[RAINBOWGIRL22]

The pasta thread got me thinking {and I am not having a pop at the OP of that thread}

Do you consider boiling some pasta and heating some sauce actually cooking?

If not at what point does it become cooking?

I very occasionally do an "oven" meal - where most things are bunged in oven. Is this cooking?

Does everything on your plate have to be from scratch to constitute being a home cooked meal?

[PhoenixRises]

You still not answered the question yourself What do you constitute as cooking? You seem to know what is not cooking, but no mention what you consider is cooking come on give us your opinion

[RAINBOWGIRL22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixRises

You still not answered the question yourself What do you constitute as cooking? You seem to know what is not cooking, but no mention what you consider is cooking come on give us your opinion

If something is solely heated on the hob / bunged in the oven then it is not cooking.

Tonight I am 'semi' cooking. I have M&S chicken escalopes which just need to go in the oven, with pesto pasta and stir-fried veg.

(If I made my own breaded chicken - which I occasionally do - then I would consider tonight as fully cooking)

Puritans would say that I'd also need to make my own pesto and pasta for it to be a meal from scratch though!

[LaChatteGitane]

Let's just say if you can throw things together on a plate that would already be cooking.
However, there are many degrees/levels of cooking.

I don't as a rule make my own pasta (I might, once a year or maybe even twice), I could make a sauce with mainly fresh ingredients and add a tin of tomatoes, capers and anchovies that I didn't preserve myself.

[PhoenixRises]

See for me in the world of cookery there seems to be a lot of snobbery, whether it is subconsciously or intentional. I think everything that if you cook food is cooking, I just think there are levels of cookery from novice to expert.

I mean I have seen on these threads a lot that people criticise someone for using a jar of sauce (not you by the way in case you get that thought ) but then go on to say make your own and starts off by saying use a tin of tomatoes. I would argue that there is no difference between using a jar of tomato sauce with the herbs in and using a tin of tomatoes and adding your own herbs and seasoning, and then you would have the more advanced cooks who will make the sauce from tomatoes themselves. Again the only difference between all three methods is the experience. They are all methods of cooking just each one is a step up in skill level.

Does that make sense?

[smudges dad]

Hmm...just bunging things in the oven...roast beef, roast tatties, roast veg...obviously not cooking.

I would say cooking is anything that involves heat and changes the chemical composition or structure of something edible.

Therefore boiling an egg counts, heating beans doesn't, toast does, making a salad doesn't, boiling pasta does, reheating a sauce doesn't

[Lord Voldemort]

Of course!

[Porcupine]

I sometimes open a tin of Dolmio, and i sometimes make a sauce myself - it varies depending on if im working or not and how much time i have. But to me if im cooking something on the hob or in the oven, even if its from a packet like a kiev or a bought pie - i am still cooking it as with that pie goes fresh veggies, gravy, mash, pasta etc etc

I also think cooking is about timing too, making sure that all the elements are ready together.

I do think people can be very judgemental about other people's skills in the kitchen.

[LaChatteGitane]

Ah, PhoenixRises, there is a big difference in using a tin of tomatoes and using a jar of sauce.
A tin of tomatoes is just that : tomatoes in their juice - nothing else added. Here you will need to add your own seasoning, herbs and spices.
A jar of sauce otoh has all the flavour enhancers (natural and artificial) added to it.

[kimindex]

Reminds me of an overheard conversation in a supermarket between a couple. He said 'how about oven chips and beans' and she said 'I told you I wasn't cooking'.

I think that some cooking is just easier than others. The above couldn't be called anything but heating up, though, like tins of soup.

There is too much snobbery about food, generally, though, and many of us are guilty of it, to an extent. I, for instance, can't countenance pot noodles.

[PhoenixRises]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaChatteGitane

Ah, PhoenixRises, there is a big difference in using a tin of tomatoes and using a jar of sauce.
A tin of tomatoes is just that : tomatoes in their juice - nothing else added. Here you will need to add your own seasoning, herbs and spices.
A jar of sauce otoh has all the flavour enhancers (natural and artificial) added to it.

But I said you have to add seasoning and herbs to the tins? I should have said there is little difference, between the two not no difference, that is my point though adding a few herbs by hand is just a slight increase in the cooking level and does not make the jar process any less worthy of being called cooking. I class these things as short cuts in cooking more than anything else

[BrunoStreete]

Preparing a beautiful salad might not involve any 'cooking' whatsoever, how does that stand?

[LaChatteGitane]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixRises

But I said you have to add seasoning and herbs to the tins? I should have said there is little difference, between the two not no difference, that is my point though adding a few herbs by hand is just a slight increase in the cooking level and does not make the jar process any less worthy of being called cooking. I class these things as short cuts in cooking more than anything else

You did ! Sorry, I seem to have a problem with my eyes lately - serious.

I must say, though, IMO there is a big difference between the two.
One is completely ready.
Using fresh tomatoes or a tin of tomatoes, therein lies no difference (IMO)

[kimindex]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrunoStreete

Preparing a beautiful salad might not involve any 'cooking' whatsoever, how does that stand?

Good point.

[LaChatteGitane]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrunoStreete

Preparing a beautiful salad might not involve any 'cooking' whatsoever, how does that stand?

I would call that 'cooking'. It is about bringing flavours, textures and colours together to one harmonious meal. Which isn't that easy.

[Swinetown]

I agree with the snobbery comment, there is, people have different abilities based on what they have learnt. It is like intelligence and knowledge, two entirely different things.

We were all a novice once.

About the jars, i hate them, beause i see all these names/ingredients that i don't understand, i go and look them up and see that its saying allsorts, plus if i made my own there would be no need for them to be there. Plus, i love cooking so i prefer to make my own and get really dissapointed if i cant make my own things (like now because i am ill)

I haven't 'cooked' properly in weeks and now it is getting me down, so im going to go and get some mince later and do some burgers and they should be easier whilst I am ill.

Back to the subject, the definition of cooking is not what op says it is, she is just forgetting where she started at.

That is not meant as a personal comment, but OP what was the first thing you learnt to cook?

[LaChatteGitane]

Swinetown, I'm not the OP, but I would like to tell you this anyway I was 13 when I made marzipan, myself from a cookbook. I then shaped them into father christmases and coloured them. From then on I did that every christmas till I left home.

My first proper 'thing' I cooked was vegetable soup when I was 14 going on 15.
By the time I was 16 I was a proper little pizzamaker (dough and all).
Now, I had parents who loved their food and my mother was also a fantastic cook, but I wasn't really allowed anywhere near the kitchen while she was cooking. Our food was always fresh, pure and wholesome. Veg and poultry homegrown. Father used to make the bread.
As I said in another thread, I have the gene, but it has been nurtured by my parents, not school.

[RAINBOWGIRL22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swinetown

That is not meant as a personal comment, but OP what was the first thing you learnt to cook?

Pasta!

[Swinetown]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaChatteGitane

Swinetown, I'm not the OP, but I would like to tell you this anyway I was 13 when I made marzipan, myself from a cookbook. I then shaped them into father christmases and coloured them. From then on I did that every christmas till I left home.

My first proper 'thing' I cooked was vegetable soup when I was 14 going on 15.
By the time I was 16 I was a proper little pizzamaker (dough and all).
Now, I had parents who loved their food and my mother was also a fantastic cook, but I wasn't really allowed anywhere near the kitchen while she was cooking. Our food was always fresh, pure and wholesome. Veg and poultry homegrown. Father used to make the bread.
As I said in another thread, I have the gene, but it has been nurtured by my parents, not school.

lol,i know your not the Op, the Op is the one who brought this subject up on the pasta thread lol...

Thats great you learnt to cook from your parents, my mom can't cook, she thinks it she puts tuna into pasta sauce its cooking, shes over the moon if she does a chicken chassaur packet.
I was brought upon Potatoes in the microwave (YUUUUCCCK) and pretty much anything else in the microwave. I refuse to use it now.She advanced to oven chips and burger in the microwave ewwwww...in the early 90's lol...soooo i had to learn from scratch, my brother became a chef then gave it up...i reckon i'm the best cook now cause i will try anything.

if its possible i willmake it, providing i have the time, but as i class cooking as a hoby then i always have time because it relaxes me, gives me time to thinkn about nice things and makes me feel creative, plus i love eating it and i love the look on my girlfriends face when i cook something nice.

Anyway I'm rambling now, this is great thread btw.

[Swinetown]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RAINBOWGIRL22

Pasta!

No RAINBOWGIRL....I asked what was the first thing you learnt to cook....

Pasta is the carb or staple of the meal. what did you learn to cook specifically?

[RAINBOWGIRL22]

And I am not a cookery snob - I am the first to admit most of my meals are not 100% cooked from scratch,

I just fail to see boiling pasta and heating up sauce as cooking.

Maybe I did not expand enough but to me cooking is about taking something, adding to it (be that herbs, spices, additional ingredients - whatever) until it tastes good and different to it would have been in its original state.

Sauce heated up does not count, yet if you add some mince a few herbs, some garlic and some mushrooms then yes it does become cooking.

Roasts are difficult as I tend to not add much to what I cook (IE I don't make my own glaze for the meat or add anything to the veg) and I do my roasts with new poatoes so in essence I guess my roasts do not involve "cooking" as I described above - except they do involve cooking see it is not black and white!

I did not start this thread to criticise people - I am genuinely interested in opinions.

[Swinetown]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RAINBOWGIRL22

And I am not a cookery snob - I am the first to admit most of my meals are not 100% cooked from scratch,

I just fail to see boiling pasta and heating up sauce as cooking.

Maybe I did not expand enough but to me cooking is about taking something, adding to it (be that herbs, spices, additional ingredients - whatever) until it tastes good and different to it would have been in its original state.

Sauce heated up does not count, yet if you add some mince a few herbs, some garlic and some mushrooms then yes it does become cooking.

Roasts are difficult as I tend to not add much to what I cook (IE I don't make my own glaze for the meat or add anything to the veg) and I do my roasts with new poatoes so in essence I guess my roasts do not involve "cooking" as I described above - except they do involve cooking see it is not black and white!

I did not start this thread to criticise people - I am genuinely interested in opinions.

I'm interested too, i think a few people are.

[RAINBOWGIRL22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swinetown

No RAINBOWGIRL....I asked what was the first thing you learnt to cook....

Pasta is the carb or staple of the meal. what did you learn to cook specifically?

In that case it would have been an Omelette.

I also learnt to cook chill and spag bol when I was about 14.

[Teddybleads]

Cooking is a state of mind, not an action.

[MiSSSmith]

Cooking is pulling off the cellophane and popping it in the ding isn't it?



(kidding)