Aug 21st, 2026 Friday Sunny/Rainy
A team member just joined our office.
As the only one with a physical presence in this building (the company has multiple hubs), naturally I was in charge of showing her around.
She seemed to be impressed by the cafeteria, which provided hot meals on a rotating menu. She then went on to explain that she rarely cooks, so she largely relies on the deli sections of grocery stores, as well as snacks. When I asked why she would not try to make something simple, especially since she has a two-year-old daughter who would undoubtedly benefit from healthy dinners that mom prepares, she shrugged, “but I can’t cook!”
I was perplexed. A deja vu struck me. I have heard the same comment on so many occasions.
One of them arose a few years ago in a meeting, as we discussed the favorite way of eating eggs. I shared that poached eggs were tasty and super easy to do, even in a college dorm.
I was met with stares as if I was an alien visiting from another planet.
“I have seen how to do it in a video, and it is very complicated.” Said one of the attendees, who continued to describe the detailed steps to create a picture-ready, restaurant quality poached egg that would be served on eggs benedict.
Suddenly I understood why: lots of people must believe that only PROFESSIONAL level of cooking can be considered as “cooking”. They are amazed by the hundreds of cooking shows demonstrating well-practiced techniques, following procedures optimized by gourmet chefs, and producing dishes designed to impress and win applause.
However, that is not the only way of cooking. In fact, cooking as a survival skill for humanity has been with us for thousands of years. The moment our ancestors skewered the day’s harvest and heated it over a fire, cooking has started.
Home cooking, particularly, does not need to be that fancy, because the real purpose of cooking is to feed ourselves nutritious, delicious food. No one is judging what is on your table every evening, and as long as you are happy with it and it fills the stomach, that is all that matters.
For example, to cook a poached egg, I simply crack a raw egg into boiling broth, set the timer for three minutes, and wait. When I hear the beep, if the egg still looks a bit too raw, I let it bathe for a little longer until the egg white turns opaque, then it is done.
I have never bothered to “strain, add vinegar, twirl the water into a whirlpool, or drain afterwards”. My poached eggs may not be perfect, but they taste fine, and no one else would know or care because they went into my belly.
To establish an unrealistically high bar and give up trying altogether because it seems impossible to reach is one defining characteristic of a “loser”, someone with stronger needs to protect their self-esteem than to grow and learn.
If we let go of such expectations and focus on the core meaning of home cooking, maybe we can all manage to whip up some nourishing fares.