Our men’s cooking group
Earlier, when I introduced this blog, I made mention of our men’s cooking group. They’re called ‘The Twisted Cooks’ and we gather regularly to prepare and cook at various community events. “Dinner with a Twist” is the name we have given to the series of dinners that we cater for.
So how did “Dinner with a Twist” start? More importantly, how did we come up with the title? Well, the answer to that question is “I can’t remember” but it may have been arrived at during the Thursday evening happy hour. Seriously though, it had its origins in 2022 after the cooking lessons I hosted the previous year for some of the men in our community.
Having come from a culinary background, I thought there might be a need to teach some of our male residents some cooking basics. So, a number of interested males gathered in our community kitchen and for a small fee we produced a main course and a dessert – and then we ate it. It proceeded well but a combination of cancellations due to Covid and the cost of ingredients forced me to consider alternative ideas. I felt that it should be more about men feeling confident in a kitchen environment and at the same time learning a few skills.
At the beginning of 2022 I suggested to our Social Committee that the cooking group prepare and serve a dinner in a lounge area adjacent to the kitchen. I chose a Monday evening, and the first one was limited to 30 guests. After being postponed until March (because of Covid) we ended up serving 39 residents – the additional 9 guests were on the reserve list, and we didn’t want to disappoint. For a cost of $12 per person we served Chicken Roulade followed by Sticky Date Pudding. It should be pointed out that, like all good chefs, we make a bit of mess and fortunately the Social Committee (and a few others) not only set the room but also cleaned up. Our October 2024 dinner was our fourteenth and we now limit the number to 75 persons. From December 2022 that same group of volunteers combine to present both our lunch and dinner Christmas functions. Currently we have 7 members in the group and the average is around 77. It’s a nice sized group for our sized kitchen, but occasional absences mean we could probably accommodate a couple more men.
The management of our village tell me that they haven’t heard of a similar group within retirement communities, in Australia. I don’t know if that is correct, but I do know that it has given a number of men the opportunity to remain active, both physically and mentally. It is an activity that they continue to look forward to being inolved with and it is much appreciated by their fellow residents.
Suggested follow up articles
How does the cooking group work? Recipes; photos. Relationship with support volunteers.
*Downsizing – Choosing the correct appliances for your kitchen.
For many over 55’s, the decision to move into a retirement village is a welcome relief from having to look after a larger property. In 2020, when we moved into our village, we took the opportunity to update some appliances while others enjoyed a second life somewhere else.
Because there is now only one or two people in your dwelling, the volume you are cooking should be less, and keep in mind, you have also realised that you probably have less storage space. Both these factors should influence your choice and varieties of kitchen appliances.
Apart from the oven, stove top and dishwasher (which are generally included in your dwelling) we purchased a new fridge (to fit), a toaster, kettle and a microwave (also to fit). We brought with us a sandwich toaster, a slow cooker, a stick blender/food processor and a waffle iron (for the grandkids). Later we purchased and air-fryer and scored a coffee machine.
The list of what we didn’t bring was quite large and included – blender, juicer, popcorn maker, electric can opener, food processor, water purifier and bread machine.
Recently we replaced port and pans with a non coated variety.
We have never owned a deep dryer, a Sous-vide cooker, a rice maker or a steamer. You should be able to achieve results of equal quality with some pretty basic equipment.
So, while I would recommend upgrading an appliance, try and avoid being swayed to purchase something that you will rarely use.