How many actually cook anymore?

[Sutra]

I've joined a couple of cooking sites over the years and more and more of what I see can barely be called recipes. Opening a few cans and dumping in some frozen veggies may be quick and easy but it hardly constitutes cooking. Furthermore the "authors" of these recipes always fail to mention the fact that their bright shiny new idea is listed on the packages of the particular packaged foods they are referring to and almost always list themselves as experienced cooks and foodies. Is cooking a lost art?
I have a feeling I'm going to draw some fire for writing this from all the busy people and this is not a lecture about priorities but an inquiry as to how many others have come across this.

[dazaga]

Welcome to TalkFood! I think you'll find there are a wide range of cooks here.....from those that like to cook with processed/packaged foods, to those that refuse to cook from anything but 'scratch'. I've enjoyed TalkFood for the fact that new cooks can ask questions about most anything and get good answers, and experienced cooks can share tips and advice, and we all learn from each other. On cooks.com, there's a wide variety of recipes to choose from - if a recipe calls for a package of something I don't have, I often just make my own or look for another recipe that uses ingredients from scratch. There's room here for everyone.

[BasilRock]

Welcome to TalkFood! I think you'll find there are a wide range of cooks here.....from those that like to cook with processed/packaged foods, to those that refuse to cook from anything but 'scratch'. I've enjoyed TalkFood for the fact that new cooks can ask questions about most anything and get good answers, and experienced cooks can share tips and advice, and we all learn from each other. On cooks.com, there's a wide variety of recipes to choose from - if a recipe calls for a package of something I don't have, I often just make my own or look for another recipe that uses ingredients from scratch. There's room here for everyone.

Very well said. I do not understand what is wrong with people these days. They come on a site for the first time and pick it apart. Seems like compassion and understanding are flying out the window as time go on. It is not just this site it is others as well. I get the feeling that there are a lot of unhappy people and they just need to vent and pick people apart to make themselves feel good. Keep up your good suggestions and I am always happy to hear what you have to say, as well as many of the others.
Beverly

[Sutra]

At what point did I pick apart the site or low a lack of compassion? You seem to have taken my inquiry personally.

[KarenB]

Welcome Sutra...The tread to go back to basics is coming on strong. I think it's to do with the chemicals in processed food and the bad rap they are getting. i also think people realize that homemade is quality with taste. I find anything made with a mix is all sugar, salt or fat. Our society has taught the generations that instant is the way to go but unfortunately it looses on flavour and nutrition. When I was a young bride I worked full time and had no idea how to cook. The instant foods were great and yes really with out taste. The instant mashed potatoes in the early seventies. Let's not go there. They can't be explained. And Sutra to answer your question; cooking is not a lost art in my opinion it goes through social trends like anything else. Statics show us that cooking and gardening are the fastest growing hobbies to date.

With the use of the internet we discover how much we know, how much we want to know and how much more we have to learn. I myself find that I am learning a ton of information on this site. My favourite is when I read a forum and discover sometihing I've never heard of IE; Sun pickles. I live in the north so this is not an option for me but I found the research amazing. Who knew?
To define cooking is like asking for a chilli recipe. From getting the can opener to purchasing imported chili peppers online. How many answers can there be? (Rhetorical question)

[Mariah-RoseCass]

The instant mashed potatoes in the early seventies. Let's not go there. They can't be explained.
With the use of the internet we discover how much we know, how much we want to know and how much more we have to learn. I myself find that I am learning a ton of information on this site. My favourite is when I read a forum and discover sometihing I've never heard of IE; Sun pickles. I live in the north so this is not an option for me but I found the research amazing. Who knew?
To define cooking is like asking for a chilli recipe. From getting the can opener to purchasing imported chili peppers online. How many answers can there be? (Rhetorical question)

Well said, and I totally agree with the mashed potatoes! But something amazing I found in the grocery store, instant mashed potatoes. They had a sample of it, and guess what! It actully tasted good! It has come a long way.

I know a lot of people who use 'instant' packages and so on. But they are all people who don`t have a lot of time to spare.
But with my family, we always find time to make something yummy!

[CM]

I've joined a couple of cooking sites over the years and more and more of what I see can barely be called recipes. Opening a few cans and dumping in some frozen veggies may be quick and easy but it hardly constitutes cooking. Furthermore the "authors" of these recipes always fail to mention the fact that their bright shiny new idea is listed on the packages of the particular packaged foods they are referring to and almost always list themselves as experienced cooks and foodies. Is cooking a lost art?

We have so many recipes it would be difficult to categorically describe them all in one fell swoop or in just a single sentence. Our recipes range from those requiring little or no kitchen experience to elaborate fare that would require skill and experience to carry off. Our visitors match that same wide range of experience and level of skill. There's room for every body here, or at least for everyone who would like to learn or share their knowledge.

As far as your question "Does anyone cook anymore?" - the answer is yes, and that's why we're here; to talk about food and cooking. Some of us cook from scratch, some of us use convenience foods, and most of us do a combination of scratch and convenience cooking.

There are so many foods that you probably don't even think of as convenience foods anymore (consider dried pasta, a can of tomatoes, ground beef, sausages, etc). Sometimes I make home made pasta, but other times I used dried pasta, which is a convenience food! Every year I grow tomatoes from seeds, plant them in the garden and at the end of the season I harvest tomatoes and press them into sauce for canning and can whole tomatoes and salsa. But sometimes, I'll still open a can of tomato paste or use a bottle of ketchup from the store, because it's convenient. And sometimes I make my own ground beef from a roast, or sausages from a pork shoulder. But sometimes I buy these, too. I get good results cooking both ways.

Today I'll be canning some Italian plums in cognac syrup. When I open them in about 6 months, I'll be using canned foods, and by then I'll be able to look at them as though they're a convenience food, too.

So, where can you draw the line? Are all canned foods inferior? I don't think that the ones I've canned myself are, and most of the ones from the store aren't so bad either (although I tend to stay away from things like canned soups and combo items - prefer to stick with fruits, some veggies such as artichokes, beets and tomatoes). And most of the time, I prefer frozen veggies, and they're another convenience I wouldn't want to do without, though I would rather use fresh, and I do whenever I am able.

[Sutra]

I think you brought up an interesting point. It is sometimes a matter of degree. I too have a small garden and grow many of my own foods. I consider the preservation of which to be an art form in and of itself. Besides pickling and canning, I also freeze some veggies to get us through the winter months. Not only do I make my own pasta, cerial, and breads but I make the flour for them. But I take an easy way out. It is possible to make white flour but the process is tedious so I buy it. I can't agree though that packaged foods are just as good. While in the market the other say I saw cookie dough. Not a bad idea really. When I looked to the left of the cylander I had to laugh. They actually had the cookie dough cut into premade sizes that you just transfer to the tray to bake. This case is extreme but a good example of what I'm talking about. Not only have they stopped controlling what was put in their foods but they can't even cut from an already made dough. Then there is the recent finding among canned fruit and baby food that showed levels of lead that were higher than the CA state standards. People lead busier lives than we once did and its sometimes necessary to take the easy way out. This societal change has made our lives better in many ways but did require sacrifice. We have food variety and choices that if seen by our ancestors would amaze. But we lost something fundamental. A closeness and respect for our food sources. In my country at least this can be seen in how our meat sources are treated and in the chemicals used to protect the veggies we acquire. The streamlining of grain varieties is for me a scary thing. We use about 5 varieties of wheat which are genetically very similiar. It a blight occurs as did during the potato famine our breadbasket could be wiped out. Some people, myself included are taking precautions against this. Even if you have little room for a garden it is a good idea to invest in heirloom seeds and keep diversity alive. But I've gone off topic again as I sometimes do.

[grillmama]

Funny. I originally came to this site this morning looking for a recipe. I wanted a new and diff recipe for baking chicken pieces. I had no idea what I would find. I have finally found some people who think like I do!
I grew up in the 70's w/ "hippies" as parents (as I refer to them-haha.) Peace, love and whole-wheat. It's cool and hip now, but not back then. Nobody had yogurt or "brown bread" (as it was referred to) or homemade peanut butter. Dannon had just started. It was still white yogurt w/fruit at the bottom. My friends would come over for dinner and were horrified when we had brown spaghetti w/zucchini in it.
I remember the summer that I moved out...I literally lived on Taco Bell, diet Coke, strawberry pop-tarts and chocolate pudding for the entire first month. It was my way of rebelling. Junk food. I showed my folks.
I've kind of done the happy medium w/my own family now. I make homemade food as much as possible. Cooking is my hobby. But, I don't shun my kids from treats.

[rustythimble]

Seems to me people who really cook and enjoy it are a dying breed. I made sure that all of my four sons are able to cook because it seems so many young women just aren't interested or have no clue where to start. Really kind of sad that we have become a country of so much convenience that we have given up some of the basic pleasures of life .