People downvote but I went to REI to get a dual purpose propane stove for both camping purposes and emergency purposes. At that moment there was another person in the store that was buying one just for backup. Luckily, haven't had to use it for emergencies yet (and successfully deployed it car camping).

Well you prove the point. Gas is necessary when the power is out.

My point is that backup cooking solutions for when the power is out are both cheap and convenient. You don't need to build a wood fire in the backyard just to cook.

Or just a tinfoil tray, a wire rack, and some candles. You're not going to really cook that way, but it should be more than enough to heat up some canned food or ramen or whatever.

Add a few bags of charcoal and you're set to BBQ some gooood ribs or steak there! The candles are nice for lighting at night.