The UBER MALE EGO --- On Baking

I came across some blogs showcasing male perspectives on cooking/baking --- The main question> Is it manly? And here were some of the results:

"Several recipes have come into my inbox from caring readers who have been keeping up to date on my News of the Day cooking ventures. 

I am a little off-set by this recent flux of nice mail.

First of all, nine out of the ten recipes I received involved me needing to use the oven. 

The one principle I stand by when I cook is that the oven door never opens. This is mainly because I am easily swayed by peer disapproval, and the moment any of my boys sees me baking, I will never hear the end of it.

Baking, for some reason, is not manly. I assume it's because baking is predominantly a female
thing. You never hear your boys tell you that they spent their weekend baking muffins. No one will come right out and say it, but it's just not done.

When I cook I am only doing two things: boiling or frying. I'm just saying it like it is. You give me uncooked food and I'm either boiling it or frying it. 

I'm not one to romanticize cooking with my friend the thesaurus;

I don't sear, simmer, saute, percolate, or stew.  

If I put it on a pan, I'm frying it; in a pot, I'm boiling it.

I came to this realization when I had a
friend over for dinner one night. 

I made shrimp pesto. My dinner guest seemed
impressed with this. But when a mutual friend called and asked what we were having, my
guest said, "Pasta." 

Pasta. That bothered me to no end. "Anybody can make pasta," I thought. 

"Saying I made pasta is like saying I know how to boil water."

That's when I evaluated what I did to the pasta that was so special in the first place. Nothing. I boiled it. The shrimp? I fried it.

When I realized that the only thing left was baking, life was fine from that point on. "

Blogged by Adrian Fung: January 26, 2005

His response is so "male". Honest but so male. In a small majority of males everywhere this may be what is seeded deep in there heads: Must resist baking ---play video games, bash anything feminine...microwave burritos! YES -- THAT IS It, I AM ALL That embodies maleness!


But I am not convinced this is accurate. Becuase I have met too many male , potheads or otherwise educated , who take interest in baking.


Although the stereo typing came about in the homes and apts across america, for many years, women would be tied to apron strings, getting dinner on, and baking cookies for bake sales & PTA meetings.


But it is not historically accurate - Professional Baking was a male dominated industry --- not too long ago. The first women entered the professional scene mabye mid 20th century.