Does anyone here know how to cook?

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I had to learn how to cook, because I am a very picky eater and my family didn't know what to make for me. At first I hated cooking (I was nauseated by raw meat, so I had to buy it pre-cooked until my grandma made me stop), but then I started to like it, and for a while it was basically an obsession of mine -- I even took a job as a baker, which was a bad idea, because holy crap is that a hard job. I can't eat anything squishy/rubbery (pasta, cartilage, and fat chunks all make me gag and dry heave the second I notice them); won't eat fish except for canned tuna; I hate bones, which also make me gag and dry heave the second I notice them, which is immediately (so I've never eaten chicken wings or ribs, and when I went to Medieval Times, my husband had to cut up my chicken for me like a child because it was full of bones); I hate any dessert with fruit in it, because I only like fruit on its own; and I hate bitter things like coffee, tea, wine, and beer. There are way more things on that list, but I have a bad memory and can't think of them now. Oh, I need my food well-cooked, so I don't like steak (dry food is about as gross as squishy food).

I cook with a lot of ground beef because the soft texture (not squishy!) is nice, plus it's so easy and quick to make. Also chicken breast (dark meat is iffy for me since it can be a little squishy). I love foods from around the world and tend to cook those. Mexican (I make amazing burritos and they are SO EASY), Indian, and general Middle Eastern foods are my favourites. I like to bake, too. I make super sweet, childish desserts because that's what I like (chocolate chip cookies with sprinkles), and also a lot of bread. I'm Portuguese, and we love our bread. My grandma taught me to make this particular loaf with chunks of Portuguese sausage in it (like a superior chorizo) that she's been making since she was two. Mmmmm, so good.

I learned to cook by starting off religiously following recipes I found online, including whipping out the teaspoons to measure spices. Now I just throw things into a pan and meals magically appear. Cooking is also easier if you can make huge batches at once and eat the leftovers for days. I like to eat the same thing a few days in a row, so I always do this.

Starting to make stuff from scratch--made coconut macaroons and blue cheese dressing.

yes, provided they're local dishes....

Yeah, it's actually one of the more social things I do, I'm a great cook provided enough people to eat everything. I still cook on my own but then I'll usually make something more peasant-derived than gourmet. Two friends of mine are chefs and we frequently debate best practices and challenge one another on recipes. It's not a profession for me but I learned quickly how to appreciate culinary arts.

Used to be a picky eater but the only two things I've found 100% disagreeable are bananas (keep them away) and yak. I wonder how many other aspies ever took a bite of yak...

Anyways I strongly prefer octopus to yak, as far as strange creatures are concerned, the aquatic ones are way tastier.

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