For hundreds of years cooking didn't really change much.
What qualities do you have to possess in order to be a good cook? Is it something you can learn, or do you have to have certain talents to start with? If you were designing a qualification for a 'master of cookery' would you put chemistry in there? Do you know of many great cooks who know anything about chemistry? Would you trust that someone is a good cook based on a certificate? Is the best way to learn about cookery to work as an apprentice to a great cook? Actually, if you think about cooks you know, do they have certain qualifications in common?
Do great cooks really understand what is going on when they cook? Is it possible to practice something for centuries without ever understanding how it works? Does it matter if we understand how it works?
What is good food? What's the difference between food which tastes good and food which is good for you? How do you know when food is good for you - do you just taste it? Is a great cook simply someone who creates great-tasting food?
Imagine you think that you are a good cook, and someone disagrees - how do you resolve that? Maybe you sit people down, cook them something and see what they think. If everyone says 'I really enjoyed that meal' is the argument over? What if your detractor then says 'sure they liked it - but was it good for them?' Is it possible for good food to taste bad - and vice-versa? What happens to food which is indigestible?
What is the difference between a nutritionist and a great cook? Which would you want to serve up your dinner? Do you trust the pronouncements of nutritionists - and how confident are you that you know which foods are good for you?
If you were building a restaurant, which would you go for: a few dishes cooked really well or a wide variety of dishes that are pre-prepared? Would you devise set menus or let people choose freely? Do you cook to order? What about take-away food - or does that somehow detract from the 'experience'? What exactly are they missing out on?
Is it better to let people eat when they are hungry, or force them into set meal-times? Should we allow them to eat what they want, or should we be more prescriptive? How would you encourage children to really enjoy food?
What is the difference between cooking for someone and preparing a diet for them? To what extent should they be involved in the process in each case? Can you imagine what it is like cooking for the army?
Do great cooks really understand what is going on when they cook? Is it possible to practice something for centuries without ever understanding how it works? Does it matter if we understand how it works?
What is good food? What's the difference between food which tastes good and food which is good for you? How do you know when food is good for you - do you just taste it? Is a great cook simply someone who creates great-tasting food?
Imagine you think that you are a good cook, and someone disagrees - how do you resolve that? Maybe you sit people down, cook them something and see what they think. If everyone says 'I really enjoyed that meal' is the argument over? What if your detractor then says 'sure they liked it - but was it good for them?' Is it possible for good food to taste bad - and vice-versa? What happens to food which is indigestible?
What is the difference between a nutritionist and a great cook? Which would you want to serve up your dinner? Do you trust the pronouncements of nutritionists - and how confident are you that you know which foods are good for you?
If you were building a restaurant, which would you go for: a few dishes cooked really well or a wide variety of dishes that are pre-prepared? Would you devise set menus or let people choose freely? Do you cook to order? What about take-away food - or does that somehow detract from the 'experience'? What exactly are they missing out on?
Is it better to let people eat when they are hungry, or force them into set meal-times? Should we allow them to eat what they want, or should we be more prescriptive? How would you encourage children to really enjoy food?
What is the difference between cooking for someone and preparing a diet for them? To what extent should they be involved in the process in each case? Can you imagine what it is like cooking for the army?
I can't imagine a future without good cooks; but I do imagine that what we mean by 'good cook' and how we cook will change.
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