Not a snob on cooking and food wise, I found this to be a good question when debating my friend over beans on toast (UK here).

He says it doesn’t really count as cooking cos you’re just buying already produced ingredients to whack in a microwave or pot and that proper cooking is done from scratch.

I argue this is bullshit as you’re still USING common cooking equipment to make as something as simple as beans on toast because you still have to watch it not burn or dry out.

What are your thoughts on what counts as proper cooking? Would you say canned soup counts? Or frozen pizza since you’re still needing to use an oven and watch the food accordingly?

  • ℕ𝕖𝕞𝕠@slrpnk.net
    151·
    14 days ago

    I think the confusion is that in English we don’t really have separate words for cooking-as-chore and cooking-as-art.

    Lazy beans on toast or heating a frozen pizza is the first kind but not the second. There’s no creative input, no method. You’re just trying not to ruin your ingredients and end up with something edible. You’re cooking but you’re not cooking.

    • AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      13 days ago

      I think the confusion is that in English we don’t really have separate words for cooking-as-chore and cooking-as-art.

      Heating pre-made food?

      Just like opening a tub of ice cream isn’t cooking just because you went through with the effort of sticking a spoon in it.