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Does anyone here actually know how to cook?

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UglyCasanova said:
Convenience & money. Both of which play a crucial role in deciding to eat a McDonald's burger compared to something different. Removing those two factors and McDonald's soon goes out of business.
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I said take-out as well. There's expensive take-out and according to him, that's not controlling your destiny. Eating out is more than just McDonald's.
 
I can't take a bunch of random things and make something awesome, but I can make basic things without a recipe. Otherwise, I just follow recipes my mom used to use or just stuff that looks good online.
 
UglyCasanova said:
Convenience & money. Both of which play a crucial role in deciding to eat a McDonald's burger compared to something different. Removing those two factors and McDonald's soon goes out of business.
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True, but there are some very good places to get healthy fast food like Boston Market, Panera, Au Bon pain etc...

I usually buy some cooked meat and decide on something simple, like a salad, or whatever.
 
zerocool84 said:
I said take-out as well. There's expensive take-out and according to him, that's not controlling your destiny. Eating out is more than just McDonald's.
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Yes it is, that's why I'm still in business. The point is that few people actually eat all their meals at a restaurant, 'Real Houswives' not withstanding.

If you are happy being one of the 90% of people who prefer the 'blue pill' then, embrace your 'Borgness' and find other ways to enjoy life. Just because I find them repugnant, doesn't mean you can't enjoy them. 😀
 
MagnusTheBrewer said:
Yes it is, that's why I'm still in business. The point is that few people actually eat all their meals at a restaurant, 'Real Houswives' not withstanding.

If you are happy being one of the 90% of people who prefer the 'blue pill' then, embrace your 'Borgness' and find other ways to enjoy life. Just because I find them repugnant, doesn't mean you can't enjoy them. 😀
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lol ok then I'll have to remember the only way to be free is to cook everything yourself and never eat out
 
It's not even close... restaurants suck in every way.

That's why it is important to have an idea how to cook.

-John
 
Parents had us start cooking dinner and putting it on the table when we were in middle school. Once we were old enough to stay home after school we all took turns preparing meals.
 
I can cook but I don't consider myself a good cook.

Basically, I can follow recipes just fine, and eyeball some things (generally recipes that I've cooked often enough). However, I suck at grilling, rarely use the oven, and cant improvise. I think that understanding the science behind cooking (what physically happens when you heat something, what spices accent or compliment various dishes, using flour and starches to thicken sauce, etc) would be very beneficial. I've considered taking some classes, but for the time being I don't feel like I have the time or money to spare.

In the end, I'd say just about everyone can cook, since it's basically following directions. Being a good cook is more difficult and I think that label can only be applied to a small percentage of the population.
 
22 and I can cook. Considering take-out would cost me a fortune each month, I'm more than happy to put my own meals together. I just spend 60 bucks at the grocer, which will more than feed me for a week. Try that at a restaurant, that's a big lunch or a shit ton of dollar menu items.

Also when you live in a small town your options are either fast food or pre-made frozen shit. Neither of which I care to subject my body to more than about once a week.
 
Yep, I can cook, although I'm not in my 20's. Magnus mentioned "old school" - I'm not sure what "old school" cooking means, but if it means you don't screw around with recipes, that's the style I generally use. I know people who are so careful when they measure sugar, flour, etc. Does anyone really think that recipes need to have the flour/sugar ratio in an exact 2 to 1 ratio or something? Always "2 cups", never "2 cups and 1.5 teaspoons of flour."

edit: I guess "no recipes" is a bit wrong. Sure, recipes. But almost nothing is actually measured. I'm having a tough time thinking of an example of something I would actually measure.

My recipe for banana bread: stick of butter, about that much sugar. Run the mixer until it's creamed together. Break 2 or 3 eggs into a bowl & mix, dump into sugar/butter. Toss in 3 or 4 overripe bananas, turn the mixer up to medium for a few minutes. Turn off mixer, pour about *that* much flour on top. About a half spoon of baking soda (sorry, have to actually use a spoon or something to scoop it out. The flour & brown sugar come straight from the bag.) Use the spoon to mix the baking soda into the flour a little bit. Use a rubber spatula to fold the flour into the batter. If it looks too thin, add more flour. Toss into an oiled 5x9 bread pan and throw it into the oven until a toothpick (I use a skewer) comes out clean. Roughly 50 minutes.

Magnus can comment on my technique.

Edit: and chopped walnuts, but last time, I was out of walnuts.
 
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DrPizza said:
Yep, I can cook, although I'm not in my 20's. Magnus mentioned "old school" - I'm not sure what "old school" cooking means, but if it means you don't screw around with recipes, that's the style I generally use. I know people who are so careful when they measure sugar, flour, etc. Does anyone really think that recipes need to have the flour/sugar ratio in an exact 2 to 1 ratio or something? Always "2 cups", never "2 cups and 1.5 teaspoons of flour."
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I tend to do that with new recipes just to get a good baseline, and to be sure it all turns out like it should. Next run through I may play with it some.

However if baking I always stick to the amounts as it tends to be pickier about amounts.
 
Terzo said:
I can cook but I don't consider myself a good cook.

Basically, I can follow recipes just fine, and eyeball some things (generally recipes that I've cooked often enough). However, I suck at grilling, rarely use the oven, and cant improvise. I think that understanding the science behind cooking (what physically happens when you heat something, what spices accent or compliment various dishes, using flour and starches to thicken sauce, etc) would be very beneficial. I've considered taking some classes, but for the time being I don't feel like I have the time or money to spare.

In the end, I'd say just about everyone can cook, since it's basically following directions. Being a good cook is more difficult and I think that label can only be applied to a small percentage of the population.
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PBS runs hours of cooking shows, and if you watch them for a while you get the basics...

-John
 
DrPizza you're fine with doing quick breads like that. Just don't try that method for making yeast breads, cakes or pastries. You might get lucky but, I'd bet against it. Outside of quick breads like you mentioned, baking is all about ratios and screwing with them will lead to disappointment.

Old school means learning the classics and extrapolating variations and techniques from them. Cooking is about 90% science and 10% art but, that 10% is the difference between an apple poptart and apple strudel.

I recommend starting with good recipes and following them closely until you've made it enough times to be familiar with them. Take notes and learn from any mistakes or successes.

Cooking is a lot like being proficient in math, you have to do a particular type of problem enough times so that you internalize the process so, you aren't constantly thinking what do I do next. Not to mention, estimating is absolutely critical in cooking.
 
Not in my 20s anymore, but I could cook in my teens and in my 20s, so...

KT
 
Anyway, cooking is a life skill and doing it well can provide not only superior food, it's a satisfying accomplishment. You can learn to make meals which others appreciate.

You're in your 20s now, but eventually you will have others around you that you care about. Cooking is not only a means of obtaining nutrition, but throughout time it has bound family, cemented friendship and done so much more than eating a burger.

As Magnus said, you decide what your life is going to be, and despite the opinion of those who seem clueless yours need not be their fate.

Learn to cook, you dumb bastard 😛
 
Coolone said:
I'm a culinary arts student and I'm 25, does that count?
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Where are you and what school do you go to? What made you decide to go to culinary school? Congrats! Oh yeah, you know you're going to make garbage wages, get looked down on by society and, get worked like a dog, right?
 
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