GBAChef: What do you call being unable to cook?

[Greymane]

I would call that disabled, if it where not for the blind people i know that can cook.
Since following instructions or using boemboes and other ready to use mixes, should give you tasy if not edible food.

Or the person is extremely poor and has no knowledge about the edibility of wild plants or acces to a food bank.

Though i prefer thinking up recipies and cooking myself, also pickeling lots and lots of pickeling.

 

[FAST6191]

When I say "fancy", I meant the stuff that people would find at a super high-end restaurant, such as the drizzle lines along the empty area of the plate and making extravagant foods that the average person (especially me) will not eat.

That still seems overly broad but I think I get where you are heading. As for lines of sauce on food/decorating the plate it is the sort of thing you get here in a higher end pub lunch -- it costs basically nothing, takes 10 seconds to do and "the first bite is with the eyes" applies as long as your eyes work.

Equally I have been in super high end restaurants most places I have ever been, seen their kitchens/ingredients and eaten their food... most of the time you are just paying to see and be seen. The food tends to be nothing you wouldn't otherwise get in a decent restaurant, give or take nonsense like putting gold leaf (a completely inert substance that does nothing other than sparkle) on things. Hopefully it is well made (though that is... optional -- I have been in fancy private restaurants and looking at dropping what most have as rent for a week per head, this is before drinks, and walked away unhappy with the result) and usually carefully considered choice of menu, said menu might also start higher end rather than include lower range stuff (skip your flank steak pie and go straight for fillet/filet mignon sort of thing).

Of course now I have dozens of comedy sketches going around in my head

While other lords dined on larks stuffed with peacocks’ tongues, Lord Vetinari considered that a
glass of boiled water and half a slice of dry bread was an elegant sufficiency.

Or perhaps

BRIAN: Larks' tongues. Wrens' livers. Chaffinch brains. Jaguars' earlobes. Wolf nipple chips. Get 'em while they're hot. They're lovely. Dromedary pretzels, only half a denar. Tuscany fried bats.

 

[kuwanger]

I know everyone says it's laziness. I'd add one big thing: not wanting to waste/ruin food. If you have a fixed income and don't have a lot of food to spare, you don't have a lot of room to perfect your technique. So, you're left making the stuff you know how to make or risking turning a good amount of food into something mostly inedible that you have to stomach because you don't feel you can let it go to waste.

Personally, I still haven't gotten around to buying a flour sifter. That's my big stumbling block to making various from scratch baked goods, but then it's hard to justify the cost unless I make enough of them. So, really probably more an excuse/laziness.

 

[BORTZ]

I call that being lazy honestly.

This. This exactly. There are 3 times a day where most people eat something. And that means there are 3 times a day you can practice cooking.

 

[duwen]

It's not so much a case of "can/can't cook" as "can/can't follow directions"... admittedly, I'm personally able (via experience gained over time and common sense) to attempt most cookery without much need for instructions (either from a recipe book or via the directions printed on packaging). Occasionally things go wrong (you have the temp too high, or leave it in the oven too long, etc) but this is all part of learning how to cook - again, following directions.

 

[sarkwalvein]

This. This exactly. There are 3 times a day where most people eat something. And that means there are 3 times a day you can practice cooking.

Yeah, I agree... but you could also say "And that means there are 3 time a day you can practice calling for delivery or going to a restaurant."
TBH, I think "I can't cook" only means "I really don't like to cook, I am lazy, and I have no money problems."
Also, I believe the moment someone like this has money problems, he suddenly "learns how to cook" (but forgets as soon as he can avoid cooking again).

PS: Also, I "can't cook".

 

[leon315]

i'm so disappointed that in a such interesting topic couldn't find any pics about things we cooked... or perhaps you guys can't cook at ALL?

 

[sarkwalvein]

Oh noes! Peoples in the temps are so unskilled!
What am I the genius chef doing here between all these peasants?!

Those ignorants probably don't even recognize me!
They don't even ask me about the food I cook! (and I had all those pics I wanted to show)

Oh, well... Ok, tell us about your food.

 

[leon315]

Oh, well... Ok, tell us about your food.

why can't I remember anything of the msg??? did I write it while i was dreaming/sleeping? Inception??!

 

[slaphappygamer]

Oh snap! I make carnitas! For a family reunion. My dad cooked for many years, now it’s my turn, so my cousins help me out.

 

[Greymane]

Oh snap! I make carnitas! For a family reunion. My dad cooked for many years, now it’s my turn, so my cousins help me out.

What is that i see? Tasty meat it be.

 

[SG854]

I know everyone says it's laziness. I'd add one big thing: not wanting to waste/ruin food. If you have a fixed income and don't have a lot of food to spare, you don't have a lot of room to perfect your technique. So, you're left making the stuff you know how to make or risking turning a good amount of food into something mostly inedible that you have to stomach because you don't feel you can let it go to waste.

Personally, I still haven't gotten around to buying a flour sifter. That's my big stumbling block to making various from scratch baked goods, but then it's hard to justify the cost unless I make enough of them. So, really probably more an excuse/laziness.

Not having enough food to spare in the United States? The place your from. There are more fat and obese people in the lower income brackets then in the upper.
I think they have plenty of food to spare. People of the past had no fast food restaurants and less food to spare and yet somehow they made it work.

 

[sarkwalvein]

I really feel like doing some Spanish potato tortilla with peppers.
And some tomato salad to go with it.

I hate cooking, but that is something I can't find (in good quality) here in Germany...
(though that will make my kitchen stink like frying oil)

Yeah... I hate cooking, but I really want some tortilla.
Hmmm... perhaps if I just go on holidays to Spain this weekend.

 

[Catsinabucket]

"Incomp-cook-tent"

 

[sarkwalvein]

I really feel like doing some Spanish potato tortilla with peppers.
And some tomato salad to go with it.

I hate cooking, but that is something I can't find (in good quality) here in Germany...
(though that will make my kitchen stink like frying oil)

Yeah... I hate cooking, but I really want some tortilla.
Hmmm... perhaps if I just go on holidays to Spain this weekend.

Think of the planet, you're moving more than 2000 KM on a plane and back just for a damn tortilla, some tapas, a paella, some cheap yet tasty 100 montaditos... actually a lot of damn great yet cheap food, people speaking the holy language Spanish, some very joyful people, a lot of fun, great weather... wait, fuck the planet!

Damn, I miss visiting Spain. Way to go off-topic.

 

[SG854]

Think of the planet, you're moving more than 2000 KM on a plane and back just for a damn tortilla, some tapas, a paella, some cheap yet tasty 100 montaditos... actually a lot of damn great yet cheap food, people speaking the holy language Spanish, some very joyful people, a lot of fun, great weather... wait, fuck the planet!

Damn, I miss visiting Spain. Way to go off-topic.

I'm glad I can eat all the Ceviche, Pozole, Horchata, Carne Asada, Burritos with Frijoles and Arroz I want.
And theres some really good Tai, Japanese and Chinese family restaurants were I live too. Some chow mein, ramen, and orange chicken. This stuff isn't hard to make either if I make instead of getting it from a restaurant.

 

[Subtle Demise]

My advice is the same principle that Gordon Ramsay has been trying to drill into young chefs for ages: Taste! Taste! TASTE! I kniw it's not always feasible, but using a disposable spoon to taste your food while cooking is the most valuable technique there is. That's how I make my chili, and it turns out exactly how I want it every time. It's a necessity for sauce, in my opinion, even when following a recipe. As you adjust the spices and other ingredients while tasting and you hit that sweet spot, you'll wonder why you always relied on others to cook for you. Now I've made my share of blunders and absolute failures (shit, looks like it's pizza night, kids), but being 100% self-taught, that's to be expected.

I find that watching a lot of informative cooking shows helps too. I highly recommend a series called Good Eats starring Alton Brown. Knowing the science behind how your tools and ingredients work together can improve your technique incredibly. Anyone can learn how to cook. It's a great activity to do with a significant other or your kids. In fact tonight, the girls and I are making chicken Cordon Bleu with a white wine sauce.

Oh also, I recommend this video for any aspiring home cooks:

 

[kuwanger]

Not having enough food to spare in the United States? The place your from. There are more fat and obese people in the lower income brackets then in the upper. I think they have plenty of food to spare.

Not everyone is in the same boat to be in the lower income bracket and be obese. I would admit though that plenty of people are obese enough to take the risk of effectively missing a meal. It's not something most people would seek, though. In the short term, maybe it'd even be cheaper to simply buy processed food rather than make it considering the risk.

People of the past had no fast food restaurants and less food to spare and yet somehow they made it work.

Uh, fast food restaurants are as old as the Egyptians/Romans. Relatively few people used them though because travel to/from any sort of restaurant was mostly limited to foot distance. Most people lived in rural areas and had large surplus of food at certain times (feast/famine), but of course there simply was no realistic alternative to cooking yourself or at least having a cook for every small n number of people.

Regardless, as someone who was taught to cook both at home and school, I don't really understand the mentality. So, that's a large part of why I don't understand it. I do think it's not simply "laziness" though.

 

[SG854]

Not everyone is in the same boat to be in the lower income bracket and be obese. I would admit though that plenty of people are obese enough to take the risk of effectively missing a meal. It's not something most people would seek, though. In the short term, maybe it'd even be cheaper to simply buy processed food rather than make it considering the risk.



Uh, fast food restaurants are as old as the Egyptians/Romans. Relatively few people used them though because travel to/from any sort of restaurant was mostly limited to foot distance. Most people lived in rural areas and had large surplus of food at certain times (feast/famine), but of course there simply was no realistic alternative to cooking yourself or at least having a cook for every small n number of people.

Regardless, as someone who was taught to cook both at home and school, I don't really understand the mentality. So, that's a large part of why I don't understand it. I do think it's not simply "laziness" though.

Its called laziness and making excuses for your laziness.
Cave men didn't have McDonalds.

Homecook is cheaper then eating fast food. Cooking your own food is not a high risk situation.
People, no matter income, spend no less than 1 hr and 30 min watching tv everyday, they have time to cook.

 

[kuwanger]

Cave men didn't have McDonalds.

Cave men cooked or cave women cooked? What percentage of people actually cooked? The second out of the cave, did they open their first Starbucks?

Homecook is cheaper then eating fast food. Cooking your own food is not a high risk situation.

It's not a particularly high reward one either. I mean, it does great things to your self-worth, I guess?

People, no matter income, spend no less than 1 hr and 30 min watching tv everyday, they have time to cook.

Uh, I don't spend that long watching tv everyday. But, if they did, they'd have to give up watching tv to some extent to cook the food. Perhaps the biggest thing: the trade-off of one luxury for another. If you want to call that laziness, do I call it laziness every time you buy something premade by someone else?