How would you define being able to cook?

[Weekendtobegin]

I'm just interested to see what people would class as being able to cook and how you would define someone who can't cook.

I would probably say that being able to cook would mean to be able to make a range of common meals from scratch and to be able to follow a recipe to a good standard.

Or would you say it was more being able to create a recipe of your own.

There is a lot of difference between inventing (edible) recipes and being able to cook enough that you don't starve. I would probably say cooking at least a few things from scratch, even if just omelettes and jacket potatoes, rather than heating convenience food. DD can cook, but her repertoire is v limited. My dad cannot cook, he puts things from a packet into the oven or microwave. I can cook, I follow recipes or just make food but my food would win no awards.

I think being able to make a range of food without following a recipe step by step.

Being able to change/alter recipes as needed, so understanding what the elements are and how they interact with each other so of you don't have X you know you can use Y.

Understanding more complex recipes that have more technical terms in them (beyond stir, boil, chop etc).

I can't do any of these and consider myself a bad cook.

Roughly what you said.

There are different levels, but being able to invent reveries is at the higher end.

Being able to cook to me would mean a high standard of every day snacks and meals
Eg omelette
Cottage pie
Curry (even with shop bought paste)
A roast

Decent everyday food. Basic.

Knows basic techniques, hygiene and safety
Can follow a recipe
Can cook somethings from scratch
Can make something edible from the limited ingredients at their disposal

I'm not sure why following a recipe would not be considered cooking. What else is it? I agree with pp that it's being able to make food beyond heating up something pre-prepared.

@NuffSaidSam

I think being able to make a range of food without following a recipe step by step.

Being able to change/alter recipes as needed, so understanding what the elements are and how they interact with each other so of you don't have X you know you can use Y.

Understanding more complex recipes that have more technical terms in them (beyond stir, boil, chop etc).

I can't do any of these and consider myself a bad cook.

Same. I can cook a bit. I do revert to jars etc quite a lot of the time so really I'm just heating stuff up. I'm not a good cook at all.

I’d agree with you. Being able to make a few basics meals from scratch and capable of learning more.

It’s taken me many years to hone my skills however, I class myself as a good cook. I make everything from scratch.

Those who ‘can’t cook’ in my life basically throw something in the oven every night or eat jacket potatoes with beans or pasta with jarred sauces.

My Mum taught cookery. I am a decent cook and am good with flavours etc, can make up a meal with what we have, am a decent baker etc etc. But, e.g. I don't have the knife skills my Mum has, don't have many piping skills (can do some very basic stuff), don't prepare restaurant quality plated up food. Fashion in home cookery has changed which explains some of it but I think what people consider 'being able to cook' will vary depending on their own abilities and their knowledge of what is possible.

it's being able to make food beyond heating up something pre-prepared

I agree. I'm not an amazing cook but I would say I can cook. As in I can make a spag bol from scratch or know how to cook an omelette. I could make a white sauce for lasagne without using a jar.... that sort of thing. I would have to follow a recipe for anything unfamiliar or for baking though.

My DM can't cook. She can put ready meals in the microwave, heat up freezer food in the oven and make something like beans on toast but that's it. I'd say she can't cook but can ensure she's fed!

To me, being able to cook just means following a recipe (not necessarily to a high standard), not creating a brand new recipe.

Opening the fridge and being able to make a meal (that tastes nice) out of the random assortment of shit you find when its the day before the big shop.

These sound like a list of requirements for a scout badge😂

For me, as well as obviously being able to follow a recipe, it is knowing how to make things like pastry, batter, a roux etc without following recipes. Also knowing which herbs and spices to use if "inventing" something yourself.

I would probably say that being able to cook would mean to be able to make a range of common meals from scratch and to be able to follow a recipe to a good standard.
= being able to cook

Or would you say it was more being able to create a recipe of your own.
= being a very good cook or an aspiring chef.

Not being able to cook = being unable to put fish fingers in the oven; cooking baked beans by putting the can in the oven; eating only cold or microwave foods and toast.

I'd describe myself as a confident cook - I sometimes follow recipes but often adapt them or just take a pile of ingredients and create my own meal. But I've been cooking since my mid teens and I'm early forties now so it's definitely something that takes time/mistakes to learn. And it takes time to do day to day so I'm not precious about it. I can make a quiche from scratch but I have a full time job/kids/dog and supermarkets have perfectly nice quiche!

I'm always baffled by the "can't cook" comments. Unless you are dyslexic or have a physical disability then you can follow a recipe. A good recipe book that explains the steps to make a good meal can't be that difficult to follow?

I get that some people dislike cooking, but that doesn't mean that they are physically incapable of cooking, surely?

What really annoys me is when either my DH or adult DS1 say I can’t cook as well as you, but I say it’s just practice. My younger DS2 loves to cook and never uses recipes.

I think I must be a good cook as we always have empty plates after meals, cakes and biscuits eaten before they’ve had time to cool.

It’s not often maybe once every 6 months that I try something different that isn’t liked or eaten.

I'm a pretty decent cook, but I have a poor memory for numbers and have to look up quantities and times for recipes where it matters like shortcrust or sponge.

This doesn't stop me being able to switch ingredients confidently, make up my own recipes and produce something tasty from a random assortment of ingredients.

I'd say I can cook. MIL couldn't. She had to resort to jars the whole time.

Interesting question!

My FIL can't cook at all. I don't think he's ever tried to make anything tbf and he's not stupid so I'm sure he could follow a recipe if he had to but he has no desire to. If he's ever without someone to cook for him he'll get takeout or go to a restaurant.

My mum doesn't enjoy cooking but my dad works long hours so she always does the cooking. She makes everything from scratch but generally just follows a recipe and doesn't tweak things to her taste.

I love cooking and food so spend a fair bit of my free time reading recipe websites to get ideas, planning what to cook, reading all the comments etc. I like to tweak recipes or combine multiple recipes together and will keep cooking different permutations of the same thing until I get the perfect recipe which is when it goes in my recipe book (I'm working on ribs at the moment which is taking ages as the sauce I've settled on has so much sugar I don't want to make it more than once every couple of weeks. Haven't got the cooking method quite right yet though and they're still not as tender as I'd like). I can't wait till my kids are a bit older so I can make meals that take longer than 10 minutes!

@ThreeRingCircus

it's being able to make food beyond heating up something pre-prepared

I agree. I'm not an amazing cook but I would say I can cook. As in I can make a spag bol from scratch or know how to cook an omelette. I could make a white sauce for lasagne without using a jar.... that sort of thing. I would have to follow a recipe for anything unfamiliar or for baking though.

My DM can't cook. She can put ready meals in the microwave, heat up freezer food in the oven and make something like beans on toast but that's it. I'd say she can't cook but can ensure she's fed!

I think this in accurate. I can cook as per this poster, but I don't particularly enjoy it, so tend to go minimum effort while avoiding too much processed foods.

It takes practice, wanting to experiment, interested in the food and having confidence.
The people I know who are ‘good’ do all these things.

As long as someone’s of average intelligence, and is capable of reading a simple recipe, I don’t think there’s any such thing as ‘can’t’ cook.

IMO it’s much more usually a simple case of CBA.

Being able to make an edible & nutritious meal from raw ingredients, with or without a recipe book.
Knowing when food is neither under nor overcooked, or at least cooked to your taste without risk to health 😁
I think it just takes a bit of interest and practice.

Able to make a range of basics from scratch, without relying on jars, packets and ready meals.
I considered myself able to cook when I'd mastered a white sauce that I could make into a cheese sauce, a bolognese that I could turn into chilli or lasagne, a pasta bake and a roast. This is what I plan to make sure the Dc can do before they leave home! Since then I've learnt a lot of other things from recipes over several years.
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