---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think I could be a cook. Everybody…"
description: "\"I think I could be a cook. Everybody always says I'm good, though I think it's quite gruelling as a profession.\" — Edmund White"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/399/edmund-white-2376_always_i-think-i-could-be-a-cook-everybody-alwa_819320.png"
---

#  I think I could be a cook. Everybody always says I'm good…

![“I think I could be a cook. Everybody always says I'm good, though I think it's quite gruelling as a profession.” quote by Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/399/edmund-white-2376_always_i-think-i-could-be-a-cook-everybody-alwa_819320.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/399/edmund-white-2376_always_i-think-i-could-be-a-cook-everybody-alwa_819320.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/399/edmund-white-2376_always_i-think-i-could-be-a-cook-everybody-alwa_819320.png)

> “I think I could be a cook. Everybody always says I'm good, though I think it's quite gruelling as a profession.”

[Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker humorously acknowledges a talent for cooking while recognizing the demanding nature of the profession, reflecting on self‑perception versus external praise.

**In simple terms:** I could be a chef, but it’s hard work.

Key Takeaway

Consider passion versus practicality before career choices.

Themes

career self‑assessment passion reality

Mood

contemplative lighthearted

Type

personal career

When to use this quote

- job interviews
- career planning
- personal hobbies
- skill development

Key Concepts

culinary arts self‑esteem work‑life balance

Questions to Reflect On

- What drives your interest in cooking?
- How do you handle the grind of a tough profession?

A Different Perspective

Passion alone may not sustain a demanding career.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Profession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profession/)

## Related quotes

> [I can cook a few things. I always save the same recipes to impress my friends, and I always do two or three things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-cruz/i-can-cook-a-few-things-i-always-save-the-same-recipes-to-impress-my/)

[Penelope Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-cruz/)

> [If you think well, you cook well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferran-adria/if-you-think-well-you-cook-well/)

[Ferran Adria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferran-adria/)

> [For a dude, I think I do cook. I'm a stay-at-home parent a lot of the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-d/for-a-dude-i-think-i-do-cook-i-m-a-stay-at-home-parent-a-lot-of-the/)

[Mike D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-d/)

> [This is the most elaborate and luxurious method of convincing others that you can cook. Take everybody out on your yacht until they're green…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/this-is-the-most-elaborate-and-luxurious-method-of-convincing-others/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [Students need to learn how to think critically, how to argue opposing ideas. It is important for them to learn how to think. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-trotter/students-need-to-learn-how-to-think-critically-how-to-argue-opposing/)

[Charlie Trotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-trotter/)

> [Even if you don't think you can cook well, you can cook better than the food industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/even-if-you-don-t-think-you-can-cook-well-you-can-cook-better-than/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

> [I like to cook, but mostly Greek. When I am confused or tired, I think about what I can cook. It takes you away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nana-mouskouri/i-like-to-cook-but-mostly-greek-when-i-am-confused-or-tired-i-think/)

[Nana Mouskouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nana-mouskouri/)

> [“Women think they cook better than men. Hmm, I just laugh. Men allowed women to be operating the kitchen because we love women so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ifeanyi-dede/women-think-they-cook-better-than-men-hmm-i-just-laugh-men-allowed/)

Ifeanyi Dede

> [I love it when a man cooks; it's one of those points that makes me adore a guy. I think it's so romantic and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-kurylenko/i-love-it-when-a-man-cooks-it-s-one-of-those-points-that-makes-me/)

[Olga Kurylenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-kurylenko/)

> [I really love my food. My favourite thing is artichokes. I am not so much interested in desserts or chocolate, though. I also like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-mccrory/i-really-love-my-food-my-favourite-thing-is-artichokes-i-am-not-so/)

[Helen McCrory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-mccrory/)

> [My dream as a passionate cook has been to go to Le Cordon Bleu. Never could my most incredible dream have lived up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-lively/my-dream-as-a-passionate-cook-has-been-to-go-to-le-cordon-bleu-never/)

[Blake Lively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-lively/)

> [I'll cook the water...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/i-ll-cook-the-water/)

[Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/)

> [Being such a good cook that even the fire alarm cheers you on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-such-a-good-cook-that-even-the-fire-alarm-cheers-you-on/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [There are some things that I like, like education, wine, and I'd like to be a good cook, although I'm a pretty good eater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wagoner/there-are-some-things-that-i-like-like-education-wine-and-i-d-like-to/)

[Rick Wagoner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wagoner/)

> [When you cook a sausage, the skin sometimes breaks and the ground meat comes apart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-cook-a-sausage-the-skin-sometimes-breaks-and-the-ground-meat/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Edmund White

> [The talk shows in the States want celebrities, not authors. In France, it is different; writers are called upon to comment on everything. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/the-talk-shows-in-the-states-want-celebrities-not-authors-in-france/)

[Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/)

> [Just like Barack Obama, my views on gay marriage have evolved, and now I am a reluctant groom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/just-like-barack-obama-my-views-on-gay-marriage-have-evolved-and-now/)

[Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/)

> [In 'A Boy's Own Story' and 'Jack Holmes and His Friend,' my idea was to take someone totally different from my real self and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/in-a-boy-s-own-story-and-jack-holmes-and-his-friend-my-idea-was-to/)

[Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/)

> [Everyone seems agreed that writing about sex is perilous, partly because it threatens to swamp highly individualised characters in a generic, featureless activity (much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/everyone-seems-agreed-that-writing-about-sex-is-perilous-partly/)

[Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/)

> ['The Sound of Things Falling' may be a page turner, but it's also a deep meditation on fate and death. Even in translation, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/the-sound-of-things-falling-may-be-a-page-turner-but-it-s-also-a-deep/)

[Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/)

> [If you're a beach person or a golfer, Key West is not for you. Most of the sand has been imported, and the water…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/if-you-re-a-beach-person-or-a-golfer-key-west-is-not-for-you-most-of/)

[Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/)

> [First, I was opposed to gay marriage because it seemed like one more way that gays were wanting to assimilate. When I realized the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/first-i-was-opposed-to-gay-marriage-because-it-seemed-like-one-more/)

[Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/)

> [From my mother I learned just how violent and unquenchable a woman's loneliness can be. She had been sheltered excessively by her husband and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/from-my-mother-i-learned-just-how-violent-and-unquenchable-a-woman-s/)

[Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/)

> [From an early age, I had the idea that writing was truth-telling. It's on the record. Everybody can see it. Maybe it goes back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/from-an-early-age-i-had-the-idea-that-writing-was-truth-telling-it-s/)

[Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/)

> [Since, in the best Southern tradition, I was named Edmund Valentine White III, sometimes when people look up my books on Amazon they find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/since-in-the-best-southern-tradition-i-was-named-edmund-valentine/)

[Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/)

> [When I was young, I despised old people. I was provincial and narrow-minded. It's the reason I stayed stupid so long. If you only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/when-i-was-young-i-despised-old-people-i-was-provincial-and-narrow/)

[Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/)

> [Key West is the place where your sickly house plant back in New York grows to 10 ft. It's also the place where an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/key-west-is-the-place-where-your-sickly-house-plant-back-in-new-york/)

[Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/)

> [“In the past, when gays were very flamboyant as drag queens or as leather queens or whatever, that just amused people. And most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/in-the-past-when-gays-were-very-flamboyant-as-drag-queens-or-as/)

[Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/)

> [When a woman falls in love with me, I feel guilty. I am convinced that it's pure obstinacy that keeps me from reciprocating her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/when-a-woman-falls-in-love-with-me-i-feel-guilty-i-am-convinced-that/)

[Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/)

> [While writing 'City Boy,' I relied mainly on my own memories. In particular, I was able to describe the effect of gay liberation on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/while-writing-city-boy-i-relied-mainly-on-my-own-memories-in/)

[Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/)

[Explore all 166 Edmund White quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/)

## More Always quotes

> [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/)

[Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/)

> [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/)

[Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/)

> [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/)

[Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/)

> [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/)

[William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/)

> [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/)

[Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/)

> [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/)

[Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/)

> [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/)

[Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/)

> [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/)

[Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/)

> [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/)

[Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/)

> [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/)

[Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/)

> [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/)

[Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/)

> [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/)

[Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/)

> [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/)

[Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/)

Browse all 36,048 Always quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think I could be a cook. Everybody always says I'm good, though I think it's quite gruelling as a profession.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Edmund White"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/i-think-i-could-be-a-cook-everybody-always-says-i-m-good-though-i/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Always"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/i-think-i-could-be-a-cook-everybody-always-says-i-m-good-though-i/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/399/edmund-white-2376_always_i-think-i-could-be-a-cook-everybody-alwa_819320.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/399/edmund-white-2376_always_i-think-i-could-be-a-cook-everybody-alwa_819320.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/399/edmund-white-2376_always_i-think-i-could-be-a-cook-everybody-alwa_819320.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think I could be a cook. Everybody always says I'm good, though I think it's quite gruelling as a…” — Edmund White",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Edmund White",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think I could be a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/i-think-i-could-be-a-cook-everybody-always-says-i-m-good-though-i/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/i-think-i-could-be-a-cook-everybody-always-says-i-m-good-though-i/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
