to think that people should be able to cook?

[bobbytorq]

I've been lsitening to radio 2 this morning and Joanna Scanlan is on ans she said she made a roux for the first time recently and found it hard work. I make a roux often and it's really easy and my kids have been making them since they were 10/11 too. It made me think that there musrt be loads of people who just don't have the cooking basics.

I know how to make it but only do so for white sauce to go in lasagne

i think there is also a generational divide here, stuff in white sauce, gravy, cheese sauce etc is very much stuff that my parents and grandparents eat. I rarely eat that kind of food.

I'm ancient and have O'level domestic science. So, yeah, I can make a roux. I can also make puff pastry from scratch. Go me.

I'd consider a more relevant life skill being able to put healthy food on the table for my children tbf.

Making a roux is a basic skill if you intend sauce making to be a big part of feeding yourself.

I doubt it is for most people.

Joanna Scanlon sounds like she's one of those "oh me, can't do anything basic" people. And the OP sounds the opposite.

Roux is just melting butter in a pan then stirring in flour, giving it a whisk and then adding milk and then optional extras like cheese no?

It depends what you mean by cooking ,do I make everything from scratch no,,i.use packets and jars as itjustst makes life a bit simpler
but i.don't just bung a frozen meal i in the oven r either
We get by I make chillies,curry,s as ,roast dinners ,shepherd's pie, etc,etcI'm not an amazing cook but I can cook.

I can make a roux now without thinking but I messed up quite a few times when I first started cooking. Either too thin, too lumpy, burned it.

I don't think cooking is something that comes naturally for a lot of people. I still mess things up and I've been cooking for almost 40 years. I find I'm easily distracted and will forget a key ingredient, or overcook the meat as forgot to note what time I put it on. Can't use a meat thermometer as I've lost all 3 of them.

Everyone should be able to cook something, doesn’t have to be roux. My DDs started joining in cooking or preparing things when they were quite young, one wanted to chop the raw chicken I was preparing when they were 3. She did the lettuce instead. Then I let her to chop the chicken when it was cooked, that didn’t need the sharp knife.

My late mother didn’t teach us to cook, just excepted us to be able to cook once we turned 16.

I don’t judge people who can’t cook or a not comfortable cooking.

You enjoy your killer roux skills, she can enjoy her acting success and stream of awards and nominations.

It all depends on upbringing I think and personal interests. I'm a bloody good cook but because I love it.

My mum made literally everything from scratch, so I did the same. It was only when I was at uni that I realised it's ok to use jars for cooking, but I only ever do if I'm feeling really lazy.

I'm Indian so I can bang out a curry and some chapatis with my eyes closed. For lots of other people, it's hard work.

For me, baking is hard work. The most I can do is a standard cake. Making puff pastry or bread from scratch is a no no.

I'm a 2nd gen immigrant who grew up with home cooking from scratch. I hate cooking, it's boring. I do love baking though.

Well today I learned how to spell roux, I make one regularly as I like home made macaroni cheese. Children should be taught to cook ideally. I do try and put the effort in so my kids can all make cakes , home made pizza etc. There is a monetary risk in trying new things which is difficult on a tight budget. I know at my eldest high school there is a free cooking club one lunchtime a week which I think is a great idea if school has budget for it, I think ingredients are donated by local Co-op as part of a community initiative.

Even if you are skint it’s important to push good nutrition. Better paid now so more variety at table but for a while I served peas and carrots with almost every dinner as super cheap, nutritious and add colour to a plate and dc would eat them.

I am tooting my own horn here but I'm an excellent cook - however I grew up in a house full of chefs and could make a roux blindfolded by 8. Not everyone had that, not everyone had parents who taught them, and not everyone has the natural flair for it either - my big sister could burn water despite having the same upbringing and teaching as me. Some people really do just suck at it.

My husband couldn't cook for shit when we met because he grew up with a single dad who was a "freezer chef". He's still not the best but he's been learning and teaching himself through YouTube. I don't mind that he needs step-by-step instructions on how to make a roux still, or that cooking seems like a painful chore for him whereas I find it relaxing, almost a hobby.

Cooking is a skill that comes in varying degrees - I don't think it's fair to judge someone for not being able to do something easily, especially if they're trying. Nothing will put someone off learning a skill quicker than an expert mocking and patronising them for not being good at it straight away.

I think the only time I (mildly) judge is when it's a parent whose kids live on frozen goujons and potato smiley faces. I do think if you're rearing the next generation you have an obligation to make an effort to at least learn to cook basic nutritional meals - but even then I get that some people simply don't have the time. Life is a juggling act, competency at a roux is not something most people would prioritise keeping in the air.

I can make a roux but I can't play tennis. Who gives a shit? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Most of my cooking skills are self taught/learned as an adult. My mother was a terrible cook, my father was a grilled meat and boiled veg type.

It's sad really as grandparents on both sides had the skills you're talking about.

I can make a roux, darn a sock, and use excel, but I can't wire a plug, and I really struggle with flat pack furniture. We've all got different skills.

I agree it also depends on what food you are used to cooking, I can cook lasagna/various pasta sauses or a tiramisu or sponge cake without looking at a recipe but I'm not great at cooking Asian food even following a recipe (am always too cautious with the spices/soy etc. and then it tastes bland).

Skills?

Making a roux isn’t a skill, more akin to being able to walk in a straight line

What a bizarre thing to judge someone for
Not everyone eats things that need a roux, you can perfectly go through life without ever making one
It's not like boiling water or something

I find it really snobby of people. Some of us have had other things to worry about in life then mastering a Roux.

Agree its a weird measure of someone's cooking skills.

I'd struggle to remember making one in the last few decades (and then mainly to try it out) but we don't much are for flour/fat thickened sauces.

I can wire a plug, use a computer, change the oil/air filters in both mine and DPs cars and flush the car's radiators...can't make a roux though.

I think to save money you've got to start off from having a high budget/quality point. I didn't bother replacing my sewing machine because for our budget, we can't make clothes for what we can buy them for. Likewise soft furnishings. Older children want character/hobby themed clothing.
I've made sauces from scratch, it might just be me but there wasn't that much taste difference and they certainly wasn't cheaper. I think M&S Christmas sides are good enough and when I read threads on here about hours being spent in the kitchen I just think that you've done it to yourself. I use curry powder. Baking isn't necessarily cheaper. I think that cookery in school should just teach basic methods and freezer/reheating lessons. I don't own a microwave and I'm not always confident about defrosting/reheating because I've got a very sensitive stomach. It's nice to do seasonal baking with children, decorate a chocolate log etc. The lack of storage and kitchen space can be an issue for some people.

"Those skills are essential for anyone without a helpful mum."
Free the women from the kitchen!

I completely agree. There’s no such thing as not being able to cook, it’s just laziness. My mum was a fairly terrible cook and far too impatient to teach me anything. When I left home I literally had to call a family member to ask how to ‘make’ boiled potatoes. So I taught myself! At the most basic level all it involves is following a recipe - anyone can follow a basic set of instructions, surely.

I can’t ‘free’ cook well, things always turn our too salty, over done, under done etc. However give me a recipe or cook book to follow and it turns out amazing every time. So yes I am able to cook but only when I have the instructions.

Exactly
I can't darn a sock, I'm not great on making desserts (live alone and not much call for it!)
I can make a roux and cakes but rarely do it
My mum could cook anything beautifully except scones

People should be able to cook something simple like chicken, potatoes and veg or pasta

I have no idea what a roux is. I've never cooked a full meal (that's suitable for serving to someone else) in my life.

I can cook perfectly adequately for my own needs. If I ever fell the need for roux, I'll get someone else to handle it 😐