While cooking skill does not actually determine the amount of satisfaction gained from eating food, a higher cooking skill means the Sim can cook dishes that have a higher satisfaction, and decreases the chance of burning the food, or even starting a fire. If you have Seasons installed: meals made with vegetable, fruit, and fish [TS:FT] you stock in the refrigerator. Be careful, if your Sims eats over their hunger need, they will gain weight.
With Open for Business installed, it allows a Sim to make any meal (except for a TV Dinner) they have the skill to prepare at any time of day. A meal made in this fashion will not be automatically served. It also won't go bad if you store it in your inventory. Don't leave it on the counter.
If FreeTime is installed, studying the cooking skill from a book, watching the Yummy Channel, or eating a meal will increase a Sim's enthusiasm for the Cuisine hobby.
Children gain the cooking skill faster than older Sims.
Ways to increase the Cleaning skill
- Cooking skill can be gained from the bookshelf,
- Preparing a meal
- Using the Culinary career reward object, which is the chocolate maker
- Watching the cooking channel (Yummy Channel) on television.
| Level | Recipe | Time of Day | EP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Begin | Instant Meal | B L D | Base Game | Requires no preparation or cooking |
| Begin | TV Dinner | L D | Base Game | Individual Meal only. Requires no preparation. Microwave only. |
| Begin | Cereal | B | Base Game | Requires no cooking |
| Begin | Toaster Pastries | B | Base Game | Requires no preparation |
| Begin | Lunch Meat Sandwich | L | Base Game | Requires no cooking |
| Begin | Mac and Cheese | L D | Base Game | |
| Begin | Cup O' Ramen | L D | University | Individual Meal only. Requires a microwave. Requires no preparation. |
| Begin | Grandma's Comfort Soup | L D | FreeTime | Family Aspiration Benefit. Cures Sickness. |
| Begin | Bass with Squash | L D G | Seasons | Requires a Largemouth Bass. Can be grilled |
| Begin | Hot Dogs | G | Base Game | Requires a grill |
| Begin | Gelatin | Des | Base Game | Group Meal only. Requires no preparation or cooking. |
| 1 | Spaghetti | D | Base Game | |
| 1 | Santa Cookies | Des | Happy Holiday Stuff Pack | Can only be made in Residential or Community lot zoning. Otherwise, must use make many... interaction. |
| 2 | Grilled Cheese Sandwich | L D | Base Game | Sims with the Grilled Cheese aspiration can make this at any time even if they have fewer than two cooking points. |
| 2 | Blackened Catfish | L D G | Seasons | Requires a Catfish. Can be grilled |
| 3 | Pancakes | B | Base Game | |
3 | Chef Salad | L D | Base Game | Requires no cooking |
| 3 | Hamburgers | L D G | Base Game | Can be grilled |
| 4 | Omelettes | B | Base Game | |
| 4 | Chili Con Carne | L | Base Game | |
| 4 | Stuffed Rainbow Trout | L D G | Seasons | Requires a Rainbow Trout. Can be grilled |
| 4 | Crepes Suzette | Des | Nightlife | Group Meal only |
| 5 | Pork Chops | D | Base Game | |
| 5 | Berry Pie | Des | Open for Business | Group Meal only |
| 6 | Turkey | D | Base Game | Group Meal only |
| 6 | Salmon | D | Base Game | |
| 6 | Stuffed Golden Trout | L D G | Seasons | Requires a Golden Trout. Can be grilled. |
| 6 | Cake | Des | Base Game | Group Meal only |
| 7 | Holiday Roast | D | Happy Holiday Stuff Pack | Requires a cornucopia on the lot |
| 7 | Ribs | G | Base Game | Requires a grill |
| 7 | Cheesecake | Des | Open for Business | Group Meal only. Guarantees twins if Sim is pregnant. |
| 8 | Baked Alaska | Des | Base Game | Group Meal only |
| 10 | Lobster Thermidor | D | Base Game |
B=Breakfast
L=Lunch
D=Dinner
Des = Dessert
G=Grilled
Sims 2 Expansion abbreviations
TS2 = The Sims 2 Base Game
TS2:U = The Sims 2 University
TS2:NL = The Sims 2 Nightlife
TS2:S = The Sims 2 Seasons
TS2:BV = The Sims 2 Bon Voyage
TS2:FT = The Sims 2 FreeTime
TS2:AL = The Sims 2 Apartment Life
TS2:P = The Sims 2 Pets
TS2:OFB = The Sims 2 Open for Business
TS:HH = The Sims 2 Happy Holiday Stuff Pack
