by Sandra Piddock

Created on: February 22, 2010   Last Updated: February 23, 2010

Anyone who can read can cook; it's as easy as that. Assuming that most of us can read, it's amazing that we should be writing about cooking becoming a lost art, or is it? We're all in so much of a rush these days, that when we want something - including food - we want it NOW. Instant gratification is the name of the game, so we pop a ready meal in the microwave, send out for a pizza or head out for a McDonald's. And we're the poorer for it, in more ways than one.

I remember learning to cook alongside my mother and my grandmother. It was so exciting, seeing a group of disparate raw ingredients become something the family could enjoy together, and I helped to make it! I loved those times spent in the kitchen, preparing meals and spending quality time with the people I loved, and I carried the tradition on with my own children. My daughter is an indifferent cook if I'm honest, but at least she can cook, and my two sons can produce meals anyone can be proud of, so at least I've done my bit to keep the art of cooking alive.

Learning to cook teaches you so much more than how to prepare a meal or snack. You learn about weights and measures, flavours and textures of various foods, what foods go together and what foods should never appear on the same plate, and of course, you also learn about nutrition. As stated in the title, cooking is an art, so you learn to be creative and to use your imagination - skills which are very useful in all walks of life.

Back in the day, my mother and grandmother had a 'Baking Day,' when they'd cook cakes and meals for the rest of the week. While our busy lives today may not have room for a Baking Day, why not try to fit in a two hour session where the family gets together and prepares food; even if it's only something simple steak and salad, or chilli or pasta. Involve everyone, or nominate a family member to cook on a particular night if it's difficult to get everyone together.

My granddaughter, Chloe, is only three years old, but already she helps in the kitchen, so my family is carrying the standard for home cooking. However, to ensure that cooking does not become a lost art, we need more recruits. Care to sign up?

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