did you learn to cook?

@udayrao2 (781)
India
March 8, 2010 9:58pm CST
If you do cook how did you learn? was it from some one elder like your parents or grandparents or from family members, or was it by watching others or on TV or even learnt them in classes, or was it from recipe books, or was it your own concoctions?? I learnt the basics from my mother and grand-mother, before I went overseas as a student as I would have to cook for myself in the student hostel; then gradually watching other students( esp if they were from different nations and back-grounds and then of course my own creations!! but all in all I can easily say that when my wife is away for a few days or not keeping well I can take charge of the kitchen and keep the meals going. By the way I have created some really good ones!!More like bachelor meals made in a jiffy with short-cuts!!
4 people like this
31 responses
@chulce (1537)
• United States
10 Mar 10
Growing up every time we would visit my grandparents we would spend most of our time in the kitchen. I actually learned from watching my grandparents. It was wonderful learning all of their secrets. Wow, how time passes. Now, I am attempting to teaching my children how to cook. Although having boys, they are extremely stubborn and would rather not do so.
1 person likes this
@udayrao2 (781)
• India
13 Mar 10
I think grandparents were better cooks - or rather they knew a lot more of the traditional or ethnic recipes - and with every generation the cooking becomes shorter and easier since the traditional recipes are seldom made use of.
1 person likes this
@YoungTay (83)
• United States
13 Mar 10
i learned by myself
1 person likes this
@akuler (3531)
• Malaysia
9 Mar 10
Hi udayrao, I can cook the basic meal by myself. I start learning it since I am 7 or 8 years old. And my first lesson is how to make fried egg. I learn it by watching my grandmother and "do it by yourself" method. I rarely cook because this type of job done by women here. I used it mostly when there is no one around and I am hungry. Last time when I stay with my friends, I cook a lot. And my body weight is going up by quarter. I love to eat what I cook it myself.
@udayrao2 (781)
• India
9 Mar 10
Same here in my country- in fact in the past the women were confined to the house and it was big No-NO for a man to enter the kitchen - forget talking that he knows cooking or does; and nowadays luckily that stigma is not so,and men cook or say open they do so; but some of that prejudice stays.
1 person likes this
@akuler (3531)
• Malaysia
9 Mar 10
The scenario is change much nowadays. There are a lot of men can cook and many of the top hotel in the world pay a huge salary to the male chef. On the other hand, more and more women do not like to go to the kitchen or did not know how to cook at all.
• Malaysia
13 Mar 10
I learned just the basic things from my mum and my sister taught me the rest. She is such a great cook. I try cooking recipes that i see on TV and they were not bad at all however i don't do that as often as i like because i need to prepare many ingredient just to make one meal. so i prefer to cook a simple meal that taste great and make me full inside.
1 person likes this
@hofferp (4734)
• United States
9 Mar 10
I learned to cook from my mom and my sister, in a Home Economics class, using recipes and by making my own concoctions. I'm not a bad cook, but I don't really like to cook, unless it's for a crowd. Just making dinner for myself (I'm single) is boring.
@udayrao2 (781)
• India
9 Mar 10
I know how boring it is to cook and eat alone so normally when alone I cook & eat while watching TV, or I call my friend over ( luckily he is a widower and about my age )and he waits for such moments too!!
@udayrao2 (781)
• India
11 Mar 10
Yes I normally do that we chat and watch TV while eating - he cooks but mainly non-veg and I am a veg but he enjoys veg food too. I think you should also do something similar- let me know
@hofferp (4734)
• United States
9 Mar 10
That's great; invite him over.
@philgirl (74)
• United States
13 Mar 10
Oh yeah, I learned how to cook when I'm just married. I asked some help to my friends how to cook every time I taste it & like it. I cook when, I saw it first before I made it. to be more perfectly same of what I like the flavor.
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
10 Mar 10
Hi uday, I think I got the basics for cooking from my mother only. When I am at home I helped my mother for preparing food. But I never prepared food myself except some occasions like, mother is not at home or she is ill etc. When I moved from house and start my own cooking, I used the knowledge which I got from my mother and added my own inventions. I am happy to do some experiments in cooking.
• Australia
15 Mar 10
Yes i learnt to cook but i think it was from a range of sources, my mother mainly and grandmother i remember helping from when i was a little girl. Now i am quite confident in the kitchen i can look around the fridge and pantry and make a beautiful meal from what we have available and certain recipes that i have learned to master. I think its important for everyone to learn how to cook and i am very grateful that i had people that took the time to teach me when i was younger.
• United States
10 Mar 10
my mom taught me how to cook..when i was a kid i always watch her cook..i always hangout in the kitchen instead of watching tv i helm my mom cook and prepare the food!!
@Mike4me (567)
• Philippines
10 Mar 10
I learned from different ways, first I learned the basic from my dad while watching him every time he cooks, just observing him. Then I tried cooking on my own and I loved it to I searched for some recipes and followed them, it all turned out good as well. I also watch cooking shows on TV to help me some more. Some friends taught me some recipes as well and it's like I know how to make them taste better or something to I'm pretty proud of myself. I also made my own recipes and glad that a lot of people loves it. I think that cooking is a need for every individual even if they have housemaids or something, just to be ready.
• Philippines
10 Mar 10
Nah! Mom would just let me mix the fried rice or fry bacon or ham every once in a while but not really involved in gourmet cooking
• India
9 Mar 10
No that is the biggest draw back in me .I can just prepare coffee and nothing else .so when my wife is not here (generally we dont leave each other) then i go to my sister's house for eating as we all have a very good family relationship
@udayrao2 (781)
• India
9 Mar 10
Hi Maybe you had never lived alone during your learning days- I am talking from my experience- I am the only male among all my cousins who could cook when young as I lived (& survived very well!!!) in a student hostel overseas they still cannot cook or rather hate it - even preparing coffee / tea is a heavy chore for them. For males to cook they either have to love cooking or they out of necessity do it or have learnt it.
@scja16 (322)
• Philippines
9 Mar 10
I just watch my dad cook then because of my curiosity I tried cooking. I love pasta so what I did was, do research on the net for recipe. So far, i have my ups and downs on cooking but most of thems are down. I really love cooking and serving food to my love ones. Up until now im still studying and keep on practicing cooking for my own family. God bless
• China
10 Mar 10
i began to learn cooking from my mom. since i am a child,i like to stand by my mother when she is cooking.when i grow up,i can get the various kinds of cooking from TV,books and internet. i am proud and be self-satisfied that my parents and friends are enjoying with the food i cooked for them.
@gracie04 (4549)
• Philippines
9 Mar 10
I learned how to cook when i moved out from my parents' house in muntinlupa. my mom doesn't allow me to interfere with her cooking.. why? maybe because she's afraid of me(making big mess on her kitchen).. lol.. I was 21 years old when i prepared a real dish, sinigang na baboy (sour soup pork).. i learned through reading recipes online.. there's a filipino cooking website that i visit on a daily basis.. her way of explaining things is way better compared to other websites i have visited before.. the instructions are easy to follow.. if given a wonderful opportunity, i would like to take up a culinary course and be a famous chef someday.. :)
@MrKennedy (1978)
9 Mar 10
I learnt to cook mainly from my mom and dad. They were always keen on showing me how to cook and prepare delicious meals. Plus, they were quite good cooks too, which obviously helped me to learn better
• Canada
9 Mar 10
Hello Udayrao! Usually men will find a way to make a meal really fast lol. I learned from my mom and grandmother. Then I sort of managed on my own. I owned a restaurant and couldnt really cook at the time. I had to learn and fast and turns out all my customers loved my cooking. I usually read a recipe and then make it my own by sort of changing it!!
@sushie93 (1355)
• France
9 Mar 10
Hm, i can only cook spaghettis XD, i have learned it from my mothers who has decided to learn to cook that because in tis time, i had an offer to do babysitting and they wanted someone who can cook. ^^'
@nangisha (3496)
• Indonesia
9 Mar 10
Hai.... I am learning cooking from my mom, my mom always says to my when I am young NO One will marry you if you cannot cook!, so I learn to cook in early stage. Now I find cooking is fun especially when my friend amaze with my cooking ability and off course free delicious meal.
• United States
9 Mar 10
I learned the basics of what I know from my mom, but she's not a very creative cook, haha. Whatever else I learned (the better stuff, haha) I've taught myself or learned from watching television cooking shows.