Natural Chef

Do you enjoy cooking, or would you prefer someone else to do it for you? I’m asking around about this because I have a theory I’d like to conduct an amateur survey on. Don’t worry, it’s not one of those ‘two types of people’ concepts… well, not exactly, anyway. It’s a bit hard to explain without any data to back it up, but it’s something to this effect: people who enjoy cooking are more likely to be better at multitasking.

It’s a bit half-baked, but what’s to be lost by exploring the idea? It originally stemmed from the observation that cooking is inherently a multitasking activity, and the more complex the meal you’re preparing, the more this effect is apparent. Ergo, people who enjoy cooking may do so because they’ve got the right multitasking skills for the job.

I got on this line of thought when my sister asked me for advice on healthy snacks to help with weight loss. I was like, girl, why are you asking me? I’m not exactly slender myself but aside from that, is it really that hard to figure it out? But then I realised something: it’s not hard for me, because I enjoy the whole process of meal planning and food preparation. Sheryl, on the other hand, has never quite gotten the hang of it, and generally purports not to enjoy it. When it comes to eating healthy food, home delivery is the only option for her (or so she believes).

I’ve never quite understood that, but maybe I’m beginning to. See, she’s always been a very goal-oriented person who prefers to focus on one task at a time, methodically working through things in a linear fashion. I, on the other hand, have a tendency to waft among several tasks at the same time, giving an impression that I’m not paying attention but getting everything done nonetheless. That, I’m now thinking, is why I like cooking. It’s simply not a linear activity.