Comment 33059

By Meredith (registered) - website | Posted August 27, 2009 at 11:41:45

I think it's just a further outgrowth of not being taught these things in the first place at times... either by cultural/gender expectations we don't need to know them, or because we're not sure when people become adults, we're not as sure to give them these skills by a certain time- not simply proximity to family as a resource.

With the "buying lunch" tip, the lack of basic cooking skills (among all socioeconomic groups and both genders) continually astounds me, as well as the perception it's this lofty, impossible skill set. We eat three times (or so) a day.... that's a pretty important skill to learn!

Not to mention that most basic meals take about five ingredients (plus maybe a couple spices) and just about any recipe can be looked up in a book (or online).

Then again, I can't make my grandmother's zwieback, either - even with her recipe. It just doesn't turn out the same

I remember someone (who is a lovely person) that I talked to a couple weeks ago whose son is going off to university and was considering living in a house. On the nights he had to cook, they thought they'd send along food like spaghetti sauce, because cooking might be too complicated.

I really like and respect these people... but I still thought "Really? Something that takes 2 ingredients is that difficult? Meat and sauce cannot be cooked and combined by an 18-year-old?" Even if you teach him how to saute an onion and use a couple spices as well, it's not engineering, which is what your son wants to study...

Ah well, now I'm ranting.

"This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose... being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy." - G.B. Shaw

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