Comments on: Is It True That People Don’t Cook Anymore?

By: Wendy from Vermont

Wendy from Vermont — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:20:09 +0000

I’ve always cooked no matter the economy. It’s just me and my husband (early 40s) and we live in a rural area, so take out or delivery are not convenient options. Even if they were we would still cook as we appreciate knowing what ingredients go into our meals-there is great local meat and produce available here. Also, we joined our community in a gardening project this year and have been enjoying our own wonderful eggplants, lettuce, chard, peppers etc. However-not to be denied some luxury-on the weekend we usually splurge on at least one dinner out and sometimes Sunday brunch. Many restaurants here are into supporting local agriculture. I guess for us it’s about eating fresh and healthy!

By: DONNA FROM DELAWARE

DONNA FROM DELAWARE — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:45:31 +0000

Yes, Maria, people still cook, especially since the economic downturn. It seems that evereyone I know has started a home garden because of the prices of fresh fruits and veggies. I find it wonderful that their children are taking an interest in growing and preparing their own food. This is good for their health and well-being. It’s good for the mind, gardening, and helps to relax you. What pleasure I hear from everyone who watch their food grow and harvest it for a wonderful sit-downwith friends and family. I for one never liked cooking. Baking is my thing. I always thought of cooking as a necessary evil. Now I am starting to really enjoy cooking, everything from simple, rustic meals to gourmet. I have to watch out with the gourmet though, calories and all. I have to admit, Martha Stewart got me going, then my brother, who is an excellent cook, and last but not least, the Food Netwoork. Don’t forget Americas Test Kitchen on Saturdays on PBS!

I think we as a nation cook in cycles. When the economy is booming, we eat out more or eat out to be seen and chic. I enjoy going out to a fine restaurant once in a while, but mostly I stay home and cook, cook, cook! My husband’s wallet appreciates this.
I don’t even take my guests out to dinner. When our European friends and relatives stay with us, I cook in the European style, something that I’ve learned over the years and that’s really fun. My husband wants me to do more grilling. He bought a grill 10 years ago when we lived in Florida, and I’ve used it 3 times! I’ll try to start using it more now that fall is on the way. My deck is going to become the next hot eating spot in the neighborhood.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 02:00:03 +0000

Hi Maria-Not only would your dad love your cooking, he would be so proud of the way that you rose to his challenge. We are still without a range (1 year later) so I am thankful for the grill. That has been the extent of my cooking!

By: Maria (farm country kitchen)

Maria (farm country kitchen) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:42:52 +0000

I might consider giving up cooking if I could have horses to exercise and rodeo’s to perform at!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 20:49:48 +0000

I love to cook, but as always time is the biggest issue. I am cooking more now (I am in my early 50′s) than before. I realize I love to cook for my kids, and we all just need to adjust to eating later so I can cook after getting home from a long day at work. Recipes are everywhere from all the cooking shows to the Williams-Sonoma catalog so it makes it really easy to try new recipes. Homework and other activities just need to be started earlier than before. I will have an empty nest in a year, and I hope I will continue to cook for myself. What I don’t like is doing dishes at 9:00 at night!

By: Sue

Sue — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:52:08 +0000

I am one of those that does NOT cook. I work full time, I commute an hour each way. We leave the house at 6:30am and are lucky to get home by 9:30pm . We have homework, exercising of horses, chores, committee meetings, rodeos to perform at. I can’t imagine how it wll be when our 8 year old starts her own activities. We have a real home cooked breakfast on Sunday morning. The rest of the time it is a restaurant or something frozen. I would cook if I was at home.

By: Peggy

Peggy — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:25:09 +0000

It has begun to seem to me that Americans aren’t cooking alot. More and more seem to be buying already prepared foods. The other day, I was in WalMart and was amazed at how many cases were filled with prepared foods. Yet I do most of my own cooking from scratch, and so do many of my friends, so I know it isn’t everyone who is buying it prepared. My reason for cooking my own is to ensure the nutrition I’m getting. I know I’m not alone!

By: Ron

Ron — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:20:44 +0000

It seems the world is in a transition phase with cooking. In the past, men didn’t cook because it was woman’s work. Then women entered the work world and either didn’t have time to cook or felt they shouldn’t. A generation or two grew up on prepared foods. Today, many people realize the benefits of cooking from scratch, but so much works against us: advertising, habits and, for some reason unknown to me, kids’ extreme pickiness. And for many people, comfort food is no longer Mom’s homemade cookies, but processed foods they grew up on.

But the benefits of cooking healthy, delicious meals are many. I know many people who cook often because of that. Cooking definitely decreased since, say, the 1960s. But fortunately it remains an important part of our culture. I predict it will pick back up, as people rethink it.

By: Sherry

Sherry — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:10:19 +0000

Maybe the man who said Americans don’t cook is related to my husband. I love to bake and I also have collected a lot of cookbooks and recipes. I use recipes when I bake, but when I cook meals I just start cooking. Someone once said to my husband how lucky he was that I cooked. He said, “She never cooks.” I don’t know what he thinks has been going on in the kitchen for the last 35 yrs., but I know no one else has been feeding him. LOL I guess some of us have a different definition for cooking.

By: MLS

MLS — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:56:11 +0000

I spent nearly 20 years in the retail food industry, much of it behind a full – service meat and seafood counter, and I would somewhat agree that people don’t cook. People from all walks, not just the poor. The reasons vary, but these were the most common:

My mother didn’t cook and I never learned.

Most common among women my own age (40-ish) Our mothers were the working women of the 60′s and 70′s who equated cooking with menial labor. Just another chore. Mixes and boxes and cans could be thrown together without much thought or time invested.

I don’t have the time.

Granted, some really don’t. But this was usually stated with a flip of the hair and a look that screamed, “It’s so beneath me.” And really, it doesn’t take any longer to make a little pasta from scratch than to open up a box of hamburger helper.

No one at my house will eat it.

The harried mother’s lament. I do feel your pain on this one. When they say “no one” they often mean husbands who are pickier eaters than the 3 year old. They too were raised on take out and commercial mixes and their palates are fixed on those flavors. Nothing turns a kid off a new food faster than to have a parent say, “Ewww, gross.”

That said, the number of people learning to cook seems to be on the rise again. Economy, food network, greater availibility of ingrediants, and the loss of the stigma some members of the last generation attached to it have combined to make cooking an admirable skill again. Hopefully, it’s back to stay.