Something About Cooking Cooking is sometimes a pleasure…
““Something About Cooking Cooking is sometimes a pleasure, sometimes a duty, sometimes a burden and sometimes a martyrdom, all according to the point of view. The extremes are rarities, and sometimes duty and burden are synonymous. In ordinary understanding we have American cooking and Foreign cooking, and to one accustomed to plain American cooking, all variants, and all additions of spices, herbs, or unusual condiments is classed under the head of Foreign. In the average American family cooking is a duty usually considered as one of the necessary evils of existence, and food is prepared as it is usually eaten—hastily—something to fill the stomach. The excuse most frequently heard in San Francisco for the restaurant habit, and for living in cooped-up apartments, is that the wife wants to get away from the burden of the kitchen and drudgery of housework. And like many other effects this eventually becomes a cause, for both husband and wife become accustomed to better cooking than they could get at home and there is a continuance of the custom, for both get a distaste for plainly cooked food, and the wife does not know how to cook any other way.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Cooking can be pleasure, duty, burden, or martyrdom, varying by perspective; cultural expectations shape its perception.
In simple terms: Cooking’s meaning changes with view and culture.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and balance cooking’s roles.
Themes
food
culture
perspective
duty
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
American family:1
Family:1
Food:1
Husband and wife:1
Point of view:1
San francisco:0
Cooking Duty:0
Cooking Accustomed:0
Cooking Foreign:0
American Cooking:0
Foreign Cooking:0
When to use this quote
- meal planning
- cooking classes
- family meals
Key Concepts
culinary arts
social norms
family dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- How does your background affect your cooking view?
- What can you do to appreciate diverse food traditions?
A Different Perspective
Cultural bias may devalue certain cuisines.