Seriously, I like eating and doing home-made food because it just tastes better in most ways, but what always deterrs me is the fact that I have to spent 10-30 or more minutes standing there in the kitchen and watching the food that I cook. Does anyone have any good suggestions how to kill the boredom and encourage me to start cooking more?
Make stuff that doesn't need to be watched, like with a slow cooker. Experiment more, try replacing certain ingredients in a recipe with other similar ones. Stagger your cooking so you can prepare something else while you watch a pot.
I always find I have way too much stuff to do when I try and cook. I try to stagger it, but I hate being so busy all the time. That, and I can't stand going and buying all these bloody ingredients to make wierd recipes. I want a database where I can input ingredients, and then i tells me what I can make with them. I wonder...
you could learn how to flam be and see which alcohols work best with which food
I agree. For example, put something in the oven, and then begin preparing something else. Also, you could try cooking something "interactive" (read: you have to stir/mix it often)
Barring that, just set a timer and go watch TV. Just don't have the TV up too loud, or you might not hear the timer and your food could be ruined!
listen to music
Cook more.
No seriously, do a lot at once. You still have to stand there watching the pot, but then you have several days' worth of meals in the fridge, with cooking time approaching zero. (Just don't stuff it all to the back and forget abut it, like I do.)
Also learn some quick and easy recipes, so you won't have to eat the same chili for four days straight.
Good strategy, especially if you have one of those big freezers. That way you can cook for 8 meals at once and you don't have to eat the same thing 8 days in a row.
eggs are fast for me
I listen to music. Sometimes I drink a glass of wine. But much of what I cook needs pretty regular attention--you've got to stir-fry that, or wait for the other thing to reach a certain temperature, whatever. So I find it holds my attention pretty well.
Either cook uncomplicated stuff like soups and stews, where you can actually go and do something else while waiting, or perhaps cook more complicated stuff so you stay busy? Both work for me.
Multitasking, learn it fool.