9 Reasons Why Learning To Cook Is Empowering
Photo by Anastasia Shuraeva
I grew up watching (and rewatching) Gilmore Girls countless times. I loved the witty dialogue, the sweet small-town setting, and of course, the relationship between Lorelai and Rory. Their deep connection was one I simply couldn’t get enough of.
There are a lot of things I loved about the Gilmores (and as I get older, I include Emily on the list of Gilmores I love—she was right more often than she’ll ever get credit for!). But one thing I’ve realized Lorelai and Rory got wrong? Cooking is wonderful, not a bother.
I didn’t grow up cooking often; developing culinary skills wasn’t something I was that interested in, perhaps in part because Lorelai made it seem so cool to not cook. And yet, as I’ve gotten older and had kitchens of my own, I’ve found that I not only love to cook, but the act of learning to cook (by watching others and finding YouTube tutorials) was incredibly empowering.
Yes, empowering. While many in this generation take after Lorelai in their love of Uber Eats and pre-packaged snacks, I’m here to tell you why learning how to cook is one of the most empowering things you can do for yourself.
01 | It helps you exercise your creativity.
Cooking is a science, but it’s also an art. It allows for improvisation, new variations, and creative thinking. Thoughts like, “I wonder how it would taste if I added this,” have led to some of my very favorite dishes.
02 | It’s nice to know you can make something delicious.
It’s nice to not have to rely on someone else in order to enjoy a delicious meal. Simply knowing that I’m capable of creating something tasty, filling, and healthy all by myself is deeply empowering.
03 | It’s a way that you can care for others.
One of the best ways to care for someone, to deepen your relationship with them, is to share a meal together—to talk and break bread. And making this meal yourself makes the person sitting across from you feel even more cared for, and the meal you enjoy together all the more meaningful.
04 | It helps you feel like the adult you are.
Cooking is a life skill—and adults possess a variety of life skills! Knowing your way around the kitchen will help you feel not just like an adult, but a totally competent adult.
05 | It’s fun & therapeutic.
Yes, really. Cooking is great fun and can be centering, calming, relaxing. The rhythmic act of dicing an onion is therapeutic for me; it allows me to take a breath, have introverted time, and take a step away from the chaos of the day.
06 | You’ll begin to feel more confident over time.
At the beginning of your culinary journey, you might feel lost and overwhelmed—there’s so much that could go wrong. But over time, you’ll find you’ve improved without even realizing it, and that simple fact will give you a confidence boost like nothing else—you stuck with something and got better.
07 | It’s a simple way you can make your space beautiful & inviting.
It’s important that the place we spend the most time feels like a home rather than merely a structure that houses us and our belongings. And cooking is one of the best ways to make your house into a home—into a cozy, inviting, beauty-steeped space that is soul-filling.
08 | It strengthens multitasking skills.
Cooking requires you to keep track of a few things at once—are the rolls ready to come out of the oven? Is the spinach done? Is it time to flip the chicken cutlets? Where’s the paprika? While this can be overwhelming at first, it eventually becomes second nature and seeps into other areas of your life that will be benefited by your newfound multitasking skills.
09 | Eating will be much more satisfying.
Delicious food is always wonderful, but there’s something extra special about sitting down to enjoy the meal you just spent half an hour preparing. A bowl of lemon feta orzo and chicken that you created is far more satisfying than one you had nothing to do with.