How many of you can cook?

SaraTN

I can definately cook and I have been told I have a natural gift with flavor profiles. There is hope... it was a challenge for me to boil water until I was about 22. I remember my first attempts at cooking were disasterous. I was fortunate enough to work for an artist in my early career and he gave me cooking lessons with his childhood friend Roger Verge in the South of France... so I learned how to scramble an egg first and I blossomed from there. World travels have definately inspired my cooking.

sms1986

I can cook fairly well, and at GCSE level I took Food Technology (GCSEs are exams taken at the end of high school here).

rml_16

Just because a meal doesn't take long to make doesn't mean it's not a cooked meal. But, yes, I can cook. My great-grandfather was a chef "off the boat" from Italy and his recipes and love of cooking just sort of have passed down through the generations of my family. I just learned by watching and doing.

One thing I've discovered is that when it comes to spices and flavoring, you can tell by smell if certain things go together. I also tend to use a recipe the first time I make something and once I have the basics down, I make my own changes to improve it. That's why it's tough for me when someone asks for a recipe for something I made, because I don't usually measure anymore!

blueyegrl

I can cook, and it should be in my "genes" because my mom and her mom are both excellent cooks and bakers, however I was never taught how to cook growing up. They always cooked for me, but I was never allowed in the kitchen because I was always in the way according to them! So after years of being a "preparer", I finally started picking up cookbooks as a hobby, as an avid reader, I enjoyed looking at them. Once my collection got substantial I realized I should start using them, and a few years ago began the art of cooking. Let me tell you, it's hard. LOL Well I should say it WAS hard at the beginning. I've gotten better over the years and now I'm pretty proud of my meals, to the point where I love to share them with everyone. And now, being almost vegan, it's more of an obsession of trying to find good, healthy AND delicious meals to keep me involved in the process. I really enjoy the whole process, even if it can be time consuming. I even find myself taking pictures of the food I've cooked and posting it all over Facebook for everyone to see because I'm so proud of myself! :bigsmile:

chrissaucier

I love to cook, but hate to bake.I'd rather make a 5 course meal than a dessert. I started learning from my grandmother on Sunday afternoons, she made homemade breads and great italian meals , and my mom who's one of the best cooks I know.Now I have a collection of cookbooks and subscribe to a number of magazines. I don't follow just one recipe when I cook anymore, I may combine 2 or 3 just taking the parts I like out of them, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. Don't be afraid to "play" with recipes and your food you just may find a side of yourself thats been hiding.

UsedToBeHusky

Is there really much more to it than that? If you really think that your mother does something more to the food than you do, why not just ask her to teach you what she does?

I mean honestly. In cooking, you are either following a recipe or creating your own combinations. There are some techniques that I will admit that I do not know, but how much more complicated do you think the process of cooking is?

CakeFit21

I am a cook.

I rarely use or follow a recipe, I consult them. It is a gift to create beautiful things that people put in their mouths for nourishment. I wish more people would take it seriously. It is actually all very simple.

Icklemellie

I cook pretty well and learnt pretty quickly watching my mom and dad when I was younger (say 7ish). But now I'm a mommy and have to cook for my babies. If you don't like to waste food like pesto etc then buy zippy bags or plastic tubs and pop them in the freezer and they keep pretty well. Even egg whites can be frozen!!! And with garlic buy the tube of garlic puree it keeps in the fridge and lasts so much longer than fresh. Also herbs can be frozen and kept till a later date too.
You should try bolognase or chilli these are simple and can be made in batches and frozen, also left over veggie soup - at the end of the week if you have left over carrots leeks parsnips etc boil them up with a stock cube and water blitz and eat some and freeze some. Beautiful stuff. Hope this helps. x

FITnFIRM4LIFE

But how do you buy ingredients? As a student I live on a weekly basis and buy my food shop weekly (namely because there is only one of me, so don't want food going out of date, and because I eat a lot).
So for example recipes that have a teaspoon of pesto, or a garlic clove or some rosemary...I'd hate to go out and buy those things just to make one meal and then waste the rest...whereas at home my mum can build up a cupboard of all these little ingredients..

You can buy a jar of garlic chopped and add it to many meals. Or fresh garlic is cheap buy what you need. as far as pesto,you can always subsitute things you have or by a bunch of fresh spinach, just what you need. You can tweet recipes to fit your budget, without giving up good food, . Buy things you can use over and over. And things you can make several different meals from same foods.
Hope this helps:-) Also, I love to cook, and cook often! I love to eat 2:-)

traceracer

I can cook. I had to teach myself at a very young age to feed my younger brothers while my mother and father where working. I have always loved it and I love making dishes I have never had before. There is hardly a better feeling when People love your cooking! I hate baking though...

MB_Positif

I used to follow a lot of recipes, but now I sort of take them as a guide. My mom was (and still is) the world's worst cook so I ended up learning how to cook by watching chefs when I was waitressing in college. One of my favorite things to do now is create a meal out of stuff we have on hand without a recipe! I have a pretty good concept of what flavors work together which makes this a lot easier! Just have fun with it!

FoxyMcDeadlift

im now a pretty good cook. When i started i used to print of recipes from the internet, bbc good food is particularly good and follow it, after awhile you learn what mixes with what and techniques. I also watch a lot of cookery programmes.

livinginwoods

LOVE to cook. It relaxes me. I have had some recipes published too. Now I am trying to change them in to low cal and not as easy as I thought but I like to experiment.

dalgal26

Oh yeah, I can cook! And my hubby can cook! Sooooooo, there is the rub! We like to cook hearty, stick to your ribs kinda food, and now we are learning to cook lighter and healthier. Hard to get the lard out of the southern kitchen! But, We are getting there.

bcattoes

I can cook well. I learned it mostly from relatives, cookbooks and from the Food Network. The Food Network is great for learning techniques.

Qarol

cook·ing
Noun:
The process of preparing food by heating it.
The practice or skill of preparing food.

cook
Verb:
Prepare (food, a dish, or a meal) by combining and heating the ingredients in various ways.
Noun:
A person who prepares and cooks food, esp. as a job or in a specified way.

Puggy33

Being a "Preparer" is being an intermediate cook. you have to know how to set up your ingredients before truely comparing them. Multitasking can be frustrating while in the kitchen but if you spend a couple minutes to make a game plan it makes a world of difference.

One day I was trying to make hamburger helper with my girlfriend at the time when we were 18 and I didn't think you had to thaw the meat out before hand. So here I am trying to brown and thaw this meat out at the same time while feeling like an utter dumbass because i'm a grown man that can't even brown hamburger or fix my girl a meal other than mac and cheese and hamburger helper. I now am the proud owner of 2 self created cookbooks and various contest accolades.

All it takes is the drive, passion, and determination and you can go from Ramen Noodles to Shrimp Capellini

beautybloom

I can cook everything, I might get it wrong the first time around but I usually nail it the second time around with the exception of cookies. I CAN NOT BAKE COOKIES! Out of a package, yeah but not homemade. LOL Also, I don't do directions well. I skim it and go for it LOL.

I love making homemade, from scratch banana bread! Yummy :P

KyleB65

I love to cook!

Try buying a cook book. Buy something that has a topic that it is different than what you eat normally. Perhaps an "ethnic" food that you do not eat often. Then prepare a meal. Once you have a couple of successes under your belt try another cook book, maybe vegetarian. And repeat. Keep going and over time your repertoire will grow to the point where you will be able to mix, match and tweak from those recipes you enjoyed the most.

CaptainGordo

Yes.