How well can you cook? Which of these 4 catagories applies to you?

In my opinion there are four different types of people when it comes to cooking food.

1. People that can not cook at all.

2. People that have basic cooking skills. Boil pasta and heat pasta sauce. Put premade food in the oven boil potato's and frozen veg. Fry an egg.

3. People that can cook. Make lasagna with homemade sauce, make stews, soups, desserts, Pies ect.

4. People that understand how to make food. fresh pasta from scratch, butter from milk/cream, Tofu from dried soya beans. mayonaise from eggs and oil, breads by hand including unleavened ect.

I am asking as it seems that more and more people not only know the type 4 advanced stuff which is understandable to some degree but fall in to types 1 and 2 with little or no understanding of what food actually is.

I put myself into the type 4 catagory but given that I worked as a chef for over 10 years and lived a semi self sufficient life thats not really suprising.

I'm not looking to belittle those that do not have as good an understanding as myself and others but more to get a rough idea of where most people are here.

I find it a little worrying that given that food is essential to actually being alive so many people lack the basic skills needed to feed themselves.

I have not put this in the cooking forum as I felt the question was not about food and recipes but had a more sociological and educational theme.

a reply to: nonspecific

I'd probably have to rate myself a pathetic 1.5. Never could get the hang of eggs

originally posted by: BelowLowAnnouncement
a reply to: nonspecific

I'd probably have to rate myself a pathetic 1.5. Never could get the hang of eggs

So do you have someone that cooks for you or do you have to resort to shop bought/ readymade foods?

Where you never taught or does it just not interest you?

a reply to: nonspecific

I was never taught really, raised by a busy single mother (not the best excuse I know). I'm more of a pre-made oven food kind of guy though sometimes I'll stoop down to microwave level lol.

Edit:

All these full-time chefs in here making me insecure ... I'm just gonna back out and proudly cook some fish fingers in the oven like a pro.

a reply to: nonspecific

I am number 4; I cook whole foods at home and sometimes invent my own recipes.

On TV daily there are so many advertisements promoting processed unhealthy foods that bring no healthy nutritional value to people. In grocery stores there are isles and isles of totally unhealthy processed foods. Some people I think are hypnotized by commercials and/or just too lazy and want the easy fast food; processed food fix...and also some people just don't care about what they eat.

There is an old saying..."you are what you eat"...if people would bother to study nutrition and cook whole food recipes; a multitude of their health problems would go away; and there Doctor bills would be very low.

I would rate myself as a 3.5. I can make my own pastas, pastries, and so on, but I have not tried to make mayonaise or butter from scratch.

I like to consider myself a type 3 working up to type 4. I can make my own butter from scratch, but still have trouble with fresh pasta. The best way for my mom to keep smart kids busy was keep them where an eye was always on them. So, to the kitchen we went, and our spice smelling, culinary adventures began. Different siblings picked up and honed different skills in the kitchen. My skills seemed to gravitate towards sweets and meats. I'm getting better with breads, but not where I think I should be, and my son is WAYYY behind the time where he should have been in the kitchen. At least I taught him how to find and harvest wild green onions and pecans, so there is that.

You are right, OP, every one needs to know how to cook. It isn't just to feed oneself, it is a survival skill.

a reply to: nonspecific

I'd say I'm at a 2, atleast for home cooking. I love making pasta or eggs by (and only for) myself.

I do work at a restaurant to, but it's nothing special. Other than just plopping pre-made stuff onto a taco or burrito, we do make our own guacamole, pico, sauces, etc.... Since I make that stuff literally everyday at work, it's not something I would make at home.

3. Basics were pretty much self taught as I was looking after 3 siblings by the time I was 12(mid 70's). Later I hung with my Grandmother and learned a LOT. Let me tell you, I can cook.

I'm number 4
I learned all I could because I can't stand the package crap that passes for food now days.
Hamburger helper and stove top stuffing are the Devils work.
I even taught myself to make sushi. That was lots of fun.

Im about a 3.5 ... i cook a meal from scratch each night, I can make pasta, mayo, bread etc but dont because pre- made is cheaper

originally posted by: Skada
I like to consider myself a type 3 working up to type 4. I can make my own butter from scratch, but still have trouble with fresh pasta. The best way for my mom to keep smart kids busy was keep them where an eye was always on them. So, to the kitchen we went, and our spice smelling, culinary adventures began. Different siblings picked up and honed different skills in the kitchen. My skills seemed to gravitate towards sweets and meats. I'm getting better with breads, but not where I think I should be, and my son is WAYYY behind the time where he should have been in the kitchen. At least I taught him how to find and harvest wild green onions and pecans, so there is that.

You are right, OP, every one needs to know how to cook. It isn't just to feed oneself, it is a survival skill.

I like the way you see cooking as an ongoing adventure, I feel very much the same.

I also involve my son whenever cooking and try to make it both interesting and fun and he love spending time with his dad making good food. I like to look at it as a science and try to push the boundries.

Breads are a bit of a skill, our favorite bread to make in naan as theres no real kneading and proving and they cook in minutes. It is so much fun watching them puff up.

originally posted by: Hoosierdaddy71
I'm number 4
I learned all I could because I can't stand the package crap that passes for food now days.
Hamburger helper and stove top stuffing are the Devils work.
I even taught myself to make sushi. That was lots of fun.

I have never tried to make sushi as don't have access to high quality fresh fish but I recon I have the skills to pull of a passable western version!

mmmmm sushi. My girl is getting really good at making spring rolls and sushi. I prefer egg rolls, but she doesn't like the extra grease (strange, grease tries to kill you while living at the dorms and ever since too much makes her vomit and ill, who knew?). All we really need is the sushi rolling mat and we are good there.

We hand off cooking from time to time (My girl and I) and at times make (read that as "force") my son to cook as well. We are trying to get him comfy enough to look in the fridge and pantry and go "Mystery Box Style". So far, so good.

I would consider myself a hard core No. 3 cook. I've strayed into No. 4 territory on occasion and could go there full time if I had to.

originally posted by: Skada
mmmmm sushi. My girl is getting really good at making spring rolls and sushi. I prefer egg rolls, but she doesn't like the extra grease (strange, grease tries to kill you while living at the dorms and ever since too much makes her vomit and ill, who knew?). All we really need is the sushi rolling mat and we are good there.

We hand off cooking from time to time (My girl and I) and at times make (read that as "force") my son to cook as well. We are trying to get him comfy enough to look in the fridge and pantry and go "Mystery Box Style". So far, so good.

Does she make the spring roll pancakes herself, I tried the other day and was suprised at how cheap and easy it was and they tasted good.

That was with my son (8) and his friend (6) and they enjoyed it.

originally posted by: Oudoceus
I've strayed into No. 4 territory on occasion and could go there full time if I had to.

Me too but it's so bloody time consuming.

originally posted by: Oudoceus
I would consider myself a hard core No. 3 cook. I've strayed into No. 4 territory on occasion and could go there full time if I had to.

So are you very much a real food tried and tested/recipe book kind of cook then?

I think one of the reasons I can't understand people who say they can not cook is that it is simply following instructions word for word?

Yeah, we do give him strict recipes to follow at first and then when we taste or sit to feed we will critique it and theorize how to make it better next time. It is a good exercise in always improving your food.

Let us take the humble sandwich for example. We strive to teach my son that just because you make a sandwich, it should not just be meat and cheese between bread. Go get fresh basil, some fresh green onions, dressing instead of mustard, add some other spices to that mundane meal and make it extra-ordinary. Something that you would take to school and not trade it for anything at the table between friends. This is the mode of thinking in our house when it comes to the kitchen. It would seem that that particular room is where most of our family happenings are centered.

a reply to: nonspecific

i am likely a type 4, although i don't know all techniques (like making tofu). But i can make food like Tex Mex straight from the farm onto a plate of food that is more authentic than most people will ever have.

The internet is wonderful, if you are the type that can follow instructions. There is nothing I can't learn to make in an evening.

Then again, i also work around a restaurant and can ask for input from chefs and sous chefs, some that may/may not have won various shows on Food Network.