Probably half of you reading this devotional are NOT going to like it. Not one bit. The other half are going to love it – or fear it. Today is National Men Make Dinner Day.
“Celebrity chef John Burton Race says: “It is a fact that men are the best cooks, professional or not. Industrial kitchens may have heavy equipment, but men are the best cooks because they are more passionate and take cooking more seriously.”1
I probably just alienated the other half of the readers with that statement! However, it only makes sense, right? The way to a man’s heart is through his – stomach. You will not typically see a woman as passionate about food as a guy.
Mashed gave a list of the top 26 most influential celebrity chefs of all time. Seven of the 26 were ladies – just over 25% meaning that 75% were guys. Of the ladies, there was Julia Child in the #1 spot. But another lady doesn’t show up until the 13th spot – Giada De Laurentiis, followed by Martha Stewart, Rachel Ray, and Ina Garten. Surprisingly, Paula Deen did not make the list!
The guys on the list include Gordan Ramsay, Anthony Bourdain, Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse (my fav!), Bobby Flay, and a host of others including Marie-Antoine Carême, a Frenchman from the late 1700s who paved the way for professional male chefs.2
The rules for National Men Make Dinner Day are simple. At least four ingredients must be used. The guy must shop for the ingredients. They must use one cooking utensil besides a fork. And you must clean up as you go. Aprons are optional.3
Russell Korets makes an accurate observation. “Far too often, I hear men use the “Bible” and the “role of men” argument to stay completely out of the kitchen and never help their wife with cooking or simply washing the dishes after themselves. The problem with this
argument is that, though there are male and females roles in the family, the Bible does not automatically assign the kitchen and cooking duties to females. Such traditions and beliefs are only cultural, without biblical support.”4 AMEN!!!
Some of our men are running for the hills right now! But, guys, it’s never too late to learn. Mothers should teach their boys to cook (and do laundry, clean house, etc.) just like dads need to teach their girls the basics in auto mechanics and basic maintenance. Why? Because they are skills you need to know to live.
Our Biblical patriarchs knew how to cook. Genesis 18:7-9 says, “And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. (8) And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. (9) And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.” I included the last verse to show that Sarah wasn’t around while Abraham and the “young man” were cooking.
Both Jacob and Esau knew how to cook. Genesis 25:28-30 says, “And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob. (29) And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: (30) And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.”
Later in chapter 27, we read about how Jacob and his mother deceived Isaac. The Scripture tells us that Rebekah made the “savory meat”, not Jacob. When Esau came from the fields, he made his own savory meet to give to his dad. This makes me wonder about their cooking skills! Jacob could boil a pot of soup but couldn’t cook venison, evidently.
Guys, if I don’t have you convinced, let me give you the two best examples. After the resurrection, Jesus was on the shore while the disciples were fishing. “As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. (10) Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. (11) Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. (12) Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.” (John 21:9-12) JESUS cooks!
One day soon, the Lord is going to prepare a table for all of His children in Heaven. I’m looking forward to that meal from the Heavenly Chef. Revelation 19:7-9 tells us of that day. “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. (8) And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. (9) And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”
1https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/do-men-really-make-the-best-chefs-1938708.html
2https://www.mashed.com/1401035/most-influential-celebrity-chefs/
3https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-men-make-dinner-day-first-thursday-in-november
4https://russellkorets.com/2013/10/24/biblical-men-cook/
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