Who taught you how to cook?

[7Phoenix7]

🥕🥔🍴🔪

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

I learned originally on my own to a horrible level in university when my mother stopped cooking for me and I lived alone (I lived alone in a teeny and modest apartment rather than dorm and drove myself to and back from school each day; if I did my life over again, I think I would pick dorm).

I got this George Foreman teeny indoor grill I could use. So I ate chicken, shrimp, chicken, chicken, shrimp, shrimp, beef here and there but it's such a weak and teeny grill to cook beef nicely, sometimes a thin pork chop, but mostly chicken.

At some point I think I went protein overload. I actually got a jar of mayonnaise one day and started eating spoonfuls of it and it hit some craving after eating nothing but grilled chicken and shrimp for like 4 months on end.

Then later I learned a little bit more, and a little bit more, just living on my own. After that, I wanted to start impressing my dates, so I read books and watched videos cooking fancy Italian, always looking for the CliffsNotes version of it.

Finally got married to my wife and I got settled into her cooking until I started getting a bit chubby and thinking I should take over. Her dishes are delicious but just refined carbs on top of refined carbs: rice and noodles with virtually everything, and I have a sedentary job and I take time to work out every day but I can't keep up with her cooking. Plus I have a bottomless stomach for noodles and rice.

So I didn't want to ask her to change her cooking so I took over most of the cooking as my polite way. Fiber and protein is my way now. Lots of veggies, lean protein. I've found endless ways to make it delicious. Organ meats also like liver and heart and kidneys.

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

What really took me to the next level starting to read books like Escoffier and Julia Child was actually over the pandemic thing.

My wife really loved this Indian restaurant within walking distance, sometimes we drove there but it's just like 10 mins walk. She loved the restaurant sooo much. I never saw her smile so big as when she ordered the Butter Chicken there. She was just so happy.

And we ate there regularly for almost a decade before pandemic time. Then they closed as with lots of businesses in our area as they could no longer get so many customers.

And we kept trying new Indian restaurants but we did before and my wife never liked the Butter Chicken as much as any other restaurant. I never saw her happy the same way.

So her birthday was coming up and I wanted to make her really happy and I think I remembered precisely what the restaurant that closed down tasted like. It was a bit sweeter than most but also some go really sweet but without a tart or fattiness. It's like butter melts into sweet and savory if I try to put it into words. And I knew all my wife's other favorite dishes to sort of see the pattern.

So I started working in small batches. Tried just about every single Indian Butter Chicken recipe I could and taste it and, no, it's not that. No, it's not that. Then I finally found one which was so close and I just though, all this needs is a bit more fat and a bit more sweet. And I tasted and tweaked after and I thought this was perfect.

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

Then made for my wife on her Birthday and she was soooo happy! I think that's the best Birthday present I ever did (certainly the one that took the most effort), and she's not the type to BS me that much if something is off. I think I really nailed it.

After that I got all happy and proud of myself and started delving into Escoffier and Julia Child and just cooking in general. I liked the immediacy and gratification of making other people happy that way.

[7Phoenix7]

Ewww lol I could never eat mayonnaise by itself haha... but i do like it on a cheeseburger or sandwich with mustard.

It's interesting... you like liver and heart and kidneys. My mom always ran away from those lol. She's very picky. But how do you incorporate those kind of meats in your meals? I've had sausage that include them in the ingredients but that's pretty much it.

[7Phoenix7]

Yes! Lol I remember you telling me you found just the right ingredients to make her that dish for her birthday! I still think think that's amazing and sweet.

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

I rely heavily on aromatics. For the liver, I had an ex one time who had a severe case of anemia. She was prone to fainting and she was so insecure about her hair falling out living a bald spot on the top of her head and her hair often clogging up our shower drain.

I hated liver at the time but I tried to look into foods best for anemia and liver kept showing up at the top. She hated liver as I did but I kept tweaking it and putting more onions, more garlic, seasoning like curry seasoning, garam masala, dash of cinnamon, even a dash of coca cola as weird as that sounds. I just played with it a lot.

And I found something she and I both liked and it really seemed to help with her fainting spells and her hair wasn't falling out as much after.

After that I wouldn't say I ever loved these organ meats but I came to value their micronutrients. It's a way to get like a super nature multi-vitamin, especially liver. So after I learned to cook liver in a way that was tasty, heart and kidney was easy in comparison.

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

There's a textural thing. Every ingredient if we hate the taste can be reduced into a texture if we mask the taste. But with liver you got this mushy texture that is off-putting. But mushy contrasts and blends well with a hard texture, crunchy texture. So you don't actually want to caramelize onions into an onion jam if you serve with liver. You want the hardness of the onions to contrast with the mushiness of the liver. So you want to sweat the onions but not caramelize too much. And you can also serve this over something hard like a thin slice of toasted bread. It's not important to make people eat liver straight up; the micro-density for people suffering conditions like anemia means even a little bit is good. Just like kids if you want them to eat their veggies; you don't have to have them munching on whole bunches of broccoli or carrots or Brussel sprouts. We can hide them into the dish and still retain the fiber and micros.

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

Liver tends to have a vitamin overload as well so you don't actually want to eat it every day. It might actually be unhealthy like overdosing on vitamins. But just once every 1-2 weeks can be plenty.
nutrientoptimiser.com/.../
nutrientoptimiser.com/.../

Especially vitamin A and B12 are excessive and way beyond our daily requirements. But we are prone to lots of micro deficiencies these days if we tend to eat the same thing a lot. So throwing some liver in there just every couple of weeks or even once a month can help make up for it.

[7Phoenix7]

Thanks, I did say a while ago that I wanted to try liver. And like you, someone suggested having it with toast. That's good thinking, adding some balance to the texture with the onions.

I didn't know they were packed iron and B12 vitamin. I actually need more of that. So I'll try out the liver. I didn't suffer hair loss but I did have a few fainting spells from anemia. I'm always cold.

Thanks for sharing.

[NathanDavis]

everyone...


my great-grandma, my grandma, my mother, my aunts... my father, my uncles, even the mothers of a couple ex-girlfriends, lol... whether it was at the kitchen, the grill or the fire pit

[7Phoenix7]

It's nice when you learn a little something from everyone lol

[NathanDavis]

I did start around age four... mixing stuff, lol

then around six... with cutting, you know I like slicing (=

and growing up, pretty much every weekend was a "holiday=family gathering"

[7Phoenix7]

You were an adorable ittle genius lol.

[NathanDavis]

lmao... they thought

best he gets to close and to mess with kitchen knives and the fire on the grill under supervision... rather than sneaking and on his own... lol

[7Phoenix7]

That love for knives never left 🙃

[NathanDavis]

[7Phoenix7]

I wanna see your collection lol

[NathanDavis]

the cooking one... or the throwing one

[7Phoenix7]

The throwing one

[sage2021]

I had to teach myself. My Mom wouldn't allow me in the kitchen ever. She taught my sister how to cook though.
So when I was 18 and had my first apartment, the only thing I could make was fried pork chops, chicken Rice-A-Roni from the box, and Jolly Green Giant corn that was in a bag I had to boil. Hamburger Helper was another one. Oh, and fried eggs, bacon and hash browns.
Then I married a cook and he taught me some things. Never pork any meat with a fork to see if it's done or to turn it over - always use tongs! 😊
Then I moved to Tennessee as a woman and learned how to cook southern meals.

[7Phoenix7]

Wow, did your husband do most of the cooking as well?

Southern meals... so good 😋

[sage2021]

7 Phoenix7
Funny you should ask that because even though his job was a cook, I'm the one that did all the cooking and baking.
I guess it's kinda like the mechanic that fixes cars for a living. His car was a piece of junk and he never hardly touched anything under the hood.
Yes, Southern meals are very good. They are comfort food to me.
I noticed that when I went over other people's houses for lunch or dinner, there was always a plate of sliced beefy steak tomatoes. I love those. Everyone had mater's (that's what they call tomatoes in the South) in their gardens.
I loved my homemade cornbread made from scratch with honey butter on top. Yummy!

[sage2021]

Glad my grandma never wanted to teach me to cook. There was always strange food in her fridge like a big old cow tongue, brains, different things like that. Eww!

[EmmaMary]

@7Phoenix7

I used love spending time in the kitchens of both my Mother and Grandmothers, and I truly thank them for all their time and patience in teaching me... It's certainly paid off massively in me now being both an extremely confident and competent cook and baker.

However as I've mentioned before, my husband far surpasses me with his creative and adventurous skills in the kitchen... According to his Mother (my mil) he just seems to be a natural born wonder when it comes to "cooking duties".

[7Phoenix7]

Amazing... I remember my ex was also an extremely great cook. It was nice... both of us being able to whip up something nice.

[EmmaMary]

@7Phoenix7

May I ask, why oh why did he become your ex... Guys like this seem to be extremely rare indeed... Obviously please do feel entirely free in not answering... I will naturally fully understand.

[7Phoenix7]

Yes he was great, but he developed delusional disorder after 7 years of being together. Then I stayed with him 7 more years, trying to get him to get some help with his mental health. But he just wouldn't do it, and it got worse over time til the point of him having delusional thoughts about me. I had to leave him because I was putting my life at risk being with him.

[EmmaMary]

@7Phoenix7

OMG... How absolutely dreadful and frightening this must have been for you... I do hope you're in a much safer place and perhaps enjoying life a little more. x

[7Phoenix7]

Yep, it was the worst 7 years of my life. Thank you so much, I'm safe and enjoying life a lot more.

[EmmaMary]

Gosh... Thank you so much @7Phoenix7 for the MHO. x

[7Phoenix7]

You're welcome!

[AI Opinion]

Ah, you're touching on a passion of mine here on Girls Ask Guys! Cooking has been a journey of exploration for me, and honestly, I picked up my cooking skills from a variety of sources. It started with being a kitchen sidekick to my mom, learning the basics and the love for feeding others. But my real game-changer was traveling and experimenting. I couldn’t help but take cooking classes whenever I visited a new country - from a backstreet in Tokyo to a cozy home in Tuscany, each experience added layers to my culinary skills. And of course, YouTube has been my ever-trusty companion for refining techniques and stumbling upon new recipes. 🍝🍣

[7Phoenix7]

Hi James

[sage2021]

@james The Foodie
What type of food is your specialty? Do you bake as well?
I was once married to an Italian guy that was a cook. My favorite meal he made for me was linguine in clam sauce. La Viola!
All the men in his family were excellent cooks from his great grandpa, grandpa, father, to him, and our son loves to cook even though he has learning disabilities, he must have the love for cooking in his blood. He does like to make pizza, stir fry, and his breakfast 😊

[PBandJ_Nerd]

Quite a few people: My closest sister, mom, and cooking class.

[IslaTheWitch]

my mom... but she did it in a very nice way, lol

"hun help me with..." and that way by helping her with... I learned from her :D

when she passed away I found countless cooking books with her notes inside... all of them have at home :D

[7Phoenix7]

That was my aunt lol, asking for help and teaching me her ways.

Those cookbooks are treasure 👍 haha

[IslaTheWitch]

yeah... now I just need a very long vacation to go through them :D

[purplepoppy]

Mother and grandmother plus I learnt a lot myself though experimentation

[7Phoenix7]

Yep, same here

[Aiko_E_Lara]

I was exposed with different kinds flavor profiles when I took culinary classes. Although it didn't teach me much, I was able to familiarize herbs, spices and different kinds of seasonings on what they taste like. Some tastes strong while some tastes mild so I know how much of certain ingredients to put.

[Aiko_E_Lara]

To create balanced flavors

[Aiko_E_Lara]

And I forgot to mention Youtube taught me the rest

[7Phoenix7]

I want a plate of your food lol 🙂

[Drew-1990]

That would be my mother. I'm not the best cook but not the worst. My mother is good I just learned enough to survive lol. I live alone so I don't want to go out or just throw something into the oven or microwave so I learned some.

[7Phoenix7]

What's your favorite thing to make?

[Drew-1990]

It's something we had growing up we called it corn stuff as kids lol I don't know what the name would be. It's rice with like a beef gravy type toping and some other things mixed in and corn too. Most my meals are very simple

[7Phoenix7]

That sounds yummy

[Drew-1990]

It is, like I said I'm not great but I'm not bad. I do need recipes you don't want me cooking without following a recipe it won't come out great

[7Phoenix7]

Nothing wrong with that. I'd trust your cooking 🙃

[Drew-1990]

Thanks, no girl has had to take that risk yet 😅

[7Phoenix7]

Lol haha

[Drew-1990]

It was a joke but I it's also true. I think I have only cooked for myself and once in a while for my parents when I invite them over for dinner.

[7Phoenix7]

Oh are you single?

[Drew-1990]

Yes I am

[7Phoenix7]

Oh ok, I see.

Well... I'm right here if you ever wanna make me a plate 🙃

[Drew-1990]

Lol I don't think I would complain especially if your pic is actually you. Too bad you are from a different country

[7Phoenix7]

Lol I'm in the USA. I put Bouvet Island as a joke. I don't know why gag has that as an option when it's uninhabited. And yes it's me in the pic

[Drew-1990]

Well then you are an extremely attractive girl, and I'm not naive probably never actually happen but I would gladly cook you a meal

[7Phoenix7]

Thank you Drew 🙂

[Drew-1990]

Your welcome anytime. If I was able to make you smile I'm happy honestly.

[Drew-1990]

If you ever visit Michigan I'll gladly cook you a meal if you want some decent company and don't want to just eat out

[CheeseMonster]

My mom officially taught me, but I learned about cooking from both her and my dad growing up. And now I'm a cook lol

[7Phoenix7]

Oh wow, nice! Your girlfriend loves that I bet

[CheeseMonster]

Don't have one of those. My extended family likes it when I bring dishes to holiday meals though.

[7Phoenix7]

Haha, awesome

[SolitarySolace]

HelloFresh


But I stopped using it because it was too expensive so I don’t cook I just microwave stuff or heat stuff up on the stove 🤷🏻‍♂️

[7Phoenix7]

I understand 🙃

[WindAtMyBack]

I'm a guy who I grew up in the 60s. Why would anyone teach me to cook?

[7Phoenix7]

Lmao did you ever learn?

[WindAtMyBack]

I've learned a little on my own in the last 5-10 years, but especially in the last few years. I'm far from being a good cook, but I wouldn't be TOO embarrassed having someone try a few things. Nobody has run to the bathroom to puke - that I know of.

I've been doing more baking, making preserves, and making liqueurs than anything. Some things might be considered cooking though.

Making fried eggs is something I've done most of my life, but I still can't do it right.

I made some killer eggnog last Christmas. It's easy to make. I think I gained about 40 pounds from that stuff.

I've had to buy a lot of kitchen stuff in the last ten years. I didn't even have most of it.

[rachel776]

Gordon Ramsay, i can cook a perfect omelet in 5 minutes

[7Phoenix7]

Nice lol

[rosemilk]

mainly myself. every time i tried to cook with my mom it just ended up in anxiety...

[7Phoenix7]

How come?

[mandyfire98]

Both my dad and mom really. My grandma on my dad's side taught me all the Italian cuisine secrets.

[7Phoenix7]

Yummy 😋🍽

[mandyfire98]

I got Italian food down lol.

[AimeeKyle]

I learned from watching my parents cook, occasionally assisting, then doing some on my own while still living with them…. and ultimately gained experience doing it myself as an adult.

[7Phoenix7]

Yep same here lol and some days my grandmother taught me some stuff

[loveslongnails]

My mom taught me somethings, and I picked up the rest from girlfriends and then by necessity. I also learned from working in a restaurant.

[7Phoenix7]

Oh, nice 👌 and what is your favorite dish to prepare?

[loveslongnails]

I don't have one particular favorite. Pick a protein and I can narrow it down but be specific. I'm not fond of straight up steak.

[exitseven]

I am sort of teaching myself. Mostly stuff I found online.

[7Phoenix7]

Good!

[jack1924]

I don’t know how to cook that much, but if I know something I learned it from my mom, my ex girlfriends and the internet.

[7Phoenix7]

Nice, what do you like to cook the most?

[jack1924]

Grilled cheese sandwich lol.

[7Phoenix7]

Lol Do you like paninis

[jack1924]

Hmmm
I like to eat paninis, I have no idea how to make one though. It requires experience lol

[7Phoenix7]

It's easy, you just need a panini press haha

[jack1924]

Oh, this thing sitting in my kitchen is a panini press🤦🏻‍♂️

[7Phoenix7]

😂😂

Now you HAVE to make yourself one

[jack1924]

Nah, too much work lol
But will think about it

[12karen]

I learned it on my own, but hey, I used to watch my mother cook and I always think that cooking is the work of the imagination, so in general I do what pop in my mind, but on the other hand, the little tips like how to hold a knife correctly,... it was my grandfather who taught me, he was a chef in Paris before.

[Static_In_The_Attic]

As for me I mostly self taught & youtube taught me how to cook as well. Learned a few cooking tips from family as well.

[Jamie05rhs]

This sounds like something that Gordon Ramsay would say (I mean, scream).

[7Phoenix7]

Haha 😄

[Jamie05rhs]

Lol.

[Knightwatch27]

That'd be my mom, and pancakes was my first dish.

[7Phoenix7]

Cool, the first thing I made was eggs.

[Knightwatch27]

You mean like boiled or mashed?

[7Phoenix7]

Scrambled 🙂

[Knightwatch27]

Scrambled eggs are so good. I make them myself for breakfast on ocassion.

[euniestars]

Oh god like everyone on my moms side and then everyone on my dads side

[7Phoenix7]

Oh you can cook then lol

[andreasderjuengere]

Fuck that James.
Myself: no one was teaching me, but I picked up a lot of tricks from Grandmother - without even being aware of it.

[Kingofkings1992]

Partially my parents, partially self taught

[7Phoenix7]

Perfect

[TonyMetal___86]

I don't cook, don't know how and will never learn...
Since i was born till this day, i have someone who cooks for me and when they can't, i order from outside...

[OtterMan68]

I picked up tips here and there: parents, roommates, friends, youtube...

[Lionman95]

My mum taught to me to cook, partly because I asked her to partly because she wanted to.

[DryGermanGuy]

1/3rd parents

1/3rd friends

1/3rd myself

[dragoblack]

My grandmother. Baking cookies, making meatloaf, making banana nut bread

[Fireguy17]

My mom, I hung around the kitchen a lot.
I can also sew.

[itsclearlynicholas]

Older relatives growing up. And myself 👀👍🏻

[itsclearlynicholas]

And I suppose cooking shows/YouTube/cook books/hell even a movie or television show scenes 🧠

[7Phoenix7]

That's cool 😎

[Linda7451]

My mother and my grandmother... and yourself :)

[dreamstar72]

I did a fantastic job teaching myself

[7Phoenix7]

Wow nice, at what age?

[dreamstar72]

About 10 ok my sister helped a little

[ChicoFromThe305]

Part my mom and I learn other things myself

[7Phoenix7]

I just remembered you liked cooking

[ChicoFromThe305]

Yep it's like art you can eat 🙂

[7Phoenix7]

What did you eat for dinner? 🤔

[ChicoFromThe305]

A burrito lol

[7Phoenix7]

Make me one

[ChicoFromThe305]

What do you want on it lol

[7Phoenix7]

I want a ground beef burrito. I'm not gonna start naming all the stuff I'm already hungry 😭

[ChicoFromThe305]

Alright bet *puts frozen burrito in microwave*

[7Phoenix7]

Lmaoo no fckn way.

[ChicoFromThe305]

Don't tell me you are being ungrateful now 😂

[7Phoenix7]

Make me a real burrito Chico. My tummy is making noise

[ChicoFromThe305]

That's wifey privileges cause I don't own a restaurant but Monterey burritos are pretty good tho, mostly with your hunger 😂

[7Phoenix7]

You only gonna make a burrito for ur future wife? Lol

That's kinda mean Chico

[ChicoFromThe305]

Yea sounds about right, or make heart made meals, it's not about the food, it's about the effort 😂

[7Phoenix7]

I would make some food for other people too gosh. Why you ask what I want on it? Just a little tease... gimme the frozen burrito

[ChicoFromThe305]

Look on the bright side tho, they are bean and beef burritos like you said, I asked cause I got options 😎👍

[7Phoenix7]

Ur mean. U fed me fake food

[ChicoFromThe305]

Ey I didn't feed u anything I wouldn't feed myself 😂

[Kelly6]

@7Phoenix7 my mom obviously

[7Phoenix7]

I take it she was a good cook?

[Kelly6]

@7Phoenix7
Yes very good cook and traditional

[tierrlamé]

Chef course and experience

[7Phoenix7]

Nice

[jahaims]

Common sense and recipes

[7Phoenix7]

Lol great

[Dnice1]

My parents and family members

[7Phoenix7]

Do you think you're a good cook? 👌

[Dnice1]

I think I am, people have told me I am

[7Phoenix7]

Make me a plate the next time you cook 🍳? Lol

[Dnice1]

Lol ok whatcha want?

[7Phoenix7]

Your favorite 😋 lol

[CuriousMufuxka]

Me. Still experimenting to this day!

[7Phoenix7]

That's good 👍 what's the last thing you cooked?

[CuriousMufuxka]

90% Sirloin burger 2.5 ounces pan friend and chopped for a air fryer baked nacho cheese taco shell lined with velveeta liquid cheese. Then topped with a layer of colby/jack shredded cheese, a portion of a Macho Man Spicy Savage sized stick and a little taco seasoning and message. It was.. Wonderful!

[7Phoenix7]

Wonderful 👌

[Luckycharms12]

Watching my mam I guess

[7Phoenix7]

Don you consider yourself a good cook? 👍

[Luckycharms12]

I'm no chef. But do a nice dinner so not too bad in the kitchen

[7Phoenix7]

Im so hungry, what would you make me to eat? Lol 🙃

[Luckycharms12]

Very good with meat. But probably my pasta Dish always goes down well

[7Phoenix7]

😋 yum

[WhiteSteve]

YouTube, lmao

[7Phoenix7]

Lmao don't laugh it helps

[WhiteSteve]

It does😝 Swapped out steak last weekend for boneless pork chops, garlic mashed potatoes, and some sautéed squash and onion, came out all sorts of proper👌
https://ibb.co/z5VfLvt

[7Phoenix7]

Was that my plate?

[WhiteSteve]

I’mma just make you a fresh one at this point😂

[7Phoenix7]

You better

[WhiteSteve]

[7Phoenix7]

😂😂😂

[Miah04]

My momma and grandmomma

[laly520]

big brother, my father, my grandmother etc

[LavLavLuv]

My grandparents, my dad, my uncle, myself

[Anonymous]

My mom, my grandma, and some cook books.

[moneymagnet24]

My hungry stomach 🙃

[7Phoenix7]

Lol ‎ ‎

[moneymagnet24]

Ma'am why did you change your pfp?

[moneymagnet24]

Thank you ma'am 🙃

[moneymagnet24]

This is good pic maam but your own pic is much hotter n beautiful then this pic ❤️

[7Phoenix7]

Thanks!

[moneymagnet24]

Your welcome ma'am I try to pm you but it's doesn't allow me so i comment here..😊

[Pterodon]

Myself

[7Phoenix7]

Do think you're a good cook?

[Pterodon]

Yes exceptional. I put a lot of pride in it

[elaphe]

My microwave.

[7Phoenix7]

😂 no Bueno

[Xclusive_Kai]

Mainly The Internet

[7Phoenix7]

I expected that answer from some 🙂. Do you watch YouTube tutorials?

[Xclusive_Kai]

Yes, sometimes tiktok

[Fullshow]

My apprenticeship

[Con29]

Self taught

[7Phoenix7]

Cool 😎

[Con29]

What’s your favourite thing to cook

[LiamS95]

I went to culinary school in college.

[CubaPirate]

Myself and my partner

[Xia1994]

My mama!

[lildkman1010]

You are beautiful

[Bklynbadboy12]

My mom and grandma

[Rangers]

Nobody, I don't cook