Why is this JLPT(N1) question a matter of practicality, not futile effort?

Question

Here is a snippet of text from a JLPT(N1) question:

「俺{おれ}は料理{りょうり}が得意{とくい}なんだ」と自慢{じまん}げに語{かた}る男性{だんせい}の頭{あたま}に、素材{そざい}の値段{ねだん}やかかる時間{じかん}、そして誰{だれ}が後{あと}片付{かたづ}けをするか、などという問題{もんだい}は存在{そんざい}しません。あくまで趣味{しゅみ}なのですから、高価{こうか}な肉{にく}や滅多{めった}に使{つか}わない香辛料{こうしんりょう}を駆使{くし}し、無駄{むだ}をいっぱい出{だ}しながら料理{りょうり}するのです。そして使{つか}い散{ち}らかされた道具{どうぐ}を洗{あら}うのは、奥{おく}さんだったりする。

And here is the related question:

筆者{ひっしゃ}は男性{だんせい}の料理{りょうり}をどう思{おも}っているか。

1　無駄{むだ}な努力{どりょく}である。

2　家族{かぞく}を満足{まんぞく}させている。

3　実用的{じつようてき}ではない。

4　自立{じりつ}のために不可欠{ふかけつ}だ。

I chose answer 1.

However, according to the book, the correct answer is 3. But I just don't see where the issue of practicality, 実用的{じつようてき} is made clear within the text.

Also, isn't saying something is impractical another way of saying that the effort is useless, as in 無駄{むだ}な努力{どりょく}? Is the distinction being made a subtle one, or am I not seeing something obvious in front of my face?

Why exactly is 3 the correct answer?

Please note: I am hoping that someone can point out the specific key words and phrases that I should be focusing on in order to help me see the meaning, not just summarize what the text is saying. I'm trying to understand the language of the text in the question, not just it's premise. Thanks!

Answer 1

Re your edit, starting again trying to translate the entire thing:

「俺は料理が得意なんだ」と自慢げに語る男性の頭に、素材の値段やかかる時間、そして誰が後片付けをするか、などという問題は存在しません。

To the male head who says braggingly "cooking is my specialty", the cost of ingredients and the time it takes, and who is going to clean up afterwards, those kind of problems don't exist.

あくまで趣味なのですから、高価な肉や滅多に使わない香辛料を駆使し、無駄をいっぱい出しながら料理するのです。

In the end it's a hobby, it utilises high-priced meats and spices which are seldom used, it entails a lot of wasting (of money) while cooking.

(Note: 無駄を出す can mean "unnecessarily labour"/"waste money"/"waste resources" etc depending on the context I believe. This phrase might have been chosen deliberately to try to trip up the answerer.)

そして使い散らかされた道具を洗うのは、奥さんだったりする。

And it's the wife who often cleans the dirtied utensils.

The question is "What does the writer think about the man's/men's cooking?"

1. 無駄な努力である: A waste of effort.
2. 家族を満足させている: It's making the family satisfied.
3. 実用的ではない: It's impractical.
4. 自立のために不可欠だ: It's essential for independence (of the man/men.)

By those criteria, it's 3 as it isn't a total waste of effort to cook the food, but it isn't practical either.

Answer 2

I agree with the book's answer. It says that for {the guy,guys}, cooking has nothing to do with time and money spent of buying food and cooking, cleaning and so on. It's just a matter of choosing expensive and rare ingredients, without thinking of who'll clean (it's the wife's job).

To sum up: guys are clueless when it comes to cooking, completely unrealistic, far away from reality.

That's answer #3.

Answer 3

Axioplase explained why choice 3 is a correct answer. Here is why choice 1 (after the correction in revision 2 in the question) is incorrect: 無駄な努力 is at least a 努力 (effort; trying something hard), but the author does not view men’s cooking as an effort at all.