Apparently, women can't cook.

[allana]

While I'm still dithering over whether to try and go back to bed or not (cf previous entry), I nipped over to the BBC as it dawned on me that I hadn't bothered with the news for a few days. Shock horror.

Anyway, according to Gordon Ramsay, women can't cook. This is news to me! What've I been doing with the last 24 years of my life? I should toss his damn cookbooks onto the bonfire on Guy Fawkes Night....



[Poll #597620]

Comments

[sophia-lde.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, I know some of those guys who are "the great chef" in the household. The only time they cook is at the weekend when there's a lot of time and it's fun to do it.
But it's partly true, I know more and more people who are hardly able to make scrambled eggs, which is a shame. They don't know what they are missing.

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

Weekend Chefs... I know quite a few of them. *grimaces*

[kelpierocks.livejournal.com]

I *can* cook, and I enjoy it on occasion. But it's often not worthwhile or practical to cook for one person. (I do tend to cook more when my dad is visiting!) And I cook for the dogs nearly as much as I cook for me.

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

If you're interested, I can recommend some one/two person cookbooks. Hmm, that makes it sound like I'm offering recipes which have people as an ingredient :P

When I was living alone I did buy my fair share of ready-meals, but when I did cook I did it in bulk and stashed it away in the freezer. I have fond memories of a freezer full of flat-packed soup and stew :)

I'm curious--do you make your own dog-biscuits and so forth?

[kelpierocks.livejournal.com]

Cookbook recommendations would be welcome! I should cook more than I do, it might be healthier. I do love soups and stews, especially in the winter.

I've never made my own dog biscuits, though I have friends who do. But I'll often cook up a batch of rice and meat to add to their dry food.

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

I use this book occasionally. Nutritional information is shown for each recipe and there are separate quantities lists for each number of servings.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0875964486/103-6227693-0125446?v=glance&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance

[reuss.livejournal.com]

That said, I think that what he's said is being somewhat taken out of context if he is just reporting back that he found on his travels that many women aren't cooking (compared to traditional stereotypes in particular), and the article has an unnecessarily sensationalist spin... maybe that's just me :)

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

You expect rational thought from me at 3am? :P Yes, the article has a huge amount of spin, and no doubt the Beeb will get complaints about it. I do wonder how large his sample was and what sector of the population he used for it.

[silentinflames.livejournal.com]

Who is this dude anyway? Never heard of him, but then I am not a regular reader of cookbooks nor do I cook after recipes all too often.

A cook once told me (and he didn't mean this disrespectful in any way) that the difference between a professional cook and a hobby cook is that--while both are able to cook tasty, savory meals--the professional cook will always be in a position to reproduce the meal in the exact same way, the hobby cook often can't. This is certainly true for me.

However, I checked that I can cook in your survey as people enjoy what I throw together in my kitchen and say so.

So, off with his head for his arrogance. Yup.

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

He's a Michelin starred chef with four successful restaurants to his name. His cookbooks are actually very good, if a little calorific.

I'd agree with that definition. A professional cook must be precise. I wouldn't even call myself a hobby cook as I rarely expend any energy on making food look pretty :P I'm all about the taste....

[nikki-tikki.livejournal.com]

Oh my. I shouldn't have voted in this poll not to fuck up the results... lol I can't cook to save my life. But then again, the two people who do most of the cooking for me are both women, so it still reinforces the point.

I don't want to generalize and possibly offend Lia's whole nation... but isn't it the old Italian belief? That women can't cook and can't sew, because cooking and dressmaking are kinds of art, and art is none of a woman's concern... :P

Eh, men.

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

I do seem to remember hearing a saying like that, once upon a time. I would be more than happy to leave my mending to men, though....

[feelforfaith.livejournal.com]

I think the the title of this article is taken out of context. (That's why I didn't choose answer to #3 :). From my own experience, I agree with some points that he's making--I'd rather fix dinner from a frozen bag, than cook it from scratch, etc, but then I answered "I can cook, but don't enjoy it." So. There. My input :)

[feelforfaith.livejournal.com]

Hehe, and I forgot to add that I can't mix anything more complicated than vodka+orange juice, lol.

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

Oh, the whole thing is very massaged in an attempt to stir up controversy. Alas, there's been very little reaction from what I've seen :P

[bella-cheval.livejournal.com]

Asshole. His kind should be boiled in oil.

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

Indeed. Still, I wouldn't pass up an invitation to dine at one of his restaurants!

[scotchy024.livejournal.com]

He was talking about me, Ang. It's me. I'm that stupid woman who can't cook. Although, he is still a fuckwit because he lumped all womanhood in with me. I'm the exception to the rule. Every other woman I know can cook usually very well...except for my mom. That's my problem; it's in my genes. I was born this way. LOL!!

[nikki-tikki.livejournal.com]

I'm that stupid woman who can't cook.

... SOULMATE!!!

:P

[scotchy024.livejournal.com]

This is why we must make friends with those who CAN cook....like those who do food blogs and those who are proud enough to post pictures of the things they cook in their LJ. To bad food doesn't mail well, huh?

*Sits next to Nikki in the corner and slips on "Kiss the cook? Fuck that! Kiss ME!!" t-shirt.*

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

Awwww *hugs* You can't argue with genes!

[kraftpistole.livejournal.com]

I'm like Nikki. Me? Can't cook to save my life, which might make Mr. Ramsay gloat and chortle, "See? I was right!" Unfortunately for him, my mother, assorted aunts, both grandmothers, several female cousins, and my younger sister's life-partner [read: Lesbian] are all fantastic cooks.

I suspect Mr. Ramsay visited the homes of very young women who either cook for themselves or are still in Uni and have no time to cook big, involved meals. You also have to take into consideration what his definition of a good cook is.

Although, hey, I'm glad to see guys are embracing cooking. Sure, they're already pushing it into the sphere of Men Do It Better, but, meh. At least they seem to be over the "Men don't cook!" nonsense.

[glam-ang.livejournal.com]

I think that he also visited the homes of mothers who are run off their feet with babies and young children. I can imagine that cooking from scratch is a lot less appealing when there are children running around everywhere!

It is nice to see men stepping away from the barbeque/grill and into the kitchen to do every-day cooking. Dave will happily cook if I've had enough of the kitchen... and thankfully he doesn't indulge in smug Weekend Chef behaviour! :D

[kraftpistole.livejournal.com]

I think that he also visited the homes of mothers who are run off their feet with babies and young children.

Exactly. I mean, he's a professional. Cooking is what he does, and what he makes time for.

Although, it'd be nice if home economics type classes could be re-instated. Only, this time 'round they could be co-ed, not just "girls to home economics" and "boys to wood shoppe". Both could be offered co-ed. It might help solve the nutrition problems. If more people learn to cook even simple, one-person meals, they won't have to depend on McDonalds.