History Main / OneNoteCook

*** If porridge is a mixture of oatmeal, milk and water then by adding yeast, letting it work for an hour and then frying it you get Staffordshire Oatcakes, which are more than respectable food.

* In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'', Vess is only able to cook a particular type of dumpling, something Team Rex comments on when it's the only thing she serves them when inviting them for a meal. But Team Rex, her Driver Mabon and Mabon's kids all agree that the dumplings are exceptionally tasty, so it's not considered a particular handicap.

[[caption-width-right:350:It's called Burger Rush. What did you expect, pancakes?]]

[[caption-width-right:350:If you want fries with that, you'll have to play another game.]]

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* The ''ComicBook/LuckyLuke'' album ''La Diligence'' had a RunningGag where every one of the cooks at the stagecoach stops only knew how to make (the stagecoach says it's copany's mandate) bacon and beans. Taken UpToEleven during the high-class dinner at the end, where they STILL only serve bacon and beans, with some random extra ingredients added for each dish. To say the characters are sick of bacon and beans at that point is an understatement. The only stop that serves something else has been bribed as part of a bet.

* ComicBook/GreenArrow is legendary amongst the hero community in Franchise/TheDCU for his chilli recipe. There is zero indication that he knows how to cook anything else.
** Notably, his chilli isn't necessarily regarded as ''good'', just really, ''really'' hot.

* Despite the characters from ''Franchise/{{Anpanman}}'' that are themed around prepared foods and meals being [[SupremeChef the best]] at whatever they cook, this is the ONLY thing they cook. Compared to characters with a single ingredient theme (like a single vegetable or fruit), this leads to a lot of episodes based on two of these characters battling over whose dish is the best. This is also the driving point of practically every argument the Donburiman Trio has gotten into: which donburi dish is the tastiest.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': The episode "Fed Up" reveals that Lynn Sr. makes the same seven dishes for dinner each night[[note]]Salisbury Steak Sundays, Meatball Mondays, Turkey Loaf Tuesdays, Wienerschnitzel Wednesdays, Goulash Thursdays, Fish Fry Fridays and Succotash Saturdays[[/note]], which he repeats every single week. However, it's justified in that [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome the Louds are on a budget and have to feed 13 different people]], so preparing large enough nutritious meals for everyone can be difficult. But in the end, even Lynn Sr. realizes that they should mix it up once in a while, and sure enough he's proven in several other episodes to be a brilliant chef when given the chance to shine (particularly his lasagna). Just don't ask for his [[LethalChef cabbage casserole]].

* Somewhat of an example with LethalChef Raine in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'', gameplay-mechanics-wise. Her cooking skill for almost all of the recipes in the game max out at two stars (for most characters, that only applies to a few recipes they happen to be "bad" at). However, her ability to cook spaghetti is better than that for the other recipes... that one maxes out at ''three'' stars. (And she starts out with one star on that recipe, instead of starting with zero stars for all the other recipes.)
** In the same game, Colette will add fruit to a good amount of her recipes (and the recipes she's best at are fruit-based). This is taken to the extreme in a skit in the sequel.

* ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'': Eddy often brags at others (especially when he's cooking) on how his omelets are the best and everyone needs to try them. For everything else, he's a mess at the kitchen, if the cooking class at school is any evidence.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': The episode "Fed Up" reveals that Lynn Sr. makes the same seven dishes for dinner each night[[note]]Salisbury Steak Sundays, Meatball Mondays, Turkey Loaf Tuesdays, Wienerschnitzel Wednesdays, Goulash Thursdays, Fish Fry Fridays and Succotash Saturdays[[/note]], which he repeats every single week. However, it's justified in that [[RealityEnsues the Louds are on a budget and have to feed 13 different people]], so preparing large enough nutritious meals for everyone can be difficult. But in the end, even Lynn Sr. realizes that they should mix it up once in a while, and sure enough he's proven in several other episodes to be a brilliant chef when given the chance to shine (particularly his lasagna). Just don't ask for his [[LethalChef cabbage casserole]].

** It's not that Albert can't make anything un-fried, it's that he can't wrap his brain around un-fried food, since that's all he ever eats. The fried porridge thing was considered progress.

* ''Manga/DailyLifeWithMonsterGirl'':
** Miia is usually a LethalChef who's cooking represents a threat to anyone who eats it, but she actually can cook eggs pretty well.
** Centorea is a good cook by centaur standards, but since centaurs are herbivores, her food is generally limited to raw vegetables and salads.

* In ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'', according to his mother, Kotetsu (AKA Wild Tiger) loves fried rice so much that he never learned to cook anything else.
* Hoto Cocoa from ''Manga/IsTheOrderARabbit'' can only make bread and related food, but she's really good at it.
* ''Manga/MyMonsterSecret'': Aizawa is, at best, a mediocre cook. Except when it comes to cakes, which she can produce with SupremeChef level skill. Oddly, she herself doesn't seem to be aware that her cakes are far superior to her other food, even when other characters point it out.
* ''Manga/DailyLifeWithMonsterGirl'':
** Miia is usually a LethalChef who's cooking represents a threat to anyone who eats it, but she actually can cook eggs pretty well.
** Centorea is a good cook by centaur standards, but since centaurs are herbivores, her food is generally limited to raw vegetables and salads.
* Inverted in ''Manga/TegamiBachiLetterBee'', where Sylvette is shown to be a good cook, but whenever she serves her specialty soup, it is bound to taste horrible (to everyone except her brother, that is).

* Calvin's Dad in ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes''

* The ship's (OK, ''boat's'') cook in ''PT-109'' starts out only able to assemble peanut-butter sandwiches. When asked during an inspection if there is any hot food, he answers affirmatively. The boat's CO sarcastically challenges him, to which he brightly responds "Peanut butter on toast!" Later in the film he's seen fishing - with a hand grenade.

* In Creator/JamesHerriot's ''All Things Wise And Wonderful'', kitchen duties are temporarily taken over by Tristan Farnon, who can only cook sausage and mash - and even that not always particularly well.

* When he travels back in time, the grown [[Series/{{Heroes}} Hiro Nakamura]] is mistaken by his father to be the new chef (the Hiro of that time was a young boy). His mother orders eggs... but all Hiro knows how to make is [[TrademarkFavoriteFood waffles]]. She isn't mad at him.

* In the opera ''Paul Bunyan'', the cooks Sam Sharkey and Ben Benny specialize (i.e., overspecialize) in soups and beans, respectively.

* Minori in ''VisualNovel/BrassRestoration'' can make [[TrademarkFavoriteFood rice]], and [[LethalChef pure evil]].

* ''Videogame/SunlessSea'': The Bandaged Poissonier is a special case; as the name tells, he's a ''magnificent'' cook when it comes to fish, especially the weird sorts of fish (and other monstrosities) that dwell in the Unterzee. In terms of other foodstuffs... it's not that he's incapable, as he still [[CordonBleughChef begrudgingly manages]], the problem's that he's ''unwilling'' to cook anything outside of fish, thinking it a waste of his talents. He's insulted ''kings'' over it, and preferred to abandon the country entirely rather than continue cooking for someone who'd clearly rather stuff themselves with inferior meals.

* Despite the characters from ''{{Franchise/Anpanman}}'' that are themed around prepared foods and meals being [[SupremeChef the best]] at whatever they cook, this is the ONLY thing they cook. Compared to characters with a single ingredient theme (like a single vegetable or fruit), this leads to a lot of episodes based on two of these characters battling over whose dish is the best. This is also the driving point of practically every argument the Donburiman Trio has gotten into: which donburi dish is the tastiest.

* Ringo Oginome of ''Anime/MawaruPenguindrum'' starts the series only being able to make [[TrademarkFavoriteFood curry]], but learns how to cook more things under Himari, Shouma and Kanba's tutelage. It also serves a metaphor for her CharacterDevelopment, since curry represents her clinging to her past, and specifically [[spoiler:the memory of her dead older sister Momoka, who loved curry to death]].

* Inverted in ''Manga/LetterBee'', where Sylvette is shown to be a good cook, but whenever she serves her specialty soup, it is bound to taste horrible (to everyone except her brother, that is).

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* Zuko in ''FanFic/TheStalkingZukoSeries'' can make a very good cup of tea and kebobs but they are the only things he knows how to make.
* Superboy in ''WithThisRing'' is this trope. He's a Kryptonian-human hybrid clone created by Cadmus Labs who programmed him with a variety of knowledge, but for one reason or another, only bothered to teach him two recipes, beef bourguignon and baked pears. This is actually a comic reference, the Silver Age Superman's favorite food was Beef Bourguignon with ketchup.

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* In ''Manga/{{Kannagi}}'', Tsugumi enjoys cooking. She can make eggs, vegetables, and [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs eggs]] ''[[BreadEggsBreadedEggs with]]'' [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs vegetables]].

* Both Shirayuki and Obi have a downplayed and discussed version of this in ''Manga/AkagamiNoShirayukihime''. When they get stuck cooking for the rest of the main group, though it's actually just supposed to be Obi who roped her into helping him, Shirayuki says she can only cook simple food fit for a bar since she was raised at one and all of Obi's dishes are spicy and immediately recognizable as his. They're both cooking multiple dishes but they've each got a limited repertoire of dishes they know how to cook.

* Superboy in ''WithThisRing'' is this trope. He's a kryptonian-human hyrbid clone created by Cadmus Labs who programmed him with a variety of knowledge, but for one reason or another, only bothered to teach him two recipes, beef bourguignon and baked pears. This is actually a comic reference, the Silver Age Supermans favorite food was Beef Bourguignon with ketchup.

[[caption-width-right:350:If you want fries with that, you'll have to play another game.]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/w3p8qpmnveb11_1.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350: [[Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia Mac's Famous Mac and Cheese.]] Made even more pathetic when it's revealed to be nothing more than instant mac.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'', and maybe by extension his entire family, has several books on making grilled cheese sandwiches. That suggests Doug can make mean cheese sandwiches.