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've never heard so much rubbish as cooking being a middle class thing. Utter tosh.

I've never made a roux (off to Google what that is) but I can make many nice meals from scratch. Im a much better baker.
I can also install plug sockets, tile, wallpaper, plaster and hang doors so I'm fairly happy with my skillset.

We can get hung up on a roux or not (fwiw I have been making one of those for decades but this is the first time I've learned its name, it was always just "white sauce" in my head). But the OP has a point: cooking is a basic life skill, and as such there should be no excuse other than severe disability as to why people can't or won't do it.

The money argument doesn't sit with me. I was an immigrant student on no money back in the day - I literally came over owning one pot, two plates, one shitty kitchen knife and one wooden spoon when I first started building a life here. On a measly budget of £10/week, which even then was more than tight and had to include the weekly £1 bus fare to get to the shop (in the days of £5 for 5 peple day savers), as well as hygiene products, I had no choice but to cook from scratch.

I built up a stash of basic herbs and spices over time - you start off by buying salt, the next week pepper, the week after that a jar of mixed herbs etc. Same with cooking equipment. And yes, some stuff was very much trial and error, but you were hungry, so you ate it and knew what not to do next time.

My mother was a single mum who openly hated me; she had no time to help me learn how to cook, so I learned by watching, later by following recipes myself. No one taught us in school.

It's not the same as wiring a plug, changing oil in a car and the many other silly examples that were being given here - for starters, you don't do any of those daily, so you can get someone else to do it if necessary. Try getting someone else to cook for you daily.

It's also not always energy-dependent; there are lots of no-cook recipes, lots of things you can do with only a knife (one of my two plates ended up as my substitute chopping board until I could afford one), lots of things you can cook with only one pot on a single ring on an electric hob if you don't have a full kitchen.

It's fine if people say they don't want to learn how to cook; there are alternatives here, thankfully, even if they are bad for your health and burn a hole in your pocket financially. But don't find excuses for people, because there really are none if you're able-bodied and of reasonably sound mind.

When ds went to uni he was amazed at how few of his flat mates who was unable to cook the basics. One didn't know how to cook pasta. One he taught how to cook chicken breast and how to check if it was cooked. In the case of both of these they are from families who can afford stuff. In the case of the pasta when asked what he had intended to do. The boy responded his parents sent enough money for him to live on take away.

He has actually got quite into cooking ds is in his 3rd year now and they are still living together the dude has taught himself to cook. So all power to him.

I've voted yanbu with these examples in mind. However first few times I made roux they went lumpy. Then I found out not to have it on the heat as I add milk abd I've never had a lumpy one since.

I'm a fairly laid back parent - but I think letting your child go off to university without teaching them to cook something as simple as pasta is appalling.

"Try getting someone else to cook for you daily."

I do very often. The people who make bread in factories, the people who produce vegetables that can be eaten cold and uncooked and occasionally the people who make ready meals in a factory or who work in cafes.
There are many ways of paying someone else to cook for you that don't involve having a cook come to your house.

I was in a catered hall and not allowed to do proper cooking in the hall kitchenette anyway.

I can cook and make a roux but I can't be arsed. I work 12.5 your shifts . Ocado delivery with lots of m&s easy cook food yes please.

Exactly. That was my point. Cooking is a basic life skill. And even if your parents don't give you that, it is literally one of the most accessible things. Books, free recipes with instructions, friends who do.

It's not about wealth. Look at people who come to the UK. What do the first generation often do? Open a restaurant and sell food! This is not some rocket science thing. It's not a wealth thing. It's not class.

I simply don't enjoy cooking!

That's fine! The point is that a functioning adult should have some knowledge of cooking.

"The point is that a functioning adult should have some knowledge of cooking."

A functioning adult should be able to feed themselves. This doesn't have to mean cooking.

Cooking is a life skill that parents should be teaching their children. It’s such a basic activity and there are loads of recipes and videos that tell you exactly what to do. How advanced you want to get is up to you, but everyone should know how to get food on the table.

A functioning adult should be able to feed themselves. This doesn't have to mean cooking.

It should mean cooking, even if they opt not to. If you fall on hard times, being able to cook can help you feed your family on a very tight budget. If you never need to then great.

Can I ask.roughly when you were at school?
I'm not doubting you were taught those skills ,but I did three years of home economics when I was at high school,( I was there from 1985-1990/) an we wernt taught anything as useful ,I certainly wasn't taught how to repair or mend clothes or any decent recipes
may be I just had a shit teacher!

@x2boys I was two years earlier than you.

For those three years we did nutrition in the autumn term, cooking in the spring term and sewing in the summer term.

We learned to cook things like soup, shepherds pie, bread & butter pudding etc. All very English.

We made an apron complete with embroidery (which I've still got somewhere), a blouse and a skirt.

Boys & girls did nutrition & cooking. we could elect to do either sewing or woodwork. I decided sewing was less dangerous 😀 and probably more useful.

Sounds like you had a far better teacher than me I remember cooking a few thing,s but nothing very useful.and I made a pair of shorts but I can't remember anything else ,this was before the national curriculum though so the quality of lessons may have been hit and miss?

It’s a normal life skill, yes, like also knowing how to put up a shelf, re-wire a plug, replace a radiator and pick a sensible investment portfolio.

'It’s a normal life skill, yes, like also knowing how to put up a shelf, re-wire a plug, replace a radiator and pick a sensible investment portfolio.'

Replace a radiator....errr 😳

A functioning adult should be able to feed themselves. This doesn't have to mean cooking.

I'm not sure I agree with this. Obviously you shouldn't have to cook all the time but if you can't cook anything at all you are either going to be reliant on someone else cooking for you (and we all know where that leads us in terms of gender dynamics) or will have to buy prepared meals in all the time which tends to be a) more expensive and b) less healthy.

Ds2 does cooking at school as part of D&T, in year 7,8 and 9. But not a roux. Yes cooking should be a basic skill that everyone can do.

I bloody hate cooking and would live off cereal, bagels and fruit if I didn't have a family to cook for. Not everyone enjoys meal planning/food shopping/cooking - I'd much rather clean the house from top to bottom for example.

However I can cook staple meals which DS has taken on board as he's gone off to Uni. Hosting a dinner party though? God, no.

I suppose it depends on your circumstances,when I was single and living in my own I did.rely on ready meals etc as i.had no.interesting cooking ,I'm not suggesting all.single.adults are the same but personally I couldn't be bothered and found it boring
now I have a family.I'm still not that interested in cooking ,but I have to.do.it because.I can't afford to.feed my kids ready meals and takeaways all the time ,and I try and cook healthily for them.

I don’t think everyone needs to be an expert at making a roux but I strain guy believe everyone needs to know how to cook. We all need to eat - and not being able to cook is a huge impediment to a healthy and affordable diet.

I also think the whole “poor people can’t afford to cook” narrative is not very helpful, as it’s just not true. In other countries people cook and they used to in the U.K. You don’t need fancy equipment or ingredients to cook.

@x2boys

Yeah there's a massive difference between ready meals at home when you're a single 20 something and ready meals every day for young kids. I lived off takeways when I was in my 20s but I wouldn't do that for my daughter.