Cooking (The Sims 3)

Cooking returns as a skill in The Sims 3. The skill is augmented by the Natural Cook trait and the Born to Cook lifetime reward. Perfectionist Sims take longer to cook for better results. Vegetarian Sims learn vegetarian versions of meat dishes. Eco-Friendly Sims serve organic dishes. The cooking skill is also an excellent skill for making legendary parties because high quality food makes guests happy.

When a Sim is cooking a recipe with a random ingredient, such as pancakes, he/she uses the first ingredient available in his/her inventory. If there's no eligible ingredient, he/she uses the first ingredient in the fridge.

Statistics

 * Favorite Meal
 * Meal Most Prepared
 * Highest Quality Meal
 * Recipes Prepared
 * Recipes Known

Challenges

 * Star Chef
 * Star Chefs have prepared at least 50 meals, so they clearly know their way around the kitchen. The dishes they prepare are more pleasing to those that eat them.


 * World-Class Chef
 * World-Class Chefs have prepared at least 75 dishes and are masters of the kitchen. World-Class chefs are known to prepare meals significantly faster.


 * Menu Maven
 * Menu Mavens have learned to prepare all recipes. Recipes are earned by improving the cooking skill and can be purchased at the bookstore. Menu Mavens prepare higher quality food.

Abilities
Better meals give progressively better and longer lasting positive moodlets. The moodlets vary depending on the quality of the meal. The higher the quality, the better the moodlet. Certain foods have special abitlites such as ambrosia resetting a Sim's life stage or a lesser effect such as "Warm Fuzzies" from angel food cake. Having flame fruit in inventory also gives a Sim the "Cozy Fire" moodlet.

Once a Sim reaches level 10 of cooking skill, he or she can cook lobster thermidor, which can possibly give a Sim the "Divine Meal" moodlet if cooked with perfect ingredients and if it is the Sim's favorite food. To be able to cook all meals perfectly, the Sim should accomplish the "Menu Maven" challenge, get an upgraded stove or MinusOne Kelvin Fridge, and/or achieve "Star Chef" status.

It is possible to cook food perfectly without having the aforementioned traits, simply by repeatedly cooking the same meal. Though it is tedious, the more a dish is cooked, the better the base will become. It can eventually be raised to perfect, without the need for expensive cooking appliances.

Recipes
Dishes that have a recipe source can be learned in a number of ways.
 * Purchasing and reading recipes from the bookstore. See list of cooking books. Recipes for foods from World Adventures can be purchased from the bookstores in Al Simhara, Champs Les Sims and Shang Simla.
 * Using the 'Trade Cooking Secrets' social interaction. Target Sim must have cooking skill, active Sim must have unknown recipes. In case the target Sim does not have the cooking skill, the active Sim can increase their Logic Skill to 10, and then "Tutor Sims for Skill".
 * Watching "Cookin' Cable" TV channel.

Sims can prepare gourmet pet food once they've reached level 1 of Cooking skill. These recipes count as the number of recipes known, despite being food for pets.

If the household has a toy oven, children can bake pastries. They can make muffins (level 1), pie (level 2) and cake (level 3). With Ambitions, they can make blueberry muffins, vanilla muffins, chocolate cookies, sugar cookies, chocolate brownies, caramel brownies, vanilla cupcakes and pie.

Opportunities

 * Cooking Contest
 * Prepare and submit a meal to the restaurant. Better food means better chances to win first prize. Limited Time. Cash Reward.


 * Prepare Meal
 * Prepare a 'perfect' meal for a neighbor. This is only accomplished when the Sim has made a meal with Perfect Quality.


 * Fresh Cookies for Sale!
 * Bake two group servings of Cookies for a class.::Prepare hot dogs and give it to a Sim neighbor. Cash Reward::Prepare a very nice group meal. Time limited. Cash Reward
 * Prepare a group serving of Tri-Tip Steaks and give it to a Sim neighbor.::Bring [Sim] a great group meal. Time limited. Cash Reward
 * Prepare hot dogs and give it to a Sim neighbor. Cash Reward::Prepare a very nice group meal. Time limited. Cash Reward


 * Very Nice!
 * Bake two group servings of Cookies for a class.::Prepare hot dogs and give it to a Sim neighbor. Cash Reward::Prepare a very nice group meal. Time limited. Cash Reward