How to Get Your Husband to Do More Cooking
Cook together., Teach the basics., Buy a cookbook., Praise him - a lot!, Start with simple dishes., Remind him of advantages.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Cook together.
Many people learn to cook by imitating someone who already knows how.
Invite your husband to join you in the kitchen.
For example, if you do all the preparation of raw meats and vegetables, your husband can help by stirring the vegetables as they saute.If you label your actions, your husband will learn what different cooking terms mean.
For example, tell him that you're dicing the tomatoes, and he will see you chopping tomatoes into smaller pieces.
If you tall him you're slicing the onions, he'll see you cutting a peeled onion in half, then into strips by cutting along the same direction as the onion's layers.
Having a good time while you're cooking is one of the best ways to make it seem like a fun activity. -
Step 2: Teach the basics.
When teaching someone how to cook it is essential to start by teaching a few simple techniques.
Your husband may find cooking intimidating and mysterious.
Show him that it's not by enlisting his help in cooking, teaching every step.Start by teaching basic terminology, and how each action is done.
Many beginning learners will be helped by finding out why an action is done a certain way.
Another motivation will be learning to make food he likes.
This might be risky, because when he's learning he might not make it exactly the way he remembers it.
Keep it simple. , Look through cookbooks together.
There are some great cookbooks for beginning cooks, including Mark Bitman's classic How to Cook Everything.
The qualities you're looking for in a cookbook include how well it explains the steps of cooking, and whether your husband likes the kind of recipes the cookbook contains.If your husband enjoys Italian food, Marcella Says …, by Marcella Hazan is a great basic cookbook. ' The Joy of Cooking by Irma S.
Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker is another classic, with many favorite dishes.
If your husband has a sweet tooth, the Fannie Farmer Cookbook by Marion Cunningham includes many recipes for desserts as well as basic recipes of all sorts.
Many men make their way into the kitchen via the outdoor grill.
If your husband already knows how to use a grill, check out cookbooks that relate to grilling, barbecue, or side dishes that go along with grilling. , Learning new skills is hard, and most beginning cooks have some failures along the way.
Never disparage or criticize his cooking.
Instead, find ways to compliment everything he does in the kitchen.
Volunteer to clean up after him.
Thank him for any help he provides in the kitchen.Teach him how to make your favorite dishes, and he'll know that your praise is genuine.
Name dishes after him.
Deviled eggs become "Dave's Deviled Eggs." Lasagna becomes "Ahmad's Spicy Lasagna." Let him overhear you bragging to others about his culinary skills. , A basic lesson in teaching any new skill is that it's easier to build on success than recover from failure.
Simple dishes include any recipes consisting of less than 10 steps which rely upon basic cooking techniques.No beginner's recipe should take more than 30 minutes to prepare, though baking may take longer.
You don't want him to get bored, even though the recipes are easy.
The best recipes to start with will be highly motivating as well as easy to prepare. , If he's a practical man, he'll be motivated by the many advantages of learning to cook.
After all, cooking is a basic survival skill, and helplessness isn't usually considered a positive trait.
In addition, cooking for yourself is frugal practice, far less expensive than eating out.If you're ever sick or injured, he'll need to be able to cook in order to provide for you and/or his children.
Cooking impresses people, particularly when done by a man.
It might not be fair, but when a man can cook, people are generally more impressed than when a woman can cook.
This is an advantage that you don't have to point out
- chances are, he'll notice the compliments for himself. -
Step 3: Buy a cookbook.
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Step 4: Praise him - a lot!
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Step 5: Start with simple dishes.
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Step 6: Remind him of advantages.
Detailed Guide
Many people learn to cook by imitating someone who already knows how.
Invite your husband to join you in the kitchen.
For example, if you do all the preparation of raw meats and vegetables, your husband can help by stirring the vegetables as they saute.If you label your actions, your husband will learn what different cooking terms mean.
For example, tell him that you're dicing the tomatoes, and he will see you chopping tomatoes into smaller pieces.
If you tall him you're slicing the onions, he'll see you cutting a peeled onion in half, then into strips by cutting along the same direction as the onion's layers.
Having a good time while you're cooking is one of the best ways to make it seem like a fun activity.
When teaching someone how to cook it is essential to start by teaching a few simple techniques.
Your husband may find cooking intimidating and mysterious.
Show him that it's not by enlisting his help in cooking, teaching every step.Start by teaching basic terminology, and how each action is done.
Many beginning learners will be helped by finding out why an action is done a certain way.
Another motivation will be learning to make food he likes.
This might be risky, because when he's learning he might not make it exactly the way he remembers it.
Keep it simple. , Look through cookbooks together.
There are some great cookbooks for beginning cooks, including Mark Bitman's classic How to Cook Everything.
The qualities you're looking for in a cookbook include how well it explains the steps of cooking, and whether your husband likes the kind of recipes the cookbook contains.If your husband enjoys Italian food, Marcella Says …, by Marcella Hazan is a great basic cookbook. ' The Joy of Cooking by Irma S.
Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker is another classic, with many favorite dishes.
If your husband has a sweet tooth, the Fannie Farmer Cookbook by Marion Cunningham includes many recipes for desserts as well as basic recipes of all sorts.
Many men make their way into the kitchen via the outdoor grill.
If your husband already knows how to use a grill, check out cookbooks that relate to grilling, barbecue, or side dishes that go along with grilling. , Learning new skills is hard, and most beginning cooks have some failures along the way.
Never disparage or criticize his cooking.
Instead, find ways to compliment everything he does in the kitchen.
Volunteer to clean up after him.
Thank him for any help he provides in the kitchen.Teach him how to make your favorite dishes, and he'll know that your praise is genuine.
Name dishes after him.
Deviled eggs become "Dave's Deviled Eggs." Lasagna becomes "Ahmad's Spicy Lasagna." Let him overhear you bragging to others about his culinary skills. , A basic lesson in teaching any new skill is that it's easier to build on success than recover from failure.
Simple dishes include any recipes consisting of less than 10 steps which rely upon basic cooking techniques.No beginner's recipe should take more than 30 minutes to prepare, though baking may take longer.
You don't want him to get bored, even though the recipes are easy.
The best recipes to start with will be highly motivating as well as easy to prepare. , If he's a practical man, he'll be motivated by the many advantages of learning to cook.
After all, cooking is a basic survival skill, and helplessness isn't usually considered a positive trait.
In addition, cooking for yourself is frugal practice, far less expensive than eating out.If you're ever sick or injured, he'll need to be able to cook in order to provide for you and/or his children.
Cooking impresses people, particularly when done by a man.
It might not be fair, but when a man can cook, people are generally more impressed than when a woman can cook.
This is an advantage that you don't have to point out
- chances are, he'll notice the compliments for himself.
About the Author
Virginia Martin
With a background in digital media and internet, Virginia Martin brings 14 years of hands-on experience to every article. Virginia believes in making complex topics accessible to everyone.
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