If you 'can't cook,' why not?

Question

I've been running into a lot of people who 'can't' cook lately.

I cook a lot and always have, so don't get it. I can understand, say, always needing to use a recipe, simply not cooking much from scratch, not being able to come up with a recipe by yourself, etc, but -- just how hard can it be to use a cookbook? The directions for most things are pretty simple.

I'm not thinking about people who simply don't cook, but the ones who claim not to be able to do so. One story I heard recently involved somebody -- an adult -- 'learning' to make mashed potatoes, which stunned me. Anybody who's tasted, or even seen, them, should be able to figure out 'smushed-up cooked potato,' I thought. But, apparently, no.

What's the big mystery...?

Re: "why do you have to be neg...everyone one had to start somewhere and i dont think that it is up to you to run people down..."

Good grief, I'm not trying to "run people down." I'm referring to people I know who state "I can't cook," and not, say, people whose cooking I dislike. And I don't disdain people who can't/don't want to; given so many restaurants and prepared foods, I can see why it might be seen as something akin to a skilled but entirely unnecessary hobby.

"its not all that easy to do recipes...."

No kidding.

Anyway, there are some very useful answers here -- thanks. I'd figured 'didn't grow up cooking' would be common, but had not thought of, say, repeatedly getting bad results without knowing why (qv oven story) leading people to the "I can't cook" statement.

Answer 1

There are people out there that are afraid of fire/burning things so they say they can not cook. (I have a sister that is afraid of fire). Some people have tried to cook but the meal/dish did not come out as they would have hoped so they say they can not cook. Others are just plain lazy so they claim they can not cook! Still others do what they make best- reservations!

Answer 2

Those who can cook, especially from "scratch" cookers can't understand those who can't. I began cooking with my Mother as a child. My older sister had absolutely no interest in it. When she got married at twenty-two she could barely boil water. She would call and ask me how do make goulash and like you, I go, think about what is in it, you eat it so you should be able to make it. But no. Many years later she is a good cook, but does nothing without following a recipe exactly. On the other hand I do not enjoy baking because you have to follow the rules and measure precisely, I feel the creativity is lost. I love to read recipes but usually I end up combining two or three and coming up with my own take on food.
When my Father married my Mother he asked her if she could cook---her response---no, but I can read. She was a great baker and a good cook.
I hope my experiences shed some light on the issue.

Answer 3

I claim to not be able to cook either. I have recently bought a cookbook and will be trying some meals. I've done crock-pot dinners, but that's about it. Funny you mention mashed potatoes. I wouldn't have a clue how to do it. I see you have to boil them, but I wouldn't know how long, add milk, butter - how much. I have the book now, so I know, but otherwise, how would I? I was never in the kitchen with my mom when she cooked, so I never learned. I understand when you're more experienced with it, you don't necessarily measure and you just go by taste, but when you've never done it before, there's nothing to compare it to.

It also doesn't help that I have an old oven that doesn't cook evenly. I thought it was me until someone I know who does cook told me that. And all this time, I thought I was doing something wrong.

Answer 4

why do you have to be neg...everyone one had to start somewhere and i dont think that it is up to you to run people down because you can make smushed up cooked potatoes...which there is no such thing ...they are mashed or whipped....in every recipe book i have seen......i think that if someone asks a question on here and they are willing to learn then i don't mind taking my time and giving them suggestions on how to prepare the product....and you stating comimng up with a recipe for your self its not as easy as you think that you change a few spices and do this a little different and you have a recipe..you have to consider the amount to be feed ...the amount of shrinkage the meat will have fior example it takes 40 lbs of oven roast to feed 150 people giving them a 4 oz serving...so you are missing 40 ozs of meat and that is due to shrinkage so its not all that easy to do recipes....i feel that i would take more time to explain things to the beginners before i would give out recipes to someone who knows it all.....when i was training cooks i didnt let them stray from the recipe at all it had to be exact and even when the serving went out i had them weigh the amount so they would learn portion control...if you don't yuse portion control the business will not last very long and you won't have a job either.....so you should look at your self first befiore throwing stones at someone else...cooking for 3 or 4 versus cokking for 300 to 500 is a lot different...if you are that well educated in the culinary field then you should be helping others learn....Rob'ert

Answer 5

I was never allowed to help my mother cook, so it was a big shock when she wasn't around anymore. It took a while for me to even start trying. I lived on a lot of frozen pizza and other sad food. One day I actually tried a recipe and it turned out right! Then I was intrigued and wanted to try to make anything and everything. Not that I haven't had my share of cooking blunders, but I wouldn't say that I 'can't cook'. It's a learning process, and that never ends. I'm in my 30's now and still trying to tackle baking!

Answer 6

some people do not have the patience to learn or to pay attention to detail while cooking. There are million different types of mash potato maybe he was learning one of them - or he just doesn't understand how long to boil the potatoes etc. At least he is trying to learn. I would suggest apathy or laziness is the cause for most people who can't cook.

Answer 7

Yes I am a good cook. Love to cook

Answer 8

well with me i didn't learn because i was keeped in my mum's house and had to look after it, i.e make sure no one broke in, from the age of 6 years old, i never got to get to school so i grow up watching t.v in the house by myself and when i was 8 the one time i tried to cook something i blowed up the micowave so i didn't even try after that but now i have a great boyfriend that is trying to help me learn to cook and the thing i missed out on.
so some people say they can't cook but can but other people like me never learned to cook and some people can't learn.

Answer 9

maybe other people cook for them and its a good excuse not to get involved.

or they can afford to eat out a lot

or they are just lazy ?

I can cook, and do but some night I need a break :)

Answer 10

I think there are two types of people that can't cook, those who are too lazy and those who don't care.

Cooking is no big mystery. It's not difficult. It just takes a little effort and some people put no effort in life no matter what.