Do you enjoy cooking for your partner?

[Sun_Kim-Ai]

It's one of my favorite things. I always enjoyed cooking, but for me the perfect evening is cooking one of my wife's favorite dishes and then have dinner just the two of us, after putting our daughter to bed.

[AmandaYVR]

I'm overall fairly neutral on cooking. The act of it is fine. It's a lot more affordable than relying on others to make your food for you (premade in grocery stores, or restaurants.) But the main reason I do it is because it's healthier and I generally enjoy it more. And there's too much repetitiveness in restaurants. They're all economizing so much now, the menus are practically identical, and the portions are small. So it's really for those reasons I cook. I don't think my husband really appreciates it all that much. Sometimes he says, "This is as good or better as a restaurant" which is nice. But most meals he doesn't comment on. They just sort of appear, lol.

[Sun_Kim-Ai]

I understand, so it's mostly a functional thing for you.

I've always loved it because it was one of the few moments I managed to be serene when I was always angry.

[AmandaYVR]

Yeah, I hear that. I'm calm in the kitchen, too.

I recently subscribed to an Italian channel on my internet TV provider. Well, it used to be Italian, in Italian, out of Toronto but with a feed from state TV in Italy. But by the time I came across it (doing a word search for Serie A), it has adapted to become an English-only lifestyle channel. I've been enjoying the travels and cooking throughout Italy.

My husband was in the room when I was watching a couple of episodes of one. He didn't want to ruin the experience for me, but eventually said that he found the two hosts really annoying. There were a few reasons, but the main one was that they act very amped and use lots of "amazing!", "wonderful!" etc etc. He doesn't like that, when people try to drum up enthusiasm from others. I'm a bit more lenient on that when it comes to things on TV, though. They're trying to grab an audience. At least they're not griping about anything. Trolls on the internet are much more annoying.

Anyway, yeah, I like some enthusiasm, but allowing the guests to speak if they like something. I'm not one to ever try to draw compliments out of others. And there are definitely some cooks like that. I personally think that they mostly just like to cook, and "I made this for you, with love" might be a bit of a red herring, when really they do it for the oohs and aaahs.
What do you think?

[Sun_Kim-Ai]

Interesting, do you remember the title of the show?
They wouldn't be the first content creators of my country to decide to go English exclusive.

To answer your question, I think that first thing one should consider is that those videos are about cooking, but are also a performance.
Just showing the recipe and cooking methods is practical, but putting on a performance will captivate and engage your audience.
I agree I wouldn't like if it was overdone, but an enthusiastic host is 100 times better than a dry one, or one that wallows into drama.

That said, if it's overdone it can be annoying pretty fast, I concur.
Although I think that a little pride is not bad - I too take pride in my cooking and I like when my work is appreciated.
I recently tried my hand at cooking a fish paella, and was glowing that my wife - who's not a fish person and turned up her nose at first - ate two plates and said she wants to eat it again.

[AmandaYVR]

I like the David Rocco guy. He has Italian lineage but he must live in Canada. The info to his show says, "Host David Rocco travels throughout Italy where he explores the country's rich history and food traditions all while partaking in delicious traditional dishes and culinary masterpieces that the abundant land has to offer."

I won't bother mentioning the other two guys in detail, but they each have a restaurant in Toronto, ON, and have shows calling "Opening Italy", "Opening Sicily", and "Opening Canada." I preferred the first one.
You're right about enthusiasm vs. a dry delivery. My husband's just particularly averse to that.

As a youngish couple, you should savour these first experiences together. It's these small things that do mean something in life.

P. S. I'm with her, I don't like fish, lol. Very rarely. And definitely nothing with a shell.

[exitseven]

@AmandaYVR So hen thinks it is some kind of magic trick? My wife cooked spaghetti for me tonite to gpo wth some leftover chicken. I told her it was really nice to do that for me.

[AmandaYVR]

@exitseven lol maybe so.
Sometimes I wonder how or why he almost never asks me, "Whatchya doing in there? [cooking]"
I would always be curious.
I made chocolate chip oatmeal muffins late one night recently (very atypical of me but I had a sudden craving), and he did ask. He must have sensed something different was up. That one got an "oooh." (He's into sweets, especially at night. But weed'll do that to you. He said it's the best food ever tastes.) Still, most times... silent.
He was surviving on bean burritos when I met him almost 25 years ago. Pretty sure he would revert back to that, and a lot more deliveries, if I wasn't here. He thinks that's self-sufficient enough, ha. (Yes, he told me that once. Only he phrased it differently. Nice to know I'm not needed! sheesh.)

[exitseven]

@AmandaYVR I try to show my appreciation. My wife works as hard as I do.

[Sun_Kim-Ai]

I get the impression that your husband is simple and practical man, in a good way naturally. I appreciate people like that because they are reliable and very straightforward.

"Youngish" that makes me feel old lol. I like to tease my wife about how she's going to be 30 this year, but I do think how it's crazy about how times flies.
I look at the photos of us not even five years ago and I see two kids, while now we look definitely adult, especially her.

[AmandaYVR]

Sorry, I was too lazy to scroll up and check the age, and I didn't know your wife's age exactly, and I have sometimes wondered if you just put in some other age on your accounts. 25 IS young, yes!

'Simple' is a word I always find difficult to either ascribe or not-ascribe to men.
He is reliable, yes. He thinks I am "emotional" and I think he's too unemotional. lol

[Jamie05rhs]

@AmandaYVR The reason men don't give compliments regularly is because we feel like if we did that then it wouldn't mean as much. We want you to know that we genuinely feel what we say in our heart and it's not just a routine automatic thing.

[AmandaYVR]

@Jamie05rhs Yeah we're both kind of like that. Including with I love yous.
My sister and her husband tried to give us some marriage advice and said they think you need to say thank you all the time, even for being handed a coffee. We disagreed, lol.
But there is some balance that optimal.
Another thing he does is automatically add salt and pepper before he's even tasted the food. I don't cook the same exact way every time. I used to make comments sometimes, "You might want to taste this one first". But now I just don't say anything. He says I cook with very little salt. I have a strong sense of smell and taste, so I guess it's true. To me, restaurant food is very salty and usually over-seasoned.

[Jamie05rhs]

@AmandaYVR Oh, I think please and thank yous are always good. ☺️

[Jamie05rhs]

Lol. I agree with you. He should at least taste it first.

[AmandaYVR]

@Jamie05rhs I really don't need thank yous for basic things.
But people do tend to take the other for granted. Meals don't make themselves. And not all meals are equal or the same. More recognition of that would be nice.
But on the other hand, he's pretty flexible in what he will eat.

[Jamie05rhs]

@AmandaYVR I understand. :)

[ShesRad80]

yes! im italian so cooking and baking is our love language

[OlderAndWiser]

I enjoy cooking but my fiancée is Chinese and even when she cooks "American" food, she cooks it in a Chinese style which she prefers to my cooking. . . so I let her cook. But I refuse to eat shrimp that still have the heads attached!

[Billlewis]

I enjoy fixing breakfast for the woman I'm serving and her boyfriend, and sometimes she has me serve them their breakfast in bed.

[TrueConfection]

Not as much as I did 25 years ago. It's more of a chore now, but I still put full effort into making delicious meals.

[DJB72]

Cooking is my escape. It's one thing I have a modicum of control over and the ability to change the outcome no matter what it throws at me.

[SnowedIn]

Yessssssssssssss!!! Very much. She appreciates it. One of my kids does. The others... not so much.

[madhatters4]

i enjoy cooking in general (for my wife, kids, friends, family, etc)

[Meropatrick]

Of course but only when i am in the mood. I will actually enjoy it. I can make the best pasta and cheesecake

[Anonymous]

No. Mainly because I’m not good at cooking so I’m afraid he wouldn’t like it.

[LazerBean]

Yes! It's always more fun with the two of us

[Jamie05rhs]

Yes, I do. I wish I had one to cook for.

[Agape93]

Yeap I do

[HMZ444]

I always do.

[Sammy786]

Yes...