Growing up, I have always been accustomed to eating home-cooked meals and I have continued in that manner. There is something about home-cooked meals that just hit differently. Of course, they are good chefs who prepare their meals in eateries and I wouldn't say I am a professional chef but I can prepare myself a decent meal.
This doesn't mean I don't eat takeouts. I do but I rarely do so. For instance, when I go out to those big markets like trade fairs and others and it looks like it might take a while before I get back home, I would look for an eatery and get some food in me.
Before you ask why can't I just get snacks, I have learned something about myself for a long time and it's that snacks are not for me. What I mean by this is that, while some people will easily get filled by taking snacks and washing them down with drinks, my stomach isn't built for little food like that. I only take snacks when I know that I will be eating food very soon.
Why do you prefer home-cooked meals?
The main reason why I don't eat out is because of the quantity plus the cost. We all know that most food vendors are out to maximize profit which makes them sell their meals for ridiculous prices to get more gain. So I mostly wonder, how much I will have to spend to get food that will get me well-fed.
I eat a lot, I am never going to be shy about it. So if I compare the amount of money I will spend on takeout which might not even satisfy me and still using the same amount to prepare a delicious meal, I think I will rather go for the latter. With cooked food, I won't have to worry about getting satisfied
What if you are very hungry and you still have to cook, isn't it better to order meals?
If I come back home so late and am very hungry there is always fast food that I call "Munuduro"(which means holding my stomach for the time being). One of the foods that top this list is Garri (Cassava flakes) colloquially called "groceries". I always have this food at home no matter what. I can easily make some for myself within minutes till I am ready to prepare the main food I want to eat.
Isn't cooking tiring for you?
There is no doubt that cooking takes a lot of time especially when you are preparing food for a large number of people. This is why I always value the use of kitchen equipment that will help make my cooking easier.
Take for instance, when blending pepper, there are electrical blenders, and hand grinders that can be used. If none of these is available, there is another option of grinding with big grinding machines.
"When you blend pepper with grinding stone, it tastes better", some will say. Well, good for them but for me, I will always choose the easiest and fastest means of preparing my meals.
Having all of these at my disposal will help always make cooking easier for me. What makes it more fun is that for home-cooked meals, you can make a variety of food and also experiment as you like.
Thank you all for reading.
All images used are mine.