Can you cook?

[OldFred]

Do you consider yourself a capable and competent cook?
Do you enjoy cooking?

Yes, reasonably competent.
People who say they ‘can’t’ cook, usually mean they CBA, IMO.

I’m a brilliant cook when I follow recipes, I’m not the best at coming up with my own recipes. I do enjoy cooking though.

No, your dad couldn't burn water.

That's just a little 'cutesy' thing people say to excuse those too lazy to learn.

And hunter-gatherer days have nothing to do with 2024.

The truth is if someone else is willing to do it, the 'burn water brigade' don't need to learn.

Which again, is completely different to being unable to do something so basic.

Yes. I can follow a recipe and I'm also confident throwing a meal together with whatever we have in the fridge. I know how to change recipes to make them more to my taste or adapt them to the ingredients etc that I have.

I can cook and love to cook but I can be irritatingly bothered if I don't think it's good enough and ask others who are eating what they think. I try to stop that. I love to try new things and love to try to work out what food requires to taste a certain way.

I don't bake but I'd love to. Sadly I decided I shouldn't some while ago as I know I'd eat the finished product ☹️

Anyone can follow a recipe, whether they want to or not is another matter and those that cba clearly cba! If you want to cook its really easy to find a recipe online etc Just own your superpowers - I can cook, I enjoy cooking and baking. If you "can't" then pick another superpower!

I'm also quite controlling and don't really like anyone else to cook for me at home. Probably because I see it as "my thing".

Yes, I was a chef for years, classically trained. I no longer enjoy it but cooked a full Sunday lunch with all the trimmings for DD and a group of exchange students visiting her college.

Yes & yes. I love it. Less now since we have a small baby, I miss it!

Weaponised incompetence has been a "thing" for a very long time.

And as for the Hunter/Gatherer thing-in those communities, the gatherers (aka women) provided the vast majority of the food. While also looking after babies, weaving, looking after any domestic animals-just keeping things ticking over.....

I’m not a good cook and don’t have a very refined palate. DH will eat something and go “oh this would have been better with more dill” or whatever and I can’t pick things like that out at all. He does most of the cooking for the house, if I have to cook for the kids I tend to do the dump it all in the slow cooker type recipes.

Yes, I am capable and competent but after forty years of family meals I am less keen on doing it. So saying, I have just made a pasta sauce for a couple of evenings next week. It's the shopping and planning as well as the actual cooking, now I care for a frail DH fulltime.

I can bake great cakes but can't decorate for the life of me.
One of my friends always says we should go into partnership - I'll bake the goods and she'll do the decorating!

@ShowerOfShites

Except my dad has proactively tried, without me or my mum nagging him. He wants to be good at cooking, or at least be able to create a few decent meals but he just can't. It is not from any lack of trying on his part, it's just the way some people are but you probably won't believe that because you think you know him so much better than me, despite the fact that I have known him for 37 years and you have never met him.

No and no!! Hate it!

He can mash a few potatoes, add a bit of milk and seasoning and fry a couple of sausages.

That's sausage and mash sorted.

He can cut up a bit of veg and meat, and sling it in a saucepan with some stock.

That's a stew sorted.

He doesn't 'proactively try' very hard, does he?

@ShowerOfShites

He is , he's genuinely tried a lot of times. He can do some basic stuff but as this thread is talking about capable and competent cook, and he doesn't really meet that description. Not through lack of trying.

Anyways, this the last thing I'm going to say. Its pointless arguing with someone who actually thinks that they know all about someone they have never met or even heard of before this afternoon.

I am capable and competent if I follow recipes and take my time but I literally despise it and do as little as possible

Capable enough to cook from scratch for my family and ensure a healthy diet. I hate it though and I hate baking even more.

Yes, and I love it. I bake too, both conventional and specialist gluten free. I love improvising and making things work and I am always ready to try new things based on what the people around me suggest - this summer I have been expanding my vegetarian and vegan skills. Cooking is a way of telling myself the working day is over.

My DC are all good cooks too.

I can cook basic stuff well ( lasagna, ragus, pies etc) but not fancy stuff and especially not if it’s v technical or v timing sensitive. Honestly though I just don’t enjoy it- it’s just housework to me. I tend to buy a lot of semi prepped stuff from Waitrose/ M&S and just cook vegetables/ throw a salad together to go with it.

I thought it was just me.

i hate cooking and I'm no good at it. I tried some night school cookery classes, but didn’t enjoy it and am still no good.

Im a fantastic cook and love cooking but OH eats a limited beige diet/processed food, so I only cook very small amoutns for myself and cant do big feasts that I would love to do, tapas, Italian, Indian, ME etc etc as I cant get through it all and I dont have anyone else to cook for

I am a terrible baker though, never bake, havent a clue what its all about.

I’m a decent cook and a good baker. Am an EXCELLENT eater!!

I'm a competent cook who dislikes following recipes most of the time

I'm great at baking bread and cakes but I don't have a sweet tooth so don't often bake cakes

I cook mainly Italian, French and Asian food plus your standard British roast

I go through phases where I hate cooking for the family because it's a chore

But I'm back into cooking again