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Edited to add: Zarr - my sister has been a full vegetarian for several years now, I've gtot a few good veggie recipies we cook when she's over that taste just as good to my (meat adjusted) palette as they seem to taste to hers. I'm willing to share if you, or anyone else, wants them.

I'd love them!

 

Although, whole grain wheat spaghetti with extra virgin olive oil, basil (I have fresh now! by the end of this semester I'll be growing a grocery store in my dorm tongue.gif), and shredded mozzerella all mixed together with some ground sea salt never gets old. Well, maybe after the third night. tongue.gif

 

The only thing that'll suck is finding egg substitute, but they have them somewhere considering I know tons of vegans. Unfortunately, most of them can't cook very well. tongue.gif

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Most families here depend on a mixture between take-home, fast-food, order-in and microwave/frozen meals.

Hence rising obesity and health issues.

Chicken with ham/bacon and cheese in the middle <3

user posted image

So chicken kiev then.

It's a little bit more than that, first off many recipes use culinary words. Would the average tennager know how to julienne a carrot? Or poach an egg? To be able to comprehend the different techniques is difficult.

 

Plus, how do you tell that food is done? "until the meat is brown" is variable, especially when you talk about steaks which brown on the outside faster than inside.

 

This is why it's best to have a second person there to help point out "now this is when you add ____" or "not it's done". It's a lot like learning to drive, there's little that's inherently difficult, it's just having someone experienced be there to make sure you know what to look for and do in various situations.

 

-K-

There are plenty of cook books that actually explain those terms. I would recommend buying student cook books (so aimed at uni students) as they generally assume students can't even boil an egg and tell you how to do that, as well as many other phrases.

 

And of course, there's Google.

Edited by Kestra15

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There are plenty of cook books that actually explain those terms. I would recommend buying student cook books (so aimed at uni students) as they generally assume students can't even boil an egg and tell you how to do that, as well as many other phrases.

 

And of course, there's Google.

Many cookbooks still teach in a very slanted way, in the sense that the author determines how thin a julienne cut is, how to best approach grilling/roasting, and other such things. Many of them teach the "proper" way (in their opinions) of how to do them, even if practicality goes out the window (like say requiring a bread making machine or a deep fryer (and I've seen both required in a "beginners" cookbook)). Many cookbooks don't look from the perspective of "all I have is a frying pan and a spatula" and over-complicate matters. Beyond those issues, you also have to be concerned about the fact that cookbooks often times REQUIRE you read over how to prepare the food before you try cooking it (kinda common sense). Many people around here don't realize that, and read it as they cook. It's not exactly the book's fault, but when a book tells you "put meat in frying pan" they generally comply before going on (much as if they were taking a multiple choice test, you don't read the test entirely and then answer everything, you answer as you read). And perhaps the most damning thing against cookbooks, they can't tell you not only if the meal turned out how it was supposed to, but even whether the food is DONE (many people take the "cook for 12 minutes" literally, and this often causes the food to burn, or be undercooked, which is not good eats. Cooking shows might be a better approach, but many address how to make a single dish, or a single meal, and if you wanted to make rice with your chicken, you'd have to look for 2 different videos for those two different meals (plus, many people would need the video on hand to help them through the steps, and most people can't drag a TV to the kitchen).

 

This is why I prefer the idea of teachers being there to help, as they can teach the more general ideas of how to cook (cutting veggies, various ways to cook meat, sweating veggies down, what spices and herbs go best with, etc.), rather than giving you a formula that only directly works for that meal (as cook books do).

 

Recipes are like books, they're only useful if you know how to "read", and in the case of recipes, "reading" means having the ability to apply experience to the goal the recipe is leading you to.

 

-K-

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Actually, yes, these books do. They are written by students, who have just a saucepan and can't do anything more then butter bread. They really do teach you *everything,* and even tell you to read the recipes before you even prepare.

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Eating meat in theory, I don't have a problem with.

 

However, the meat industry is something that I strongly disagree with, and that's why I'm a vegetarian. Factory farming is an absolute abomination and makes me ashamed to be a part of the human race, and I can't bring myself to support such an industry - I know factory farming is not the only way to get meat, but I'm far too suspicious to bother with it at all when I can sustain myself without meat.

 

Also, the way animals are known to be "produced" makes me sick, that very term. Producing animals, producing meat. Ugh.

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Do you mean the method of "producing" animals, or how it's called "producing"? The former I find odd, the latter I can understand...

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Eating meat in theory, I don't have a problem with.

 

However, the meat industry is something that I strongly disagree with, and that's why I'm a vegetarian. Factory farming is an absolute abomination and makes me ashamed to be a part of the human race, and I can't bring myself to support such an industry - I know factory farming is not the only way to get meat, but I'm far too suspicious to bother with it at all when I can sustain myself without meat.

 

Also, the way animals are known to be "produced" makes me sick, that very term. Producing animals, producing meat. Ugh.

Do you drink milk or eat cheese/eggs?

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Many cookbooks still teach in a very slanted way, in the sense that the author determines how thin a julienne cut is, how to best approach grilling/roasting, and other such things. Many of them teach the "proper" way (in their opinions) of how to do them, even if practicality goes out the window (like say requiring a bread making machine or a deep fryer (and I've seen both required in a "beginners" cookbook)). Many cookbooks don't look from the perspective of "all I have is a frying pan and a spatula" and over-complicate matters. Beyond those issues, you also have to be concerned about the fact that cookbooks often times REQUIRE you read over how to prepare the food before you try cooking it (kinda common sense). Many people around here don't realize that, and read it as they cook. It's not exactly the book's fault, but when a book tells you "put meat in frying pan" they generally comply before going on (much as if they were taking a multiple choice test, you don't read the test entirely and then answer everything, you answer as you read). And perhaps the most damning thing against cookbooks, they can't tell you not only if the meal turned out how it was supposed to, but even whether the food is DONE (many people take the "cook for 12 minutes" literally, and this often causes the food to burn, or be undercooked, which is not good eats. Cooking shows might be a better approach, but many address how to make a single dish, or a single meal, and if you wanted to make rice with your chicken, you'd have to look for 2 different videos for those two different meals (plus, many people would need the video on hand to help them through the steps, and most people can't drag a TV to the kitchen).

 

This is why I prefer the idea of teachers being there to help, as they can teach the more general ideas of how to cook (cutting veggies, various ways to cook meat, sweating veggies down, what spices and herbs go best with, etc.), rather than giving you a formula that only directly works for that meal (as cook books do).

 

Recipes are like books, they're only useful if you know how to "read", and in the case of recipes, "reading" means having the ability to apply experience to the goal the recipe is leading you to.

 

-K-

I still agree with kestra.

 

If a recipe requires a deep fryer or a bread maker and you don't have one, then skip the recipe. There's thousands of easy recipes that don't require more than a frying pan and a pot.

 

I don't think teachers are that helpful for cooking things that people have time and money to cook. The recipes they get you to cook are recipes that normal, busy people don't have time for. They don't teach you how to cook eggs or make a stew. They teach you how to make puffed pastry. Who feels like doing that on a regular basis? I took a cooking class in high school and I don't remember anything useful that I can generally apply to things I cook. I remember we made pizza, but it was over the course of two days since the dough had to rise. Most people don't have time for that. I don't even remember how to do it, but if I had a recipe I sure could.

 

My mom is a terrible cook. She can't even do kraft dinner right. I can make several dishes myself because by eating out at restaurants I know how food is supposed to be prepared, so I duplicate the dishes. I've been making perfectly cooked scallops since the first time I tried.

 

I seriously have no problem just looking at a recipe and cooking it. If a kid picks a recipe when they don't have the right tools to make it, that's their problem. If a kid picks a recipe that is difficult even for professional cooks, that's their problem. If a kid chooses not to read a recipe correctly, that's their problem. What are teachers supposed to be teaching, how to not be morons?

 

The reason why people don't cook isn't because they don't know how, it's because it's easier to go buy premade food and sometimes it's cheaper. It stores better too.

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I have recently made the decision to become a vegetarian. I don't know why. I had the thought upon waking one morning, and it felt right. I don't really have any moral inclinations to not eat meat, but I certainly don't like the way that cattle and other animals are treated. But that's not why I made my decision.

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If a recipe requires a deep fryer or a bread maker and you don't have one, then skip the recipe. There's thousands of easy recipes that don't require more than a frying pan and a pot.

 

But it defeats the purpose of calling the cookbook "accessible to anyone" if the recipes require a deep fryer or a bread maker. I wouldn't say that many people have such things in the home, and I wouldn't say that they're particularly easy to use. That was the point I was trying to make. Plus, if you try to find a recipe for like "fried chicken", they generally don't have a version for pan-frying AND deep-frying, so if you have a beginner's cookbook that calls for the deep fried method, unless it offers an alternative ("In case you don't have a deep fryer, use..."), you generally don't get a pan-frying method, which also isn't an easy way to cook for many people (frying is one of the most dangerous ways for people with little experience to cook food, even if they read a cookbook and understand).

 

I don't think teachers are that helpful for cooking things that people have time and money to cook. The recipes they get you to cook are recipes that normal, busy people don't have time for. They don't teach you how to cook eggs or make a stew. They teach you how to make puffed pastry. Who feels like doing that on a regular basis? I took a cooking class in high school and I don't remember anything useful that I can generally apply to things I cook. I remember we made pizza, but it was over the course of two days since the dough had to rise. Most people don't have time for that. I don't even remember how to do it, but if I had a recipe I sure could.

 

Most of the stuff we generally made could be done within an hour (with the exception of breads, which just needed to rise), and we always cooked breakfast for ourselves before we set off to get to work for preparing food. We cooked for over 100 people, and got it done in around 3 hours of work, and we easily could have individually cooked a meal for 4 people in less than an hour.

 

We learned cutting skills, sweating veggies (which is important if you don't want to eat raw veggies, cooking delicate food (crepes and pancakes) and meat (fish filets, burgers, etc.) in frying pans, making mashed potatoes, making homemade bread (that could easily be used for toast, sandwiches, or as a complement for meals), and many other things that could easily be done with a little amount of time.

 

Yes we did a few things that were a bit fancier (chocolate mousse), and we had a bit more equipment than we have at home, but the fact still remains that we learned the basic skills needed to cook most meals that are easily accessible to most people in the homes (plus, the course was partially aimed to help people decide if they wanted to go to a culinary school and to give them a taste of the skills needed, rather than to be a complete replacement for home ec.)

 

My mom is a terrible cook. She can't even do kraft dinner right. I can make several dishes myself because by eating out at restaurants I know how food is supposed to be prepared, so I duplicate the dishes. I've been making perfectly cooked scallops since the first time I tried.

 

I seriously have no problem just looking at a recipe and cooking it. If a kid picks a recipe when they don't have the right tools to make it, that's their problem. If a kid picks a recipe that is difficult even for professional cooks, that's their problem. If a kid chooses not to read a recipe correctly, that's their problem. What are teachers supposed to be teaching, how to not be morons?

 

Not everyone is you. One of the hardest things for me to do was whisk wet ingredients together (like scrambled eggs), especially to emulsify things like dressings (which if you don't whisk enough, won't bind together very well) because the way I did it (like most people do) puts strain on my right shoulder and causes lots of pain. My teacher taught me how to do it in a way that takes the strain off my shoulder.

 

Also, cooking based on the final product isn't exactly the best way to go, unless you're saying you can see into the kitchen (which is odd for most places). Yes many things are simple enough to do as long as you realize that "a burger is made of chopped meat (compressed, which many people at my college don't realize) and you cook it until it's X color", but many can be trickier, like steak, fish, eggs over easy, and chicken (especially if you're doing a breaded and baked method, you'll have to make sure they will cook so that both the crust and the meat are done at around the same time).

 

Teachers should demonstrate and oversee the techniques necessary for cooking. Hell, if people just knew how to cut and sweat veggies, cook eggs, pancakes, and meat in a frying pan, and reduce sauces/soups/stews/etc., they'd have most of the skills that the average person needs to cook, and all of that could be taught in a 1 day seminar or a weekend class.

 

The reason why people don't cook isn't because they don't know how, it's because it's easier to go buy premade food and sometimes it's cheaper. It stores better too.

 

It's cheaper to have a "perfect" meal than to possibly censorkip.gif up and lose the meat/veggies/etc. you bought and have no backup. However, if people knew how to cook properly, there'd be less fear of screwing up, and more desire for the fact that a meal you make yourself is generally of a higher quality than "microwave burgers".

 

Plus, premade meals give people an excuse to do a quick fix than a good meal, which irritates me a bit when people DO have the time and the skills to cook a basic meal, and resort to frozen lasagna. Pasta and bread are some of the easiest and cheapest food items to make (the egg is generally the most expensive ingredient, and eggs are dirt cheap), and companies can easily make 1000% profit off of them, and they can last more than a week if done properly, without losing the homemade taste.

 

I'm not against pre-made meals, they're a life-saver when you have no time and are starving, but they've gone from "convenient in a pinch" to "Monday is frozen pizza day", and many people aren't teaching their kids how to cook because they themselves don't know, or don't remember. It's now more important to learn how to microwave Easy Mac than to boil water to cook up some noodles, which seems stupid. And now, the restaurants, oftentimes the final bastions in cooking, are resorting to frozen pre-cooked shrimp and microwavable cakes.

 

It seems stupid to be so dependent on technologically created meals, and often makes me think of how people would get along if something suddenly happened where pre-made meals disappeared, or they traveled somewhere where they weren't available.

 

It's a basic skill everyone should know, but it seems like people are too dependent on others to hand them cooked food than to cook it themselves.

 

-K-

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But it defeats the purpose of calling the cookbook "accessible to anyone" if the recipes require a deep fryer or a bread maker. I wouldn't say that many people have such things in the home, and I wouldn't say that they're particularly easy to use. That was the point I was trying to make. Plus, if you try to find a recipe for like "fried chicken", they generally don't have a version for pan-frying AND deep-frying, so if you have a beginner's cookbook that calls for the deep fried method, unless it offers an alternative ("In case you don't have a deep fryer, use..."), you generally don't get a pan-frying method, which also isn't an easy way to cook for many people (frying is one of the most dangerous ways for people with little experience to cook food, even if they read a cookbook and understand).

Only if every recipe demanded a deep-fat fryer.

 

A recipe book can be 'accessable to everyone' so long as there are a decent amount of recipes that can be done with simple pots and pans - past that, there's nothing stopping them adding a few of the more complex recipes or ones that require more specialised kit, because they have fulfilled their objective and are now simply adding extras for those who can or would like to do a little more.

Teachers should demonstrate and oversee the techniques necessary for cooking. Hell, if people just knew how to cut and sweat veggies, cook eggs, pancakes, and meat in a frying pan, and reduce sauces/soups/stews/etc., they'd have most of the skills that the average person needs to cook, and all of that could be taught in a 1 day seminar or a weekend class.

Or how about parents get on with their job of teaching children how to survive in the real world, and let teachers get on with the job they're supposed to be doing? After all, we as teachers are heavily criticised in some areas for not teaching what we're supposed to be teaching because we're too busy teaching kids how to do their weekly shopping bills or sew buttons on shirts instead. Yet the second we go back to being teachers and saying 'no, why doesn't your mum/dad/carer teach you that instead' we're the bad guys for not teaching the kids the 'important skills of life.' As ever, a lose/lose scenario and no-one gives a damn otherwise.

 

I do miss Leberkaese. A gammon steak is a good approximation though.

Edited by Kestra15

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Just now my mom discovered that the Pork Tenderloin she was cooking was soiled (bad fishy smell). My dad was still going to eat it (though, he also thinks steaks are done when the outside is brown... >_>).

 

Perfect example of why people need to be educated on what to look for in food that is properly cooked and not spoiled, maybe we'd have fewer foodborne illness in this country and we wouldn't need to freak out about salmonella in eggs.

 

Or how about parents get on with their job of teaching children how to survive in the real world, and let teachers get on with the job they're supposed to be doing? After all, we as teachers are heavily criticised in some areas for not teaching what we're supposed to be teaching because we're too busy teaching kids how to do their weekly shopping bills or sew buttons on shirts instead. Yet the second we go back to being teachers and saying 'no, why doesn't your mum/dad/carer teach you that instead' we're the bad guys for not teaching the kids the 'important skills of life.' As ever, a lose/lose scenario and no-one gives a damn otherwise.

 

I agree, but unfortunately we can't force parents to teach kids (which is why there's so many problems with kids being taught about safe sex and such), so since not all parents are going to teach their kids, I'd encourage school districts/colleges/communities to sponsor classes that will teach people to cook to live. During my senior year (can't call that last year anymore... *sweatdrops*), one of the girls in my class didn't even know how to crack eggs or make toast, because her mom didn't buy eggs or bread. She was going to college the next year, and literally all she knew what to make was a bowl of cereal and a bowl of ice-cream.

 

She learned so much last year, and now, she's at college cooking for her roommates and LOVES it. If it hadn't been for my teacher, she would have never learned how to cook before going to college.

 

Right or wrong, it does happen, and I want there to be an option out there for kids who otherwise are going to continue to be dependent on quick fixes.

 

-K-

Edited by Kamak

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imma vegetarian. not that i have anything against meat, i just randomly became a vegetarian. m,y friends a vegan. i dont think i could do that. Octopus lubs her cheese and ice cream!!

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People believe they shouldn't eat meat because you're eating something that used to have life.

plants used to have a life to! how do people think they grew? so people shouldn`t critisise meat-eaters just cuz they think it`s wrong. besides, humans are omnivoris. they shouldn`t eat just vegitables or just meat, we should eat everything.

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I love meat, though I don't generally eat pork unless it's like ham or bacon. Unprocessed pork like tenderloins or chops make me ill, no matter how well they're prepared. Always have, don't know why o.O

 

As for the cooking discussion, even when parents try it doesn't always stick. Admittedly I was never permitted to experiment with stuff, and thus was limited to watching and occasionally assisting, but in all the time my mum tried to drill cooking skills into me, it never stuck.

I moved out knowing how to heat frozen meals, and boil myself some ramen/spaghetti. That's about it. I have learned more in the past 6 months living with my kitchen competent boyfriend than I did over the entire span of time mum tried teaching me. Until recently I couldn't even follow the directions on a box, much less a written recipe. I don't (completely) blame my mum for it, but until I had to feed myself on my own ability, I was clueless.

I'm still not that great a cook, but I'll get there one of these days. Hopefully xd.png

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I like fish (Salmon, Halibut, Cod) and chicken. I don't mind about pork chops. I like sliced turkey. But I absolutely hate beef squares. I only like beef when it's ground up or in burger form.

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I agree, but unfortunately we can't force parents to teach kids (which is why there's so many problems with kids being taught about safe sex and such), so since not all parents are going to teach their kids, I'd encourage school districts/colleges/communities to sponsor classes that will teach people to cook to live. During my senior year (can't call that last year anymore... *sweatdrops*), one of the girls in my class didn't even know how to crack eggs or make toast, because her mom didn't buy eggs or bread. She was going to college the next year, and literally all she knew what to make was a bowl of cereal and a bowl of ice-cream.

 

She learned so much last year, and now, she's at college cooking for her roommates and LOVES it. If it hadn't been for my teacher, she would have never learned how to cook before going to college.

 

Right or wrong, it does happen, and I want there to be an option out there for kids who otherwise are going to continue to be dependent on quick fixes.

 

-K-

But what's next? Teachers teaching kids to do their own laundry, brush their teeth, and wipe their asses after they poop? What's left for parents to do?

 

Parents can send their kids to cooking classes outside of school and pay for it themselves if they can't teach their kids to cook. I don't think it needs to be part of a regular curriculum that's already pretty full.

 

On the topic of meat, I don't like chicken or pork. I like my meat bloody, and that doesn't seem possible with those meats.

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But what's next? Teachers teaching kids to do their own laundry, brush their teeth, and wipe their asses after they poop? What's left for parents to do?

 

Parents can send their kids to cooking classes outside of school and pay for it themselves if they can't teach their kids to cook. I don't think it needs to be part of a regular curriculum that's already pretty full.

 

On the topic of meat, I don't like chicken or pork. I like my meat bloody, and that doesn't seem possible with those meats.

Then why isn't there guidelines of what parents HAVE to teach their kids? Just saying "Parents should do this" doesn't mean that they will, and if they don't, then how does it turn out for the kid?

 

I'm not saying that it needs to be made a mandatory part of the curriculum, because why force the kids that have parents who give a damn about their future (and not their future of being quarterback/doctor/lawyer) to be lumped in with the rest? It should however be offered, again, even as something like a weekend seminar when the high school/gym/whatever is empty, funded by the parents (and perhaps taxpayers (in b4 groan of "my tax money should go to _____")). Give the kids SOMETHING in the community to help them if their parents are unwilling (or in many cases, unable) to help. This is exactly why we have Driving Schools in America, because parents don't have time (or at least that's their excuse) to teach kids how to drive or can't do it properly.

 

It shouldn't be forced, but it should be there.

 

-K-

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Then why isn't there guidelines of what parents HAVE to teach their kids? Just saying "Parents should do this" doesn't mean that they will, and if they don't, then how does it turn out for the kid?

 

I'm not saying that it needs to be made a mandatory part of the curriculum, because why force the kids that have parents who give a damn about their future (and not their future of being quarterback/doctor/lawyer) to be lumped in with the rest? It should however be offered, again, even as something like a weekend seminar when the high school/gym/whatever is empty, funded by the parents (and perhaps taxpayers (in b4 groan of "my tax money should go to _____")). Give the kids SOMETHING in the community to help them if their parents are unwilling (or in many cases, unable) to help. This is exactly why we have Driving Schools in America, because parents don't have time (or at least that's their excuse) to teach kids how to drive or can't do it properly.

 

It shouldn't be forced, but it should be there.

 

-K-

But just because parents don't teach their kids something that has nothing to do with school doesn't mean we need to pawn it off on teachers.

 

I would support something like you said, but not having tax payers pay for that. I really don't care if someone is too lazy to teach themselves how to boil an egg and has to resort to kraft dinner(which is delicious). Cooking classes are already offered in high school, if the kid chooses to opt out of that because they'd rather take photography, that's their problem. I don't see why tax payers should have to pay for additional cooking classes when they are already offered.

 

But I think we have driving school because driving is dangerous to yourself and others. Plus, parents are generally terrible drivers and would never pass a driving test these days. laugh.gif

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But just because parents don't teach their kids something that has nothing to do with school doesn't mean we need to pawn it off on teachers.

 

I would support something like you said, but not having tax payers pay for that. I really don't care if someone is too lazy to teach themselves how to boil an egg and has to resort to kraft dinner(which is delicious). Cooking classes are already offered in high school, if the kid chooses to opt out of that because they'd rather take photography, that's their problem. I don't see why tax payers should have to pay for additional cooking classes when they are already offered.

 

But I think we have driving school because driving is dangerous to yourself and others. Plus, parents are generally terrible drivers and would never pass a driving test these days. laugh.gif

Why exactly do we need a cooking school? If you want to be a chef, go to culinary school. If you want to learn to cook, go to the internet. (Only skimmed the last few posts, sorry if this is completely irrelevant.)

 

This thread is about meat, so maybe we should get back on topic?

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But just because parents don't teach their kids something that has nothing to do with school doesn't mean we need to pawn it off on teachers.

 

I would support something like you said, but not having tax payers pay for that. I really don't care if someone is too lazy to teach themselves how to boil an egg and has to resort to kraft dinner(which is delicious). Cooking classes are already offered in high school, if the kid chooses to opt out of that because they'd rather take photography, that's their problem. I don't see why tax payers should have to pay for additional cooking classes when they are already offered.

 

But I think we have driving school because driving is dangerous to yourself and others. Plus, parents are generally terrible drivers and would never pass a driving test these days.  laugh.gif

But if no one teaches the kids, then what are the kids going to do? Yes it's ****py that parents can't do their jobs and it has to be pawned off on teachers, however, we can't just say "Sorry kids, that's your parent's job to teach you", it's unfair for the kids who really have no option, and considering you can kill yourself if you don't know how to cook to survive (you can only live on Easy Mac, ramen, and cereal for so long), or don't cook food properly, It's a bit more important that the kids learn to do this.

 

The problem is, around here, most cooking classes have been scrapped since the 90's to help fund sports, and anything remaining was scrapped after Columbine. The cooking class I was in had three sections that allowed ~15 people each, and out of the ~1200 students in the district that could take it (the other high school in our district had the one afternoon class to themselves) who were upperclassmen, only 45 people were accepted, and if someone left the class, because of the structure, we couldn't transfer any of the other people into the class (since they needed to be ServSafe certified, which took around 9 weeks to do). Considering my teacher had to go through over 300 applications and meet with the students to decide if they could be in the class, that means just over 10% of the applicants got into the class (and it's NOT an easy class, it's everything you'd be expected to do in a restaurant for 2 and a half hours (more during meal days if you could get out of other classes)). Now, there's a pre-requisite class that has to be taken that teaches you what a cup is. In the entire semester-long class the only thing they make is ice-cream in a bag.

 

And the only reason why the class I took was even offered was because our Principal supported classes that were career oriented, and she brought back many old staples (wood shop and car shop) and even novel classes (Video Game Design and Multimedia Amimation) into the district. Hell, our district is so ahead of the ball, we're having people PAYING their way into the district to get away from other districts. Our school is still presently the only High School in the "region" (as by school-district based region, or whatever) that offers anything resembling cooking classes. Few of the community colleges offer it, and the ones who do don't offer it to high school students (even if they want to take it during the summer).

 

So here at least, there's NO cooking classes to even give the kids an option, and because of liability for fires, knives, and such... yeah...

 

And who says cooking isn't dangerous to yourself and others? tongue.gif

 

EDIT: Baw... I was typing with Kiff posted... maybe we need a topic for cooking/cooking schools?

 

Anyways, I also want to bring up a point of contention. What do you guys think of eggs? I'm a bit puzzled by the fact that eggs are generally not considered meat, though I wouldn't exactly know WHAT to consider it besides an egg...

 

Technically it's composed of a large amount of protein (and is considered a meat by the USDA for that reason), which is indicative of meat (or beans/legumes, but I'm sure no one is going to argue that eggs are beans or peanuts tongue.gif), however it is not "animal flesh".

 

So is this another question for the ages? tongue.gif

 

-K-

Edited by Kamak

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Cooking classes are already offered in high school, if the kid chooses to opt out of that because they'd rather take photography, that's their problem.

 

Not really. unsure.gif There was 1 Home Ec class, only in middle school, and everyone WANTED to take it because hey, easy class and free food. Because of the period limits, it was generally only 7th-8th graders that got in, and even with two semesters a year it was a pain because not everyone could fit it in with the core classes and the electives they FORCED you to take, AND it was so full from everyone trying to get it.

 

And even if you got in the class, I think less than half of it was actually spent in a kitchen and they only taught very basic things like kitchen safety and many things that were really quick to make, as we had 45 minute periods (and say, 5 min to take roll, 5-10 for everyone to get in their stations, 5-10 to prep, actual work, 10-15 for cleanup, etc). So it wasn't even that good a class.

 

I would like to see colleges offer workshops for cooking for yourself, because that's when most people need it. Maybe have community centers or community colleges host them in slow times and advertise them at schools?

 

Re: eggs: Iunno, I never really classified them either. I guess they're technically meat though.

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I like my meat bloody, and that doesn't seem possible with those meats.

Ah rruvs rrou.

Bloody meat = heaven in your mouth. Pork is nasty in any form because you have to be so careful about cooking right ._.

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I was craving meat today, so I made a wonderful tasting meatloaf. smile.gif

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Ah rruvs rrou.

Bloody meat = heaven in your mouth. Pork is nasty in any form because you have to be so careful about cooking right ._.

Oh, I dunno. Bacon comes from pig and that's *heaven* if it's done right, with properly crispy fat on it....

 

Agreed about steak, though. Should be done blue wink.gif Straight off the cow and once over lightly with a blow-torch for me!

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