I bought my house for its beautiful kitchen. It is a space we love; a gathering place for my daughters and me. We stand around the large granite island, reflect on our days, dream about the future and everything in between.

But I don’t use the space to cook as much or in the ways I imagined I would. And more disappointingly, WE don’t cook together. With the girls heading back to school, I have been thinking more about our fall routine and how I would love to change this situation. The truth is, I’m not sure how.

I remember spending countless hours in my grandmothers’ kitchens. One was an amazing scratch cook and baker. Truly talented. The other? Not so much, but from her I still learned the basics of cooking and how to follow a recipe. She did not like to cook, but it was part of her role in the family and she did it dutifully.

My mom, the daughter of this second grandmother was from the same vein. We had our old standbys, but never anything too adventurous. Additionally, she was a single mom who worked several jobs. Time was limited. We ate casseroles and leftovers; eventually the microwave became the primary cooking tool.

Back to my beautiful kitchen. I have dozens of square feet of countertops waiting for meal prep. I also have a gas stove. Oh sure, I use all of it on holidays and special occasions, or a Sunday evening dinner when I have a little extra time. I am a decent cook and I do experiment from time to time. Obviously, I cook with a lot of pork because it is what I know after my years in the industry. I probably use pork in ways many people never think (so my friends find me “creative.”) I am not; just practical. Come on, slicing up pork loin into strips and tossing it on a salad is not exactly the stuff of Top Chef.

Last winter, I folded to peer pressure and got an InstantPot. Why not? It promised all the flavor and convenience of a slow cooker in a fraction of the time. As I unboxed it, my 5-year-old asked, “What is that, Mommy?” I told her I was going to use it to make dinner. With the curious innocence that only a 5-year-old can get away with, she quickly pointed at our microwave and said, “But that’s what THAT is for.”

For that little one, there is still time. I have 12 years to mold her and, God-willing, teach her the ways of the kitchen. Not just the microwave but also the stovetop, oven and even the grill. For my teenagers, however, I’m afraid the opportunity is lost. They can just as easily order food delivery on their phone as open the refrigerator and heat up something.

I ask myself every day how in the world can pork be relevant to this next generation. We live in a world where time is precious and unlikely to be spent learning how to cook things that are not already in their conscious rotation. Staples like ground beef and chicken breasts make their way into the shopping cart due to habit and perceived versatility and ease of cooking. Even my daughters, who barely know how to light the stove, could brown hamburger if asked. No pork cut carries the same easy halo. We have work to do in this regard.

I am certain one of my twins has the local Mexican restaurant on speed dial. When the weather is nice, she drives there to pick up her food. When it is rotten outside, she orders through CHOMP and they deliver. I have tried to convince her that shredding some pork loin and throwing it on top of Spanish rice with queso would be just as fast, tastier and a HECK of a lot more cost effective. Can someone please make this meal kit as a grab-and-go option at my local HyVee? Then, maybe, I could get her to try it. Of course, it must be microwaveable!

I am teaching my daughters many lessons in this kitchen, but how to cook is not one of them. If my household is typical – and I suspect it is – our industry has a challenge ahead.

Such a beautiful kitchen — if only we would use it

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