Want to Woo the Ladies? Become a 'Gastrosexual'

I've been cooking since I was a kid and I will say the women are always impressed by a guy who can hold his own in the kitchen.

Well, don't look now, but a new term has been coined for the men who know how to cook: Gastrosexuals.

INTRODUCING the "Gastrosexuals" - a new generation of men using their kitchen prowess to seduce women.

While traditionally the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, now the dining tables have turned as increasing numbers of guys take up the hobby to impress prospective partners.

The boom has been fuelled by the popularity of superstar chefs Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver, who have helped make cooking a macho pursuit.

Chef John Meredith, who runs James St Cooking School, in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley, said half of the people booking his classes were men.

"It's very much about men wanting to attract the ladies by serving up a special dinner," he said.

"They range from the 18-year-old student trying to be a cut-above, to the 59-year-old man who is newly divorced and maybe on the lookout for love again.

"Guys tend to come to the classes in small groups, which makes it less daunting for them, but often they have no need to worry because they turn out to be better cooks than the girls."

According to UK research, men having the ability to cook is now a key factor in attracting women, along with salary, status, personality and appearance.

The increase in the number of women working full time has also contributed to the rise of the Gastrosexual male.

AustraliaScan social analyst David Chalke said men had been forced to learn how to feed themselves because they were marrying at a later age.

For Shane Henderson, 26, of Algester, in Brisbane's south, taking up cooking classes was a great way to attract the ladies.

Training to be a paramedic, he says Ramsay is his kitchen idol.

"It's great to learn about different cooking techniques and it's not a bad skill to have in a relationship," he said.

I actually took a cooking class in college as a means of improving my culinary skills, and there were a few guys there who took the class solely to try and meet some young ladies, but they were clueless in the kitchen.

I'll refrain from pointing out the obvious that men are better cooks so as not to offend any of my female readers.

Hot Air links. Thanks!