There! I finally said it, I do not enjoy cooking at all and I have come to terms with this.
I grew up in a home of six and it was customary that I always spent most of my time in the kitchen as the first born.
The very first time I entered the kitchen to cook, it was by force. My mother removed me from my room desk and told me that it was time for me to learn how to cook because I was growing up and it was customary for growing girls to learn how to cook, I didn’t dispute that. I followed her into the kitchen and I watched her cook. This went on for months till I finally got a hang of cooking, I began to cook alone for the whole family.
One evening, I almost burnt my parent’s room because I was panic-cooking in the kitchen (story for another day please, let’s focus on the topic for today) I do not remember a day in my life between age ten and seventeen that I wasn’t in the kitchen cooking, even when I would visit Benin for the holidays, the kitchen was my home and this was probably one of the reasons why I gained admission into the university and never entered the kitchen unless I wanted to greet someone in there. The hotplate my mother bought for me was intact for two years. I always found a way to have people cook for me or to buy food and to be fair, my mom still had her food shop in Unilag when I was in year one. Who said God is not good?
I had friends that enjoyed cooking in school so food was never a problem for me. I met Stylesenami, Ykbonly and Doyin in 2018 and gave them the impression that I could not cook. For two years, my friends believed I was a kitchen disaster and they were afraid I was going to burn the kitchen down so they never let me cook. I mean, I tried to tell them that I could, even though I was whispering this information but to be sincere, I did try. A for effort.
You see, living alone as an adult made me realize in full glare that cooking is a crazy burden. One morning, during the lockdown, I spent a little over an hour making pancakes, scrambled eggs and sausages; I settled down to eat it and the plate was empty in less than five minutes. I sat on my bed naked with my stomach and face fallen in defeat and I had to come to terms with the fact that this type of life is not for me. How will I stay in the kitchen for hours and wolf down the food within five minutes?
It doesn’t even help that I might inhale the whole food and lose appetite to eat on some days.
As far as I’m concerned now, I only cook for survival and because I have no choice, not because of enjoyment. I still enjoy being cooked for and I still cook for my family when they’re over and for my friends too if I want to make myself feel good (I make a really wicked egusi soup though). So dear blog friends, if I ever invite you over, come with food or we’ll both drink water from my fridge.
WHAT IS YOUR KITCHEN STORY?
DO YOU ENJOY COOKING IN LARGE QUANTITIES?
HOW WELL DO YOU LOVE YOUR KITCHEN?
DID YOU NAME YOUR KITCHEN UTENSILS? NO? ME TOO
Lol..this was a fun read.. I love cooking but I’m just very lazy.
Before it was laziness, it now degenerated to hate.
I actually like cooking. I’m quite good at it. Even though, na kitchen give me most of my scars:injuries.
But I hate. I absolutely hate cooking for large crowds. I hate it. So I avoid cooking at home. But at my mans I sometimes help out with cooking even though that one loves to cook for people ( me especially). In school, I used to cook for my friends during Ramadan. Cooking is fun as long I’m not cooking for the battalion living In my father’s house.
I’m screaming at that last line cooking is chaotic please, see how many words you typed
Omo I hate cooking o. But it’s beautiful to watch Ife cook. After she’s done, I carry pot a d scrape. My own is to be creating content for her business page. Bro, don’t even get me started on the number of plates youd have to wash after YOURE done, everything about cooking life is just stress.
Omo….. Nawa.
You see the plates part, I hate it with passion. At a point, I was eating from the pot so I wouldn’t have to wash plates. I want to watch Ife cook too
I love washing plates, but you see that pot, not me. Never!!
Most times, I don’t enjoy cooking. I’d rather starve. It’s a whole lot of stress. While at home, I don’t usually have to be in the kitchen except few times. In school, I try to cook because of the too much money that go to buying food. Lol. However, there are times that I enjoy cooking and very willing to.
Hate hate cooking, I actually starve myself just so I will not cook
Are you me? Am I you?
I hate the kitchen and I hate cooking but deep down I know it’s something I have to learn but ugh!
Learn it because of you o. Don’t let anybody tell you that you won’t find husband if you don’t know how to cook
I don’t enjoy cooking too. I only cook to eat. The stress is too much, I’ll spend hours in the kitchen making this and that and before 10 minutes, everything is gone and then I get hungry later on. Omo, that life isn’t for me
Your own is even ten minutes, I like that. At least you can still savor the taste of the food.
I actually do not enjoy cooking. Since I started staying alone, I have weeks I go without boiling water in my hostel . Is to buy food or visit my friends that like cooking. But at home I cook, no choice. There are certain things I enjoy cooking or experimenting with but those are far and in between.
Nice post ☺️
At home, it’s compulsory. Before they call family meeting on your head.
I only really enjoy cooking when I’m cooking for myself or when I’m experimenting with food.
The whole “cooking for the family” thing just makes me want to avoid the kitchen.
At least you like to cook for yourself, that’s a win
omo. cooking is tiring fr. zero cap there.
can totally relate to cooking for 1 hour and eating the food in less than 5 ‘mins. like howwwwww? but life isn’t balance
Better to be buying food so that I won’t be questioning why my plate is empty.
It’s a love hate relationship. But I like to cook because I can determine what goes into the food.
Come and cook for me, OAF
Finally!!!! someone understands and can relate……arrg mere thought of cooking gives me headache
There’s a lot of mental preparation that goes into cooking
Omo I hate cooking . Kitchen is my worst enemy but then I am still forced to cook because I’m the first child. I always pray to leave home because I’ll not have to cook for anyone.
When you leave and you realize that cooking is not compulsory, you might cry in appreciation of this discovery
Well… sometimes I enjoy cooking sha because I don’t really like eating out, but after spending half of my day cooking all sort of food, I won’t be able to eat it and it’s really annoying, feels like I’ve inhaled half of the whole food, but nothing beats being cooked for sha, who no like enjoyment
Being cooked for is sweet please just balance and have them bring food to you. This is how I want to live my whole life.
I enjoy cooking for people a lot. I can still comfortably cook for about 10 people. But I hate it when people stay with me in the kitchen to say things like “that Maggi won’t be enough o”, “groundnut oil nko”. Like just leave me to do my thing my own way.
I hate that getting half-filled by inhaling the food is a thing. It’s always so annoying sis
I can’t even stand people being in the kitchen with me to begin with. What are they looking for?
Tbh, in my almost 21 years on earth I’ve never tried to take up cooking. I have a great feeling I’ll be bad at it ‘cos I do not even like the kitchen in the first place.
My guy no fit stress himself, Abeg be buying your spaghetti and be eating jare
Lmao more of this please i can actually relate, especially the loss of appetite after cooking cos you’ve already inhaled everything.. Cooking is tiring!
Terribly tiring, sis
When I have money in this life I’ll get a cook joor
Mood please
People name their kitchen utensils??
….Aunty Osas, what would it take for me to have a taste of that your wicked Egusi?Or what did you call it? I’m not sure it’s wicked you said and I’m too lazy to scroll back and check
They’re named after my friends so I’ll treat them right.
I cook egusi once in a year and I already cooked it in January 1
Omooooo how am I just going through your blog postsssss!!! I’m always late to the party well I’m here now so we meuveeeeee
Anyways I loveeeeeee cooking and trying out new recipes. My sister and I are planning to make puff puff again ever since the first one landed in disaster I’ll send you pictures
But yeah I love to cook
Send me food please
I enjoy cooking alot when I’m home alone at my place, but anytime i come to my parent’s house I become extraaaa lazy, you want to know why? I’d tell you. We don’t have chicken seasoning , salt, curry in my parent’s house and it’s not that we can’t afford it but its officially banned because of the chemicals in chicken seasoning they are getting old. So how would I enter into a kitchen and start using tumeric, cloves, fennel, fenugreek and all other spices to cook?? Most times I sneak in chicken seasoning to cook my own meal. I feel sorry for every visitor thst comes to my house cos I wonder how they enjoy such a tasteless food (sorry to sound rude, but i can’t deal abeg).
Back to what i was explaining, i love cooking but i end up not eating what i cook cos my appetite would have disappear because of so much inhalation. I also enjoy cooking in large quantities asper people( it’s Large Na? Abi?). Name kitchen utensils, do people do that? Well not me also.
I’m a new subscriber.
Welcome to this blog Momo
Please I’m trying to understand, there’s no salt in your parent’s house? Ahhh I don’t even want to imagine what would be going through the heads of your visitors
That’s why I said i wonder how they enjoy the food, cos i cant deallllllll
Omo I hate cooking o. That’s why when anyone cooks for me or buys me food, I literally love them. Funny how despite the fact I hate cooking, I love to do the dishes. Well except pots, I don’t like washing pots biko.
Then you don’t like to do the dishes, Ore. you have to do everything or do nothing
I didn’t like cooking till lockdown period. Because I had no excuse not to cook again. My mum made me cook everyday and I’m thinking that if it was in school now Shey I for just rough am. Either I buy something or I make my friends cook for me. Honestly all my friends think I can’t cook and that make me happy because free food dey for me always.
Mood forever
I love to cook. Cooking relieves me of stress and I find it therapeutic combining spices that turns into yummy dishes.
Hi please
Hehehe I can’t relate boo .. cooking Issa hobby even if now I barely cook tho , because of no time
Your own case is different, you run a whole ass cooking business
I love cookinggggg
No be you again?
This was actually so fun to read, plus as I kept reading I kept seeing myself in the story because this is totally me.
Just few days ago, I tried cooking jollof rice because I was craving it and I spent close to 1 hour in the kitchen and under 5-10 minutes, I was done eating. Imagine going through such stress for just how many minutes enjoyment.
And tbh I don’t allow anyone make me feel bad for not liking to cook because I know I can cook just that I don’t enjoy cooking at all. In this life you honestly can’t shame the shameless.
Lmao if I cook jollof rice, I’ll use one hour to look at it and lie to myself that I used one hour five minutes to eat
Omo this is me. I genuinely hate cooking. The only time it appeals to me is when I cook for my friends but my case is worse because I can’t eat things that I cook on most days. I get disgusted and I become nauseous. Imagine spending that much time in the kitchen only to not be able to eat
Sis!!! I feel you
Omo I hate cooking and my whole family knows so anytime I go home my mom does the cooking and I have managed to also convince my friends that I am a kitchen disaster so they don’t even call me too cook I even tell all the men I meet that I don’t know how to cook just so they don’t tell me to cook (maybe that’s why I am single)….but anyways we move✌
I’m crying (maybe that’s why I’m single)
Wow, this is me no cap … But as for me cooking is mood for me , if I’m not in the mood for sure something will happen to the food but if I’m in the mood then we are eating one of the best in town plixxxxxx …. Then for me Everytime I complain at home their reply ( always referring me to whenever I’m ready to get married)always make me angry and at a point I told my mum I won’t get married to someone who doesn’t understand me and we would be best friends . That in my house No one is given the work to be at the kitchen at all time …
That get married narration in reference to cooking is annoying please.
Omo! What you said about spending hours in the kitchen and finishing the food in minutes is so true! Like yo is that all? Is this what I was sweating in the kitchen for? Lmao. But I actually love cooking, I enjoy it a lot when I’m in the right mood. Don’t worry when I come to your place again, I’ll cook for you
Blessing, I’m looking forward to you coming to my place. Please come and finish me with food
I love cooking but I’m very lazy.
Prepare everything for me and promise to do the dishes then I’d cook. Anyways,I’m the only female in my house now so I must cook. My dad cooks occasionally,my brother can’t cook at all.
My dad can cook too. If you want to, make your brother learn it too sha
I enjoy cooking but i don’t know if I know how to or not
Wait how does this work?
I hate cookingggggg. I think a lot of the hate stemmed from my parents (my mom mostly) telling me that it’s something a girl has to learn. I actually didn’t really have a problem with learning it. It was the fact that my brother is often free while I’m slaving away in the kitchen.
And my mom would go- He’s going to marry some woman who will cook for him and serve him while he crosses his legs.
Can’t be me that will do such for anyone sha.
And the thing is that I don’t like to eat.
So if I’m on my own, there’s really no reason for me to cook.
I’m actually a decent cook most of the time( when I’m comfortable and willing)
I cook all the time at home and I’ve learned to kind of not hate it so much.
But only because I know it’s something I’ll never make a habit of when I’m outside my parents’ house.
Almost all my friends can cook and think I’m hopeless in the kitchen.
Funny how I love washing plates and I don’t mind hanging out in the kitchen to keep someone else company or even help out. As long as the stress of being in charge isn’t on me, I’m good.
Omo my brother learnt to cook by himself o. I don’t subscribe to that “learning how to cook so you’ll cook for your husband” narration. If my husband gets hungry and he doesn’t cook for himself, he should go to the place and buy food for both of us.
I love cooking and I like trying new recipe almost everyday but the problem I have is that I hate cooking for myselff. I like cooking for people to eat and I will be starving
There’s this too
I LOVE cooking. Especially when I’m boiling water or making noodles. I doubt there’s anyone on Earth that knows how to boil water as well as I do
Lmao get out of here
I enjoy cooking when the kitchen space is big and there’s enough water and air but on a normal day, I don’t like food enough to love cooking. I only eat because I’m hungry not because I enjoy eating.
I can’t even name kitchen utensils because I don’t enjoy being there, the worse part is after cooking for hours, then you lose appetite. There has been no reasonable explanation for that.
If I could afford to, I’ll just get a chef since that’s their passion. Eventually I would.
I remember how I panicked the first day you cooked indomie at my house in 2018 I was so scared.
You love to cook for people more than for yourself so it’s understandable. Senami, you panic even when I sneeze, please
when I started cooking, I used to love it, I always looked forward to the next time I cook cause of all the complements I got.
Then my family found a way to start making it compulsory for me to cook, it stated with manipulation, then it moved to force oo.. ahan.. wetin dey happen? On top food wey I go give una chop. The way I deliberately forgot how to cook is still shocking them till today na me they wan turn to Chef Chi. We’ll drink garri together.
Reading this in the kitchen
I hate cooking especially cleaning up after cooking.
Just finished breakfast in an African home lol and I’m Left with all the dishes ♀️
Omo let money come, I will just get a cook.
Being the last child and almost 21years and I still don’t know how to cook. I never learnt it and I’m only willing to for survival purpose. I hate everything involved, the heat, the unnecessary time spent cooking a meal, the little amount spent devouring the meal, the amount of utensils used. The whole process is just a totally different level of heartbreak and stress. See ehn I just hate it with a passion
I don’t even know if I hate or love cooking, my excuse for not cooking is because I am not in a place with a comfortable kitchen and to make matters worse my taste palette is so sharp so most times what I feel is tasty but everyone complains that it’s tasteless
Although I spend hours on watching food network and thinking of trying it in my head but I never do sadly.
I don’t enjoy cooking as well but as the first daughter, the kitchen is my 2nd room especially during festive periods.
I believe Jesus will intervene.
Omooo.. I grew up in a family of 6 too and I am the first born and only girl. The kitchen was my bedroom for years. Once I wrote my WAEC like this, I was officially an undergrad in my head, and I’d always say I was reading for when school starts anytime it was time to cook. My grades were very wonderful so ever since then I’d lie on education as the reason why I can’t cook. Now, I have mouth and can tell my mom no I’m not cooking. Then she threatens me with my apartment rent and I buss it to the kitchen.
Cooking was something that I wasn’t really interesting in growing up because we had 3 aunties living with us but it was something I could learn and get better at if I had the right teacher . Then the time came for me to start cooking for the house and it would really stress me out cause I had a large family and a very criticizing mom but she would always tell me the truth and how to get better at it . I lost all interest and hated cooking when I found out my dad didn’t like the food I cooked and would always lie to me that he did just to make me feel better. He would go as far as complaining to my sister in Uni (I was in secondary school then ) all the time and our house maid that he didn’t like the food when he could have just told me and I would have done better. Funny how I used to pray and sing worship songs before and while I make his food just so I could make something that he would like and always ask him how the food was . this makes me feel insecure about myself and my cooking and it breaks my heart till today .
Awwwwww….so sorry about that.
My dear, I share your POV. Even as I am piecing up this comment, my person plight is winning the mind battle of -what can I sharply cook and get it over with-
Cooking (for one’s self) is surely such a scam, when considering the little time it takes to finish up the food.
The only thing that will make me cook on my own free will is if it involves someone dying or we’re talking about noodles. Any other thing ehn I’m very xry.
I hate cooking too tbvh , but the truth is that at the long run I’d get married and I have to cook for my family
I love cooking ooo but all my female friends here in school thinks the only thing I know how to prepare is watery noodles so they actually do all the cooking. I love to cook for gatherings too. I love to explore the kitchen, I love to make new dishes. My dad actually prefers me cooking than anyone else at home but at school??? Rara ooo I either buy the food or my friends do the cooking (they don’t want me to poison them with my supposed “tasteless food”)
Wo! I understand you.
I love cooking but my cooking is nothing to write home about. I try to once a while but once I’m cooking for more Than one persons portion? Sorry ooo. Eat whatever you see.
But the way life is going, twitter vendor time the rescue bayi, I didn’t kill my mother, I can’t kill my self.
Growing up between 10 and 14yrs,I loved cooking. My family members had to nickname me “chef-ly” lol.
All the love I had for cooking died the moment I entered school. You know all the rushing to class,coming back late and stuff. No time to cook at all,so I got use to eating out or eating people’s food.
Now I’m back home, trust me I still cook,but can’t eat whatever I cook
I’m somewhere in between
Most days if my mood permits me, I can whip of badass meals that make a chef go green with envy
Other days, I just cook to eat and survive
I love cooking, but it’s usually as the spirit leads.
Or we’ll drink water from my fridge
I think people that were made to cook for “the family ” while growing up hate cooking compared to those of us that didn’t actually cook for the family or for anyone while growing up.
*Just my own perspective tho*
Most of my friends hate cooking and sincerely, most of them were forced to cook while growing up but for me, I don’t think I have ever cooked for the whole family… Maybe, you know… maybe that’s why I enjoy cooking so much.
The only part I hate is going to the marker first… Arrrgghhhh! I hate buying food ingredients or going to grind pepper and anything that involves “pre-cooking”
Lol… If someone offers to do all the pre-cooking, then, I will do the cooking with so much joy.
Grind the pepper, make sure the kitchen is clean and watch me do what I love doing
Abeg, drop your address. I’m hungry