Cooking

Cooking is one of the skills to be gained in The Sims, The Sims 2 and The Sims 3.

A higher Cooking skill reduces the chances of a Sim accidentally causing a fire while cooking. In The Sims 2 and The Sims 3, Sims will learn to make different meals as their Cooking skill increases, and the chance that they will burn a meal will go down. Some careers require Cooking skills, most notably the Culinary career.

To increase your Sim's Cooking skills, you may need to buy a bookcase and let your Sim read a Cooking book. In The Sims 2, preparing food, even cold food such as cereal or sandwiches, also increases the skill. Even so, it's still recommended to have a few skill points before attempting to cook on a stove, as one constant in the Sims games is that an unskilled cook using a stove is liable to start a fire.

In The Sims and The Sims 3, 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. Cooking with fresh food improves the quality of the meal in The Sims 2 and The Sims 3.

The Sims: Makin' Magic
In The Sims: Makin' Magic, Cooking is vastly improved, with Sims able to collect ingredients and bake bread, pie, or cake. 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. There is also a cookbook with recipes for baked goods and nectars, as using incorrect ingredients will produce a burned mess or undrinkable liquid, regardless of the maker's cooking skill.

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, by using the Culinary career reward object, which is 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 chance of fire or burning. In addition, high-level Sims will occasionally giggle and mock the program when watching the Yummy Channel on television.

Food by Cooking level
Open for Business allows Sims to Make any meal they have the skill to prepare at any time of day.

The Sims 3
Cooking returns as a skill in The Sims 3.

The skill is augmented by the Natural Cook trait. Perfectionist Sims take longer to cook for better result. Vegetarian Sims learn vegetarian versions of meat dishes.

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.
 * Note: 28 recipes total, ca. 3.5% per recipe

Abilities
Better meals give progressively better and longer lasting positive moodlets.

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.
 * 'Trade Cooking Secrets' social interaction. Target Sim must have cooking skill, active Sim must have unknown recipes.


 * Watching 'Cookin' Cable' TV channel.

Opportunities

 * Cooking Contest
 * Your Sim is invited to submit a dish to a cooking competition.


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


 * Fresh Cookies for Sale!
 * Bake two group servings of Cookies for a class.


 * One, Two, Tri-Tip Steaks
 * Prepare a group serving of Tri-Tip Steaks and give it to a Sim neighbor.


 * Hot Dogs, Please
 * Prepare hot dogs and give it to a Sim neighbor. Cash Reward


 * The Greatest Food Ever
 * Bring [Sim] a great group meal. Time limited. Cash Reward


 * Very Nice!
 * Prepare a very nice group meal.


 * Borrowing Ingredients
 * Bring ingredients to [Sim]. Improve skill and relationship.


 * Perfection from the Pan
 * Bring [Sim] a perfect group meal. Time limited. Cash Reward


 * Outstandingly Rare
 * Bring 10 Excellent Cheese to the Restaurant. Cash Reward