Men who 'Can't cook.

Why would he bother stocking up the fridge, as he is having others bringing him food...... ?

My husband could cook very well and bake fabulous cakes he always made the GCs Birthday Cakes when they where small.
I always cooked nice and easy meals during the week but always a traditional roast on Sunday,I have continued doing this since my lovely man died and always take a Roast Dinner through to my old neighbour next door he wouldn't bother to make one for himself and it makes me cook for myself,any veg left will be used for veg soup on Tuesday and shared between us so no waste.

I don’t think my father even made a cup of tea. But in those days husbands didn’t cook..
When my children were small I was laid up with back trouble and they never forgot my husbands attempt. Burnt sausages, lumpy mash and no gravy.. That was his only attempt ever.
My son is a good cook. When he was seven he made cakes for his school Christmas party.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

If he was hungry and not being waited on I do believe he might have a go at cooking - or opening a tin. In the sixth year before I left school (1957) we had a concentrated week of the 'domestic scene'. Cooking was the mainstay but it was blissfully basic e.g. boil, scramble, fry eggs; make a pot of tea; bake scones; prepare and cook vegetables. This either killed us or cured us but I remember it being very enlightening and helpful even although my Gran had already tutored me on soups and stews at home. The washing, ironing, knitting and sewing were the absolute pits for me but I am eternally grateful nonetheless.

I have two sons. One is a good cook and will try his hand at anything. The other, when he lived at home managed pizza, toast and microwave meals. Since he has married he has become head chef. He does all the cooking, his wife does the cleaning as she cannot cook. She even managed to undercook oven ready sausage rolls. At least I don't have to worry about them going hungry.

My DH is of the can't cook won't cook brigade. Simple. In my next life (if I have one) I would love a man who can cook. I don't find it easy 'cause I am self taught, but don't mind baking!

I suspect it's won't cook, not can't cook. If he can read then he can read a recipe. Two out of our 3 sons cook, the third is in awe of his wife's superior skills, ahem.

Not a necessary life skill now though is it Granny70 there are ready meals, takeaways, meals delivered to your door etc.

I think it is often a case of don't like cooking rather than can't. Anyone can make beans in toast. That, with some grated cheese and some ready made salad mix from supermarket is really a nutritional meal that anyone can prepare.

Both my sons can cook well. My husband has started to cook now he is retired and quite enjoys it. Home cooking when I do it and Masterchef when he does it!!
It is really nice not having to cook every night.
My father couldn’t even work out how to turn the cooker on and he wasn’t a stupid man. When my mum was in hospital, we had to label all the rings etc. He was absolutely lost.

Surely if mums don’t teach their sons to cook, wives should!

Full of their own entitlement? Why are they being disabled by too too willing hands. If they choose not to cook there are many hot food delivery services now. When I visit female friends who boast they do not cook, their food choices to any shared celebration are: stodge stodge and more stodge, unable to walk now without Zimmer frames, that speaks for itself.

My dad (born in 1916) was taught to cook by his mother. Granny was the eldest of a very large family so was generally lumbered with child care and cooking from an early age. She was determined that all her 4 boys could cook, clean, wash and iron before they left home.
The problem came later when my father married an Italian woman who was horrified that a man should invade her kitchen, let alone attempt to cook anything!
My husband is an excellent cook and so is my son. Better still, they appear to enjoy it. One of my grandsons is carrying on the tradition and is never happier than when he's helping dad in the kitchen.

It's not wives jobs to teach grown adults to cook. If that was asked

If you can read, you can cook. Nothing to do with skill like dressmaking or wood work. It should be compulsory in schools to show kids how easy it is. People say I’m a good cook, or that I like cooking. Truth is I like home cooked food, it’s worth the effort.

My X husband refused to cook anything,he was and still is a lazy git.
My newish Dh cooks very well but he doesn`t realy enjoy it.
I love it.

Surely if mums don't teach their sons to cook, their wives should
My DDIL would laugh at that!!
The kitchen is DS's domain. And I didn't really teach him, he taught himself. Just as I did.

If you can read, you can cook.
Absolutely, Tickledpink

You may need basic maths too!

My ex was great cook and loved presenting his food.
I’ve got 2 SILs, 1 is great cook and usually does our Christmas dinner, the other can’t and won’t learn if my dd is away he’ll live of sandwiches.

I taught my children to cook early ,they could both produce a decent sunday dinner or Christmas lunch by the time they were 12 ,and did .
My OH has never been interested in food,eats to live type.That suits me fine as I like my kitchen to myself .I evenlike cleaning and putting everything back in the place where I know I'll find it.Works well ,I supply the food OH eats it and appreciates it ,I get alone time in the kitchen which in this house is about the only place where peace exists

I had an overdose of cooking. With a husband working Continental shifts, 5 children + up to 3 foster children under school age I seemed to spend my life preparing meals and feeding babies.
Now I cook just for myself. My vegan son does his own shopping and cooking. I eat pretty healthily, but if it takes longer than 20 minutes to prepare I don’t want to know! I’m not that interested in food, tbh.

Forgot to mention that all my children can cook. My youngest son loves it, and puts me to shame

When I first met my DH he cooked for himself although it was a very limited repetoire indeed. However, since we married and both of us are now retired (he retired first, I worked f/t) he has ground to a halt. The only thing he will cook (and this is for himself, because he kept complaining I never got it quite right-so I told him he could do his own) is steak which he would eat every night if I bought enough! He has definitely learned helplessness. When I was dreadfully ill, only just escaped hospitalisation, and he HAD to set to.. He did himself beans on toast or bacon & egg or steak - I got tinned soup, with constant 'are you getting up yet'. During lock down he has got worse, asking 'what are you planning for tea' if I answer something he doesnt fancy I then get 'and what else is on offer? I kid you not, he started to expect a flipping menu to choose from. I got into baking (something I am pretty good at)and instead of saying something positive he started to critisize everything I produced - my Yorkshire Brack was 'too moist', my cherry cakes had 'too many cherries' the just baked rock cakes were plastered in butter before he would eat them, not enough blackberries in my apple & blackberry crumble (freshly picked from the nearby parkland and plentiful), Ive had 'lacking in taste' 'not enough cherries' etc etc until his most recent comment was the final straw and I burst into tears & told him how very dare he his attitude was mean, selfish and out of order. In future he could eat it or do the other. He did some weeding and obviously had a think, came back in an apologised for upsetting me (apparently I had just taken it the wrong way because there really hadnt been enough blackberries-what?) My dad never critised mums baking or mine for that matter. Do modern men think masterchef judges???

I get very cross with these “can’t/won’t cook men. There are plenty of simple & delicious recipes around.
If they can read or ask they can cook.

Well, I think we all feel very sorry for your DH, Madmaggie. Poor man!
It must be awful being stuck with someone whose Yorkshire Brack is too moist, whose rock cakes are too dry, who has the cheek to put too many cherries in the cherry cake but doesn't put enough blackberries in the crumble. What on earth ARE you doing? .....he sounds like one of The Three Bears !

Who wouldn't feel pretty damned upset with that sort of unwelcome and ridiculous criticism. And as for Masterchef judges....wasn't the one judge(not the Australian) who lost all the weight recently, a greengrocer? How does that make him a Chef, let alone a judge of fine food?

The only answer - apart from 'do it yourself and I'll just sit and wait for meals' , kind of thing, is for you to suggest, seriously, that you now cook together. He'll then be able to say exactly how he likes his food and will be able to participate in the preparation. This is going to save him loads of disappointment !!!! See if he goes for that?

I suspect you know exactly what you're doing in the kitchen and he's just whingeing for no good reason. So, stop doing it until you can come up with a plan that suits you. It's not a battleground and if all else fails, he can go online and order meals to suit, whilst you pour yourself a nice cold glass of something and put those feet up.