I’m sure there are a lot of guys out there reading this who would like to be able to beef up their kitchen skills (pun intended). Heck, there are a lot of ladies (me included) who wish they could learn a few new tricks, especially from a food writer who was down-and-dirty in the kitchen, talking about the food in an engaging, real, and yes, even sexy, way.
You can see why I was intrigued when I picked up local musician, businessman and MOT Andy Morantz‘s cookbook “You’re Cookin’ Tonight: the quickest way to the bedroom is through the kitchen.”
Self published last year (and available on Amazon.com), the book aims to teach “everyday” cooking skills to the men out there who want to cook because (1) food tastes good, and, more importantly (2) food leads to other good things, at least when your significant other/boyfriend/husband is doing the shopping, cooking and cleaning so you can put your feet up and feel more sexy and then… well… (Yes folks, it’s a bit gendered, which I found amusing, although it bugged my skilled chef of a fiance).
Whether you’re a foodie or you’re new to the kitchen, “You’re Cookin’ Tonight: the quickest way to the bedroom is through the kitchen” is a laugh riot (literally, I laughed outloud reading his “A word about Knife Skills” and recipes from “The Green Food Group”) and worth a quick read.
I took a few minutes last week to chat with author Andy Morantz about his book, cooking, and his thoughts on being Jewish in the TC. Here’s a taste.
1. How did you start cooking? How did you learn the tricks of the trade?
AM: My mother taught me how to cook when I was 14 or so. When I was 16 I was given a wok and we learned to cook in the Asian style together. My mom figured that if I could cook, I’d never go hungry. Fat chance of that, right? I started working in food service when I was 15 and if I wasn’t playing in a band for money, I was working in a restaurant. I’ve done everything from dish washing, fry cook, prep chef, waiter, busboy. And I grew up in Kansas City, so my veins course with bbq sauce.
In college, I was one of the only people would cook with any regularity. Some of my roommates had never seen a wok or had matzo ball soup before. To this day, I’m sure I cook more than most of our friends. We only eat out once or twice a week and it’s usually just lunch or breakfast on the weekends. When I eat out, I tend to get things the home cook can’t make easily (Peking Duck for example).
2. Why did you write this cookbook? Who are you hoping will read it?
AM: I actually started the book 20 years ago. It was originally called “The Househusbands Handbook.” I was writing from the point of view of a guy who stays home all day because he’s self employed and the only way to stay out of trouble with his wife, is to do all the cooking. My wife found the file folder when she was cleaning out a file cabinet. I heard her laughing from the basement and wondered why. She was reading the yellowed type written pages.
I think my target audience is any guy who isn’t pulling his weight in the kitchen. It’s written for people who are just starting to cook. None of the recipes are very difficult.
3. Do you really think there is a direct correlation between cooking skills and bedroom opportunities?
AM: I don’t have any empirical evidence of the correlation between cooking in the kitchen and cookin in the bedroom. At least nobody has sent me any videos.
My whole premise is that it isn’t just the cooking. You have to plan the meal, shop for the ingredients, cook the meal AND clean up. If a guy does all that I think his chances of getting lucky definitely increase. Except in my case, however.
My final interview question is for you, TCJ readers – do you think cooking improves your sex life?
(feel free to weigh in anonymously)
Watch Andy Morantz make a super special Mac ‘N Cheese
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWKVwV6vqF4
(Photo: jlastras)
Leora,
Without exactly answering your question (it’s a great question :)), I think food and food preparation lends itself to all kinds of wonderful analogies and helpful explanations.
I mean, there is the option of carefully selecting a recipe or just opening the fridge and seeing what you can make with what you’ve got. There is following a step-by-step guide and throwing care to the wind and a bunch of ingredients into a pan. There is cooking for one . . . and cooking for more. There is the question a good friend of mine asked once (about cooking, of course) – would you ever make something for guests you’ve never tried out first on your own?
I suspect the gendered part of the book will bug me, but it does sound like it might be my kind of humor!
Thanks for the review.