Cooking

Cooking is one of the skill points to be gained in both The Sims and The Sims 2.

A higher Cooking skill prevents a Sim from accidentally causing a fire while cooking. The lower the Sim's Cooking skill, the higher the chance a fire will start. Some careers require Cooking skills, most notably the Culinary career.

To increase your Sim's Cooking skills, have him or her sit down and read a few cookbooks. In The Sims 2, cooking food also increases the skill, but it's best to have a few skill points before actually attempting to cook, lest you want a fire to break out.

The Cooking skill determines how satisfying a meal is when a Sim has made it. The better your Sim's Cooking skill, the faster the Hunger bar will be filled.

The Sims: Makin' Magic
In The Sims: Makin' Magic, Cooking is vastly improved, with Sims able to collect ingredients and make their own meals. Several new appliances included in the expansion pack can increase a Sim's Cooking skill, such as the Old-Fashioned Butter Churn and the Wax 'n' Honey Maker.

In Makin' Magic, the Cooking skill also determines how many charges a magical Sim will get when making a spell.

The Sims 2
Cooking skill can be gained from the bookshelf, by preparing a meal, the Culinary career reward object, the chocolate maker or by watching the cooking channel (Yummy Channel) on television.

While Cooking skill does not actually determine amount of satisfaction of the same food, a higher cooking skill means the Sim can cook other things, with a higher satisfaction, and less of a chance of fire or burning.

Foods by Cooking Level
* Sims with the Grilled Cheese aspiration or Secondary Aspiration can make Grilled Cheese at all times, with any Cooking skill.