People who can't cook. Do you know any? Are you one?

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I don't consider myself a great cook by any means, but to me the basics of cooking have always been a bit of a no-brainer. Growing up, my mom was definitely a "don't you dare mess with anything I do in the kitchen" type of lady, yet I still picked things up and taught myself as I soon as I started living on my own. We need food to surivive, so it seemed like something worth learning (not to mention the money you can save doing it). Most of my friends are good cooks, too.

Yet every once in a while I'll meet a fully-functioning adult who can't be bothered to do basic things like cook un-microwaveable food, buy ingredients, follow recipes, multi-task stove plates, set a timer, etc. A good 20% of people at work absolutely refuse to cook food themselves and must eat out at lunch.

How does this happen? Can anyone on this forum who is afflicted with Can't Cook-itis share their life experience for us?

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1. Never bothered to learn how to cook, had better things to do.

2. Moved to CH with a better half who could cook.

2. Better half and I parted ways. Survived on microwave foods and ready made microwave fondue. Still better things to do than learn to cook.

3. Met an even better, better half who could cook

4. Problem solved

3
I know someone that is only able to cook water and Chili Con Carne.

Think he lived a lazy life at his parents place for too long

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I appreciate what you're saying goshiki.. but... really.... I don't (/ meaning I was just being polite initially )

"better things to do" than learn how to cook? and "survived on microwaved foods"

arrrrghhh

( says myself who learned to cook at a very young age and detests microwaveable anything )

5
Meanwhile, I live to cook (it's what life is all about)!

Tom

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"Can't be bothered" is about right. I have always enjoyed cooking, am a decent cook in my own culinary tradition and a competent recipe-follower outside it... but for the first two years I lived away from home I simply could not bring myself to cook for myself on a regular basis.

Cooking from scratch took time, energy, and I found it was just as likely to bring on a bout of homesickness as cure one. So I ate a hot lunch with colleagues at the office cafeteria, and in the evening I had either fresh fruit and veg and told myself I was being "healthy", or ready meals or pasta and told myself I was "treating myself". On rare occasions I'd whip up some comfort food from home - biscuits and gravy, baked apples, a chicken pot pie - but only once or twice a month and only one dish at a time. I don't think I ever cooked myself a proper meal with all the trimmings unless I had people over... there just didn't seem to be any point. Eating is very strongly a social activity in my culture, and proper cooking is an act of hospitality. I felt alone and cut off from both.

Dating someone from another culture was what flipped the switch. Suddenly I had a reason to cook again, an audience who would be delighted rather than homesick. Tupperware containers of chicken soup showed up on his doorstep when he got a cold, weekend day trips were accompanied by picnics, complete with fresh bread and cookies I "just happened" to have baked the night before. Sounds corny but it got me cooking again, and I haven't stopped since.

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... and it got you a husband!!

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I can imagine that you took pity on the poor man, when he said, "I'd do anything for some Pedigree right now!"

you thought this

when he meant this

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Well, how was I to know?! I ask you.

@Nicola: he says he'd have married me whether I could cook or not. I wouldn't have liked to put it to the test though.

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To play's Devil's Advocate, lots of microwaveable and canned stuff is decent (especially the stuff you find in France, the selection in Switzerland leaves a lot to be desired). If you use it to compose other meals (pre-packaged canned grattin, that you then add cheese, spices, lardons to, for example). Microwaveable Chinese food can be quite good. Indian food NOT. But whenever I see basic microwaveable Spaghetti Bolognese I just can't help thinking, "Damn, is it that hard to boil some water?"

11

..............

as you said above... "is it that hard to boil some water"... and then throw a potato(e) into it.

12
Mini microwave fondue pots where to die for

I can not touch them anymore. Just seeing them on the shelf in Coop/Migros turns my stomach.

13
I used to work with someone who also said that all people could cook and that he cooked every night for hi s family.

He then said that cooking was actually easy and he explained that all you needed to do was cook some pasta, heat up a tin of pasta sauce and mix the two together.

I wouldn't call that cooking and it's not really any different from a microwave meal, and certainly not any healthier.

So, when people say they can cook, is this what they mean?

14
I've gone the whole cut potatoes up and put creme route, too, but honestly can barely taste a difference. There are few areas that I'm with the "can't be bothered" camp on, and this is one of them.

15
Can you ask him for the recipe for ice cubes please?

16
Cooking the sauce properly, knowing what al dente is, etc can go into it. I know some people who won't even do that , if you can believe it. Or just throw it into water, never bother to check the time, and overcook it by 10 minutes.

17

when tired ( from a long day on EF ) or in a rush I've been known to come home and boil some spag... and add jar of some sauce... but no I do not consider that cooking.

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Is this what you're looking for?

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Even my KIDS normally make their own pasta sauces from scratch (and sometimes the pasta itself)!

Tom