[Sca-cooks] Cooking as a Hobby, was: Rant: And speaking of cooking equipment...

[Vitaliano Vincenzi]

I really do have to agree here, cooking for me IS a hobby, even if it is 
my responsibility to prepare the evening meals for the family. The best 
part about making cooking your hobby is that YOU get to choose what to 
prepare, you don't have to cook to the whim of customers or the boss, 
because YOU are the boss. If it were any other way, it wouldn't be 
enjoyable and therefore would not be hobby.

I have worked in the dreaded fast food joints (NO MORE WHOPPERS PLEASE), 
in small cafe's, a coffee house or two, and even a 5 Star Steak house in 
Chicago - but that was all WORK to me. Although I enjoyed 75% of it, 
there is that dreaded 25% of the work that just isn't fun and not 
something you look forward to, but it has to be done. The old line from 
the TV commercial, "Time to make the donuts", is NOT intended to be funny.

So now, I cook at home and at events and make an effort to enjoy it. For 
me, that is a hobby - something I don't have to do but enjoy doing. If I 
ever had to go back to COOKING as my job again, I would probably stop 
doing it at home and events, because it would once again become work and 
therefore no longer enjoyable.

So, for me, cooking is a hobby, and if you see me enjoying an event you 
will most likely find me in the kitchen, which is where I was this past 
weekend for much of the event - learning and sharing. Isn't that what we 
are supposed to be doing here in the SCA? Learning and sharing? Doesn't 
that in itself make it a hobby?

Michael Gunter wrote:
> Now, cooking IS a hobby. One that many people take quite seriously but
> don't do restaurant style. Personally, as a person who has spent his time
> on everything from fry-cook, salad station, line cook and pastry chef I am
> happy being a hobbyist.
> 
> And, Master A (the cook I admire greatly and have unending respect for)
> unless you are making your living cooking for folk or are the only source of
> dinner on the table every day, you are a hobbyist as well. You are extremely
> serious and knowledgeable. But, really you are. Now there is a difference
> between hobbyist and dilettante and maybe that is your take on the word.
> 
> Just a thought.
> 
> Gunthar

-- 
Lord Vitaliano Vincenzi
aka Shane Lambert
http://www.periodfood.blogspot.com
Shire of Rokeclif: http://www.rokeclif.org
Kingdom of Northshield: http://www.northshield.org