Latest news with #DennisGranlund
ABC News
3 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Older men take to the kitchen
Samantha Donovan: Well, for some older men, their only cooking experience is putting a sausage or steak on the barbecue. But when their wife falls ill or dies, suddenly they're finding themselves in a foreign part of the house, the kitchen. A grassroots program in Canberra is teaching men over 60 to cook and helping them connect with other men in retirement. Angus Randall filed this report. Noah Fowler: What we're doing at the moment is we're just going to put all the scraps on the table and we're going to clean them as we go. Angus Randall: At a community kitchen in Canberra's south, the air is thick with onion, garlic and dad jokes. John Seymour: I realised I didn't know very much about cooking and I needed to learn. Angus Randall: John Seymour's wife Heather had been the head chef in their house, but when she fell ill, he had to step up and learn how to cook. John Seymour: I think a lot of men, including me, have realised that the time has come to do more around the house. Meals just don't magically arrive on the table. You have to learn, and I've learned a great deal. Angus Randall: He's taking part in a session run by Men's Kitchen, a volunteer-led program teaching men over 60 how to cook. For many, it's a brand new skill. Their wives did all the cooking. Dennis Granlund has had to learn how to run a house since his wife died 15 months ago. Dennis Granlund: She left a large binder of menus and recipes and so on that I refer to. She was a teacher in home economics, and so she had good cooking skills. I was the apprentice, but she was the chief chef. Angus Randall: The program takes men through the entire process, from shopping for ingredients to preparing and cooking, clean-up and, of course, eating. Volunteer instructor Sonja Berghuis has spent more than 30 years as a home ec teacher. Sonja Berghuis: I was quite surprised when I came my first week that when it came to even washing the vegetables, some of the gentlemen said, oh, I didn't realise that we needed to do that. I decided that this was something where I could give back to the community, use the skills that I have to help other people, which is something that I'm really passionate about, and it's good for my own wellbeing. Angus Randall: The program began in Sydney and has spread to Canberra and the Gold Coast. Local organiser Don White says older men are often isolated and the weekly classes can open up their world in more ways than one. Don White: Especially men that are by themselves or they've retired, they've lost their work relationships, a lot of them are quite lonely, so this gives them an opportunity to get together with other men, learn a few cooking skills. A lot of the men, in fact, their wives have said, go out and learn to cook. I've had enough. Your turn. Angus Randall: John Seymour can now whip up a Moroccan chicken dish and he's keen to learn more. John Seymour: The recipes have three hats, one hat, two hats and three, and I'm still at the one hat stage. Samantha Donovan: That's Canberra man John Seymour ending that report from Angus Randall and Sarah Grieb.
ABC News
4 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Canberra cooking class teaching older men kitchen skills with a side of social connection
In a bustling community kitchen in Canberra's south, the sounds of chopping, sizzling and dad jokes fill the air. It's lunchtime at the Men's Kitchen — a grassroots program teaching men over 60 how to cook. For many of the men here, cooking is a brand new skill. Some are recently widowed or caring for partners who can no longer cook, others are simply looking for connection in retirement. John Seymour's reason for signing up is a deeply personal one. After his wife fell ill, he found himself taking on the role of head chef for the first time in his life — but was unsure where to begin. "I realised I didn't know very much about cooking, and I needed to learn," Mr Seymour said. "I think a lot of men, including me, have realised that the time has come to do more around the house. "Meals don't just magically arrive on the table. You have to learn, and I've learned a great deal." Mr Seymour said he now understands how to shop for ingredients, follow a recipe and even whip up a Moroccan chicken dish. "Recipes are rated by how difficult they are — one, two or three hats," he said. "I'm still at the one-hat stage, but I've progressed." For newcomer Dennis Granlund, the class comes 15 months after the death of his wife. "She was the chief chef, I was the apprentice," Mr Granlund said. Mr Granlund said he joined the Men's Kitchen to build new skills, get new ideas for healthy eating and hopefully make new friendships. John Seymour said the group is always excited to get new members like Mr Granlund. "It's a very friendly group," Mr Seymour said. "All of us are at the same stage in life and we support each other. It's a very sociable occasion." The sessions are run by volunteer instructors like Sonja Berghuis, who has spent more than 30 years as a home economics teacher helping her students learn to cook. "I thought this was something where I could give back to the community and use the skills that I have to help other people," Ms Berghuis said. Each class involves a full recipe walk-through, with men taking turns to shop for ingredients, prepare, bake and cook — all while swapping stories and sharing a laugh. Ms Berghuis said even learning the most basic skills can make a huge difference. "I was quite surprised when I came my first week, some of the gentlemen didn't realise you needed to wash the vegetables," Ms Berghuis said. "They also ask some great questions. They're surprised by how much they're learning — and they take it seriously. "We'll decide today what we're going to cook next time and some of the men will go home and practice the recipe, so they know what to do next time. I think it's really lovely." The program was brought to Canberra by Don White, who said he saw a growing need for social connection among older men — especially after retirement or losing a spouse. "A lot of men have lost their work networks or are living alone, so this gives them an opportunity to get together with others," Mr White said. "They look forward to coming, they love being together and talking to each other."
