Real Men Cook

Khalil debunks age-old stereotypes about men in kitchens, and shares some tips for throwing a memorable Father's Day.

By Khalil Hymore

Ashley and I often credit our mom for much of our culinary prowess, but our dad is no slouch in the kitchen either. He especially loves making Middle Eastern specialties like kibbeh, Lebanese stuffed grape leaves, and and lubiyeh (tomato and green bean stew). He also taught us to make some of his favorites comfort foods too--cornbread, salmon cakes, and our grandma's gingerbread cookies. Recreating dishes that he grew up eating and sharing them with everyone who walks through the door is one of his greatest pleasures. I guess the apples don't fall far from the tree!

It would be great to spend Father's Day with our dad, cooking in the kitchen, but living on opposite coasts makes that a bit tough. It did get me thinking though, how many of you grew up with dad's who liked to cook? Not just grilling, I mean actual cooking and baking. In our family we not only grew up with our dad cooking, but also our grandfather (who was an expert baker and master gardener too). Was this so unusual?

A quick Google search on this topic turned up THIS gem from David over at My Bad Pad:

"Let's be honest - real men hate cooking. Don't get me wrong - we like grilling, barbequing and marinating, hell; we don't even mind occasionally boiling a pot of water. But when it comes to aprons, whisks and words like 'béchamel', 'demi-glace' or 'flambé', we want no part of it."

What?! Has David never worked in or even seen a restaurant kitchen? What about Hell's Kitchen or Top Chef? Or the macho genius of Gordon Ramsey, Bobby Flay, or Guy Fieri? These men know that whipping up a béchamel sauce, reducing a demi-glace, or flambéing (Hello? Fire!) with alcohol ARE manly activities (not mention lucrative).

I know his blog post is meant to be cheeky, since it goes on to highlight several...um, "interesting" ways "real men" cook (this "real man" would never touch any of the items prepared using the "culinary" techniques you suggest--yikes!). "Real men" DO cook, and SHOULD cook. Not only is a man with culinary skills extremely attractive, but it's a healthy and cost effective skill to have.

Clearly not everyone agrees with the idea that men can't and don't cook. Men in Aprons, a blog devoted to helping men, and women, hone easy and delicious recipes and techniques. Real Men Cook, founded in 1990, is an organization that recognizes the bonding effect of food on families. They sponsor events across the country encouraging men to come out and cook for their families and friends, fostering community change.

So, to all the dad's at home, ditch the microwave (I did!), make use of all of those cool kitchen gadgets you have lurking in cabinets and drawers, and, most importantly, make healthy food a part of your cooking repertoire (having clogged arteries and high cholesterol is not good parenting). Take a cue from the (mostly male) restaurant chefs out there and learn to cook! Hmm...maybe this is a topic for Jon and Amy!

To make dad  THE  perfect Father's Day Steak (check back on thursday!) you'll need:

From the pantry:

• canola oil
  
• kosher or sea salt
• ground black pepper
• smoked paprika
  

From the market:

• 1 large 2-inch thick porterhouse or T-bone steak, about 1 1/2 pounds
  
• unsalted butter
• fresh thyme
• fresh garlic

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