Sometimes I will get a text from my son “want to make me dinner Thursday night”?  I love to have him over, but it can be a bit of a challenge deciding what to prepare since he eats out at VERY nice restaurants.

At the formerchef.com a great post about cooking is “I cook because…

• Because I love it, plain and simple. I love food, eating and almost everything that surrounds it.
• Because I can. A lot of people are intimidated by cooking and while certain aspects of cooking still intimidate me, throwing together a quick dinner made with fresh ingredients is not one of them. This is also why I blog about cooking; because I want to show people it’s not that hard to eat well by cooking it yourself.
• Because I’m thrifty. Cooking allows me to spend substantially less on food and still eat well. It costs a lot to eat out a few times a week. I’d rather use that money to eat out when we travel.
• Because I’m naturally inquisitive and want to learn how to do things. This is why I’m always trying new things.  I love the act of taking something raw and creating something new out of it.
• Because I grew up in a family of great cooks where cooking at home was the norm, special occasions were celebrated with feasts at home or at my Grandmother’s house rather than in a restaurant.
• Because it’s healthier than eating pre-packaged processed food or fast food. This is common sense, right?
• Because I like to feed people. Who doesn’t like to make people happy? There is nothing like the immediate response you get when you give someone something delicious.
• Because I’m impatient. It’s often faster and easier for me to make something at home than to go out.

I sometimes don’t cook because:

• Because I’m tired and I just don’t feel like it.
• Because I want something different and it’s just easier to go out than make it at home.
• Because it’s easier. There are some things which I’ve made once or twice to learn how to do it but it’s simply easier for me to buy.
• Because sometimes I simply want to go out and enjoy a meal in a restaurant.

I love to cook because I like to feed people.  Yes, my son does love perfectly cooked lamb chops!

On the menu:  Copper River salmon with mashed potatoes and asparagus.

One of the most well-known guides is the Michelin series which awards one to three stars to restaurants they perceive to be of high culinary merit. One star indicates a “very good restaurant”; two stars indicate a place “worth a detour”; three stars means “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey”.

I would love for “Jan’s Kitchen” to get a *** rating from my son one day, but equally as rewarding is when he quietly eats and then states, “this is really good mom”!