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This article uses data from the 1993 Health and Lifestyles Survey of England to present findings on how, why and when people use cooking skills; where and from whom people learn these skills. The implications for policy are explored. The survey data suggests that socio‐economic status and education are associated with the sources of people’s knowledge about cooking. The first or prime source of learning about cooking skills was reported to be mothers; cooking classes in school were cited as the next most important by the majority of correspondents, with some class and educational variations. The importance of mothers as sources of information on cooking skills is observed in all social classes. What emerges is a population unsure of specific cooking techniques and lacking in confidence to apply techniques and cook certain foods. Women still bear the burden of cooking for the household, with four out of every five women respondents cooking on most or every day, compared with one in five men. This may be related to the large number of men who claim to have no cooking skills (one in five).

The purpose of this paper is to describe the results of the construct validity by the known-groups method of a Brazilian cooking skills and healthy-eating questionnaire.

Responses obtained from university students (n=767) for Brazilian-Portuguese cooking skills and health eating questionnaire, surveyed online, were submitted to construct validity comparing two known groups. The t-test was used to compare differences between gender (male and female) and the level of cooking knowledge (high or low) in each measure of the questionnaire. Internal consistency was evaluated by obtaining the Cronbach’s coefficient.

Women showed significantly higher means than men in all scale measures, except in the self-efficacy for using basic cooking techniques (SECT), where no differences were found. Students classified as having high cooking knowledge and had higher score means in all scales compared to the students with low levels. Internal consistency was adequate for all scales (a>0.70), except for cooking attitude (CA) (a=0.33) and cooking behavior (CB) scales (a=0.59).

SECT likely depends on cooking knowledge, independent of gender, suggesting further examination. Items and structure of CA and CB constructs also need to be examined more deeply.

A validated cooking skills and health-eating questionnaire demonstrated its ability to detect differences between groups, useful to provide data for further interventions.

No available cooking skills questionnaires were found that have been validated by the known-groups method regarding differences between gender and individuals’ level of cooking knowledge, as conducted in this study.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the retention rate of vitamin C and carotenoids in vegetables submitted to heat treatment.

Samples of carrot and broccoli were submitted to conventional cooking, steaming, microwaving and autoclave. Ascorbic acid concentrations were determined according to the methodology of Zhang and Hamauzu. The extraction of carotenoids was done using the methodology of Niizu and Rodriguez‐Amaya. The formula of Murphy et al. was used to calculate the retention rate of vitamins.

The highest retention percentage of ascorbic acid, α‐carotene, β‐carotene and lutein in carrots was obtained using microwave cooking. In the case of broccoli, the best retention for α‐ and β‐carotene was by steam cooking, whereas ascorbic acid was best preserved in the autoclave and lutein by conventional cooking.

Ascorbic acid and carotenoids are compounds present in vegetables relevant mostly from a therapeutical point of view, as they appear to be associated with the prevention of many diseases. However, these vitamins are lost during the cooking process, which is of great importance in developing countries where deficits of these nutrientes are quite common in the population.

The results obtained in this study indicate that the cooking technique of choice is of fundamental importance not only at home but also for the food industry, considering the increasing consumption of processed foods.

Self-efficacy in cooking and consuming fruits and vegetables is one of the dimensions that compose cooking skills. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the self-efficacy of Brazilian university students in cooking and consuming fruits and vegetables and examine the relationship of self-efficacy with sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics.

Data were collected through an online questionnaire, which was culturally adapted and validated for the studied population. Questions about self-efficacy for using basic cooking techniques (SECT), self-efficacy for using fruits, vegetables, and seasonings (SEFVS) and produce consumption self-efficacy (SEPC) were rated on a five-point Likert scale. Differences in median self-efficacy score between groups were compared using the Mann–Whitney U test or the Kruskal–Wallis test followed by the Mann–Whitney U test.

766 subjects participated in the study. The mean age was 21 ± 5.6 years, most respondents were female (60%), reported to know how to cook (72%), and lived with parents and/or grandparents (45%). The median SECT and SEFVS scores were 3.55, and the median SEPC score was 3.33. Female students, individuals aged more than 25 years, and students who did not live with their parents or grandparents had higher (p < 0.005) self-efficacy scores. Low SECT, SEFVS and SEPC scores were associated with having less than one hour a day to cook (p = 0.023, 0.01, and 0.002, respectively) and not knowing how to cook (p < 0.001). There was no relationship of median self-efficacy scores with source of knowledge about cooking skills or parental education.

The results of this study can guide interventions and public policies aimed at health promotion in the university setting.

This study examines liberal second-wave feminists’ writings about cooking. Most scholarship of liberal feminism has focused on the attempts to integrate women into previously male-dominated public spaces such as higher education, the professions, and political office. Less attention has been paid to how these feminists politicized feminized spaces such as the home. A longstanding tension between the housewife role and feminist identities has led many to theorize that feminists avoid or resent domestic tasks. However, I argue that some liberal feminists in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s suggested engaging with cooking in subversive ways that challenged patriarchal institutions and supported their political goals.

I analyze 148 articles about cooking in Ms. magazine between 1972 and 1985. I also analyze the copy and recipes within four community cookbooks published by liberal feminist organizations.

I find that liberal feminists suggested utilizing time- and labor-saving cooking methods, encouraged men to cook, and proposed that women make money from cooking. These three techniques challenged the traditional division of domestic labor, supported women’s involvement in the paid workplace, and increased women’s control of economic resources.

This study turns the opposition between feminism and feminized tasks on its head, showing that rather than avoiding cooking, some liberal feminists proposed ways of cooking that challenged patriarchal institutions. I show how subordinate populations can develop ways of subversively engaging with tasks that are typically seen as oppressive, using them in an attempt to advance their social position.

The changing demands of consumers, advances in technology and the pressures of the economic climate have led to many changes in catering over the last two decades. Among other systems introduced to rationalise large‐scale catering are cook‐freeze and cook‐chill, with the latter becoming increasingly popular due to its advantages in energy saving and food (textural) quality over cook‐freeze. However, the microbiological risks of cook‐chill have always been acknowledged as being higher than those inherent in cook‐freeze and, in a recent survey of operations in the UK, cook‐chill food was regarded only as poor to good by consumers – few “high‐class” caterers were found to be using the system. New systems which utilise vacuum packaging either before or after cooking in combination with the chilling techniques of cook‐chill are becoming more popular and appear to give higher quality food. Sous‐vide cuisine is one of these. In combination with cook‐chill (sous‐vide/cook‐chill), this method is claimed to give rise to a host of benefits yet very little laboratory research work has been published on sous‐vide/cook‐chill. The few research publications on the sous‐vide/cook‐chill method in the context of food safety and the use of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and quality assurance techniques like Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) are discussed. It is argued that sous‐vide/cook‐chill, like standard cook‐chill itself, should be regarded more as food manufacturing methods than catering methods.

The purpose of this paper is to identify technological challenges and innovative solutions in each of the food production philosophies in the food service sector, namely: industrial cuisine, fast food and fresh food.

The paper reviews industry reports on cooking equipment and preparation techniques. Conceptual links are made with possible future developments as well as operational/strategic advantages they represent.

Innovation in food preparation commands multi‐disciplinary approaches stemming from engineering and food science. Industrial cuisine would benefit from automation, units with intensive heating, robust food product design and shelf‐life extension; fast food from reduced oil absorption by food, better cooking oils, automation and short frying time; and fresh food from rapid cooking, visually appealing serving units and analytical instrumentation for testing raw produce. Future innovations may originate in the field of robotics, food engineering and laboratory equipment design including miniaturisation and portability of units. Sophistication in product development can be achieved through application of the principles of molecular gastronomy in combination with computer modelling.

Managers can conceptualise their operations in terms of the philosophies presented in the paper. Technological innovation is critical to sustain competitiveness (cost leadership and differentiation). The list of underpinning disciplines in food production can be used by educators wishing to enhance their programs with fundamentals supporting innovation.

Food preparation philosophies are presented in the light of impacts on food sensory and microbiological quality, nutritional value and operational efficiencies. The possibilities for future innovation stemming from developments in other technologically advanced fields are identified.

Recent interest in food production systems which provide dishes for consumption at a later time, coupled with the heightened concern over food safety, have led many institutions to become involved in the study of the sous‐vide cooking method. Research studies on the sous‐vide system over the last five years, together with the experience of commercial catering establishments using the system are reported. The constraints and implications of producing food dishes by this method are highlighted drawing attention not only to the positive attributes, but also to the limitations of the system if it is wrongly understood or misused.

The purpose of this paper is to examine food preparation practices of US older adults by assessing their conceptualization of food preparation methods and their routine use of food preparation methods and kitchen equipment.

In total, 17 community-dwelling older adults used cards with names of food preparation methods and cooking equipment items to do one open sort and three closed sorts about: food preparation method classifications; food preparation method use frequency; kitchen equipment use frequency; and essential vs non-essential kitchen equipment. Descriptive statistics, cluster analysis, and qualitative thematic analysis were performed.

Participants classified food preparation methods using multiple dimensions: ways to alter food, inputs, location, timing, and personal behavior. They used a wide range of food preparation methods and kitchen equipment items in routine cooking. The mean number of the 38 preparation methods sorted as used “often” was 16.5±5.0. In total, 15 of the 17 participants reported using more than 20 of the 40 equipment items “often.” The mean number of equipment items identified as “essential” was 21.5±9.3.

Food professionals should consider access to equipment and food preparation skills and preferences when designing products and working with consumers. Addressing gaps in human and material capital may support adoption of food preparation practices.

Food preparation method and equipment use frequency has rarely been examined from the household cook’s perspective. Using card sorts is a novel approach to examining consumer classification of an extensive list of preparation methods and kitchen equipment.

This paper aims to study K Bistro and its future in Marion, Indiana. K Bistro is a new restaurant that opened in the spring of 2012. The owner, Chef David Kay, has extensive culinary experience. Originally from Marion, Indiana, he has served as head chef for Marriott and Hilton hotels across the country.

Chef Kay recognized that there was a need for an upscale eatery in his hometown, and his passion for combining French cooking techniques with traditional Midwest cuisine has allowed him to introduce a new style of food to the area.

While Marion has several fast food restaurants, it is typical for families to drive to neighboring cities when they want a nice meal to celebrate a special occasion. Chef Kay hopes to change this trend by offering a more convenient option to the Marion community.

This is an original case study.