Cooking is Hard

Cindy311

I cook a lot and really as long as you have a nice base recipe I think most people can cook! I admit I have a fear of pressure cookers and I want to get over it since it is such a great tool.

LoraF83

I get what you are saying - and agree to some point.

But, I can tell you that my mother is a very smart woman. She can definitely read and is knowledgeable on a quite a few subjects. However, she can't cook. There are a few things she can make - she does a decent meat loaf and can handle spaghetti with jar sauce and tacos (seasoned from the packet). She relies on packaged food to do half the work for her. Give her a bunch of raw ingredients and a recipe and she will fail.

So, she'll never go hungry but she will also never make Chicken Marsala.

Most people can cook something.....but not everyone will be able to master intuitive cooking or multi-step recipes.



And yes....I'm a very good cook. I taught myself out of necessity - I got tired of eating gray pot roast and Hamburger Helper! :laugh:

katy_trail

Describing 'cookking' as hard, to me, sounds like they are talking about more than just following directions of a well written recipe.
People differ in how well they can determine which flavors work well together, using their imagination to come up with flavors,
or even cook without a recipe. I think anyone can learn what to do, and if they work and practice on their cooking skills, they can become good cooks. But they may not become great cooks without some natural talent like I referred to above.

Also, often the recipes are not as well written as they could be, and are written for the experienced cook.
I prefer recipes that are meant for anyone, even if you've never made the dish before.
There needs to be specifics about why certain steps are taken, which steps are very important and why,
suggests for ingredient substitutions....while still keeping the process and list of ingredients simple.
If I have to go to the store for a list as long as my arm, just to make it, I never will.
smitten kitchen blog and cookbook are an example of this, and most of the recipes are healthy.

My1985Freckles

Alfredo can be a pain in the *kitten* but i'd rather make it over say a vodka sauce which requires me to baby sit my damn stove for an hour lol

My Alfredo Sauce requires constant stirring for clos to an hour. It IS a pain which is why I don't make it very often :-P

bcattoes

What's wrong with cheap, fast and easy? Although, if you've watched much Racheal Ray you would know many of her dishes are certainly not cheap. But a good number of my favorite meals can be made in 30 min. And most of the others take < 30 min of prep time, the rest is waiting for the oven and/or stove to do it's thing.

Jaulen

I get what you are saying - and agree to some point.

But, I can tell you that my mother is a very smart woman. She can definitely read and is knowledgeable on a quite a few subjects. However, she can't cook. There are a few things she can make - she does a decent meat loaf and can handle spaghetti with jar sauce and tacos (seasoned from the packet). She relies on packaged food to do half the work for her. Give her a bunch of raw ingredients and a recipe and she will fail.

So, she'll never go hungry but she will also never make Chicken Marsala.

Most people can cook something.....but not everyone will be able to master intuitive cooking or multi-step recipes.



And yes....I'm a very good cook. I taught myself out of necessity - I got tired of eating gray pot roast and Hamburger Helper! :laugh:

hahahaha! I had a roommate in college that would make crunchy jell-o....I could never figure out how she could read the package directions and make jell-o like that.

My mom was what I called an 'assembler' ...meals were generally assembled from prepackaged items....except for the ubiquitous iceberg lettuce side salad.....

Puggy33

Alfredo can be a pain in the *kitten* but i'd rather make it over say a vodka sauce which requires me to baby sit my damn stove for an hour lol

My Alfredo Sauce requires constant stirring for clos to an hour. It IS a pain which is why I don't make it very often :-P

I'd pull my hair out waiting an hour for alfredo, I'd venture to guess mine takes around 15 at the most, just enough to get the butter melted and making out with the cream before the cream decides to clump up and make me emo rage at the pan. lol

MightyDomo

Wow, they want to eat healthy but don't like to cook... those are conflicting in the sense that what you make at home can be made healthier and to your own dietary specifications rather than a box of food that doesn't always meet your needs and is often higher in sodium, fat, carbs and calories.

Looney Spoons has great healthy recipes that don't make you think, just write down what you need, get it and prepare everything in one day and make it ready to cook another day (this works for most recipes as long as the ingredients can be frozen or can last in the fridge for 3-5 days before cooking.

Crock pot recipes can be thrown in a giant freezer bag and plopped into a cooker for 8 hrs on med or low heat and be done by the time you get home or a breakfast bake by the time you wake up in the morning. You don't have to like cooking to make it easy... and crock pot recipes are a good example of that. Throw it in a pot and cook while your not there lol.

I'm ranting... or raving, whatever... cooking is a learn to love experience since I am sure not everyone is born loving to do it.

My1985Freckles

Alfredo can be a pain in the *kitten* but i'd rather make it over say a vodka sauce which requires me to baby sit my damn stove for an hour lol

My Alfredo Sauce requires constant stirring for clos to an hour. It IS a pain which is why I don't make it very often :-P

I'd pull my hair out waiting an hour for alfredo, I'd venture to guess mine takes around 15 at the most, just enough to get the butter melted and making out with the cream before the cream decides to clump up and make me emo rage at the pan. lol

Mine takes butter, cream cheese, milk, asiago and parmessan cheeses, and a few fresh spices. It takes like 30-45 minutes waiting for the cream cheese to melt with constant stirring, but boy is it worth it! Jarred sauces got nothing on this.

I do make an alfredo using heavy whipping cream, but it just isn't as good.

iLoveMyPitbull1225

I agree with you. I personally love to cook, but I have always thought that the saying "if you can read, you can cook" was a very true one. I get compliments on things that I make all the time, and people fequently ask me "where did you learn to cook?" I just tell them that I taught myself, that I am constantly teaching myself and trying different things, which suprises some people for some reason.

I *hate* that expression. It's not true at all. Cooking requires more than the ability to read.

EDIT: Cooking YUMMY food requires more than the ability to read.

I don't mean being a 5 star rated top chef master.... i don't mean fancy techniques. I just feel like some people use the "I dont know how" excuse too easily. It doesnt have to be fancy or complicated to be home cooked. If you do not know how to do it, look it up. If you passed grade school you should be able to read instructions, and follow them.

bcattoes

I agree with you. I personally love to cook, but I have always thought that the saying "if you can read, you can cook" was a very true one. I get compliments on things that I make all the time, and people fequently ask me "where did you learn to cook?" I just tell them that I taught myself, that I am constantly teaching myself and trying different things, which suprises some people for some reason.

I *hate* that expression. It's not true at all. Cooking requires more than the ability to read.

Yes and no. If it's finding a recipe you like, than that takes time. If it's perfecting a technique then that is just practice. But if you know how to search you can look up proper technique.

I firmly believe there is a certain amount of intuition to good cooking that some people simply don't have. Sure anyone can make chicken breast smothered in salsa, or pulled pork, but the ability to really cook. To follow difficult recipes, or more importantly (at least IMO) to create recipes is not something everyone can learn easily. And some perhaps not at all.

jafrab

Cooking is not hard it's time consuming and people are way too lazy! While fast food is quick & easy. It is just as expensive if not more and it is not good for you. if you like homemade hearty meals... literally throw herbs and meat of choice into a crockpot and plug that bad boy in! You can go to work and come home to a delicious meal... & its low fat, low sodium contents will so it will do the trick! Freeze leftovers. mix meals... save $$$
Im prepping a chicken stew tomorrow full of fresh herbs, chicken breast ( cubed ) pumpkin, cabbage, garlic, yummmy! cant wait

MightyDomo

True bccattoes, not everyone can completely understand a recipe especially when they have not cooked a lot but if they can take it step by step or if they don't understand the recipe ask someone else before making it. Brings a whole lot to light and is super helpful to ask others if you don't understand and it broadens your understanding.

Puggy33

I can agree with the fact not everyone can cook but I also believe that everyone can cook something.

For those who "can't " cook try this Ill try and make it real easy to make I promise.

Puggy's I'm too @$#% lazy to make a decent meal chicken nugget looking things recipe.

- Open bag of chicken, take one out, or two if you like to be fat like me.
- Dice the **** out of it into whatever kind of pieces you feel like making because it doesn't matter here and toss them in a bowl.
- Grab 5 random spices out of your cabinet besides salt, pepper and cinnamon (unless you wanna try cinnamon but i wouldn't recommend it) and put however much of each you want in the chicken bowl and shake your *kitten* for a few seconds to coat them (hey look I gave you a workout too lol)
- Toss chicken things into a hot oiled pan (or non stick pan for less fatty goodness) and stir them every once in a while until they look white and not full of chicken death sickness.
- Remove from hot pan without burning yourself, pref with a spoon type thing and serve with maybe some white rice, green beans, or sweet potatoes


5 steps to a great dinner! :drinker:

My1985Freckles

I can agree with the fact not everyone can cook but I also believe that everyone can cook something.

For those who "can't " cook try this Ill try and make it real easy to make I promise.

Puggy's I'm too @$#% lazy to make a decent meal chicken nugget looking things recipe.

- Open bag of chicken, take one out, or two if you like to be fat like me.
- Dice the **** out of it into whatever kind of pieces you feel like making because it doesn't matter here and toss them in a bowl.
- Grab 5 random spices out of your cabinet besides salt, pepper and cinnamon (unless you wanna try cinnamon but i wouldn't recommend it) and put however much of each you want in the chicken bowl and shake your *kitten* for a few seconds to coat them (hey look I gave you a workout too lol)
- Toss chicken things into a hot oiled pan (or non stick pan for less fatty goodness) and stir them every once in a while until they look white and not full of chicken death sickness.
- Remove from hot pan without burning yourself, pref with a spoon type thing and serve with maybe some white rice, green beans, or sweet potatoes


5 steps to a great dinner! :drinker:

Psst! He means RAW chicken. ;-)

kdiamond

I think when people say cooking is too hard they are just lazy or making excuses for eating healthy IMO.

Anyone can make some chicken and veggies, they just choose not to. I mean, you can just buy microwave steam veggies, just vent the bag and nuke it. Can't get any easier than that to make some fresh veggies.

bcattoes

I can agree with the fact not everyone can cook but I also believe that everyone can cook something.

For those who "can't " cook try this Ill try and make it real easy to make I promise.

Puggy's I'm too @$#% lazy to make a decent meal chicken nugget looking things recipe.

- Open bag of chicken, take one out, or two if you like to be fat like me.
- Dice the **** out of it into whatever kind of pieces you feel like making because it doesn't matter here and toss them in a bowl.
- Grab 5 random spices out of your cabinet besides salt, pepper and cinnamon (unless you wanna try cinnamon but i wouldn't recommend it) and put however much of each you want in the chicken bowl and shake your *kitten* for a few seconds to coat them (hey look I gave you a workout too lol)
- Toss chicken things into a hot oiled pan (or non stick pan for less fatty goodness) and stir them every once in a while until they look white and not full of chicken death sickness.
- Remove from hot pan without burning yourself, pref with a spoon type thing and serve with maybe some white rice, green beans, or sweet potatoes


5 steps to a great dinner! :drinker:

Wait? Where did the rice and veggies come from? Are they raw?

Puggy33

All chicken is raw until cooked, some people just like to take the feathers and stuff off first haha

The beans and other fun things are magical, they appear on the plate once you put the chicken on it.

My1985Freckles

All chicken is raw until cooked, some people just like to take the feathers and stuff off first haha

The beans and other fun things are magical, they appear on the plate once you put the chicken on it.

Pretty sure the feathers are a good source of fiber

bcattoes

There are a lot of people bashing those that can't or don't cook. It is possible to eat heatlhy without doing much cooking, ya know.