I'm going to say about 97% of people can't cook.

[ShrikeAttack]

I read threads on here about food all the time & even people who claim 'to 'cook', as in 'make stuff hot and eat it', have no idea about food. How to make delicious things, how to treat ingredients, what goes together.

It honestly makes me a bit sad.

The majority of people probably eat really rubbish food.

I really want people to understand food and eat better, not because I'm a dick, but because it would make their lives more pleasurable.

[quote HilaryThorpe]@SchrodingersImmigrant No not your aunt as far as I know. 😂 Yes we do a lot of Middle Eastern food as well. Our bit of France is difficult for curry spices but we can get North African and some Middle Eastern ones. I have the Persiana book and enjoy that, but love the Zaitoun one more. The beef, chard, chickpea and pomegranate recipe is a big favourite at the moment.[/quote]
We are loving Levant and Palestine on a Plate...I always enjoy the excess use of pomegranate molasses, lemon, yoghurt and tahini.

In my opinion good food is food that is healthy and delicious. If it is quick to make, even better.

We had oven baked fish filet tonight with roasted bell pepper and roasted sweet potatoes. As a side we had a vegetable salad with cucumber, tomatoes, onion and radish.

We didn't follow a recipe and basically just threw together random things. It was quick to make and it would probably be what you classify as "shit cooking".

However, we really enjoyed it, it was tasty, quick and healthy ( apart from the tomato ketchup to dip our sweet potatoes in :D)

Fits our lifestyle as a family with a 5 month old baby.

I think your thread and assumption are a bit daft to be honest.

Judging by your menu OP, I think you're right. Where have you learnt about cooking?

I am ok at cooking , but wouldn't come up with anything on your menu. For a start I donr do meal planning and 2 are veggie and 2 are not so in effect I cook 2 meals a day. I find the whole thing a chore on top of work etc. But I'd love to learn what flavours work well etc.

For those who genuinely want to learn to cook better tasting food - not complicated food - just the food you like to make but made better...have a read of Salt, Fat. Acid, Heat by Sammy Nosrat - I think she might even have a show on Netflix at the moment which will give you a fair few pointers.

I think you explained my feelings perfectly @Zerrin13

Thank you@TarnishedSilver

I agree with OP, it on a slightly different note. I think veg/vegans seem to be quite bad at planning delicious meals.

I browse the vegetarian/vegan threads and these are usually “oh make pasta and throw some quorn in”. And meals are often based on meat substitutes or centred around carbs eg, porridge with oats milk. Really, do you need double oats? Why not make it a hat-trick and out some granola on top!
There are amazing vegetarian meals, that are balanced, full of flavor and not carb-laden. But it takes time and live to prepare. Sadly, 15 min prep seems to be the norm, as cooking is seen as a waste of time rather than an investment in oneself.

@HilaryThorpe that sounds delicious and I am googling it!

@Lookingforwardto2021 from what i gathered that's a new gen of vegans somewhat. I saw on number of threads that lots of people who were vegans way back are not that depended on substitutes and use more veg and get creative with it.

My goal for dry Jan is to learn Japanese temple cooking and follow their philosophy.

I’m loving it so far!

@SchrodingersImmigrant, that’s probably true!

The Ocado receipt must be from after September 1st, as that’s when Ocado started selling M&S food.

What I want to know is, why are you buying asparagus out of season?

I agree with OP, it on a slightly different note. I think veg/vegans seem to be quite bad at planning delicious meals.

Not in this house

@Lookingforwardto2021 how would it be possible to make porridge without it centring on carbs? I make mine with water or chocolate soya milk because the flavour of plain soya milk is too overpowering. I don’t eat quorn either. The only unimaginative veggie meals I eat are the ones made by non-veggies who aren’t used to putting veg, pulses and grains front and centre - this includes most restaurant offerings. That said, the River Cottage Much More Veg cookbook is good despite HFW being a meat-eater.
My biggest first world problem in life is that the commercial world (restaurants, fashion) hasn’t yet cottoned on to the fact that vegans aren’t just broke/anti-capitalist students and some of us are quite well off so there are plenty of options on the high street but they are much scarcer in higher-end establishments.

I agree with OP, it on a slightly different note. I think veg/vegans seem to be quite bad at planning delicious meals

This must be a joke, surely.

You must be a special type of unaware if you don't even know that there are many people and cultures who cook good vegetarian/vegan meals. & Long before vegetarianism/veganism became "fashionable".

This is a really weird thread in general.

@Lookingforwardto2021

I agree with OP, it on a slightly different note. I think veg/vegans seem to be quite bad at planning delicious meals.

I browse the vegetarian/vegan threads and these are usually “oh make pasta and throw some quorn in”. And meals are often based on meat substitutes or centred around carbs eg, porridge with oats milk. Really, do you need double oats? Why not make it a hat-trick and out some granola on top!
There are amazing vegetarian meals, that are balanced, full of flavor and not carb-laden. But it takes time and live to prepare. Sadly, 15 min prep seems to be the norm, as cooking is seen as a waste of time rather than an investment in oneself.

You genuinely believe that 9 in 10 people couldn't cook sausage and mash?

Oh, I’m sure people can throw things together. But is it a balanced meal? In the fullest sense. In nutrition, eco-friendly and in visual appeal and flavours. Often not.

Bangers and mash as an example 😃

@Lookingforwardto2021

I agree with OP, it on a slightly different note. I think veg/vegans seem to be quite bad at planning delicious meals.

I browse the vegetarian/vegan threads and these are usually “oh make pasta and throw some quorn in”. And meals are often based on meat substitutes or centred around carbs eg, porridge with oats milk. Really, do you need double oats? Why not make it a hat-trick and out some granola on top!
There are amazing vegetarian meals, that are balanced, full of flavor and not carb-laden. But it takes time and live to prepare. Sadly, 15 min prep seems to be the norm, as cooking is seen as a waste of time rather than an investment in oneself.

It's funny because I have often felt the opposite - when I read the meal plans on here I'm always impressed with the veggie plans.

I can cook, my husband can cook, our families and friends can cook.

We also (when c19 allows) go to restaurants where people can cook.

It's not Mumsnets fault you're not enjoying your Toby Carvery.

@Lookingforwardto2021

Oh, I’m sure people can throw things together. But is it a balanced meal? In the fullest sense. In nutrition, eco-friendly and in visual appeal and flavours. Often not.

Bangers and mash as an example 😃

But the OP is saying whether people can cook, not of they can produce a balanced meal every single time. By you agreeing, your are saying you agree that over 9 in 10 people are unable to cook food. Which clearly isn't true.

Plus sausage and mash is visually appealing and tastes fucking delicious. :P

Oh, I’m sure people can throw things together. But is it a balanced meal? In the fullest sense. In nutrition, eco-friendly and in visual appeal and flavours. Often not.

Most people cook what they can afford after a long day at work. Eco friendly & visual appeal is usually pretty low on their radar. Just getting their children to eat is often struggle enough.

In my experience people who say things like the op, and who call themselves 'foodies' are rarely vegetarians or vegans. Their food often sounds delicious to me ( as does the op's menu, except for Ribollito which I really don't like ) but completely useless for me as DH and DS are vegetarian.

Anyway, as I said, many of us can actually cook. I was taught by my mother who was an excellent cook from an Italian family so I understand Italian cooking particularly well. I also loathe.cooking most of the time. It is stressful, messy, repetitive and the product of that work gone in minutes. The worst is the clearing up and getting the kitchen straight to start all over again. Just so deathyly repetitive and dull, dull dull

Regarding the MN posts - I CAN cook and I do when time allows and enjoy it however... when someone posts on here about quick evening meals or changing up the family menu, they really don't need someone piping up about ballotines or sous vides. They want, as do I 4/5 times, something quick and generally pleasing.

@Lookingforwardto2021

I agree with OP, it on a slightly different note. I think veg/vegans seem to be quite bad at planning delicious meals.

I browse the vegetarian/vegan threads and these are usually “oh make pasta and throw some quorn in”. And meals are often based on meat substitutes or centred around carbs eg, porridge with oats milk. Really, do you need double oats? Why not make it a hat-trick and out some granola on top!
There are amazing vegetarian meals, that are balanced, full of flavor and not carb-laden. But it takes time and live to prepare. Sadly, 15 min prep seems to be the norm, as cooking is seen as a waste of time rather than an investment in oneself.

I agree about the vegetarian cooking. To eat delicious vegetarian food which is not carb heavy takes a lot of preparing. I know how to do this and find the food I cook when I do very good but I can only ever be bothered once a week or less. It doesn't help that DH and DS who are the vegetarians in the house prefer processed shite to simple freshly cooked , well seasoned or spiced vegetables Anyway my solution is to allow DH to do the planning and most of the cooking but is is mostly carb heavy cooking that relies on a lot of meat substitutes .

I've always said if I could afford it, I'd have a chef/ cook above a cleaner anyday

Oh shut up you rabbit-faced donut. You're just upset that your dishes turn out a catastrophe. My great grandpa could cook better than you and he's dead! Disgraceful the entitlement that we see on here these days. XXX, Anita-Sue