What Kind of Cook Are You?

By: Ian Fortey
Estimated Completion Time
5 min
What Kind of Cook Are You?
Image: Klaus Vedfelt / DigitalVision / Getty Images

About This Quiz

Some of us eat to live, and others live to eat. There's just something about preparing food that, if you develop a flair for it, really adds a whole new level of fulfillment to consuming it, whether it's eating it yourself or watching others enjoy what you created. It's hard not to feel good when you see someone eating a meal you've prepared and put hard work into. Of course, it's even better when people show appreciation for it and, all things being equal, better still if you managed to do it without stressing yourself out and taking all day to get it done. And that is very much dependent on your cooking style.

Maybe your cooking prowess could shame Gordon Ramsay, or perhaps your specialty is Ramen noodles and toast. As long as you're making food, you are a cook, though, and it never hurts to keep your skills sharp through practice. So what kind of cook are you? Do you express love through the food you cook? Are you a chef-in-training, or are you just getting by? Grab some mitts and see if this quiz is ready to come out of the oven

Basil on Pizza
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If you're making something Italian for dinner, which of these seasonings are you most likely to be using?
Oregano
Fresh sweet basil
Hot peppers
Salt

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Family dinner
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For how many people are you usually cooking?
The entire family
Sometimes just a few, sometimes many
Whoever wants to try it!
Usually just me

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Cooking school
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Do you have any formal culinary training?
Define "formal."
I sure do!
I watch a lot of YouTube videos.
Not even close

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Mom and daughter cooking
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Did you cook with your parents when you were young?
All the time
Sometimes, yes
I tried!
Not really

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Dinner party
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Have you ever hosted a dinner party?
I've had things like potlucks.
Many times
I'd love to but not yet.
No

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Thai breakfast
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What style of cuisine do you most enjoy making?
Comfort food
Fusion
Just whatever inspires me at the moment
Whatever I can microwave

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Cooking Soup
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When you're cooking, do you think your stress levels go up or down?
It can go either way, depending on the day. It's usually down, though, I think.
Neither one, really
Down for sure!
Waaaaay up

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Ruined dinner
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Have you ever completely ruined dinner?
I sure hope not
Of course not
I've made some missteps once or twice.
Yeah, you could say that.

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Family meal
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If we asked your friends or family what your specialty was, would they have a quick answer?
I think so!
Probably several answers
I bet you'd get some interesting answers to that question.
Not really, no

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Couple making soup
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When was the last time you made homemade soup?
I usually make some on really cold winter days.
I'll make a stock every now and then and turn it into something nice.
It has been a while, but I've tried it before.
Never

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Man cooking
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How would you describe your palate?
I think it's good.
Refined
Eclectic
Satisfactory

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Doing dishes
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What would you say is your least favorite part of cooking?
Doing the dishes
Losing inspiration
Not having enough time or ingredients to play with
All the time and effort it takes

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Lemon on salmon
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When you're cooking, do you think about adding something acidic to balance the sweetness of your creations?
Sometimes
Of course
I'll add all kinds of stuff to see how it works out.
Not really

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Baking
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Can you bake?
Very well!
That's a whole different skill set.
I've made a few fun things.
I can bake a cake mix!

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Family cooking
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During the holidays, are you making a big meal for the entire family?
Always
People often ask me to do that.
I'd like to have some help.
Not by a longshot

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Spices
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Would you be comfortable using cumin, ginger and turmeric together in a dish?
They're not my go-to spices, but I could probably make something tasty with them.
That would be no problem at all.
I have no idea what I'd make, but I'd love to try.
I'm not even sure what all of those taste like.

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Watch tv
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Who do you think is the best chef on the Food Network?
Guy Fieri
Giada De Laurentis
Alton Brown
I don't watch the Food Network

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Friends BBQ
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Does it make you happy to watch someone eat a meal you've cooked?
I love it!
I guess it's nice, sure.
It's more about the making of the food for me.
It's just food; I don't think happiness factors in.

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Couple cooking
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Do you need to be in control of everything in the kitchen?
Well, I'd like to have some degree of control.
Yes! It's MY kitchen!
No, I'm happy to work with anyone.
Not really

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Spicy food
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Can you tell us your thoughts on spicy food?
I don't like a ton of heat.
A little heat can really elevate a dish.
It's fun to use some spice now and then.
No spicy food for me!

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Pressure Cooker
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Do you ever use a pressure cooker?
Slow cooker, yes. Pressure cooker, not so much.
It's the best way to tenderize certain kinds of meat
Yes! They're great for all kinds of things.
I never have

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Sage leaves
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What would you do with sage?
Stuffing for a turkey
Squash and sage pierogi
Bread, maybe?
Not a clue

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Smell cooking
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Do you lean towards more sweet or savory dishes in your cooking?
I like a good mix.
I prefer to focus on building flavors with umami.
Whatever works out is good with me.
It doesn't matter to me.

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Trying cooking
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How creative are you?
I'm not super creative, but I do OK.
I get really inspired now and then.
Extremely!
Not very

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Frittata
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What would you cook for breakfast tomorrow if you had access to any ingredients you wanted?
Bacon, eggs and home fries
Maybe a souffle with some prosciutto
Ooh, blackberry mint scones and a grated potato omelet
Coffee

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Friends cooking
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How many meals do you cook in a week?
Three per day, seven days a week
As many as I need to
It's all over the map.
Full meals? Maybe five or so

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Homemade Bolognese
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Do you think food is a good way to express your feelings?
It's how I show people that I love them.
It can be a way to do that.
I don't always think of it that way, but, yes, I think it does express feelings.
How would that work?

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Making tortellini
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Have you ever felt totally burnt out on the idea of cooking?
I get a little frazzled but never burnt out.
Not yet, thankfully
Not at all!
Oh, yeah

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Woman cooking
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Is cooking fun?
When everything is going right, cooking can be fun.
I find cooking more fulfilling than fun.
It's one of my favorite things to do!
Cooking is a necessity, not fun.

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Italian food
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Which international cuisine is the most appealing to you?
Italian
Thai
I couldn't pick just one.
Mexican

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