I feel you on cooking not being a hobby. However where it clicked for me: Once I got good enough at it, I realized I could 80-90% of the time cook food that tasted way better and was a lot cheaper than what I could find out at a restaurant. Then it didn't become a matter of hobby but a matter of practicality. Some of my own personal specialities: Omelettes and steak. Almost every restaurant I have been to has no idea how to properly execute an omelette. They are suppose to be light and fluffy, not wrapped-up scrambled eggs. Also, most restaurants have no idea how to grill a steak, especially if it is a thick cut. When you learn about the reverse sear technique, you'll never waste money buying a 50$ steak dinner out again.

The only other problem left at this point is the efficiency equation -- can I think of, buy and then execute on the ingredients faster than it takes for me to drive, get seated, and eat my meal at a restaurant. I am finding the more I do it, the more the answer becomes: yes.