I've Been Labeled

I’m Mud. And I’m a Gastrosexual.

Gastrosexuals, per the Daily Mail, are a new breed of man who "use their kitchen prowess to impress friends and prospective partners." Muses include Gordon Ramsay and that "Naked Chef" dude Jamie Oliver, both of whom evidently have to fend off comely females with frying pans due to their ability to whip up tasty meals and look good while doing it. Says a spokesperson for food company PurAsia: "Male Gastrosexuals in particular are no longer content with what they can find at the back of the kitchen cupboard. They are looking for something much more satisfying in terms of taste, participation and effort.'"

I didn’t know it, but yes, I am. I have been a Gastrosexual for years. Now they have named it and declared it a trend in our modern culture. I’ve been discovered. Game’s up. I’m coming out of the pantry.

A couple things clued me in. Here are some of the highlights of the 'Emergence of the Gastrosexual' report:

• The average Gastrosexual male is aged between 25-44 and is upwardly mobile, well travelled and cooks for their own pleasure and the praise of others .... CHECK
• 60% of respondent men now regularly cook for friends and family, favouring complicated foreign dishes over traditional .... CHECK
• 50% of men say they consider cooking to be a hobby and not a chore, compared with only 40 per cent of women .... CHECK
• 50% of the men surveyed prepare meals using separate ingredients everyday spending on average 41 minutes cooking on a daily basis .... CHECK
• The number of families where men help in the kitchen has risen from 27.5% in the post war period to 66.5% in 2008 .... CHECK

So that's me. I'm not affraid of the kitchen. Actually, it is my favorite room in the house. I've been cooking for myself and others since I was a teenager. I enjoy it.

Not only that, I admit to watching all the classic, modern cooking shows on t.v. from Iron Chef (the original Japanese version), The Naked Chef, to Good Eats. And, I have to say, Alton Brown rocks. I dig these shows and freely admit to having more than a thing for Giada De Laurnetiis that goes beyond just cooking, if you know what I mean (and I think you do). Seriously! To cook along side Giada … Mmmmm. Yeah!

There is no doubt I am a Gastrosexual. Just last night, for example, I made Beer-Steamed Shrimp (steamed with a seductive and potent concoction of red onion, whole cloves, allspice berries, black peppercorns, orange zest and a couple of beers) with a West-Indian Cocktail Dipping Sauce made from scratch. Along with some bbq’d vegetables tossed in my sherry/honey vinaigrette, some crusty bread, and a couple bottles of wine, it was quite the successful dinner with new friends.

But all that just means I dig cooking, right? No, that is not all of it. This new term, Gastrosexual, hints at one more element, a key ingredient. It is the reason this study and this term are in the news right now. So, you ask, have I ever used my kitchen prowess to seduce a woman? ... CHECK and Abso-freakin’-lutely!