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Comment by ivanbakel | Hacker News Reader

Would be interested to see how the results on take-out stack up for people who self-report as enjoying cooking. Maybe there's a greater-than-average overlap between the wealthy and people who don't get taught how to cook, and might therefore not enjoy it as much.

The better question is: is cooking just not as enjoyable as I think it is, or do the times when I don't feel like cooking offset the enjoyment from the times I do? Is there some maximal happiness from part-cooking/part-takeout?

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Cooking because I want to and cooking because I have to are two very different things. I like cooking. But there are many many days where I prefer to be spending my evenings other ways.

If you enjoy cooking, being constrained by time can somewhat frustrating (not just because of the actual process, the supply of fresh ingredients too). Cooking when tired and hungry is also less fun. So I can completely see how getting takeout makes sense on occasion, particularly during the week.

I personally am the opposite, though I can believe that's pretty idiosyncratic. I have no interest at all in fancy cooking of the kind that requires many ingredients and 20-step recipes (not even on weekends when I have spare time). But I really like cooking something quick and simple on a daily basis. If I'm really short on time/energy/ingredients, even just a lentil soup (prep time: 5 mins, unattended cooking time: 25 mins) is enjoyable to make and tasty. I have a half-dozen go-to "too lazy to really cook" dishes that take little time and effort and use mainly long-lasting ingredients I always have around, and I like the interlude of putting something together with my hands. I also like the food more, because I've pretty much customized it to what I like to eat.

Sounds interesting! Could you share some of your recipes / dishes? Maybe books you recommend?

Mostly trial-and-error, don't think I've used any books, though I'm sure I've gotten ideas from online recipes. My staples are either "some kind of soup" or "some kind of stir-fry on rice". Mostly vegetarian, not really strictly, but meat goes bad quickly so I tend not to have it. These two styles of cooking are also nice because the ingredient list is flexible. Almost any combination "works", it's just a matter of figuring out which combinations you like. The stir-fry-on-rice is only convenient if you have a rice cooker, though. Making rice on the stove without burning it is a hassle. Soups are mostly unattended cooking once you figure out what stove setting is "simmer" for the size of pot you're using (i.e. doesn't cool off so much it stops bubbling entirely, but also doesn't boil over). Depends or your taste, but for me even quite simple soups can be nice, e.g. boil some water and add lentils, potatoes, onions, salt, and some kind of spices (peppercorns, bay leaf, garlic, maybe a hot pepper). I usually serve with a drizzle of olive oil & vinegar and a side of nice bakery bread (I draw the line at baking!). Easiest way to make the same recipe non-vegetarian is probably to add in some chopped sausage or ham. Soup also works well with making extra amounts to refrigerate for leftovers, because unlike many foods it actually gets better on the 2nd day (ingredients' flavors mix more).

I also have a quick-and-dirty burrito I like to make: dice onions and optionally hot peppers, tomatoes, etc., sautee for a few minutes, add a can of canned beans and mix for a few more minutes, put into a tortilla with sour cream, done. It's not carnitas from a good taqueria, but I live in the UK, so the bar for outdoing a takeaway burrito is not that high. ;-)

A nice side dish, or a main dish for some people, are "greens" of various kinds (turnip, collard, dandelion, etc., can also use kale). Just put in a pot with a small amount of water, put on the lid, and steam until they're soft (shouldn't take more than 15 mins). Add olive oil, vinegar, and salt. Can make it into a more hearty main dish by adding in some chopped ham or bacon (with bacon, add it first and cook a few minutes to make sure it's fully cooked).

There's also "all-day breakfast", if you want to follow the current restaurant trend. ;-) Frying up eggs & bacon & toast takes almost no time at all!

Thanks for sharing

I think most cookbooks make cooking extra complicated so that people feel like they're getting value from a recipe.

I've found a few simple cookbooks with small ingredient lists (4 - 10 things) and very simple instructions. Initially it felt like a rip off, but you know what? Everything was super tasty.

My best cookbook continues to be the 1950's Betty Crocker because of its no-bullshit style and variety of recipes and buying advice.

I recommend Mark Bitman's "how to cook anything". He pares his recipes down to the minimum ingredients.

Well, they do say:

paying others to do tasks one dreads could lead to more happiness

So if you don't dread cooking, it would seem it doesn't apply.

Yes, I regard cooking/baking as "non boring stuff".

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