If we really are what we eat, it pays to be proud of the food that we make.

While it may be true that with our hectic or simply lazy lifestyles we are not going to put hours at a time into every single meal (or indeed the majority of them), it is possible to feel like we have done a good job with much of our diet by just mastering some basic cooking skills and using them to our benefit regularly. We all need to eat one way or another, and a great way to feel like a semi-competent adult is by preparing most of our meals by ourselves at home.

Cooking should be as easy as following a recipe, but all of us have had the kitchen disasters that show us that it isn’t always that self-explanatory. Just like mastering any skill, it is a process that comes with some bumps in the road, especially if we try to do things that are more complex. Some days, we are just going to sling something in the microwave or air fryer for dinner and call it a day, and that’s OK! We don’t have to make a big effort for every meal.

Still, it is nice to do something a little extra with our food from time to time, even if that is as small as putting a soft-boiled egg on top of instant ramen. The great thing about cooking memes is that they can inspire us to do some of these little flourishes, and even if they don’t, they are enough to work up our appetite and get in the kitchen.