"Patronising word-salad": Why student cookbooks make me sick.

[liuzhou]

'Patronising word-salad': why student cookbooks make me sick

Quote

It’s obvious they’re mostly written by middle-aged home economists who went to university 25 years ago and have forgotten what it’s like to do a tequila shot in your eye.

 

Lovely takedown of 'Student Cookbooks'. Although it's centuries since I was a student, it rings true and is well written and amusing.

[blue_dolphin]

Interesting.  I didn't even realize there was a significant genre of cookbooks targeted to university students.  

The book that Priya Krishna wrote while at Dartmouth, Ultimate Dining Hall Hacks (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) is the only one I'd heard of and didn't really put it in the cookbook category. 

[liuzhou]

13 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

I didn't even realize there was a significant genre of cookbooks targeted to university students.  

 

I suppose it may be a British thing. I assumed not, but really don't know.

[blue_dolphin]

12 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

 

I suppose it may be a British thing. I assumed not, but really don't know.

 

No, I think they are really out there.  Google led me to quite a number of articles recommending cookbooks for uni students, most published in the fall when students are usually heading off to school.  

[Eatmywords]

29 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

Interesting.  I didn't even realize there was a significant genre of cookbooks targeted to university students.  

The book that Priya Krishna wrote while at Dartmouth, Ultimate Dining Hall Hacks (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) is the only one I'd heard of and didn't really put it in the cookbook category. 

Thought the same.  Do Brit students cook so much that these books popular? I think ours typically get their chow from a cafeteria w the occasional in room micro for ramen.

[liuzhou]

2 minutes ago, Eatmywords said:

Do Brit students cook so much that these books popular?

 

Only popular with their doting parents or Aunt Gladys.

[Eatmywords]

Wasn't it just 10yrs ago that cooking meant a long boil?  Now it's the Fat Duck menu using only a hot plate.

[Kim Shook]

I, too, had no idea that these existed.  The article was excellent.  I've certainly given cookbooks intended for inexperienced cooks before, but only if I knew the person was inexperienced and interested.  How do you lump all students together under one column and write a book intended for that demographic?  

[blue_dolphin]

46 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

I, too, had no idea that these existed.  The article was excellent.  I've certainly given cookbooks intended for inexperienced cooks before, but only if I knew the person was inexperienced and interested.  How do you lump all students together under one column and write a book intended for that demographic?  

 

Your comment reminds me that when my brother moved out of the college dorms into an apartment, his first call home for cooking advice had to do with chocolate eclairs.  My mom recommend he make cream puffs first and put a pastry bag and tips in his Christmas box! 

[Katie Meadow]

My daughter never wanted to learn anything about cooking from me. She is 33 now, married, and she and her husband trade off cooking each week. They live in Atlanta. Although she has come back yearly (until this year) she doesn't do any cooking for us and I don't actually know what kind of food the two of them make for themselves. I assume when she moved out of the dorm into a communal living situation when an undergrad she had to figure out something.  Once in a while she will ask for suggestions or a recipe, but I have a suspicion she's still winging it somewhat.

 

I never learned anything about cooking from my mother, who was a bad cook, to tell the truth.  And when I taught myself to cook I was amazed at just how bad she actually was. Luckily she loved going out to eat. Sadly I must admit that my daughter was most likely intimidated by my kitchen skill. My theory is that kids should get into the kitchen early, before they become teenagers with attitude and are sure their ideas are just as good as anyone else's. You know, things like why do I need more than two cups of water to cook a pound of spaghetti? You're wasting water, Mom!

 

If all goes well I will be visiting Atlanta in late May or June, as she is expecting twins. I'm pretty sure I will be designated chef for the duration and my husband will doing most of the shopping. She's managed to get vaxxed but her husband hasn't yet; and Georgia has the just  relaxed their vax criteria--along with a dwindling supply of product-- so it's chaos. By the time the grandkids are cooking, if they are, I'll just be glad to still have teeth.

 

 

[heidih]

In today's world I think the kids go to YouTube. As annoying and vapid as some cooking shows are my personal survey told me they sparked cooking interest in the young ones. I imagine the books might be amusing to peruse if you were bored.

[blue_dolphin]

12 minutes ago, heidih said:

In today's world I think the kids go to YouTube. As annoying and vapid as some cooking shows are my personal survey told me they sparked cooking interest in the young ones. I imagine the books might be amusing to peruse if you were bored.

Good point.  I suspect that today they may be getting more from TikTok and who knows what else. I'm too old for it but can appreciate being able to follow a social media contact who shares your likes and dislikes 

[liuzhou]

6 hours ago, heidih said:

In today's world I think the kids go to YouTube.

 

The article says they go to the internet.

[patti]

When my son called me and asked me how I cooked rice, “in my rice cooker” was not the answer he wanted. He called me back later to report that YouTube taught him how. (But now he uses a rice cooker, just like his mom.)