Most people make terrible food and can't actually cook.

[ImNotEntirelySureAboutThat]

They can't.

I read such horrors on food threads.

Either courgettes and mushrooms mixed in a worthy mushy horror.

OR jars, and packets.

Horrible. So. Much. Horrible. Foood.

Maybe it's you who has the problem. Not everyone needs to be Michelin star standards when cooking but because it doesn't taste like restaurant quality doesn't mean they can't cook.

The no seafood culture thing is hilarious. Oh well, more for me

@ImNotEntirelySureAboutThat I am a completely shit cook and am bored by cooking, so anyone else seems good by comparison.

I can cook reasonably well but most of the time am so busy juggling work, childcare, kids clubs, family commitments, modern life etc that most of the time I am often the sort of cook you are describing, taking short cuts or relying on convenience foods. I feel like I work so hard all the time and can't actually fit in freshly prepared amazing home cooked meals every day, especially taking into account dietary issues and fussiness of the various people in my household. Someday they get a jacket potato with tuna and sweetcorn which isn't really what you would call good cooking.

It's all the remembering to have bought planned the meals, bought the right ingredients that will be in date in the right day, remembering to plan something that you can prepare and cook in 20 mins flat because child A had swimming at 4 pm and child B has gymnastics at 5 pm and dh has a hair cut booked at 6pm and child a needs to do their homework and child b gets exhausted after gym and needs to be in bed by 8pm or they turn into Gremlin. Not to mention the 30 Mock exams I'm supposed to have marked by tomorrow.

I think the issue is modern life. Cooking properly for family (and cleaning up afterwards) is a full time job. Most families have both parents out at work and and irrespective of how you divide up the labour of the household it was much easier back un the days when one parent stayed at home to 'run the home'.

I'm not taking any notice of the opinion of someone who doesn't understand the basic principle of statistics.

Go back to maths class.

I'm a pretty shit cook. Fine by me. Food is so boring. It's the dullest thing in the world: planning it, buying it, preparing it, cooking it, eating it, and clearing up.

I basically eat porridge for breakfast and then some combination of simply prepared meat, vegetables, legumes and eggs for the rest. Tastes fine and takes up as little of my time and headspace as possible.

You haven't eaten my food, though, because I never invite people round to eat my cooking.

I don’t think the really bad thanksgiving recipes are indicative of what a great thanksgiving dinner is like.

Those recipes are in the same category as the idiots doing things like this: vm.tiktok.com/ZMFxL1pL4/

I sort of agree with OP.
Quite often I see people post recipes on here and I think that it sounds awful BUT a lot of the time that’s down to it not being to my taste more than anything else. People say how much they love a Maccers or whatever but I can’t imagine being hungry enough to eat from there! We do seem to have a preference for very processed food in The UK
As a nation we have got better - mostly down to the influence of other countries, but I think that a lot of people here have quite low standards. So many times I have been out for a pub meal or similar and the rest of the party have said how nice it was and at best I think “meh” or at worst it’s just reheated rubbish.

So you'll be more than happy to cook for me to save me from my own efforts. Do let me know what time brunch is😁

I dress like a sheep farmer who hasn't seen anyone in 2.5 years (that's what WFH can do to you), but I'm a pretty good cook, when I can be bothered.

I would be so bold as to say, I've never had a cheese scone that is as good as my own. 😱.

Tf is wrong with mushrooms and courgettes?!

Can't see that you've given any examples of the fabulous food that you cook op?

I definitely can cook op. I say that with confidence and have had plenty of reinforcement from people who have eaten my food, friends, family, colleagues etc.

I make a really good pie (with hot water crust), curries, lasagne, roast potatoes and so on, I cook from scratch, haven't bought jars of sauces or gravy mixes for years... So I must be in that 10% do I get a prize, a certificate, or just bragging rights?

I am sure loads of people can't cook, I also feel strongly it is a privilege to be able to cook, and costly I have to buy ingredients and seasoning, I risk getting it wrong and ending up with something inedible, that is a risk some one with a very limited budget can't afford. I am old now nearing 50 it has taken a long time to get the experience to give me the confidence in the kitchen I have now. I still fuck up. So I don't judge people who don't cook/ bake well there are plenty of good reasons for being a bad cook.

I'm not average. I'm below average for most things. I've no idea how my cooking rates but the only people I'm trying to keep alive please are my family and occassionally friends (although DH would generally cook if we had guests)

love this!

I'm good at baking though

Ok people I have taken your criticism on board, I will winterfy my menu.

I tend to use things like courgettes because winter veg tend to be more substantial and with so many courses I don't want to fill people up too much.

OP you know you are being unreasonable, so a lot of people in your family and friends circle don't cook how you like to eat.

I have family and friends who don't like cooking so their cooking isn't great but they try. And if someone is prepared to cook me a meal then I will eat it and appreciate that their efforts.

I personally do not use a lot of jars/packets in my cooking but that doesn't mean that they are wrong to use.

C. 50 million adults in the UK and you've tried most of their cooking? That's impressive!!!

If the many, many friends who have cooked for me, I can only recall one bad meal.

With the weather as it is, courgettes aren’t out of the question this winter.

I just don’t care enough about cooking to worry about whether I’m ‘great’ at it or not.

I do

Foodie means you really enjoy food it doesn't mean you have to be an excellent cook

“I know, but most 'foodies' also boast about being good cooks 🙄”

TBH I think the two do go hand in hand @thehorsehasnowbolted. A foodie enjoys good food and if they can’t afford to r are unable to eat out all the time they will want to make their own good food at home.

I don’t understand the “can’t cook” comments TBH. There are so many resources online, cookery shows and excellent cookery books available. Unless you are dyslexic or have some kind of disability there is no reason why you can’t follow a simple recipe.

I’m jealous that you have easy access to such delicious sounding ingredients @Wilkolampshade

Food is so boring.

No it isn’t. You must be someone who eats to live rather than lives to eat @Ohuhu. To me that sounds so joyless.

I do wonder just how well a lot of people can cook. Often a particular restaurant or takeaway will be recommended and most times me and DH will try it and not be impressed at all.

Also when people recommend certain foods from supermarkets and we try them and know we can cook better.

I'm going to agree with the OP here. Yes I can cook fairly healthy food and keep my family alive. So can most of my friends. Is it ever really tasty? Rarely. It's not terrible but it's also not 'good cooking'. There's only a handful of my friends and family who I would say can truly cook really well.

Just because you don't like what someone else does, does not make it bad , just not to your taste

I am a terrible cook. I also hate cooking with a passion so I have no desire to learn. My Mum is a brilliant cook and tried to teach me but I wasn't interested.

Thankfully DH is also a great cook so my poor DC aren't suffering with my food very often.

Ok redraft

Menu - Winter Solstice

Canapé
Apricot stuffed with brie and wrapped in bacon

Soup
Parsnip soup
Bread roll

Fish
Crab claws with a mustard dip

Salad
Apple and brussels sprouts with chestnuts

Main course
Chicken and leek kebabs
Carrot and pumpkin puree

Savoury
Crispy pancakes with garlic mushrooms

Dessert
Lemon cheesecake

Cheese
Selection of cheeses with biscuits

Fruit and nuts
Selection of apples, pears and quince served with local ethically sourced nuts