged sword, sometimes a necessary evil, sometimes a joy and a relaxing pastime, especially when something turns out really well.

I learnt to cook from age 4 and by 9 could cook a whole meal for 9 of us in a pressure cooker. I was good at all sorts of cooking, could make boned rolled breast of lamb, first cutting the ribs out and so on.

I was a good cook, fed my family well but as soon as I was widowed, the thought of cooking flew out of the window, now I batch cook, so I eat well but fancy meals? no chance, no way and good riddance to those dinner parties too,