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Yes

9 (17.3%)

No

8 (15.4%)

Don't know/Not sure

3 (5.8%)

Seems most people I know can't cook

10 (19.2%)

Seems most people I know can cook

22 (42.3%)

Total Members Voted: 38

[Kristin Meredith]

Just ran into the grocery store today for a few things.  Taken by surprise by how much canned food,soups, pasta, and frozen foods were gone.  But the fresh meat and seafood and fresh fruit and vegs were abundant and some really good prices.  I bought a lot of fresh becuase I read a story that farmers are struggling because so much of our fresh veggies and fruits are bought by restuarants and food trucks and so their sales are tanking right now.

I guess because the folks on this site can cook and post such great cooks and recipes, it has made me think everyone can cook.  But with the shut down and seeing purchase patterns in grocery stores, I am now second guessing. So the poll.  You can vote twice -- e.g. "yes" and "seems most people I know cook" or any combo.  Also curious about folks thoughts and experiences.

[BigDave83]

I see the same thing in the stores although the meat sections are pretty worked over, the canned stuff and frozen premade meal things are very thin. Produce is spotty the normal things like lettuce and bagged salads are thin but most other produce is good. Pasta sauce is limited also from what I have seen, I remember the one store frozen pizza was almost non existent, except for the gluten free and cauliflower stuff.

I am 54 and my Mother cooked all the time, i remember helping butcher hogs and cows when I was young I am glad I grew up in the country and at the time I did.

[Hank D Thoreau]

Edited to refocus on the cooking point rather than the buying.

Because of the need to be ready for a long isolation, the data is probably skewed, but then, microwavable food from the frozen isle is also gone, so you likely have a point.

In my small but interesting sample size of folks that either live with us, or that we mentor,

One went to cooking school and is a chef
One studied to be a chef but changed fields. She does a lot of experimentation in the kitchen. We buy her stuff to use and try.
One is a very good Asian cook who has taught us a lot about Asian cooking and markets
And two cannot cook at all, though one is in the process of learning.
My wife and I can cook but not professional chef level by ANY MEANS. I cook using the visualization method. I visualize what I like and want, and then make it.
I may read a few recipes to get some ideas.

I voted for the last two because it is really sort of 50/50 in my experience. There is a lot of Door Dash in the younger generation, but then, the older generation invented fast food.

[Canadian John]

 You could have added Canadians to the question. We're all about the same in many ways  .. I find it's mostly the young people that have no idea what cooking is about. They are living a different lifestyle that

could be described as hectic.  It's milk in a box or bag. Most have never seen a cow.  Frozen meals and microwaves. No concocting in any way. And of course, fast food.

[KeithG]

I said “No”.

I guess it depends on the definition “can cook”. To me being able to cook means grabbing a group of ingredients and turning whatever they into a great or at least good tasting meal. If you know how to cook you don’t need a recipe in front of you to make a meal. I view recipes as inspiration. I never saw my great-grandmother, grandmother or my mother use a recipe to prepare a meal.

If you include people who can follow a recipe a make something as being able to cook then I would answer “ I don’t know”. I do know that I don’t know too many people that cook for themselves anymore.

Please note, I am not including baking in my definition. Baking has more precise requirements and recipes are needed there.

[dk117]

I'll echo some comments.

Most people can prepare food.
Some of us can cook.
There are very few chefs out there statistically speaking.

DK

[jgrayson]

I gave this question some thought and decided that most people can cook.  This doesn't mean that they can cook well, or that I am thrilled when I am invited to their house for a meal.  I even know a professional chef that I dread getting an invitation from.  She seems to be the type that will perform well when payment is involved, but then have no idea how to pull off a party of any type when she is the host.

[pmillen]

I voted “No” because I’m certain that less than half of the adults can cook (I think we're addressing adults, here).  I wouldn’t categorize myself as being able to cook.  I can follow a recipe but that’s not what I call cooking.

I have a dear friend that invents, improvises, tastes and adjusts.  That’s called cooking.

[Kristin Meredith]

I guess I was trying to have a more narrow focus.  For example, the canned goods.  I guess most folks can open a can of green beans and heat them up.  But if you show them the fresh beans, they are lost.  They don't know to trim and cut into bite size and put in a pan of water (or roast if you like) and flavor with some salt and cook until done.  I am not talking Bobby Flay.  I just mean taking a fresh ingredient and cooking it so that you can eat it.

I guess I just wondered why so much fresh stuff and yet the pre-prepared , frozen and canned is all gone.

[BigDave83]

I think the fresh stuff is there because of some of what you said but also produce goes bad so quick and gets thrown out. I have that issue at times. I think another part of it is that people don't sit down and have a meal together like I had growing up, now it is a bowl or plate of something and sit in the living room in front of the TV. This lifestyle just lends itself to canned or premade frozen or boxed dinners. Hamburger helper, ramen noodles, tv dinners type of things.

[Hank D Thoreau]

There is no doubt that there has been a huge rise in convenience food for a half a century now. I like the reference above to Hamburger Helper. I remember when that was introduced.

I read about the invention of the TV dinner. It came from an idea on how to deal with a turkey glut and took off from there.

We have been on this trajectory since at least the 60's. You can see it at the check stand where folks load up on bricks of Lean Cuisine.

I think the run on canned is more of a practical issue associated with preparing for a lock down. Canned can be stored without refrigeration or freezing.

It can survive power outages. Basically, cans become currency in just about every post apocalyptic movie (e.g. A Boy and His Dog with a young Don Johnson).

Unless we are talking tomato sauce, you would have to be a skilled chef to be able to cook something remotely edible from cans. Maybe I am on to something !

Skilled chefs are stocking up.

[Kristin Meredith]

Yeah, Bent and I don't have to worry too much about storing food.  Given how fat we are, we can easily survive a minimum of two years of a zombie apocalyspe without ever cracking open a canned or bag of anything.

[pmillen]

Me, too, Kristin.  I store food, but I consume it first and store it as fat.  In that way I always have access to it.

[urnmor]

I believe we all can cook however some better than others.  Many of us enjoy cooking so we constantly try Nelson recipes etc .  Others not so much and rely on more prepared foods either because time is an issue and eating is a necessity or just because they do not enjoy it

[Hank D Thoreau]

I have been working from home since about 2006. I can definitively say that I do a lot of cooking now because of that. When I had a difficult commute the last thing I wanted to do when I got home was cook. Chicken McNuggets from the drive through would be the limit of my energy.