# Cooking Transitions and Unintended Consequences



## ajhuff

I went to culinary school 4 years ago because 1) I was bored and 2) I wanted to be able cook better than anyone else I knew. I had no intention of cooking professionally. Now I'm cooking on the line at the local country club. I guess that makes me a professional now.

I found that about midway through school and certainly since working I no longer have any joy or desire in cooking at home. Seems this may be a fallout from the laws of unintended consequences. Anybody else experience this?

-AJ


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## Von blewitt

Not me, but I treat them as 2 different things, at work it's more intense, getting prepped, pushing on, the pressure of service, but cooking at home for family and friends is a chance to relax while doing what I love. I can take my time and most importantly sit down and enjoy it. Having said that in my experience it's a 50/50 split and I know plenty of chefs who will not cook when not at work.


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## Zwiefel

AJ, I had a similar experience when I started teaching cooking classes. REALLY zapped my desire to cook at home for a while. Honestly, this forum helped a lot with that, buying knives and learning more about them really re-invigorated my desire to cook at home...and I started channeling the money from the classes into knives. 

:2cents:


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## ecchef

Love cooking at home. Don't have to please anyone but my wife. :biggrin:


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## turbochef422

I still like cooking at home with my wife but not nearly as much. For the most part I cook all day and when I get home there is nothing better than my wife cooking. Plus she makes some good stuff but for me I feel you I don't really want to cook at home either.


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## ecchef

That's true Turbo. I didn't mean to imply that I do all the cooking at home or that I cook all the time. My wife is also a great cook, but in a cuisine that I can't replicate, so we share the duties. And since I don't spend that much time on the line or prep anymore, it's an opportunity to stay fresh.


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## ajhuff

I find that now when I cook at home I'm pushing it out like a service order. All I want to do is plate it and serve it. No interest in even eating it myself.

I have zero interest in cooking a meal after a work day. My wife doesn't/rarely cooks and works late, so we usually go out to eat. Not too happy about that but it is what it is.

-AJ


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## ThEoRy

If you paint houses all day, do you want to go home after work and paint your own house? lol


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## Sarge

I'm not usually around much for dinner so i try and cook when i am. My Wife cooks sometimes but she also spends her days taking care of 3 rowdy boys one of which has mild autism. So i try to ease her work load as much as possible, and i like cooking at home i get a chance to be creative but without pressure


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## Cutty Sharp

I know exactly what you mean, Aj. It's ironic, but in a sense if you love cooking you're better off not becoming a cook.

People will tell you, 'get a job doing what you love' but it might not always work that way.

(How many people do anyway? And it's probably the ones that haven't that give you that advice.)


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## ecchef

Cutty Sharp said:


> I know exactly what you mean, Aj. It's ironic, but in a sense if you love cooking you're better off not becoming a cook.
> 
> People will tell you, 'get a job doing what you love' but it might not always work that way.
> 
> (How many people do anyway? And it's probably the ones that haven't that give you that advice.)



How true that is! In my own experience, that's been the case more often than not. It's not that I hated the actual job, but dealing with the a-holes that came with it pretty much sucked all the fun out of it.


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## ajhuff

I feel a little better now. Thanks.

-AJ


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## Cutty Sharp

ecchef said:


> How true that is! In my own experience, that's been the case more often than not. It's not that I hated the actual job, but dealing with the a-holes that came with it pretty much sucked all the fun out of it.



Yup. Trouble is, you work in such close proximity and together with them.


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## Eamon Burke

I love cooking, almost poetically. I love feeding people. I love food.

Thats a big part of why I had to stop doing it professionally.
:2cents:


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## markenki

Reminds me of the Friends episode in which Rachel dates a gynecologist.


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## VoodooMajik

I can experiment at home more, Cook as I feel. I tend to spend alot of time wandering around grocery stores and markets. Can never seem to find any interesting chemicals..


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## Cutty Sharp

VoodooMajik said:


> I can experiment at home more, Cook as I feel. I tend to spend alot of time wandering around grocery stores and markets. Can never seem to find any interesting chemicals..



Hi Sam - I at least am lost by the 'chemicals' thing. Huh? As for food shops and markets, that's me too definitely. Always visit such places, for example, when visiting a new city/place. If at someone's house, no better place to hang out than than the kitchen, I say.


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## VoodooMajik

I can never seem to find Calcium Chloride and sodium alginate to play with sphereficion, stuff like that.


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## Salty dog

In almost 26 years of marriage my wife has cooked less than a dozen meals. When I get home I mail it in. I don't like to cook. Period.

Which is why I have pretty much passed the toque to my sous.


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## OnTheRoad

Joining in late, since I started cooking full-time+ I never cook at home. Only when I'm cooking for someone else do I feel like putting in more effort than boiling water. That said, I always wander markets looking for food I havn't tried and try to eat somewhere different every day. I love eating and food, but only enjoy cooking when its for others.
Knives, on the other hand, are just for me.


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## knyfeknerd

I still really do enjoy cooking at home. Even after 20+ years of doing it for a living, I do it at home if I can. Some nights it's the last thing I want to do. That's why God invented Chinese food and Pizza delivery.


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## Miles

knyfeknerd said:


> I still really do enjoy cooking at home. Even after 20+ years of doing it for a living, I do it at home if I can. Some nights it's the last thing I want to do. That's why God invented Chinese food and Pizza delivery.



I still enjoy cooking at home, as well. Admittedly, some nights it's tough to muster the energy. I do find that my cooking at home has well, become simpler than it used to be, but it tastes just as good as any of the more complicated dishes that I used to cook. In fact, I might like it better.


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## franzb69

i know it's an old response but, you can get those online like on amazon or even ebay.

=D

i meant the sodium alginate and the other thing for spherification.


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