Cooking Meals for Office Colleagues

[Rizby]

It never crossed my mind that cooking/baking things to bring to the office to allow colleagues to partake could have some sort of stigma to it.

 

I'm an incidental cook, enjoying to dabble in may culinary adventures and often my office colleagues become the guinea pigs for my new recipes.

 

I'm sort of the boss there, which makes me weird and unconventional. But I always think conventional is boring anyway. So the other day, I had brought this sinfully rich, chocolately, delectable cake to the office and after the mandatory reticence, my co-workers delved hungrily into its sugary goodness.

 

When I related this story to my straight female friend, she advised me cautiously that doing such things was kind of "gayish." Is it?? Is there anything gayish about wanting to show off one's cooking talents? A lot of celebrity chefs are male anyway...and a guy who can cook is a big bonus in my books. (I'm gay and open to a specific circle of friends - including this straight female friend of mine).

 

But wanting to share in my splendid recipes has got nothing to do with my sexual orientation! I made a lot of other dishes since and today I baked the most unbelievable apple pie with prunes and nuts in it. It was fantastic!

 

Or should I listen to my friend, be boring, and refrain from bringing my potluck surprises?

[BellaDonna]

When I related this story to my straight female friend, she advised me cautiously that doing such things was kind of "gayish." Is it?? Is there anything gayish about wanting to show off one's cooking talents?

 

I've never heard that in my life.

 

Since when did baked goods acquire a sexuality?

 

Chocolate cake is ALWAYS welcome.........at least for me anyways! yum I wish a coworker of mine would bake for me. I'd be forever grateful.

 

My husband is not "gay" and he loves to cook and bake- he made a killer banana bread this weekend.

 

 

 

BellaDonna

[shes2smart]

I've never heard that before either. It's likely just a weird idea your friend has.

 

Homemade food brought to my workplace (a radio station) is generally snarfed down with thanks coming through full mouths regardless of who made it....unless the homemade goodie was dropped off by a listener....then we steer clear of it...but that's got nothing to do with sexual orientation

[Beec]

Baking, hmmm, not many men bake, that I know of. I have baked a few pies, maybe one cake and once put in a bunch of effort and made a torte (cake with no flour. instead it had ground nuts, almonds, which I ground into a flourlike consistency by hand. too much effort to do it again.) Pies, I have made quite a number of pies.

 

I think there are plenty of men that do things that might be considered effeminate. I think your attitude towards them also affects how people perceive you. If you want around with a big tote bag that everyone calls a man bag, and you laugh about it in a masculine way, and make fun of it yourself, then people won't think of you as feminine because of it. If you take a Popeye lunch box to work and know how to pull it off, people will not think of you as too juvenile. They'll see one aspect of you as being that way, maybe, but not you as being that way.

 

And how people perceive you in light of your baking will depend on your attitude toward it and other things. Are you gay or only worried to be perceived as being gay?

[Crazyaboutdogs]

I think your friend is way off base. I think most people would love if someone came to their office everyday with delicious food they baked. Sexual orientation would never even be considered. Don't stop being yourself because of other people's possible perceptions. Maybe your friend is just jealous that she gets no baked goods at her place of work!

[No Spaces Rob]

Your friend is being ridiculous. There is no rational explanation for her link between sexuality and cooking, and it seems as if she has some issues of her own. Why does she have sexual orientation on her mind, and why is that an issue for her? Why ought it to be an issue for co-workers?

 

It seems like weird superstitious scaremongering.

 

In our office both men and women are known to cook things and a number of us, me included, have cooked things and brought them to work.

[Boughtandpaidfor]

Men (and women) who can't cook will "accuse you" of being gay!!!!!! I can't cook- and I like men..... it's a stigma but I deal

[WhyteSkaii]

...and a guy who can cook is a big bonus in my books.

 

lol pretty big bonus in my book too seeing as i can't really cook myself, but don't worry about it lol. I have a straight friend who liked to cook, he actually made cookies and a cheesecake before. If it's your passion and you enjoy it then don't think much of it. As you said they do have a lot of male chefs out there, you can be the next big one

[CarnelianButterfly]

I would totally love a boss that did that. It would be so cool to be able to be in an environment like that. I like to bake for my research group, it makes me feel good spoiling them and I know they love my sweets (I never have any left).

 

Does it really matter if a guy knows how to cook, look at Bobbie Flay, Mario Batali, or Emeril, people don't talk about sexual orientation, they talk about how great they cook. Besides, how can someone with a mouth full talk at all .

[rose2summer]

Food is wonderful, no matter who makes it. I find that very impressive that you bring in baked goods for others at work. I would absolutely love that. My bosses have always brought in candy, to keep us all sugared up while we worked, I liked it a great deal, and it made me feel right at home! There is nothing gay to cooking, it's a wonderful skill to have, and one I hope to develop soon before I ever get married.

[BrokenWingedFaery]

Unfortunately, your friend's opinion is the one I hear alot where I live. The idea here being that any man who'd do "women's work" (i.e. baking, cooking, sewing) has to be gay. It's stupid, discriminatory, annoying and off base, so let your friend know that and keep bringing stuff in!

[Tigris]

I think everyone appreciates your kind gesture. Forget about what your friend says and continue to do it. You enjoy cooking and they enjoy eating.