For me, one of the joys of writing this column is the feedback I get from readers. I learn a lot from their input.

That was especially true with reader response to my column. “Who cooks for you?”

Readers said kitchens are still primarily the domain of women. And many women aren’t happy to be solely responsible for meals, day in and day out, year in and year out.

That’s what I heard from the majority of women who answered my question: Who cooks for you?

“Without me, my husband couldn’t find his way to the kitchen without a map,” wrote one woman.

Carol said she keeps telling her husband she’s tired of cooking and isn’t going to do it anymore.

“Well, no one else will do it so I have to cook or starve,” she said.

When she had to spend a few days in the hospital, she thought her husband would have to be on his own. “Instead, the neighbors kept bringing him food. No one brought food when I came home,” she noted.

Diane wrote to say he husband’s idea of a meal is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

“So if I don’t cook, I don’t eat,” she said. “I am very health conscious so I won’t just eat to eat,” she said.

When the kids moved out, she told her husband she was no longer cooking. But then she discovered gourmet cooking and loved it.

But 15 year later, she said she’s tired of trying to plan meals then shopping for the ingredients. “I told him I don’t want to do this anymore and he said fine. But he won’t cook,” she said.

So she just continues to cook.

I agree with her that it gets tiresome constantly trying to plan meals. And shopping for food is endless.

While I love cooking and find pleasure in being creative with recipes, it’s a struggle to keep coming up with meals that will please both me and my meat-loving husband.

I tried getting my husband to do some of the food shopping and he’s good at it if I spell everything out. But when I’m in the middle of making a recipe, I still find myself running to the store too often.

One woman told me she sits down once a week and goes over what she needs for her planned dinners. She never has to make constant runs to the grocery store.

I guess I’m not that organized.

Here’s the second surprise in the “who cooks” survey.

More men of all ages are sharing the responsibility for meals. Readers said there are plenty of men out there who share the cooking.

One woman wrote to say her husband enjoys cooking and is willing to do it every day. Their rule is if you cook you don’t have to do dishes.

She said they have fun together experimenting in the kitchen. Their togetherness also includes biking, exercising, wine tasting, playing games and volunteering.

“Don’t use my name,” she said, “because I don’t want women beating on the door to woo my husband.”

She was one of the women who had words of praise for their husband.

Christine Santore and her husband have a unique arrangement that works beautifully for them. He has a flat-top grill and cooks delightful meals during the nicer months. He also makes batches of great Italian food to freeze for when the family gets together. Christine is the winter cook and has her own great specialties.

Terry Pavlacka and her husband also have a great arrangement that works for them. They share the cooking and cleaning, and if the grass needs cutting, Terry said she will do it.

“We’re married for just about 40 years so it must be working,” she said.

When they were first married she did all the cooking and cleaning — until she told her husband, “This isn’t working.” That’s when they came up with their plan to both do the chores.

I had the impression it was the younger men who agree to share the cooking. But Charlotte Marks was among those who proved otherwise.

“Since my husband retired he does 90 percent of the cooking and he helps with housework. We will be married 62 years and I thank God for him every day,” said Charlotte.

Terry Sywenski, who says she’s 72 and happy, probably takes the prize for having the most unique freezer.

“I have 4 freezers packed with elk, deer, and bison, and recently returned from Alaska with 75 pounds of delicious salmon, halibut, cod and rockfish,” ’ she says.

With her background as a sous chef, she enjoys doing her own cooking more than eating out.

One man responding to my survey said he doesn’t cook and his wife refuses to do it. “That means we eat out all the time,” he said. “It works for us but gets awfully expensive.”

Ellen Proctor said that before her husband passed away they shared the cooking. Now her son does the cooking and her daughter-in-law cleans up. What a caring family.

I liked hearing from Marcus Hilbert of Parkland, who does all the cooking and housework, both inside and out.

“It’s really how you were raised to help each other,” he said.

Helping each other. Now there’s a winning solution worth trying.

Email Pattie Mihalik at newsgirl@comcastnet