Why are British women such shit cooks??

[moondog]

I mix with a lot of different people.
Over the years, the women I know who can cook could be counted on one hand (and my mother and sister are two of those.)

Seriously, people haven't got a fucking clue about even the most basic stuff.On the rare occasion I am even invited to eat in someone else's house it is usually inedible slop.

And yet,the tv has nothing but cookery programmes on it,Gordon Ramsey is a househole name and the bookshops burst with glossy tomes that make the best seller list.

Seriously, any ideas???

Dunno I was a crap cook until I had kids, it was only then I cared about good ingredients - mind you I was only 22 when I had ds1.
My mother has always been a superb cook of very good simple wholesome food and I think I just assimilated that.
Whenever I taste something nice in a restuarant I want to learn to cook it myself
So am now accomplised at Thai Indian Moroccan Chinese and Italian grub.... just the things I like though

Aatually while were on the subject, my sister once called me to ask how long she should deep fat fry rump steak......................................................

I was like that about carbonara Piffle, I had a lovely one in a restuarant, but when I had it round a friends house, out of a jar, it was nothing like it!
Now I can cook a nice proper one myself, I am also often amazed at how easy it is to cook things that I try and love, then look for a recipe and find its so simple, maybe that is another problem of peopel who cant cook, they dont actually try, so dont realise how simple it can be.

Hmph.

I would answer this thread but I have to go and make a 'shit' curry for supper tonight.

I agree MP 12:39:43!

Growing up, cooking was seen as fun, and everyone participated - even men, who often did the meat on the BBQ.

As a result, I see it as an enjoyable activity and get the kids involved.

I put on music I like and dance around.

DD1 stirs and whisks things, pours ingredients in, sifts, works the food processor, cuts biscuits, scones, and pastry, etc.

And she's 4 with developmental delays.

I find the more you involve kids, the more they want to eat what you serve.

I quite agree with you moondog. Although I can cook well, and I am British, I do know quite a lot of people who just don't cook from scratch, always either have ready meals, or use packet/jar sauces or frozen stuff e.g. Aunt Bessie's yorkshires. In fact I only discovered recently that Aunt bessie's existed, when I was talking to a friend, and saying I was doing Yorkshire puddings, and she said "Oh that's a load of hassle why don't you just get Aunt Bessie's?" and I replied "What are they?"

Seriously though, I think a lot of families just don't realise how awful processed food is (both the taste IMO and the effect it has on your health) and also don't realise that it's not really that hard to cook from scratch if you use simple recipes.

Ds (aged 6) likes to help in the kitchen -last week he helped me make my Christmas puddings, and really enjoyed tasting the ingredients and stirring everything up.

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it's because he takes after you, cod

let's hope he doesn't share your fashion sense. those boots of justine's!

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i was terribly fussy as a child.

now i'm a good eater.

of course, my sister was always a good eater - hence, why she now weighs so damn much

But I'm afraid I do sometimes cook Aunt Bessies yorkshires

I can't fit everything into the oven otherwise

Obviously I make toad in the hole from scratch

Well since everyone else is fessing up about yorkshires, I will too . I can't make them! Simply can not! Used to be great at them as a child but then we had an Aga. Learning to cook on an Aga is definitely a disadvantage in later life if you aren't lucky enough to have one

Ditto pancakes although I did get a wonderful recipe off MN a few years ago that even I can't f* up.

I'm with cod. I very much doubt that there exists a child who has spent longer stood on a kitchen chair than my DD. But sometimes she eats what we make, and sometimes she doesn't. DS much more likely to eat well but will not have been stood on the chair while it was made. Although I am sure DD will manage her share of the Christmas cake we made last week!

I'm a good plain cook - I learnt to cook at my mother's knee, including traditional stuff like making brawn from pigs trotters, pressing an ox tongue at christmas and of course how to make a white sauce from scratch.

My dh is a fab cook and spends ages in the kitchen making a mess.

ds1 is a horribly fussy child who spurns most of our lovely home cooking. ds2 loves to help cook and is an adventurous eater.

Can we do a survey:

Yorkshires: solid and stodgy or puffy and crispy?

I personally disagree with the puffy, crispy ones like a big empty crunch of air. What is the point? I like a good slab of batter for gravy-soaking-up purposes.

Aunt Bessies are the more or less empty sort which is another reason why they are an abomination.

Solid at the bottom with a crispy top.

Soft and squidgy at the bottom with a golden crusty top. Mmmm... arrrggg...

Crispy, but not too cripsy, they go soggy with gravy and mash on them anyway.

it's posturing....

the thread title and op that is.

don't all rise to it and rush to justify yourselves!

The secret is to rest them on the side of the plate with only the bottom touching the gravey, and then when you eat them the top will still be all crisp and delish.

The yorkies, not the op and thread title. I wouldn't eat them. Too chewy...

yummy yorkshires must me soft on the bottom and crpspt on top, notlike aunt bessies crisp thingys