What is the need for cooking

It was the biggest event of the year even the centuary some might say yes last Sunday was the Rugby World Cup final the All Blacks vs France. It was the last evening in which my flat was going to be together as we all had different exams and moving out at different times. So this was double the reason to celebrate. we all invited some friends round and we though it would be nice to have a potluck dinner with the guests bringing a salad or dessert of there choice. This left me thinking I am on the meat for this occasion so I was trying to think of quick and easy ways to feed 10 people on a budget. I decided on cooking a bacon and egg pie because they are easy and everyone loves bacon and egg pie. It was also appropriate as none of the people coming were vegetarian or had food allergies which I also has to take into account. I also thought that I would just go BBQ style and cook up some sausages, beef patties and chicken kerbabs. It was a beautiful day so it was the perfect way to celebrate, and not many people I know celebrate without food, and we needed to get our strength up for the big game ahead.

This made me think about the need that cooking/food have for me. The need that food and cooking has is to consume, or to eat. My flatemates and I need to eat in order to be able to survive, and I like to give them the gift which is another need of a nutritious meal every evening. Both of these needs fit under what we call 'labour' the never ending cycle of life. Green (1968) refers to the endless cycle of 'gathering and consuming' (p17).

Cooking a meal for others used to be very much a chore to me through this process in this course I have found that preparing a meal for others is very fulfilling, relaxing and now get alot of enjoyment out of it. Oldfield (2008) states that “It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into the doing”. (p. 5). By being able to bring my cooking into many celebratory occasions in my life has given me a new sense on how much I really enjoy cooking, not only for myself now but for others as well.

References
Green, T. F. (1968). Work, leisure and the American schools. New York: Random House

Oldfield, N. (2008). Gran's kitchen. Auckland: Beatnik