5 Reasons Why I Love to Cook

Do you ever stop to think about what you love about the activities you enjoy?

Over the past week, I’ve done a fair amount of cooking and baking, and it’s reminded me of how much I love spending time in the kitchen.

Some people prefer cooking over baking; others prefer baking over cooking. I love both equally: the science and structure of baking as well as the more free-form improvisation of cooking.

Here are 5 reasons why I love to cook and bake.

(1) I Like to Work With My Hands

The most basic reason I love to cook and bake is that I love to work with my hands and make tangible things.

I like to get my hands dirty and engage in purposeful physical activity.

Also, I love the sensory experience of cooking and baking. I like to feel the ingredients, to hear the rhythm of a knife hitting the cutting board as I chop vegetables, the aromas of food on the stove or in the oven. The tactile feel of kneading dough or crisp topping by hand is soothing.

And I appreciate that I have a tangible product of my efforts; something to show for the time and energy I invested. I can point to it and say: I made this. (At least until it’s eaten.)

(2) Clearly Defined Limits

Unlike writing a blog post or creating a course, or even coaching, there is a clearly defined end point.

Quite simply: You know when a dish is done.

There’s not much room for second-guessing or revisions after you put it together.

It’s also a time-defined activity. If you’re cooking dinner for people, you have to have it ready on time. There’s a limit to how much you can procrastinate and delay — and there’s no need. If you know what you’re cooking, you just show up and implement. You don’t have to wait for the right words to come so you can articulate an idea.

(3) The Thrill of Discovery

I love to “patchke” — a Yiddish term that loosely means to tinker and experiment.

Cooking and baking are an open-ended system. I can experiment with ingredients or methods and invent new recipes or combinations. Not every experiment will work, and that’s part of the fun. When something works, it offers the thrill of a new discovery — and a hit of dopamine that keeps me coming back to test new ideas.

And I love watching the transformation and alchemy that occurs when cooking.

To watch a bowl full of cream turn into soft peaks, or an egg turn into an omelet, or some batter turn into a cake is like watching magic happen.

(4) No Carry Over

I have spent most of my professional career working in what is generally called “knowledge work.” As a lawyer, real estate broker, writer, and coach, I trade in ideas, insights, and expertise. I have never been able to leave my work at the office, to disconnect from it, because the mind doesn’t turn off.

When I work with clients, whether in my real estate business or my coaching practice, some part of them is always in the back of my mind as I reflect on what they need or what their challenge is. As a business owner, I am constantly thinking about my business: marketing, client service, sales. As a blogger, I’m always scouring for new ideas and problems to address.

Perhaps cooking would feel different for me if it was my profession. And yes, there is time and brain power invested in deciding what to make. You can muse over how to tweak a recipe for next time.

But once you make the dish or the meal, you’re done. People eat it, and that’s it. The project is completed and you move on to the next one.

(5) Immediate Feedback

When you put ideas out into the world, whether through a blog post, social media post, podcast, or even in a talk to a live audience, you don’t always know what lands with the audience.

Just because people click on the link or open an email doesn’t mean they read your essay. And just because they read it, doesn’t mean they absorb it, appreciate it, or that it added value to their lives.

When you cook or bake for other people, you get real-time, real-life feedback on what works and what doesn’t work. You even get this when you cook for yourself.

If the cake falls after you take it out of the oven, you know you did something wrong. Different people might have different tastes, but there is little ambiguity when it comes to discerning whether a recipe worked or failed.

Even when things don’t go as planned, there is something comforting in knowing that you will at least get some helpful feedback to inform your next attempt.

What Do You Love to Do — and Why?

Identifying what we love about the activities we enjoy doing can help us see new insights about ourselves. It can also help us find new hobbies and activities that meet those same criteria.

Think about an activity you enjoy doing. What do you enjoy about it?

Maybe it will spark some insights for you.