--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was a decent cook - competent enough to…" description: "\"I was a decent cook - competent enough to turn out the standard Eighties chalet fare: beef Wellington, banoffee pie, Delia's chocolate bread-and-butter..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/mary-nightingale-14521_beef_i-was-a-decent-cook-competent-enough-to_191445.jpg" --- # I was a decent cook - competent enough to turn out the… ![“I was a decent cook - competent enough to turn out the standard Eighties chalet fare: beef Wellington, banoffee pie, Delia's chocolate bread-and-butter pudding - but it wasn't haute cuisine.” quote by Mary Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/mary-nightingale-14521_beef_i-was-a-decent-cook-competent-enough-to_191445.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/mary-nightingale-14521_beef_i-was-a-decent-cook-competent-enough-to_191445.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/mary-nightingale-14521_beef_i-was-a-decent-cook-competent-enough-to_191445.jpg) > “I was a decent cook - competent enough to turn out the standard Eighties chalet fare: beef Wellington, banoffee pie, Delia's chocolate bread-and-butter pudding - but it wasn't haute cuisine.” [Mary Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-nightingale/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She acknowledges solid cooking skills but admits lacking the refinement of haute cuisine. **In simple terms:** Good cooking, not gourmet. Key Takeaway Accept your level, aim higher. Themes cooking skill humility Mood reflective pragmatic Type personal professional When to use this quote - home cooking - career development - personal growth Key Concepts culinary arts self‑assessment Questions to Reflect On - What steps could you take to elevate your cooking? - Do you value consistency over perfection? A Different Perspective True mastery may require formal training. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Eighties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eighties/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Pie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pie/) ## Related quotes > [I'm a decent cook, and I will try to cook anything. My only weakness is that I don't know servings - I only know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrice-o-neal/i-m-a-decent-cook-and-i-will-try-to-cook-anything-my-only-weakness-is/) [Patrice O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrice-o-neal/) > [Almost any decent cook will make food by eye and taste. Virtually all of my family cooked that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-albini/almost-any-decent-cook-will-make-food-by-eye-and-taste-virtually-all/) [Steve Albini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-albini/) > [I'm a decent cook; I'm a decent chef. None of my friends would ever have hired me at any point in my career. Period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/i-m-a-decent-cook-i-m-a-decent-chef-none-of-my-friends-would-ever/) [Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/) > [I actually surprised myself because I discovered that I am a pretty decent cook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shamita-shetty/i-actually-surprised-myself-because-i-discovered-that-i-am-a-pretty/) [Shamita Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shamita-shetty/) > [“My last good memory of the eighties, before everything went dark, was being sent to Wormwood Scrubs. Not because I’d broken the law again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozzy-osbourne/my-last-good-memory-of-the-eighties-before-everything-went-dark-was/) [Ozzy Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozzy-osbourne/) > [“The eighties happened. The nineties happened. Death and sickness and getting fat and going bald happened. I traded lots of dreams for a bigger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/the-eighties-happened-the-nineties-happened-death-and-sickness-and/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [In Europe the world of fashion is too conservative, very eighties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miuccia-prada/in-europe-the-world-of-fashion-is-too-conservative-very-eighties/) [Miuccia Prada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miuccia-prada/) > [I loved those movies from the eighties, movies like 'Working Girl,' 'Nine to Five,' 'Outrageous Fortune,' 'The Heat,' 'Bridesmaids,' 'Pitch Perfect,' and others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-perri/i-loved-those-movies-from-the-eighties-movies-like-working-girl-nine/) [Camille Perri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-perri/) > [Sometime in the eighties, Americans had a new set of 'traditional values' installed. ... the poor and the middle class were shaken down, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/sometime-in-the-eighties-americans-had-a-new-set-of-traditional/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) > [Music was far more tribal in the Eighties; you were into one band and that was it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-kemp/music-was-far-more-tribal-in-the-eighties-you-were-into-one-band-and/) [Martin Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-kemp/) > [Part of me is stuck in my childhood in the Eighties. I actually watch 'The Neverending Story,' 'Labyrinth,' and 'Legend' over and over again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/part-of-me-is-stuck-in-my-childhood-in-the-eighties-i-actually-watch/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [Like anybody who grew up in the Eighties, I cringe at the thought of these movies being remade, because of the corniness and cheesiness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/like-anybody-who-grew-up-in-the-eighties-i-cringe-at-the-thought-of/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) > [Much of the stuff I relate to is from the Eighties, at least cinematically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ti-west/much-of-the-stuff-i-relate-to-is-from-the-eighties-at-least/) [Ti West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ti-west/) > [In the Sixties, it was mods and rockers, and hippies and casuals, whereas in the early Eighties, there was Goths, punks, mods, skinheads, New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-meadows/in-the-sixties-it-was-mods-and-rockers-and-hippies-and-casuals/) [Shane Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-meadows/) > [I'm really sick of anthems. Every song has to be a very big singalong thing - it feels very Eighties. There are a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/i-m-really-sick-of-anthems-every-song-has-to-be-a-very-big-singalong/) [Oscar Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/) ## More by Mary Nightingale > [The challenge of election broadcasting is to stick to the story and line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-nightingale/the-challenge-of-election-broadcasting-is-to-stick-to-the-story-and/) [Mary Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-nightingale/) > ['Rebecca' by Daphne du Maurier was the first grown-up book I read, when I was aged about 12.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-nightingale/rebecca-by-daphne-du-maurier-was-the-first-grown-up-book-i-read-when/) [Mary Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-nightingale/) > [Stats are stats but if you want to be sure you're going to have, say, three children with no problems, you should start at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-nightingale/stats-are-stats-but-if-you-want-to-be-sure-you-re-going-to-have-say/) [Mary Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-nightingale/) > [It doesn't matter what you look like. If you can't do the job you will soon be found out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-nightingale/it-doesn-t-matter-what-you-look-like-if-you-can-t-do-the-job-you-will/) [Mary Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-nightingale/) > [I'm a good dressmaker. When I was a student I made all my own clothes, and earned good money making ball gowns and wedding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-nightingale/i-m-a-good-dressmaker-when-i-was-a-student-i-made-all-my-own-clothes/) [Mary Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-nightingale/) > [Gradually, we fell in love with camper-vanning. It's a strange business to begin with - rather like driving a large, rather flimsy cardboard box.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-nightingale/gradually-we-fell-in-love-with-camper-vanning-it-s-a-strange-business/) [Mary Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-nightingale/) > [I was offered a screen test for a business show on Japanese TV. I did it for a laugh, really, and I got the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-nightingale/i-was-offered-a-screen-test-for-a-business-show-on-japanese-tv-i-did/) [Mary Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-nightingale/) > [It's not your job to be warm on the news; you can be empathetic, but you can't emote. That can be difficult sometimes -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-nightingale/it-s-not-your-job-to-be-warm-on-the-news-you-can-be-empathetic-but/) [Mary Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-nightingale/) > [I didn't come from the sort of family where Daddy would provide - so I had to work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-nightingale/i-didn-t-come-from-the-sort-of-family-where-daddy-would-provide-so-i/) [Mary Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-nightingale/) > [There's not a pie that I don't like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-nightingale/there-s-not-a-pie-that-i-don-t-like/) [Mary Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-nightingale/) > [First off, it's a bit of a tired old chestnut that if a woman is pretty than she can't be bright. God what are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-nightingale/first-off-it-s-a-bit-of-a-tired-old-chestnut-that-if-a-woman-is/) [Mary Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-nightingale/) > [Newsrooms are still highly competitive, demanding environments. You have to be robust to hold your own amidst the alpha males and females.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-nightingale/newsrooms-are-still-highly-competitive-demanding-environments-you/) [Mary Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-nightingale/) > [It was a deliberate policy not to invite Hello!' into my home. I could have done that stuff and made a lot of money,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-nightingale/it-was-a-deliberate-policy-not-to-invite-hello-into-my-home-i-could/) [Mary Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-nightingale/) > [There is a choice you can make. You can want to be a firework and are comfortable with fame. You love it and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-nightingale/there-is-a-choice-you-can-make-you-can-want-to-be-a-firework-and-are/) [Mary Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-nightingale/) > [Life really is short, and you just have to go for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-nightingale/life-really-is-short-and-you-just-have-to-go-for-it/) [Mary Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-nightingale/) [Explore all 46 Mary Nightingale quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-nightingale/) ## More Beef quotes > [I joined PETA for minks and dogs. I need my beef, my chicken, my seafood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waka-flocka-flame/i-joined-peta-for-minks-and-dogs-i-need-my-beef-my-chicken-my-seafood/) [Waka Flocka Flame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waka-flocka-flame/) > [Let me be clear - Microsoft has no beef with open source.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-mundie/let-me-be-clear-microsoft-has-no-beef-with-open-source/) [Craig Mundie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-mundie/) > [I don't have a beef with any female artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keri-hilson/i-don-t-have-a-beef-with-any-female-artist/) [Keri Hilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keri-hilson/) > [It is a great delusion to suppose that flesh-meat of any kind is essential to health. Considerably more than three parts of the work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-booth/it-is-a-great-delusion-to-suppose-that-flesh-meat-of-any-kind-is/) [Catherine Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-booth/) > [I got so much beef, I can make a mighty kidz meal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassius-quantrell-ellison/i-got-so-much-beef-i-can-make-a-mighty-kidz-meal/) [Cassius Quantrell Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassius-quantrell-ellison/) > [Dietitians and nutritionists rely on the ADA food pyramid - a political document that is influenced by the food lobbies, including big dairy, big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-rosenthal/dietitians-and-nutritionists-rely-on-the-ada-food-pyramid-a-political/) [Joshua Rosenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-rosenthal/) > [Dinner Special - Turkey $2.35; Chicken or Beef $2.25; Children $2.00](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/dinner-special-turkey-2-35-chicken-or-beef-2-25-children-2-00/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [I have been a vegetarian for forty-two years. I did it because I didn't want animals to die so I could eat. Then, eight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-simon/i-have-been-a-vegetarian-for-forty-two-years-i-did-it-because-i-didn/) [Sam Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-simon/) > [True. There is a beautiful Jesus. He is frozen to his bones like a chunk of beef. How desperately he wanted to pull his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sexton/true-there-is-a-beautiful-jesus-he-is-frozen-to-his-bones-like-a/) [Anne Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sexton/) > [“Here was our future of cheese-food and aerosol propellants, Styrofoam and Club Med on the moon, roast beef served in a toothpaste tube.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/here-was-our-future-of-cheese-food-and-aerosol-propellants-styrofoam/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [England is merely an island of beef swimming in a warm gulf stream of gravy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/england-is-merely-an-island-of-beef-swimming-in-a-warm-gulf-stream-of/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [Religions contradict one another-on small matters, such as whether we should put on a hat or take one off on entering a house of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/religions-contradict-one-another-on-small-matters-such-as-whether-we/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [I lost all respect for kim when she started the whole nicki copied mess ,she does not copy kim. Nicki is her own person,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-lost-all-respect-for-kim-when-she-started-the-whole-nicki-copied/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Want beef cause I got bread, I'll guess you what burgers be nigga.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wiz-khalifa/want-beef-cause-i-got-bread-i-ll-guess-you-what-burgers-be-nigga/) [Wiz Khalifa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wiz-khalifa/) > [Yes, beef is what was for dinner last night. Tonight it will be my dinner, and it will continue to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/yes-beef-is-what-was-for-dinner-last-night-tonight-it-will-be-my/) [Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/) Browse all 410 Beef quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was a decent cook - competent enough to turn out the standard Eighties chalet fare: beef Wellington, banoffee pie, Delia's chocolate bread-and-butter pudding - but it wasn't haute cuisine.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mary Nightingale" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-nightingale/i-was-a-decent-cook-competent-enough-to-turn-out-the-standard/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beef" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-nightingale/i-was-a-decent-cook-competent-enough-to-turn-out-the-standard/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/mary-nightingale-14521_beef_i-was-a-decent-cook-competent-enough-to_191445.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/mary-nightingale-14521_beef_i-was-a-decent-cook-competent-enough-to_191445.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/104/mary-nightingale-14521_beef_i-was-a-decent-cook-competent-enough-to_191445.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was a decent cook - competent enough to turn out the standard Eighties chalet fare: beef Wellington…” — Mary Nightingale", "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": "Mary Nightingale", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-nightingale/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I was a decent cook -...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-nightingale/i-was-a-decent-cook-competent-enough-to-turn-out-the-standard/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-nightingale/i-was-a-decent-cook-competent-enough-to-turn-out-the-standard/#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 } } ] } ```