Woodwork Vs Cooking

Something that's puzzled me for some time now is the fact that cooking is seen as "sexy" while woodwork is not. There's celebrity chefs, lots of television programs, magazines and books about cooking but very little about woodworking. Sure, everyone has to eat, but most of the cooking that occurs in the various programs/articles etc bears little relation to what goes on in most peoples kitchens. Judging by the contents of most people's shopping trollies there's an awful lot of "semi-prepared" type food consumed.

I come from a family that takes food seriously (as mentioned in the Christmas Lunch thread we've had a visit from the "Food Lover's guide to Australia" people) and due to my wife's health problems I do all the cooking in our house. I enjoy food and besides the occasional tin of something as an ingredient (ie coconut milk) we consume very little in the way of pre-prepared food. Definitely no "chicken tonight" type sauces in our house. I make bread, pesto, ice cream, muffins, cakes and biscuits but when all is said and done I find little pleasure in cooking (eating yes!). I mean you cook it and it only lasts untill you eat it. The dining table I built will still be around long after I'm gone. So do people find that much pleasure in an activity that needs to be repeated all the time, that produces stuff that's ephemeral?

I could understand the fascination with cooking if people really got into really fancy cooking, but few people do, it seems. Perhaps it's that society in general (and media in particular) encourages passive consumerism. It's easy enough to watch programs/read articles about fancy food and then simply eat a bland supermarket imitation or splash out on a restaurant meal, buy unless your going to get some tools out and at least attempt some woodworking (however simple) then a WW article or program is of little interest. I don't know if that makes any sense, but it's the only explanation that I can come up with. Be interested in hearing/reading other people's views on the subject.

Mick the foodie carpenter.

The problem mick is that too much cooking leads to ...............................
an increase in weight:eek:
I have found that published recipes usually have many calories (it helps the supermarkets)
My own creations have less ingredients:o

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Originally Posted by journeyman Mick

Sure, everyone has to eat, but most of the cooking that occurs in the various programs/articles etc bears little relation to what goes on in most peoples kitchens.

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I do not know about you, but I can tell you that most of the woodworking that occurs in FWW bears little relation to what goes on in my shed. I do not use the same level of raw materials, my tools are far from being equivalent and most of their projects are far beyond my abilities. So I read about fine woodworking, and use recycled pine floorboard to produce ill-fitting dovetails.

It all boils down to a question of scale. Everyone has to eat. At least 30% of the population cooks on a regular basis. Many of these are not really interested in what they are doing - it is just a chore, but some are. And they outnumber those who are interested in woodworking.

I like to eat.

I like to eat food as Mick describes, and generally that's what we do.

I don't cook, and I don't particularly enjoy the process, and as a result I'm not very good at it. Let me say that from the outset.

I'm lazy, but I LOVE to eat.

More to the point our three kids (all girls, but that is beside the point) were encouraged from the time they could walk, to experiment and enjoy the process, and they grew up with an understanding of how things go together, and are all incredibly talented in things gastronomical.

As a result, like Mick, our family takes food very seriously indeed, although we do occasionally use a range of extremely good, pre-prepared Indonesian spices, which we can't tell from the "real" thing.

I think the fascination currently comes from watching blokes like Oliver, mashing together very ordinary ingredients, yet producing something stupendously good looking, and, we imagine very tasty.

In woodworking terms, he uses radiata and mdf to absolutely stunning effect!

Cooking well doesn't make you fat. The opposite in fact.

I don't know if there's a correlation between tool snobbery and food, but we often scan the contents of supermarket trolleys, and wonder.

Cheers,

P (off for breakfast of a slice of lightly fried Panettone in egg-white, with a poached peach in vanilla and cinnamon syrup - usually served with a dollop of double cream, but that's too special and too much fat.)

:D :D :D

I guess if you're doing the cooking all the time, then it becomes a chore.
Luckilly, i'm only cooking 2 or 3 times a week, and when time permits can be a little creative, my four year old daughter makes a great pizza after i've laid out the base and makes the whole thing a lot more fun and interesting.
I'd hesitate to involve her in the same way with building projects; could have disastrous consequences.
If you look at all the renovation and DIY shows that have run and are on at the moment, you can bet that before too long you'll see Jamie Durie or his big affable carpenter mate behind a lathe, churning out salad bowls :).

Yeah Mick what about all the Lifestyle come renovation shows? TV is about entertainment so that explains all the cooking shows. Most of them don't show especially good recipes and people aren't watching to see how to do it themselves. They just want to ooh and aah over stuff that is done.

The thing with the home reno shows is you can knock it out pretty quickly eg build a deck, lay some paving, put some plants in. I think 7 did make stuff for a bit with their carpenter. They had Shirley until his death too, but it was all MDF sort of stuff.

I remember Scott Cam made some stairs and routed grooves for the treads to go in, but they didn't show any of that just the grooves then later stairs were up all by themselves!!!!! Maybe they are scared to show that sort of stuff.

Studley

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Originally Posted by floydus

my four year old daughter makes a great pizza after i've laid out the base and makes the whole thing a lot more fun and interesting.
I'd hesitate to involve her in the same way with building projects; could have disastrous consequences.

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Don't worry about the disasters!

We had our microwave mounted just below bench height, and with plastic utensils (under supervision) microwave cookery is a very safe way for kids to learn.

There's a great book called "microwave cookery for kids" which we used for starters.

Worst disaster that I can think of (apart from the usual mess, odd dropped egg or flour left out), was a chocolate cake with the tin lined with cling wrap instead of greaseproof paper. It's all good fun!

But with kids "helping" you can't be too precious about the outcome!

Cheers.

P

Good thread, Mick. I'm a woodworker (duh) who has worked in hospitality and SWMBO is a chef, so for my $0.02...

The media fixation with cooking works on several levels: people's desire to be successful homemakers; broadening tastes due to multicultural influences (and the desire of new generations wanting to live differently to their parents); instant gratification and the marketing opportunities offered by all the above. Anyone can have a crack at cooking- you've got most of what you need already, and anything else can be picked up at the supermarket.

Once you understand a few basic techniques, a recipe and method can be followed with very good results, with all the attendant oohs and aahs from appreciative guests. (FWIW, like the mechanic who drives a bomb, meals in our house are usually pretty slap-dash).

On the other hand woodwork takes quite awhile to even begin to do well, tools are expensive (and long-lasting); projects can take months and even then untrained eyes often can't see where the work has gone. Woodwork is not carried out in the warmth of the family kitchen, but in the dusty solitude of the cave- er, shed. It also carries the stigma of being associated with forest industy, which is definitely not sexy (in tems of public perception).

However, if Nigella did woodwork instead of Norm, things might be different.

Consider,though, the similarities between woodwork and cooking- preparing your ingredients/dressing your stock, cooking/assembling, presentation/finishing. Timing in both fields is crucial, particularly in commercial kitchens and workshops. And there is the same fanatical, war mentality in both chefs and woodworkers, you can't be half-arsed about either and survive, trust me.

Anyway, it wouldn't surprise me if woodwork did experience in increase in sexiness in the near future. The same needs that drive people to express themselves through food may well lead them to reject mass produced furniture in favour of locally made- or home made- goods. Thanks to Bunnies tools are more accessible to novices than ever. I also reckon it will be women who lead the charge in the woodworking renaissance. The blokes are all in the kitchen.

Not sure if I covered the thread topic there...better get more coffee. Over to you, ladies and gents.

Regards,
Rusty.

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Originally Posted by Rusty

On the other hand woodwork takes quite awhile to even begin to do well, tools are expensive (and long-lasting); projects can take months and even then untrained eyes often can't see where the work has gone....

Consider,though, the similarities between woodwork and cooking- preparing your ingredients/dressing your stock, cooking/assembling, presentation/finishing. Timing in both fields is crucial, particularly in commercial kitchens and workshops. And there is the same fanatical, war mentality in both chefs and woodworkers, you can't be half-arsed about either and survive, trust me....

Regards,
Rusty.

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Spot on. TV is (generally) about entertainment in bite sized pieces for couch potatoes who can't be bothered to do something else! Hence we are breeding generations of kids who only have a 5-10 minute attention span (the amount of time between ads) You simply can't show all the details and intricacies of making something halfway decent in a 30 minute or 1 hour slot that is probably 25% ads. And let's face it, some aspects of woodworking are tedious, boring but necessary (ie sanding!). Besides, the average viewer wants entertainment not information.

So, for entertaining woodwork, I suggest a show similar to the "Iron Chef" series.:D Two contestants are given unlimited access to a well equipped workshop and each has the same amount of timber. They have four hours to whip up a bookshelf or box or something. The highlights are spliced together with a funky soundtack and commentary from the expert panel into a 30 minute show.

On a more serious note, I reckon a 30 minute woodturning show would be possible. I'm not a turner myself, but I reckon the likes of Richard Raffan or Mike Darlow could turn a fairly decent article during a 30 minute show. I reckon some community TV stations would jump at the chance to do a show like this, as all they need is a cameraman and some lights. The turner's shed would be the studio. I've seen some pretty interesting and low budget locally produced shows on Briz 31 here in Brisbane, focussing on various hobbies.

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Originally Posted by Dion N

So, for entertaining woodwork, I suggest a show similar to the "Iron Chef" series.:D Two contestants are given unlimited access to a well equipped workshop and each has the same amount of timber. They have four hours to whip up a bookshelf or box or something. The highlights are spliced together with a funky soundtack and commentary from the expert panel into a 30 minute show.

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"Iron Woody, brought to you by Viagra...":eek::D

Actually, I reckon you've got something there, Dion.

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Originally Posted by Dion N

So, for entertaining woodwork, I suggest a show similar to the "Iron Chef" series.:D Two contestants are given unlimited access to a well equipped workshop and each has the same amount of timber. They have four hours to whip up a bookshelf or box or something. The highlights are spliced together with a funky soundtack and commentary from the expert panel into a 30 minute show.

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Foxtel have a How to channel with a show called warehouse warriors saw it once a bit of seppo crap, two groups get to use tools and "lumber" to build , say a bar, cabinet etc of their own design in a set time
You will only watch it once

As to cooking , like mick due to some health problems I have had to do the cooking for the last ten years or so but I enjoy it , I find I can get a lot of satisfaction from prepareing a meal from scratch and enjoying the end result.
I have put as much effort into selecting the tools I use in the Kitchen as the ones in my shed.
Cooking to me is just another craft or skill that if it's worth doing its worth doing well.

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Originally Posted by Dion N

Spot on. TV is (generally) about entertainment in bite sized pieces for couch potatoes who can't be bothered to do something else! Hence we are breeding generations of kids who only have a 5-10 minute attention span (the amount of time between ads) You simply can't show all the details and intricacies of making something halfway decent in a 30 minute or 1 hour slot that is probably 25% ads. And let's face it, some aspects of woodworking are tedious, boring but necessary (ie sanding!). Besides, the average viewer wants entertainment not information.

So, for entertaining woodwork, I suggest a show similar to the "Iron Chef" series.:D Two contestants are given unlimited access to a well equipped workshop and each has the same amount of timber. They have four hours to whip up a bookshelf or box or something. The highlights are spliced together with a funky soundtack and commentary from the expert panel into a 30 minute show.

On a more serious note, I reckon a 30 minute woodturning show would be possible. I'm not a turner myself, but I reckon the likes of Richard Raffan or Mike Darlow could turn a fairly decent article during a 30 minute show. I reckon some community TV stations would jump at the chance to do a show like this, as all they need is a cameraman and some lights. The turner's shed would be the studio. I've seen some pretty interesting and low budget locally produced shows on Briz 31 here in Brisbane, focussing on various hobbies.

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How to chanell .. Called warehouse warriers. Similar in concept. I explain it as junkyard wars in bunnings though..

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However, if Nigella did woodwork instead of Norm, things might be different

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Lets start a petition - Nigella for a wood working show!

Another thing, female lifestyle show presenters - notice how they shake their chest when talking. A weird way to get taken seriously. Works though. Name a male tv handyman that you'd want to watch doing that. :p

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Originally Posted by journeyman Mick

...... So do people find that much pleasure in an activity that needs to be repeated all the time, that produces stuff that's ephemeral? .............

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No, I don't find much pleasure in cooking any more. Not when I have to do everything for it to happen while HWMNBO simply sits in front of TV, and then I have to do everything to clean up to prepare for the next time. NO I DO NOT ENJOY IT AT ALL.

Anyway, I'd much rather be the Nigella of the WoodShed, but seeing's it is still non-existent, I guess I'm the non-existant Nigella either way - :D Nuff of that. I like the woodwork because it lasts and lasts and isn't ephemeral. Very good point for discussion Mick.

cheers
RufflyRustic

TV is entertainment, yes, but that begs the question: "Why is looking at food entertaining." I think it makes sense to use evolutionary arguments. Having a deeply felt interest in food is a great aid to survival (at least, it was for our evolutionary ancestors). Those without an interest in food quickly reaped the consequences. Over time, this mechanism leads most of the population to seek out opportunities to learn about healthy eating, how to prepare food, enjoy looking at well made food, etc.; i.e. it's entertaining.

Woodwork is of far less immediate importance, evolutionarily speaking.