Man vs Woman...In the Kitchen

I had a very interesting conversation about man versus woman in the kitchen. My wife stated that most women that cook will not get the same response as a man that also cooks.  I beg to differ because I know many women that can flat out throw down in the kitchen and I am mesmerized at what they do!  My wife is a great example of that as well as her mother and a host of other women chefs that I know.

The more that I thought about that particular statement, the more intrigued I became!  It is my belief that most women that are comfortable in a kitchen, are often surrounded by a gatherer...a male...a person to "hunt."  This person is never expected to cook nor had any desire to learn how to cook.  Males were always looked upon as being the hunters of the pack.  We hunt and bring home the food and our mate was responsible for preparing the food.  Men were an anomaly in the kitchen...rare that we were actually seen in a kitchen for more than just making a fresh cup of java.

During the early 1900's and prior, most folks in America did not see cooking as a noble profession.  It was considered domestic work.  Women would cook out of necessity, but often would forbid their daughters from following in their footsteps.  This was the mentality fresh out of the Jim Crow era and well as slavery days as a whole.  My child is going to be better than me;  My child will learn to read and write;  My child will go to school.  Our African American fore-fathers worked tirelessly in an effort to have their children do better.  Men were charged with slaughtering the animal and the women prepared the feast.  It was interesting that men who cooked, even during that period, were quite rare.  Another interesting fact was how male chefs were revered in Europe during the same period!  It was a notable profession and paid quite handsomely as well!

Now, let's fast forward to the 21st Century!  MEN COOK!  Yes, we cook and do it quite well.  Not all men cook, but not all women cook.  Talk about great male chefs! Wow!  The list is long and varied!  We have Marcus Samuelsson, Gerry Garvin, Bobby Flay, Jeff Henderson, Mario Batali, Patrick Clark, Marvin Woods, Bernard Carmouche and a host of other male chefs that continue to pave the way for us self taught culinarist as well as degreed culinarist!  I have no less than 100 male chefs on my Facebook friends list and frequently will peek at their food.  Why?  Because it looks so doggone good!  I also do the same for my female friends and female chefs that post their food on Facebook.

Woman that have a mate that doesn't cook will always enjoy seeing a male that can cook. That's the nature of the beast.  Women are "supposed" to cook.  Wait a minute!!!  Don't get excited ladies!  I only say that as an example of the perception that our past has created.  My mother-in-law is a great cook, but my dad-in-law did not cook...ever. They both worked and raised five boys a a girl, but he never cooked.  The expectation was mom would be the cook for the family.

My dad was a cook. He married my mom, whom was an awesome cook.  It worked for them because days that mom didn't feel like cooking, dad would simply assume the role.  I was taught at an early age that I was to learn how to cook.  My parents made certain that I could care for myself, with the hope that I married a woman that could cook as well.  They did not believe in "gendered" positions in our home. Dishes were dirty, you washed them....clothes needed to be folded and put away, well just fold them and put them away. 

I pass that ideology down to my children.  As a result, they both (boy and girl) cook, clean, fold clothes and any other chore that we deem a life skill.

So, how do I close this male versus female issue?  Nothing has changed for me! I continue to believe that it's not the male in the kitchen that will get the attention.  I think that it is the dish that has been created that will get the attention.  The male (in my case) just happenes to be the person to prepare and post the dish.

What do you think?  Is it more interesting to see a male cook versus a female?