Get him hooked on cooking

AGENCIES

If your guy doesn’t step in the kitchen or hates cooking, inspire him to cook with these ideas.

• Lure him into the kitchen with interesting promises and make him watch all the food shows that show men cooking. He is bound to get inspired and start cooking.

• Tell him your friends say that couples cooking together is a great bonding exercise (it really is). That should get him into the kitchen.

• Make it fun for him by looking for recipes that he likes.

• Get him into the ‘masculine’ spirit of things, with recipes that have beer, vodka, brandy and wine as ingredients. And gift him cookbooks written by men.

• Whatever you do, don’t criticise his food. Shower him with so many compliments, he wouldn’t have a reason to stop trying. Drop hints later on about how he could

improve.

• Turn the kitchen into his den. Have things that he loves around him — the iPod with his favourite music and a mini bar.

• Select recipes that take minimal time. He won’t be able to excuse himself saying that they are complicated.

• Make sure you praise him in front of everyone. Especially in front of his mother. It will get tough for him to back out then.

• If nothing else gets him into the mood, do what British chef Jamie Oliver suggests: withhold sex until he starts cooking.

Is he a glutton or a gourmet?

It takes all kinds of men to make their maiden forays into virgin territory: the kitchen. Here’s how to recognise one species from the other:

Those who love to cook

Like model-turned actor and now TV host (Chakh Le-India) Aditya Bal who got into the kitchen and began to cook out of boredom and frustration (his film career wasn’t taking off). Bal cooks every day. Though he admits it can get monotonous, experimentation keeps him going. He can easily cook for 25 to 30 people (maybe with just one helper) and has had 80 people over for an ‘only biryani’ meal.

Those who cook to impress their women

Men who cook are hot. Nobody’s contesting that. A man who cooks for you on a date has already won you over halfway through. That’s why even in Bollywood movies, a lot of male characters now don aprons and are seen cooking vigorously to hook the ladies. Hrithik Roshan did it for Katrina Kaif in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, and Imran Khan served a plateful to Deepika Padukone in Break Ke Baad.

What is it that makes a man who cooks so attractive? Any man in sync with his feminine side is attractive. A man who cooks seems like someone who is sensitive and compassionate. He has evolved.

Men can fix a car and build a campfire. Shouldn’t they know how to feed you without ordering in food?

Those who savour the flavour and create it

A lot of men learn cooking because of sheer necessity. They live away from home on their own and start cooking for practical reasons.

Those who cook on special occasions

Some men only like cooking for parties. Or Saturday breakfast. Others cook fancy stuff — meat or crab or whatever’s the flavour of the season. Cooking is therapeutic and is done when they have spare time. With beer in hand, friends or family for company, and a special occasion to celebrate.