I enjoy cooking. It's something you can do with your hands and get to eat afterwards. Or, if things don't work out, feed to the dogs. I first got into the mechanics of cooking in a junior high home ec class. I heard there were a lot of cute girls there. So did the class full of guys I took the class with. For the next ten years or so, most of my culinary interests involved meat, a stick, and fire, except the time at summer camp where I explored all the possibilities MREs had to offer. It turns out those dehydrated beef patties are pretty versatile. Later, in college, I got a little more serious with things. I figured out if I wanted a decent plate of enchiladas, I'd have to make it myself. I learned that if you cook a pan of instant "Spanish" rice, open a can of refried beans, and melt cheese on everything, guests will think you're a genius. I also experimented with different backpacking meals. With vacuum packed meat and dried veggies, ramen is a pretty good base. Lightweight, cooks fairly quickly, and relatively high in calories. At the present, I don't get to do much cooking, except occasionally on the weekends. Last night I made barbequed pork, steamed shrimp wontons, and a vegetable stir fry. My wife has hours more agreeable to the dietary wishes of our daughter. I am however working on more nutritionally balanced "meal replacement" bars than what you normally find in stores.