Doesn't anybody know how to cook anymore?

                                             Header from my food blog.

Ive been DVRing The Pioneer Woman's new show. I wanted to see how it would be. Its ok...very simple food actually. And that surprises me but when I think about it, it really shouldn't. I don't watch too many cooking shows anymore. I can do most of what they teach so whats the point? But I am always looking for new ideas and things that might inspire me. Its how I roll.

Ive never been able to just follow a recipe exactly. Well not true, sometimes I do. If its complicated, then I may do it exactly like the recipe says just to learn a technique or see how its supposed to taste. But often after  I do that, my mind starts running amok, thinking of things to add or flavors to change. Even when I read a recipe, my mind starts thinking oooooo this is good but I think it would be better with this or that. Its how I roll. :)

And so seeing Pioneer Woman on tv really got me thinking. First is a bit of envy.....hey I have a good food blog too, why am I not on tv...giggle. Well, she wrote a cookbook so that's probably why. And some have asked me to write one and I think.....why? Who would want to buy that, nobody knows me. But maybe I should, after all people who do know me rave about what I cook and my recipes. But I just don't see it...

You see Ive been cooking since I was a kid. I had some great cooks in my family too. Even now my dad takes my recipes and adapts them to his way of cooking and I take dads recipes and tweak them my way lol. But I think its precisely since I have been cooking so long that I don't understand what people see in what I make. Like anyone, I see my mistakes. Or Ill make something that to me is just ok and yet they rave. But mostly I think the new generation doesn't have the skills the older one did.

I talked to my bf about this today. I said I don't understand how kids today cannot cook. It IS a basic life skill everyone should have. But then I think of my generation and later and how fast food became a staple. Or how frozen meals or premade foods did too. Heck today so many do not even know where their food comes from. A whole generation or two.....that lost the art of creating a good meal.

I taught my kids. Well my daughter didn't want to learn but she couldn't help but have it rub off on her. My son however has the food gene in him like his mama. :) Hes quite creative and has gone off in a BBQ pit direction now. He loves to smoke meats and create sauces. And he isn't afraid to try weird combos and has come up with some good ones. My daughter tho over time had to learn cuz she had a family to feed. And that family spent time at my house and fell in love with many things I made. So daughter had no choice but to figure this out  to please them. I told her tho whatever she makes, make sure you put FLAVOR into your food.

So many recipes to me are just bland or blah and so I'm always adding more of the spices or flavorings than what are called for. I told her to make a recipe and taste it and if it doesn't taste right.......add more! More of something you like. And so she does that and now I see some of HER friends raving about her stuff. And one day I saw her say she does what her mom does.........she makes sure it has flavor. That made me smile. She may not have wanted to learn as a child but she listened.

And I think that's whats wrong with the newer generations. They have lost the art of eating and creating and cooking and have to be taught. And that's why I don't see why what I do is so special....until I realize so many today, just cant do it. Its sad really. So I said to my bf, maybe I really do need to make a cookbook lol............Move over Pioneer Woman, your not the only one who knows her way around the kitchen!