What makes a good cook?

According to my great grandfather anyone who can boil water can claim to be cook but only a good cook could roast a perfect Paaperdum.  Little did he know that someday someone will invent a microwave oven and even a child would be able to roast a Paaperdum to perfection in 30 seconds.

My mother used to tell a story about her grandfather. My great grand father was considered to be a connoisseur of food. He would go and test the prospective wives for his sons for their cooking abilities. He would squat down on the floor near the Choolah and ask the prospective bride to roast a Paaperdum. She had to start the Choolah with dried cow dung cakes, roast the Paaperdum making sure there were no burn or un-roasted spots. It only takes about 20 seconds to roast a Paaperdum.

After a century, with the invention of all thermostatically controlled devices cooking is still a skill. You get better with experience. Some say it is an art, art is the way the food is presented and not how it is cooked.