How did you learn to cook?

mum2one

i learnt a lot from my mum more sweet stuff, as she was always baking cakes, as they were a staple part of my dads lunch box.

Some bits at school, thou i did 5 yrs but really the 4th and 5th yr was really cook for yourself, you weren't really taught anything new.

Cookery books, seeing TV programmes, some trial and error, but I get there.

My one error that sticks in mind was cooking a quiche with pickled onions instead of normal white onions, xx

meritaten

mum2one wrote: »

i learnt a lot from my mum more sweet stuff, as she was always baking cakes, as they were a staple part of my dads lunch box.

Some bits at school, thou i did 5 yrs but really the 4th and 5th yr was really cook for yourself, you weren't really taught anything new.

Cookery books, seeing TV programmes, some trial and error, but I get there.

My one error that sticks in mind was cooking a quiche with pickled onions instead of normal white onions, xx

I bet that tasted interesting!

although - I didn't realise that beetroot came 'unpickled' and tried to make bortch (sp) in school. Miss James rather quickly pointed out my error - and that of half my classmates! she just got us to rinse then boil the pickled beetroot - and it was still awfull!

candygirl

marleyboy wrote: »

I learned to cook at an early age as my Mother is blind. I was cooking the main meals from the age of 13, passed down experience from my elder Sister and my Father.

I learned to cook Bread when I was 7 and just got into the fun of cooking from that moment onward.

I love how you said fun !that's how cooking should be :cool:

meritaten

candygirl wrote: »

I love how you said fun !that's how cooking should be :cool:

Yes - its an adventure every meal time! I am sixty and think I am still learning how to cook! I don't class myself as an 'expert'! I am teaching the grandkids and they seem to find it fun too. as they ask to cook something every time they visit. and we 'experiment' - we have fun! and I learn from them too.
one assignment they had from school was to 'invent a new confectionary' so they did a 'Twins Bar' (as they are twins and did it together). I gave them free use of my store cupboards and they came up with
coco pops
glace cherries - chopped
marshmallows - chopped
Dates - chopped
vanilla to flavour
melted chocolate bars to bind and another to spread on the top.


I suggested salted peanuts but was told that some people may have 'allergies'! so no peanuts then! I was impressed - they are only 10!
they did it all themselves and proudly took it into school where the staff and pupils in their class judged.
apparently they were voted 'best bars'! and they did it themselves!

Hedgehog99

Baking as a child with my Mum, a brief time of Home Economics lessons at school (but didn't learn anything I still use), recipes from my Mum's GH Cookbook (better edition than the one available when I was shopping for it) plus about four other trusted cookery books. I'm sceptical about some books/recipes - it's disappointing when you've spent time and money doing a recipe that fails.

Since having a fruit & veg box, I've explored different varieties not available in the shops and I enjoy seasonal food.

Since finding out I'm gluten & lactose intolerant, I've learned new recipes / adapted old recipes to fit in with my new diet & I feel much better.

Funny how, even when you follow the recipe exactly, use the same ingredients (even down to the brands) and even the same oven, things don't taste quite the same as Mum's.

Bluebell68

Just by watching listening reading and trying this and that

never used jars or bottles made from scratch
learnt lot watching nan and my Nain n dad
school on other hand total rubbish

im still cooking even though now its very hard sometimes painful

I am proud too say my hubby learnt from me his mother would not let her sons cook
men weren't men if they cooked she said:mad:

to which I replied all great chiefs are MEN including my lovely dad:T


all 3 of my sons can and do cook

maman

My mam waited on us hand and foot at home and didn't welcome anyone in her kitchen.


At school I only did cookery in the lower school and we seemed to spend more time scrubbing tables than actually cooking anything but I do remember cheese pie. I mostly learned to cook in the Guides and when I married it was the first time I'd done a proper meal in a kitchen rather than on a campfire and only for two people rather than 30+!


Now I follow recipes until I've got the hang of something then go 'by eye'. These days it's so easy to find recipes on line and even step by step instructions on you tube.

sharnad

meritaten wrote: »

I find it very sad that there is a whole generation of people who did 'domestic science' or 'food technology' at school - who cant cook! my DD would have been one of them except that I insisted that ALL three of my kids learn the basics. none of them will starve!

I am teaching the grandkids - and they can all make a good omelette both sweet and savoury, scones, fairy cakes and pastry.they can prep veg for a roast dinner and know how to make good coffee in the cafetiere! I think they have it sussed now! but GD3 wants me to teach her 'food presentation'! eeeekkks! I just bung it on the plate - no cheffy 'presentation' at all!

I can cook because of what I learnt at home on cooking days with my mam which was usually sunday. All I remeber learning from domestic science is how to make liver, tuna balls and pinapple upsidedown cake. Also made an ovenue glove burt never finished it

Sally_A

meritaten wrote: »

I find it very sad that there is a whole generation of people who did 'domestic science' or 'food technology' at school - who cant cook!

Agree..back in the 70's I remember cookery class went something along the lines of, sandwich; blancmanche; quiche, bolognese, chicken casserole, and this was Yrs 1 - 3 of secondary school, ie pre O Level choices. (can't keep up with what years they are called now). Daughters lessons in 2000+ were all about designing packaging for food, she learnt more about food in PE/Science.


I'm not an excellent chef, but I am a competent cook, and can knock a meal up from cupboard and fridge dregs - I treat my grocery substitutions as a challenge.


Best thing I learned was timings, and how to plan for "dishing up" time.

Prinzessilein

I was at Secondary School in the 70s.


When I was at the Grammar School we didn't learn Cookery. (Bright Girls apparently didn't need to learn how to cook!!!!)...We moved a few times and I went to Comprehensive Schools were I DID have Cookery lessons...


One school did a whole term on 'sponge cake' ..week 1 bake a cake fill with jam...week 2 same cake filled with lemon curd or marmalade...week 3 same cake cooked in bun tins as fairy cakes....week 4 basic cake again filled with buttercream...and so on!


Another school we did baked potatoes....a one hour lesson, 10 minutes writing the recipe in our books...then prepare the potatoes and put them in the oven...everything needed to be cleared away 15 minutes before the lesson ended - potatoes taken out of the oven and finished at home!.....next week pasta and sauce(but in effect just cooked the sauce....no time to do the pasta!)....another week custard - nothing else, just custard (with a sachet of Birds custard cooked with milk in a saucepan)


I did watch Mum cook at home...she was AMAZING (still is...in her 80s and will out-cook anyone!)...but never actually 'learned' officially...I just sort of 'absorbed' cooking naturally.


Watching Mum meant I learned valuable skills about how to make a meal out of nothing. I still remember excitedly telling Mum that the breakfast milk was sour - because I knew that meant she would bake scones with the milk (NEVER throw anything 'useful' away!)


We moved around a LOT - with the RAF. Mum loved to learn all the 'local' dishes and I grew up enjoying a real fusion of cuisines. Mum is from Germany, Birthdad from UK, Stepdad from Jamaica, RAF postings included North Africa and Singapore....the only problem wwas getting the (at the time) exotic ingredients when we moved back to the UK for British postings.


I supplemented the stuff I sort-of-learned from Mum by watching TV. I always loved Cookery Shows (starting with Graham Kerr - the Galloping Gourmet, remember him?!)...and got my first cook book when I was 12.