# 16 Men who can cook well

In the not so distant past, a man who was a bit handy in the kitchen might have been considered sinister by some, by reason of the fact that he would “definitely” have an appetite for members of the same sex, “init”. It might be said today however, that a man who knows how to handle a pasta machine is sinister for the very opposite reason.

The tall dark and handsome chap offering your girlfriend a match for her unlit cigarette is not to be feared. Overhear a man mentioning the words, “deconstructed” or “velouté”, in her presence and worry. This is not to say that female attraction to men with culinary skills is misplaced; indeed the production of delicious food requires a certain level of patience, passion and dexterity.

The Sinistry lies not in the mere fact of being a man and being good at cooking but the motives behind, and processes involved in, the journey to culinary competence. The men in question pursue culinary arts for the sole purpose of adding another feather to their often well feathered caps and have inevitably sacrificed hours of healthy outdoor pursuits to cross that great watershed in cookery, which I shall refer to as the ‘Risotto Threshold’. Such men are not impressed by tales of vinegar and albumen but dream of gadgets (see earlier), foams and naming their first born, Heston.

These men apply skills acquired in the gastronomic world, to their day to day lives; not least in the way in which they approach women (largely not the single sort). They are meticulous in their preparation, conscious of presentation and execute quickly under pressure. Three star rated Sinistry.