Are the domestic arts on the way to extinction?

A few months ago I came across Jamie Oliver's School Dinners and a YouTube video of one mother who fed her children takeout and candy their whole lives (Jamie's Ministry of Food - A Kebab a Day). Her children were unhealthy, always sick and saw their doctors a lot. My first reaction was, "you should be ashamed of yourself!", then she said that she "can't cook", and I thought, "is anyone really that stupid?". I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt, and Jamie was quite nice to her about it, too. Maybe she was never taught how to cook and didn't have the confidence to try. At least she's willing to try now.

This got me thinking closer to home. Many women of my generation, mothers even, do not know how to cook. They can boil an egg in theory, but probably have never tried it. One friend I know just relays instructions to her maid from her mother-in-law on how to cook some dishes. I wonder how the food turns out. How does she know it's overcooked, undercooked, overly seasoned or not seasoned enough? Besides, in all probability the maid has no idea how the cooked dish is supposed to taste like. I have never been invited over to taste her maid's cooking. I have to admit I am a bit curious but more scared to find out.


So I started asking people I know who actually cook what they thought about people who don't cook. Quite often, the answer I get is that they are just lazy. From those who really know how to cook, I detect a little condescension towards those who "can't" cook. To be honest, I feel this way too. I feel respect for those who cook, even if they are not really good cooks, just as long as they can turn out something edible. But for those who can't be bothered to cook at all? Somehow, they are brought one rung down the respect ladder. I know this is not politically correct, but I consider cooking a basic life skill, and I sort of expect everyone to know how to cook.

But the truth is, more and more people don't cook. What's worse is that more and more people do not even know the basic, simplest things. Like the joy of having a family breakfast at home everyday, and family dinner at night. A well-set table. Good table manners. Good manners, period. I want to bring those back.

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