Text 1338, 91 rader
Skriven 2008-01-25 09:42:23 av Glen Jamieson
     Kommentar till en text av Dale Shipp
Ärende: DADS  80125
===================
 -=> Quoting Dale Shipp to Hap Newsom <=-

 HN> My mom was a good cook within her areas of knowledge, 
 HN> and she certainly was capable of cooking more "exotic" but
 HN> my dad liked what he liked and he didn't like surprises, so 

 DS> You remind me of a topic I have been thinking about.   I wonder at
 DS> how the role of cooking has perhaps changed over the years.    I
 DS> grant that this echo is by no means an "average" sample of American
 DS> (or any other) culture.   However, what I most often hear here when
 DS> people speak of it is "my mom was a xxxx cook", and rarely hear that
 DS> the dads were ever involved in the cooking.     For the participants
 DS> in this echo, there are many males who do some or even all of the
 DS> cooking [with one noted exception:-}} ].

And we all know who that is, although even he has now come out of the
closet in public.  I have photographs to prove it!

 DS> So -- having made that observation, what do the rest of you think? 
 DS> Is society changing with respect to the gender roles in the kitchen? 
 DS> Or is it just that this echo is a non-typical sample?

I would guess that the Echo is to some degree non-typical, but it does
reflect a trend in society.  The cause is mainly the result of changes
in the work force.  In our youth, the men did the paid work, and once
they married the women became wives and mothers and kitchen bosses.
That was just the way it was then.

Now, with more women remaining in the work force after marriage and
children, all family activities including cooking are perforce shared.
Usually there is still only one boss of the kitchen.  Once people have
retired from work, however, the erstwhile wage slave is then free to
take part in more creative fun activities, such as cooking.

My own interest in creative cooking came when I was living by myself,
living and travelling in countries with strange and exciting
ingredients and dishes.  While married, my role in the kitchen became
more subservient, as my wife was a better cook, but she decreed that I
should give her a rest and cook at least one day a week, so I kept my
hand in.  After she suddenly died, and when we had finished the
left-overs in the fridge, I became the main cook for the other working
family members, and have remained so whenever I am home.

My married daughters, all of whom work, still dominate their kitchens,
except the one in Darwin, who shares equally with her Punjabi husband,
who is just as good a cook.  After coming home from work he can hardly
wait to start chopping ginger and onions as a relaxation therapy.  The
results are wonderful, and I enjoy staying with them.

Summing up, now whoever is the best cook, and most interested in
cooking, does most of it, regardless of gender.  This is reflected in
the people who participate in this Echo.

When in Darwin I get fed stuff like this:

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
 
      Title: Masala Bangun (Spicy Eggplant)
 Categories: Indian, Vegetables
      Yield: 4 Servings
 
      1    Green mango
      2    Onions
      3 cl Garlic
      4    Hot chillies
      2    Tomatoes
      2 ts Garam masala
      2 tb Butter
      1 ts Turmeric
      8    Small Asian eggplants
 
  Peel and cut flesh from the stone of the green mango.   Peel and crush
  garlic.  Peel and roughly chop the onions.   Remove seeds from
  chillies. Blend these ingredients and the tomatoes until coarsely
  chopped and fry in some of the butter until fairly dry. Add garam
  masala and turmeric and fry some more. Split the eggplants, rub the
  cut surfaces with salt, and stuff with the onion/spice mixture and
  tie with cotton. Fry in the remaining butter until eggplants are
  cooked. Serve as a side dish with a meat dish and rice.
  
      Recipe by Satpinder Daroch
      From: Glen Jamieson
      Date: 18 Oct 97 National Cooking Echo Ä
 
MMMMM
 

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 * Origin: Braintap BBS Adelaide Australia (3:800/449)