National Cooking Day

We scurry and we scramble trying to make it through the day, rushed for breakfast, hurried for lunch (half an hour? That’s almost impossible!) and exhausted for dinner. Grabbing a quick bite, running through the drive through, getting a take out menu or delivery. But who has time to really cook a homemade meal from scratch these days?

Do people even know how to cook anymore? This is certainly a sad state of affairs!

National Cooking Day reminds us that there’s nothing that quite matches the flavor, comfort and experience that comes from a delicious home cooked meal. And it also helps us remember that learning how to cook is an important skill to enhance our health as well as passing various traditions on to friends and family.

History of National Cooking Day

Obviously, the history of cooking itself probably goes back as far as the early days when humans discovered that food tasted better when cooked over a fire instead of raw! Since the history of people, humans and their cultures have been developing and perfecting various ways to cook food so that it is tasty, enjoyable and sometimes even healthy to eat.

National Cooking Day is a fairly recent creation. In 2016, Potsandpans.com decided it was time that there was a proper celebration and recognition of home cooking, and the flavors and smells of tradition that go along with it.

It used to be that the home cooked meal was the only meal that was eaten on a regular basis. Three times a day, moms and grandmas (and sometimes, dads) slaved over a hot stove to put three meals a day on the table that would keep the family going.

Back in the 1960s and 1970s (and prior) take out and fast food was a rare treat rather than a staple of family life. Boxed meals and TV Dinners were equally unheard of. They were the province of the single male or the housewife who just never quite learned how to prepare a proper meal for her family. These days such gender stereotypes may be on their way out, but boxed foods and instant meals are very much more in! For many families, the use of easier, time-saving convenience foods have become a lifestyle.

National Cooking Day seeks to change all that, by reintroducing the concept of the home cooked meal to the family, or just to the lives of the bachelor(ette). Taking the time to learn how to cook a proper meal does a lot for an individual, from allowing them to express themselves through your meals, to being able to show someone that you care for them.

The great news about home cooking? Often it can even be cheaper to prepare a meal for your family than to rely on boxed goods and instant meals, and you would be surprised by how far ingredients can go when you learn how to use them properly. Plus, avoiding all of those preservatives is great for the family’s physical health.

National Cooking Day is about all of this, and exemplifying the wonder of the home cooked meal!

How to Celebrate National Cooking Day

Celebrating National Cooking Day can be as simple or elaborate as desired. Try out some of these ideas and get ready to have some fun in the kitchen:

Get Cooking!

Start with getting in that kitchen and finding out what tools are available. Then take a look at what ingredients there are on hand–or head over to the grocery store – and start figuring out what you can prepare. There are a ton of different websites out there with a variety of different recipes and ways of preparing meals.

Show a Cook Some Appreciation

For some cooks, what they do might seem easy since it’s a labor of love. But still, National Cooking Day is an ideal time to let a real Cook know that they are impressive and appreciated. And perhaps it would be possible to glean a cooking lesson from them too!

Invite Friends and Family for a Potluck

One of the best ways to really celebrate National Cooking Day is to share it with those who are most loved! Hosting a Potluck lunch or dinner is a great method to let everyone try out a little something in the kitchen, then put it all together to make a beautiful, eclectic, home-cooked meal.

Choose a theme, such as Mexican food, or just allow inspiration to strike everyone as they please. The only rule is that the food must be home-cooked!

Purchase Some New Kitchen Equipment or Tools

Those who are feeling particularly adventurous might want to look up a new way to use a pot or pan that they have already. Even better, invest in a new piece of kitchen equipment that will open up new culinary doorways for the family! Celebrate the day by picking up that mortar and pestle you’ve been eyeing, or take this opportunity to bring home that special pasta making machine.

Whatever you do, National Cooking Day is your chance to start preparing delicious meals from fresh ingredients. Get in that kitchen and get cooking!