Electric vs Manual Can Openers: A Tired Cook's Verdict
A Navy cook who once tried to open a can with a butcher knife tells you which can opener to buy and why electric ones always break...
Read More →I Hate Cooking
But I've been doing it for 50 years, so I know what works.
Welcome to Cook's Reality
I'm Michael G. I've been cooking since I was a teenager — 20 years in the Navy feeding 125 to 1,000 sailors at a time, then pubs, restaurants, and now every night for my family. I'm sick of cooking, but I know what works.
This isn't a food blog with pretty pictures and 2,000 words about my grandmother's kitchen. This is straight talk about kitchen gear from someone who's used it for five decades.
Latest Articles
I Cooked for 1,000 People at Once — Here's What I Learned About Prep
A Navy cook explains what prep looks like for 1,000 sailors — including the time a potato peeler ate 50 pounds of potatoes down to silver dollars...
Read More →Why Every Kitchen Needs a Meat Thermometer
Everybody's idea of "rare" is different. A Navy cook explains why a $15 thermometer fixes the guessing game and saves your dinner...
Read More →Keeping Food Hot: What 50 Years in Navy Galleys Taught Me
Steam tables, chafing dishes, crock pots, and the heat lamp that wouldn't stay on. A Navy cook's honest guide to keeping food hot without drying it out...
Read More →The Last Kitchen Knife You'll Ever Need
A Navy cook with 50 years of experience tells you what knife to buy, how to sharpen it, and why you should never try to open a can with one. (He learned the hard way.)...
Read More →Wooden vs Plastic Cutting Boards: What 50 Years of Cooking Taught Me
I've used every kind of cutting board there is — from Navy galley slabs to the one sitting on my counter right now. Here's the honest truth about which ones last, which ones are safe, and which ones are a waste of money...
Read More →More Coming Soon
- Cast Iron for Outdoor Cooking → (for the outdoorsy type)