When it comes to learning how to cook, you have to start somewhere. Most of us will have learned the basics first before moving on to simple recipes like pasta with a quick and easy tomato-based sauce. But no matter how you learnt to cook, one thing's for certain - you didn't make Michelin-star meals from day one.
One university student, though, has found themselves being constantly roasted by their flatmates for their cooking skills as they hadn't spent much time in the kitchen before heading off to live without their parents. And while they can cook some meals, they get told they "lack originality" if they dare to cook the same thing twice, while simultaneously being told their meals look "terrible".
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The student said they have no interest in making "fancy meals" as they just use food for fuel, but they're sick of their flatmates pretending to be "the next Gordon Ramsay".
In a post on Reddit, they said: "Growing up, I never spent that much time cooking. My parents were always pretty busy so a lot of nights we had very basic meals, microwave meals or just sandwiches.
"So when I moved to Uni I didn’t have high hopes for my cooking. I know I'm not particularly good at cooking. I stick to mostly basic dishes which don't involve anything too complicated.
"I don’t care about food that much, as in I like it but I've never had a big obsession with making fancy dishes. It doesn't bother me that I can't make anything too complicated. However, I seem to be living in a flat of people who think they're the next Gordon Ramsay. I have absolutely no problem with people taking time to cook and make something they'll enjoy. But it's when they comment on my food that is the problem.
"Whenever I make the same dish twice in one week they'll make a comment about my lack of originality. I've had comments that my food looks disgusting or that they wouldn't eat it."
Following their flatmate's comments, the person tried to make "something new" but was still told their food looked "terrible", to which they eventually snapped and told their flatmates that they were not the ones eating it.
They added: "A couple of days ago I decided to try cooking something new. While I was attempting to make it in the kitchen, one of my flatmates comes over to tell me how terrible it looks and then invites everyone else over to look at it as well.
"I snap and say 'why do you care what it looks like, you’re not the one eating it', but she ignores my comment and says 'we can teach you how to cook if you want?'
"I tell her I'm not interested and I'd appreciate it if people could stop making comments on my food. She says that I'm overreacting and being rude when she offered to help me."
Commenters on the post were largely on the person's side, with many saying their flatmates need to "mind their own business" when it comes to mealtimes - especially when they all cook for themselves instead of cooking a meal to share.
One person said: "They need to mind their own business and stop being condescending. They sound exhausting. Everyone starts somewhere, my cooking is also awful but I'd hate to have someone standing making comments on it."
While another added: "This isn't about them wanting to teach you and help you. They're criticising your food, your choices, and abilities. People who want to help people build people up, not tear them down."
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