On Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:48:59 -0800 (PST), Sheldon wrote:

> SteveB wrote:
>>
>> How would you define a cook?
>>
>> I think it is someone who prepares food who:
>>
>> will try new things.
>> will accept failure.
>> is adventurous.
>> is flexible.
>> is creative.
>
> Those are personality traits that haven't a whit to do with cooking
> ability per se... those apply equally to any endeaver.
>
> Any pinhead can follow a recipe step by step, but that's not cooking,
> that's mimicry.
>
> To be considered a cook one must be born with the innate culinary
> talent the same as one is born with the innate musical talent to be a
> concert pianist... no number of lessons over any period of time will
> help either one iota were they not born with the innate ability.
>
> Cooking ability is not something one can learn... in fact most of the
> world's great cooks are totally illiterate, and in fact any attempt to
> make them literate enough to read recipes can only interfere with and
> subtract from their culinary talents.

what horseshit. no one is born with the ability to do anything besides
suck a teat. talent might be necessary, but you still have to learn
something to develop it.

blake