I was browsing reddit last night when I came across a thread where the OP posted a picture of the dinner he had cooked. He seemed very proud of what he had concocted. The dinner looked appealing, to say the least. A lot of the people liked what he had made, it was obvious from the amount of reactions it had gotten.
[](https://pixabay.com/photos/mushrooms-eat-food-vegetarian-6320451/)
The dish didn't have a name mentioned. But it was a sauteed mushroom with cherry tomatoes, cheese, heavy cream and garlic kinda thing. Looked really nice with the tomato paste making it completely orange. OP had added a few herbs on top and that just really kicked it off. But the dinner wasn't the main topic of conversation anymore. The men who had never walked into a kitchen in their younger days had much more to talk about.
The conversation had evolved into the wonders of learning to cook. You see, most of the people in the thread were men that didn't really know to cook their own food. They either were living off of takeaways or instant food. Something a lot of people do nowadays. But the mushroom dinner really had sparked something among the masses. I followed the thread the entire night, and I was very pleased with myself.
The thread became saturated with easy beginner recipes to make at home. Something that everyone in the thread could try. Some people posted their first recipe that got them cooking. Some shared what they had ended up with by following a recipe in the thread. Some shared tricks and tips on getting better at cooking. For a moment I recognized the rising recognition of this essential skill in the thread.
The kicker was when the OP mentioned how much his life had changed since he picked up cooking. He mentioned that the transition from easily attained food to cooking his own meals wasn't easy, but very beneficial in the longer run. OP posted about how much better his mood and health had become. He had gotten rid of harmful sugar and unhealthy food by cooking food at home. This is turn raised his health quality and made him more energetic.
In one way cooking had become therapeutic to him. So even if he had a bad day he would get back home and focus on cooking something delicious. That would instantly turn his mood around. Through cooking he found himself in a curious and keen spot. He was eager to learn new things and skills. Although he didn't mention it, it feels like that might have rejuvenated the brain.
Moreover, cooking at home really cuts down expenses. Instant food and takeaway is both unhealthy and expensive in the long run. But on the other hand cooking at home saves you the money, lets you meal prep and it is always much healthier than anything else. One Russian guy mentioned that he always ate what he liked since he could simply cook it up at home, instead of looking for alternatives outside.