I love cooking, so I may not be the best person to trick your brain into loving it. For me, it’s a healthy thing to hyperfocus on, and I can nerd out and be obsess over my kitchen knives and carbon steel pans. The key is preparation and anticipation. This is where your neurotypical entourage might help. They organize, you cook.

Phase 1: planning in advance

• Plan the meals together. Schedule the whole week. Write them down somewhere visible and accessible. I find knowing in advance what to cook helps a lot. Leave no room for uncertainty and improvisation. Start simple so you can build your skills up. always cook something you know you’ll love.
• Buy all the necessary groceries for the whole week. A single missing ingredient might throw you off track. If necessary, reschedule some meals when best-before dates or time-sensitive ingredients are in conflict with the initial schedule.

Phase 2: prepping

• Plan for today’s meal. Get all the ingredients out. Get all the ustensils out. Mentally map your recipe.
• With a good knife and a good cutting board, cut everything that needs cutting. Don’t weight. Quantities are for pastry, not cooking. Always separate meat and veggies. If impossible, always cut meat last and thoroughly clean everything immediately afterwards.
• FYI, those two phases are called “mise en place”. They’re standard procedure in every single professional kitchen, and for a good reason. It’s all about efficiency.
• Always keep your work area clean.

Phase 3: cooking

• honestly, you’ve already done the hardest part. Just vibe with it. Sear, sautée, boil, season as you like.
• it’s done. Do the dishes immediately. Enjoy.

Bonus, ADHD edition

• Find something you can hyperobsess about. I love kitchen knives, I love caring for them and getting them razor sharp. I love knife skills. If you can get good with a knife, you can save so much time and even take shortcuts because you know you can dice an onion faster than the pan can heat up. I love carbon steel pans and keeping them seasoned and slick because they’re indestructible and can sear at temperatures that would turn any teflon pan in a toxic gas bomb.
• carbon steel ustensils are amazing for people like us. It’s vital to clean and dry them immediately after using them, otherwise they rust. They don’t need babysitting, they don’t need TLC. They just need to be used hard and immediate attention afterwards. That way, your knife and pans are always ready when you need them instead of sitting in dirty water for days/weeks in the sink.
• always cook something you’re excited about. If you don’t feel the rush to eat it, you won’t cook it. Period.
• Find whacky techniques you want to try out. Did you know that one of the best ways to sear a steak to perfection is to coat it in mayonnaise?