To feel that sad that basic cooking skills are dying out

I think this is not true. Most people can cook basic things and if they can’t they can Google. Cooking came back in fashion some time ago OP! Also most kids have some cooking lessons at school still.

Haha. The youth of today…. Plato whined about this 2000 years ago. nothing has really changed.

I think your premise is flawed. There have always been lots of people who can’t cook, especially men in previous generations. And plenty who can (and do) cook but don’t enjoy it and/or don’t do it well.

children today have the same opportunities to learn.

I don’t see cooking dying out at all. I learned to cook growing up - my dad was a chef and we were in the kitchen before we were in school. By age 10 I could cook a roast dinner. My DC both spend time in the kitchen with me learning basic skills, my DD learns cooking from scratch in home economics and also has lessons in school with a professional chef teaching her how to cook in a commercial kitchen.

I think as food costs increase, cooking becomes more of an essential skill.

I think this is pretty much bollocks tbh.

Pretty much everyone in my circle is a good cook, and will happily and regularly make everything from homemade bread, to British classics, to Mexican/Vietnamese/Indian food, from scratch.

My mum (in her late 50s) though? Can bake and do meat and two veg. Anything else she makes tends to be … interesting. And UPF laden. Know quite a lot of my mums friends cook similarly poorly.

There is very possibly an issue - or will be an issue- for the many children and young people now growing up, through no fault of their own or their parents- in abject poverty and/or temporary accommodation, who don’t have the facilities to cook full meals, or money for ingredients. This IS something to be genuinely (not faux) sad about, will likely be another push factor for many families towards another intergenerational cycle of socioeconomic deprivation, and is another example of the dereliction of duty that has come to epitomize this government.

if this does really sadden you, OP, and this wasn’t intended to be a smug/ goady post, then I suggest you vote accordingly in your local and upcoming general elections, and make donations to (eg) the Trussel Trust or similar.

People with disabilities exist.

I know people who aren’t keen on cooking, and would rather order a takeaway. And people who aren’t very good at it. But I’m not sure I know anyone who can’t cook at least enough meals to get through a week.

I can cook but I absolutely hate it, so I don't do it unless I have absolutely no other choice.

I have more enjoyable things to be doing with my evenings than standing over the stove and washing dishes, thank you.

I honestly think a lot of people are just absolutely exhausted and can’t find the energy to be creative / cook a meal from scratch / can’t afford to buy lots of ingredients.

I can cook. I’m good at it actually. I used to spend a lot of time doing it.

But with both of us working full time + kids, tbh I often am just looking to produce something easy so I don’t spent me entire 1-2h a day of awake non-working, non-childcare time in the kitchen.

If I offered to either make you an omelette or do brain surgery on you, I'd seriously recommend letting me have a crack at the surgery 🤣

Lots of people can't do things because they have never had the opportunity to.. but then learn when they have to.

I got a confused phone call from DH earlier... he was trying to buy a duvet, but realised he had no idea what tog rating he needed. He's never had to buy one before, despite being 40yo. He's now learnt.

i can read but cooking is a skill that I’m not I’m not that good at it.
my parents are excellent cooks but I never learnt.

I see an instruction gently fry onions and garlic- my garlic is burning well before onions are anywhere near what picture or internet looks like. Or everything just sort of sits there, presumably too low.

I can “cook” one simple meal from scratch - pasta sauce garlic, chorizo, canned tomato olives and basil. Is that cooking though as it doesn’t seem to really start from raw things.

The one thing I can cook perfectly is rice.

It's a choice. Public libraries are free to use and have basic cookery books available. There are SO many tutorials on social media. You can cook if you want to. But you don't have to.

Except cooking is a gazillion times easier to do than brain surgery.

My mum couldn't cook for toffee when I was young, it was all jars of chicken tonight (supermarket branded) and fish in sauce in a bag, we lived in the East end in a diverse community and her good friend did teach her a couple of cracking curries and she did teach me to make a lasagne (dolmio type sauce but home made bechamel). I started working in restaurants and quickly realised I could earn more per hour in the kitchens, I worked hard and learned quickly. By the time I graduated I could cook fairly well and have never bought a jarred sauce or packet mix in my life. Funnily when I returned home my mum was really interested in what I'd learnt and now I've long moved out is a keen cook!
DF could always cook but it was quite simple food, liver and onions, stuffed lamb hearts, cottage pie, spaghetti Bolognese etc fine to feed a family but he'd do odd things like decide to put mint in on the Bolognese to jazz it up!

DS is only five but loves helping in the kitchen, has a good memory for recipes and flavour combinations, DH is more a good as fuel person but he can cook a decent meal and I have no worries when I go away that he won't be able to feed DS appropriately.

Most of my friends and colleagues cook from scratch regularly, only DB and SIL seems to rely on ready meals, take aways etc but that's more about not wanting to spend the time rather than a lack of capability

🙄

You might as well be saying if you can read, you can do brain surgery. It really isn't as simple as that for many people.

And the point of the thread is ....?

Basic cooking skills aren't 'dying out' at all?

What an odd little op!

@TeenLifeMum Ok you win with the toast thats impressive getting that wrong 😅😅 Eggs are my nemesis to be honest... fried = fine, hard boiled = fine, huevos rancheros = fine! But poaching, omelettes and runny boiled ones are off the table 🙈🙈

I knew someone who didn’t even know how to boil potatoes or cook any vegetables.

How can anybody not cook? If you can read you can cook.

Totally agree OP! Not being able to cook is miserable.

Yes proper cooking should be taught in schools. Other countries can manage it, we should be able to too. Unfortunately cooking in schools is no longer cooking and all about can you make sausage rolls from premade pastry and can you design a pretty packet for a sandwich. Nothing actually useful in real life. I want people to come out of school knowing how to make cheap basic meals which will help prepare them for life.

Not everyone has the resources to be able to cook from a YouTube video or the confidence to do so. If you have no cooking knowledge how do you know if the meat is cooked enough and not going to poison the whole family? Is it the food the right golden yellow colour to show that it cooked? Is something the right texture when you have mixed it and how do you know it's right? Many people need a physical teacher to help them not just a video.

Im not sure its any better or worse now than its ever been in terms of skills... my lovely parents can cook but its not the best (sorry mum!).. my friends and I probably use a mixture of from scratch and convenience like jars or freezer stuff and salad (FT jobs, kids, time etc).. teenage nieces/nephews choose quicker foods but can cook if they feel inclined/have to... everyone is fed and healthy, all seem happy with what theyre eating. So does it really matter 🤷🏽‍♀️

When I was young it was quite common for men not to cook at all. Nowadays I think a lot more men cook, so I would say overall more people can cook. I think the issue is people are time poor and its tempting to buy something ready made.