Young People Don't Cook

I went into a small Jamaican restaurant to get a couple of veggie patties and decided to get some of their bottled seasoning as well. Here's how the convo with the lady at the register went:

Lady: It makes me happy to see you buying seasoning. I couldn't believe it when I saw you going over there.
Me: Why?
Lady: Because young people don't cook.
Me: Well, I like to eat.
Lady: Lots of people like to eat, but they don't cook.
Me: I like to eat, and my husband loves to eat, so therefore, I cook.
Random Guy off to the side: Are you from here? Were you born in America?
Me: (turning his way, wondering where he came from and why he was all up in the convo) I was born in America, but my parents are from Barbados.
Lady: Oh, OK. That's why!
Random Guy off to the side: Yeah, you do look American. (Would I have been rude to tell him to mind is business? How I look is neither here nor there.)
But anyway, after that I left. What does my parents'/my nationality have to do with me cooking? I have American friends that cook and west-indian friends that don't (and vice versa). I think its a personal thing, and I really don't think its fair to say "young people don't cook". Also, its not like I'm a teenie bopper or something, I'm a 28 year old married woman! I didn't grow up cooking either. I hated being in the kitchen. I didn't start cooking until after I graduated from college and was out on my own. I really started to cook a a lot about 5 years ago, and now I cook even more since getting married.

What do you ladies think? Does the lady from the restaurant have a valid point?

I'm 25 and don't cook...well, on occasion but it's nothing to get excited about. I'm the last person that needs to be in a kitchen. I burn my hands ALL THE TIME, even though I have 3 oven mitts...and then there was the incident with the gas stove and the pizza so I try to avoid cooking as much as possible.

I think it is based on the individual. I am older, 37 and I don't cook. Have no desire to learn, no interest at all. Besides, she is a restaurant owner, it behooves her that people don't cook or she'd be out of business.

I definitely think it is an individual thing. I'm 29 and I can cook(grow up cooking) but I don't cook often. I only know how to cook for more than one person and at the moment I am single so a lot of food goes to waste.

I am 35 and I can cook so that me and my family can eat. I am by no means a cooker (if that makes sense). All of the down home cooking I leave to my sister. i disagree with the lady because i know alot of young ladies who cook and are good at it.

Some young people dont cook! But I personally like to cook bc like you I enjoy eating! I dont have anyone to cook for other than my 2yr old and myself but I like to cook a big meal every chance I get. So I really think its up to the person.

Yeah, that's a strange thing to say to me. I LOVE cooking and baking! I'd turn it into a career given half a chance!

It depends. My parents grew up in the states & so did I. I really enjoy cooking. I only cooked once in a while in college, but after I graduated I started to cook more often. Now that I'm married w/kids I cook just about everyday. It's just my preference.
I also know other moms who don't cook at all or often...their husbands do the cooking the majority of the time.
Oh & my parents are from the south, but I actually don't cook soul food...does that mean I don't know how to cook?? Depends on who you ask

I'm 28 and cooking is my best skill - especially big and made from scratch meals.

I think it depends on the person but it is wrong for her to assume that "young" ppl don't cook. I have lots of young friends that cook and can cook. Two of my good friends are chefs and recently started their own company in D.C. Their desserts leave you speechless!
They are on Twitter: http://www.truthinatreat.com/ComingSoon.htm#

I'm 19 and I LOOVVVVEEE to cook, im a small girl with a big appetite and fast food and canned goods wont cut it with me...Im so happy to be in a apartment this yea instead of the dorms because i have a KITCHEN!!! eating microwave food and nasty cafeteria food was horrible...

rayray19 wrote:I'm 19 and I LOOVVVVEEE to cook, im a small girl with a big appetite and fast food and canned goods wont cut it with me...Im so happy to be in a apartment this yea instead of the dorms because i have a KITCHEN!!! eating microwave food and nasty cafeteria food was horrible...

That was soooo me in college. Instead of gaining the "Freshman 15" I lost 15lbs because I couldn't eat that crap. I came from REAL cooking. I loved the kitchen in my first apt.

Yea...I don't cook. In fact I have to force myself to learn how because I also just graduated from college and a girl gotta eat!

I cook. I've been cooking for myself since I was a teen. My parents are very American. My mother is a third generation American, and my father, I have no idea. I'm sure his family has probably been around since slavery. So, yeah, I think it is a little nutty that those people just brought it up like that. Just because they don't know any young cooks, doesn't mean they should generalize like that. I know plenty of people my age who cook, and love to cook.

I cook for my family of 4 about 5 days a week and I really enjoy watching them eat what I have prepared. I guess you could say Im self taught, my mom worked when I was younger so it was always eat what you can find. Now my sister is a chef @ 27 she is the real cooker and baker. I can't bake to save my life.

i don't cook =P although i'm only 17, my mom doesn't cook either (never has) and since we have different eating habits (i'm a vegetarian), i have to make my own meals or i won't eat. it's as simple as that. i have to force myself to put my little soy chicken nuggets/veggie burgers and fries in the oven most of the time.

unlike ray and tia, i can't wait until i live in dorms! i love me some easy mac and eat it all the time! lmao. i'm probably as american as one can get (paternal side is native american/black and maternal side has been here since slavery). i do love when my gma cooks for me <3 she's from charlotte and makes some delicious macaroni and cheese

I'm in my early 40's and I don't cook much, so it's not necessarily true that all young people don't cook. I can cook basic things, but anything complicated, I don't do. I'm single and live alone. It isn't always easy to cook for just one person, because most of the food you buy in the supermarket is packaged to feed anywhere from 2-6 people. Plus food would end up going to waste. So I cook about once a week, if that often.

I love to cook and especially bake. I think its an individual thing also because I know people my age who cannot cook but I do know young people who can cook. Cooking for me is just healthier and less expensive than eating out all of the time.

I'm 25 and I've only now started cooking now that I'm finished with school. I grew up in a house where both my parents worked and commuted and neither had time to cook, so I never learned. I also didn't have time to cook or space to cook while I was in college. But now I love experimenting in the kitchen

i dont like to like to cook too often unless its absolutely necessary but i LOVE baking its sooo much fun especially making different concoctions of cheesecakes and stuff.and i am from the Caribbean so dont think it has anything to do with roots cause sometimes my mom doesnt feel like cooking.

So it is varied. That is what I thought. There's no way that someone can just say "young people" don't cook! Some older people don't cook, and some younger people do. It is a highly individualized thing.

@Amyleia - my family is from Barbados and my mom always cooked. Growing up we only ate out like once or twice a month...she was that serious with it! BUT, I didn't cook when I lived at home. It wasn't until I was out on my own (22 or 23) that I started to experiment and try different recipes.

I like to cook rather than eat out on most days b/c that gets expensive. Its bad enough paying for one person to eat, but for two people with big appetites, we'd be spending way too much money on restaurants. Also, I don't eat meat (but I do eat fish) so whenever we go out to eat, its automatically going to be expensive b/c my meals are never cheap.

tiashaunteé wrote:

rayray19 wrote:I'm 19 and I LOOVVVVEEE to cook, im a small girl with a big appetite and fast food and canned goods wont cut it with me...Im so happy to be in a apartment this yea instead of the dorms because i have a KITCHEN!!! eating microwave food and nasty cafeteria food was horrible...

That was soooo me in college. Instead of gaining the "Freshman 15" I lost 15lbs because I couldn't eat that crap. I came from REAL cooking. I loved the kitchen in my first apt.

I guess I was the opposite...The cafe was my best friend!!! The cooks they had on staff could throw down in the kitchen!!!! lol

I think that is a weird thing to say that "young ppl don't cook." I love to cook and EAT lol and my bf is a cook so we take turns and love grocery shopping. That's our main thing to do together and I'm in my early 20s.( As a side, I don't like the rap "young ppl" get about a lot of things. It seems like we "don't do" anything)

Curly Film Chick wrote:I think that is a weird thing to say that "young ppl don't cook." I love to cook and EAT lol and my bf is a cook so we take turns and love grocery shopping. That's our main thing to do together and I'm in my early 20s.( As a side, I don't like the rap "young ppl" get about a lot of things. It seems like we "don't do" anything)

I agree! I think thats why it bothered me so much. I've heard young people don't cook or clean, which to me sounds like 'we' are just lazy. I do not agree with that at all. I hate being labeled b/c of my age and what other young people may or may not do in their personal lives. I cook, clean, and take care of my home. I think that is something that wives, mothers, and/or women do regardless of age.