How many dishes can you cook without a recipe?
The Government wants children to be able to cook 20 dishes by the time they're 14. We want to know how many you think you can manage without resorting to a cookbook.
A new report has recommended that cookery lessons be made compulsory for all children between the ages of seven and 14. At the end of those seven years, it suggests children should be able to make a minimum of 20 savoury, healthy recipes.
The report was put together by Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent of the Leon restaurant chain for the Government as part of its review of the National Curriculum.
Ministers have included the proposal as part of the design and technology element of the revamped National Curriculum due to be introduced in September 2014. The draft curriculum (the cookery bit starts at page 155) is currently out for consultation.
The call for cookery lessons arguably couldn’t have come at a better time, following the ongoing horse meat scandal surrounding some ready meals. And it's great that it will be such an integral part of children's education over a reasonably lengthy period of time, giving them a real grounding in using different ingredients to make meals.
What can you cook?
It also got us thinking – how many tasty, healthy dishes can we made off the top of our heads?
I'm pretty sure I can manage the following 20: Spaghetti Bolognese, moules marinere, shepherd’s pie, cottage pie, Greek salad, chilli con carne, fish goujons, porridge (no sugar or salt), vegetable pasta bake, pasta Carbonara, meatballs, chicken/beef fajitas, cheese omelette, bangers and mash, lamb koftas, vegetarian stir fry, pork schnitzel, chicken parmigiana, chicken korma and our own pasta with rich meat sauce.
Before you rush to bemoan my limited culinary range, I have to say in recent years I've focused on puddings and baking. But writing this has made me realise it's time I expanded my repertoire.
Now we want to know how many dishes you can make without resorting to a cookbook. Let us know in the Comments box below.
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