I like cooking. It's actually a pleasant way to come down after a day at work, like playing video games or whatever. I can listen to music or a podcast or watch a show and cook.
I also enjoy feeding people, especially if they're enjoying it. I enjoy that about as much as I enjoy eating good food myself, tbh.
I also like that I can portion control a bit better at home, and buying high-quality food and just eating less of it works for me. I don't need a super-full plate; I just need high-quality, well-cooked food in a reasonable proportion to feel full.
EDIT: Two other things: I live very near grocery stores, and I stop and shop for what I need almost every day, which has helped with waste. I buy something, and that's what we're eating until it's gone. It's harder to do this in some suburban areas, some low-income urban areas, and like every rural area.
Also, my wife regularly says after we've gone out that she liked my version of whatever we ate better than the restaurants, which makes me feel great since I've been working hard to up my game in the kitchen, but also doesn't exactly encourage us to eat out as much. I probably spend most of my eating out money on Japanese food, since I'm not at all skilled in that cuisine, and it's probably one of my two favorite types of food on earth (the other being Southern American cooking, but I have to cut back on that latter one).
