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Social media gives people a platform to vent, almost like modern-day journaling. It’s a way for people to connect and update with followers that they may or may not know. It could be used to share the rough day you had at work or to explain how uncomfortable your family Christmas is. Things that we go through may seem unique to us, although in the grand scheme of things, might be relatable to others. Now, that’s not to invalidate your struggles– but it might feel good to know you’re not alone. The instant and personable aspect of social media allows people to post real-time what they are doing, and nowadays, that includes cooking fails.
The Struggle of Cooking for Yourself
While eating at home is the healthier option, there is one universal thing that most people can relate to: we are not all five-star chefs.
This Food is on Fire
If you have ever burned your food to the point where it is inedible, just know that you are not the only one. The majority of people on social media have identified with burning or overcooking their food when it comes to cooking fails and shared their stories. That is the beauty of platforms like Twitter, being able to retweet posts that you relate to shows how similar we can be. In this case, burning or overcooking your food is something a lot of us have in common. We are all busy people, so forgetting something on the stove or microwave is sometimes inevitable.
Lack of time is sometimes what prevents people from cooking at home. So, the frustration of spending time cooking and it resulting in a culinary catastrophe may discourage you for the future. Try and salvage the burnt food if possible. Whether that means peeling off the skin or cutting off the dark crust. If you burnt the edges of a pie, cut it off entirely and turn it into a pie crumble. That always works. The benefits of eating at home truly make the few failures worth it. It saves money, allows you to choose the ingredients you’re putting in your body and helps with portion control. However, if that doesn’t work, don’t feel bad if you have to give up and order out; 29% of people did just that (see more about that here).
No Cooking Skills
The second most common issue people have with cooking is the lack of cooking skills. 11% said that they messed up cooking, well, because they don’t really know how to. It almost seems rare for people to feel extremely proficient when it comes to their cooking skills.
Social platforms like YouTube give tutorials on step-by-step ways to make anything: from mac n cheese to Chef Gordon Ramsay showing you how to make duck in a sweet and sour sauce. In the past, we were limited to complex cooking books without many visuals. Now, we can even go on Pinterest to see what new and interesting plates to prepare, and how to prepare them. The increased amount of exposure to various dishes allows us to find things that we love and crave right from our own kitchen. If there is a word or technique that seems foreign to us, the simple act of YouTubing it can help a great amount. Nowadays, we can even go on Instagram to ask our followers if someone has any advice when making pasta for the first time, or post a tweet with the same question. There are a lot of ways to find out what the ins and outs of cooking are online. Now, this might be easier said than done. If you find yourself struggling in a tutorial, it might be nice to know that even Gordon Ramsay has failed multiple times. There’s even a YouTube video titled 10 Times Gordon Ramsay Actually Failed. This might be refreshing to watch when you find yourself stuck.
Grocery Shopping Fails
Let’s say you got home from grocery shopping, and your family will be coming over for the first time on Thanksgiving. You finally finished all of the main dishes: turkey, mashed potatoes and the long list of casseroles. There’s an hour left until everyone arrives, and you realize you forgot to get the apples for your grandma’s famous apple pie. 9% of people on Twitter with cooking fails can relate to you, as they admitted the same mess-up to their followers.
The first option you have is to improvise. What ingredients do you have in the kitchen that could make up for the apples? Can you make a spin on the recipe? Start a new tradition, and create your own famous pie to carry on in the family. Don’t forget to share your experience with the world on Twitter. It makes for an entertaining story!
If that doesn’t work, thankfully things like Postmates exist. Chances are there is probably someone out there in your area who isn’t celebrating Thanksgiving that could pick up the apples in time. In fact, delivery services are the most popular during holidays for picking up desserts and appetizers. So, once again, no worries, you’re not struggling alone if that happens. The idea of cooking for people you love during the holidays is stressful. A homemade meal is something that people appreciate, but the quality time that comes with the holiday season prevails. Asking for help here and it is totally normal. Next time just bring up the idea of a potluck Thanksgiving.
Getting Candid with Cooking
Cooking is a skill that takes practice. When anyone starts anything right off the bat, usually they aren’t that great at it. Just like piano practice, start off with things that are intermediate, and build off of that. Even your piano teacher might accidentally skip a note, just like you might forget an ingredient or two. Don’t let that discourage you, and take advantage of the resources you have.
Whether that’s going on YouTube for a tutorial, or going on Twitter to reassure yourself that you’re not the only one who has burned their rice.
